Chapter 110 - Return To Seloud

"They are alive? How can you be so sure?" Fagin hesitantly, 

"Well, I have seen him fighting, even after everybody thought he would die or run with his tail between legs." Styrmir smiled at him remembering the fight of the Zeroth day,  

– Styrmir - PoV –

The first day I saw him, I heard he is the one who was recommended by the lady Tara, I was there when he took that mana degree test, 

A guy with no mana entered the competition while participants unlike him had considerably more mana were rejected, for me, he was another foot licking commoner.

I was disgusted by him if I am honest, riding on lady Tara's coattail, he somehow reminded me of the past, 

No, I was jealous of him because someone trusted them, there was someone who believed in him, unlike me.

But then, I heard….

-  Day after the second trial -

I was in the room with my roommates resting, 

"Oye Styrmir have you heard?" My neighbor roommates looked at me with a wide grin, 

'What?' I glared at him with side eyes, 

"The guy! What was his name? Ah….well whatevs That ruined prince guy, you know what happened?" He looked so amused that it was bugging me.

'What? Wasn't he in the crown prince team? I know he got lucky, they came first, and all the team members advanced to finals.' I sighed and rolled to another side of the bed.

''Yes! About that! That guy didn't make it to the 3rd round!" I heard his cheering voice from behind and immediately sat on my bed with a wide smile, 

I was so glad at that moment, a guy with no talent and no endeavor, made it this far by his connection and got what he deserved until I heard the truth from Ruth on the Zeroth day.

Everything he did, he gave up everything to save a girl, even though he could've won that easily, but it was too late for me to be happy for him.

Nobody thought he had any chance to regain a chance again, after fighting that monster, while I was in the Throne, my team was hiding after sensing the tremendous amount of mana.

I wanted to fight him, but my team held me back saying I had no chance. Even though I knew that I wouldn't be able to defeat him, but I wasn't afraid.

Everybody was looking forward to his elimination and I stood up from my seat and started walking out of the arena, and then I heard that loud crash before the end of the countdown.

I ran back to the arena but my footsteps halted before touching the ground of the battlefield, I saw the back of a guy covered in bandages holding a girl in his arms, there glowing black smoke leaking out from the bandages and the intimidation I felt that moment apparently traumatized me for life, 

I know it is laughable. I laughed too when I heard his name back again, Rise Kier!

– present time - 

'Our last battle was nothing like that day, even though we know we could've died that day, but I know he won't yield yet, after all rising from the bottom is the specialty of the Ruined Prince!' 

I looked at Zia with a wide grin and she averted her gaze from me and shrugged, 

'Isn't it true?' I chuckled,

"Aren't putting too much confidence in him, this is barely our first mission together." Zia had a cold tone but I guess it's reasonable.

'Maybe I am, after all, a guy who can risk anything to save a girl in distress is a true man!' 

Now I am fired up! And I can't wait to meet them again! I was so pumped up, I removed my bandages and looked at Fagin.

'Could open the gate to the kingdom Seloud, but this time please change the gate opening to a slightly different place.

"Where?" Reigin farrowed.

***

Styrmir looked at Zia and she nodded with him.

After a while, the gate from Copperlin opened in the dense forest, Reigin and Fagin took a peek at the gate and saw a cottage in the middle of the woods.

"What is this place? Fagin stared at Styrmir, 

"The home of the girl Rise saved before, she was the maid and a spy at Diesswrin mansion maybe she could help us with the situation I think." Zia looked back and gestured to them to close the gate.

Fagin and Reigin looked at each other and waved at them, after wishing them good luck again they closed the gate.

"Well then shall we?" Styrmir took the step forward and they both stood in front of the gate.

Styrmir knocked on the door but there was no answer, he knocked continuously but there was no response for a long time.

"Something isn't right…" Zia turned anxious and knocked loudly,

"Zia move aside, I am going to break the door." Zia stepped aside and Styrmir kicked the door open, they rushed inside, but strangely there was no one in the first room.

"Jane! Bisca! Cecelia! Where are you? Are you okay?" Zia shouted and started looking around, after searching the whole cottage they weren't able to find them.

Zia and Styrmir were tense and worried, then a voice in Zia's head.

"Zia? Is that you? Are Rise and the rest of you okay?"  It was Cecilia's voice, Zia started shaking his gaze around hurriedly looking for her but couldn't find or catch her presence anywhere around.

"I am here in the basement of the cottage, please hurry up, or else Bisca will…Bisca won't be able to make it!" Zia looked down and touched the floor.

She scoured the floor with her mana and felt somebody's presence fainting away.

"Styrmir! Make a hole there now!" She pointed at the corner of the floor and Styrmir stomped and broke the floor, Zia and Styrmir jumped into that gap.

"Cecelia! Bisca, where are you?!" Zia yelled desperately looking around, 

"Here, move your step a bit to the left, eleven o'clock, and walk a few steps ahead and reach out your hand," Cecelia spoke, even in Zia's mind her voice shaking in some unknown fear.

Zia looked before moving forward, there was nothing but storage equipment and sacks there, but still, she believed Cecelia.

Zia followed her and moved her hand in the air and then she felt something, it was warm as someone's hand she held it gently,

"Is this you Cecelia?" Zia's voice was shaking, 

"Yes!" Cecilia answered and Zia grabbed her hand with both of hers, "I am fine don't worry but you need to hurry! Bisca is in danger!" Cecelia held Zia's hand and shook it a bit.

"I will but where is she? And where are you really? I can feel you but I can't see you!" Zia moved her gaze again but she wasn't able to see Cecelia or Bisca.

"Lady Bisca is at my right, touch the ground and slowly move forward straight, you'll feel her hand holding something! It is a presence depleting orb! Take that orb and you'll be able to see us!" Zia again followed her directions and felt another hand holding something tightly.

She tried to take it but the grip was a bit too strong, in jerk that orb got freed from her grip.

Bisca and Zia finally became visible, Zia and Styrmir ran to their aid, when they saw Bisca fainted and pale.

"What happened, Bisca opened your eyes! Bisca, get hold of yourself! Open your eyes!" Zia rubbed her hands that we were going cold with each passing second.

"Cecelia, are you okay? What happened here?" Styrmir looked at Cecelia, she didn't look much harmed but she was anxious and sweating, she grabbed Styrmir's collar and her voice broke in his head.

"They came here! That bastard! And that monster son! Duke Diesswrin's son!" Cecelia started throwing her hand in the air looking for Bisca, 

"Before that master Styrmir where is lady Bisca! Is she okay?" Styrmir crouched down observing Bisca, 

"Zia, is she okay?"  Styrmir took a long glance, he realized it wasn't any external attack that affected her, 

"I can't say but her mana is rehearsing gradually if something is not done she'll die because If mana exhaustion, looks like she was in reserve for too long, probably to keep that orb working." Zia pulled out a small box from her bag.

"What is that?" Styrmir saw that box, it looked like a medicine container, 

"It's blue pills, they are only made in my mother's clan, it is to give someone an immediate and decent amount of mana to keep them alive when going through such situations!" She took out a single pill from the box and gave them to Bisca.

They made her swallow the pill gently, and abruptly Bisca's face turned red and she started sweating, her breaths became unstable, 

"What the hell is happening right now! Zia!" Styrmir started at Zia, 

"She is fine! For now please take Cecelia and get out of here now!"