“Your grace! You must keep on running. The slaves are closing in!”

“I will not let myself fall in the hands of those slaves!” Duke Taleba fumed as he continued to run in some dense forest. When he fought that orange-haired slave before, he didn’t expect that he would be defeated like this easily. When they clashed, he felt like his magic and strength became temporarily gone.

“What do the empire and the eight tribes even doing? Why they didn’t send us any reinforcements?” One of the knights said as he looked around to see if the surrounding was clear.

The duke gnashed his teeth to the point he could taste some blood on them.

‘Those fools, they must be rejoicing to my predicament right now. Just so they wait, if I solve this, I will return every single of them.’ The duke clenched his fist as they continued to move ahead in the denseness of the forest.

The moon was shining high above giving a small light to the darkness of the forest.. One could also see some torches lighting the path. They were the slaves who were looking to the whereabouts of the duke.

The duke and three of his men silently hid on the bushes as they awaited their pursuers to pass their side.

“Let’s move forward, duke.” One of his knights said when the area was once clear again. But then as the knight stood up, an arrow suddenly flew directly and pierced his head. The other two knights almost squealed when the knight that was hit by the arrow fell on the ground, already dead on the spot. The knight turned into particles in an instant.

“I found them!” The duke and his remaining two knights heard that one shout. They immediately back away and began to run. Arrows kept flying towards them as they flee the area.

As they went deeper into the forest, a fog was already surrounding the area, making the path reduce its visibility. But the duke and his men just continued their run.

“Ahh!” One of his knights screamed as he fell on a cliff. The duke and the other one stopped. They were just an inch away from the cliff too. If not for the unfortunate knight that fell, they would not know that there was a cliff ahead.

“Well, well. The mighty duke of Taleba has finally stopped running.” Amidst the thick fog surrounding the area, the duke could see the increasing light of the torches. It was now everywhere.

“If you let me escape, I’ll give you lots of golds.” The duke said which made the place covered with silence. But then one person started to laugh then the next. And the whole surrounding was now filled with waves of laughter as if they were mocking the duke.

“Hah. You said you’ll give us gold when you are going to die now! Is that your last attempt to save your very important life duke?” Baru walked out in the middle of the men. 

*Swoosh!*

A huge gust of wind suddenly interrupted them. “Duke Taleba!” The knight that was with the duke screamed in fright when the duke fell right in the cliff.

All the people that were pursuing the duke tried to reach out to him. But they saw how the duke completely fell on the ravaging river beneath the cliff.

—⚓⚓⚓—

“Iris!” Baru once again returned to the duke’s manor. Iris who was facepalming looked at the apeman who arrived panting.

“It should be good news now, right? Where’s the duke?” She asked, her voice sounded impatient. It’s the second day of their revolution now and yet the duke was not there in front of her.

“I apologize.” Baru looked down, trying to find the right words to tell the terrifying woman in front of him. Even if he didn’t look with her, he could feel her cold almond eyes peering at him. Even when everyone saw that Baru defeated Iris during their battle at the arena, in reality, it was all just an act. An act made by Iris herself to fool everyone that she was weak until the revolution occurred.

“What are you apologizing for? Where is the duke?” Iris asked once again.

“The duke…” Baru firmed himself to his next words. “The duke died as he fell on the cliff while we chaste after him.”

Iris’ eyes squirmed. “The duke died?”

“Yes.” 

“That’s unfortunate.” Iris rose to the huge silver seat she was sitting in. “We couldn’t do anything if the duke died. But did you see if he turned into light particles?” She turned towards the apeman who was not raising his head.

“I apologize again. The whole place was covered with fog making it for us to not see everything clearly. The wind and the river current below the cliff are too strong, anyone who fell from that will not surely survive.” Baru explained without looking at the woman that was now in front of him. 

“Hmm. I see. Then search for his remains tomorrow right away, even just his clothes. We should have something to display together when we executed all his servants at the center of the city. Let this serve as a lesson to everyone in the city that those who will oppose us, only death will await them.” Iris said then she turned to everyone in the room.

“Everyone! Today as you have heard, with the death of the duke, all of us slaves are now free!” Iris shouted which earned a lot of screams and cheers from everyone. ‘

‘Now the next is the eight tribes. But what is this feeling that something seems amiss.’ Iris thought as she looked at her people who were now cheering for their freedom.

—⚓⚓⚓—

Iris’ bad feeling of something that was amiss was not something with no basis. Back in a certain forest, a certain man wearing a black cloak and mask appeared.

Rein appeared on the cliff when everyone was gone. The fog that was covering the place near the cliff started to dissipate.

The duke who didn’t have any consciousness was lying on the ground.

“Your illusion magic looks really real. If I didn’t know, I would believe that the duke has fallen down the cliff.” Dorris walked out from behind a tree.

“I thought you’re not going to talk to me for an entire year?” Rein said.

Dorris just frowned. “Yeah. Whatever.” She raised her hands and a magic array appeared under the unconscious duke. “Let’s go now. Lady Malaya must have been waiting for us. Hmph.” She said and the teleportation array started to light up. They vanished and the forest became completely dark once again.

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Extra Scene:

A few hours ago…

“Rein! Let’s have a game on who will find the duke first!” Dorris happily exclaimed when both she and Rein appeared in front of the forest.

“We are not here to play, Dorris. Our Lady tells us to look after the duke.” Rein said, sternly.

“Boo. You’re no fun.” Dorris frowned.

“Let’s look for the duke now.”

“Boo. You’re no fun.”

“I’ll look in the west and…”

“Boo. You’re no fun.” Dorris repeated like a child throwing a fit. “I’m not going to talk to you for an entire year!” She then started walking to the East side of the forest as she kicked the stones on her path.

Rein just nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. ‘I bet she will go to talk to me again very soon. Hah.’ He then started to walk towards the West of the Forest too.

“Rein! There is a bug on my head!” He heard Dorris scream.

“That girl!” Rein ran in the direction of where Dorris went. “She’s too loud!”

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