At the city's exit gate, Tiyara stood alone while lightly tapping the tip of her foot against the ground, as if waiting for someone.
A short while later, a carriage arrived.
Tiyara looked toward it as the carriage stopped beside her.
Then Yuki stepped out from inside and walked toward her with a curious expression.
"What are you doing here, Tiyara?"
Tiyara crossed her arms with a slight attitude.
"Hmph! I'm going with you."
"What, did you think you could leave without even telling me?"
Yuki sighed lightly.
"Well... I forgot to tell you."
"And Duke Kalvasu suddenly informed me that something happened in Ohilo City."
"That's why I had to leave urgently."
Tiyara walked toward the carriage proudly.
"Hmpf! I don't care."
"I'm still coming with you."
Then she turned toward Yuki beside the carriage and continued—
"Besides, if we want to find Jelrai, we'll need to detect his mana."
"But you don't even know how to use magic, let alone mana detection."
"So it's important for me to come with you."
Yuki couldn't think of anything to say.
He simply stood there quietly staring at her.
Then slowly, he lowered his head and smiled faintly before walking toward the carriage.
"Okay..."
Both of them entered the carriage, and soon it departed from the city.
Meanwhile—
On top of the wall near the city gate, a liquid-like man silently stood watching the carriage leave.
In a creepy voice, he muttered—
"Found you."
The next second, his body dissolved into liquid and melted into the ground before disappearing completely.
Some time later—
The carriage continued moving across a vast open field.
Inside, Yuki and Tiyara sat together while casually talking.
Tiyara spoke first.
"So, what are we supposed to do once we reach Ohilo City?"
Yuki shrugged.
"I don't know."
"Lord Kalvasu just told me to go there, so I'm going."
Then Tiyara suddenly remembered something.
"Oh right..."
"The Duke of Ohilo City is Lord Jalrai."
"He's Lord Kalvasu's brother."
Yuki looked surprised.
"Seriously?!"
Tiyara nodded casually.
"Yup."
Then Yuki asked curiously—
"By the way... what's the name of this kingdom?"
Tiyara immediately made a confused expression.
"Kingdom?"
Yuki blinked in surprise.
Wait... she doesn't know what a kingdom is?
After thinking for a moment, Yuki tried explaining.
"A kingdom... you know... the place where everyone lives?"
"Like... the thing that controls all these cities?"
Tiyara tilted her head curiously before answering—
"But there's no common ruler for all the cities."
"Every city is independent."
"And each city has one duke who rules over it."
"As for where all these cities are located... they're part of the Hidimba Continent."
Yuki fell silent in surprise.
Tiyara continued explaining casually.
"There are seven cities in total."
"After that begins the Demon King's territory."
"And outside the continent somewhere lives Illman."
Yuki quietly thought to himself.
So that's how the world system works here... I see.
Then he looked at Tiyara curiously.
"Where did you even learn all this information?"
Tiyara answered proudly in a teasing tone.
"Obviously from books, silly~"
Yuki gave a dumb, awkward laugh.
"Heh... heh... heh..."
Then suddenly he remembered something.
"Oh wait... you know—"
But before he could finish—
The carriage suddenly shook violently and came to an abrupt stop.
Caught off guard, both Yuki and Tiyara grabbed onto their seats instantly.
"What's going on?!" Yuki shouted.
The two quickly jumped out of the carriage.
In front of it, a massive spear-like structure made of ice and stone had pierced the ground.
Yuki immediately walked forward toward the driver—
—but the moment he saw him, his eyes widened in shock.
An enormous ice crystal had pierced straight through the driver's stomach.
The man was already dead.
Seeing Yuki's shocked expression, Tiyara called out worriedly—
"What's wrong, Yuki?!"
But suddenly—
An attack shot toward Tiyara.
She instantly noticed it and dodged backward.
Sharp ice spikes erupted from the ground where she had been standing moments earlier.
The attack missed her and instead struck the carriage.
Both Yuki and Tiyara immediately turned toward the direction the attack came from.
There—
A liquid-like man stood silently in the distance.
The moment Tiyara saw him, her eyes widened in shock.
She immediately looked toward Yuki and shouted—
"That's...!"
"That's Jelrai!"
"The left hand of Demon King Subaru!!"
The instant Yuki heard those words, his eyes widened.
What the hell?!
One of my mission targets just walked directly to me?!
Is this some kind of trap... or what?!
Jelrai slowly raised his hand toward Yuki.
Then, in a cold voice, he spoke—
"You..."
"You are a misfortune for milord."
Yuki's expression became tense.
Tiyara looked toward Jelrai—
then back toward Yuki nervously.
Meanwhile, Yuki's thoughts raced rapidly.
Misfortune... for his lord?
Wait... he's Subaru's left hand, right?
Does that mean he somehow knows I'll kill Subaru in the future?!
...But how?
Both Yuki and Tiyara stood there silently, staring at Jelrai with tension filling the air.
Meanwhile, Jelrai calmly stared back at them—
—as if he had already come prepared for battle.