Chapter 145

No one among those who witnessed the scene before them dared to speak recklessly.

Rezette kicked the side of his black horse, urging it to change direction. The archway leading to the dock had completely collapsed, leaving no choice but to take a detour.

They weren’t the only ones struggling to enter the wrecked harbor. Amidst the chaos, people fled toward the city, their screams filling the air. Royal knights, Norella’s guards, and soldiers from the Irrien Duke’s household were all mixed together in the frantic rush.

“Where is Sir Riman?” a voice asked, edged with anxiety. “He’s not trapped inside, is he?”

“Th—that’s not the important matter!” another voice stammered. “We should go over there, Sir. In that alley… Lady Genovia was there…”

“The lady? Why is someone who should be at the mansion here? Take her to the mansion right away. This place is dangerous!”

“T-That’s… we can’t bring her back, sir…”

“What?” 

“Please listen carefully…” 

Duke Irren’s captain of knights stood frozen, his face draining of color as he absorbed the news.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

“It’s the work of the Princess,” the knight reported urgently. “Many sailors witnessed the deputy commander of the imperial guard dragging her from the back alley. The Lady Genovia was found in a stable in the middle of the alley where the Princess came out… The lower-ranking knights couldn’t just lay hands on her, so the captain needs to confirm her personally.”

“Damn it, I’ll go to the Princess. You search the harbor first. If you spot even a strand of the Princess’s hair, don’t let her slip away!”

With a nod, the Irrien soldiers split into two groups and began to scatter, urgency in every step.

Rezette’s mind raced as he pieced together the situation. It seemed something had happened to Genovia Irrien. Elise wouldn’t have directly harmed her, but it was clear that something had gone horribly wrong in the process.

Norella’s main harbor, with its ten arches leading to ten docks, now lay in ruins. After surveying the devastation, Ruben returned, panting heavily.

“Docks 3 through 7 have collapsed beyond recognition,” Ruben reported, his voice strained.

“What about the path to the pier?” Rezette asked, his tone sharp as he scanned the damage.

“Same here. The ground is completely raised and twisted, blocking all the paths leading to the pier,” Ruben replied, catching his breath. “Luckily, it doesn’t seem to have triggered a tsunami, but to reach the ships, you’ll have to climb over the debris. The imperial soldiers are already crawling toward the opposite side. I hear many from the imperial household, including the deputy commander, haven’t been able to escape. Which means… the Princess…”

Ruben’s voice faltered, unable to finish the sentence. Rezette didn’t need to hear the rest.

The source of the devastation loomed ahead—a heap of debris, towering higher than the combined height of three adult men, stretching far beyond sight. She was probably there too.

Could she have been swept away…? Rezette’s heart skipped a beat at the thought. Even the faintest possibility sent a chill through his veins.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Rezette threw the reins aside, as if discarding them, and leapt off the horse.

***

It felt just like that day.

Elise looked up, taking in the scene surrounding her. The memories flooded back—the day her home, the one she had known all her life, had collapsed. The entire world had been thrown into chaos, much like it was now.

Her small, narrow hideout—more like a prison without bars—had been where she’d left her younger sibling as she frantically urged the horse to escape that night. The last thing she’d seen before she turned had been exactly like this.

A thick cloud of acrid dust rose into the air. Beyond the blurry fog, the frantic shadows of people fleeing in every direction, their screams echoing, filled her vision.

The ground was split wide open, as if some massive beast had mercilessly clawed at it. The walls and arches of the harbor, once standing proudly along the docks, had mostly crumbled. It seemed the torches, which had been melting the frozen ground, had tipped over, causing flames to spread and fire to erupt across the fallen debris.

But the magic didn’t end there.

The earthquake rumbled on, its tremors spreading deep underground before reaching the harbor’s edge. The sea began to churn violently. Ships anchored at the dock were swept by waves taller than a person, crashing up and down in a chaotic frenzy.

A look of despair flashed across Elise’s face as she took in the full scope of the situation.

“Damn…” she muttered under her breath.

Somewhere in the distance, a dragon let out a deafening roar.

“I love it,” a voice echoed, dark amusement in the tone. “You were truly born for this, Elizabeth.”

Elise’s expression darkened as she responded quietly, “…I never thought it would go this far. I hope the civilians weren’t caught up in this.”

The expanded magic circle surged with energy, just before it could reach the bustling streets outside the harbor. In theory, the range of the magic should have been limited by the size of the spell, so there shouldn’t have been any lives lost. That much had gone according to plan.

But as she gazed at her trembling hands, bewilderment clouded her thoughts. This was her first time using large-scale magic. She didn’t know how to control its intensity. Had the dragon’s magic circle been far beyond her ability to manage? Or had she simply unleashed too much magic?

It’s a pity there’s no ‘circuit’ for this. It could’ve been as satisfying as teaching that girl.

From Sameshita’s hearty laughter, it seemed the latter was the more likely reason.

I guess there’s something I can do after all.

For now, she was no longer trapped by the immediate siege. Yet, there were still soldiers unaffected by the earthquake, and before they could regroup and start chasing her again, she needed to find Barnon. She had sent the boy toward ‘Ricardo’s Mast’ just a few hours ago. Since no ships had set sail yet, they were likely still stranded in Norella.

For now, she had to return to Dock 5. Since Genovia had specifically mentioned it, Barnon and the others would likely be boarding a ship there.

When she’d been dragged out of the alley by the royal knights, she had seen the number engraved on the arch. It was definitely “3.” To reach Dock 5, she would need to pass two more arches.

Elise searched the wreckage around her, eyes scanning for the tattered robe she had discarded. The hood had been torn off, leaving her face exposed. The buttons had been ripped from the fabric, and the front flap hung open. Blood—most likely from an unknown person—had soaked through, the air thick with the stench of death.

The physicial said not to let my body get cold…

With a quick motion, she tightened the collar of her robe and pushed herself to her feet. She cautiously tested her steps to ensure the ground wouldn’t shake again, then began to move forward. She leapt over jagged chunks of earth and climbed up an unexpected incline caused by the shifting terrain.

The area had turned into a ruin, and she could no longer tell where she was. Cold sweat beaded on her brow as her breath grew shallow.

But they say that when a person is desperate, strength they didn’t know they had suddenly appears.

With sheer determination, Elise used every ounce of her remaining strength. She managed to pull herself over the debris, scrambling to the top of a scattered pile of jagged shards.

She stepped onto a jagged rock, barely able to steady herself. The cracked stone had a number carved into it: “5”

I’m almost there…! Elise thought, her heart racing.

“Your Highness!”

The voice called out to her, as if waiting for the exact moment. Elise gasped and quickly turned her head toward the sound. It came from the pier, which stretched straight out toward the sea.

A ship bobbed on the towering, crashing waves. Elise froze. She suddenly realized that she was standing right in front of the very stairs where she had crouched just hours ago, watching that ship. The earthquake had caused the stairs connecting the upper and lower parts of the castle walls to rise almost horizontally, an unnatural shift in the landscape.

Someone reached out to her from below. It was a young man in standard sailor’s attire.

“Please come down, Your Highness,” he called urgently. “It’s dangerous over there. You need to board the ship first!”

Elise’s mind raced. Argan? Is it… a person? My person?

For a brief moment, she felt a wave of confusion. She couldn’t easily judge his identity by appearance alone. All he had said was “Your Highness” and urged her to board the ship.

She clenched her teeth and, feeling a rush of uncertainty, asked, “Do you know who I am?”

The young sailor’s gaze was unwavering, his hands steady as he spoke with firm conviction. “You are the one we must protect with our lives.”

Though his words were confident, something unsettled Elise. She wasn’t fully convinced, the fog of doubt lingering in her mind.

But there was no time to inspect further. The ship was waiting, and every second counted.

From nearby, dozens of voices shouted, their words sharp and accusing.

“The witch of Argan killed the Lady Irrien!”

“Find her!”

A witch? Elise scoffed, disbelief flashing across her face. So, they’ve decided to pin the blame on me, huh?

In front of her, the ship she needed to board beckoned, but behind her, no path remained. The ground was unforgiving, and there was no turning back.

Without hesitation, Elise lowered her body and sat down, bracing herself. She hadn’t realized how perilous it would be to climb down; the descent felt even more daunting than she had imagined.

The young sailor, his voice filled with urgency yet encouraging, called out to her. “Just a little more. Use your legs, yes, like that!”

Elise carefully placed her foot near a jagged rock, finding a foothold to steady herself. With cautious movements, she repeated the process, slowly but steadily closing the distance between her and the sailor. Her hands gripped the edges of the rocks as she descended.

Then, his fingers brushed against hers.

A brief touch.

The moment their hands made contact, the sailor’s grip tightened around her wrist. Without hesitation, he pulled her up with surprising strength, his other hand quickly drawing a sword.

Above her, just beyond the stairs she had descended, a dark silhouette loomed, backlit by the setting sun. The figure rose ominously, casting a monstrous shadow that seemed to hang over her like a death sentence.

Elise gasped, her heart pounding in her chest.

Suddenly, the unmistakable sound of steel clashing rang out.

Clang!

The swords collided behind her, the noise reverberating through the tense air.