Volume 2
Chapter 1: Dreams of Buried Memories
The familiar scent of smoke mingled with the putrid stench of blood…
Bai slowly opened her eyes, glancing around.
“Where…?”
Scattered around her lay the charred corpses of demons. The distant, rhythmic thud of hooves echoed, a heavy, ominous sound.
A scene etched in memory…
“Commander, Saint Noyes is just ahead,” a familiar yet strangely distant voice echoed.
Before Bai could dwell on the voice, a gruff voice grumbled,
“Bloody hell, did the Garrison give us the wrong map? Why are we running into so many demons…?”
“Rayne, quiet. The Commander’s tired,” a high-pitched, almost effeminate voice chided.
“Oh, shove off, Lockner. I don’t need you to tell me what to do.”
Rayne… Lockner…
Tears welled in Bai’s eyes.
She remembered. This was Lament Valley, the final passage before Saint Noyes.
She looked up, her gaze finding familiar figures.
“Alright, you two, quiet down. Save your bickering for when we’re back in the city,” Victoria snapped, hands on her hips, the image of a seasoned warrior.
Nearby, Qin Su, a three-foot longsword strapped to her back, walked steadily forward, eyes closed, oblivious to the others.
Bai looked down at her own hands, calloused and scarred from years of wielding a sword, not the soft, delicate hands she now possessed.
“Is this a dream…?”
If it was, she would gladly remain here forever.
But then, she looked up, and the dark silhouette of Saint Noyes loomed before them, its gates half-open, a foreboding omen.
And then, Victoria’s voice—
“Commander, we’re back at Saint Noyes… wait, where’s the garrison?”
“Commander! Demons are swarming near the walls!”
“It’s the Nightmare Legion!”
“Where are the Garrison Knights?!”
Bai closed her eyes.
Beyond those gates lay a final farewell.
…
“Little miss? Little miss?”
A worried voice called out, and Bai slowly woke, rubbing her eyes.
“There you are… little miss, you can’t be so careless when traveling alone, especially at such a young age,” the coachman, a kindly old man, said, relieved to see her stir. He continued to fuss, “And your family too. Letting a child like you travel so far…”
“Thank you. I’m fine,” Bai replied politely. “Are we at the capital yet?”
“Almost there, little miss.”
“Wake me when we arrive. Thank you.”
Bai leaned against the carriage window, the dream’s vivid images lingering, both real and unreal.
She knew what had happened next. The Nightmare Legion’s relentless assault, repelled time and time again by her squad, until…
But someone was still missing.
Sister Neily… she hadn’t been in the dream.
If not for Lugner’s insistence that Neily had existed, Bai would have questioned her own memories.
Now, to uncover the truth, to discover her true identity, she had to enter “Vikarn,” the ancient empire’s hidden legacy.
“This is going to be a problem…” Bai muttered, glancing down at her long black dress with a frown.
Although the transformation rune had given her an ordinary appearance, it hadn’t changed her clothes.
And she hadn’t thought to change before leaving Vikarn Port.
The kind coachman had simply assumed she was a wealthy young lady and hadn’t commented on her attire.
But Bai knew such formal dresses weren’t meant for everyday wear… unless one was incredibly clueless.
Which, she admitted, she was.
“This is far too conspicuous…” she sighed. Entering the capital in such a dress would attract unwanted attention.
This was troublesome.
Bai hated trouble.
Suddenly, the sound of approaching hooves echoed from outside, followed by a loud voice.
“Highway… bloody robbery!”
…Speak of trouble, and it arrives.
Bai peeked through the carriage window, seeing several burly figures blocking the road, clad in mismatched armor.
“Are those… professional knights?” Bai narrowed her eyes, her expression hardening.
Their armor was a jumbled mess, no matching sets, different sizes.
But it was real armor.
Only mercenaries, styling themselves “professional knights,” wore such non-standard gear.
But they were near the capital, not some remote wilderness. Why would mercenaries be robbing people here?
The old coachman seemed unfazed. He sighed, pulling out a few silver coins.
“Here you are, sirs. A little something for the road.”
It seemed this wasn’t his first encounter. Bai frowned slightly.
Had the capital’s security deteriorated to this extent?
The leader of the mercenaries took the coins, counting them quickly. “Old man, is this all? This is a pittance. Don’t you know prices in the capital have skyrocketed? This isn’t even enough for a round of drinks…”
“Sir, you know how things are. I can barely make ends meet,” the coachman said, rubbing his eyes, feigning tears.
The mercenary leader frowned, seemingly hesitant.
But then he waved his hand dismissively. “Alright, alright, you old codger. You’re a pathetic sight. Now get out of here.”
He added, “What a waste of time. All day for this?”
The coachman stopped his fake crying, glancing discreetly into the carriage, relieved to see Bai quietly sitting in the corner.
“Good thing these scum didn’t see the little miss. Otherwise…”
But just as he was about to continue, a shrill voice called out.
“Hold on! Boss, I think I smell a woman…”
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