Everything happened in a flash.
Ezra jumped away from the incoming explosion and shouted to the dazed Knights and Paladins to cast a shield. That was why, upon landing in front of his men, shields of different attributes erected. His men were overwhelmed by his voice and acted on instinct. Once the explosion occurred, as bloody mud and other debris scattered, no one was harmed.
"...What, what is happening?"
"Who was it?! Another enemy?"
While commotion amongst the Knights and Paladins occurred from behind him, beside Ezra, Everett, with his eyes squinting in a certain direction, patiently waited for the thin mist the explosion caused to settle in order to clearly see the face of the attacker. Raison, on the other side, subconsciously moved his hand to the hilt of his sword, ready to pull it out of its scabbard.
After Hanz had instilled doubt and disrupted the harmony amongst everyone, the men's initial thought was that it could be another enemy, probably trying to silence Hanz and the other two to prevent them from spilling any information whatsoever. The three themselves were oblivious about this and it could be seen as a last resort.
"Oh, sorry, sorry! My friends, relax! I mean no harm!"
That was when this cheeky voice sounded. It was a man's voice, deep and mature. When the mist settled and the surroundings became clear, Ezra and his men saw a man standing carelessly at the edge of the crater he caused.
The man was tall, around his mid-30s, and smiling at them with an embarrassed expression as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"I'm sorry, really! It's just, when I'm rushing to the Point, I sense this repulsing energy, emitting nothing but killing intent! I mean no harm! It's just an instinctual reflex!"
Indeed. Like what the man had said, Hanz was releasing such kind of energy. It really felt repulsing and the killing intent with it was so pure and thick, like a poisonous fog that was scorching their very skin.
After listening to their Commander and Vice Captain Hanz's conversation, the Knights and Paladins more or less guessed the story. That was why when Hanz released such repulsing, killing intent, everyone kind of understood where he was coming from.
But that did not justify what he did.
"Who are you?"
After what had happened, it was normal for Ezra to be doubtful. The gaze he gave to the stranger was as sharp as a sword, ready to cut.
Surprisingly, the man did not even flinch despite such a gaze. And to show the men on the other side of the crater that he really meant no harm, he raised both his hands in a surrendering motion, the embarrassment on his face deepening.
"Name's Marci! I'm an Adventurer! Look!"
To validate his words, the man named Marci first pulled out a badge from the five-inch bag that its strap wrapped around his waist. The said bag must be a spatial dimension considering that it also contained various herbs which Ezra was familiar with, and a rolled paper that did not have any wrinkles, all fitting inside.
As for the paper, it was a quest poster, and thanks to Ezra's optical skill, he could see the quest reward at the lower side corner of it despite the distance.
As for the badge, which was four inches in width, eight inches in length, and a few centimeters thick, it was made of gold, meaning that Marci guy was a Gold Rank Adventurer.
Adventurers, of course, were divided by their ranks. And such ranks were the solid evidence of their prowess and ability. It depended on what their badges were made of that one could identify the Adventurers' aptitude, meaning identifying how powerful and skillful they were.
The following were from the lowest/newbie/weak rank to the rank next to it until one reaches the higher/veteran/powerful rank, and those were: Bronze, Copper, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and the highest, a Crystal Rank.
Marci, who had a badge made of gold, attested, though not entirely, to the central importance of the aptitude he had.
Adventurers also had their own IDs besides the badge, which, on the other hand, were made of mithril, since they were for lifetime use, unlike the badge that could be changed once they were promoted from their rank.
Their personal identification was all in there, along with the records of each one of their quests, whether they were completed, failed, or yielded due to various reasons.
It also acted as the Adventurers' tracker, so if something were to happen to them and they did not return in time for their mission, the Guild's staff, who were specifically appointed to such tasks, will be ordered to set out in search for them.
If the said adventurer unfortunately died while doing his/her quest, at least their corpse would be brought back to their families, even if only a limb or two were left. They would surely bring it back.
"See? I am not lying! In fact, I've been here for a month now, collecting these rare herbs! I came from the far West and just caught up with the Dungeon Break! I also fought my way just to get here! More importantly, I'm in a hurry!"
Ezra did not bother to ask any more questions before flashing toward Hanz.
Hanz, who had barely recovered from the previous attack and the one before that, still did his best to defend himself from the attack Ezra rained on him while dishing out some of his own. Unfortunately, since Ezra's skills, abilities, and strength were far greater than his, it did not take long for Ezra to beat the crap out of him.
He was beaten into a bag of flesh, in a sorry state, looking miserable.
However, because of what he did, none of the Knights and Paladins thought that he was. And before his consciousness completely faded away, with weak and blurry sight, Hanz gave Marci one final look.
Strangely, he felt a bit relieved.
Seeing that the punishment was done, with a nonverbal action, Everett and Raison jumped down the crater and apprehended the unconscious Hanz. Ezra then jumped toward Marci, who took a few steps back to accommodate him. Upon landing, with a decent berth that gave them their own line of limits, Ezra did not speak and just continued to stare at Marci, which gave the adventurer a very awkward feeling.
That was when he remembered the reason why he was in a hurry.
"I really mean no harm, Sir. Please let me go, and I am seriously in a hurry. If you have any questions for me, I will gladly cooperate later. This is important."
Marci's way of speaking became serious along with the look in his eyes. Ezra could feel and see the sincerity in him, but that doesn't mean he can easily let him go.
"Why are you in a hurry? What is the important thing you need to do?"
Those questions were enough for Marci to tell that Ezra was still doubtful of his presence, and he felt like a headache was coming.
Anyhow, Marci could not bring himself to blame the man in front of him. After all, his 'timely arrival' to attack that Knight, whom he could surmise was a traitor, just by the way those Knights and Paladins, especially the man in front of him who looked like their Commander, looked at and treated that Knight, was decent proof.
If Marci needed backup for his presumption, then the two men who were also Knights and unconscious on the ground, bound by their hands and feet and being guarded, were a good pick.
"Sir, this is an important and urgent matter. I need to call for help. I saw a girl who needs immediate-"
"...Who did you say you saw?!"
Marci could not complete his words and was abruptly cut off when a roar from the man made him stop. With furrowed brows and a slightly impatient look on his face, Marci still told the man what he saw.
In the western area, where Marci had also come running and passed by, that was when he saw this little girl. She looked surprisingly calm yet melancholy at the same time. Looking straight ahead, it was as if no other existence could enter her eyes.
Marci tried to approach the said little girl after he noticed her wretched appearance. However, since he had just come from a battle, a trace of bloodlust and killing intent still lingered on him, and the once calm and still little girl suddenly attacked him, fiercely at that.
Of course, he wouldn't dare to fight back and just defended himself, quietly observing to figure out what the hell was going on.
"Time is of the essence. You can tell me more about it on our way there."
Marci was stumped and had no choice but to agree. They left immediately, leaving the Knights and Paladins with an order for them to cross the Point first and wait for them on the other side. Along the way, through Marci's recount, Ezra could visualize each scene the Adventurer told him.
He felt immense heartache for his little princess.
On the other hand, Marci did not question why this man looked worried and distressed for the kid. He was not blind and had decent tact. No, it was a lie. In fact, Marci's adroitness was always sharp. He just wanted to be humble in that regard.
Only those who were directly connected to said person or people could show such vivid and pure heartache. This means that the man must be one of the kid's family, and based on the emotions the man is showing on his face, he must be her father.
It did not take long for the two men to reach the area, considering how fast they moved using their most efficient yet effective skills.
Marci did not hide anything Ezra needed to know along the way, in order to prevent agitating the little girl. This was based on how she reacted when Marci had no choice but to receive all the attacks she brandished at him earlier on.
As an Adventurer who became a Gold Rank at such a young age of 30, Marci's diligence in his line of work and his capabilities to reach his current rank have sharpened his observation skills, though they are not at a so-called state of perfection yet.
What's more, observing someone or something is a process, not an instant thing. This means that everything he says to Ezra has its basis.
Not to mention, Marci experienced it firsthand.
Upon their arrival, Marci and Ezra stopped fifty meters away from the little girl who was currently standing steadily next to a mound, which is probably the grave Marci mentioned. Ezra just had no idea which of the two, Vrylle's personal attendant or Knight, was in that grave. However, what Ezra was certain of at the moment is that whoever was in there was important to his daughter.
The distinctive atmosphere his daughter was giving off, even at such a distance, says it all.
"...Haa, really. You know what? If you keep releasing that kind of Aura and approach the kid, I confidently bet my life that she'll attack once you reach the five-meter distance I told you about."
Ezra turned his head and glared daggers at Marci, which the other man just shrugged off, hands carelessly shoved in the pockets of his trousers. Turning his head back toward his daughter, Ezra tried to calm his mood and push down the killing intent that was gradually leaking off his body.
The killing intent was, of course, for the enemies who had put his daughter in the state she was currently in. But the Adventurer named Marci told him that even though the killing intent was not directed at her, the stimulation was severe, and her every attack was ready to kill.
That Marci guy also added that his daughter was in a daze, which meant she was only attacking out of instinct, as a kind of protection for herself by killing whoever came close to her that had such repulsive energy on them and automatically converted it as ill intention.
There was also this distance, five meters, which Marci had calculated.
For his daughter to be that alert and vigilant instinctively was more than enough to tell him what her every second in this place had been like.
Fists tightly clenched, Ezra took a few long and deep breaths of cold air to thoroughly calm his nerves and emotions. When he felt that he was all good, Ezra then started to slowly approach his daughter with light steps, though it did not take long for him to get close to her, taking into account that each stride was long.
"...Sweetheart, let's go home, okay?"
Upon reaching beside his daughter, Ezra spoke in a gentle and soothing way, sounding like he was coaxing a child to sleep. Disappointingly, though, the person those words were directed at was still motionless, her dazed eyes staring straight ahead, daggers in both hands.
Vrylle was just standing still next to the grave, acting like a soldier guarding her post.
His daughter was still young, yet she had to brave the battles in the preceding Dungeon Break that spewed wave after wave of varying levels of monsters. It was not surprising if his dear daughter was now suffering psychologically.
The pain in Ezra's chest intensified as he looked at his daughter. It was like an invisible hand was gripping his heart, and the grip was getting tighter every second.
As a father who cared for his daughter beyond measure, cherished her in his heart, and held her so lovingly in his hands, now seeing her like that, the heartache was immense. Ezra felt like he was about to enter a berserk state.
He wanted to destroy everything, everyone.
"...Fuck!"
Marci, who had been silently watching Ezra, couldn't help but curse when the once calm man suddenly released such thick, repulsive energy. He thought that any second now, the kid would start her attack, and Marci refused to see that scene.
As Ezra slowly approached the kid, until he reached her and Marci saw him opening his mouth, meaning talking to her, Marci clearly perceived the mood Ezra did not bother to hide.
It was heartbreaking since Marci's empathy was also not ordinary. It was at a level that if Marci wanted to, every emotion the certain person he chose to empathize with, he himself could feel it as if those emotions were originally his. Marci's empathy was his major problem when he was young. Fortunately, now that he was an adult, Marci could control it.
It was like his innate skill. Heck, no, because 'it is' his innate skill.
With eyes reddened from refusing the tears to fall, it was because Ezra's emotions were so strong that even Marci did not use his empathy directed to him, it still affected himself. Marci readied to support whoever of the two were put in a disadvantageous situation.
Surely, though, it would be Ezra who would be put in such a situation.
Muscles taut, just waiting for the cue so Marci could dash forward and do what he must have to do, that was when he saw the opposite of what he expected to happen.
The unresponsive little girl, whose eyes were dazed and started attacking once she felt danger was around, now, however, there was clarity in her eyes as she turned toward Ezra. As she extended her arms and wrapped them around the man's waist, cheek gently pressed on his abdomen, with a weak smile, she spoke in her exhausted voice...
"...Papa, finally you're here. I have been waiting. Let's go home, alright? So please... calm... down..."