Nighttime Encounters - Chapter 6
Rosia’s goal wasn’t to kill.
Her purpose was to destroy spirits, eliminate malevolence that harmed humans.
She had already achieved her objective perfectly, and challenging a powerful human unnecessarily would be a foolish action.
She knew that any fight would undoubtedly leave traces.
So, Rosia opted to avoid unnecessary conflict with the man, parting the darkness and swiftly making her escape.
[Who on earth is he? I’ve never seen him before.]
While Rosia moved swiftly, Luperne, on the other hand, flowed gently through the air, deeply lost in thought.
[Distinguishing formulas at a glance like that, he’s not your average mage.]
He continued to follow Rosia but couldn’t stop wondering about the man. His chin stroking and tilting his head at an angle, he appeared unusually composed and at ease.
[With that level of skill, there’s no way the Fischers’ guardian spirit didn’t report it.]
Luperne’s nonchalant voice, resembling the recitation of a poem, made Rosia nervously exhale.
“Is this really the time to be pondering that?” she retorted.
[Oh.]
“Just give me a shortcut.”
Whispering into the darkness-filled void, a solemn voice resonated in Rosia’s ear.
[To the right.]
As Luperne’s words echoed, Rosia swiftly lowered her body, dragging her feet as if to glide and reduce her speed. Simultaneously, she touched the wall, spun, and changed direction rapidly.
Leaving behind a trail of dense earthy dust as she scraped the ground while rising, she sprinted nimbly to the right.
[At the end of this path, turn left; there’s a small alley. There, you’ll find the entrance to the underground passage.]
Luperne led the way, explaining quickly.
[It’s connected to the waterways of the entire capital, so we should be able to move quickly and out of sight].
Rosia thought of the man as she followed Luperne, quickening her pace.
She teased Luperne for being too occupied with him, but even she couldn’t easily shake the image of the strong-looking man.
The eyes of a fierce beast cloaked in darkness.
His tall stature and seemingly solid build.
A low, quiet, yet menacing voice.
As Rosia turned the corner while thinking of the man, she took a desperate breath.
“Oh!”
A massive stone wall blocked her path.
Luperne, who existed as a soul, had already passed through the wall and disappeared. Rosia, with her corporeal body, was at a loss as to how she could pass through the wall.
“Luperne, you idiot.”
Rosia hurled profanities at the legendary archmage everyone worshipped, her eyes darting around desperately.
Her heart pounded in her chest with the desperation of being chased.
“Guiding me down a path like this!”
Rosia preferred not to use magic when she could avoid it because using magic often left traces.
When she returned home after completing a task, she wanted to minimize the chances of being traced to her only sanctuary.
However, as she reached a dead-end alley, she had no choice but to use it.
“I’m such a fool to be partnering with a dead soul.”
Rosia sighed with self-pity, gathering her magic.
The still air converged into a massive stream, swirling around her.
Her black hair, tied high, billowed like wings.
The wind gathered beneath her feet, making her body feel lighter.
Rosia felt every cell in her body awaken as she pushed off with a renewed strength.
It felt like she was floating.
In that instant, Rosia was drawn backward without any room for resistance, as if compelled by some unseen force.
As strong as Rosia’s force to move forward was, the recoil of the force pulling her back was just as strong.
“Ugh.”
She could barely breathe as the force washed over her like a tidal wave, dragging her down.
Her head spun, and she tightly shut her eyes. When she finally regained her senses, she found herself trapped between the man and the wall.
“It’d be a shame to part ways like this. I’m quite curious, you see.”
The man’s voice resounded right next to her, causing Rosia’s eyes to widen.
Before she knew it, the man’s large hand tightly gripped her wrist, rendering her motionless.
As Rosia stood there, frozen in shock, the man’s deep green eyes scanned her slender silhouette.
“A woman.”
However, the man’s gaze was not the typical look one might cast upon a woman. It was more akin to a sharp, scrutinizing gaze, like that of someone appraising a criminal.
“Small, but agile.”
The man slowly lowered his head and approached Rosia.
The shadows were heavy, but Rosia took in the man without even thinking to dodge.
Deep green eyes and dark hair that lightly covered his forehead.
A strong jawline with a prominent nose leading from dark brows.
The man’s face, bathed in pale moonlight, seemed as chilling as the soul lingering by his side.
“You look young.”
A warm breath escaped the man’s lips and brushed past Rosia’s cheek.
The calmness of the man’s voice seemed to peel back the layers that enveloped her.
It was as if he had laid bare hidden thoughts, leaving her feeling exposed.
“Expertise in uncommon formulas and the effortless manipulation of magic.”
With a sinister grin, Rosia glared at the man.
The spirit at his side looked at her with a pitiful expression, but there was little it could do.
I must defeat him if I am to live.
Rosia strained against her captor’s grip, drawing on her magic.
But even the magic betrayed her will.
Just as smoke rose from a fire and dispersed into the air, her gathered magic vanished into thin air.
Before she had time to gather her wits, the man breathed into her ear.
“I wonder why someone of your caliber would be out at night.”
In a low whisper, he nuzzled Rosia’s earlobe with his mouth.
The sensation of his breath, warm and moist, touched her ear.
It was a strange feeling, entirely unfamiliar to her, making her body tremble.
What is this man doing?
