“But what are you going to do after taking me…?”
The gaze of the winged tribe man, who had been slowly descending, turned back to Kaniel. At the threatening look, Kaniel averted his eyes and mumbled.
“I was just curious…”
“…Right. It might be better to tell you. You’ll know how to conduct yourself better if you know. You’re going to work under some important person.”
“…What…?”
“Our client wanted a mage. Doesn’t have to be a high-level mage, but it’s good if they can handle demonic creatures, and needless to say if they’re a good kid like you.”
They targeted me from the start.
Kaniel momentarily felt like he couldn’t breathe. Those words sounded not like they were taking just any mage they happened to encounter in the eastern forest, but rather like they had been targeting Kaniel from the beginning and kidnapped him.
Instantly, the face of the person who sent him to this eastern forest came to mind. Amber Mustrang, that man.
The surging doubt and suspicion momentarily pushed away the fear.
Agitated, Kaniel grabbed the winged tribe man’s shoulder and asked.
“Did Amber Mustrang sell me out?”
“Well, he did say he’d send someone who fits the conditions.”
“That son of a bitch…!”
Pffft—the winged tribe man who burst out laughing patted Kaniel’s shoulder as if to soothe him.
“So you can curse too. But on the surface, if you curse like that and a son of a bitch catches you, you’ll get beaten black and blue.”
“Amber Mustrang has no right to sell me.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. But what does that matter?”
“…Good God…”
It was pointless. No, trying to persuade someone who came to kidnap a person with logical words was wrong from the start.
Should he have quit his job quickly even if money was tight?
But how could he have known such an absurd thing would happen?
Kaniel dry-washed his face then grabbed his hair.
Really becoming a slave? But slavery—it was a system that didn’t fit the times. Hadn’t the era of people enslaving people passed long ago?
However, it was obvious that even if he voiced such an argument, the empty rebuttal of “what does that matter?” would return. Perhaps he’d experience falling again for being noisy.
Kaniel’s complexion darkened.
This situation felt surreal. Both the kidnapping and the reality that the reason he was being forcibly dragged down to the dangerous surface was to be used as a slave.
He had never fought with anyone in his life. He had chosen to avoid situations rather than fight, and on the safe Floating Island, the only natural threat—demonic creatures—really liked his mana.
But could he survive on the surface where all kinds of monsters and fierce beasts were scattered everywhere? If they were kidnapping someone to use as a ‘slave’, it didn’t seem like the kidnapping side would safely protect him.
Kaniel hugged his body that was trembling with fear.
‘Will I never be able to return?’
As Kaniel shifted his gaze toward the direction where the Floating Island—the homeland of all humans—was located, he widened his eyes at an unexpected sight.
Lafort, who he thought had fled after being hit by an arrow, was charging back toward them. The demonic creature’s characteristic bright red eyes were filled with rage.
Without stopping its speed, Lafort swung its hooves as is.
“Whoa!”
The man who barely dodged Lafort’s hooves clicked his tongue in annoyance. However, the time he could afford such leisure didn’t last long. After making a long turn to change direction, Lafort was charging at them again.
NEEEIGH—even as it rushed forward roughly while making a threatening warning sound, the man could do nothing but dodge. Because right now he was holding Kaniel with both hands.
Even while the exchange of charging, dodging, and charging again continued, the Floating Island grew farther and farther away. The ground approached with great strides.
Then at some point, several winged tribe men appeared from somewhere and flew over. They pointed spear-swords at Lafort and stood guard.
“What’s going on here?”
“I don’t know. That thing keeps attacking. You guys do something about it.”
As the number of winged tribe men increased, Lafort also seemed to sense the situation had turned unfavorable and only watched them from not far away, circling.
“That one’s docile. And pretty. How about we take it?”
“Talk sense. It’ll turn into a monster the moment it touches the surface.”
“Tch, then we have no choice but to kill it.”
At those words, Kaniel placed his hand on the man’s shoulder and shouted toward the winged tribe member holding a spear.
“No! I’ll tell it to go back. Don’t kill it.”
“It’s a problem if it goes back like that. Anyone can see it’s a horse that lost its master, right?”
“Lafort is smart, so it’ll go straight back to the stables. Please!”
“Hey, shut that kid up.”
The man who shrugged his shoulders began threatening as if he would drop Kaniel right then and there.
It was scary.
However, he couldn’t let Lafort die because of him. Kaniel gritted his teeth and manipulated his mana. Soon after, he stretched out his hand and released mana toward Lafort while shouting.
“Go back first. I’ll come a little later.”
Lafort, who seemed a bit bewildered and tilted its head, snorted as if it didn’t believe him.
“I’ll follow you. Go, quickly. You’re hurt right now.”
Lafort had a contemplative expression for a moment, but soon nodded. It knew that while bleeding profusely from the arrow wound, it wouldn’t be of much help in this situation.
And since Kaniel was a mage, perhaps it believed he could manage somehow.
Lafort, who had been hesitating as if reluctant to leave alone, soon disappeared from view.
He was relieved the lie worked. But at the same time, guilt washed over him. Lafort would now go to the Floating Island and wait for him. It might do so for quite a long time. Even though he might not be able to return.
Relief, guilt, and helplessness mixed together inside his heart.
But why weren’t those winged tribe members chasing after Lafort? They spoke as if they absolutely wouldn’t let it go.
When Kaniel looked back with suspicious eyes, they giggled while looking at him.
“This kid doesn’t know the surface is scary.”
“Well, let him do as he pleases. That’s how he’ll learn through experience.”
What are they talking about?
He knew they were saying something unfavorable to him, but it was difficult to guess the exact meaning. Since he just used mana, it seemed like it was related to mana…
Just then, he suddenly smelled the fishy scent characteristic of wild beasts from his nose, and a low growling sound brushed past his ear.
“Damn it! It must have sensed the mana.”
“What? But we haven’t even touched the surface yet…”
“Then what are those things?”
The winged tribe men shouted and scattered from each other. Kaniel belatedly turned his head downward and witnessed a shocking sight. A winged tiger, a horned bat, and an unknown bird demonic creature with tentacles dangling from its belly were rushing toward them.
No, that wasn’t all. Behind them, several more demonic creatures of unknown identity could be seen.
Seeing the winged tribe men raising their weapons in bewilderment, Kaniel felt this was his chance.
They had already gotten quite close to the surface.
At this distance, he might not die even if he fell.
It would be dangerous, but it was his last chance to escape.
Kaniel summoned his mana and stretched out his hand forcefully toward the sky.
“<Blade to cut down enemies!>”
In an instant, wind swirled with a sharp sound. A resonating hum rang out, and suddenly sharp blades emerged from the rushing wind.
The winged tribe member holding a spear couldn’t dodge that sudden movement of wind, and his shoulder was deeply cut as blood spurted. The winged tribe member who covered the wound area shouted angrily.
“Kugh… Shut that thing up!”
“Look behind you, idiot!”
The moment the spear-wielding winged tribe member turned around, another winged tribe member blocked in front of him and swung his sword. The giant bat’s claws were deflected as they struck the blade. The bat squinted its eerie red eyes and made another rotation backward, then accelerated again.
Its appearance, seemingly without even a mouse’s worth of fear, felt bizarre and creepy. Bat demonic creatures were supposed to be cowardly.
No, was that important?
According to Kaniel’s knowledge, bat demonic creatures didn’t have horns to begin with. Tiger demonic creatures didn’t have wings either, and bird demonic creatures didn’t have tentacles hanging down.
Too many things were different from what Kaniel knew.
And more than anything, the difference was that unlike the demonic creatures he encountered on the Floating Island, he didn’t feel any connection with the demonic creatures on the surface. Even when Lafort approached threateningly and stomped the ground heavily with its hooves, he wasn’t afraid and reached out to stroke its neck because he felt a connection.
What on earth was going on?
“Ahhh!”
Meanwhile, Kaniel’s magic was completed. About seven or eight blades of wind scattered in all directions, slashing past the arms and legs of the winged tribe men. The winged tribe man holding Kaniel suffered the same fate.
The winged tribe man didn’t let go of Kaniel even as parts of his wings, forearm, and calf were cut. However, Kaniel, who instinctively knew this was his last chance, pushed him away and threw his body into the air.
