Back in Ravenfell, Marden had provided Ballard instructions on how to contact the mysterious assassin's guild that operated all over the Ulier Continent.

This assassin's guild was run by none other than the infamous Mana Core Magus, the Silent King.

Of course, Ballard never got around to contacting the guild. The moment he and his men arrived in Hannes City, they hadn't rested for a single second. They had immediately begun their pursuit.

Perhaps, contacting the guild somehow slipped out of Ballard's mind. Or perhaps he had never even bothered about the guild to begin with.

But that did not mean the guild had not made a move…

After the Battle of Ravenfell had ended, Marden had personally instructed the Silent King to order his men to capture Anna Fireborne and bring her to him. He had also paid the Mana Core assassin an advance payment for the job.

So it did not matter that Ballard hadn't contacted the guild and requested their assistance. The assassins of the guild had long since made their move the moment Anna and her entourage had disembarked the merchant vessel.

For the past couple of days, the band of assassins led by a Mana Vortex Magus had been silently pursuing Anna and her entourage, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. And when Rowan and his family had been sheltered in a nearby town, the assassins knew the time had come.

They could see that Anna placed great importance on this mortal family, going so far as not to abandon them even when doing so would have been the wise move.

So when Anna dropped the family off at the town and went to ambush Ballard and his men, the assassins had made their move.

It did not matter to them whether Ballard or his men lived or died. So they waited patiently until the battle was over, and only then did they reveal themselves.

The assassin leader had captured Rowan and his family, making them his hostages. His men had surrounded Anna and her entourage, and there was no way for them to escape now.

Rowan, bruised and bloodied, knelt at the assassin leader's feet, his hands shackled as if he were no more than an animal. His wife and children were also chained and were sobbing incessantly, fearing their impending doom.

When the assassins had come for them, Rowan had tried to put up a desperate fight. But alas… what could a mere mortal do in front of a Man Vortex Magus and a dozen more Mana Liquefaction Magi?

As tears trickled down his face, Rowan turned to the crimson-haired princess and murmured:

"Lady Anna… forgive me…"

He knew that because of him, Anna's fate had now been sealed. He had promised his master, Adam, that he would serve her faithfully, just as he had served him all those years.

Yet in the end, he had turned out to be nothing more than a hindrance, and the very reason for Anna's doom.

"Please… forgive me…"

Seeing the state Rowan and his family were in, Anna's body trembled ever so slightly. Her eyes blazed with anger and… helplessness. She turned towards the assassin leader, standing behind the family, and said in a shaky voice:

"Let them go. We'll do whatever you want, but… let them go!"

The assassin leader was dressed in black robes, the fabric covering every part of his body except for his cold, calculating eyes. When Anna said those words, the man's eyes narrowed.

"You'd do anything… just to save these mortals?" His tone was laced with amusement.

"They have nothing to do with this." Anna tried to put up a confident front, but the trembling of her eyes and her shaky voice betrayed her true feelings.

She slowly raised her hands in surrender. "We don't have to fight. No one has to die. Just… tell me what you are after."

Kaspar had an extremely grim look on his face. Unlike their previous battle with Ballard and his men, they had no chance of emerging victorious this time, not with Rowan and his family held hostage.

Even he could not bear to risk their lives. Yet above all, protecting the princess remained his highest priority. He scanned the forest clearing, searching for a way out. But no matter where he looked, there was simply no chance.

They were outnumbered, and the enemy held all the cards.

"I don't like that look in your eyes, Magus." The assassin leader pressed a dagger against Rowan's neck. In an instant, his wife and children started to wail loudly, but the leader paid them no heed.

"I'll tell you what I want," said the leader. He gestured to the crimson-haired princess and added, "Give her to us, and no one has to die."

Even he did not want his men to die needlessly. He had seen how easily Kaspar and the three Magi had taken care of Ballard and his men. If a battle did break out between them, he was confident he could still capture Anna, but the cost was more than he was willing to pay.

Besides, why risk so much when he already held hostages Anna cared deeply about? With careful planning, his mission could be completed efficiently. Of course, should the other side try to complicate matters, he would not hesitate to spill some blood.

"So, what's it going to be, Magus?" The leader's lips curled into a cold smile, the blade pressing tightly against Rowan's neck, eliciting an agonized groan out of him.

"I said stop!" Anna blurted out. She took a step forward and added, "I'll do what you want. But you must let them go."

"Princess, please!" Kaspar roared, urging Anna to take cover behind him.

Anna turned to him, her expression cold and deadpan. "Kaspar… do as I say."

Kaspar gritted his teeth, his eyes flickering with helplessness. Ada and Daryl, too, were in a similar situation. Neither of them knew what to do.

"Let them go," Anna softly muttered as she took yet another step forward.

"Lady Anna, no!!" Rowan screamed in anguish. He didn't want anything to happen to his master's sister, yet he feared for the safety of his family as well.

Torn between helplessness and despair, all he could do was grit his teeth and sob.

Anna looked at Rowan, then at his wife and kids. She took another step towards them and forced a smile. "Everything's going to be alright."

But even she didn't believe her own words. She slowly took one step, then another. At the same time, the remaining assassins closed in on Kaspar, Daryl, and Ada, surrounding them.

Suddenly, smoke began to fill the clearing… but it wasn't coming from the pyre at its center.

The assassin leader gave a signal to his men. Should the Magi attempt anything daring, they would strike without hesitation.

Anna took another step forward.

By now, the assassins had completely surrounded Kaspar and the rest.

The smoke in the clearing thickened, growing heavier… more ominous. Yet none of the people in the forest clearing noticed the change.

The assassin leader's grip on the dagger to Rowan's neck eased slightly, his lips gradually forming a triumphant smirk.

Anna took yet another step, and then…

She froze.

Unbeknownst to the assassin leader, a massive figure had silently emerged behind him.

It was a ferocious black wolf, and atop its back…

A gnome leisurely puffed from his long, smoking pipe!

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