City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Chapter 542: Chase II

Zaris

"Left," said Truku, our guide, as the light of dawn began to clear the dark sky.

We have picked up several guides on our way. They are necessary to travel through these thick forests, where the routes are like puzzle pieces.

Even with a precise map, we can't move as fast as we are without their help.

They are allowing us to make good time toward Lord Silver.

If he had stayed in his initial location, we would have caught up with him hours ago, but so would our enemies.

He is moving to where I expected him to go, and his speed is also better than I had thought. Given his speed, it is very likely that he has found the guides.

"Anything?" I asked Vance with concern. "No," he replied.

We haven't been able to sense our enemies for the past two hours. In this game of cat and mouse, it is not just the distance; they also hide their location, making them harder to track. In return, we are hiding our location from them.

Three hours before the game started, we would get their location now and then.

"They had likely understood by now where Lord Silver is moving toward," said Miss Glass, to which I couldn't help but nod.

Given the way the enemies had made the preparations. They have clearly shown that they are very intelligent.

They likely comprehended Lord Silver's destination, which would complicate things as they would mobilize more people to find him.

We are doing that, but it is their kingdom. It is making things much easier for them.

"Let's hope Lord Silver keeps ahead of them until we reach him," I replied; she smiled at that.

Soon, I allow a quick stop.

Immediately, everyone drank the potions and did their business before eating the rations as fast as possible. We didn't have the luxury of taking too much time. We need to win this race.

I looked at Miss Margaux and Miss Charles and couldn't help but sigh in concern.

Even with the potions and the skills, their condition could be better. Miss Charles is handling the strain better, but Margaux is not.

She is sleepy, tired, and sore.

We have been traveling nonstop since yesterday afternoon. We didn't even sleep for an hour; it takes a toll on people.

If she wasn't as high-leveled as she is, she wouldn't be able even to stand, much less walk around.

This chase isn't an ordinary journey. We are moving through the forest in uneven routes. It is tiring, even for experienced soldiers, much less for people who didn't ride more than a few hours a day in all their lives.

"Let's move," I ordered the moment we finished and mounted on the beasts.

A few hours passed, and it was now early afternoon.

We had just changed our beasts. We had no choice; we had been traveling with them for more than a day without giving them rest.

We could have pushed them through the evening, and they had the stamina to do that, but we exhausted that, and they were slowing down, which was not what we wanted.

Thankfully, one of the guides we picked knew a tribe with fast, high-endurance beasts.

I like these Red Beruz Zebras we are now riding.

We needed to pay them more than the market price, but nobody said anything. Without hesitation, we would have paid double, even triple, what they had asked.

The most important thing to us was reaching Lord Silver as soon as possible, not the costs.

We were getting close to him, but at this rate, it would still take us until midnight to reach him.

"I found them," said Vance as he appeared beside me. "Where?" I asked immediately.

"Here," he replied, pointing at the map. Now aware of the enemy's location, my expression couldn't help but become serious.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Faster," I ordered a moment later. The race is in the balance.

.........…..

Torug Yregh

"He is moving fast," said Fodulir as he informed me of the mark's location.

Our people have spotted him.

I had expected him to move quickly, but I didn't expect him to move this swiftly. It seemed like he had started to move the moment he landed.

I had thought a day would be enough to catch up with him, even assuming he had moved away from the landing spot. I now realize I had been wrong.

"His people have reached near Roksas," informed Fodulir.

"Fuck!" I cursed before calming myself. They are getting closer. 

Unlike us, they could track him. We were advised to expect this in the information, but I didn't want it to be true.

"Faster!" I commanded with urgency.

We were already moving as fast as we could, but I wish we could move even faster.

We have less than a day to capture the mark. If we didn't, by dawn, we would die. So, no matter what happens or the risks we have to take, we must capture him.

I desired to post the bounty, but it had become too dangerous.

My sources have already told me that Archmage Tower has started asking around, and it won't be long before they start looking around.

Once they do, it won't take them long to find him. So, I have to finish him before that happens.

He is moving fast, but we are faster. Even so, he had the advantage of seven hours and the extra time he got while we tracked his trail.

He has the advantage as he has a clear destination in mind, unlike us. But it is clear to us now.

We can't let him reach Vudiz. If it were a small city or town, we could manage it, but not Vudiz.

We can do nothing there.

"Contact the bandits. Only the trusted ones and post the bounty," I ordered finally, realizing the risk.

"Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.

Bandits are notoriously fickle; many have masters or people to whom they report or sell information. We can't afford to make it known we are involved.

The people I had placed in different towns were trusted, and I did it with weeks of preparation. To them, it was any other job, nothing special; it was different with the bandits.

Many are shrewd and wouldn't hesitate to betray me—even the trusted ones if they knew the stakes.

"Yes," I affirmed with gritted teeth.

Hours passed, and we kept moving, taking only one break that was no more than five minutes long.

I am not wasting any time, not even a minute. Catching the mark is now a question of life and death.

If I succeed, I will gain more money than I could spend in my whole life and protection so that no one can touch me.

"He dealt with Frad's crew. Killed them all," informed Fodulir suddenly, worry in his voice.

It made my already foul mood even worse.

I am not surprised. I have fought with him, understand his power, and know that most bandits we had informed couldn't deal with him.

That is why I asked them to be careful, but they wouldn't listen.

I had asked them to capture the mark, but I would be satisfied if they delayed or injured him enough to slow him down.

"Ask those bastards to be careful. Tell them not to underestimate him," I said.

Not that it would make a difference to those dead-brained idiots, but I hope, at least, some of them would listen.

...….

Margaux

I saw the sun going down, turning everything dark.

We moved through the dark toward Master Silver, who I felt was getting closer.

From what I hear, so are our enemies. As we move closer to Lord Silver, we are also getting closer to our enemies, which is making Lt. Colonel Zaar push us even harder.

This pace is not making things easy on me.

Saying I am tired would be an understatement. Even in the past, the worst days with animalistic men didn't make me as exhausted as I am now.

I am drinking the potions that are keeping me awake. Without it, I would have fallen asleep by now.

Still, the tiredness remained.

I could drink another potion for that, but I am refraining from taking too many. It may help now, but there will be consequences later.

Still, I kept them ready. If the need arises, I won't hesitate to drink them.

"Miss Margaux," said Ranger Vance.

I smiled at the man and raised my hand toward him. He took it, and I activated the Madam's Projection.

I didn't have to touch him. Close distance is enough, but I am tired, and touch makes the connection much smoother.

I projected Lord Silver's location as clearly as possible so he could deduce it from the map.

A few seconds later, he took back his hand and moved toward the Lt. Commander Zaris. He accompanies me every half an hour to get updates on Lord Silver's direction.

Or, I call him out when I notice Lord Silver suddenly changing his route, which he has done a lot.

I can't stop worrying about him.

The enemies are beyond strong, but Lord Silver and others have fought them off. A dread fills me whenever I think about what would have happened if they hadn't.

Soon, it was nine, and we stopped for just ten minutes to eat dinner.

I ate while walking to free up my muscles.

The potions have dealt with the soreness and pain, but some discomfort had remained.

"This journey reminds me of adventures I did in my younger days," reminisces Eva as she appears beside me, taking me out of my worried thoughts.

She looked much better than me. Tiredness hadn't marred that beautiful glow on her face.

"It must have been quite an experience," I said, to which she smiled. It was and is one of my most precious memories," she replied, her eyes turning distant.

I didn't say anything, but I couldn't help but feel jealous when I looked at her.

She is far more powerful than I had imagined. I had heard the stories about that battle she had fought alongside Master Silver against the undead in Namdar.

I didn't think of it much until I saw her power now.

I was in that dome she had created and felt the power of the spells that crashed into them.

They were extremely powerful—enough to kill everyone inside—but the dome she had created defended against the attack.

I know two defensive spells, but they are Grade I, while her dome was more potent than the Grade IV defensive spell.

It would be hard to gain such power, but I will try. I never want to feel as powerless as I did in that dome.

I have the tools to achieve it. The only thing I have to do is work hard.

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