The Rescue 

“So, we’ve finally left home.”

At the border where the plains met the foothills, Yexi looked back in the direction of Pekoin City, a rare note of sentiment in her voice.

Ard, panting, came up behind her. Hearing her words, he asked, puzzled, “Is this your first time leaving the Pekoin region?”

“Not exactly. I used to deliver letters and things for the Lady to the second young master. But those were always quick trips, just me, there and back. This time, I know I’m leaving for a long time.” Yexi shot a sideways glance at Ard. “And I’m traveling with a pervert. That’s a first. Also, on my own, it would take me two days at most to cross this region. This time, it took us over a month. Mr. Ard, thanks to you, I’ve had the chance to thoroughly appreciate the beautiful, boring scenery I usually never get to see.”

Ard: “…”

Even Ard himself had only taken ten days to travel from the edge of the region to Pekoin City. The nearly threefold increase in time was entirely due to the weighted gear he wore. When he had first put on those ‘undergarments’, his movement could barely be called walking; ‘shuffling’ was more appropriate.

As he got used to it and his stamina improved, his speed had barely changed. First, he had progressed to the point where he no longer pathetically fainted twice a day, and could finally enjoy Yexi’s full-body massages while conscious—though the stimulating process was, in Ard’s opinion, worse than being unconscious. Then, he had finally stopped fainting altogether and could travel the entire day awake. His sword swings no longer ended with his arm going numb, and he could finally sleep through the night without the heavy gear tormenting him…

In short, Ard felt he had made great progress this month. Without the weighted gear, his body felt impossibly light. And so, Ard expressed his sincere gratitude to Yexi, who had willingly helped train him, and had washed his clothes, cooked his meals, and massaged his aching muscles for the past month.

“Yexi, I’m so glad to have you.”

“Just shut up. Disgusting.”

Clearly, Yexi did not appreciate Ard’s heartfelt thanks in the slightest. In fact, she seemed utterly repulsed. The contempt in her eyes, the disdain in her voice, the arrogance in her expression—Ard was grievously wounded by his queen’s cold, merciless response. Sometimes, he wished Yexi could remain in her “virtuous wife” state from his half-hour rest periods. It seemed the heavens were fair after all, giving her the face of an angel and the heart of a demon.

“Don’t just stand there slacking. It’s only been an hour since your last break, you opportunistic, lazy pig.”

“…” Ard was pretty sure it was Yexi who had stopped to reminisce first. But he was used to taking the blame by now. He would consider it payment for her meticulous care.

The two of them entered a winding mountain path. Ard was immediately reminded of the difference between the mountains and the plains; his speed once again dropped to the level it had been when he first put on the gear.

“Help! Help me!”

A child’s desperate cries echoed through the empty mountain pass. Ard froze, then immediately prepared to investigate.

Yexi grabbed his arm. “At your speed, the girl will be long dead by the time you get there. If you want to save someone, at least take off the weighted gear. Are you planning on serving them your head on a platter?”

“But…” Ard knew she was right, but hearing the urgency in the cries, he knew the situation was critical.

“Why don’t you go on ahead, Yexi? I’ll…”

“You’re the one who wants to get involved. I don’t like meddling in other people’s business,” Yexi said calmly. “Besides, judging by the frequency of her cries, the disarray of her breath, and the rhythm of her steps, and analyzing the speed of her pursuers… it will be a while before they catch her. Or rather, they’re playing with her. You have time to change.”

Ard was stunned. He didn’t have time to wonder how she knew all that when they couldn’t see a single person. Still, their coordination was now second nature. In just three minutes, Ard was stripped of his weights and ready for action. Without another moment’s delay, he shot off in the direction of the voice.

The results of a month of hellish training were immediately apparent. The explosive power of his legs launched him forward like a cannonball. Ard himself wasn’t even used to this burst of speed; it was the first time he had sprinted with all his might without the weights. For a moment, his brain couldn’t keep up with his body.

“The girl’s position is…”

Yexi’s voice came through, clear as a bell, as if she were right beside him. But when Ard glanced back, he saw she was still standing in the same spot, watching him.

“Got it!” Ard shouted, not knowing if she could hear. With this newfound power, he no longer followed the winding mountain path, instead leaping up the steep, rugged terrain as if it were a flight of stairs.

Yexi watched his receding figure and murmured to herself, “The effect is quite remarkable. But I suppose that’s to be expected after that level of training every day. The potential of a Black Dragon half-blood is truly immense. To think there’s still so much untapped power, even stronger than most who use Ki or magic.”

But a flicker of confusion crossed her face. She didn’t understand how Ard had managed to endure it, how he still showed no signs of wanting to give up. That kind of training was not something an ordinary person could withstand. In her past life, she and the others had only endured such super-intensive training because the alternative was death. It was the constant threat of death that had pushed them through that inhuman regimen. But what was Ard’s motivation? Was he really that obsessed with getting stronger?

…

“Hee hee hee, run faster, haha!”

“Be careful, or we’ll take you back to our camp and make you our wife, hahaha!”

A group of bandits, spewing vulgarities, rode on drakes, chasing a small girl who was running for her life. Tears and despair streaked her face. The only reason she had lasted this long was because the bandits were toying with her.

She had run until her legs could carry her no further. Her stamina depleted, she collapsed to the ground with a cry.

One of the bandits said with disappointment, “Tch, is that all? Grab her. We’ll have some fun with her back at the camp.”

“Alright.” A bandit dismounted and reached for the little girl. Her eyes were filled with a bleak, hopeless despair.

At that critical moment, a voice cut through the air.

“You people are true scum.”

The voice was accompanied by the sight of the bandit’s outstretched arm falling to the ground. Before he could even scream, Ard’s blade had taken his head.

“Who the hell are you…” one of the other bandits began, about to launch into the standard pre-battle posturing. But Ard wasn’t playing by the rules. Without a word, he charged, his sword a blur of motion.

There were eleven of them, all clearly seasoned killers. Rather than wait for them to surround him, he would strike first. The combination of Ard’s explosive power and the speed and force of his sword was devastating. He cut a straight line through their ranks. Seven of them, who had been standing in a line within the sweep of his longsword, were all sliced in two at the waist.

The hot blood of their comrades splashing on their faces finally snapped the remaining five out of their stupor. They grabbed their weapons and charged at Ard.

Ard had the experience of two lifetimes. Though he hadn’t mastered any advanced sword techniques, the basic swordsmanship Isaac had taught him was, in Yexi’s own words, a nearly perfect foundation. Combined with the endurance she had trained into him, it was more than enough to deal with this rabble. Even though they were also Ki users, the meager amount they could muster was nothing compared to the raw physical potential Ard had unlocked.

He didn’t even need to dodge. He could just charge straight through. Even when their weapons clashed, he could simply overpower them, his blade forcing its way through their defenses.

He effortlessly killed two more. The last two looked at him with terror in their eyes. Covered in blood, Ard looked like a butcher from the depths of hell.

In a panic, one of them noticed the small, harmless-looking girl nearby. A vicious glint appeared in his eyes. He shoved his so-called comrade toward Ard without a moment’s hesitation and made a dash for the girl.

Ard saw the danger but couldn’t ignore the enemy charging at his face. With a single stroke, he killed the betrayed bandit, who died without understanding why. When he looked back, the other bandit was already closing in on the girl.

Seeing the terrified, frozen girl, Ard roared, “What are you waiting for?! Run!!!”

Startled by his shout, the girl scrambled to her feet and ran. The bandit gave chase, and so did Ard. But he knew he wouldn’t make it in time.

Just then, the figure of Yexi, leading two drakes, appeared directly in the little girl’s path. Seeing the situation, she stopped, seemingly with no intention of saving the girl.

Ard had no choice but to shout, “Run to that sister over there!”

The girl, already exhausted from the long run, was now running on pure, primal fear. She used the last of her strength and practically threw herself into Yexi’s arms.

The bandit behind her was a finger’s breadth away from grabbing her. But that single finger was an eternity. His time stopped at that very second. He collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from a clean slice across his neck.

“Hah… hah… that was close.” Ard wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at the calm-faced Yexi with a smile. “Good thing you were here.”

Yexi shot him a sideways glance but said nothing. She lifted the little girl in her arms and placed her on one of the drakes. Ard then noticed that the girl had fainted from exhaustion.

At that moment, a set of clothes and a water pouch were thrown at his feet.

“Wash the blood off your face and change your clothes. It seems that even with increased strength, you can’t change your barbaric ways. You might as well devolve into a primitive man, wrap yourself in some animal skins, and live a life of savagery. At least then you wouldn’t be increasing my workload.”

Yexi’s sharp-tongued remarks came at him without mercy.