The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

Laria took a deep breath, then stroked the horse’s head and whispered:

“I’m sorry. Please help me a little longer.”

As if understanding her words, the horse snorted softly. Then it began galloping powerfully towards the north.

An acrid smell assaulted her nostrils.

Embers and ash settled on her collar.

The crackling sound of burning wood reached her ears.

The undulating flames, insatiable in their greed, endlessly devoured the trees.

It was truly a conflagration.

Laria rode the horse, avoiding the fire.

However, the flames moved as if herding prey.

Seeing the abnormally spreading fire, she realized Marquis Hashir was controlling it.

‘He must have thought it was my weakness.’

It was the only magic that had cornered Laria during the duel, after all.

Crack! A diamond shattered as magical power surged.

A pillar of water erupted from the ground, becoming a wave that rushed forward, but the fire’s intensity didn’t diminish.

As the flames drew closer, the horse exhaled roughly.

Surrounded on all sides, there was nowhere left to flee.

Feeling heat that seemed capable of melting skin, Laria dismounted and surveyed her surroundings.

The fire was spreading at an alarming rate.

If left unchecked, not only she but others would fall victim.

Laria tightly gripped the gemstones in her pocket.

To extinguish a fire of this scale would inevitably consume a significant amount of magical power.

‘But it’s within the expected range.’

She had anticipated that Marquis Hashir would interfere.

As gemstones shattered in succession, wind rose like a waterspout. The wind, rising high into the sky, scattered in all directions, then flash! Light burst forth. With a thunderous roar, the sky turned inky black.

Whoosh-

Rain infused with brilliant white light began to fall.

It looked like an endless shower of tiny shooting stars.

The crimson flames, which had been expanding their territory as if waging a war of conquest, were enveloped by white light.

The black smoke drifting through the air was also consumed by the rain and settled.

Misty fog filled its place.

The intense sound of rain deafened her ears.

Standing in the middle of the rain-soaked forest, Laria poured out her magical power without reserve.

If others had witnessed this scene, they might have forgotten to breathe in awe.

Just as the flames were completely subdued…

“!”

Sensing an eerie presence, Laria immediately unleashed her magical power.

Dozens of flaming arrows flying at her from all directions broke in half and fell before reaching her.

Without even a moment to catch her breath, the ground began to shake violently.

The soft earth crumbled and began to sink.

Surrounding vegetation was swallowed as if caught in a whirlpool.

However, Laria didn’t even blink.

‘A shallow illusion.’

If she had been panicked and out of her mind from fear of fire, she might have been caught up in it.

Laria snapped her fingers.

Instantly, everything returned to its original state as if the ground had never collapsed.

As the illusion lifted, the sinister aura surrounding her disappeared.

Surveying her surroundings, Laria stroked the back of the horse standing faithfully beside her and said:

“Go back first.”

The horse neighed long and disappeared back the way it had come.

‘I should go to Zenox right away.’

She needed to break the brainwashing spell soon after it was cast.

Just as she was about to shatter the magic-blocking barrier and cast a tracking spell…

A voice came from not too far away.

Laria turned her head towards the sound, withdrawing her magical power.

There stood Zenox.

* * *

As the competition began, Zenox immediately set out to hunt.

He had heard that deer with blue antlers lived in this forest. It would be nice to catch such a rare beast and present it to Laria as a gift.

Having set his goal, he ventured deeper into the forest in search of prey.

However, it was utterly silent, as if all the animals had departed.

After roaming the forest for a while, Zenox furrowed his brow.

‘I had forgotten.’

That his aura was so strong that animals wouldn’t come near him.

Wasn’t it because Whitie was the first creature that didn’t flee from him that he had picked her up?

Zenox let out a light sigh.

Even if the purpose of participating in the hunting competition wasn’t actually hunting, it would be awkward to return empty-handed.

He suppressed his aura as much as possible.

But animals were excellent at sensing danger. No matter how much he suppressed it, they wouldn’t come within a certain radius.

‘Well, this should be enough.’

Zenox had exceptionally good eyesight for a beastman, even if not as good as an animal’s.

A large bird came into his view.

Zenox nocked an arrow, aiming at the flying bird, and drew the bowstring taut. The arrow that split the sky pierced the bird’s body accurately.

With that as a start, Zenox began hunting in earnest.

Deer, rabbits, wildcats, boars, and more.

Every arrow he shot brought down game.

As he caught all sorts of beasts, Zenox spotted an ordinary fox. Examining the fox frozen in fear, Zenox murmured, ‘Hmm.’

“Should I spare the fox?”

Though it was an ordinary fox, it somehow reminded him of Laria.

“I feel sorry for the fox.”

Zenox let the trembling fox go. Even though he had caught wolves, which might be distant ancestors.

Putting down his bow for a moment, Zenox narrowed his eyes.

He had been sensing presences following him for a while.

‘About three of them.’

They didn’t seem to be professionally trained knights.

It was likely Marquis Hashir and his subordinates.

Pretending not to notice, Zenox checked the game he had caught so far. Though he hadn’t particularly aimed for victory, he had caught enough to be considered a strong contender for winning.

‘It seems about time now.’

Checking his watch, he saw it was time to return.

Zenox fell into contemplation about what to do.

As those following him kept closing the distance, he thought about waiting a bit longer.

He left traces on trees in case Laria came looking for him after the appointed time passed. As he was heading north like that…

Zenox raised his head at a distant scream.

“Fire!!”

Hearing someone’s shout, Zenox froze.

He immediately began running towards the source of the sound.

Not long after, he saw black smoke rising into the sky. His heart sank at the heat he could feel even from afar.

Laria.

Zenox immediately rode his horse towards the tent where Laria would be.

Not long after, he realized Marquis Hashir was luring him.

Even knowing this, Zenox couldn’t stop.

Instead of the fresh scent of earth, the smell of burning and acrid metal wafted from all directions.

Sensing the ominous smell, the horse let out a long neigh.

The moment the horse stepped on a magic circle, a dark red light burst from beneath its feet.

As the horse lost balance and collapsed, Zenox quickly leapt off. Landing lightly, Zenox raised his head.

Marquis Hashir, who had been following at a distance, was standing right in front of him.

“It’s been a while, Grand Duke.”

The Marquis, curling his lip, stroked his beard as he addressed Zenox. His attitude was triumphant, like a hunter who had cornered rare prey.

“How long has it been since we’ve talked face to face like this?”

Zenox silently gazed at Marquis Hashir.

He could sever the Marquis’s neck right now, but that wasn’t what Laria wanted.

As Zenox took no action, the Marquis’s smile deepened.

“Ah, don’t move. The magic circle you’re standing on is quite powerful.”

The Marquis shrugged, saying it was a trap he had spent a whole month preparing.

“Until now, you’ve been dodging around while playing lovers with that damn wench, but not anymore.”

At the slur against Laria, Zenox’s hands clenched tightly.

If he lost control even a little, his armor would shatter and his claws would emerge.

His blazing golden eyes glared at the Marquis.

“Hahaha!”

As Zenox was unable to take any action, Marquis Hashir felt elated. The wolf everyone feared was no more than a toothless puppy before him.

Now all that remained was to cast the brainwashing spell.

Marquis Hashir gestured to his loyal subordinates standing beside him.

He intended to leave the final task to them while he went to kill Laria Rohan.

As he waved his hand, the flames intensified.

The fire moved according to the Marquis’s will.

The forest was already his domain.

Marquis Hashir, who had been intensifying the flames while tracking Laria’s magical power as if herding prey, grinned widely.

Finally, Laria Rohan…

At that moment.

Suddenly, the sky turned pitch black.

Boom, a sound like a beast’s roar was heard.

Plop, a raindrop trickled down the Marquis’s forehead.

Before he could even recognize what it was, rain began to pour.

A pure white rain.