Kaylyn couldn’t believe it when she noticed Siso catching up to her group again. It seemed he had no intention of letting them go without a confrontation.
“What exactly do you want?” Kaylyn asked, her voice sharp with irritation.
Siso, however, appeared unfazed. With a grin, he replied, “We’ve known each other for years, Kaylyn. Must you be so cold-hearted?”
“If you keep spewing this nonsense…” Kaylyn warned.
“Fine, let’s get to the point,” Siso said, feigning a serious tone. “We’re both from the same nation, and we’ve known each other for a long time. When we reach the sanctuary, it would only make sense for us to support each other, wouldn’t it? Strength in unity, after all!”
His words sounded noble, as if he were acting entirely in Kaylyn’s best interest.
“And how exactly do you propose we ‘support each other’?” Kaylyn asked, her eyes narrowing.
Siso’s face lit up as he proudly patted his chest. “I’ve been in touch with some people at the sanctuary, and they’ve assured me they can make proper arrangements for my group when we arrive. But…”
His voice lowered slightly, “…they’re the kind of people who prefer incentives. If we pool some treasures together, they’ll expedite our settlement.”
At that moment, Kaylyn understood exactly what Siso was after.
She let out a cold laugh. “Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on, Siso. You had a falling out with the other leader of your faction, didn’t you?”
Siso’s faction wasn’t unified; in fact, it had more than one leader.
If Siso were still in good standing, he would have had far more people with him.
It was clear to Kaylyn that he had either quarreled with or been expelled by his faction’s other leader.
Siso’s current proposition was nothing more than an attempt to secure resources for himself under the guise of mutual support.
Kaylyn was certain that once things settled, Siso’s first betrayal would be aimed squarely at her group.
“You’ve got it all wrong, Kaylyn!” Siso blustered, though his voice betrayed his embarrassment. “I thought we could work together as allies, but if you’re going to be so heartless, don’t blame me for what happens next! When your people are left homeless, don’t come crying to—”
Before Siso could finish his threat, Kaylyn calmly pulled out a token from her belongings.
The sight of it stopped Siso mid-sentence. His bravado vanished as he stared at the token in shock.
“T-That’s… That’s…” he stammered, his words faltering.
It was an iron token from the Death Legion.
Although it was the lowest tier of Death Legion tokens, it still represented a powerful promise.
Everyone knew that the Death Legion had close ties to the sanctuary.
With that token, Kaylyn could easily secure land near the sanctuary for her people.
Siso’s earlier threats were now laughable, his grand words returning to slap him in the face.
“You…” Siso’s face twisted in anger and humiliation.
…
Before he could say anything further, a group of people suddenly emerged from the surrounding area.
Their presence was imposing, their auras wild and untamed, reminiscent of spell beasts.
These individuals, likely hailing from Winterrealm, were noticeably larger in stature than most.
Many of them were bloodline warriors, their spell beast-like energy practically radiating from their bodies.
Their arrival silenced both Kaylyn and Siso.
The two groups remained on high alert, unsure of the newcomers’ intentions.
From among the group, a young woman stepped forward. Her voice was firm, though her language was somewhat halting.
“I… have questions. You… answer.”
Siso sneered, his disdain evident. “Mountain savages? A bunch of wildlings! Stand aside, or else—”
Before he could finish, Sarra punched him.
Siso was sent flying backward, landing heavily on the ground.
He gasped for breath, feeling as though his chest had been struck by a boulder.
Blood filled his mouth, and he struggled to stay conscious.
…
“Sarra, weren’t you supposed to talk to them? Why did you attack? That guy looks like you beat him half to death,” Nina’s voice echoed in Sarra’s mind.
Sarra had volunteered to communicate with the group, eager to test her growing proficiency with the outside world’s language.
“He insulted me,” Sarra replied matter-of-factly. “I was only testing his strength. I didn’t expect him to be so weak.”
Nina sighed. “Fine. Bring the other one over. The headmaster wants to speak with her.”
Sarra turned to Kaylyn.
Kaylyn tensed, her guard immediately going up. Considering the strength of Sarra’s earlier strike, it was clear these people weren’t ordinary.
“You… come. Someone… see you. Questions.” Sarra turned and began walking back.
Kaylyn hesitated but eventually followed.
These people didn’t seem hostile—at least not toward her.
As for Siso, it was clear his sharp tongue had earned him the punch.
…
Kaylyn was led to the group’s leader. The man at the forefront looked remarkably young and carried an air of quiet authority.
“What is your name? Where are you going?” Nina asked bluntly.
“I’m Kaylyn,” she replied. “I’m leading my people to migrate to the sanctuary.”
“What is this sanctuary?” Nina asked, frowning.
Kaylyn looked at her, confused. “You don’t know about the sanctuary? It’s the Crossbridge Sanctuary, of course.”
“Crossbridge?” Nina repeated, her brow furrowing further. “Headmaster, doesn’t that sound suspiciously like Crossbridge Academy? Who came up with that name?”
Kaylyn froze, alarm flashing across her face. “Crossbridge Sanctuary… It used to be called an academy,” she explained carefully.
“What?” Nina’s eyes widened in shock.
Her academy—Crossbridge Academy—had somehow transformed into what people now called the Crossbridge Sanctuary.
Unlike Nina, Daniel seemed unsurprised. He had anticipated such changes, likely a result of the systems and policies he had left in place before departing.
Kaylyn continued, “I’m heading there because someone from the Death Legion promised that my group would be given land outside the sanctuary. I have this token to prove it.”
She held up the iron token, and Nina examined it with a critical eye.
“Ugly,” Nina remarked bluntly.
“Please watch your words,” Kaylyn replied cautiously. “This is a Death Legion iron token. Within their territory, it holds significant weight.”
The name Death Legion stirred a faint memory in Nina’s mind. Suddenly, she reached into her storage crystal and pulled out a token of her own.
It was a silver token, far more refined and valuable than the iron one.
Kaylyn’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That… That’s a Death Legion silver token! The highest-ranking token!”
Nina frowned, holding the two tokens side by side. The stark contrast between the polished silver and rough iron made the latter seem even uglier.
“Why did Rose make these tokens so ugly? Mine was so much prettier when I first designed it!” Nina complained.
Kaylyn’s jaw dropped. “You… designed it?”
The realization struck her like a thunderbolt.
The young woman standing before her wasn’t just any member of the Death Legion—she was deeply connected to its very foundation.
Kaylyn suddenly felt as though she had underestimated the true strength and influence of the people she had encountered.