A sudden explosion rang out, followed by what felt like an earthquake. Almost instantly, Eleanor sprang to her feet and dashed forward, retrieving all the weapons she had thrown and used to stab the hunters.
She quickly stuffed them into her pouch, then rummaged inside and pulled out a featureless plastic mask that covered the entire face, save for two eyeholes.
"…Why do you have that?" Helga asked upon seeing it.
As Eleanor slipped the mask on, she replied,
"Hmm? Didn't I mention I'm a writer? I can't have my editor seeing my face, now, can I?"
"…Oh."
Helga nodded in understanding, then stood up and stepped into the trees behind her. She had jogged a short distance, close to a hundred metres, when a loud booming sound reached her ears, followed by a streak of crimson light that crashed down just a few metres away, the shockwave from its impact flattening every tree within a 25-metre radius.
A gust of wind swept away the rising smoke and dust, revealing the figure of a man who rushed toward Helga, his face filled with concern as he called out,
"Young Mistress!"
The man had deep-set hazel eyes that matched his tousled chestnut-brown hair, framing a face with a straight nose and a sharp jawline. He wore a dark green military-style coat over a fitted black shirt and combat trousers, with leather boots and fingerless gloves.
"Hello, Vincent."
Helga calmly greeted the man as he rushed over and grabbed her shoulders, his eyes quickly scanning her for any signs of injury.
"I'm fine. Exhausted, yes, but otherwise okay."
Aside from her nearly depleted magic reserves, Helga was in good shape. The blood she'd taken from Eleanor had healed her wounds and restored her burnt blood.
Once he confirmed she wasn't physically harmed, Vincent heaved a relieved sigh, though his expression immediately darkened when he locked onto the cuts and bloodstains on her clothes.
"Young Mistress, what happened?"
His gaze shifted toward the direction of the clearing, having noticed she'd changed locations just before his arrival.
"Come with me."
Helga pulled away from his grip and made her way back to the clearing where she had fought the Crafiel hunters, with Vincent close behind.
It didn't take them long to get there, and upon arrival, they were greeted by the sight of a masked Eleanor, now wearing a long overcoat that concealed her outfit, sitting on a tree branch for some reason.
"Hello there."
Eleanor waved at Vincent, but the man was too focused on analysing the scene before him to notice.
"That's the Crafiel symbol…"
He muttered as his eyes landed on the flying eagle insignia printed on the uniforms of the dead hunters. Taking one look at Helga's torn and bloodstained clothes, it didn't take him long to connect the dots.
"Those bastards dared…!"
A burst of magic erupted from Vincent, the sheer force of it cracking the ground beneath his feet.
Watching this, Eleanor quietly recalled the information she had about the man.
Vincent Seskel, a cousin of one of Helga's aunts, who had been assigned as one of her mentors. In Dimension Break, he was a playable character and one of the best sub-DPS options available to support Helga.
In terms of power, he was nearly twice Eleanor's original level, placing him not far beneath the Transcendent-level existences in this world.
More importantly, he was fiercely loyal to Helga. While he personally didn't care about the Crafiels one way or another, the fact that someone had dared to harm Helga was more than enough to provoke his fury.
For the record, Helga hadn't said a word yet. Vincent simply assumed she had been attacked because he knew full well that she wouldn't go out of her way to ambush a team of Crafiel hunters without cause.
Just then, the rest of the guard detail that had been stationed outside, received Helga's SOS, and contacted Vincent after detecting the barrier that blocked their entry, arrived.
Unlike Vincent, they had come on foot, but as soon as they reached the edge of the clearing, Helga raised her hands to stop them.
"Stay back. No one comes any closer. This area needs to remain untouched. One of you, head to the Red Magic Tower and request an investigation squad with a memory mage.
Make sure they swear an oath of secrecy before you bring them here."
At her command, Vincent, quickly regaining his calm, turned to her and asked,
"You're planning to have them retrieve the land's memories? Do you intend to make this public?"
"After consulting the Grand Duchess," Helga replied.
Vincent nodded lightly. In moments, he had already weighed the potential outcomes of making this incident public, calculating both the benefits and the consequences, and found the latter to be more significant.
Still, since Helga planned to speak with Isla first, he held his tongue and finally turned his gaze upward toward Eleanor.
"And she is…?"
Helga blinked, suddenly realising that she and Eleanor hadn't agreed on a cover story, but Eleanor, already prepared, calmly spoke up.
"Hi. I'm a rogue hunter, and I was the first target of the dead guys on the floor.
They saw me acquire something valuable, and when I refused to sell it, they tried to kill me, and nearly succeeded.
Luckily, I had a last stand that let me survive, and after I recovered enough to escape, I stumbled upon them attacking her and decided to help, partly for revenge."
As she spoke, she subtly adjusted her coat, the movement seeming natural, but timed just right so Vincent could glimpse the tear in the centre of her outfit where she'd been stabbed.
"She also gave me some blood afterwards," Helga added quietly, prompting Vincent to raise an eyebrow.
Whatever thoughts he had, he kept to himself, offering a slight bow instead.
"Your assistance is deeply appreciated."
Then, lifting his head, he continued, "It's only right that you're rewarded for your help, but—"
"Don't worry about that. I'm fine as long as I get what I was promised."
Eleanor cut him off, and although the man's brow twitched for a brief moment, he kept his expression neutral and turned to Helga, who simply said, "I need to discuss that with the Grand Duchess. She's coming back with us."
Vincent nodded lightly before Helga turned around and instructed the rest of her guard detail to eliminate all monsters in the surrounding forest.
Meanwhile, Eleanor, having heard Helga refer to her mother as 'the Grand Duchess' twice now, quietly wondered if the relationship between them was distant or strained.
'Or is that just how she refers to her when with others?
The game never really explored that much. There's also that arc with Genevieve…'
As she mulled over plot points from the game and considered how to turn them to her advantage, Helga was busy giving out orders to her guards.
The monsters were dealt with, the mages arrived, and the memory of the land was drawn and sealed into a memory crystal, which Helga took with her. Naturally, they made backup copies.
Helga did shoot Eleanor a curious look when the memory projection showed her wearing a mask, but Eleanor only responded with a silent wave.
Once everything was complete, Helga instructed them to cordon off the rift's entrance.
Upon hearing that, Eleanor called her over and suggested a small adjustment, to have the guards send a report if anyone attempts to enter the rift before stopping them.
Just in case Zoarlyn decided to send people to confirm whether she was actually dead.
◇ ◇ ◇
Leaving the rift, they were met by a convoy of black-tinted sedans lined up outside, accompanied by twice the number of guards that had entered earlier.
The sight of men and women in black suits standing neatly by the vehicles made Eleanor feel like she'd stepped into a movie scene. It was something she was supposed to be used to, but the Eleanor Keishara part of her still found it oddly fascinating to witness in real life.
They got into the cars, with Eleanor naturally taking a seat beside Helga, despite the clear misgivings from some of the guards at the idea of an unidentified individual sitting with her.
The convoy made its way to the nearest teleportation Waypoint operated by the Imperial Magic Tower in the region and used it to travel from Eyhigan, the city they were in, back to the capital of the Grevania Empire, Zurdon.
'I've only been gone a few hours, but it feels like it's been days…'
Eleanor mused quietly as she stared out the car window while they sped down the highway.
Grevania was a nation located in the southern half of the Logron continent and ranked as the second largest in terms of landmass.
As one of the most powerful countries on the planet, the vast Empire was rivalled only by the Aswad Empire in the north, the continent's largest nation.
Grevania's strength wasn't limited to military or territory alone. Its economy thrived thanks to its extensive coastline, with bustling ports that facilitated active trade with other continents. Major rivers flowing inland from the coast connected the port cities to the interior regions of the continent, allowing for efficient transportation of goods and resources and further boosting domestic trade.
Its capital, Zurdon, featured a skyline filled with skyscrapers and high-rises, a clear sign of rapid development. The city also bore the influence of multiple cultures that had shaped its growth over the years, each leaving behind a lasting mark visible in the architecture, districts, and daily life.