Ugh Im sorry Sorry, sorry Ah, uh, no, I Its not me.

She had mumbled in a cold sweat when she was suffering from the side effects of the poison. Kaichen had wanted to know what was causing her so much pain. He could guess to some extent from her reaction but he pretended to not know anything about it. He had asked her the same question multiple times but she hadnt been comfortable sharing the answer. She had asked for time. He had wanted to press her for an answer but the way she had looked at him while asking him for some time had been heart-breaking. She looked like she would break down if he even pushed a little. So he had let it go.

D*mn it!

He analyzed the direction of his mana which possibly could lead him to Dalia but there were too many interruptions. There was no consistency. Had Dalia known about this? Was that why she asked me to set up the barrier? Maybe she was trying to find the Momalhaut forces hiding in Arab

His hunch about cutting off communication had been right. They will first start looking into why Dalia, who was a medium, was alive. They might try to uncover the secrets of time magic

If that happens. His nails dug into his palms as he clenched his hands into a fist. This was troublesome. Dalia had taken with her the last shred of his reason. He could think of nothing but her. He was anxious and worried that she might be in danger. He couldnt bear it if anything happened to her.

He was anxious that they might try to torture her to get her secrets. He couldnt bear to think about it. He couldnt think of her in pain.

He closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. He was furious at the fact that he had left her there on the street. Alone. He was angry that the scums had taken her by deceit.

I will find her! Regret and anger arent going to help me. I shouldnt be swayed by emotions at this moment. Kaichen bit his lip and grabbed at something invisible in the air. He then pulled a wand from the air. His eyes lit up. His ferocious golden eyes sparkled like that of a madman.

It was his wand but it looked like a sword. It was made of steel. Gold vines and a wooden trunk wrapped around the rod. The tip of the wand had a bud which glowed a brilliant gold.

Since the wand was used only as a weapon, Kaichen didnt use it often. It was a weapon used for offense. He had always felt that it was too flashy. Besides, he had never needed it. He was able to control his mana and use it as he pleased without resorting to a wand. Julius had always laughed at his flashy wand.

Its said that love makes a fool of you. Kaichen remembered his words. There was no denying it now. If he was a fool, then so be it.

It wasnt difficult to spread and maintain the barrier, but it did require detailed control to unleash more magic while spreading it. The wand helped the magician control his magic and allowed him to use higher and more efficient magic. So, magicians who received certification from the tower usually carried a wand that they used especially during emergencies.

Kaichen took a deep breath and then slammed his wand to the ground roughly. The wand went through the floor as though the floor was butter. Brilliant gold magic flowed from the wand. He pulled the wand away again and started drawing a magic circle in the middle of the garden. The garden was large enough to contain it. E completed a complex and elaborate magic circle and stood at the center of it. He felt a bit calmer now. He took a deep breath and gathered the magic around him. The bud at the tip of his wand got brighter, pouring out gold light and scattering into the circle on the ground.

Kaichen, who linked the barrier magic with the circle, found what he was looking for. It didnt matter where she was trapped. She had bracelets made out of his mana. Thank God, he had been impulsive and created it! He could now find the magic that connected the bracelet and follow it.

He could see the twinkling rays of light that were brighter than others and extending towards a certain direction. It led him to an abandoned village on the outskirts of the town of Acrab. They had set up their own barrier. He destroyed it. He had assumed he was calm but his anger was only bubbling within. Kaichens eyes were cold when he broke their barriers with a flick of his wrist.

That was what was preventing him from sensing her presence. He felt a familiar black magic fluctuating uneasily. It was the same magic he had detected in her blood and when she had her seizures. It was different from the magic she used. Kaichen moved quickly.

I hope I am not late. I hope she is safe. Please, Dalia Kaichen prayed a thousand times. Please be safe. I am here.

* * *

The very first thing that caught his eyes as he arrived there was the group of people who pointed their swords at him at the sudden collapse of their barrier. They looked tense and disorderly. They didnt seem like knights seasoned for battle, but looked like a bunch of scoundrels.