Chapter Forty-Nine: Alex

"Master Alex, Master Alex!" a flustered servant rushed into the garrison of the town guard.

The town guards, who had been in the midst of their training, all ceased their movements and sheathed their weapons, turning to look at the man being called by the servant.

"Andy, why are you shouting like that? Can't you see I'm in the middle of training?" Among the guards, a man with shoulder-length hair tied back with a green headband spun his sword in annoyance before returning it to its scabbard.

The servant, Andy, leaned in and whispered a few words into the man's ear, causing his expression to change dramatically.

"Alex, what happened?" asked Brent, the captain of the town guard.

"Captain!" Alex replied, his face grim, "Something has happened to my father. I must return home at once!"

"Perrin, Zack!" the captain called out two names at random.

"Yes, sir!" A blue-haired girl in a town guard uniform and a burly, bald man in uniform stepped forward.

"Alex is one of our finest town guards. We cannot turn a blind eye when trouble befalls his family. You two, accompany him back to his village and ensure his safety!" Brent ordered.

"Understood!" The man and the girl accepted the command and immediately moved to stand behind Alex.

"Thank you, Captain," Alex said with a bow. "Once I've handled my family affairs, I will return to my post at once!"

"Go now!"

With the captain's permission, Alex led Perrin and Zack. The three mounted their steeds and raced back to the village at full speed.

When he finally saw his father, the old village chief was already on the verge of death. "Who did this?"

"Master, it was foreigners!" reported one of the chief's aides, recounting the events that had transpired. Of course, in his telling, Tina's parents had "willingly" agreed to give their daughter to the chief as a second wife, but some mysterious foreigners had intervened. Not only had they taken Tina and forcibly abducted her parents, but they had also attacked the venerable old chief with ruthless violence.

Furthermore, the Amber family were accomplices!

"Foreigners? To behave so brazenly on the territory of our mighty Empire—truly courting death!" Zack said coldly. "Alex, they left less than half a day ago. If we ride hard, we can catch up to them!"

"I'll track the enemy's trail!" Perrin volunteered.

"Thank you, comrades!" Alex drew his iron sword and swore to his dying father, "I will bring that foreigner back at once and execute him before your eyes!"

"And don't forget the traitorous Amber family!" the chief's aide interjected.

"I know," Alex shot him a look. "Send our best doctor to care for my father. We shall return soon!"

"Hyah! Hyah!" The three steeds galloped out of the village, through the mountain valley at the rear, and sped along the road ahead.

"There are clear triceratops tracks here—very fresh. There must have been two adult beasts! The prints match the description of the foreigner's pets, and there are human footprints as well. They're headed this way!" At the crossroads, Perrin dismounted and carefully examined the clues on the ground.

"But that's not the road to the border," Zack remarked in confusion.

"Of course not," Alex frowned. "That way leads into the magic beast forest—the road of death. Perrin, are you sure you read it right?"

"I'm certain—they went this way!" Perrin stood up. "Tracks don't lie, unless they can fly!"

"The magic beast forest is forbidden territory for Blackwater Town. Even the captain wouldn't dare lead a team deep inside," Zack said, turning to Alex. "I think we should report to the captain first and then decide whether to proceed."

"That would be playing right into their hands!" Alex raised his sword high. "They're counting on the magic beast forest to scare off any cowardly pursuers. I'm sure they plan to skirt the forest's edge and slip across the border. They have two triceratops; the beasts on the outskirts won't harm them. As a brave warrior of the town guard, I won't be frightened away by such petty tricks!"

"I still think it's best to report to the captain first," Zack insisted.

"Very well!" Alex turned to him. "You return and report to the captain. Perrin and I will continue the pursuit."

"Alex, don't be reckless," Zack cautioned. "The magic beast forest is perilous."

"I have no regrets!" Alex looked at Perrin. "Do you have the courage to lead the way for me?"

"As you wish!" Perrin vaulted onto her horse and charged into the forest.

"Zack, we’re going ahead!" With a squeeze of his legs, Alex's steed galloped after her.

Zack watched his two comrades vanish at the forest's edge, then turned his horse and galloped back. He felt the matter was grave and that he must contact the captain as quickly as possible. If he hurried, perhaps reinforcements could still be mobilized.

With Perrin in the lead, Alex followed as they rode into the outskirts of the magic beast forest.

"Perrin, there are several paths here. See which one they took," Alex said.

This area was strewn with stones, the soil was dry and hard, and it was difficult to find footprints. But that did not faze Perrin. She dismounted and carefully inspected the surroundings, soon discovering triceratops tooth marks on the leaves and droppings in the grass. "This way! They went deeper inside!"

"With those triceratops, they're growing bolder!" Alex spurred his horse forward. "After them! I refuse to believe they’d dare enter the heart of the magic beast forest!"

"We should be more cautious—don’t go too fast," Perrin warned as she mounted and followed close behind.

"If you’re afraid, you can turn back," Alex said, not slowing in the least. "I won’t let the enemy escape the Empire!"

"The town guard fears nothing!" Perrin drew her iron sword and urged her horse after him.

Man and woman pursued for several hundred meters, the path in the forest growing narrower and the trees denser.

Then, for some unknown reason, their horses suddenly stopped mid-gallop, panic written plainly on their faces, refusing to go any further.

Alex and Perrin were thrown from their mounts as the warhorses bolted in terror.

"Stay alert!" Alex raised his sword, scanning their surroundings nervously.

Perrin said nothing, but the two fell into formation, instinctively guarding each other's backs.

From the branches and thickets all around, countless horned apes poked out their heads, encircling them and filling the air with shrill cries.

"It's the horned apes—we've stumbled into their territory!" Perrin's face grew tense. "These creatures are troublesome. Be careful!"