Cursed Heroine

Chapter 15: Escape

The next morning, we once again set off early in the morning. I take some time to investigate the strength of energy in each of our escorts. So as to not overlook anything, I made sure to check even the normal guards, verifying they are indeed at the levels they should be. I confirm the strength of the four elites that I had guessed from our time in the dungeon. They are all firmly in the lower end of stage three. They can handle themselves well against mid stage three opponents with their teamwork. I can’t help but get the feeling that they are an experienced unit. Before I analyze things deeper, I conduct my morning cultivation routine. I’m brought out of my meditation when Sophia asks me a question.

“Want to explain why your sp which was going up abnormally fast in the dungeon yesterday has suddenly dropped to almost zero this morning?”~Sophia

“Yes, Mistress. I was planning to reveal everything in the near future anyways. Take a look at my status. I’ve temporarily deactivated my skill. It shows only the whole truth. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.”~me

“What is a vampire? Also, the soul devourer skill explains why your sp increased rapidly, but I still can’t understand why it dropped so much again.”~Sophia

“My sp dropped because I used it to activate one of my traits last night. As for vampire, you understand why you can’t absorb cores, right?”~me

“Hmm, I see. Yes, sentient beings can’t absorb the chaotic energies inside the cores safely. We will go insane or turn into an abomination.”~Sophia

“There is a very small chance for such abominations to stabilize into a new race. One such race was vampires. They were hunted to extinction long ago, feared due to their need to feed on others’ blood to live. As a half vampire, feeding on blood will strengthen me, but I do not require it to live.”~me

“Would it benefit you greatly to drink my blood?”~Sophia

“Yes, but it would leave you drained of energy. You currently need your energy to cultivate. I would like permission to drink from you should I deem it is necessary to protect us.”~me

“That’s fine with me, but I want to experience it once, so I know what to expect.”~Sophia

“Before bed tonight. I will drink from you then.”~me

With my status now completely revealed to her, I continue to recount my story. I tell her about the summoning ritual being underpowered and that my curses are actually self inflicted, for the most part. She is particularly fascinated by Kat’s meddling and begins to contemplate whether she should acquire the priestess blessing herself. These two girls are definitely cut from the same cloth. It would undoubtedly spell trouble, should ever they meet. I somehow convince her that me having it is enough, that she shouldn’t waste time on it at this point since it will reduce my own divine training if she did so. Speaking of cultivation, even though I have a perfect body for cultivation due to being summoned, I am now only able to get about one percent mind cultivation per day at my current stage. As such, I decided to devote half my time to physical attribute cultivation until they are maxed at their current stage.

Our procession has finally crossed the border. The border guards on the Belgra side barely checked our possessions when learning that the princess was traveling to wed the prince. You could see the clear looks of pity on their faces as they saw us off. We didn’t travel much today, stopping at the city just across the border barely in the afternoon. Apparently, the next closest town will take until late in the evening to reach, even when setting out at first light the next day. I use my shadowmeld skill to sneak out undetected and roam around the city until bedtime. I picked up a pair of female corpses from the slums into my inventory, where I have also store most of our important belongings. The contents of our luggage has been stuffed with random pre-bought goods that I conscripted the inn staff to gather for me. It’s time to separate ourselves from the guards and my latest plan is straightforward enough that it leaves very little to chance. I’m going to place the two bodies on the bed of the inn and use shadowmeld to bring us away. We will commence my plan in the next town since the border city is risky due to being too well guarded.

We get a good night’s rest and set out early the next day. However, we would never arrive at the next town. At sunset, we are attacked by bandits just a short distance from the next town.

“Sophia, we appear to be under attack by bandits again. Those elites are acting unusual this time. They aren’t helping to keep the casualties down.”~me

“Do you think they are secretly members of this group of bandits?”~Sophia

“No, I think they should be hoping that the normal guards and bandits mutually kill each other. I think we will need to act here to make our escape. If I’m not wrong, these elites intend for us to ‘die by the hands of bandits’ here.”~me

After a while, I my theory is confirmed when I notice the elites secretly killing off members of each side, keeping things largely in favor of the bandits’ side. When both sides have been slaughtered, they tell us that it is safe to come out now.

“Why then does my sense danger skill still make my spine feel cold? Did you think I didn’t notice the four of you secretly killing my other guards?”~Sophia

“There’s no point in hiding it, we were instructed to kill your servant before we are too deep into Belgra and to kill you as well if it should be deemed necessary. We will make it quick since you were generous in the dungeon.”~mage elite

“Did you deem it necessary to kill me due to the extra loot I carry? You’ll have none of it! Lilia, do it.”~Sophia

I use my magic to cut the horses free and set the carriage ablaze. The rogue elite actually yelled ‘princess’ and ran up to the carriage, supposedly to save her. I blasted him away with a fireball, holding nothing back. That one attack won’t kill him, but he will be unfit to fight for some time. Pulling out the corpses, I light them and the rest of the carriage on fire. Picking up Sophia, I use shadowmeld on the shadows by my feet, then merge into the night outside. The earlier fighting lasted more than long enough for the sun to completely set. Fleeing to the wooded north, I continue using shadowmeld to move until my mana is nearly exhausted. We briefly stop and equip our travel gear, mine being upgraded with the catkin disguise set to enhance our disguise. That excuse is Sophia’s story anyways. It does indeed make things simpler since our eventual destination is the Magic Forest where the demi races live. First we will need to travel north into the next kingdom of Norvac which is much more friendly with demi races. They are on friendly enough terms to trade between them and have several places that can be used to cross the border.

 I’m now wearing my travel gear for only the second time. This is different from the battle preset, that is way too impressive for simple travel. My travel gear was fashioned after Sophia’s when she had tried on her own. My own colors are a leather of dark gray with obsidian black as the secondary. Our clothes include a top of a durable leather, form fitting cuirass with tight fitting long sleeved turtleneck undershirts. The bottom is a knee length leather battle skirt with thermal pantyhose and thigh high, fine leather boots. Yes, the boots indeed have three inch heels, I was still caught up with my whole, ‘a princess must be stylish’ thing at the time we ordered the clothes. They aren’t so bad once you get used to them and it won’t seem strange since female adventurers tend to dress for looks more than protection anyways. Another thing that can be blamed on past heroes. There are form fitting leather pauldrons, arm guards and gloves. The cuirass, boots and arm guards have slots where throwing knives are stored. Everything is covered up with warm and water resistant travel capes, mine having an obscure effect that makes me less perceivable and cloaks my face in shadow when the hood is worn. My gear has a matching collar and everything with the same placement as the maid uniform has the same effects. The top and bottom combo has the effect: foxy which enhances my ability to dodge. Can dance through a battlefield unharmed, was the exact phrase it used to describe the effect. Resist impact is applied to the pauldrons and arm guards. My gloves have the effect: slip-proof. I won’t ever drop my weapon or loose my hold while climbing. Next are my weapons which consist of a dagger and mini crossbow…

[Vampiric dagger]
{restricted user: Lilia}
Effects: life steal, bleeding

[Repeating crossbow]
{restricted user: Lilia}
Effects: auto-load, bolt retrieval

Don’t go thinking my crossbow is some sort of cheaty machine gun. There is only one bolt, so I have to wait for it to lose its inertia before it’s retrieved and reloaded. The thing sucks up some of my mana whenever it does so as well. We steadily head north, avoiding the wildlife whenever possible and only set up camp when dawn has come. After we eat breakfast and do our morning cultivation, we sleep until lunch. Wanting to get out of Belgra as soon as possible, we set out for a few more hours during the day, stopping for an early dinner, evening cultivation and a few hours rest. Then we set out through the night once again. We continue our grueling pace for three days straight until a road appears in front of us one afternoon. This should be the east-west road at the southern part of the kingdom of Norvac. After traveling west until evening, we let out our collective sighs and spend the night resting in the woods just out of view from the road, opting to travel by day from now on.