The group set off again toward the second point supplying mana to the barrier around the town of Frostwell. Eyolian led the way, followed directly by Mr. Eldric, with the three knights following behind him.

  Silence hung in the empty air. Eyolian knew well that she was likely the reason for it. Who would expect a young girl like her to be capable of such feats? Especially after what she had done to the group of attackers—killing them in cold blood without flinching.

  It wasn’t that Eyolian had never killed before, but back then, she had been just a small girl. At that time, she had been forced to kill to survive.

  As a child, she hadn't felt good about taking a life. It had stripped her of her innocence, but survival had its own rules.

  She could have chosen not to kill the attackers, to merely take a leg or two. But this time, she wanted to kill. She wanted to do what she had been unable to do as a child.

  Of course, Eyolian wasn’t a deranged killer who took lives for the sake of it. She had done what she did to protect Mr. Eldric and to prove to herself that she was capable of safeguarding those she loved.

  She could admit that it was an exaggeration, but she had gained her confirmation.

  When Eyolian killed the attackers, she felt nothing. No pity for them. No hesitation on her part.

  It wasn't a beautiful act, but she would do it again and again as long as it meant protecting what was dear to her.

  A hand rested on her shoulder. She turned to meet Mr. Eldric’s worried gaze.

  "Are you all right?"

  "I’m fine. I wasn’t hurt."

  Mr. Eldric frowned slightly. That wasn’t the answer he was looking for. Eyolian knew his concern was about what she had done.

  "Are you disappointed?" Eyolian asked, looking directly into his golden eyes.

  Eldric hesitated for a moment before he finally answered, his grip tightening on her shoulder as if afraid she might slip away. "I’ve always known you were capable, but not to this extent."

  Eyolian remained silent, waiting for more.

  "But you’re my little girl..."

  He didn’t say much, but Eyolian understood. He accepted her for who she was, seeing her not as a daughter but his daughter.

  Eyolian wished she could do the same—to see both Mr. Eldric and Lady Aileen as her parents. But she couldn't find the strength in her heart.

  She certainly loved them more than anything in the world and would do anything to protect them. But she couldn’t forget her real parents—she didn’t want to forget. And so, her love for her current family remained incomplete from her side.

  Eyolian opened her mouth to say something, but the sound of movement picked up by her enhanced senses made her fall silent.

  "This isn’t good."

  She wasn’t the only one who noticed the shift in the surroundings. The three knights behind them drew their swords, forming a protective circle around Mr. Eldric.

  If they were ambushed here, it would be a disaster. At the previous location, there had been a protective barrier around Mr. Eldric, allowing her to move freely.

  But now, if they were attacked, she would be forced to stay by his side. She wouldn’t trust anyone else to protect him. If they were attacked now, Eyolian would have no choice but to unleash her full power.

  As if mocking her hopes, figure after figure began emerging silently from the dark gaps between the houses. They were everywhere along the long street, surrounding them from both the front and back.

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  Eyolian counted eleven figures cloaked in dark clothing—mages and warriors.

  She remained calm, but the three knights were starting to panic. If that continued, their situation would only worsen.

  So, Eyolian had to take the initiative and display her strength. She could no longer afford to hide and suppress herself.

  "Dad, stay behind me."

  Her words were quiet, undisturbed. She didn’t even draw her sword like her companions—she wouldn’t need it.

  She raised her hand slightly into the air for all to see. The mana inside her surged, concentrating in her raised hand. A spell formation was forming.

  In less than a second, the spell was ready, and it immediately took effect on the environment.

  Beneath the feet of three armed warriors, the thin layer of snow began to shift, changing shape—becoming sharper, deadlier.

  Before the three could react, they were impaled from below by ice spears, ending their lives in an instant.

  Even in death, they did not fall. The ice spears held their bodies upright, creating a chilling scene to behold.

  But in the eyes of everyone present, that was less terrifying than the delicate-looking girl who lowered her hand slowly, as if she had done nothing at all.

  All anyone could think was—

  "Impossibly fast…!"

  Her casting speed was faster than the eye could follow. There had been no medium for the spell, no staff or catalyst—witnessing it was truly terrifying.

  Tension filled the air. No one seemed willing to move. But Eyolian had no such concerns. She simply used the time to cast a barrier around Mr. Eldric and another around herself and the three knights.

  Despite her overwhelming display of power, they were still outnumbered. And their enemies shock wouldn't last forever. The opposing side had mages as well.

  Eyolian turned to the three knights and ordered in a firm voice, "We must take the initiative. The three of you, go and focus on the enemy mages. We must not allow them to cast spells against my defensive barrier. I will stay behind to protect my father, and I will support you from the rear."

  The three knights exchanged glances, clearly uneasy. But they quickly nodded, remembering their mission.

  "Understood!"

  "We’ll count on you!"

  Eyolian watched their armored backs move away as they rushed toward their targets with steady, cautious steps.

  The remaining enemies adjusted their formation in response. The five mages split up to intercept the knights, while the remaining three warriors charged at Eyolian.

  Fortunately, her plan to distract the enemy mages had succeeded. Now, she could focus on the warriors. Her magical advantage was enough to eliminate them quickly and return to supporting her allies.

  She raised her hand again to cast a new spell, showing no urgency despite the three warriors whose bodies surged with mana, sprinting toward her to interrupt her casting.

  But it was futile. Even if they survived her first spell, they wouldn’t survive a physical fight against her either.

  A raging fire ignited in her palm. Eyolian thrust it forward, not aiming at any one of them in particular. The blazing fire erupted outward, expanding in size hundreds of times.

  Though it was merely a third-tier beginner spell, it carried the power of an advanced, specialized spell—such was the result of the purity of Eyolian’s mana.

  The wall of flames crashed into the three warriors, their swords raised in defense, glowing with mana, as if ready to fight. But their eyes were filled with despair.

  Not because they couldn’t block the first spell, but because a second wave of flames followed immediately. And a third spell was already forming.

  Even if they defended against the first and second, the third and fourth would finish them off.

  But Eyolian didn’t stop. She continued casting the same spell over and over, each cast faster than the last.

  After more than ten spells, she finally stopped—only because Mr. Eldric’s hand rested on her shoulder, pulling her back.

  When the smoke cleared, the three warriors were nowhere to be seen. Only burning embers and molten metal from their swords remained. It was not a sight for the faint-hearted.

  Eyolian glanced at the hand on her shoulder for a moment, then looked up at Mr. Eldric.

  He seemed to understand her unspoken words—she still needed to support the knights. But they seemed to be holding their own for now.

  Even so, Eyolian prepared to cast a long-range spell, clearly aiming for the mages.

  They tried to retreat, but the lightning spears flying from her fingertips forced them to defend in place, giving the knights an opening to attack.

  Their attempts to counter with spells were futile—they couldn't match Eyolian’s casting speed, even with their staffs.

  And the few spells they managed to unleash were far too weak to break through the layered defensive barriers she had cast earlier.

  So, it was hopeless from the start. It didn’t take long before the five enemy mages fell—some at the hands of the knights, others under Eyolian’s relentless spells, cast as if she had an infinite supply of mana.

  Once the chaos settled, and after confirming the surroundings were clear, Eyolian dismissed the defensive barriers.

  She turned to Mr. Eldric, who had remained behind her the entire time. "Are you all right?"

  She knew the answer but simply wanted to break the silence—and the disbelief in his expression.

  "Yes, I’m fine," he answered after a moment of hesitation, quickly regaining his usual composure.

  "Then let’s move. We’ve caused a commotion that might attract more enemies."

  A few minutes later, the second mana supply point was in sight.