CH 40

Beginning of Elopement

Since that day, when I decided to take Mize away, a few days have already passed.

“Somehow, we’ve finally made it out of the Royal Capital.”

I mutter quietly at the back of a carriage.

There are only two people in the back of the carriage: Mize and I. The walls of the Royal Capital, which were visible from gaps in the canopy, gradually receded into the distance, along with the sound of the horse’s hooves.

“It seems that things will calm down for a while.”

Mize, who is sitting across from me, smiles.

Certainly, the last few days have been hectic. In order to leave the Royal Capital, we had to slip past the Bureau’s constant surveillance, which took a heavy toll on my mental strength. We had to anticipate their movements and act accordingly, a feat that was only possible because I had continued to work as an agent of the Organization for a long time.

However, the Bureau’s surveillance network will somewhat die down after leaving the Royal Capital.

From here on out, it will a race against time. We have to make our escape before they can predict our destination and act.

“Dear customer, as for your destination, will the port town suffice?”

The coachman asks from behind the canopy.

“Yeah. It’s a bit far, but we’ll be relying on you.”

“Since I’ll be getting paid for it, it’s alright.”

I am relieved by hearing those words from the coachman.

The coachman was a merchant we had found as soon as we left the walls of the Royal Capital. It would have been easier to arrange for a carriage in the Royal Capital, but we had to secure our means of transportation from outside… apparently, we had hit the jackpot. It looks like we could safely reach our destination without getting ripped off.

“Mize… let me confirm with you one last time: are you sure you don’t want to return to the Kingdom of Arcadia?”

“… Yes.”

Sitting in front of me, Mize nods.

“From the beginning, my father only saw me as a tool that would ensure the prosperity of the Royal Family. My mother was the kind of person who would sell me to my father for money. I have no attachment to either of them… There is no place for me in that country.”

Mize has a mysterious power known as <Wisdom Road>.

Until now, this power has only been in a half-awakened state, manifesting its abilities in the form of déjà vu, but recently, this power seems to be stabilizing gradually. With the aid of <Wisdom Road>, Mize consolidates her thoughts regarding her parents in the Kingdom of Arcadia.

“If I had any regrets… It would be that I wasn’t able to say goodbye to Elysia-san and Gran-san.”

Mize says while looking slightly depressed.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Before we left, I sent them both a letter detailing the situation.”

I’ve left the letters in their respective mailboxes in the boys’ dormitory and girls’ dormitory.

At this time, the letters should be in their hands.

“If that’s the case, then I don’t have any more regrets.”

Mize says.

I’m sure that she doesn’t really mean that; those were just words to convince herself.

— We may never meet Elysia or Gran again.

We were resolved for this when we left the Royal Capital.

There was no place for us in that country; not for me, who had risen against the Bureau, nor for Mize, whose life was being targeted by her father, the king of an entire country.

But still, we have to move forward.

In order to live– in order to grasp freedom.

“Our plan is to take a boat after arriving in the port, right?”

“That’s the plan. The simplest way to escape from the Bureau is to seek asylum overseas.”

With the Royal Bureau of Counterintelligence after us, we can’t keep our location hidden forever. So, even if they find out our location, if we’re in an environment that they can’t touch, they won’t be able to do anything to us. With this in mind, I decided to head to a port town east of the Royal Capital–

“… They’ve taken the initiative.”

When we arrived at the port town, we saw that the town had a heavier atmosphere than usual.

“Tweight-san. This looks like a newspaper that was handed out 2 days ago.”

Mize, who was disguised in a cloak that she bought from a merchant, had come back to where I was.

She had said that she wanted to go for a quick stroll around town, but now she was holding a discarded newspaper in her hands.

“‘Fears that some heinous criminals may have stowed away’, huh… So that’s why security is tighter than usual.”

I’m 80-90 percent sure that the story of “stowaways” is a lie.

The truth is that they are in a state of high alert to prevent Mize and I from escaping to another country.

“It’s no use. Now that they’ve taken hold of the ships, we’ll have to look for another way.”

Their inspections are stricter than usual. As expected, we can’t deceive them now.

“But even if you say another way…”

“… Let’s head for the Republic.”

I say as I view the scenery of the port.

“We will head west of the Kingdom of Terraria, towards the Republic of Carnabun. On the way, we will be approaching the border of the Kingdom of Arcadia, but we’ll have to risk it.”

“… You’re right. Even if we were to take a detour to the southern side, it would be difficult for the two of us to cross the mountain range.”

The port town in the eastern region has already been taken hold of. With this efficiency, the northern region ought to be taken hold of as well.

The Holy Kingdom of Arcadia can be found to the northwest of the Kingdom of Terraria. The Republic of Carnabun is directly west. As we move westward, we will get closer to the Kingdom of Arcadia, but this is unavoidable as we cannot pass by sea. Even if we were to take a detour to the southern side, there is a long mountain range that spans the southern region of the Kingdom of Terraria.

The coachman who had helped us on the way had some work to do at the port town, so we had already parted ways. He said that he would be able to help us again after he had completely finished his work, but with the security being this tight, we can’t stay for long; we have to leave as soon as possible… Rather, we should be concerned that the coachman might confess what he knows about us to the guards.

Let’s start moving immediately.

Just as I was about to say that to Mize–

“… We’re surrounded.”

I stop moving and concentrate on my senses of sight and hearing.

There was no mistaking it, assassins were lurking around our vicinity. The way that “The Fang of the Red Dragon” hid signs of their presence was different. They must be people from the Bureau.

“Mize, sorry about this, but–”

Go hide somewhere. As I was about to say that, I stopped myself.

It was out of habit, so I forgot; I don’t have to keep this secret from her anymore.

“…we’ll be here for a while, so stay still.”

“Yes.”

She must have guessed the situation, as Mize nodded her head and looked at my face with unwavering eyes.

I feel a strong sense of trust from her. And so, I feel a sense of responsibility to respond to that.

“Come out.”

After that short announcement, several assassins come out from the shadows of the trees.

They were clad in pitch-black cloaks that were outfitted with the function of miniaturization, exactly the same as the one I have. In other words, they were people who held the same position I did– but it doesn’t matter anymore. My priority has already been decided.

To protect Mize.

At the very least, the everyday life I seek is not one where I abandon her.

“28. Our only objective is that woman.”

One of the assassins speaks to me, probably with the intent of starting negotiations.

“If you hand her over, we won’t lay a finger on you. Of course, you’ll still receive punishment when we return to the country…”

It wasn’t anything important; just a recommendation to surrender.

For them to be saying such things at this point in time, I couldn’t help but sneer.

“Even though I’ve already gone this far, the Bureau still wants to use me?”

“What?”

“Go back and tell your superiors: Our only demand is Mize’s safety. If you can’t swallow that– then there is no room for reconciliation.”

The assassins and I assumed stances at around the same time.

It doesn’t look like they expected us to surrender without resistance. Only someone with a desk job who had never been on the field would encourage their subordinates to recommend surrender to a hostile party. But because such negligence could prove fatal, it is only the bottom-ranked soldiers who fight in the field.

I used to be a bottom-ranked soldier.

I know from first-hand experience how vigilant they are, and how they intended to move.

“Gwah!?”

It would be troublesome if they slipped away, so first, I take out the furthest assassin with <Bullet>.

If the plan was to recommend surrender from the start, they should have shown themselves once they had completely surrounded us. But because they didn’t, there was a hole in their encirclement.

They haven’t taken our back.

I act while keeping track of the lurking enemies’ position.

“Be careful! The enemy was the former Organization’s Ace–”

In an instant, I close the distance with <Rage> and take out the man who tried to give a warning.

“Instead of others, why don’t you worry about yourself?”

After receiving the heel of my palm on his stomach, the man collapsed on his knees.

After that, I immediately decided to target the 2 others who were nearby.

“K-keep your distance!”

“Once we get out of here, take position– ugh!?”

I release a <Bullet> at each of the 2 retreating assassins.

With a delayed response, an assassin tries to counterattack, but it’s too late now. I dodge the attack and slash at them with a blade created by <Fixation>.

There were 6 assassins, and out of them, 5 were dead.

I deliberately keep the remaining person alive, as he’s lost his will to continue. I’ll let him act as a messenger to the Bureau, to let them know that we don’t intend to negotiate.

“It would be troublesome if pursuers came after us. Let’s leave this place as quickly as possible.”

After saying that, I turn to Mize, who has a meek expression.

“So, this is what Tweight-san getting serious is like.”

After she said that, I realized.

Even though she is the daughter of a Royal Family, she is still a 15- or 16-year-old girl. I shouldn’t have shown her such a bloody scene so carelessly.

“I’m sorry. This isn’t something that should be seen by other people.”

“No, it’s alright.”

Without averting her eyes from the fallen corpses, Mize says.

“In order to obtain my own freedom, just what has been sacrificed? I have a duty to see this with my own eyes.”

“… I see.”

At times like this, I think that Mize is truly a strong person.

But, in order for her not to be crushed by that strength… she must be carefully watched over.