Chapter 2: The Deal
The escape plan for the girl, Laura, orchestrated by the Night Dragonflies, has begun.
The ultimate goal is to get Laura out of Villeborn, negotiate with the Twilight Owls, and keep her safe until preparations for the crackdown are complete.
Multiple covered wagons will be used for this operation.
Alongside the main wagon carrying Laura, decoy wagons will scatter in various directions. Even the decoys will have planned escape routes with members on board, driving the wagons to the outskirts.
The key to this strategy is to keep it unknown until the end which wagon Laura is in.
That’s why the forces aren’t being consolidated. If they moved as a group to protect Laura, it would be easy to expose their hideout. In that case, the risk of assassination would remain unchanged, or it might even be safer to stay in the mansion.
In the wagon Laura will ride, there will be four of us: Camilla, me, Heidemarie, and Laura herself. This lineup was selected by Camilla.
She said, “This wagon has the minimum but maximum concentrated force.”
You can guess what that means.
We have to assume that much of a worst-case scenario.
Once initial treatment was done, Laura was placed on a stretcher and taken to the mansion’s garage.
All the garage windows were covered, making it impossible to see from the outside. Wagons were brought in and out of the garage in turn, ensuring that it would be unclear which vehicle Laura was in.
First, Camilla boarded the vehicle. Then, Laura’s stretcher was carried in, followed by Heidemarie and me.
The tarp was immediately lowered.
The light was cut off, creating a completely enclosed space invisible from the outside.
Of course, we couldn’t see outside either.
“We’re moving.”
With Camilla’s words, the wagon took off quickly.
There was a big jolt as the vehicle moved. It was hard to tell if we were leaving the garage or passing through the mansion gates. But soon, the vehicle began to shake more, indicating we were on Villeborn’s cobblestone streets.
As a minor comfort, Heidemarie and I held up the ends of Laura’s stretcher to reduce the jostling.
“Hey…”
Laura had regained consciousness.
Without moving her neck, she opened her eyes slightly and looked at Heidemarie and me.
Heidemarie glanced at me before turning her gaze to Laura.
“You know each other, right? Encourage her.”
Nodding, I nervously took her small hand.
“Ah, um, you’re Laura, right? That’s your name?”
She gave a small nod.
“Uh, well…”
Though told to encourage her, words didn’t come easily.
I wasn’t feeling optimistic myself. We were facing human malice, not physical creatures. They weren’t like labyrinth monsters hunting or defending; they had clear intentions and schemes to target this child.
I didn’t know how to feel. The uncertainty made the fear worse.
“We, um…”
But I knew I shouldn’t let her sense my anxiety.
“We’re here to help you.”
I did my best to look confident and said firmly.
“Don’t worry. Everyone here is reliable.”
I ended up glancing at Camilla,
but Laura seemed slightly reassured and squeezed my hand.
For me, it was an accomplishment, and I felt a bit relieved.
But only for a moment. The wagon’s wheels kept hitting the cobblestones, and the vibrations brought me back to reality. There was no time to be dazed. I focused on supporting Laura’s stretcher, trying to minimize the jostling, and waited for time to pass.
At the front of the wagon, Camilla continued communicating using transmission magic.
I tried to dress up and say that I would be fine in front of Laura, Despite my earlier bravado, Camilla’s demeanor remained tense,
To begin with, the situation is too severe.
Given the harsh conditions we anticipated, it would have made sense to use someone with a known name, like me, Camilla, or Heidemarie, as a decoy. But Camilla didn’t do that. She gathered the Night Dragonflies’ limited forces in this wagon, even anticipating Heidemarie’s healing and my combat role. This hinted at the low success rate of our plan.
Still, we seemed to be doing well. We had covered a considerable distance and were likely nearing the outskirts.
“Everyone, we’ve arrived.”
The wagon stopped.
Camilla slowly lifted the cloth and exchanged a few words with the driver.
“Let’s go.”
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Following her lead, Heidemarie and I quickly carried the stretcher outside.
We were indeed in the outskirts, with a forest nearby. The city was visible in the distance if we looked back.
Laura was given a deep hood to hide her animal-like ears, characteristic of demi-humans. We carried the stretcher carefully, maintaining speed but trying not to jostle her.
From here, we would go through the forest and eventually deliver Laura to Camilla’s acquaintance by river.
There were no other figures in sight. The forest was our only cover.
It seemed like the plan was a success.
That’s all I could think.
But Camilla’s expression remained stern. She was still on guard.
“We’re surrounded.”
Her face tense, she stopped.
Heidemarie and I immediately set the stretcher down and prepared to face the forest ahead.
Yet I saw nothing. Even with detection magic, I found only trees.
But there was an odd sense of presence.
“Hey there! Everyone! Long time no see!”
A cheerful voice rang out, incongruous with the tension.
A woman walked lightly from the forest, unmistakably Rita Heinkes .
Dressed in a childlike explorer’s jacket, her voice carried an air of carefree innocence, devoid of any guilt.
“Strauss and the sage, how have you been? And Laura, you too!”
Laura, hearing Rita Heinkes ‘s voice, let out a high-pitched scream.
“…I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
“Huh? Oh, I’m not mad at all, Laura. I just wish you’d come back to ‘school’ if you were alive. You were such a good student!”
Following her, many black-clad figures emerged from the forest.
Their faces were partly hidden to conceal their identities, and they carried weapons.
Clearly, they weren’t here to talk. Their gear and stance suggested they specialized in fighting humans, not monsters.
In an instant, I reassessed my perception of Rita Heinkes .
Laura’s reaction was also extreme.
I glanced at Camilla for approval.
“Initiate: [Puppeteer]”
After chanting, I knelt beside Laura.
She pulled her hood to cover her face, repeating “no” and “sorry” like a mantra, trembling uncontrollably.
I placed my hand on her shoulder, trying to muster courage I didn’t have.
“…I’ll protect you.”
After a few seconds, she slowly nodded, her shaking lessening slightly.
Interpreting this as acceptance, a cautious thought crossed my mind.
“[Stasis]”
I cast a light sedative spell. It was better for her to sleep through what might come next.
With Laura calmed, I carried her on my back, gripping a machete in one hand.
I trusted Heidemarie and Camilla to handle themselves. The two of them could easily break through this many enemies.
“Hey, Strauss! It’s mean to run away after we’ve met again!”
“Don’t engage, Vim. Go. We’ll hold them off.”
Ignoring Rita Heinkes ‘s mocking tone, Camilla stepped in front of me, her beloved sword—a great executioner—at the ready.
Nodding, I estimate our escape route. The ferryman Camilla arranged should be waiting for us by the river beyond the forest.
“Wait a minute!”
But as I moved, Rita Heinkes gleefully called out in a loud voice, snapping her fingers.
“Petrus! Come here!”
A man stepped out from behind her.
I recognized him. We had met before at the headquarters of the “Twilight Owls.”
When he saw me, he raised his eyebrows apologetically.
For a brief moment, I sensed a familiar vibe. But like Rita Heinkes, he was also accompanied by men in black. These men brought out captives, making a show of it, and forced them to kneel.
There were two men and one woman, all appearing to be adventurers. The woman wore a cleric’s attire. All three had their hands and mouths bound, with blades held to their necks.
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Semi-random hostages? Psychopath level keeps rising.