Chapter 49: Poison Blooming in the Flower (4)
Phew.
I exhaled deeply, tilting my head from side to side. The faint sense of fatigue within my relaxing muscles was comforting.
Escaping in the night was exhausting.
I had dashed out of the city at full speed and fled to a nearby village. It was the place where I had left my horse before entering the city.
I continued riding that horse. At first, the direction didnt matter. I hadnt even had time to eat, let alone drink water.
They were chasing after me relentlessly.
Although the Margrave had kindly asked those pursuing me to stop, could those dogs possibly listen to the words of someone who wasnt their master?
I should have rested more.
I was feeling the weight of Marhans advice now more than ever. Eat when you can, sleep when you can. If I had followed that wisdom, would I have even sensed this crisis?
Regardless, it was evident why the Empires dogs were chasing me despite knowing I was affiliated with Haisen.
They werent coming to confirm faces, of course. They were coming to capture me and squeeze out whatever information they could.
Capturing a spy was a rare event. I didnt know how they were viewing my escape. With the crucial information I possessed, they might consider me a significant threat.
Well, thats not entirely false.
I had two main reasons for fleeing. The first was for our safety.
When we had all committed ourselves to the Margrave, there was a chance that if he were a traitor, we could all end up dead.
Suspicion would be there, but from the Counts perspective, that might be it. After all, this situation was comparable to being swept up in the fight between the Empire and Temerza.
Without direct evidence, there might be additional surveillance, but he couldnt pose a significant threat to the Margrave.
Even if others had fled instead of me, there was a risk.
And the biggest reason was the second one.
I cant afford to expose my face to the Empire.
I still had to remain with the Empire moving forward. I needed to do my best to prevent Haisens downfall.
If my identity as a spy were revealed, I wouldnt be able to set foot in the Empire again.
Absolutely not. My entire plan would collapse.
In any case, the Empires dogs had relentlessly pursued me, but in the end, they fell behind.
It was mostly due to my skilled use of the Winds. Well, thanks to that, I was currently feeling an incredible amount of exhaustion.
Of course, the Empires dogs were likely still chasing me vigorously. I had to leave some traces behind somehow.
I am a bit worried about Denifs exposure.
Still, being caught by the Empire was much better than the alternative. I wasnt concerned about the two of us.
Denif was currently recovering from his injuries.
Hmm.
I took a piece of dried meat I had prepared in advance, tore off a bite, chewed it hastily, and took a sip from my waterskin.
The supplies werent abundant. I didnt know how long this journey would last, so I needed to conserve them as much as possible.
Although the urge for a meal was rising, I suppressed it and shifted my focus back to thinking.
What in the world has happened?
Why would the Empire and Temerza cause such a commotion near the Margrave?
It didnt seem like a mere coincidence. After much contemplation, I could guess the answer.
The Margraves territory was adjacent to Temerza. And Temerza had been in conflict with the Empire recently.
From Temerzas perspective, this secret meeting might have looked different.
I couldnt be certain, but nothing else came to mind immediately. It wasnt anything extraordinary.
It was just an inference based on the events that had already transpired.
I should have considered it earlier.
It was a thought that I could have entertained since receiving the mission. All the information was there.
Of course, even if I had considered it, I wouldnt have known if Temerza would send nearly twenty assassins into Imperial territory, but I would have recognized the possibility of deterrence.
Self-reflection was in order.
I had been too immersed in the information within the game. It was important to assess the current situation as well.
I shook off these thoughts. Now was the time to concentrate on my survival. The road stretched out before me.
Now I needed to decide on waypoints and a destination.
Should I head to Altre, or go even farther?
It would be insane to head toward Chenarus, which was Empire territory when the Empire pursuers were on my tail.
First, I needed to get out of the Empire.
Going straight to Haisen didnt appeal to me either. The same goes for Temerza on the right.
I ran as things came to me, and it just so happened that the direction was southwest. A slight turn southward, and Id be heading to Altre.
To the left of Haisen, where Orhen was located.
Altre isnt a bad option either.
It was hard to decide immediately. It might not be safe. The Empire folks could have the same idea as me.
They could have stationed agents at the borders of the Empire, Altre, Haisen, and Temerza.
Maybe I should head west.
That thought crossed my mind briefly, but that would take me too far off course. Lets just head to Altre.
Now that I think about it, my worries might be excessive.
The situation was already over. They knew where I belong.
They probably wouldnt deploy enough agents to cover the entire border.
There might be a few, but I should be able to slip through.
The decision was made.
I headed to Altre. After that, Id consider the route after passing through the three cities.
I adjusted the reins slightly.
* * *
Will he be alright?
Yes.
Denifs question was met with a heavy nod from Timang. Looking back, it was a remarkable move on his part.
To think such a thought in such an urgent moment.
However, when it came to Denifs inquiry about whether Carlyn would be fine, the response was negative.
Though the margraves resistance had temporarily halted the Empires pursuit, they would likely catch up.
Damn it.
Timang took a breath as if to sigh, then realizing Denif was in front of him, he exhaled through his nose.
A heavy atmosphere hung between them.
Last night, shortly after the Empires forces had retreated, an Imperial representative had appeared.
The margrave had been furious.
He demanded to know what in the world had happened, even revealing Fodens death.
The Imperial representative calmly explained it was to protect the margraves life.
They had detected movements from Temerza regarding an assassination attempt and swiftly moved agents to prevent it.
It was the gist of their explanation.
Only then did Timang and the Margrave begin to understand the situation.
Moreover, with Aitami causing more commotion, things had become even more complicated.
Even if they were secret guards, the margrave had brought an unauthorized presence onto Imperial soil.
What an audacious bastard. He was practically trying to provoke them.
Though not much was said back and forth, the Empire could tell they were connected to the intelligence agency.
They were scrutinizing him so closely that Timang thought they could see through his face.
Since they were experienced enough to know what was at stake, Timang didnt press further.
It was merely a conversation to keep up appearances.
Did the margrave really betray us?
Thats still unknown.
While Timangs experience suggested otherwise, there was still no definitive answer.
Amid the returning silence, Timang thought about Carlyns well-being.
They were safe, despite losing their cover. The issue was Carlyn. Could a 16-year-old escape the Empire?
Even if Carlyn disappeared now, the Empire would attribute it to the incident rather than to them.
I should have just asked him to come with us.
Regret gnawed at Timang. He had been shortsighted. Saying there were five members instead of four for the mission would have been the end of it.
There was a risk, but sending a recruit who hadnt been with them for a few months was a disqualification as a senior.
Timang deeply regretted it. He needed to reflect. He had been quite proud of himself.
After all, he had spent more than a decade under Haisens guidance.
But this mission had made him realize the true potential of individuals like Carlyn.
He was still far behind.
So much for Haisens vice-leader.
Regardless of the missions success or failure, having their faces exposed to the Empire made the situation impossible.
It was impossible to return to their current positions or even head to Altre.
Suddenly thinking like this, Timang felt ashamed of himself.
Thinking such things just because he survived thanks to a recruit. He wanted to slap himself.
He had been willing to abandon the kids, justifying it as the best choice in a difficult situation.
Timang sighed and unconsciously placed his hand on Denifs shoulder.
Carlyn hell be okay. Lets focus on your recovery for now.
* * *
I had discarded the exhausted horse long ago. Only the saddle remained, and I had even contemplated ditching that. It needed to be light, but still, I carried it with resolve.
Hamal had crafted it, and it was a gift from becoming an Inquisitor, after all. Well, to be exact, I still had the capacity to bear it.
If things got much worse, I was prepared to abandon everything even the sword, if necessary.
However, I had avoided towns and villages completely. I had caught every visible bird, including the homing pigeons, but had stopped midway. The carcasses of the birds could potentially reveal my trail.
Catching only what was within sight didnt offer a solution either. Homing pigeons were faster than humans. If they had been determined, I wouldnt have been able to intercept them.
I should have risked visiting a village.
Supplies, including food and water, had run out entirely. I had rationed everything, but it had already been nine days. My mouth was parched.
I had resisted the temptation when I saw a river, and my superhuman patience had helped. Drinking river water could be disastrous.
The danger of immediate sickness and my Mysophobia played a role in my restraint.
Despite knowing this, I felt the urge, indicating that my body wasnt in normal condition.
At least Altre was nearby.
My vision was slowly dimming, but I needed to be on high alert from now on. The final moments were always the most perilous.
The moment my stamina drops is the moment the Empires dogs will strike.
Personally, I believed there was a significant chance the Empires dogs wouldnt be around, but it was safer to assume the worst rather than being optimistic.
I needed to be cautious about making decisions when tired.
I needed to move cautiously.
I just needed to hold out a bit longer. I had done well so far. In fact, the traits had played a huge role. Thanks to Winds, I had managed to elude pursuers smoothly. Enduring this fatigue was a test of Ironman.
Hmm?
How far had I traveled? I suddenly felt an odd sensation.
It was intuition, like when I had first seen Phiri.
Reflexively, I turned my head. 11 oclock ahead. Besides a distant forest, there was nothing else to see.
It was beyond the range of Winds. I felt a cold sweat. Was it just a misunderstanding?
An abnormal signal from my body that wasnt in its usual state?
No. I dismissed hopeful thoughts. I needed to assume the worst. I had to think of it as an enemy. If I could sense it from this distance, it was at least at the level of Phiri.
Should I escape? No, can I escape?
It didnt matter. I had to keep moving. As soon as I thought this, my leg muscles swelled with energy. It was the moment I was about to push off the ground.
A black dot suddenly appeared in the front of the forest. It was a person, moving at an incredible speed. A formidable foe.
My momentary stiffness delayed my timing. I tried to push off the ground, but by then, the black dot was closer, now taking on the shape of a person. And
I couldnt move my legs anymore.
It was a familiar face. The tension that had been pulled to its limit, as if my neck were about to snap, loosened in an instant.
Carlyn.
Haisens Chief of Intelligence, Harvan Brusek, was there.
The Dukes eyes were slightly widened. I sensed a hint of happiness within that.
Father, how?
Duke placed his hand on my shoulder.
Youve been through a lot. Lets go home now.
Whether it was the fatigue I had held at bay or the relief of tension finally breaking, heavy breaths flowed out of me.
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