Chapter 201

Chapter 201: Reunion (2)

Ratel ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍stripped the armor and outerwear from the two unconscious knights, then tied them up together with the similarly unconscious priest.

Since ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍nothing good would come of them being discovered before they finished their business, he did not forget to gag their mouths either.

Thinking ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍he would stuff them into a storage room where no one passed through, he stood and spotted Jing’s back as the man dealt with the two he had knocked out earlier.

“Maybe ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍because you are someone whose wanted posters have already gone around, you look quite practiced.”

At ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍his praise, Jing smiled bitterly.

“Do ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍not tease me. If Dito realizes I am alive, your wanted posters will also be wandering all over the Empire.”

That would be a bit annoying.

Already feeling annoyed over something that had yet to happen, Ratel turned his head and met the eyes of the family still sitting on the floor, staring at him.

From the sight of the parents desperately hiding their young son behind them, he could tell what they thought of the strangers who had suddenly appeared and taken down the priest and knights.

“Pretending you saw nothing and quietly running away, or screaming until you faint and get abandoned in the street. Which do you think is better?”

Giving them a choice was Ratel’s own version of kindness, but it only increased their fear.

Belatedly, Jing stepped between the pitiful family and Ratel.

“We came to hear your circumstances unintentionally. It seems it will be difficult for you to keep living in Hyre, so would it not be best to take this and leave this place?”

Jing took a small pouch from his pocket and handed it to the couple.

However, they hesitated and could not readily accept Jing’s kindness.

Seeing plainly that they were wondering whether they should listen to someone who had struck down a priest, Jing awkwardly raised the corners of his mouth.

“Very well. I will leave it here. However, I would appreciate it if you did not scream. We have no desire whatsoever to harm innocent civilians.”

Jing placed the pouch on the floor and signaled to Ratel with his eyes.

Seeing the family visibly relax more than when he had spoken to them, Ratel obediently stepped back.

The sight of them rejecting the priest’s offer and choosing to live with their child had left quite a strong impression on Ratel too, and right now, he did not particularly want to threaten them.

“H-hurry over here! It’ll be terrible if people come!”

Ria, who had been keeping watch, cried out in a small, anxious voice.

“Let’s go. Judging from the atmosphere, they won’t cause a commotion, even if it’s only because they’re afraid of us.”

Even if they did scream, that would be something to resolve then.

Since Ratel did not feel like killing those who had expressed refusal to the priest’s words, he moved his feet as they were and headed toward where Ria was.

“Thank you......!”

When he turned at the very small voice from behind, the child was already moving away in his parents’ arms.

Feeling strange, Ratel briefly watched their backs, then followed after Jing again.

***

Jing tried to force himself into the armor taken from the knights, soon gave up, put on the gauntlets and vambraces, and covered the rest with a cloak.

Ratel was the same in that he only wore the gauntlets and put on a cloak, but the difference was that it was not because the size did not fit, but simply because it was troublesome.

“Do you think you’ll be safe after doing this?! Are you prepared to put your lives on the line for this?!”

Meanwhile, the priest who had regained consciousness began causing a commotion.

Ratel approached him to test the usefulness of his newly acquired gauntlet, then stopped for a moment.

“......”

“......Wh-what? If you untie this even now......”

“What’s your name?”

“What?”

The priest, flustered by Ratel’s behavior of approaching with a frightening aura only to suddenly ask his name, asked back.

Thinking he would not obediently say his name, Ratel grabbed the priest by the collar and lifted him.

At being treated in such a barbaric way for the first time in his life, the priest’s mouth fell open on its own.

“I asked what your name is.”

Ratel asked again.

“J-Jes!”

“Say it clearly. Is it Jejes, or Jes?”

“Jes! It’s Jes!”

Having obtained the name, Ratel swung his gauntleted fist at him.

“It seems so easy to kill him no matter how I do it, so knocking him out is actually difficult.”

Ratel lowered the limp man onto the floor.

Jing looked down at the priest, who had fainted again without even being able to scream, then spoke offhandedly.

“Just know that is not what it was originally used for.”

“As long as it works well, does the original use matter? It was probably closer to the right use than being used as decoration on those idiots’ hands.”

Jing looked down at the four knights who had not awakened even while the priest screamed at the top of his lungs.

Then he glanced at Ratel.

“We did drag in a few more people than we originally planned, but I do not think the plan has gone too far off course. It is not as though someone suddenly ran off, and we are not being chased by people yet.”

“Exactly. It’s not like we were attacked by monsters while wandering around looking for a missing person, so I think it’s fair to call this perfect.”

Ria quickly agreed with Jing’s words.

“I don’t know whether you two are talking to each other or saying it for me to hear.”

When Ratel asked with narrowed eyes, Jing and Ria shook their heads together as if they had made a promise.

“Oh dear, how could that be? If you heard it, that cannot be helped.”

“Right. If you heard it, that can’t be helped. We’ll just have to add that it would be very nice if you were a little more careful from now on.”

Ratel looked crookedly at the two, who had formed an alliance between normal people, then nodded slightly.

Thinking that reacting too strongly to this great progress might have the opposite effect, Ria changed the subject.

“By the way, I’m nervous. I’m worried I’ll freeze up badly if priests or knights stop us.”

“No one expects outstanding acting ability from you.”

Ria decided to accept that as encouragement from Ratel.

“All right. I’ll just stand there enough not to look unnatural.”

“There is no need to be too nervous. The time we must endure is only three hours. We only have to endure until the tribute is moved to the Imperial Castle.”

Jing, who at least knew the ordinary way to cheer someone on, spoke.

And so, the three moved forward with a little too little solemn resolve.

***

The three silently walked the path leading to a two-story structure attached to the Temple’s main building.

As they walked past people who looked like knights and servants, the solemnity that had briefly been lost between the three returned.

To be precise, it was solemnity created by stiff-faced Jing and Ria, who was full of tension.

It was fortunate that no one stopped the two knights following behind, with Ria standing ahead of them like a criminal with her head lowered.

At last, once they passed through the people and reached the warehouse, the sight of a long line of wagons and people neatly moving sacks onto them was revealed.

“......It’s enormous.”

Ria opened her mouth and murmured at the huge scale.

Ratel agreed with Ria’s admiration.

Even the wagons carrying sacks full of food ingredients and money were so splendid they almost blinded the eyes.

“Move faster, faster! We need to depart within an hour! We must not be even a little late!”

A man in priest robes could be seen issuing orders in a rather urgent voice.

At his roar, the steps of the servants carrying sacks grew faster.

Jing and Ratel stepped forward to naturally blend into that hectic scene.

“Hold on. What are you? I don’t recognize your faces.”

However, perhaps it was not as natural as they had thought, because the three were immediately stopped by two knights.

“We were late because we brought what will be loaded onto the last wagon.”

It was a rather fierce question, yet Ratel answered calmly.

At the mention of the last wagon, the two who had been fierce flinched.

“We didn’t hear anything about more coming in.”

At their puzzled expressions, Ria lowered her head as much as possible and rolled her eyes.

The moment Jing opened his mouth to say something, Ratel took the initiative first.

“Priest Jes sent us. You may check.”

Once the name Jes came out, the two men’s faces relaxed at once.

“Where is Priest Jes?”

“He gave orders to load this woman onto the last wagon and went inside.”

At one of their questions, Ratel answered without hesitation.

If Priest Jes, who by now was unconscious and trapped inside a narrow cleaning cabinet, had heard this, he would have nearly coughed blood from the injustice of it.

The other man seemed to remember something and tapped the shoulder of the comrade who had asked Jes’s location.

“Did he not go out earlier, saying he would meet the family who couldn’t pay tribute?”

“Then that is......”

The two looked down at Ria, who had her head lowered.

“They said there was a son with a limp and his parents, so this one must be the mother.”

Though she had suddenly become a married woman with a child, Ria did not mind.

Trying to draw out the image of a mother she had read about in books as much as possible, she raised her head with tears in her eyes.

“M-my son has a bad leg, so he won’t be able to work properly. I’ll work hard in his place, so please, just don’t drive us out of Hyre......!”

Ria staggered toward them and pleaded.

At her acting, done with all her strength, the two knights frowned and pushed back Ria as she tried to grab their arms.

Jing caught her as she was pushed back and nearly fell.

“What are you doing over there?! Did you not hear me say we’re in a hurry? Stop wasting time and move quickly!”

Just then, the priest spotted them standing still and shouted.

“Damn it. Hurry up and move that before we get yelled at again.”

Watching the backs of the two who left after dropping their suspicion, Jing let out a sigh.

“Miss Ria, are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m fine. More importantly, everyone really does look terribly busy because we came at this time. It’s just as Ran said.”

“We also need to move quickly because of that, so let us go.”

Ratel answered while taking his eyes off the two moving away.

Ratel and Jing helped Ria up and headed toward the very last wagon among the line of wagons.

“By the way, Ratel really does have a lot of nerve. I was so nervous earlier that I couldn’t speak properly, but Ratel spoke so shamelessly...... confidently.”

At Ria’s words, hurriedly correcting the expression, Jing nodded.

“Truly. I knew he was shameless...... confident to begin with, but just now, even I was almost fooled for a moment.”

At Jing’s turn, which this time was largely intentional, Ratel opened his mouth while not taking his eyes off the side of the man’s face.

“Everything is going as that man said. What is there to be nervous about?”

Of course, using Priest Jes had been Ratel’s own choice, but everything else had been exactly as Ran had told them.

Around this time, the Temple was planning to move tribute to the castle where the Imperial Family lived. That they should answer that they had prepared a person to load into the last wagon. That the departure time was always different, but they should aim for when there were the fewest priests and knights.

All of those things were what Ran had told them, but the fact that Ratel admitted it obediently was surprising, and Jing and Ria exchanged glances.

“If you have something to say, say it with words. Don’t talk with your eyes.”

“Your trust in Ran seems to have appeared too suddenly, that is all. Even if sudden, it is far too sudden.”

At Jing’s answer, Ria nodded.

It was not that Ratel did not know his attitude had changed too suddenly.

However, he had no intention of saying with his own mouth the absurd claim that Ran had come from another world.

Because he had not completely put aside his own doubts either.

Besides, deciding to whom he would reveal his identity was something for that man to handle himself.

Ratel looked at Jing’s face, who still knew Ran as a prince.

He seemed curious about what Ratel and Ran had discussed in Lucha Village, but he still had not asked directly.

“Do you have something to say?”

“No.”

Feeling somehow uneasy, Ratel turned his head.

“I think that is the last one.”

Before they knew it, they had arrived at the end of the wagon procession.

Its appearance was no different from the other wagons, but there were no servants busily carrying sacks up and down.

At the stiff expressions of the silent knights guarding the area, Ria swallowed.

“From here on, let us all be careful. So that we do not stand out.”

At Jing’s whisper, she nodded, then left Jing and Ratel behind and opened the cargo door.

What greeted Ria was the gazes of those sitting inside, trying hard to hide their anxiety.

Ria found a seat and sat down, wishing that all of them would survive.

***

Did those three get onto the wagon properly?

Thinking of the three who should be at Hyre’s Temple by now, I ran my tongue over the inside of my mouth, which had been split open after being beaten by Rea.

It seems things on this side are rolling along as expected.

We safely arrived at the werewolves’ base, and met Archie too.

“Let go of me!! I said let go!!!”

Beside me as I was satisfied with my own situation, Adol passed by, held by the scruff of the neck by Mona.

He probably would not gain anything even if he struggled until he exhausted himself and collapsed.

How could a mere kid beat large werewolves?

“Archie, I apologize. I’ll take him away and beat him.”

As soon as Adol and Mona left the tent, Rea knelt on one knee before Archie and lowered her head.

Unfortunately, Adol’s desperate blow had failed to harm even a single hair of the man named Archie.

Before he could finish a proper attack, Adol had been struck in the stomach by Archie’s foot and sent flying.

By the time he tried to get back up, he had already been grabbed by the scruff by Mona, who had shoved me aside.

“No beating. Just starve him for two days. Young things become obedient when their stomachs are empty.”

Archie, who said that in a low, slow voice as if nothing had happened, turned his gaze to me.

His black eyes stared as if piercing through me, but I did not avoid his uncomfortable eyes.

The moment I thought Archie’s eyes seemed to waver, he opened his mouth again.

“Then is that the human who broke the curse in the cave and came out?”

He asked Rea without taking his eyes off me.

“Yes, he is a human with many suspicious points. He seems to have a fairly close relationship with the one who just left.”

“I’m closer to him than to a complete stranger, but we aren’t that close.”

Besides, there is someone much closer to him inside here.

Perhaps my answer displeased her, because Rea glared at me.

“Don’t make me laugh. Then why did you block Mona and me earlier?”

At her rough question, I shrugged.

“Because it wasn’t something you should interfere in.”

The gap between father and son should be filled by father and son themselves.