Rabbit Hunt (3)
Nadia's eyes widened as she watched us return to the room.
"Why did you come in?"
When I told her what had happened a little while ago, Nadia's expression became serious.
"If they're bounty hunters they're really bad guys."
Yes, four days was enough time for them to notice that we were heading to the capital while hiding our identities.
'I just didn't know there would be bounty hunters scattered all over the streets.'
This was the smallest fiefdom among the regions that had to be passed through on the way to the capital.
If there are bounty hunters in a place like this, how many of them did they mobilize?
Do you really want to stop me to that extent? Oslo's persistence made me laugh in vain.
Nadia continued.
"What if we bribe the bounty hunters?"
"Someone might be watching them. It's best to leave quietly without encountering them as much as possible."
"Then what should I do? I need to let other people know about this situation."
The problem was the group that was waiting for us at the restaurant.
I had to call them in one by one because I didn't want to go down to the restaurant and meet them and get caught by the bounty hunters.
Knock knock.
At that moment, someone knocked on the guest room door. We froze at the same time.
"Yes, I'll go out and take a look."
Nadia swallowed hard and cautiously approached the door.
"Who are you?"
"I came to pick up Young Lady."
"Phew..."
Nadia cleared her throat and opened the door.
"Miss, it is the little Duke."
Ian, who was coming inside, sensed the frozen atmosphere and stopped.
"What's going on?"
I called him with a gesture without saying a word. I whispered softly to Ian, who approached me with a puzzled look on his face.
"Didn't the men just come down?"
"Men? Who are you talking about?"
"Didn't you just come up from the restaurant?"
"I just went out for a moment to check on the carriage and am on my way back."
So that's how we got into trouble with bounty hunters.
I lowered my voice and told the story of my encounter with the bounty hunter.
Ian opened his golden eyes dimly.
"If you told us to report to the Coast Guard as soon as we found them. It looks like their goal is to catch us by the ankles."
"I guess so."
"The place is not good. It would be better to leave quietly."
Of all places, this place is Nokron Territory.
Although it was a small fiefdom that could be called countryside, its owner, Baron Belzak Nokron, was famous for his loyalty to Oslo.
If we were discovered by bounty hunters and taken to the guards, Baron Nokron would find every reason to keep us tied up.
Ian's words contained that meaning.
"Luckily, they didn't seem to know about Mr. Hugh and Ellie. They thought there were six of us."
"I'll call the party first. Let's stay quiet and leave at dawn."
"They're down at the restaurant now. They're probably checking everyone who has their faces covered. The little Duke is here."
No one did not know that Ian's golden eyes were the symbol of Eldern.
The moment his face is revealed to everyone, not just the bounty hunters will know Ian's true identity.
And that news will reach Baron Nokron's ears straight away.
'Should I send Nadia down to the restaurant?'
The bounty hunters are looking for a group of travelers consisting of two women and four men.
To avoid their suspicion, someone completely unexpected had to come forward.
Luckily, there was someone here they hadn't figured out.
Ellie raised her hand.
"I'll go!"
***
Ellie slowly walked down the stairs, thinking back to Millenia's request.
"Do you remember the faces of the men we met in front of the guestroom earlier? You have to act naturally so that they don't notice. Can you do it, Ellie?"
It was a small restaurant with only five tables. The bounty hunters were eating at the table closest to the entrance.
Kaak. Whew!
Ellie's face twisted at the sight of the tattooed man spitting on the floor.
At first glance, they were obviously of poor quality.
They were gulping down their beers while chatting loudly, seemingly oblivious to the other customers.
The group sat at the table furthest from them.
Hugh and Nicolas were dressed in casual attire, but Kalit and Rahon were wearing cloaks over their heads.
'Naturally, naturally.'
Ellie checked the bookshelf standing next to the group's table and headed toward it.
Hugh noticed her first and opened his mouth. Before he could call her name, she turned around and stood in front of the bookshelf.
"Um... Is there anything interesting..."
Just as Hugh was about to call out to Ellie again with a bewildered look on his face, Kalit grabbed his arm.
Something felt off. Tension hung over the table.
Ellie jumped up a few times to get the book from the top shelf, then sighed deeply.
Then she tapped Nicola on the shoulder, who was sitting there looking nervous to anyone who saw her.
"Mister."
"Uh, yeah?"
"Please take that book out."
"Yeah, yeah."
Nicola stood up with an awkward smile. He quickly took out his book and met Ellie's gaze.
"Is this correct?"
"Yes, umm..."
Ellie flipped through the book a few times and pouted.
"Hey, this is boring. I don't want to read this. Put it back."
"Is that so?"
Nicola stopped in his tracks, returning the book. Ellie bowed to him.
"Thank you for your help."
"Yes..."
Ellie took out another book, held it in her arms, and went up the stairs.
Nicola, who had been watching her from behind, put the book back in its place and sat down at the table.
Then, with trembling hands, he placed something on the table.
A little note.
Rahon glanced around and took the note.
[Bounty Hunters, please be careful. Enter the room one at a time!]
"..."
Inside the dark hood, purple eyes moved quietly and rested on the men eating noisily.
'It's them.'
The note that Rahon passed under the table reached Hugh through Kalit in an instant.
After a while, Hugh exchanged glances with Kalit and quietly pushed his chair back and stood up.
"I'm going to the bathroom for a moment."
As Hugh said that, he was about to leave the restaurant after taking a few steps.
Bang!
The bounty hunters roughly slammed their beer mugs down on the table and stretched out their legs to block Hugh's path.
"Why, why are you doing this?"
Those who stood up in a jaunty manner suddenly put their arms around Hugh.
"Where are you from?"
"Yes? Why are you asking that..."
"It's nothing special. I'm just saying that your group seems to be the people we're looking for."
"We are just ordinary travelers..."
"Then you can show me your face. Can't you?"
"Oh, of course. Why would an ordinary traveler, not a criminal, hide his face?"
The bounty hunters dragged Hugh towards a table where three men were sitting, chatting.
Rahon quietly reached into his cloak, grabbed the hilt of his sword, and then put it back down because Kalit had shaken his head.
Meanwhile, one of the men who had arrived in front of the three men had his hand on the table. There were tattoos of unknown meaning on each of his finger joints.
"You two have seen each other's faces, so that's enough. You two gentlemen, take off your hoods."
"Stop picking a fight and get out."
The men burst into laughter at Rahon's blunt response. The man with the red beard trembled exaggeratedly.
"Oh my, I'm scared!"
"I just wanted to see your face for a bit, but why are you acting so awkward? Have you committed some crime and are you running away?"
The man with the tattoo on his finger reached out his hand toward Rahon's cloak, grumbling.
Just as Rahon was about to stand up and block that hand, Redbeard quickly took off his hood.
"...!"
Under the dim lighting, a breathtakingly beautiful face was revealed.
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