Rabbit Hunt (4)
The souls of the men who were Iooking at Rahon disappeared from their eyes. In the silence as if a mouse had died, the tattooed man shouted.
"You guys, what are you doing! It's those guys!"
"Huh, huh? Oh, that's right!"
Rahon and Kalit stood up, drawing their swords.
There were only eight people wielding swords in the small restaurant. It was an atmosphere where it wouldn't be strange if a bloody storm were to blow at any moment.
At that critical moment, Nicola approached the men with a gentle smile.
"There seems to be some misunderstanding. Let's stop this and talk things out. We must not forget the words of God that tell us not to harm our neighbors."
The red-bearded man's expression became strangely distorted.
"What the hell are you talking about? Hey, catch this kid!"
"Yes, wait a minute, ugh!"
When Nicola was captured by the bounty hunters, Rahon's eyes immediately turned murderous.
At that moment, Kalit stepped between Rahon and the men. He still had his hood pulled up over his head.
"If you hurt that person, you won't be safe either."
The tattooed man twisted the corners of his mouth as if he found it amusing.
"Does that pretty boy know how to swing a sword? If you're confident, try it."
"Let's resolve this quietly instead of causing a fuss at someone else's place of business. Just tell me what you want."
"We don't want to fight with our swords either. Just go to the guard post quietly."
Kalit, who realized the situation with those few words, was silent for a moment.
"Why should we do that?"
"You are all criminals who commit crimes and then run away."
"Tell me my crime."
"Let's check with the guard. If we're wrong, we'll apologize and compensate you."
Kalit whispered to Rahon in a low voice.
"For now, let's do whatever they tell us."
"Are you crazy?"
"If you make a fuss here, it will cause trouble for the innkeeper."
Rahon's sharp purple eyes turned to the innkeeper.
With Kalit's skills, he could probably take these guys down in the time it takes to have a cup of tea.
Instead, the aftermath that the innocent innkeeper had to endure was no small matter.
The inn would be ruined and harassed by the guards. It might not be able to do business anymore.
Rahon's expression softened. Kalit's secret voice continued.
"They haven't found Millenia and the little Duke yet. We need to lure them out of the inn and help them escape. That way, we can plan for the rest."
"Will they all follow the guards? Will some of them stay behind and search the inn?"
"The little Duke has only three people to protect. We have to reduce the number of enemies he has to deal with."
Let's spread out the enemy so that Ian can protect Millenia, Nadia, and Ellie. That was what Kalit meant.
After a moment of hesitation, Rahon turned his hood over.
"Do as you wish."
Kalit nodded and put his sword away first.
"Yes. Let's go to the guard station and check. If our innocence is confirmed, you will be held responsible."
"Don't worry about that."
That will never happen, the tattooed man chuckled.
Rahon Kalit, Nicola, and Hugh left the inn under the watchful eyes of the bounty hunters.
Unlike Rahon and Kalit, who had their mouths tightly shut, Nicola still had a sad smile on his face.
"Since you've decided to go to the Coast Guard anyway, why don't you put the sword away? God said that peace..."
"What has this kid been muttering all this time? Can't he get out of here quickly?"
"You seem to be very angry. At times like that, if you pray to God and calm your mind..."
"Just shut up and walk!"
The men pushed Nicola away, annoyed.
Even though they glared at him and told him to get out quickly, Nicola just smiled gently.
Thanks to that, no one saw Hugh stealing the quill behind his back.
***
As they entered the guardhouse, surrounded by bounty hunters, the agents who had been working leisurely stood up with surprised expressions.
At best, they were the Nokron guards who dealt with thieves and drunkards.
It was very rare for so many fierce men, eight in all, to swarm the guard post at once.
Captain Reynolds of the Guard stepped forward. He was the only one who had maintained his composure among the frozen men.
"What's going on?"
The tattooed man slumped his thick forearms on the table.
"I'm a bounty hunter. I brought the criminal in. Let's see the captain."
"Are you saying that they are sinners?"
"Exactly."
Reynold's gaze shifted to the bounty hunters and then to the group of Kalit they had dragged away.
Kalit and Rahon were wearing cloaks, but Nicola and Hugh had their faces exposed.
Reynold's expression became strange. No matter how he looked at it, Nicola and Hugh did not seem like criminals.
"He looks like he can't even kill an ant, but he's a criminal? He looks more like a vicious bounty hunter..."
The tattooed man glared at him with a drowsy expression.
"What are you dawdling about? I told you to take me to the captain of the guard."
"Come this way. Louis, take those people to the interrogation room."
"Understood, Captain."
While the tattooed man followed Reynolds inside, Kalit and his party quietly moved into the interrogation room.
As soon as the interrogation room door locked, Rahon opened his mouth.
"Why don't we just reveal our identities?"
"Have you forgotten why we kept our identities a secret all this time?"
"Wouldn't it be more of a problem if we end up in jail?"
That was right. Trying to hide your identity and ending up in prison was what Oslo wanted.
'It's a house surrounded by four walls.'
Kalit sighed softly.
"I don't know if they'll believe me if I reveal my identity to those who don't even know what the Prince looks like."
Hugh, a resident of Eldern, also learned of Kalit's true identity while traveling with him.
So, there was no way that the commoners of this small territory would know what the Prince looked like.
A deep look appeared in Rahon's purple eyes.
"Doesn't the captain know?"
"Hmm... Well..."
The captain of the guard probably didn't know either, but it was worth a try.
Kalit nodded.
"I'll reveal my identity to the captain. Even if he doesn't believe us, he'll definitely relay the news to Baron Nokron."
If you want to get out as quietly as possible, persuading Baron Nokron was the quickest and most amicable solution.
'However, I am concerned that Baron Nokron is a follower of Oslo...'
Still, he had no choice but to try. If he used force, innocent guards could get hurt.
After a while, Reynolds, who had been guiding the bounty hunters, entered the interrogation room with the captain of the guard.
The captain of the guard didn't look too good. His stomach was sticking out and there was a red sauce stain on his front.
Despite his shabby appearance, his buttonhole-sized eyes were filled with greed. It seemed as if he had caught something big.
He asked Reynolds.
"These guys are criminals captured by bounty hunters?"
"The charges have not been confirmed yet."
"Have you seen the bounty hunters moving around without any reason? These guys are criminals, so put them all in jail."
"Without even investigating?"
"Oh, I told you there's no need to investigate?"
"I'm sorry, but you can't. You can't just throw an innocent citizen in jail without going through the proper procedures."
The captain of the guard frowned at Reynold's harsh tone.
But soon he remembered the instructions he had received from Baron Nokron and smiled with satisfaction.
Reynold, who usually talks inflexibly about rules, has been a thorn in his side, so he'll have to take this opportunity to flatten his nose.
"Yes, then let's investigate as the captain said. Hey, each of you introduce yourselves."
Nicola and Hugh announced their names one by one. The captain of the guard pointed to Rahon as if he had been waiting for him.
"You?"
Rahon took off his hood and answered briefly.
"Rahon Shancrecia."
Even a child knows the name of the 'Savior'. Reynold opened his eyes.
"Are you saying, 'Sa, the Savior?!"
In a rural area like this, meeting a guardian once in a lifetime was like meeting a miracle.
And what a beautiful appearance.
Unlike Reynold, who was stunned, the captain of the guard's mouth was filled with laughter. He pointed to Kalit.
"It's your turn next."
Kalit slowly pulled back his hood. His face was revealed and he smiled lazily.
"It's Kalit Bishya Antiete."
"...!"
Reynolds was literally stunned.
Not only a Guardian but also a Prince? And the first Prince at that?
Should I kneel down now? What should I do? That was the moment Reynolds was thinking that with his frozen head.
Bam!
The captain of the guard stood up, slamming his hand on the desk.
"You heard? These guys are scammers who pretend to be royalty and guardians and make a living off of them!"
Nicolas and Hugh's faces turned pale.
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