Rabbit Hunt (7)
The innkeeper was sitting in an old chair reading a newspaper, just as we had when he first arrived.
As we went downstairs, he looked up from his newspaper and glanced at me.
"Are you going?"
The innkeeper didn't even flinch at the thought of us evading the bounty hunter.
Just like the people of Eldern.
I realized my taste anew. I like these kinds of people.
I took Ian's hand and approached the innkeeper.
"Thanks to the owner's consideration, I was able to rest comfortably for a short time."
"What's your tone? Are you perhaps a noble?"
I asked a question instead of answering.
"Can I ask why you helped us?"
"...At this age, if you can't even tell who really needs help, you should just go out and die."
The innkeeper answered nonchalantly and looked at me with indifferent eyes.
"Do you have anything left to say?"
"Tell me what you want."
The innkeeper burst into laughter.
"If I tell you what I want, will you grant it?"
"That could be the case."
"If you can grant other people's wishes, use it on the young lady. You seem like a precious person, but next time, you should stay somewhere nicer, not a run-down inn like ours."
Do you think I'm some fallen noble who's committed a crime and is on the run?
It was understandable to think that way since I looked shabby and was staying in such an old inn.
"Please tell me as if you were being fooled."
"Well, then..."
The innkeeper touched the pillar of the inn with a faint smile on his face.
"It's been 20 years since I bought this building and started an inn. Even though this building is old, it's been with me for half my life."
"I see."
"If I were a little younger, I would have sold this guy and started over."
"Why don't you do it?"
"I'm too old for that. It's not easy to do other business now."
The condition of the inn caught my eye again. Although it was old and shabby, it was clean and neat.
The innkeeper clearly cherished this building.
It must not have been sincere that he wanted to start a new business. Even if he wanted to start anew, he couldn't because this inn was in his sights.
"What is your name?"
"What is my name?"
"I don't have time. Please let me know quickly."
"Is it Crimson...?"
"Mr. Crimson, someone will come to see you from the capital in a little while. Talk to him."
"Huh? What do you mean? Who is coming from the capital?"
"At that time, you should be honest about what you want. Even if you ask me to make the inn, which is like a child, as good as new, I will listen to you."
“Ah, no..."
I left the embarrassed innkeeper behind
and went outside.
It looks like we're getting closer to the capital.
A warm wind, completely different from that of Eldern, blew into the hood.
"Let's go."
Ian led me to a new carriage, a quadruped with four additional horses.
Ellie asked with her eyes wide open.
"Sister, what about our carriage?"
"Sorry. I bought a new carriage on my own. If you don't like this one, I'll go to the capital and buy you another carriage."
"What are you talking about? This is much better than our carriage! Wow, long live the rich sister!"
As we got into the carriage, Ian sat down on the driver's seat.
“Let's go.”
Late at night, a black carriage ran slowly through a dark alley
***
It was a dark prison, the only light coming in through a tiny window.
Rahon and Kalit, who were lying down pretending to sleep, exchanged glances.
"Nicola, start."
Nicola nodded and cleared his throat. Then a loud hymn came out of his mouth.
"It dwells in all things! I can feel its light everywhere! Thank you, God!"
A terrible song reverberated through the prison.
The noise was even worse because it was a semi-basement prison in a stone building. The prison guard, who was nodding off, expressed his annoyance.
"Why are you guys talking nonsense while you're sleeping! Can't you be quiet?!"
Nicola raised his voice as the guard's fierce shouts grew louder.
"Mountains and seas! Heaven and earth! Beasts and humans are all in the bosom of God! Ah! That peace fills us!"
Nicola was famously tone-deaf even in the Vatican. Hugh covered his ears silently at the noise that seemed to rot his eardrums.
This time It was Rahon's turn. Rahon kicked the bars and screamed.
"Hey! Give me another room! I can't sleep because that guy's so noisy!"
"You guys are going to be in solitary confinement starting tomorrow anyway, right? So sleep well! If you don't want to get beaten up!"
"How can I repay God's grace? I can't figure it out even if I think about it all night! Oh! How wonderful is that love that is like the sea!"
"If you were me, would you be able to sleep in this situation? At least cover his mouth!"
"Ha, these kids are really..."
A fat guard appeared with thumping footsteps. He must have been eating a midnight snack as there were crumbs of something stuck to the corner of his mouth.
He hit the bars with a crowbar.
"Shut up!"
Nicola flinched and then raised his voice even louder. His throat was so hoarse that it almost hurt.
The guard frowned and couldn't stand it anymore and ran off somewhere in a hurry.
A moment later, three guards came rushing in, each carrying a crude-looking iron club.
To them, the Kalit group were just scammers who preyed on others.
So, they decided to show Nicola an example and make the rest of them obedient.
The officer was a little concerned that they were all big, but he wondered how strong they could be.
Anyway, all the weapons were taken away.
No matter how much they resisted, they couldn't defeat the guards with iron clubs.
"Hey, you little shit, come out!"
The prison door opened and three guards rushed in.
"Ahhh! Oh God! Look down on your servant!"
"Please shut up!"
While two guards dragged Nicola by his arms, another guard glared at him with a crowbar, ready to strike him at any moment.
"You guys stay where you are. Don't even think about moving."
At that moment, a calloused hand caught the iron club raised threateningly.
It was Kalit who approached the guard from behind without making a sound.
"Hey, crazy! Don't you let this go?"
No matter how much the guard pulled, the iron club remained stuck in the ground and did not budge.
"Hey, hey! Help me!"
One of the guards who had dragged Nicola out approached Kalit, gripping the iron club with both hands.
"Hey, back off from that. You don't want your head to burst."
Kalit said with a lazy smile.
"Rahon, If my head explodes, will Millenia scold me?"
"Close your eyes."
Rahon clicked his tongue slightly and raised his hand. Soon, a blindingly intense light enveloped the prison.
"Ugh! My eyes!"
"Oh, I can't see!"
The guards, completely exposed to the power, were struggling with their eyes tightly shut.
Seizing the opportunity, Nicola, Hugh, and Kalit escaped from prison.
Lastly, Rahon closed the prison door and inserted the guard's club between the locks.
Clank!
The guards struggled, realizing too late that they had been locked in prison, but it was already too late.
"Hey, you little shits! Open this! Can't you open it right now?"
"The prisoners have escaped!"
The guards' cries shook the prison. The guards could not have failed to hear them.
Rahon scratched his eyebrows with an embarrassed expression.
"What should I do? If I keep doing this, I'll get caught before I can even escape?"
The escape could have been covered up easily using the excuse of a summit.
In fact, the confinement itself is illegal.
But there was no excuse for harming human life.
Obviously, Oslo would cover up the incident where he had imprisoned Kalit's group as a mistake caused by a misunderstanding, and would only exaggerate the incident where the guards were killed.
And then public opinion will be swayed by the accusation that Kalit harmed innocent guards.
Thinking about it, they had to get out without making any sacrifices.
"Just go out."
As they walked out of the prison, the sound of horse hooves was heard all around.
The guards heard the commotion and came riding at a frightening speed. Captain Reynold raised his sword and shouted.
"If you don't stop. I'll shoot you!"
Hugh and Nicola hesitated at Reynold's warning. Then, Rahon and Kalit grabbed them and ran.
"Those guys...Prepare to attack!"
As Reynold raised his hand, the guards lined up and pulled back their bowstrings, the arrows just about to leave the taut string.
Swish!
The guard aiming his bow in the center collapsed with a loud bang.
The guards nearby were startled and turned their horses' heads away from the firing range. Reynold shouted as he blocked the fallen agent's path.
"They have weapons! Everyone get down!"
The four people who had been running frantically stopped moving at the commotion going on behind them.
Hugh and Nicola pointed to the fallen guard with trembling hands.
"Excuse me, is that person dead?"
"Uh, he didn't die because of us, did you? Right, Lord Rahon?"
Rahon asked in a subdued voice.
"Kalit, was that you?"
"I'm not."
The guards were simply following orders from their superiors. They had no intention of harming innocent people, so Kalit was also perplexed.
At that moment, a dull voice was heard from the dark shadows.
"You idiots, that's paralyzing poison."
"...!"
Did Baba watch them and stop them just before they were attacked?
Rahon and Kalit's faces brightened in an instant. Hugh and Nicola breathed a sigh of relief.
"Whew, thank goodness. That was a surprise."
"That's right. I've been thinking about this for a while now, but it seems like God is looking after us."
Rahon and Kalit again grabbed the back of the necks of the two people who were talking brightly.
"Run!"
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