Chapter 218
“Huff, huff. Ba-Banya! Are you okay? Sorry. I suddenly got a signal… I just couldn’t hold it in.”
So he had gone to the bathroom…
‘Damn. Was my intuition wrong?’
Should I dismiss this as mere coincidence? But would someone in a hurry disappear without leaving another person to stand guard?
Regardless of my suspicions, the foul odor wafting around truly suggested he had just come from the latrine, such a… no. Let’s not smell it anymore. I discreetly stepped back.
“You should fix your clothes first.”
When Luwen showed his displeasure, the guard smiled awkwardly and hastily tightened his waistband.
“Anyway, what’s happening? Has our location been discovered? Has the leader been informed?”
“There are individuals approaching who appear to be well-trained. I’m not sure if our location has been discovered, but since they’re heading straight this way, we’ve issued an alert. A messenger has been sent to the leader.”
Luwen’s calm explanation revealed why the guard had been so relaxed. The urgent bell sound wasn’t announcing an attack.
“Ah, I see. But Lucas, why are you here? Weren’t you assigned to the village guard? Shouldn’t you be at the entrance on lookout?”
“The young master’s safety is my top priority.”
“Wouldn’t protecting the village ensure your young master’s safety as well?”
I didn’t appreciate the guard contradicting Luwen after abandoning his post. As if he was being suspicious. Who’s really the suspicious one here?
“I haven’t fully understood this village yet. As long as there’s a possibility of intrusion through hidden passages I’m unaware of, I can’t be at ease.”
“I see. But as you can see, our village is an iron fortress. If we properly secure the entrance, we can defend it. There are no hidden passages for you to worry about, so why not reassure yourself and guard the village perimeter?”
The guard, whose already small eyes became even smaller as he smiled, tried to touch Luwen’s shoulder. Luwen avoided it, so he didn’t achieve his goal.
“Ahem. Did you wash your hands, or… not?”
How disgusting!
“Anyway, I have a responsibility to protect Banya. If you’re concerned about your young master, I’ll protect them both, so why don’t you return to your post?”
“In an emergency, if you could save only one of them, who would you choose?”
Luwen continued to respond calmly. The guard’s gaze shifted from me to the Third Prince. He shrugged.
“Obviously…”
Then, as he was about to answer, he seemed to grasp the intent behind the question and gave a forced laugh.
“So that’s the reason.”
“Yes. We’ve only been here for a few days. The young master is too precious and valuable to me to fully trust you all yet. I hope you understand.”
“Whew-!”
The guard whistled and snickered. His subtle gaze toward me contained mockery. I pretended to be embarrassed again, recalling memories that would make me blush, and grinned foolishly.
“Cough, hack, cough-cough.”
The Third Prince suddenly began coughing violently. Glancing at him, I saw he was aghast at my behavior. Perhaps he found my pretense distasteful as it revealed my true nature.
“Banya! Are you okay?”
Regardless, I approached him, pretending to be concerned. Then I took both his hands firmly and, while appearing to look at his face, I blocked the guard’s view with my body and mouthed:
‘Send him away.’
This is the advantage when a kidnapping target cooperates well. The Third Prince, though looking uncomfortable, nodded.
“I’m fine… More importantly, Trevan.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll stay with Feilun and Lucas. Trevan, you’d be more helpful with the village guard. After all, the villagers trust Trevan more than Lucas.”
“That won’t do. The orders I received from the leader were to protect Banya. How could I leave?”
The Third Prince looked at me. His gaze seemed to ask what to do next. Was he giving up after just one attempt?
‘If this fellow becomes the king of my country, perhaps it would be better to put him in my pocket and manipulate him as I please rather than let him run away.’
He’s naive and innocent. I don’t know the temperament of Tuaso’s ministers, but politicians are generally similar, so he would probably look quite appetizing to them too.
‘I wonder if he can pass down a peaceful country to future generations this way.’
It would be fortunate if he doesn’t end up like a hollow old tree, completely devoured by black-hearted snakes.
But it’s not my concern what happens in an enemy country, not even an allied one, so I smiled brightly and looked at Trevan.
“It would be so reassuring if Lucas and Trevan protected us together!”
I had absolutely no intention of moving with a suspicious person. Especially someone trusted by the leader. Whether this person was a traitor or not, it would be problematic.
‘A witness.’
Either way, our conversation would leak out. But I also didn’t want to stand around leisurely in this urgent situation, exchanging dialogue and trying to persuade him.
“Ah! Come to think of it, I heard there’s a separate shelter in the village. A place where non-combatants can hide. Could you guide us there?”
I asked Trevan with a gentle smile. I had heard that rather than an actual shelter, it was just a place where everyone gathered. It was probably a location that was easy to defend and allowed for escape if necessary.
I adjusted my plan to wait there and then escape during the confusion if a situation arose. Incidentally, I also wanted to observe this fellow’s reaction.
“Hmm. By now, that place is probably already full.”
Trevan scratched the back of his head as if troubled and began to ponder what to do.
‘As I suspected, he’s suspicious.’
No matter how crowded it might be expected to be, if it’s a place that most villagers consider safe, shouldn’t he at least take us there first? But Trevan was different.
“How about waiting in the leader’s hut?”
“That place seemed to be enclosed.”
I looked at Lucas and tilted my head, as if unsure if it was a suitable hiding place.
“It won’t work if there’s no escape route. If the entrance is breached, we’d be trapped.”
“Hmm. I see.”
This time, Trevan stroked his chin, deep in thought, before suddenly opening his eyes wide as if a good idea had occurred to him, and he snapped his fingers. With the sound of a snap, he suggested in a cheerful tone:
“I know a good place to hide! No, no, the more I think about it, the more brilliant it is! If we go out through the back path, there’s a rest area nearby. How about hiding there?”
“Ah! Is that the place you took us to last time?”
The Third Prince interjected eagerly. As he acknowledged it, Trevan became even more excited and chattered on.
“That’s right! The back path is so narrow that only one person can pass at a time, so it would be difficult for soldiers to enter. And if we’re lucky, we might even meet the returning leader. She went in a different direction this time, but you never know!”
“Soldiers,” he says. Having come straight here from the bathroom without any information, how could he make such statements as if he had seen them directly?
He might be guessing based on previous encounters, but the attempt to lead us out of the village was definitely suspicious.
‘And he says he’s already taken the Third Prince there?’
People tend to lower their guard about places they’re familiar with. Especially if the person luring them there is someone they trust.
“Sounds like a good idea! Fe-Feilun, what do you think?”
The Third Prince looked at me, rolling his eyes as if seeking permission. It was at that moment that my question about how he had escaped and made it to that place was answered.
‘He was lured.’
I could picture it like a cat playing with a mouse. Even though they could kill at any time, they maintain a moderate distance and follow. They would have pressured him not to change direction until he approached the enemy troops.
‘To make it appear as if the Third Prince was killed by imperial hands, not by an assassin.’
Then it would be easier for us to whisk the Third Prince away if we follow.
This time, events would likely unfold as they did in the book. Generally, events that have already occurred tend to follow a similar pattern.
“That sounds great! I’m curious about what the rest area looks like too. Let’s go that way!”
I looked at Trevan, pretending to be as excited as the Third Prince. There was no significant change in his expression. As if he had anticipated my response.
“Then let’s go!”
Trevan called out in a lively voice and took the lead. It seemed odd to be so carefree when the enemy was right at our doorstep, but I wasn’t anxious. Not with Luwen sticking right beside me as we walked.
‘Now he’ll try to get rid of Luwen?’
No, that’s not it. Just as Trevan is a witness from our perspective, we are witnesses from his perspective as well. Not knowing Luwen’s true abilities, he probably believes he can handle us if we’re outnumbered.
‘Luwen won’t lose.’
Not unless he has baggage.
So from now on, it depends on how I conduct myself. Whether we’ll safely escape with the Third Prince, or return empty-handed with just the two of us.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
