Chapter 256 - The Siege of Migul, the Crystal Garden, and the Guild
Back when I was captured by Elisyarie in the kitchen of the House Starunion mansion, the man in the red hood had apparently attacked the mansion with his giant axe special skill. He had managed to collapse a corner of the estate, creating a large breach. It seems that's when Marina decided to abandon the defense of the mansion and seek help from House Wanland.
"After we helped with that, we went to search for you, Mash."
"You didn't consider the possibility I was dead?"
"Mash…"
Maira looked up at me for a moment, then lowered her gaze slightly.
"That wasn't something to consider. Even now that we've been safely reunited, the thought of what might have happened back then makes my chest feel like it's being crushed…"
We were walking toward the Crystal Garden with the Wandering People. Everyone wore black hoods, moving like phantoms without a single footstep. We, too, kept our voices low as we talked.
"And so, the members of Levante went to check on the house. That's when we heard a strange story."
"A strange story?"
Maira nodded deeply at my question.
"Someone said they saw a naked man being chased by soldiers…"
After Maira said that, Marmie tugged on the hem of my hood.
"…The only person who would wander around Migul naked is Mash."
"That's not the clue!"
Maira pressed a finger to her lips. I let out a small cough to cover up the fact that I'd raised my voice.
"It's not like I was strolling around naked for fun."
I answered in a hushed tone.
"They said he was curled up, dragging himself along as if enduring pain, so I was certain you'd been injured in the battle at the mansion."
That was when Riley saved me and I drank the stamina potion to escape my predicament.
"…After that, the suspicious man put on some clothes, and we lost the trail."
"Did you say 'suspicious man'? You're having a grand time painting me in a bad light, but you were more interested in the naked man than in me, weren't you? You perverts."
"…That's not true!"
Marmie cried out loudly, then quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
"We just followed the wrong clue."
I poked Marmie's head with my finger. We'd become intimate, but I didn't really see her in a sexual way. But is that what she's imagining in her head? Besides, she's a prodigy when it comes to magic, so why is she such a klutz otherwise? Maira's the same. I've left everything related to the church entirely up to her. Fam can see right through people as if she's peered into their very souls, and Mizuki was apparently the class president back in our world.
"I regret that as well. Unlike you, Mash, we can't make split-second decisions in a crisis."
Maira bowed her head, looking genuinely apologetic.
"No, making a bad call is unavoidable. I'm not making any decisions either. I'm just being swept along by the situation. I feel bad about it. Honestly, I just want to grab you all and run out of the city."
Maira and I exchanged weak smiles.
"Anyway, we thought that if you were injured, we had to find you as quickly as possible. So, Marmie and I decided to search the southern half of the city, while Fam and Mizuki would search the northern half."
"I see, so that's why you split up…"
They must have been extremely frantic. I looked at Maira, then at Marmie. Clovis and his group were targeting heroes from another world. The thought that Mizuki was still separated from us made me anxious. I wished they hadn't split up, but they must have been desperate to find me in such a large city. I myself only learned of Levante's whereabouts after meeting up with Karpana and the Wandering People.
"Have you eaten?"
I took out a wrap of vegetables and meat in a thin flatbread from my storage. It was one I had saved when I ate with Karpana's group.
"But, that's for you, Mash…"
"No, I saved an extra one just in case something like this happened. At this rate, I have a feeling this won't be settled until tomorrow morning."
I pressed the food into Maira's and Marmie's hands.
The Crystal Garden was bathed in the light of the Crystal Palace, the pyramid floating in the sky, making it brighter than other parts of the city. Normally, bonfires would be lit, making it even brighter and bustling with people, but now the streets were deserted. The silence was unnerving. The hour was past midnight, and the air had grown chilly. A cold, damp air had crept into the city, forming a white mist. It only served to heighten the atmosphere.
"I don't see any soldiers…"
Aira muttered. We were walking down the road leading to the entertainment district. Our first target was the Adventurer's Guild, then the entrance to the Crystal Palace. Maira, Marmie, Takemura, and I walked down the center of the street. There was no sign of a hidden enemy, and for now, it didn't seem like we were heading into a group battle. That's why we were the decoys. If anything happened, the plan was to use Takemura as a shield, relying on his [Vampire] special skill. The Wandering People and Hyakka's group were hidden behind us, on alert for enemies. There were over a hundred of them following us, but they were so quiet I wondered if they were really there at all. After a short while, we reached the entrance to the main street, where a barricade made of stacked timber, about shoulder-height, blocked the way. In front of it stood about ten soldiers. Upon seeing us, they drew their weapons and approached.
"This area is closed off."
One of the soldiers called out.
"My friends should be inside. I need to see them."
"You… you're an adventurer, aren't you?"
Just as the soldier asked, another soldier on the far side of the barricade raised a bow to take aim at us. Faster than I could react, the sound of something cutting through the air came from behind me, and an arrow pierced the archer.
"What—!"
As the soldiers instinctively moved to attack, a shower of arrows rained down on them. They fell before they could even cry for help. Immediately, the Wandering People who had been hiding in the shadows of the buildings emerged. They vaulted over the barricade to search for any enemies on the other side.
"I was hoping to get some information…"
"Protecting your life is our top priority."
One of the Wandering People replied. He nudged a fallen soldier with the tip of his boot, checking if he was still breathing. From my own experience, I had assumed that even with a bow, accuracy wasn't that high, but there's a world of difference in skill. I watched their efficiency, stroking my chin.
"Since we wander from town to town without belonging anywhere, we often run into situations like this with monsters and bandits. For now, let's use this barricade if the enemy comes at us."
"I see…"
His words sounded somewhat like an excuse, and I wasn't sure how to respond, so I just gave a vague reply. Just then, Hyakka called my name.
"Looks like we can get some info from this one."
Next to Hyakka, Etowan was forcing a stamina potion down the throat of a bound soldier. They were efficient, too.
The buildings in the Crystal Garden, while constructed individually, were arranged in rows, connecting to their neighbors. The lower floors were made of stone, with a uniform color of plaster creating a sense of unity. Most were four or five stories high, with the upper sections varying between stone and wood. However, this uniformity was only on the street-facing facades; it might be a different story on the other side. The guild was located in a corner of one of these rows of buildings. The large wooden double doors were closed. The two soldiers standing guard in front of it like sentries were taken down by the snipers of the Wandering People and crumpled to the ground. I passed the fallen soldiers, placed my hand on the door, and pulled. It wasn't barred from the inside, and it swung open with a creak. Following me, Maira, Marmie, Takemura, and the New World members entered. It was pitch black and I couldn't see a thing, but Marmie immediately raised her wand and created light with magic, illuminating a large, high-ceilinged hall. Then she wrinkled her nose and covered it. I gasped at the scene revealed by the light. Although no one was lying on the floor, the signs of a struggle were evident. Broken chairs, overturned tables, scattered documents. And there were bloodstains, too.
"They said everyone here was thrown in the basement prison, but…"
What if they were killed? I wondered, scanning the surroundings. Just then, Komachi, Doris, and ten members of the Wandering People came in. The soldiers we had just defeated were also carried inside.
"We'll be on standby here. We didn't see any lights being used inside, but there's still a chance enemies are hiding. Please be careful."
Heeding the warning, I took Maira and Marmie past the counter and into the back rooms.
"Hey, the jail is locked. The guards at the entrance didn't have a key. What are you going to do?"
Etowan's voice called out from behind me.
"I can open it. If there are any survivors, I want to get them to a safe place."
I didn't say it out loud, but there was a chance Fam and Mizuki had been captured, so I wanted to check. Maira and Marmie followed me, their lips pressed into a firm line. I was sure they were thinking the same thing.
"We're outnumbered here. And if the enemy's main force attacks, we'll have to flee. The people we rescue will just slow us down. If we leave them, they'll be freed when House Wanland defeats House Airally in the final battle. It's better for everyone if the injured just stay put in their cells."
Etowan was right. If we went to check, we would be compelled to help them. But there was a chance that even if it wasn't Fam and the others, people we knew might be imprisoned there. As I started to move forward with that thought, Etowan clicked his tongue.
"Wait, I'll go first."
Etowan shoved a lantern into my hands. Then, we switched places, and he proceeded cautiously, sensing for enemies beyond the door.
"Besides, why is there a dungeon in a guild anyway? Do they even have the right to detain people?"
I asked Etowan.
"Their excuse is that it's for temporary holding. Now, be quiet."
Not just Etowan, but Hyakka also shot me a glare.
We reached the stairs in the rearmost section. One set led upstairs, the other to the basement. The staircase leading down was blocked by a door. Etowan listened intently for a moment, then let out a soft breath.
"There are people upstairs and downstairs. The ones upstairs… have killing intent."
"An ambush? This is a pain. There's a chance the ones being held are just wary of intruders and on guard."
"Yeah."
Hyakka and Etowan exchanged words in low voices. We wanted to search the lower level, but we didn't want to be attacked from behind, so we couldn't ignore those on the upper floor who were clearly showing hostile intent.
"I'll go."
Takemura said, brandishing his great hatchet and revealing sharp, fang-like canines in a grin.
"Wait, even with your [Vampire] ability, you can't regenerate from everything, can you?"
"Hey, you haven't said a word until now, and you're starting to worry at a time like this? It's better to deal with the problem quickly than to waste time dawdling here."
Takemura replied to me and set his foot on the stairs. CREAK. The wood groaned louder than expected, and we instinctively backed away, leaving Takemura behind. Takemura stared at our heartless display, his eyes wide, and shot a protesting glare at each of us before finally steeling himself and starting up the stairs.
"Don't ya think Takemura is cooler than Mash?"
Hyakka muttered as she watched his back. Then she looked at me and smiled provocatively.
"Takemura and Komachi are into swapping. If you say so, maybe we can swap Komachi and Hyakka…"
"Idiot! I'd never do it with anyone but you, Mash. If you say stuff like that, we're through."
Hyakka readied her lance, preparing for any change in the situation. Chihiro did the same, trying to maintain a distance from Takemura, but the ceiling here was low, unlike in the hall. It would be difficult to wield their weapons. As I was thinking that, Moos and Korne stepped forward, taking their places.
Following the New World members up the stairs, we found ourselves in a long corridor stretching into the distance. Doors lined both sides in a continuous row. At the boundary where the light from our lantern and Marmie's magic met the darkness, a group of six people stood with weapons drawn. The man at the front, flickering in the firelight, had a smile on his lips that suggested confidence, but his eyes weren't smiling. And his shoulders looked tense.
"Are you friends of Yuuki?"
Hyakka spoke, her voice laced with anger. But there was no reply from the adventurers. Hyakka's eyes narrowed, her expression becoming void of emotion.
"We don't have time for this. If you stay silent, we'll consider you enemies!"
THUD! With a loud stomp, Hyakka dashed forward to close in on the enemy. At that moment, a side door suddenly swung open, and a long spear was thrust out.
"Hyakka!"
"I knew it!"
Hyakka's ponytail swayed in an arc. With a light step, she dodged the blow and drove her lance into the person in the doorway. A muffled cry was followed by the dull thud of a falling body.
"Another one, that room!"
Etowan shouted, and Moos tackled the door he pointed at, smashing it down. Korne followed him into the room, and the sounds of a fierce struggle echoed out.
"Hey, we don't want to hurt you. Surrender."
I called out to the enemies standing frozen in the hallway. But it was Etowan who turned to look back, his expression showing his reaction.
"What are you so relaxed for? There's someone behind the door right next to you, too. They're planning to stab you in the back when we engage the enemy in front."
"Kuh!"
As I reached for the door, Etowan held out a hand to stop me.
"We'll take care of the enemy in that room too. This floor is secure. You're not planning on staying in the guild for long, are you? You guys hurry up and check the basement."
Hearing his words, I glanced at Takemura.
"Leave it to me. I'll help the New World."
Seeing Takemura nod, I headed to the basement with Maira and Marmie.
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