I was sprinting forward, weaving through the crowd as best as I could, trying my best not to bump into any of them.
Thankfully, my legs no longer felt like jelly, but I still couldn’t run at full speed due to the people running around for their own sake.
“Move out of the way!”
Still, I tried my best to push through them. I couldn’t let that robed man get away. No matter what.
He turned a corner into an alley from what I observed as Carine, lost sight of him after that. If I didn’t act fast, he would disappear for good.
After a long careful sprint through the panicking crowd, I managed to get to the end of the street. I wasn’t tired at all, barely broke a sweat! So, when I noticed that the corner he took was right in front of me, I didn’t waste a single second.
The alley was damp and cramped, but it was still better than fighting the waves of people back on the street. I managed to not slip on any of the dirty puddles and leaped over some small obstacles like trash and empty baskets.
Before long, I was at an intersection of alleys. I stopped in my tracks, head turning frantically. Where did he go? Which turn did he take?
“Dammit!” I punched a nearby wall out of frustration, thinking I actually lost him.
But then, I heard him.
“I did it… I did it… Hehehe~”
Don’t tell me, he’s the same one from the square?!
The laugh was coming from the south. The same direction where the square is. It all fits together.
With a new destination, I charged forward.
After getting out of the alleys, I took the streets and managed to get to the square again. The creepy noises from the back alleys were nowhere to be heard. Most of the people had gathered at the center of the square, their faces turned toward the castle. Dark smoke billowed into the sky as most of them asked each other on what was going on.
But I wasn’t here to gawk at them, I was here to catch that robed man. If I wasn’t mistaken, I’d heard his voice around this area before, near the incline leading to the northern street. That eerie, creeping laugh was burned into my memory.
I scoured everywhere, my eyes darting from one alley to the next. I kept my ears open for that creepy laugh, just in case. Then, I heard a couple of footsteps in one of them, followed by that quiet creepy laugh again.
I slipped into the alley, moving as silently as I could. I hugged the damp stone walls to stay out of sight. When I crept closer, the footsteps stopped. Had he stopped? Or did he realize he was being followed?
I leaned forward cautiously, peering around the corner. There he was, the same robed man that shot the [Fireball] at the castle. His back was to me, but I suppressed the urge to jump him right then and there.
First of all, I didn’t have a weapon. Second, what could I do against a magic-wielding mage? Third, something was going on.
I decided to stay hidden, keeping one eye on the man to observe. The robed man stood before a wooden door and knocked a few times. Moments later, a small hatch in the door slid open, revealing a pair of suspicious eyes.
“Ah, it’s you! Good job with the attack! Hurry, come in!" a gruff voice said from behind the door.
The hatch closed with a sharp click, and the door creaked open. The robed man stepped inside without hesitation. A second figure appeared briefly in the doorway, he was a stocky man with a thick mustache and chubby cheeks. His clothes suggested that he was some kind of nobility, but even without Carine’s eyes, I could tell his suit was worn down.
I quietly slid myself back even further, peering through the gaps of barrels for a peek. The stocky man’s eyes darted left and right, scanning the alley before retreating back inside, and shutting the door.
Right, there’s no way I’m storming that place alone.
As much as I wanted to deal with that robed man myself, I didn’t want a repeat of the cave incident. That said, finding out where their base was was already a good feat if I had to say so myself.
Back in the square, I noticed that there were no knights present despite the huge crowd. No doubt, all of them across the capital were rushing towards the castle. The royal family could be in danger, after all.
The more I thought about it, the more absurd it was. How could the castle, the centerpiece of this kingdom, be attacked so easily? In fantasy stories, there would be some kind of barrier over such an important structure, right?
But granted… that fireball spell… Despite its simple name, the firepower was immense. If that was the effects of [Fireball], I dread to imagine the effects of higher tiers of spells.
To think that the first time witnessing magic in this world would come …
Rare and devastating attacks like that, combined with the apparent lack of safeguards… Magic became less of something amazing in my mind, but more of a scary and dread-inducing concept.
Well, that was a matter for another time. For now, though, I decided to head back to the mansion on foot and hopefully find someone I could report the hideout’s location to. During the less-than-relaxing walk, I focused my mind on the other side.
The party venue was still chaotic, but things were starting to look a little better as a group of knights and servants rushed about, guiding guests towards the exit, carrying the injured on stretchers, and clearing rubble to clear a path.
The First Prince, the Third Prince, and Princess Munith had disappeared, escorted away by who I assumed to be Royal Knights since their armor had more flair and elegance.
A group of maids carrying baskets full of tools and bottles rushed toward me. They knelt beside me and tended to the cuts and bruises. Surprisingly, they didn’t use magic. Instead, I was met with the stinging pain of an antiseptic. Google seaʀᴄh 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⁂𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⁂𝓷𝓮𝓽
Fortunately, for the sake of my image, I managed to hold back my yelp.
“Apologies, my lady,” one of the maids murmured as she wrapped a clean bandage around a shallow cut on my arm. “This will sting a little more, but it’s necessary.”
Thankfully, they worked quickly. In what felt like just a minute or two, they were done, packing their supplies back into their baskets and offering me a small bow before moving on to assist the next injured guest.
As I rose unsteadily to my feet, I caught the sight of a stretcher being carried across the hall. The one lying on it was none other than Leila, still out of commission. I walked slowly to her side, catching up to the knights carrying the stretcher.
“Where are you taking her?” I demanded of the knights, though I felt my voice came out a little sharper than intended. The knight at the front turned to face me, we continued to move as we talked.
“To the infirmary on the lower floors,” he said firmly.
“Can I go with her?” I asked.
The knight nodded. “Yes, you should, Young Lady. The King has already called for the Saint from the Royal Knight Academy. She should be here soon.”
I stopped in my tracks. Not sure if I heard him right.