Can’t Escape
When Felice and others looked towards the source of the angry voice, they saw Zaran kneeling before Claude.
“You are unreasonably stubborn. We will hear your excuses in the Royal Palace. Take him.” (Claude)
“Now! Stand up!”
“Wait a moment, please! It was not my doing! It’s that woman… it’s Fleur’s fault! I did it because Fleur told me to! And yet, why am I being treated like this!” (Zaran)
“That’s enough. You are a Feudal Lord. A Feudal Lord who is supposed to protect the lives of the citizens of the fief won’t be forgiven for harming the innocent people for whatever reason!” (Claude)
“Hi!?… It’s not… my fault… not my…” (Zaran)
Zaran who got remonstrated by Claude got dragged away while muttering to himself.
Just when Claude unconsciously rubbed his glabella, the Knight Commander rushed over.
“Lord Prime Minister!” (Knight Commander)
“What is it?” (Claude)
“Something worrying occurred.” (Knight Commander)
“Something worrying?” (Claude)
“Yes. Actually, the Feudal Lord of Celsior who was in collusion with Zaran Kremer had also mentioned ‘that woman’ and ‘Fleur’ while being dragged away.” (Knight Commander)
“… I see. Either way, that woman will be dragged into the Capital as the main suspect.” (Claude)
“Is that so!? However…” (Knight Commander)
“What’s the matter?” (Claude)
“I have instructed my subordinates to bring her over a little while ago, but they reported that they couldn’t find that woman, Fleur, anywhere!” (Knight Commander)
“Ahh, no need to worry. We will deal with that ourselves, you guys return with Kremer to the Royal Palace first.” (Claude)
“Understood!” (Knight Commander)
Seeing the Knight Commander off after he saluted, Claude turned to Gai.
“Can I leave it to you, Gai?” (Claude)
“Yeah. Leave that woman to me. Still, she took action just as expected~ what a foolish woman.” (Gai)
“Gai, are you really going alone?” (Felice)
“Feli, it’s Gai, he will be fine by himself.” (Albert)
“It’s as Al said. We caught the Feudal Lord, but there’s still one thing you ought to settle, right? There’s no need to waste everyone’s time on that woman.” (Gai)
“… Okay. Be careful.” (Felice)
“Ou!” (Gai)
Claude and others apparently expected Fleur’s actions as it has been decided for Gai to act on his own beforehand.
Gai rustled the hair of the worried Felice and disappeared.
Albert tightly grasped the hand of Felice who was staring at the place Gai disappeared from.
“Feli, it annoys me to admit it, but Gai is strong. Let’s leave that to him and do what we can do.” (Albert)
“… Yeah!” (Felice)
Felice gave a big nod to Albert and the two started running to Gray and others while holding hands. Miguel and Nathan followed after them from behind.
At the same time, Fleur who disappeared came out of the forest, heading towards the gate of the neighboring town of Celsior.
She was walking with a middle-aged man of good physique on her side, while several adventurers followed slightly behind them.
The middle-aged man spoke to Fleur with a displeased expression.
“Start explaining already. We were supposed to get offerings from Count Kremer today. You know of that too, right?”
“Hmph… what offerings? It’s just money for introducing slaves, no? You are just selling poor orphans as slaves, who are you trying to kid, Priest? You should be grateful to me.” (Fleur)
“Grateful?” (Priest)
“The country’s knights are currently at that mansion. Zaran has been caught. Of course, the Celsior’s Feudal Lord too.” (Fleur)
“What are you saying!? Just why… surely not!” (Priest)
“Yes, everything has been exposed. The bandits, the kidnappings, and the slaves too, everything. They probably know about the orphanage’s money too.” (FLeur)
“That can’t be… oy, why are we going to Celsior then? The Feudal Lord had been caught, right?” (Priest)
“Your tone has changed, fake Lord Priest.” (Fleur)
“Shut up! Quickly explain to me!” (Priest)
“Stop shouting at me. Listen, okay? Celsior’s Feudal Lord has been taken away. Therefore, there are no Knights remaining in Celsior. Besides, they wouldn’t think that we, who are involved in the case would head to Celsior.” (Fleur)
“Hmph, I see. And so, what are we going to do after this?” (Priest)
“Think for yourself a little, would you? Well, fine. Once we are in Celsi-!?” (Fleur)
“What? What’s the matter?” (Priest)
Fleur who was proudly speaking of her plan suddenly stopped talking in the middle of her sentence, so the Priest looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Fleur had no time to mind him as she restlessly looked around without answering.
The Priest took offense by Fleur’s attitude, so he took hold of her arm and overbearingly turned her face towards him.
“Are you listening to me!” (Priest)
“Shut up! Have you not noticed it!? Look at your surroundings!” (Fleur)
“Surroundings? Just what… oy, the adventurers aren’t here!” (Priest)
“What’s going on? They were here just a moment ago…” (Fleur)
While the two were dumbfounded by the sudden disappearance of the adventurers, a Beastman appeared from a nearby thicket.
“Who!?” “Who is it!?”
“According to their expectations, huh…”
“What are you muttering to yourself! I asked who you are!” (Fleur)
“My name is Zoe. Don’t worry. I won’t do anything to you. I’m just confining you.” (Zoe)
“Confining us?” (Fleur)
“Oy, that’s a Dragon Beastman! We are not her opponents! Let’s run!” (Priest)
“Got it!” (Fleur)
The Priest broke into a run and Fleur followed, but Zoe only quietly looked on as they run.
That’s because they were running towards another opponent… who also had the duty of confining them.
“Guururururu…”
“Hii!?” (Fleur)
“S, Silver Wolf!?” (Priest)
“Don’t be ridiculous! The size is too different!” (Fleur)
“That’s right~ Don’t be comparing my cute pet to a monster like that.”
“”…… Who!?”” (Fleur & Priest)
When they looked towards the voice that interrupted them all of sudden, they saw Gai standing and smiling next to Zoe.
“You are… Gai, right?” (Fleur)
“Gai? Who are you!” (Priest)
“Lord! Don’t call me like that! I am absolutely not cute! I am cool!” (Wilhelm)
“”It spoke!?”” (Fleur & Priest)
“N~?” (Gai)
When Wilhelm ignored Fleur and the Priest who were shocked by the speaking monster and raised a complaint, Gai stared at Wilhelm in a deep ponder.
At the end of his gaze, contrastive to the angry face, there was a fluffy tail violently wagging from side to side.
Even though complaints escape from his mouth, he must be happy to be praised by his Lord.
Disregarding that the word of praise used was “cute.”
Gai turned towards Zoe who was standing beside him and pointed at Wilhelm’s tail.
“He’s cute, right?” (Gai)
“… Indeed.” (Zoe)
“Nuga!? Even you, Zoe! I’m a Fenrir! I’m strong, gallant and cool!” (Wilhelm)
“Yes, yes. You are cool, so cool.” (Gai)
“That’s too unserious!” (Wilhelm)
“Now, now.” (Zoe)
Zoe patted Wilhelm who objected in shock.
Gai turned towards Fleur and the Priest who were still dumbfounded and spoke to them.
“Oy~ I would like to continue our discussion, so return back already.” (Gai)
“W, why are you here…” (Fleur)
“Indeed. Where should I start… well, putting it simply, we predicted you going to Celsior. We didn’t expect the Priest to be with you, though.” (Gai)
“You are lying!” (Fleur)
“I’m not. Firstly, you have escaped from a cautiously watched Feudal Lord’s mansion. That would normally be impossible. But, we knew it was possible for you. That’s why we had adventurers standing on alert near the gate. We hoped you would recruit them as your guards. Well, they would follow you even if you didn’t hire them, though.” (Gai)
“No way… but, why are you targeting me?” (Fleur)
“Don’t play dumb. When we had a contact at the Adventurer’s Guild, you have used the Charm skill on us, didn’t you?” (Gai)
“!? T, that’s right. I used it! People did as I wished when I used it on them, but it didn’t work on you guys!” (Fleur)
“There’s no way something like that would work on us. But, using that is no good.” (Gai)
“Hmph! It didn’t work anyway!” (Fleur)
“It certainly didn’t. But you see… you have tried using it on my precious Lord. It wasn’t effective? That doesn’t matter!” (Gai)
“Hii!?” (Fleur)
Facing the wrath and bloodthirst she never experienced before, Fleur was trembling all over, while the Priest already fainted from fear.
“In truth, I would like to deal with you myself, but your testimony is needed to settle this incident. That’s why I won’t kill you. I will take you to another place for interrogation.” (Gai)
“I, interrogation!?” (Fleur)
“You better prepare. There’s a tremendously angry fellow waiting for you there.” (Gai)
“N, no, don’t!” (Fleur)
Gai approached Fleur, grabbed her by hand and transferred.
The place he moved to was the Faust mansion, right before the person of his objective, but everyone there stopped moving.
“””………”””
Gai averted his gaze not long before being stared at by Olivia who was pouring tea and Samantha who was happily stuffing her cheeks with a donut.
Within the silence, the first one to make a move was Samantha who gulped down the donut, took a sip of tea and spoke up as if nothing happened.
“Welcome back, Gai. You finished fast.” (Samantha)
“Y, yeah. I will be leaving this fellow with you then!” (Gai)
“Oh my, you can take it a little bit slowlier, no?” (Samantha)
“No, I have to return fast! It’s fine! I have not seen anything!” (Gai)
“My, oh my, ufufufu…” (Samantha)
“I did not see, I did not see! I have not seen you eating sweets outside the time you’ve set, so stop getting close to me!” (Gai)
“Ufufufu… that’s not good Gai, I won’t let you leave until the memories of what you have seen are thoroughly erased!” (Samantha)
“Gya-! Stop using the transfer obstructing magic tool! Olivia, don’t keep watching on and help me!” (Gai)
“………” (Olivia)
“Why are you averting your gaze!?” (Gai)
“That won’t work! That child is my accomplice, after all!” (Samantha)
“What!?” (Gai)
Gai who looked at Olivia after hearing Samantha’s words saw crumbles of a donut sticking near her mouth.
Olivia who noticed his gaze quickly wiped off the crumbles with a handkerchief.
“You-! Feli, save me! I am fine with you too, Al~!” (Gai)
Gai’s scream, unfortunately, didn’t reach anyone.