[Those Who Lurk in The Old Warehouse District]
After parting ways with Tayte and the others, Raul and I made our way to the old warehouse district, following the clue Marina had provided.
Once we arrived, we found no signs of anyone around. All that filled the air was the faint sound of a gentle sea breeze.
“It seems this old warehouse district is completely abandoned,” I noted.
“That also means it could be a haven for nefarious activities,” Raul replied.
“True.”
Keeping a watchful eye on our surroundings, Raul and I cautiously advanced towards the warehouse.
It was at that moment that we felt a sudden presence, causing us to instinctively leap backward.
“”!?””
Countless arrows whizzed through the air, striking the ground where we had been standing just a moment ago. The mere thought of what might have happened if we had hesitated for a second sent a shiver down my spine.
“Raul!” I called out.
“Yes!” he responded.
Without hesitation, we shifted into a battle stance and directed our magic toward the source of the arrows – a small, abandoned house.
I conjured fire magic.
Raul summoned lightning magic.
While we would have preferred to avoid conflict, being in a foreign country left us with no other choice. We couldn’t afford to hold back.
Our combined magic struck the abandoned house, causing it to explode. Five men emerged from the wreckage.
As anticipated, the attackers were not just a couple of individuals. I had suspected as much given the sheer number of arrows we had encountered.
“Lord Barrett… do you have any idea who these men are?”
“Judging by their appearances, I’d say they’re mercenaries, but… why would they be targeting us?”
I couldn’t discern the enemy’s true intentions, but a few things became apparent to me.
Firstly, these men were undoubtedly the ones responsible for Marina’s kidnapping.
Secondly, it was becoming increasingly clear that their primary target was me. If Raul had been their objective, they would have abducted someone else.
I cautiously attempted to approach them, but…
“C’mon boys.”
They opted to advance toward us instead. Simultaneously, more of their allies emerged from different directions, and the group now totaled twenty individuals.
Every one of them was armed and seemed raring to fight.
“Who are you people?” I questioned
“You don’t need to know—because you’re not leaving her alive.”
It was evident that asking for their identity would yield no answers.
…Were they hired by the men from the dungeon?
Or were they actually part of the same organization?
“What’s wrong? Getting scared now?”
“…Just answer me one question. Was it you who kidnapped Marina?”
“That’s it? –Well, that’s right.” The leader-like man at the forefront of the group readily admitted.
“My client seems to really want to get rid of you…I told them it would be difficult because we couldn’t exactly just approach you since you’re a noble and all. Then they gave me an idea. I couldn’t believe it at first… but who would have thought you would actually search for a mere maid by yourself.”
“What?”
The way he phrased it suggested that he had received a tip from someone who knew me well.
…Nonetheless, my number one priority remained to rescue Marina.
Who in the world targeted me and for what purpose—while these men might not have all the answers, they likely held a hint that could lead me to the mastermind behind this.
To rescue Marina and to get a clue about the mastermind, I couldn’t afford to lose.
“Now, why don’t you behave and do as I say? Otherwise… I can’t guarantee what we’re gonna do to your maid in our care.” The men smiled vulgarly.
It seemed like… I didn’t need to hold back.
[Those Who Lurk in The Old Warehouse District]
After parting ways with Tayte and the others, Raul and I made our way to the old warehouse district, following the clue Marina had provided.
Once we arrived, we found no signs of anyone around. All that filled the air was the faint sound of a gentle sea breeze.
“It seems this old warehouse district is completely abandoned,” I noted.
“That also means it could be a haven for nefarious activities,” Raul replied.
“True.”
Keeping a watchful eye on our surroundings, Raul and I cautiously advanced towards the warehouse.
It was at that moment that we felt a sudden presence, causing us to instinctively leap backward.
“”!?””
Countless arrows whizzed through the air, striking the ground where we had been standing just a moment ago. The mere thought of what might have happened if we had hesitated for a second sent a shiver down my spine.
“Raul!” I called out.
“Yes!” he responded.
Without hesitation, we shifted into a battle stance and directed our magic toward the source of the arrows – a small, abandoned house.
I conjured fire magic.
Raul summoned lightning magic.
While we would have preferred to avoid conflict, being in a foreign country left us with no other choice. We couldn’t afford to hold back.
Our combined magic struck the abandoned house, causing it to explode. Five men emerged from the wreckage.
As anticipated, the attackers were not just a couple of individuals. I had suspected as much given the sheer number of arrows we had encountered.
“Lord Barrett… do you have any idea who these men are?”
“Judging by their appearances, I’d say they’re mercenaries, but… why would they be targeting us?”
I couldn’t discern the enemy’s true intentions, but a few things became apparent to me.
Firstly, these men were undoubtedly the ones responsible for Marina’s kidnapping.
Secondly, it was becoming increasingly clear that their primary target was me. If Raul had been their objective, they would have abducted someone else.
I cautiously attempted to approach them, but…
“C’mon boys.”
They opted to advance toward us instead. Simultaneously, more of their allies emerged from different directions, and the group now totaled twenty individuals.
Every one of them was armed and seemed raring to fight.
“Who are you people?” I questioned
“You don’t need to know—because you’re not leaving her alive.”
It was evident that asking for their identity would yield no answers.
…Were they hired by the men from the dungeon?
Or were they actually part of the same organization?
“What’s wrong? Getting scared now?”
“…Just answer me one question. Was it you who kidnapped Marina?”
“That’s it? –Well, that’s right.” The leader-like man at the forefront of the group readily admitted.
“My client seems to really want to get rid of you…I told them it would be difficult because we couldn’t exactly just approach you since you’re a noble and all. Then they gave me an idea. I couldn’t believe it at first… but who would have thought you would actually search for a mere maid by yourself.”
“What?”
The way he phrased it suggested that he had received a tip from someone who knew me well.
…Nonetheless, my number one priority remained to rescue Marina.
Who in the world targeted me and for what purpose—while these men might not have all the answers, they likely held a hint that could lead me to the mastermind behind this.
To rescue Marina and to get a clue about the mastermind, I couldn’t afford to lose.
“Now, why don’t you behave and do as I say? Otherwise… I can’t guarantee what we’re gonna do to your maid in our care.” The men smiled vulgarly.
It seemed like… I didn’t need to hold back.
