Volume 13 Chapter 17 Midnight Incident
In the middle of the night, Al woke up to loud knocking.
"Al, wake up! Al! Al!"
It was Desmond's voice. That meant he had come back with Naresh. From what Al could feel, it was still a little early before they had to head out for the inspection at Alder Tree Street. Something must have happened.
"Okay... just a moment..."
Al got up from the bed where he had been napping and opened the door. Since the next job was before dawn, he had fallen asleep in his leather armor.
"What's going on?"
"Sorry. Help me out. There's a fire at Alder Tree Street."
Did they notice something? That meant the spies from the Tempest Kingdom must have escaped.
"The guard headquarters is in chaos. We can�t contact Commander Baron Nicholas. The lower guards say they've split into three groups: one to help with the fire, one to guard the gates, and another to search the slums for suspicious people.
However, the carriage watching Baron Zora�s mansion has also disappeared, and Sir Naresh is worried. I thought you could use a spell to find the carriage, so I�m sorry to wake you up."
Baron Nicholas is the head of the guard. It seems he is busy just managing the guards.
"Got it. Where is Sir Naresh?"
"He's in the meeting room right now. Lord Radyard and Sir Sigmund are with him."
Al lightly fixed his messy hair and checked to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything before heading to the meeting room. Naresh and the others had already changed into their metal armor, ready for battle at any moment.
"Good morning!"
"Good morning, Al. Sorry about this."
"It's totally fine," Al replied as he used the 'Locate Object' spell to search for the black carriage.
"Is there anything 1km (0.62 miles) northwest?"
That was where the spell reacted. At Al's words, Naresh and the others started to think.
"It's the guard headquarters."
"Guard headquarters? Then this reaction means..."
The 'Locate Object' spell finds a specific object you clearly remember. If there are similar objects, it shows the closest one. This could lead to the carriage they�re searching for,
but if Naresh and the others left a carriage at the guard headquarters after escorting a prisoner, it might react to that abandoned carriage instead.
"I see."
After hearing Al's explanation, Lord Radyard looked a bit disappointed. He felt sorry for having high hopes, but the spell has its limits.
"For now, let's head to the guard headquarters. There's a good chance it could be the carriage we want. It's pointless to search aimlessly, and we need to meet with His Excellency Baron Nicholas anyway."
At Naresh's words, Sigmund and Desmond nodded. So, Al and the others decided to head to the guard headquarters.
* * *
Al and Naresh rode their horses down the midnight road toward the guard headquarters. The moonlight illuminated their path. Up ahead, they spotted a black carriage stopped after a turn,
with a man in a black hood slumped on the driver�s seat, his face hidden.
"There it is."
"Yes."
Al felt tense as they approached the carriage, only about 20 meters (66ft) away. It was close enough for the 'Detect Magic' spell to work, so the people inside would have heard their horses.
The carriage was black with no symbols, making it suspicious. Just because it looked ordinary didn't mean it was not connected to the Tempest Kingdom.
"What should we do? Should we go for it?"
Naresh glanced back at the others following them. There were Lord Radyard, Sigmund, Desmond, and four attendants, making a total of nine people, including Al.
The carriage could hold four people. With the driver, it could fit a maximum of five. They had no idea how many magicians might be inside.
"Let's do it."
Lord Radyard spoke in a low voice, tightening his grip on the horse's reins. Al quickly touched Naresh's leg just as he was about to run. Naresh nodded in response.
Their breathing showed their training for the expedition. They were ready with the 'Physical Boost' spell. Al wanted to use 'Sensory Boost' too, but enhancement spells needed touch, taking too long one by one.
They were short on time. Al had planned to use those spells after reaching the guard headquarters, but that turned out to be a mistake.
The driver of the black carriage noticed Al and the others and tried to leave. However, Lord Radyard's horse quickly blocked the way.
With a loud thud, the carriage roof opened, and a man in a robe stuck his head out. It wasn't Lord Veil.
"Magic--"
"Spasm."
Al didn't know what he was planning to use, but he somehow managed to stop the spell. The man in the robe widened his eyes in surprise.
The carriage door opened, and 3 men in black hoods jumped out, each holding a sword. One more man in a black hood jumped down from the driver's seat.
"Naresh. Stay calm!"
In the quiet midnight town, the sound of hooves and Naresh's voice echoed. However, the men showed no signs of hesitation and charged at Naresh and the others.
'Round Blade' Straight Sword Technique--All-Around Attack
Naresh kicked off the ground and ran straight toward the 4 of them, spinning his sword. The hooded men raised their swords to block Naresh's attack, but they were blown away by his speed and force.
"Oh?!
The speed was so incredible that Lord Radyard and the others couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
Seeing this, the magician began to chant the next spell. However, when Lord Radyard and the others, who arrived at the carriage a little late, confront them with swords, they raised their hands in surrender, looking like they had given up on resisting.
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