Volume 9 Chapter 22 Departure
Two days later, it was the day of the Mushroom Festival. Just as the sun began to rise, Al, dressed for travel, and Barbara, wearing plain clothes and hiding her face with a hood, were at the intersection of West Main Street and Fourth Ring Road in the border city of Lester.
"Ms. Barbara, thank you for coming to see us off. Please go back quickly before anyone notices."
"Ah, I'll head back right away, Al. But I must say, it's impressive how you managed to sneak both of them out of that heavily guarded lord's mansion without causing a scene."
Barbara glanced at Patricia and Joanna, who were hiding in the shadows. They weren't wearing pretty dresses; Joanna looked like a young male warrior, and Patricia dressed like a small merchant's daughter. However, Patricia wasn't hiding her hair on purpose.
"Well, that's a bit of a secret."
Al smiled brightly. They had figured out the hardest part──the magic tool for security──thanks to something Leda, Eric's apprentice, had accidentally revealed about its range. They confirmed its performance by borrowing it from Guildmaster Levy, so it wasn't a threat. While Patricia was limited, Joanna could move freely in the lord's mansion, gathering info on the layout, guards, and door locks.
Al used the 'Fly' and 'Conceal' spells to sneak onto the balcony, which was outside security's view. Just like during Ruella's kidnapping, he put two people in wooden barrels using sleeping medicine and used 'Conceal' to carry them out.
"I want you to teach me that next time we have a chance. But if you can do that, then our escape should be fine. This is something I got from Guildmaster Levy for you, Al."
Saying this, Barbara handed Al an old leather belt pouch.
"What is this?"
"This is a magic tool called a magic bag. If you touch it with one hand and say the password, you can store things you touch with the other hand inside it or take things out from inside. It can hold the size of a whole big room, and weight doesn't matter. You can put living things inside, but if you leave them in there, they might die. This is the secret of how the Levy merchant guild became so big in just one generation. Recently, the business has grown so much that they don't use this as much anymore, but it's still an amazing thing."
The belt pouch was about 20cm square (≈ 7.9 inches square) and about 5cm thick (≈ 1.97 inches thick). A dark brown leather lid hung over the entrance, with a clover flower pattern embroidered on it. It didn't have any particularly fancy decorations, and it didn't look very special.
"Such a valuable thing... It will still be needed in the future."
With trembling hands, Barbara smiled brightly at Al.
"It seems that Guildmaster Levy thinks we owe Al a big favor for this. He wanted to give something in return, so he entrusted this to me. Also, Lady Patricia being alive is important for Sir Naresh. The Tempest Kingdom has to keep that in mind. Even though it's a remote area, they planned a big incident in a nearby city to kill her. She must be important. I've included some money, water, food, and clothes. I hope it helps."
Taking Patricia with him is Al's own decision. However, for Guildmaster Levy, it must mean something significant.
"I'm planning to take a few days to reach the frontier village of Orlando, so I might be able to lead the Tempest Kingdom folks that far, but I don't know what will happen after that."
"Ah, that's why Lady Patricia is dressed like that, right? Once you get to Orlando, she probably won't come back here. Thanks to Lady Serena's (Al's classmate and daughter of Baron Rain) careful planning, the others shouldn't make any obvious moves against us."
Barbara noticed that Patricia wasn't hiding her hair on purpose. She first considered having her cut her hair and dress like a boy, but changed her mind. Patricia looked shocked at the idea of cutting her hair. Besides, if the spies lost track of Al, they might attack the Levy merchant guild or stay in the border city of Lester to gather information. Keeping Patricia in her girl form with her noticeable hairstyle would attract the spies, even if they suspected it was a trap.
"I'm still holding onto the magic tool shaped like the hair accessory that Lady Agnes gave to Lady Patricia. That was definitely a listening magic tool. I plan to throw it away in Orlando, but should I spread some fake information before then?"
Hearing this, Barbara smirked.
"Yeah, that sounds good, Al. The magic tool was probably prepared by Baron Scully, who is Lady Agnes's (The second wife of Viscount Lester) real mother's brother. It might be interesting to say that Baron Pankraft, the captain of the guard, secretly helped him escape."
I see, that's a good idea. Depending on how far the intercepted information spreads, it could also help them figure out who is connected to whom.
"Got it. I'll give it a try. Well, I should get going now."
"Ah, be careful. And good luck with Lady Patricia."
"Eh? Oh... do I really look that way?"
Al scratched his head, feeling shy.
When Al went to pick up Patricia, he released the 'Conceal' spell right in front of the two who were anxiously waiting on the rooftop of the lord's mansion. She opened her eyes wide in surprise, and before she could say anything, she rushed over and hugged him tightly, much stronger than usual.
Also, when Al explained the 'Conceal' spell and asked her to drink a sleeping potion and hide in a barrel, she nodded without any doubt.
It seems that Patricia cares about Al more than just being someone who saves her from danger.
"Of course."
"But, just so you know, Lady Patricia is engaged. Until we know if he's alive or dead..."
"I thought Al had grown a lot from this situation, but in some ways, you're still young. She probably only sees you, and while Lady Joanna might say otherwise, deep down, I think she has already forgiven you. Be confident."
"Yes... Thank you. Ms. Barbara has also helped me a lot."
"Make sure to come back. Don't worry about me. Prioritize your escape. Don't get caught, okay?"
Al gave a small bow. He headed towards where Patricia and Joanna were waiting. They also bowed politely to Barbara from a distance. Since there was a magic tool for eavesdropping, they couldn't thank Barbara with words, but their feelings were conveyed through their gestures.
The 3 of them began their escape and journey to the ancient ruins.
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