The Runesmith

Chapter 458: It’s Never Easy.

"If thou art compelled, it would indeed be a squander to decline..."

“Quite!’

Aubert Abramz\'s smile brightened as he snapped his fingers. From the side, a stunning woman with an elven-like appearance moved gracefully to carry out his order. She poured the red wine into the seemingly nobleman’s glass, her movements fluid and elegant. Her long red hair shimmered under the candlelight, and her partially elongated ears hinted at a mixed heritage.

The man sat in an expensive-looking chair, his attire more militaristic than regal, yet he exuded authority and confidence in his posture and demeanor. As he took a sip from the large wine glass, those around him dared not speak. Besides the beautiful woman and Aubert, various other lovely ladies waited nearby, all with lowered heads, seemingly fearful of catching Alphonse’s gaze.

"Pray, where hath we left off? Ah, yea, we were conversing upon the recent advancements in our modest enterprise. I trust thou hast successfully procured the cargo?"

“Of course, Master Alphonse everything is proceeding according to plan. The sla… I mean the shipment is ready for shipping and we have prepared everything just as before.”

"Most splendid! I shall entrust my men with its safeguarding, as is customary. However, there is a matter, I yearn to ascertain."

“Ah, what is Master Alphonse?”

"Pray, do allow me to address the recent commotion concerning the young lady hailing from the Albimond merchant family. I\'ve been privy to some disquieting tidings. Might this pose an inconvenience?"

“An inconvenience? No, everything will be fine… she won’t be a problem. She may have chosen my fool of a brother, but if she is not there to be wed, then my position as the heir will not be impeded.”

Aubert replied in a confident tone before this important guest. The man was part of the Valerian house, directly under Theodore Valerian, the individual who could alter Aubert\'s destiny. Everyone knew he was one of the main candidates for the Duke position. Despite the forbidden nature of their endeavors, so long as their illegal slave trade remained undetected, the profits gained would enrich the coffers of this noble figure. It was an investment in the future; if the man ascended to the position of Duke, their merchant family would attain unprecedented heights.

“Splendid.”

The Knight Commander nodded, and everything seemed fine. Aubert could already envision himself atop the world, with riches rivaling royalty. However, his excitement didn’t last long, as a knock echoed against the door to the private chamber. Instantly, he sensed that something had gone wrong as his people would not have disturbed this important meeting otherwise.

“What is it? How dare you interrupt us?”

He responded to the knock with a commanding tone. The door creaked open, revealing a panicked subordinate who swiftly entered the room. It was a lone man who resembled a butler, and he promptly reacted to Aubert\'s nod. He knew speaking out in front of the guest wouldn\'t be wise. Instead, he approached his master and whispered into Aubert\'s ear, his expression tense with urgency.

“M-master Aubert, there has been an intrusion at one of the locations.”

Aubert’s heart sank at the news. Intrusion meant trouble, and trouble was the last thing he needed, especially during such a crucial meeting. To his surprise, before the man could continue with the report, the man Alphonse spoke out instead.

“Pray tell, what manner of incursion do you speak of?”

Alphonse was a tier 3 class holder and a superhuman compared to the people gathered here. It wasn’t surprising that he was able to hear the news and it seemed that he wasn’t too pleased about this revelation.

“It’s nothing that you should worry about, Master Alphonse. My people will take care of you.”

"Indeed? Nonetheless, I am inclined to request enlightenment on this matter, as it pertains to our collaborative endeavor, for which I bear accountability..."

The Knight Commander put the large wine glass away and his demeanor changed. The atmosphere in the room shifted as Alphonse\'s gaze bore into Aubert with an intensity that made him shudder. Aubert knew he couldn\'t brush off the intrusion lightly, especially not in front of someone as influential and powerful as Knight Alphonse.

“Master Alphonse, I assure you, it’s just a minor hiccup. A few meddling fools trying to disrupt our operations. Rest assured, my men are dealing with it as we speak.”

Aubert attempted to downplay the situation, hoping to alleviate Alphonse\'s concerns. However, the Knight Commander didn\'t seem convinced, and his piercing gaze remained fixed on Aubert.

"Be that as it may, kindly instruct your attendant to recount the events that partook."

The subordinate hesitated for a moment, glancing nervously between Aubert and the imposing figure of Knight Alphonse. Only after the man that paid his wages gave him another nod, did he begin recounting the events that transpired a few moments ago…******

Roland tried not to sigh as he watched more than half of the prisoners escape the moment they made their way out of the underground prison. They scattered in all directions, clearly lacking trust in their savior clad in darkened armor.

With a shake of his head, Roland quickly shifted his focus back to the group that remained with him. It consisted of the four children that he had promised to save, the pink-haired woman, and a few other random people who seemed confused. Roland knew he had to act quickly to get them to safety before the guards realized what had happened below.

‘It’s just a matter of time before someone gets seen or caught. Then this whole place will be crawling with thugs or even worse, city guards…’

There was a big possibility that someone influential in this city was pulling the strings from the shadows. While the merchant family was involved, they could potentially be merely scapegoats, with the true mastermind hiding elsewhere. Roland speculated that it was possible this operation was backed by the thieves\' guild or, even worse, by the nobles residing in the city. Although this type of slavery was forbidden, many individuals in power were willing to turn a blind eye as long as significant profits were at stake.

‘The one that owns this land is that guy… I need to get out of here now but… what should I do with her and the others?’

The people present were clearly non-combatants. Most of those who had been in the underground dungeon were half-elves. Sun Elves and Moon Elves were renowned for their beauty, but they were unsuitable as slaves. Even when convicted of crimes, the kingdom had agreements with other nations. They sent them back to the lands of their origins instead, where they would be punished. However, half-breeds were often scorned. The Elves appeared indifferent to their fate. Despite being only half-elves, they still retained much of their allure, making them a sought-after commodity in the slave markets.

“I… I need to go too, Sir Mage, you have my gratitude but.”

“Wait!”

The woman that he had rescued wanted to leave as well, she saw the others running and wished to follow.

“I understand your desire to leave and I won’t stop you but there are a few things you should know, that brother-in-law of yours is probably responsible for all of this.”

“Aubert… I should have known that it was him…”

“I bet you didn’t but his men are spread out through the city, if you run into any of them, then you’ll end up in another jail cell.”

“But… what should I do…”

The young woman looked up to him with pleading eyes. Roland hesitated as he didn’t want to involve himself in this any more than necessary. However, he recognized that the girl would likely be safe if she managed to return to her fiancé or one of the loyal guards. With so many people now loose, it was a prime opportunity for her to make her escape, and with his assistance, it would be possible.

“Here, take this, this is a concealment scroll, once activated, no one will be able to see you.”

He handed her three small runic card scrolls which he had previously prepared for his trip. The woman took it hesitantly, her eyes widening in surprise at the magical gift.

“This… this is incredible. Thank you so much!”

She exclaimed with a hint of gratitude in her voice. It seemed that she understood how to use the magical device.

“Use it wisely and make your way back to safety. Try to avoid any confrontations and stick to the shadows, the magical effect will only work for five minutes so use it wisely.”

“I will, thank you.”

With a final nod, the woman turned and disappeared into the darkness, the scroll was activated and concealed her from sight. Roland watched her go, hoping she would find her way to safety amidst the chaos of this night.

‘That’s one down, now what about the rest…’

He was left with a group of children, the oldest probably at the same age of the young man he left behind outside. They were now his responsibility and to continue with the plan, he needed to rendezvous with Vico. However, before this could happen a magical explosion echoed in the place he was trying to take these kids to and it prompted him to sprint in the direction of those sounds.

‘Shit, did he get attacked by someone?’

The young man had been given a few scroll cards to defend himself. Roland had hoped that Vico would simply hide somewhere until everything was clear, but perhaps once the captured people dispersed, he also moved out of his hiding place. As Roland approached the building he was trying to reach, he noticed a commotion. A few guards stood in front of a charred person, one that seemingly received a bolt of electricity.

“It’s big brother, he is in trouble!”

One of the children Roland had rescued shouted as their brother was being assaulted. Three people were approaching him with weapons raised, but their attacks were ineffective as the weapons bounced away from the mana shield surrounding him. The young boy looked scared, his hands trembling as he dropped the rest of the scrolls on the ground and began to panic.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get him.”

Roland left the kids with a few reassuring words before he approached the three thugs. The building they occupied was more of a warehouse that housed a large carriage and the creature that pulled it. For some reason, it wasn’t alerted by the commotion outside or inside and the reason was probably the collar that it had around its neck.

“Hey who are y… aghhh.”

One of the men turned around to notice Roland approaching them. Before he could do anything, he was flung up against the wall and his allies quickly suffered the same fate. Their bodies slid down the wall, unconscious from the impact. Roland stood before them, his imposing figure shining from the runes under his cloak. The children\'s older brother lay on the ground, still recovering from the shock he received. Roland approached him and knelt down, checking for any signs of serious injury.

“Are you alright?”

“Sir? Y-yes.”

“Good, get up, we have to go now, help me get everyone into the wagon, we have to leave.”

Roland wanted to scold the youth for exposing himself unnecessarily to danger, but there was no time to waste. The place housed the slavers\' wagon, used to transport their captives. It was large and well-armored, the perfect mode of transportation out of the city. Even the creature needed to pull it was there, likely hidden from sight.

“Everyone! Y-you are safe”

While Roland attended to the creature, the children had a small reunion. The collar around its neck was enchanted, typically requiring a control device to operate. However, with his skills, Roland quickly attuned it to his runes, allowing him to give the creature simple commands, similar to a golem. With it under his control, the plan of escaping this place could commence.

With the help of his mana hand spell, Roland managed to get the large lizard-like creature into a harness. Fortunately, he had seen a few of these slave wagons before, which made the task easier. Meanwhile, the children had a heartfelt reunion, and with a few convincing words from their eldest brother, they began making their way into the slavers\' carriage. The other people, comprised of children between the ages of twelve and ten, followed suit.

Some of the captives were still dazed by their ordeal, but they seemed to understand that they were being rescued. Before everyone was on board, Roland took out a few round objects from his spatial bag. He threw them into the distance, with one landing right next to the passed-out thugs. Once this was done, Roland climbed onto the driver’s seat and used the reins to order the creature to move forward through the now-open door leading outside.

The creature obeyed Roland\'s commands, its massive form straining against the harness as it pulled the heavy carriage forward. They arrived outside the building and seemingly were clear to continue down the main street. He safely arrived on the main road and while remaining vigilant, he guided the wagon with the escapees down it. With the help of his sound canceling spell, he was somewhat able to maneuver through the night towards his last destination, one of the city gates.

‘I hope this works, otherwise…’

While inside the criminals\' lair, he discovered documents and identification emblems in the form of rings. If his hunch was correct, it might be possible to escape through the gate without further conflict. If the nobility were involved with these slaves, then the guards should recognize the wagon he had borrowed. He only needed to present himself as a new slave trader, and perhaps they would allow him to exit through the front door. There was movement behind him, but with the aid of some spells, even the patrolling guards couldn\'t detect their passage through the dark streets.

‘It\'s good that they don’t have any lanterns, otherwise, they would have spotted me by now.’

He kept a watchful eye on the surroundings, alert for any sign of pursuit or interference. The children inside the carriage remained silent, clearly fearful of their fate. As they approached the city gates, Roland could see the guards stationed there, their forms barely visible in the dim light. He slowed the wagon\'s pace, trying to appear inconspicuous as he prepared himself for whatever might come next.

The guards at the gate were surprised at the wagon that seemingly appeared from nowhere and approached it warily. At first, they seemed hostile but the moment they witnessed the slave emblem along with the ring on his finger that he obviously showcased, they changed their tune.

“Was there one of them coming tonight? I thought it was supposed to be tomorrow?”

“Don’t ask stupid questions and let them through, do you remember what happened to the last guy?”

Luck seemed to be on his side as the guards here were fearful of the men behind the slavers. The gates that had been closed began to open and he could release the grip on his staff that he was hiding away on the side. As the gates opened, Roland breathed a sigh of relief. The plan had worked, and they were now on the verge of escaping the city. He moved the reins and the creature moved forward but the moment they entered the gate, an unexpected visitor appeared from behind.

“Stop that wagon! Don’t let them pass!”

A man on horseback was charging in their direction, unmistakably a Knight. The crest on his armor identified him as belonging to the landowners and the group Roland was attempting to avoid. His heart sank, but it was too late to retreat now; it was time to initiate his backup plan.

"It never goes smoothly, does it..."

Roland glanced at the display screen inside his armor. There, he could see all the runic charges he had previously planted in the criminal lair. Alongside them, he had positioned a few sensors to enable access from this distance. He had known that some people had already arrived there but had hoped that they wouldn’t reach this gate in time. After confirming the absence of innocent bystanders, he quickly activated all the bombs that were placed and heard the echoes of the explosion quickly after.

The guards at the gate were caught off guard, their attention diverted by the sudden chaos erupting within the city. The explosions threw a massive fireball into the sky that illuminated the streets and shook the ground beneath them. Roland seized the opportunity and ordered the creature to move through the now-closing gate. Its large form strained against the weight of the wagon but it surged forward with impunity.

“Stop!”

The gate\'s safety feature was activated by one of the guards but just as the iron grate was about to fall down, it suddenly stopped in place. It remained there while Roland and the wagon passed through, leaving the chaos and confusion of the city behind them.

“Don’t let them escape you fools!”

The voice of the knight boomed from behind them and was accompanied by the sound of approaching hooves. The chase was on and there was quite a way until he arrived home…