Chapter 173: Oath
Carl skillfully hid a dagger up his sleeve, saying it was his specialty. Of course, it would only be used once the child hostage was secured. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
It had been a while since I’d seen Carl cross-dress. His disguise wasn’t as flawless as the first time I saw it, but I didn’t think it would be noticeable, especially in the dark setting of the hideout.
“Miss, if anything happens, please just run,” Carl said.
“Ah, yes, thank you,” I replied, adopting the formal tone of a noble lady for the first time in a while.
Carl narrowed his eyes, clearly dissatisfied with my response.
“I’m serious, Miss.”
“Huh? I’m serious too…”
“You really don’t have a sense of danger, do you?”
“Carl, I think you’re becoming less harsh as the days go by…”
Was this his true personality showing? Well, being related to Sigren, it seemed that fierceness might run in their family.
“…”
Carl fell silent, seemingly at a loss for words after my unexpected comment.
“It was rude of me, I apologize,”
“No, I didn’t expect an apology. I just meant it’s nice that we’re getting closer.”
“…”
Once again, Carl went quiet.
Well, it seemed I had earned enough trust for him to reveal more of his true nature. Of course, there was still a gap between us due to our differing statuses, but I wasn’t particularly attached to receiving noble treatment, so I decided to think positively. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
From that point on, Carl only spoke again when we reached the bandits’ hideout.
“We’re here,” he said.
As soon as the words left his mouth, a harsh voice sounded nearby.
“HEY, WHO’S THERE?”
Carl responded in a gentle voice, different from his usual tone. “I’m here to make the deal, as you requested.”
As soon as the bandits heard the soft voice, they relaxed. “Alright, you’re finally here! I was starting to think we’d need to send the chief his kid’s little finger. Glad to see he got the message.”
Torches lit up the area around the hideout, accompanied by their crude laughter.
“He really sent women.”
“Guess they’re just whores he bought?”
Carl flinched at those words.
“What? Are you mad I called you a whore?” one of the bandits sneered. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Was Carl really upset about being called that?
“How could he trust a bunch of whores with rough diamonds?”
“Whore or not, doesn’t matter as long as we can enjoy ourselves,” another bandit added.
A man, who seemed to be the leader, stepped forward.
“Alright, show me the diamonds.”
“Release the child first,” Carl said firmly.
“That little brat?” the leader scoffed, pointing deeper into the hideout, and motioned for us to follow.
Inside, it was even noisier with more men gathered around, whistling and making lewd comments. In the corner, I saw Eze tied to a pillar. His eyes were swollen from crying, and he looked completely exhausted.
“Eze!” I cried, running over to him and hugging him like a relieved village girl. It was half acting, half genuine—I’d do anything to ensure his safety.
“Hey, don’t move!” one of the bandits barked, grabbing my shoulder. The force caused my hood to slip off. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“Ohh…”
“I can’t believe such a beauty came from a remote village.”
“Is she really a prostitute?”
Their words blurred together, a mix of insults and compliments. But I didn’t care—I was focused solely on making sure Eze stayed safe.
The bandit holding my shoulder grinned broadly. “Sorry, but from now on, she’s mine.”
“I think I can deal with you better than she can,” Carl said softly.
I understood his intent, but wasn’t that a bit of an odd way to put it?
“UGH!”
Before I could react, Carl’s dagger pierced the man’s forearm. His move was faster than planned, catching me off guard. I quickly slipped out of the bandit’s grasp, untied Eze, and retreated to the corner.
“Hey! CATCH THAT WOMAN!” one of the bandits shouted.
The bandits surrounded Carl, making him appear even slimmer in the midst of those towering men. Was he going to be alright? I knew Carl was skilled at gathering information, but I wasn’t sure how strong he was in combat. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“Your real opponent is over here!” I shouted, eager to join the fight, and began channeling my magic.
BANG! The door to the hideout was blasted open, and our allies stormed in. Their entrance was quicker than expected—it seemed Sigren’s patience had run out, pushing everyone into action.
Using magic in the middle of a brawl wasn’t easy, though.
“How dare that tiny village attack us!” the bandit leader yelled, clearly rattled.
Sigren, after cutting down a nearby bandit, fixed his gaze on the leader. I immediately shouted, “Sigren! That talkative guy is the leader!”
The leader heard me too, and as soon as our eyes met, he lunged, grabbing me tightly.
“If you want this woman to stay alive, clear a path!” he demanded.
Well, well, as expected. People always saw me as the weakest link.
Sigren and Carl both flinched, glaring at me with intense eyes. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Seriously? They knew my abilities, so why were they so worried? Being taken hostage wasn’t even scary—I didn’t flinch. They should focus on protecting Eze instead of worrying about me. With my magic flowing through me, I turned to the bandit holding me.
“The person you’re holding hostage—” I began with a smile and sent a weak electric shock through his body, “—is actually the strongest person here.”
You messed with the wrong person, you bastard.
“ACKK!!” The man’s agonized scream echoed through the hideout. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
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