novelraw Chapter 52 : Escape
Chapter 52 : Escape
Chapter 52: Escape
An empty lot on the outskirts, a shabby shack.
The sun had been high in the sky for quite some time.
In the stillness, so quiet that even breathing could be heard, Imelda opened her eyes.
“Dad…….”
“You’re awake?”
A somehow familiar feeling.
At Robin’s voice, Imelda turned her head.
“Robin? Ah… so it was a dream.”
“It wasn’t a dream.”
Imelda’s breathing grew rough.
Robin’s expression, which she slowly examined, was serious.
“The Baron passed away.”
“Dad died……? His head was cut off……?”
“I knocked you unconscious and fled in a hurry. We can’t stay hidden forever, though.”
Imelda stared blankly at Robin.
Blood vessels burst in her eyes, and her shoulders trembled faintly.
A complex mix of emotions that couldn’t be described in words came rushing over her.
“It must be hard, but we don’t have the luxury for this. Troops are spread everywhere trying to find us, so we need to leave this place as soon as possible.”
“…….”
Perhaps from the shock.
Imelda’s eyes became hollow, like an emotionless doll.
Robin briefly explained what had happened.
It had been a day since they escaped after avoiding the Imperial Knights’ Captain who had slain Baron Tefir.
When he had secretly looked around outside, a wanted order for Imelda had already been issued.
“Young Lady?”
“…So you’re telling me to run away while leaving behind the enemy who killed my father?”
“…….”
Disappointment and anger surfaced on Imelda’s face.
As if she were asking how he could do such a thing.
It wasn’t as though Robin found this situation agreeable either.
He wasn’t ignorant of what it felt like to lose someone precious.
Enduring her dangerous gaze, he opened his mouth.
“Is there perhaps a place you can go to if something like this were to happen?”
“Something like this? Cutting off a noble’s head? Who prepares for something like this!”
The stress from the sudden change in circumstances burst out.
Imelda rambled as she poured out the emotions welling up inside her.
Denial, anger, sorrow, confusion, worry, anxiety.
Robin listened in silence.
“Ugh… hic…….”
Only the sound of crying filled the shack.
She had acknowledged it herself.
That the life she had enjoyed until now was gone.
After venting her resentment, what came was a cruel reality.
In a single night, her family, her house, and her position had vanished.
Robin patted Imelda’s back.
By the time she cried until no more tears came out, the sun had set.
Until then, Robin stayed by Imelda’s side.
A cracked voice came out as if it might break.
“Robin.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
“What do we do now?”
“We have to leave Regiville.”
“You said soldiers are looking for me outside.”
“That’s… something we need to think about starting now.”
Imelda wiped away the traces of tears and stood up.
When she looked around, it was quiet.
Like a sanctuary no one could intrude upon.
But once time passed, it was only a matter of time before search parties would arrive.
They couldn’t keep hiding.
The troops Robin had confirmed before Imelda woke up were Regiville’s guards.
It seemed the Imperial Knights’ Captain’s forces weren’t present.
If they were careful only of Verman and his overwhelming power, it might be possible.
‘Verman, that Imperial Knights’ Captain… He was wrapped in aura like Sir Greg, but his power was different.’
Thinking of Greg, who had devoted himself to Baron Tefir until the very end, Robin steeled his resolve.
Right now, Imelda had no one to rely on but him.
He took a pocket watch out from his chest.
Tick-tock.
‘A way to get out of Regiville without being noticed by Verman.’
Golden particles gathered, and the needle spun around.
Robin focused even harder.
‘Exclude the area around the manor.’
Drawing a map of Regiville in his mind, he erased places with a high risk of being discovered one by one.
At last, the golden needle pointed in a single direction.
He didn’t know what lay at the end of it, but for now, there was no other way.
After taking a deep breath, Robin called out to Imelda.
“Young Lady, are you ready to go?”
Imelda nodded slightly.
Regiville fell into chaos due to the sudden appearance of the Imperial Knights’ Captain.
From the fact that he had beheaded Baron Tefir and displayed it at the front gate of the manor, it was clear that things had gone terribly wrong.
The Imperial Knights’ Captain seized command of the soldiers in an instant and issued an order to find Imelda.
Along with the warning that anyone who discovered her and hid it or failed to report it would face severe punishment.
After enduring relentless interrogation the previous night, Jessie was granted permission to briefly return home.
Even then, one of that cold man’s subordinates accompanied her.
“Haa… where could the young lady have gone.”
Having received orders to gather every single item related to Imelda, she was rummaging through odds and ends.
Creeeak.
‘No matter how you look at it, this is too much. Coming in without even knocking?’
Suppressing her anger, she turned around to protest.
“Hey, you clearly said I’d be the only one entering the room…….”
“Shh!”
Imelda pressed her index finger against Jessie’s lips.
Jessie was startled, but barely managed not to make a sound.
Only after confirming that Robin had closed the door did she speak softly.
“Young Lady! How did you get here……!”
“I came because I need help.”
Imelda got straight to the point.
Sensing the urgency in her expression and tone, Jessie answered immediately.
“Just say the word.”
“I’m leaving Regiville with Robin. Is there a good way?”
The place Robin’s pocket watch had indicated was Jessie’s house.
He hadn’t expected Jessie to be home, but it was fortunate.
Imelda placed her hopes on the words that would come out of Jessie’s mouth.
“There’s a carriage at the north gate. Elize Merchant Company visited this morning, but the soldiers stopped them. They’re leaving tomorrow morning.”
“Then we can ride that carriage. The problem is how we get onto it…….”
“Palacio. He came in that carriage. He has a connection with Robin, so how about asking him?”
Even after the escort for the Calimacos Mercenary Band had ended, Palacio had continued to accommodate Robin.
The merchant company Robin often used when sending mail was also handled by Palacio.
It had already been seven years since Palacio had saved his life thanks to Robin.
With the Imperial Knights’ Captain having forbidden movement, how would he respond?
“I wonder. Would he help us in this situation?”
“Ah! Wait a moment.”
Jessie rummaged deep inside a drawer and took out a brooch.
It was a brooch set with a red gemstone no bigger than a fingernail.
“If you take this and show it to him, he’ll grant the favor.”
“It’s a high-end item. When did you get something like this?”
“I helped Palacio once before. He made a big profit thanks to me, so he won’t be able to ignore it.”
“Jessie… thank you.”
Imelda was moved.
Helping someone with a wanted notice could get one’s head chopped off.
Jessie helped Imelda without a single moment of hesitation.
She bit her lip to hold back the tears that were about to spill.
Seeing Imelda like that, Jessie smiled sadly.
Robin opened his mouth.
“There's one more thing I’d like to ask.”
“Go ahead, Robin.”
“Please cut Imelda’s hair.”
“Indeed… a young lady’s glossy hair does catch the eye. As Robin says, it would be better to cut it.”
Imelda agreed as well.
Verman looked at Robin and Imelda’s faces.
To avoid standing out even a little, it was better to change their appearance.
Snip snip.
The light brown hair that had swayed softly was soon neatly trimmed.
“You look good with short hair too, Young Lady.”
Robin considered cutting his hair as well but decided against it.
It wasn’t long to begin with, so cutting it wouldn’t make much difference.
Was it because her new short-haired appearance felt unfamiliar?
Imelda kept peering into the mirror again and again.
“I want to stay longer, but we have to go now.”
“Is the soldier waiting downstairs one of your subordinates, Verman?”
“Yes. He’s an apprentice knight.”
The situation Jessie had told them about was not good.
Verman’s subordinates had already entered Regiville.
The encirclement had grown even tighter.
They had planned to wait until the day Palacio’s carriage departed, but they changed their minds.
“Thank you for helping us, Jessie. We should get going now.”
Robin left the door they had entered through untouched and opened the window instead.
After checking that there was no one around, he lightly leaped over.
Before climbing out the window, Imelda tightly hugged Jessie.
“Thank you. Really, thank you. I’ll definitely come back.”
“Yes. I’ll wait.”
That was their final farewell.
When Jessie closed her eyes and opened them again, the two had vanished like the wind.
“Young Lady, Robin. I hope both of you stay safe.”
Moving while avoiding the guards patrolling everywhere was not easy.
Even running across rooftops had its limits.
In the end, they had no choice but to wrap their faces tightly and move carefully, one step at a time.
“For now, I’ll speak casually to you in front of people. I’ll call you Melida.”
“Okay. Then you’re, um…….”
“Call me Roy.”
If she absentmindedly called him by his real name, it would obviously cause trouble, so they coordinated in advance.
Since Imelda had done this a few times when sneaking out, it wasn’t uncomfortable.
Click.
He hid in a dark spot and checked the silver pocket watch, but the same golden needle did not appear.
‘Phew, so that means I’ve used up all the time I can use today.’
After finding Jessie’s house, the pocket watch no longer indicated directions.
If he pushed himself, he could probably use it a few more times, but without regret, he tucked the pocket watch into his chest.
‘We’re almost there.’
Imelda had spent most of her time in the mansion, but Robin knew every street in Regiville.
The patrol routes of the guards were the same as well.
The one piece of bad news was that entry to and exit from the city was being strictly controlled.
The Imperial Knights had seized the streets, and Regiville had become a giant birdcage.
No one could go out or come in.
“There are more troops than I expected.”
“Rest for a bit. I’ll take a quick look around and come back.”
Imelda grabbed Robin, who was about to check for any weakly guarded spots.
The short-haired girl looked at him with anxious eyes.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to abandon you.”
“Come back quickly.”
Robin gave a small nod and climbed up onto a building roof.
The guards lined up in a row in front of the gate looked like a human wall.
Six carriages that hadn’t been able to enter the city were waiting outside.
Even in the middle of the night, thanks to the torches, he could recognize the Elize Merchant Company’s carriages at a glance.
‘There’s no one who looks like a knight.’
Perhaps because they had heightened their alert, guards passed by about once every ten minutes.
At first glance, it looked hard to escape, but if used well, it might be possible.
He roughly pictured what needed to be done.
When he came down from the roof, he saw Imelda crouched down, her face buried in her knees.
At the sound of footsteps, she slightly lifted her head.
She looked pitiful, like a rain-soaked puppy waiting for its owner.
“You’re back.”
“Of course. We’re going out, so get up.”
Robin’s plan was simple.
Disguise themselves as guards who patrolled the area at short intervals.
Somehow pass through the gate, get on a carriage, and leave.
It was full of holes, but for now, this was the best option.
‘If things go wrong, I can just knock everyone out.’
It was a plan where improvisation was key, but that was why he judged the chances of success to be high.
There were no knights.
Ordinary guards were no match for Robin.
Even if he was discovered, there would be no problem getting away.
“They’re coming over there.”
Robin hid his body, following where Imelda pointed.
A pair of guards was walking while chatting.
He quietly approached from behind and struck the back of their heads with his sword hilt.
Thud. Thud.
“I’m sorry.”
In an instant, he knocked out the two and hurriedly stripped them of their clothes.
They quickly changed and hastened their steps.
They approached a guard who was standing watch in the distance.
“Hm? Is something going on?”
From here on, this was important.
Robin took out the lines he had prepared.
“I found this on the way, you see.”
When Robin lifted his luggage bag, the guard examined it closely.
“There are carriages from a merchant company outside, right? I was hoping to earn a little extra on the side.”
“What’s inside that?”
“It’s nothing special. But the tableware looks pretty expensive. I wanted to at least get it appraised—do you think that’d be possible?”
The guard stared intently at Robin.
Robin hurriedly added, as if he had just remembered something.
“Once I sell this bag, I’ll buy a drink for each of the comrades here.”
“Make sure you keep that promise.”
The guard grinned and stepped aside.
Step. Step.
No one blocked Robin and Imelda.
They passed the flickering torches and headed outside the gate.
At last, they stood in front of the Elize Merchant Company’s carriage.
Knock knock.
When he knocked on the door, a familiar face appeared.
Palacio swept his gaze over Robin and Imelda, then shut his mouth.
Just as Robin was about to speak naturally—
A voice he had never heard before flowed out from inside.
“Who is it at this hour?”
“A guard. I’ll go check it out, Sir Juggly.”
‘Sir Juggly?’
A knight was riding in the carriage.
Caught off guard by the unexpected presence, Robin froze.