Chapter 283: Throw Thea as a bait?
Luke recounted everything, beginning with the strange presence he had sensed in the forest and ending with his encounter with the man cloaked in black.
The reason he had gathered everyone was simple. Until he returned home, they needed to stay alert and be mindful of their surroundings. Yes, it would ruin their vacation, but that was far better than letting something terrible happen.
He couldn’t be everywhere at once to protect them.
This place was strange as well, with so many people around, he couldn’t be sure who was actually an assailant or who was just a curious onlooker.
Maybe it was because he has gotten a habit of living in a silent, less populated village that crowd now felt alien to him.
But well, with so many dangerous possibilities surrounding them the best he could do was make sure they were prepared.
"I never knew we were being followed," Roxanne muttered, her eyes still wide with disbelief.
Laila had a similar reaction. Well, she wasn’t a hunter like Luke but they should be at least had a hunch being followed.
"No, we weren’t," Luke corrected. "Whoever that person is either knew we were coming here or overheard our conversation with the guards earlier."
His senses had not been as sharp then because the moon had yet to bloom across the night sky. Even so, he had faintly sensed the man’s presence lingering in the distance.
That was why he was certain they had not been followed, at least not before they entered the town.
"This is so frustrating," Thea grumbled. "This is exactly why I didn’t want to come here. It’s decided. I’m going back home tonight."
"Go ahead. You’ll only make yourself an easy target for them," Luke said casually, making no attempt to stop her as she stormed toward the door.
His words worked instantly.
Thea froze just as she reached it.
Roxanne let out a weary sigh. "We need to stay calm, Thea. Home isn’t just around the corner. We’re too far away to act on impulse."
As much as it annoyed her to be lectured by Roxanne, Thea couldn’t deny the danger in what she had suggested.
"What should we do, Luke?" Monica asked.
Surprisingly, she remained composed despite everything.
Luke’s shoulders eased as he replied, "I’ll handle it. Tomorrow, I’ll meet the village chief and talk things through with him."
"I can come with you," Roxanne offered. "He knows me."
Luke shook his head.
"No. It’s better if I go alone."
Monica’s brows drew together ever so slightly.
"Luke?"
Crossing his arms, he spoke in a low voice.
"I have a feeling this entire criminal operation in the village isn’t happening without the authorities knowing. I can’t say whether the chief is involved, but someone in power definitely knows what’s going on."
The man knew the area well. Every jump and leap he took from one house to another could could have deceived even a veteran warrior.
Unfortunately for him, the one pursuing him became far sharper beneath the moonlight.
And the fact that no one came to investigate despite a massive cloud of smoke erupting from the rooftop made the situation all the more suspicious.
"Then why are you contacting the chief?" Laila asked, concern evident on her face. "Wouldn’t that put them on guard?"
Thea nodded immediately, clearly sharing the same concern.
Luke smirked.
"Depositing your money in a robber’s vault greatly reduces the chances of being robbed. If I ask for protection from the very people who might be trying to harm us, they’ll be forced into an awkward position."
"Ah..."
Realization dawned on Laila’s face, while Roxanne nodded with quiet admiration.
"You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?"
Luke shrugged.
"I’ve been through too much in too little time. Something like this doesn’t shake me anymore."
That wasn’t entirely true.
He was concerned, but only for the four women before him.
Had he been alone, Luke wouldn’t have cared in the slightest. He would have ignored the whole affair and enjoyed his stay. But things were different now.
He had a responsibility.
No matter what happened, he had to protect them and make sure all four returned home safely.
"Then what’s our next move?" Monica asked. "Should we stay inside until things settle down?" She wasn’t entirely sure how they were supposed to get through this safely.
In the first place, Monica couldn’t understand why they were being targeted.
Was it because of the toras? Or was someone seeking revenge?
If they were nothing more than ordinary thieves, they wouldn’t have pursued them for this long, especially after witnessing what Luke was capable of.
And if they belonged to something far larger, how long would they continue watching them?
"Leave the matter of getting home to me," Luke said. "For now, just relax and do what you originally planned."
Monica exchanged a glance with Roxanne before the latter spoke.
"We were about to visit the market, but now..."
"Then go," Luke interrupted. "Don’t lock yourselves in here over a few inconveniences. We don’t get the chance to visit villages like this very often."
He smiled faintly.
"Of course, I’ll come with the two of you."
Those few words alone lifted a huge weight off their shoulders.
With Luke by their side, it felt as though nothing bad could happen.
"Wait! If you go with them, who’s going to protect me?" Thea cried, panic rising in her voice.
Luke rolled his eyes.
For a brief moment, he was tempted to use her as bait.
Fortunately for her, that thought vanished just as quickly. The moment he had brought her here, her safety had become his responsibility.
"Don’t worry. I’ll arrange something for you two. No one will be able to enter this room."
He had already considered setting traps around it. Even if someone tried to force their way inside, they would suffer enough failed attempts to abandon the idea altogether.
And even if they refused to give up, they still wouldn’t be able to touch a single strand of the women’s hair.
"But Luke... wouldn’t that still be dangerous?" Monica asked, concern finally creeping into her voice. "I’ve heard there are a lot of magic users in this village."
Luke fell silent for a moment.
She had a point.
Then... what should he do?
Just then, Roxanne spoke up.
"I know a place where all of us can stay safely. It’s much better than this house, and I can assure you it’s almost impossible to find unless you’ve been there many times."
Luke nodded.
"That sounds good. We’ll..." His words trailed off as a thought suddenly struck him.
Wait.
If they all left together, whoever was watching them would almost certainly follow. Even if they couldn’t reach the shelter itself, they would at least learn the general area where everyone was hiding.
Luke fell silent as another idea surfaced.
If they were moving anyway...
Why not use the opportunity to draw their pursuers into the open?
A grin slowly spread across his face.
’That might actually work.’
~~~~~~
A/N:- Look, there wouldn’t be too much tension in this story at any point, because I aim at focusing on SOL more. Just a few Chapters and we would be back on track.
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