Chapter 178: Pursuit
TL: Etude
Even after dark, the streets of Ness were bustling, as befitting a commercial city with a relatively vibrant nightlife for the era.
Only after 9 p.m. did the streets begin to clear as people gradually made their way home to rest.
A troop emerged from the back door of the cathedral, heading straight for the north gate.
This group included a carriage drawn by two horses and 30 knights. Ten were fully armed in heavy armor while the remaining 20 were dressed in plain clothes but also carried swords and other weapons.
They reached the north gate quickly and were stopped by the gate guards.
The leading knight was tensehad the news leaked?
He maintained his composure on the surface, Whats the problem? I recall the north gate was allowed to open at night, correct?
Holy Knight, sir.
The guards recognized them as church personnel and became exceedingly respectful.
A noble from the Grand Duchy of Eton has been kidnapped in the city; weve been ordered to check the vehicles and boxes of passengers.
Fury contorted the knights face:
Ridiculous, do you really think we holy servants would do such a thing?
No, no! Of course not, but this is an order from above, and we must comply.
The knight bellowed with eyes ablaze, You
Whats going on here?
A sleepy man, dressed similarly to the guards, came over.
Captain, these Church folks arent letting us do our checks!
Upon hearing Church, the small unit captain snapped awake.
The knight stared down the captain with a contemptuous gaze.
A special envoy from the Holy See is in the carriage, urgently needing to get to a church outside the city tonight. He is resting inside after a tiring day. If you were to disturb this guest, hmm!
The implied threat made the captain slap the guard across the face.
You blind fool! Even you dare to inspect the vehicles of holy knights!
Though reluctant, the guard quickly apologized.
The captain flattered the knight obsequiously, Ha ha, please dont take it to heart, Lords. This brother here is new and doesnt understand protocol.
Then he yelled to his subordinates. Clear the way! Let them through!
The knight gave him a look that said, Now youre sensible, but couldnt be bothered to speak a word more as he and his caravan continued forward.
The small unit captain dragged the guard aside to reprimand him.
Youve lost your mind! Daring to check a Church carriage? If they slapped a suspicion of witchcraft charge on you, it would be the end of us all too.
Captain, are we really allowing them to be so arrogant? the guard asked, showing a hint of defiance.
Let them be, Ive heard some rumors that the Council
The captain and the guard muttered to each other.
The Church caravan quickly left the area surrounding Ness and headed into the quieter parts of the countryside as the roads darkened and trees became more plentiful.
Captain, are we truly doing the right thing? Isnt this against the teachings of the Lord of Light?
Seeing no one else around, a young Church knight couldnt help but express the doubts in his heart.
Secretly imprisoning a noble girl didnt seem like righteous behavior.
The captain, who was leading, sighed.
I dont know if its right or wrong. But I was raised by the Church. If it hadnt been for them, I wouldve perished on the streets when I was ten.
So, any command from the Church, I shall execute without hesitation.
The querying knight fell silent, pondering unknown thoughts.
They continued through a dense forest, lighting torches for illumination.
Beyond the sound of horseshoes and the jostling of the carriage, it was eerily still.
Suddenly, the whistle of objects slicing through the air pierced the quiet night; something was shooting at them swiftly from the darkness.
One of the heavily armored knights felt a strong force hit him, nearly knocking him off his horse.
He realized in an instanttheir caravan was under attack.
But the first wave was not aimed at the humans; it targeted the knights horses instead.
The sound of bolts hitting flesh echoed as several horses took hits and went wild, tossing their riders and charging blindly into the night!
The riders were thrown to the ground, scrambling back to the carriage.
The ambush! Gather around the carriage!
Who dares attack the Churchs troops?
A reply came from the darkness. Leave your money if you wish to pass!
The captain cursed internally. Incompetent city guards, to encounter bandits so close to the city!
A second barrage of bolts flew in, this time targeting the humans, with five members of the Churchs caravan struck down.
Several knights, eager to defend, hurled their torches into the surroundings. The illuminating flame revealed shadows lurking in the nearby woods.
People to the west! And the east! Thyss, take your men west; Haun, stay with the carriage! The rest, with me!
The knights split into three groups remarkably quickly.
Raised from childhood in martial training, these Church knights lacked systematic military education. Driven merely by fervent passion, they believed themselves invincible under the Lords protection.
In ambush was a contingent from the Grand Duchy of Eton. Dressed in black and carrying powerful bows and crossbows, they hid by the road. But due to the dark, their aim was less accurate than anticipated, reducing the effectiveness of their initial volleys.
Confronted by the Church knights rush, the Eton guards drew their weapons to engage in close combat, disguising their main intent. To conceal interest in the carriage, they played the part of simple highway robbers.
The Eton guards, initially 35 in number and possessing significant fighting prowess, leveraged their numerical superiority to gain the upper hand.
After a fierce struggle lasting more than ten minutes, the dispatched Church knights suffered significant losses. The captain shouted, Haun, we will hold the enemy; flee with the carriage!
The knights and coachman near the carriage whipped their horses to surge northward, caring little for any more ambushes along the way.
Crushing reality soon broke their prayers for an unimpeded patha second detachment of about ten riders intercepted them, with their meager number of six unable to offer much resistance.
Church dogs!
The head of the opposition cursed them as electrical sparks started to flash between their clasped hands, signaling a brewing thunderstorm.
Witches!
The knight Haun cried in dismay, his men in panic, unprepared for an encounter with a witch in the wild.
Dont panic! Haun commanded. Take out that villain conjuring first!
He led the charge, his men following suit.
Almighty Lord, grant us victory over evil!
As the knights reached a significant speed, another person among the road blockers stretched out their hands forward, muttering. Wall Shield.
Instantly, the five charging knights crashed as though against a solid barrier, their mounts suffering grievous wounds while the riders were flung off by the force, two of them knocked unconscious.
Hmph! Idiots! Finish them.
The spellcasters hands dimmed, spitting at the fallen knights.
His companions rushed towards the dazed riders, finishing them off one by one.
The two spellcasters conversed quietly:
I didnt expect that random mire spell to work so well, bringing us luck today.
Our initial plan was to go unnoticed. Should we hand her over to them?
No, lets stick to the original plan. Heh, heh, weve prepared a few surprises!
Alright, well do as you say.
They then approached the carriage, noticing the coach was now unoccupiedthe coachman had fled, possibly hiding nearby, shivering in fear.
However, they were not interested in the escaped coachman; the person inside the carriage mattered more.
Shockingly, when they attempted to take control, the two horses suddenly turned around and headed back towards Ness.
Whats happening?
Chase them!
The group hastily returned to mount their horses nearby, rushing after the runaway carriage, which, by now, was far ahead.
Suddenly, a blue light flashed on the riders seat, revealing two womens silhouettes.
How long can Featherlight last?
About half an hour.
Hearing Ladis answer, Helen grew uneasyhalf an hour was too short.
Why was there a second group on the road, and why were they targeting Fennie? With at least two mages among them, could they be the ones who initially abducted her?
Before their questions were answered, the carriage came upon the remaining Eton guards, now reduced to ten, who were charging down the same road, apparently finished with their clash with the Church knights.
Confused to see the oncoming carriage, the guards didnt quite grasp what was happening.
But a womans voice rang out. Someones after us; block them!
The voice of the Duchess! Despite their masked faces, the guards recognized her unmistakable voice.
Before they could ask why the Duchess was there, the ten guards allowed the carriage to pass, positioning themselves on the road, awaiting the pursuers Helen mentioned.
After half an hour of frantic riding, the effect of Featherlight faded, and the carriage slowed significantly.
Their hearts heavied as they heard the sound of more hooves approaching from behind.
Helen, with most of her summoned guards in dire straits, felt guilty about their fate.
Were nearing the city gate!
Relief spread among the two womenif they could just reach the city, their pursuers could no longer harm them.
But suddenly, the horses pulling the carriage stumbled, nearly collapsing as they hit an unexpected obstacle, and the speed of the chariot dropped dramatically.
The ground beneath them was transforming alarmingly; what was once stable ground now turned into a giant mire.
Swamp spell, damn!
Sister, we have no choice but to confront them head-on!
Ladi and Helen quickly disembarked, straining across the mire with disgust. Luckily, it was not deep, or they would have been stuck and been unable to traverse in it.
Their pursuers caught up swiftly.
Ha ha! I didnt expect such a lucky hit with the mire spell! Its my lucky day, indeed.
The leader among the pursuers laughed heartily.
Two lovely ladies, seeing that carriage move so swiftly, surely you must have used some mystical methods? Let me guess, Featherlight? Or Speed? No, no, thats wrong; Speed only applies to people, so it must be Featherlight!
Ladi asked, Who exactly are you, and whats the purpose of your actions tonight?
To which the pursuers replied, We might ask you the same. Who are you to be taking this carriage and why?
We are friends of this child, obviously, we are trying to save her.
The pursuers burst into laughter again. So are we, here to rescue her!
Helen, infuriated, exclaimed. Nonsense! Answer me, were you the ones who kidnapped Fennie? Fallen witches!
Fallen witches? What of yourselves? Arent we the same kind?
Whos the same as you! (Same kind my ass)
The pursuers leader shook his head. I dont want to be your enemy! Witches should unite against the tyranny of the Church! So I advise you, hand over the girl to me, and I assure you, I will ensure her safety. Oh, and would you like to join us, join the family of witches?
Before Helen could respond, Ladi intervened. The family of witches? Are you part of a secret society?
Secret society? You could say that, but it wont be a secret for much longer.
Whats your organization called?
The pursuers leader seemed to hesitate momentarily before revealing, Arcane Society. Have you heard of us?
Arcane Society? Ladi was inwardly shockeda recurring name.
You say if we hand Fennie over, you wont harm her. What do you need her for? To make her a witch?
The leader shook his head. To tell you the truth, we were indeed the ones who abducted the Baroness. But not to make her one of usshes too young for that.
However, if you want to know more, you have to join us. Our doors are open to all our fellow witches.
From his bosom, he produced two scrolls.
Lets make a pact, bound by magic. You join us, and we guarantee not to lay a finger on the girl.
Ladi and Helen exchanged glances. Those two scrolls were no ordinary items.
And if we refuse?
The pursuers leader answered coldly, Then you must die!
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