Volume 1 Chapter 3 The Goal Is To Escape Abroad
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”…Hey, Anna.”
”…Huh?”
Anna lifted her face at the voice.
She was in a familiar room — a slightly nicer one she rented in the royal capital.
She sat on a soft sofa, still wearing her light armor. Her hooded cloak was off and held in her hands.
What was I doing?
She realized she had been zoning out.
The room glowed from the magic stone’s light. Outside, the window showed total darkness. She could not tell how much time had passed.
When had she come back? Her memories before and after were blurry, like a dream.
A flash of golden hair appeared in her view.
The owner of the voice stood next to her.
Hands on hips, with a worried look, the familiar, cute face belonged to a friend.
──That’s right, she──
”Are you okay? You look bad. You should rest today──”
”No, I’m fine. I was just zoning out. But, Tiet, what about Klock?”
She focused on the current situation.
Though grateful for her friends’ care, there were more urgent things.
She clenched her fist and remembered the man who escaped.
”…That bastard already left the royal capital. Hermine found signs of his escape, so it’s true.”
She lowered her gaze at the news.
Her enemy, Klock Livorno.
He was once the heir of the old Livorno family. Now, he had fallen and lived secretly as a thief in the capital. He caused the death of the former Anna — her enemy and ex-lover.
Her plan for revenge was almost perfect.
She had filled the outer moat, set traps so he could not flee, placed guards and magic all around the capital, and trapped him.
He should have had no choice but to be caught. He was to kneel before Hero Anna and beg forgiveness.
But it failed. He escaped easily by an unexpected method.
”We found out how he escaped. It was the Escape (Emergency Egress) skill. I didn’t know he had a unique skill.”
A unique skill is a talent one is born with.
It is different from magic technology.
Escape (Emergency Egress) teleports you out of buildings or places.
It’s a known skill, so there is much information about it.
If used then, the exit must be outside the royal capital.
Very few people have unique skills.
Maybe one in each town, if any.
The skill type is fixed at birth. Few ways exist to find out if someone has it. If hidden, no one may ever know.
In her past life with him, she never heard this story.
He hid it well.
So, she never expected it.
”We allied with the kingdom, set up incredibly thorough physical barriers across the entire capital, and even deployed soldiers to patrol every corner of the town—and yet we still failed. Didn’t you know he had a unique skill?”
”I didn’t.”
She responded bluntly to her companion’s question.
”How could you not know? When you were lovers, wouldn’t you share secrets? Could it be he never abandoned you, and it was just a game?”
”…Huh? Um…”
Tiet stepped back, confused.
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Then came the sound of the door opening and closing.
Footsteps clattered on stone — two pairs.
”What are you doing making Anna cry?”
”…I’m not making her cry. Don’t say that.”
A familiar voice arrived. Their companion returned.
She complained while walking around the sofa.
Anna looked up and smiled.
It was Hermine, who had done follow-up investigation. Behind her was Oriana, sent to explain the situation to the kingdom.
”Anna is emotionally unstable. You should rest and calm down.”
”I’m fine…”
”No, you’re not. You could have caught that villain when you found him. Why didn’t you? You said you’d leave the past behind, but you’re still holding on.”
Anna had no reply.
Hermine was right. Anna could have killed Klock easily. Instead, she started talking. That alone wasn’t bad, but he escaped.
Many people worked for Anna’s sake.
Since the ending was confusing to outsiders, they struggled to explain it to the kingdom.
Oriana smiled at Anna, as if saying not to worry.
”…I’m sorry.”
”I’m not angry. I understand. But for now, put this revenge aside. Anna, go back to your job as a hero.”
At Hermine’s words, Anna looked surprised.
”The incident in Theocracy. You were to join the search. That is urgent. Put your revenge on hold. We will keep searching for that villain later.”
* * *
A mountain path stretched before me, full of trees and nature.
The forest rustled in the gentle breeze.
The sun was setting, painting the mountains red.
Three days had passed since I left the royal capital and fled.
I used my drinking buddies as a shield and walked day and night.
I avoided roads with people.
I took narrow, hidden paths in bushes meant for animals, moving carefully and staying alert for pursuers.
I had no money or food.
So, I drank only river water.
Now, taking short breaks, I hurried toward the next town.
Ahead was a quiet mountain village near the capital.
There, I would eat. Then after one night’s rest, I’d go to the port town.
I was hunted and had to leave the kingdom fast.
I left the capital in a rush with no supplies.
No money was normal, but no food was brutal.
It would help if I could hunt animals, but I couldn’t. I grew up in the city and had no skills to hunt or cook meat.
Wild vegetables grew around me.
But I had no knowledge to know which were safe to eat.
I could eat fruits sold in stores, but these were rare on the way.
My stomach relied on others’ supplies.
Damn, I’m hungry.
Just a bit more. Almost there.
I walked the mountain path, pain rising.
I wasn’t fit for survival. But I had a strong will to endure hunger and fatigue.
Until now, I saw myself as a dirty man.
I wouldn’t die because a woman I used attacked me.
If I gave up now, I could never be a thief again.
Still…
The opponent was very dangerous. Was she really a hero?
I thought about this many times while running.
Hero Anna. I barely saw her, but she was beautiful, glowing with magic.
That face was a stranger’s, though.
I didn’t even know if she was a true hero. But her power was overwhelming, so I believed it.
What mattered was her grudge against me.
She said I abandoned her in her past life.
I didn’t remember this then.
But now, thinking calmly, hints came to mind.
Three days had passed.
I had plenty of time to think while walking.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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