Volume 8 Chapter 5 The Great Escape Plan
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hooh. So this is your secret hideout. Hooh.”
”I’m not hiding, dumbass. I was running the shop just fine until recently.”
Boit had led them here after they left the tavern, walking a short stretch down the street to a freshly opened weapon shop. Of course, the door was closed now. He’d probably thought moving here would be a new start, and then—bam—war had swallowed the town. No wonder he’d been forced to shut the place down early. Honestly, it was almost pitiful.
”Oi, forget that—what’s with that girl? She’s freakishly strong. Thought I was gonna die back there. …Don’t tell me…”
”Hah? Oh, Cianie? She’s my girl. Got a problem with that?”
He threw out the name on purpose, cutting him off fast. The name known across the continent was Anna—the hero. Almost no one knew Cianie’s name, and even if this was just Boit, Klock saw no reason to tell him. Honestly, he’d rather bury it. Boit was about as trustworthy as an empty purse in a back alley.
They stepped inside under the hanging “closed” sign, and Klock wrinkled his nose. The place was a mess. Shelves stood bare where weapons should’ve lined up. Boxes lay all over the floor like someone had just moved in and given up halfway.
”What the hell. You haven’t even unpacked yet? How lazy are you—wait, or are you packing up?”
”Yeah. I’m bailing soon. Can’t tell what’ll happen in a town that’s under the Demon Lord’s Army. Gotta cut my losses.”
So. He was prepping to skip town in the night. Looked like he’d been boxing up everything from shop stock to furniture, then ditched the job midway to go drinking.
Being the kind of man who dipped his hands in dirty trades, Boit had scraped through plenty of tight spots before. His survival sense was probably sharp from it. And he wasn’t wrong—stick around here and he’d end up as Monster food sooner or later.
”How’re you gonna get out? The Fishkin have the place surrounded.”
”Not the whole wall. There’s gaps. You slip out at night and you’re fine. The problem’s just getting a whole damn carriage over the wall.”
”…Carriage?”
”Yeah. The wall’s low, so you build a ramp and send the horse and cart over. I’ll have the slaves do the work. Only thing is hoping no patrol swings by during.”
Wow. That was… bold. Instead of sneaking, he planned to punch through the gaps and flee. Taking a whole carriage over the wall. Klock would’ve tossed the luggage and gone with one bag at most.
Honestly, if he had slaves, he could’ve just made them carry the stuff—but Boit was set on keeping every bit of property, even if it meant dragging a wagon over the wall. That obsessive greed almost made Klock laugh.
”…Sounds like a long shot. If they catch you, you’re done. They’ll line your head up with your slaves’.”
”Hah? Thought the same, but a few folks already pulled it off. So yeah, it works.”
Apparently tested and proven. Enough time had passed since the Fishkin seized the town that escapees were popping up. If some were actually making it, maybe Boit wasn’t crazy to think he could too.
”…Hey. What if the whole town did it?”
”…Hah?”
The thought slipped out before Klock could stop it. What if everyone bolted at once?
”Instead of just you and the slaves, wouldn’t the odds be better if everyone ran together?”
”You stupid or what? That’s impossible.”
”Not impossible. Just set a date, spread the word, and all run at once.”
”That’s not the issue. I’ve got my own neck to worry about, that’s it.”
He wasn’t wrong. People naturally prioritized themselves. No one thought about others in the middle of an escape. Even prison breaks were usually solo—no one risked dragging extra dead weight.
But still. It didn’t sound like a bad idea. They wouldn’t be fighting. Just running. If they pulled it off, maybe—just maybe—it could save a lot of lives.
”…You just want on my carriage, don’t you? Should’ve said so. If that little lady of yours fights when it comes down to it—”
”Nah. Not interested. So that was your plan, huh.”
So Boit wanted Cianie’s power. Normally, you never admitted you were planning a night escape unless you trusted the other party completely. Boit wasn’t the type to blab. If he was telling Klock, it meant he wanted their help—specifically hers.
”Sorry, but I’m not desperate. Even if the Demon Lord’s Army starts rampaging, I can get out fine. The townsfolk, though… they’re screwed. If we just leave them, they’re all gonna end up as Monster snacks. We have to stop that.”
”…Monster… snacks? What do you mean?”
”The Demon Lord’s Army is using Monsters as soldiers in this war. And they’re feeding them humans. That’s why they’re keeping people alive here. For rations.”
Klock’s tone had gone deadly serious. Boit’s face tightened too. Beside them, Cianie let her gaze wander off toward the back of the shop, as if bored.
”…Heh. You’re serious. That’s insane. If that’s true, we’re all screwed. But if those Monster troops are coming, they’ll come by boat or something, right? We’d have to run long before they land. There’s no way I can take care of the townsfolk too. Everyone’s gotta save themselves.”
Even after hearing the danger, Boit didn’t offer to help. Not surprising. He wasn’t some fresh knight sworn to justice. Most people were like this.
”Wait. If Cianie breaks through the gate, we can get everyone out at once. She makes the path, and then they just run. And you can slip away in the chaos.”
”Are you brain-dead?! If it gets that loud, they’ll send every soldier they have! Staying small’s the only reason no one chases you!”
He was dead set against it. Fair enough. Escaping was dangerous; people wanted the safest shot possible. Why risk your life for strangers?
Still… a great escape. A town-wide breakout. Way better than fighting.
The idea had started as a half-joke, but now it glimmered. If the townsfolk fought the Demon Lord’s Army head-on, it would be a slaughter. Blood and screams everywhere, people breaking and running in panic within minutes.
And honestly, they might not even win. They couldn’t even get the rebellion started. Without Cianie, the idea of fighting was basically suicide.
But running? Running was perfect. They wouldn’t fight—they’d just sprint for the horizon. It was the one method Klock believed in more than anything. And with Boit’s wide merchant connections, maybe they could make it work.
”It’s settled. We’re doing it. Boit, you go rally the townsfolk. Make the plan.”
”Hah? Are you deaf? Not happening.”
Klock said it like it was decided, and Boit scowled at him like he’d grown a second head. This guy wasn’t going to lift a finger unless he was forced. Asking wouldn’t work. Orders would.
”Cianie. Somewhere in this house there’s a girl named Nora. Eight years old, I think. Probably near where you’ve been staring. Go grab her.”
”Okay. …Wait. Huh?”
”The hell?! Wait, oi!! What are you—!!”
Cianie tilted her head slightly, then nodded like she was agreeing to fetch groceries. Boit, on the other hand, exploded into panic, flailing toward her.
Making Boit listen wasn’t hard. Because Boit had something more important than his own life.
”Boit. You still haven’t paid for betraying me. So we’ll be taking Nora as the fee. If you wanna run, go alone. Fewer’s better, right? Your precious, precious little girl’ll be with us from now on.”
Cianie vanished into the back room and reappeared almost instantly, as if she had simply passed through air.
She must’ve been listening from inside, watching to see how things went. A small girl, barely taller than Klock’s waist, walked beside her with a wary kind of pride glinting in her eyes.
Nora.
Boit’s face drained pale. Klock smiled like the villain of a nightmare.
Boit’s one treasure in this world was his eight-year-old daughter. For gold, he’d whipped slaves half to death, pushed every dirty deal he could, even betrayed an old friend without blinking. His wife had bolted long ago, and he’d let her go like she was just another debt to be written off. But Nora—she was the only thing he’d ever truly protected.
”Wait—wait, come on! She’s… she’s got nothing to do with this!”
”Don’t like it? Then give me something else.”
…So this was how debt collectors felt. Crushing someone under your heel felt oddly good, Klock thought vaguely.
”…What do you want.”
”When you get out of this town, take the townsfolk with you. As many as you can.”
”You’re joking. You… actually care about this dump?”
”Hah? Like hell I do. Just do it. If not, your girl’s moving into the brothel tomorrow.”
Of course, no brothel in the world would take an eight-year-old. But facts didn’t matter here. Giving Boit choices was never part of the plan. No one would listen if Klock just asked nicely to help evacuate the whole town. To make this work, he needed the local merchant’s network—and that meant Boit.
”You bastard… you’re not the type to play hero. It doesn’t suit you.”
”…Who cares. So are you doing it or not.”
”…Tch. Fine! I’ll do it! I’ll get them out, alright?! Through the front gate, yeah? Try not to get caught in two seconds!”
Boit spat it out through gritted teeth. Nora watched her father with an unreadable look, as if trying to figure out if this was all real. Cianie’s face barely moved, but there was a faint twitch at the edge of her mouth—maybe even she was a little stunned. Taking a hostage right in front of a hero… yeah, that was pretty insane.
”…Anyway. Start reaching out to the others. Quietly. When the day comes, move them without tipping off the Fishkin. It’ll have to be a surprise strike.”
”…You’re seriously doing this. You’re dead serious.”
”Of course. And don’t you dare betray me this time. The whole town’s lives are on the line. If you screw us again, the streets’ll be buried in corpses.”
”…I got it already.”
Would this really work?
Maybe he should carve a slave mark on Nora, just in case. …No. That was too far, even for him. And Cianie might hate him for it.
Yeah, maybe not her. Maybe Boit himself. If he crossed them, Klock could drag him around like a pet until the Demon Lord went down. That wasn’t a bad backup plan, actually.
”Oi. You.”
Boit’s voice snapped the thought away. He was pointing at a young man hauling planks across the wide, empty floor.
”Town guard captain—Boston, right? Run to the barracks and get him. Say it’s urgent.”
…Where even were they?
Boit had brought them to a massive barn-like building. Several people worked here, busy with something, though no one paid them much mind. The wooden place looked more like a warehouse, but judging by the layout… it was for building things.
”What’s with the look. It’s just a shipyard.”
”They build ships here?”
There wasn’t a ship in sight, not even a skeleton frame. Maybe construction had halted because of the war. Or maybe they’d just delivered the last one. Either way, right now the space was just a big hollow echo.
”…Think I’ve seen those guys before.”
”Boats on loan. Might’ve run into ’em back in Shinnit.”
So that was it. Klock squinted at the laborers, realizing what had nagged at him—they were Boit’s slaves.
Mostly boys and girls, sweating through their work. If they were “on loan,” then Boit must’ve been renting them out for manual labor. So this place wasn’t his base after all.
”The owner’s famous among the sea dogs. If he helps, word’ll spread fast. And I called the town guard too. You should talk to them when they get here.”
”…Why are you even connected to the guard captain.”
”He once tried to buy weapons from me. Right after the Fishkin showed up. I turned him down, though!”
Boit laughed loud enough to rattle the rafters.
If that was true, then the guard must’ve considered fighting once. Maybe they’d backed off because they didn’t have the arms for it. Still, if they’d even thought about it, maybe they had some fight left in them.
”Anyway… mind if I ask something? That girl. She’s the hero, isn’t she.”
Klock froze. The girl wasn’t even here—Cianie was off “finding tonight’s inn” with Nora, which really meant keeping her hidden.
”Hah? What part of Cianie looks like Hero Anna to you.”
He’d suspected this would happen. Boit’s instincts were annoyingly sharp. You couldn’t tell this guy anything.
”…Then how’re you alive. You were caught by that hero party kid. Holy knight Tiet—they say she’s merciless to criminals. Why’d she leave you alive? Hell, why were they chasing you in the first place? Don’t tell me… you had something going on with the hero party?”
”Hah? Hell no. What the hell are you saying.
Look at me. You think a gutter rat like me could even stand near people like that?”
”…No. But that girl’s yours, right? She leapt in front of me and picked me up with one hand. The way she felt… like that Tiet.
Come on, Klock. Womanizer like you—what if you just happened to bed a girl who later became a hero. If that’s true, maybe even trash like you could be tied to the hero party… am I wrong?”
The fat merchant grinned, stroking his beard.
Klock’s heart jolted, and his eyes darted anywhere but at him.
Gods, this was why he hated merchants. They just… made up wild theories and flung them at you like they were facts. Exhausting.
And annoyingly enough, Boit wasn’t completely wrong. He had, accidentally, gotten involved with a girl who turned out to be a hero. Not that he’d ever admit it—he’d stick to “don’t know, don’t care” until Boit shut up.
Then again, maybe it made sense Boit guessed.
Meeting Tiet had made him realize there were people who felt different—stronger, heavier, like their presence bent the air.
Tiet didn’t even have to fight to show it.
Rosetta, the Hime-Neko twins, even Kuzuha—they were all absurdly strong. The innkeeper had blasted an Abyss beast to bits. He’d seen them all fight, seen the kind of strength that put them near the top of the world. But even then, Tiet had been scarier.
Tiet hadn’t shown much of her power in front of him, but still… if Rosetta was a wolf, Tiet had been a dragon. Just standing near her had said it all.
And Cianie… felt the same.
No magic aura or anything, but the air around her said “top predator.” Boit had sensed that. That’s all it took.
…Yeah. Maybe he should mark Nora. If Boit pulled something, Klock could slap a slave mark on her instantly.
Or better yet… mark Boit himself.
Keep him leashed until the Demon Lord was dead.
That idea was starting to sound better by the second.
While he waited for the coming meeting, Klock kept calmly plotting how best to enslave the man he was about to call an ally.
Notes:
• Boit – A merchant involved in human trafficking, with a villainous face and a loud, obnoxious voice. He is pragmatic and willing to help Klock escape the country in exchange for something. His relationship with Klock is business-like, though both are aware of each other’s illicit activities.
• Cianie – A noble girl with a fluffy white and light blue dress, indicating her high status. She has a hesitant and flustered personality but is kind and courteous. Her relationship with Klock begins as an accidental encounter and develops into a romantic interest. She has a fiancé but expresses feelings for Klock, complicating their relationship.
• Anna – The legendary Hero, chosen to defeat the Demon Lord. Her past life is Sylvia Croce. She is described as a heavenly being with overwhelming skill and a merciless attitude.
• Boston – Adelina’s father, who holds a position of power within the church hierarchy. He has a dark secret regarding the death of his wife, Adelina’s mother.
• Shinnit – Located south of the royal capital of the Kingdom of Crotopone, separated by mountains. A bustling trading town and the nation’s largest economic hub, controlling the Four Islands. It is a port city with gray outer walls, known for its strategic importance and military presence.
• Tiet – A companion and friend of Anna. A holy knight from the royal capital. She wears light armor and carries a shield adorned with a dragon holding a sword, indicating her affiliation with the National Military Police. She is concerned about Anna’s well-being and tries to support her emotionally.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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