Hope of Escape

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

As soon as the knocking sound echoed, Liszt could tell from the rhythm and intensity who it was.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He opened the door, and a small figure darted in from outside.

The visitor took off his hood, revealing grayish-white hair, but underneath was a youthful face that looked to be around fourteen or fifteen years old. His eyes sparkled with cleverness and mischief, though his red nose gave him a somewhat comical appearance.

He waved his hand, "Hey, Liszt, everyone asked me to send their regards to you."

"Hello to you too, Roskin."

Liszt responded with a smile, recognizing the other person.

Roskin was one of the wizards rescued by Sevya, and he was the youngest among them. Since the successful prison break last time, the wizards had established a refuge in the vast forest outside Niceport and were temporarily settling down there. Sevya remained in the city to observe the situation, while Roskin was one of the most frequent contacts coming over, as people's impressions of spellcasters were often of bearded old men or wrinkled old women, so a ten-year-old boy could significantly reduce suspicion.

Roskin asked, "Is Sister Sevya here? I need to talk to her…"

"What happened at the camp?"

A cold female voice echoed, filled with concern. Sevya Asitini hurried down from the second floor.

"Hey, don't be anxious." Roskin waved his hands playfully, "It's not a dangerous matter."

Both Sevya and Liszt sighed in relief.

"So, you're here to…"

Roskin's expression turned serious, "The Arcane Order contacted us."

"What?" Sevya exclaimed, her pretty face losing color. "How did they contact you?"

"An arrow shot into the camp yesterday morning, and it had a letter tied to it."

"Isn't that a dangerous matter?" Sevya's face instantly turned frosty. "It means your hiding place has been exposed."

"All the spellcasters are in the same boat; they have no reason to harm us, right?"

"Hmph, you've been eating their food for over ten years, and you still lack the caution? Haven't you heard of the Arcane Order's reputation? Besides, do you really trust that they are who they say they are?"

Liszt recalled the name of the organization, and during this period, he had learned quite a bit about the world of spellcasters from Sevya. According to her description, the Arcane Order was a rather radical group, hostile toward ordinary people. They were also ruthless toward other factions of spellcasters with different ideologies; in short, they were a terrifying existence.

Ah, the legendary matters are actually happening right next to me, Liszt couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

Then Roskin continued, "Sigh, we're in such dire straits; if it were the church, they would have already quietly gathered troops to surround us. So, it's unlikely they are from the church. The letter didn't contain threats; rather, it mentioned offering help, but they want to meet with our leader first. Everyone in the camp agreed that you are the most qualified."

"Me?" Sevya was surprised.

"It was you who saved us from the fate of being burned alive. If it were someone else, no one would accept it."

Roskin said this as if it were a matter of course.

Sevya remained silent for a long time before saying, "Alright, I'll go on behalf of everyone. You need to rush back now and have everyone prepare for any unexpected situations, and also send someone to search for a new place to hide."

"Understood, Chief!" Roskin cheekily bowed, looking every bit like a loyal little brother.

"Goodbye, Brother Liszt! I'm heading back now."

He waved to Liszt before walking out.

"Wait! Tell me the meeting place and method."

…

After Roskin left, Liszt voiced his concerns, "I oppose your meeting with that Arcane Order person. I can overlook that little brat Roskin, but I can't shake the feeling that the others are afraid of falling into a trap, which is why they pushed you forward."

Sevya felt a bit touched but shook her head, saying, "It's not a long-term solution for my companions to keep hiding around Niceport. The Arcane Order is powerful; if we can get their help, that would be perfect."

She glanced at Liszt, "Don't worry; if it's truly a trap, I will never mention you if I get captured."

"Am I worried about that?"

Liszt felt insulted.

…

Noisy and dim, this was an ordinary little tavern in Niceport.

Sailors huddled together, exchanging ribald jokes, while waitresses moved through the crowd, occasionally swatting away wandering hands.

Sevya, wrapped in a common adventurer's cloak, arrived at the innermost corner of the tavern, where a man and a woman were already seated.

The man looked very young, short in stature, seemingly not even twenty, while the woman's actual age was hard to discern.

She asked, "May I sit here? As a reward, I'll treat you to some sugarcane wine."

The woman glanced at Sevya and smiled, "Of course, beautiful lady. But each of us must drink two cups."

"No problem."

Sevya felt slightly relieved and sat down on a stool opposite the two.

The woman across from her looked at her with great interest.

"If I'm not mistaken, the big incident with the church was done by you, right?"

Sevya replied, "Let's get straight to the point. What price do we need to pay for your help in our escape?"

"Haha, what a straightforward person." The woman covered her mouth and laughed.

While the two were conversing, the young man beside them appeared casual but was vigilantly observing if anyone approached.

"Couldn't it just be out of righteous indignation for fellow beings suffering oppression that you extend a helping hand? Just like what happened at the cathedral that day."

"That doesn't seem to be your organization's style."

"Hmph… nothing in the world is immutable. Fine, since you asked, I hope you all can join us."

"My personal answer is—absolutely not, but I won't stop others from making their decisions."

The woman shook her head, "What a stubborn girl. But I appreciate your latter statement. I hope you convey my words truthfully to your companions."

Sevya asked skeptically, "Can you really help us escape? Since… the incident at the cathedral, there are watchtowers everywhere on the roads and at the ports."

The woman across from her smiled mysteriously, "You can rest assured, but I can't tell you the specifics right now. However, our power here far exceeds your imagination."

"Is that so? Then I thank you on behalf of those who can escape."

"Those?"

"Didn't you just say you wanted us to join your organization?"

"Haha, but I also said it was out of righteous indignation for fellow beings suffering oppression. Why don't you believe that?"

"This…"

"Don't worry, as long as we can manage it, we will help you escape without leaving anyone behind. At that time, the choice will be yours."

Sevya found it hard to believe. Could this really be a member of the Arcane Order?

"May I ask what you are called?" she used a respectful tone.

"You can call me the Red Lady for now."

Sevya noticed that the other party indeed had red hair, so it seemed she was still cautious.

"And you, little girl?"

"You guessed it, Asitini."

"So it really is you."

(End of the Chapter)

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