Chapter 56: Laughter in Danger 

"Quickly, we're almost out!" Kasumi glanced back at the slave children, urging them to keep running.

The children were mentally and physically exhausted. They had spent well over a week in that cramped cell. But luckily, the slave maid had taken care of them, and even the Rats surprisingly treated them well—perhaps seeing them as valuable merchandise.

"Scarlett-dono, is your skill still not working?" Kasumi asked the red-haired woman leading the group through the maze-like castle.

"Yes, Kasumi. My skills stopped working for some reason, but don't worry. I remember the path to the exit. Let's hope we don't encounter anyone," Scarlett replied.

"Ahem!...aaa!...Miss!" The middle-aged woman suddenly raised her voice, seeking Scarlett's attention.

Scarlett noticed her and asked, "Yes, is there a problem?"

The woman shook her head. "No, no. It's just that the castle should be empty today."

Scarlett narrowed her eyes and inquired, "Why is that?"

"The leader of this faction ordered everyone to leave the castle yesterday and allowed no one to enter," she explained.

"How do you know this? You were imprisoned in that cell." Scarlett raised her guard against this slave woman. In her eyes, this woman shouldn't know the orders of the faction leader unless she was out of the cell yesterday.

"I'm his slave maid, miss. I heard his orders last night while I was cleaning his room."

"I see."

"My only concern is the leader himself. He's a powerful poison mage and the only one here besides us."

"Let's just focus on getting out of here," Kasumi interjected. "We should regroup with my master. The safest place is beside him," she said with a proud smile.

"..." The slave maid widened her eyes, sensing the trust and respect Kasumi had for her master, and the way that she spoke about him gave the slave maid a hint that this master is someone powerful.

Similarly, another person also opened his eyes in surprise. This person was listening to the conversation and paying close attention to Scarlett and Kasumi from the moment they opened the cell door.

This person is one of the children, a young girl with twin-tail brown hair and green eyes. She was behind the slave maid, and it appears that she's the only one that can keep up with the adult's speed; the rest of the children are way behind her.

After navigating the castle for about five minutes, the group suddenly came to a halt as they felt the castle shake slightly.

"W-What was that?" the maid asked, concern evident in her voice.

Scarlett's red eyes briefly glowed as she attempted to use her 'Scout' skill once again, but it failed to work.

"Probably someone is fighting inside the castle," Kasumi voiced her thoughts.

Scarlett glanced at her and said, "Do you think it's them?" referring to Luna and Pethra.

"I don't know. Let's hurry up and regroup with the others. Don't worry, Master won't allow any harm to come near the girls," Kasumi assured.

Scarlett nodded. "I know."

'Hmm? Do they trust their master this much?' The slave maid wondered, observing Kasumi's expression when she spoke about her master.

They immediately resumed their escape, with Scarlett leading the way. It took them another ten minutes to find the exit with the help of the slave maid. After a few turns here and there, she recognized the path that leads out of this castle.

"This is the way out," she said, pointing to a giant wooden door.

"Stop!" Scarlett suddenly ordered everyone to stop.

"What's wrong, Scarlett-dono?"

"Something feels off," she replied, scanning the area. Kasumi followed suit, narrowing her eyes.

"The door is wide open and unguarded."

Scarlett nodded. "Exactly. Only a fool would leave their castle door unguarded."

"Haah...Haah…What…what should we do now?" the maid asked, checking on the exhausted children, who were breathing heavily and sweating from all the running.

Scarlett thought for a moment, then turned to Kasumi. "I'll go and check it. Wait for my signal, and if anything happens to me, leave immediately."

Kasumi nodded. "Alright, but please be careful."

Scarlett pulled out her bow, ready to fire an arrow at a moment's notice. She began sneaking around, keeping close to the wall.

Scarlett is a formal B-rank adventurer, which is the equivalent of the rank gold of the mercenaries. She's known for her archery skills and the ability to sneak around and infiltrate almost any place thanks to her unique skill,'scout'.

And sneaking around has been her favorite thing since her days as a young child, sneaking out of that orphanage.

'sigh... I've come a long way since those days,'

'I have a chance to make my dream come true. I won't let this opportunity slip away.' Scarlett displayed a small smile, remembering someone, before she approached the door.

The giant castle door was wide open, with no one to guard it. Scarlett stood at the edge, took a deep breath, and prepared her bow to fire at any second. She glanced back and saw Kasumi watching her from afar; she nodded slightly at her, and Kasumi nodded in return, their unspoken understanding clear.

Scarlett jumped out into the open door, scanning the area for any danger. But as she glanced in front of her, she froze for a second, then…

"HAHAHAHAHA~" she burst into laughter, taking everyone else by surprise.

"!!!" The rest of the group was taken off guard by her sudden burst. Unable to understand a thing.

The slave maid whispered to Kasumi, "Is your friend... alright in the head?"

Kasmui kept gazing at Scarlett "I don't kno-"

But she was interrupted by Scarlett's call. "Aaahh! Kasumi, come here! You need to see this!"

Curious yet cautious, Kasumi approached Scarlett, wanting to see what caused her sudden burst of laughter. As she reached her side, she followed Scarlett's gaze, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Hmm? To be fair, I expected something like this to happen. B-But... this is too much," she said.

What made Scarlett burst into laughter and Kasumi widen her eyes in surprise was the sight in front of them.

Just outside the gate were more than 20 men and women; some had cuts and bruises, and some were covered in blood. They were all kneeling before an extremely handsome man with pale skin and black hair.

The man sat on a large rock with two beautiful girls sitting in his lap—one with short blond hair and the other with long blue hair and pointy ears. A black raven perched on the man's shoulder.

"Scarlett, Kasumi, over here!" The woman with long, thick silver hair, standing next to the man, waved at them.

Aron immediately turned his head when he heard Freya and displayed a warm and gentle smile when he saw the two girls.

"Hey, girls. What took you so long? I hope you didn't run into any trouble."

"..." Silenced by Aron's warm smile, Scarlett and Kasumi softened their expressions.

"No, Boss. We managed to save the children," Scarlett replied, while Kasumi signaled the slave maid and the children to approach.

As the slave maid and the children reached the gate and witnessed the scene before them, their eyes widened in awe. The sight of over 20 men and women kneeling before Aron while he sat casually with Pethra and Luna in his lap left an indelible impression on their minds.

"Is this her Master? He looks strong, and there's a heavy air around him," the slave maid observed, carefully analyzing Aron's movements, expressions, and voice. She couldn't help but notice his noble aura, but it wasn't a peaceful one, especially with the blood on his armor.

'Handsome! Is he a prince?' The young girl, who had been listening intently to the adults' conversation, screamed in her mind as she couldn't take her eyes off Aron.

The group approached Aron, and he noticed the children and the slave maid. Still wearing his warm smile, he greeted them.

"Welcome. I'm glad to see you all made it safely. Are you injured? Do you need any medical assistance?"

The slave maid and the children shook their heads, their eyes still fixated on Aron. Finally finding her voice, the maid asked with a mix of curiosity and caution, "Thank you for saving us, Mister... But may I ask... Who are you? And why did you save us?"

Aron's expression turned serious for a moment as he glanced at the remaining Rats kneeling before him. Then he answered.

"Children don't deserve that fate."

"Huh?" The maid didn't understand, glancing at the girls around Aron and noticing their expressions turning grim.

Aron explained everything to the girls before embarking on this mission. When they learned that children were being used as "ingredients" for a crazy experiment, they instantly agreed to accompany Aron in their rescue.

Aron has no problem killing or torturing anyone who dares to harm him or his treasures. No matter the person—male, female, humans, elves, nobles, commoners, and even slaves— Raise your sword against him, and you'll die.

But there is one thing beside treasures that will force Aron to make a move, and it is children.

Children are the red line for Aron. If you cross that line, prepare to face the Dragon of Wrath, Pride, and Greed.

"My name is Aron," he introduced himself before gesturing to Raum. "This is my little brother, and these girls are my family."

Aron deliberately didn't introduce them by name to protect their identities. He didn't want to reveal too much information about his family because he doesn't trust anyone outside of it.

He gave only his name because sooner or later, everyone will know about the attack on the Rat faction, and if anyone seeks revenge, they will know whom to find.

Aron simply wants to satiate his hunger for battle without putting Raum and the girls in danger.

The slave maid lowered her head to him. "My name is Mia. Again, thank you for saving us, Mister Aro–"

"Is this why you attacked us?" A heavy voice suddenly interrupted her.