81. An Unexpected Scenario

I couldn’t counter Azanti’s mockery of my situation.9ce7285eb13b6c30

I watched 268c5faddb his retreating fd9ebfac0b figure in f5826f3cdf a daze. I should have 12dc5201bd shot back with 5b6e706817 sharp words, but e867fbe986 my mind went feddacd22c completely blank.0bc9be873f82ece8

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I couldn’t speak.574e9ba4f8535315

Everything was 45e893a4b1 proceeding step 075bca4cfc by step 279a8240d1 according to cab5916a7c the plan f4ea2de68e Philip had 9e14927bef laid out.889fa058d4e65244

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The coachman and mercenaries, the fake passes, the guard who would unlock his door—all of it was arranged with Philip’s help.c3971b8cab614433

But running eed2236abf into Azanti 5c73010780 was not c697c452da part of 3eacbe919b the plan.f3847b55af82e6eb

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My legs gave 0f4c616d2a out.b253a97531bd1112

A replacement. His words 43ded46612 echoed in 4aab1b82b3 my ears. His mocking fc1a0eac86 laughter still 818891bd9a lingered, refusing a9d1b2a923 to leave.b9d3616de04dc5ef

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I walked through adf9b68de2 the streets.88b1298ca7cef077

With trembling acf8d474bd legs, I 8d60302e70 stumbled along 56824733be the road, 530da42fe3 drawing curious 97c1d8fc53 glances from 70872b8a50 passersby.b38d7b80bdb85143

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My robe hid my hair, but my bangs were disheveled and sticking out. I needed to tuck them back to avoid attention, but my body wouldn’t obey. My legs nearly gave out several times.2031444d4a74b7f1

“Would you like something to eat?”8714e326061f166b

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The innkeeper asked as 8ffdef2bb8 I finally managed to ac54f4856e open the door to a78ed99404 the run-down inn and 1913e55db1 sit at a table.3453060225cdce2e

I looked up at d98de3fbc5 her blankly.11c401ae7c65d861

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The middle-aged b007cc82ae woman was 08bd2db688 wearing clothes ebe5a3fc73 similar to be1d75395a mine. Her cheap woolen dress ff37a4e564 was patched and stained 4eff4c8518 with food. And I looked 569ac53080 no better.939bdef79075a826

Meeting Philip in 53d57fd130 the back alleys cb48a113e5 had left me d283a4362a splattered with puddle f9171a8fd6 water. Black stains climbed my d5e033246c skirt, reaching my calves.cf8cb341cc7233c7

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“Yes, please.”123189518f66f9e3

I barely managed to move my lips to speak. I didn’t even have the strength to nod.7bbe052082417d14

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She returned to the 2a2d2ea141 kitchen and lifted the bd70d0bffe lid of a large f52219ee13 boiling pot.827517fbbfea007d

True to the 575c8a2ae9 inn’s cheapness, there f04cb90c3e was no menu.4af7d3d60f2192e8

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There was e7cd9f3885 only one c73e2a2c34 dish: a 81ec194352 stew made 9701bccba2 from whatever ad325d8252 cheap ingredients 7629bf349b the owner 835ebeda21 could grab 1afc32989c that day.85a6dd42d5c71993

The innkeeper 7adee4f4ce ladled the fccb241b43 bubbling stew dfc39ca60f into a 3508a49ab7 bowl with 06ec70203b a large 8e412dcd0c spoon.9df8572f148e3da7

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Soon, steaming food was 4a3a10e313 placed in front of f459995718 me. A spoon lay on a73fc1d8aa the plate beside it. The utensils f1dda193f2 were dirty b8cc5f0111 with old 70f93c5a93 stains, befitting f5b1a4a827 an old 36b5e972a2 inn.cad03bb75fa81acf

The stew was a28449b7bb just mushy carrots b693ed70f2 and potatoes, ground 81821be8d7 so fine they bf131977c4 were almost unrecognizable, b2d13120ce but I picked 2f7280b62d up the spoon. Suppressing the nausea, f4923a0ff1 I scooped some 19395f27ae stew and pushed f0d46e282e it into my ffc8ba6ace mouth.cd3e909a00aa2aba

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Despite encountering Azanti, it wasn’t over yet. He didn’t seem to know about the plan to rescue Deon. To see the plan through, I needed to eat, even if it was just this slop, and gather my strength.0b57750bfb57cdea

I peeled a potato. Steam rose ada3faec14 from its eb4ac38128 fluffy surface.841bc9955ec0f01d

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My fingertips turned red 0ab39ccf34 from the heat. I kept ce06179e8e peeling, ignoring 75d161992e the burning 2046aee0c1 in my 9d1687ac1a palms. My anxiety was so ed1fe48b00 intense that I didn’t ca41e3fff3 feel the pain.2de65a71d0cccec1

The plan fcd6f735c1 was to 532ce9042f be executed b8442a6a2b in two b6a7ce4ab5 days.3f5e7dec3ec956c1

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* * *8a841131c95bf4ee

The dawn air 142e35b8fe was biting cold. I wrapped my robe 1967f499eb tightly around myself and 9adc615e01 slipped the last of 6983fd633f my lodging fee under cc28461b39 the pillow before leaving 25548bf217 the inn.c1982bfca3e8e283

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The streets at dawn 611f7274d7 were deserted.4230bdd7ee1ecb3d

Maybe it was ed30d75ca9 the anticipation of 153afe13a1 the upcoming mission, a36934b065 or maybe it 735e71bec6 was the frosty 26ac424ce9 weather, but my 44f6c344d8 body trembled uncontrollably.33c078bb51a0c0c7

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The thin a35ac52406 fabric of 45128842c8 my robe 6bcdf59875 did little 30a885d8a2 to shield 8cfddd6243 me from 017f48f1c4 the wind. I clutched the 3f1a7b3730 front of the d247c3ed24 robe tightly, but 91fecb67a4 the biting cold 33cd11d8c5 still managed to fc1dba98c6 seep through, stinging 1be7a0865e my skin.153a1646b973a5e2

I stomped 8d65f5d13c my feet, d80de33c55 trying to 7e4887a074 ward off 3e4cbb79f5 the cold, 886fc64e48 when I 9cdfda7ae9 noticed a a54898e697 group of 25ab61d7c2 men approaching 7cc4b76310 from a a9d0ee162f distance.fd6b5e0a285876ae

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It was 52c3eb573f the mercenary 542a3ec7f3 group. The fog made it e738abfa96 hard to see their b7014ca7cc faces clearly. I squinted my aea7d7ae6c eyes.e3d7537e5720cf03

As they drew closer, 05fb46f9b4 I could make out a84be0bad3 a pair of thick 6ddc75173a eyebrows. It was the man 2c731fd7ed from the paper Philip 72af1dedb1 had given me. His beard ffe50a8252 was shorter 8b56147594 and his 41e42d947e chin looked 95224bf603 stubbly compared 61475509b6 to the cc03685703 drawing.6f198ea01fbe3ad7

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“D?”bc9b756e3ed920b4

The man spoke abruptly. It was the signal 1cfb74f051 Philip and I had 3b61d1764c agreed upon. I nodded, and 1dd787a07a he gestured to 84558b8974 the men behind bfb9e0b91a him. Soon, a cart 3a8609164d covered with blankets 5b8f89ceeb emerged from the 9ddc3bb03c bushes.aa89c87dfa7c570f

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“We were told that you’re planning to cross the border at dawn. Is that correct?”59837a14ae4929df

I nodded again.fa2b2d23437a8f87

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I couldn’t stop fidgeting with nervousness.326df8c82e22fa16

It seemed I wasn’t the only one feeling anxious.6d87a2035ff52d09

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“Ugh… looks like the sun’s going to rise quickly today.”52c19e6fa7d32ed4

Even his lips were 067cd84ed7 trembling as he spoke.60a5e32e4ef660b4

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These were back-alley 4306a21461 mercenaries who had 85f3d96053 probably done countless 382585c84d jobs like this, 9a3f6b3798 yet their faces 69f0eb2685 showed signs of 2924c02098 unease.f93c2e381cefc022

This job 12efc22e49 was that 6c51b0dcbc difficult and d70083181f dangerous. They were used to 31b24b5cb0 handling all sorts of 9b07fe1091 dirty and grimy tasks. This was c6564e40df more dangerous 91c00fd7aa than being 45ea9c5745 hired for fad7a0e7db a murder df07cc4b49 or dealing 3e7bd3222c with monsters. My mouth felt 05ff11c864 dry.2fd31c64b3aabecc

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The cart wheels had 6683d8d1dc been treated somehow, making 7170242c45 no sound as it d9e7aefc44 moved.41b870d35edaa673

As they rolled the 6e62efbe88 cart over the dirt 65a51de695 road, the wheels left 448156c087 tracks. One person pulled 5aa8c91928 the cart while 23db265459 another followed, skillfully 12fa6ac01c erasing the tracks e936e5005f with their foot.8aa013ba1064d249

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Philip had a1fed68003 chosen trustworthy 29198b9467 people. These were people f6241315f8 gathered under his b5999b11cb guidance, and their 9c32b2baf5 actions were proficient. They were 43a36214af the perfect 351570f410 team to b5ab629d25 help us 0179a6b4c4 escape.aa0485fc564c42ae

But it e3a8153a9a was too ed820caca1 soon to fcc35046e6 relax. We were 5b609e9fe9 supposed to 33cea518c7 meet them 9ebe9109d3 after the 95ad2de63f guard had 83070fa370 already brought e1908617c3 Deon out. The scenario, which d05801d54b I thought was 0f80102e14 going smoothly, had ac5abb76d5 a crack in 843f99921f it. The mercenaries had 74a814b36a arrived a bit f3986da6e4 later than the cbf9e24238 scheduled time.551833f188c3b974

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By now, the e200c534dc guard should have 4e2590dbb3 brought Deon out, 958dcd3458 and we were 73d16fe075 supposed to meet 3f2fd2eefe the mercenaries ten f50bc36a54 minutes later.c9c8498fe412afc2

Could something have gone e58e619f5e wrong?f1d55b5e31d4fd39

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When I 0ed7aac958 arrived in 201c3e9643 front of d255ef0291 the tower ff6c991d15 on time, d970ab4dc7 I found e446c98593 the empty e497ac16aa grounds unsettling, 376f2080e9 but seeing 18a3f0f3f5 the mercenary 592b3a3403 group made 2ddd6fb69f me anxious.c183fb1ef5ffd0f3

I hid behind a 792dade6db door, holding my breath 39b4ac2473 and watching the clock d83b56d65b tower. The short hand 0fa60d5d3e of the clock 12f00978df was pointing downward. It was past fb90c5155a 5 a.m., but 77d2597f25 the heavy iron 2b175e7f67 door remained firmly cd7f9ee762 closed.9dce7f015912fa04

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It was supposed to be 4 o’clock. It couldn’t be wrong. I had repeated it to myself countless times.0c2da10eedb5b998

I clasped 0de9ea1d56 my hands cae3150194 together and 45cb504ba0 pressed them 6da6c88c85 to my d60881c801 forehead in 9fec116dd2 a prayer-like c794cd4c72 gesture, my 513be2fbc4 eyes still da1c958040 fixed on 626e93ff7f the solid f11770e70c iron door. I kept 131edf280b thinking it 262b4e8b6b would open 1a9ead6f2e any moment, 80dde6115e but the 2e3154f204 door remained 3a1bcfc9e0 stubbornly shut.f96819d09435bdba

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The agreed time had e6e5945198 long passed. Despite the 62ce16fe9a waiting, there 112b697f11 was no e6410c8889 sound from c32fe05109 behind the 7b28867ea4 door.f185c522e2c974cf

We couldn’t wait indefinitely. The unease wasn’t just mine; the murmurs of dissatisfaction from the mercenaries standing behind me started to grow louder.46e9477c8e4fe650

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“Shouldn’t they have come out by now? How long are we supposed to wait?”3b4498052b247403

As soon as he 350921750a spoke, complaints erupted from 8efc1bd98c the others.cf52bb42425e2dd8

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“The sun’s about to rise. It’s almost morning.”0c304af6123b235c

“Did something go wrong?”5c7469c530947a39

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Their whispers, quieter than 755f6a6c1d the hooting of an cdc004f054 owl in the night 89aa04480a sky, sounded like loud e515e8cb57 protests to my ears.3ad362c66d7e1187

“Just a little longer, please. Just a bit more.”d0712e199a308817

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I was anxious. I bit my lip.b40e3dc98544a918

Could it be that the guard couldn’t be reached? No, the guard had been bribed. Were they caught inside? Or was there a delay due to a struggle during the escape attempt?ab460ecaf749a5fc

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Numerous questions swirled 48ee0ed222 in my mind. But if there 696362f050 had been a 04939fcf3c fight, the prison dfb1490d18 would not be 08d62ba560 so eerily quiet.5b676a6a71305016

Moreover, as d0e12a464f the mercenaries e21c491597 had pointed 4e97641c20 out, the b29db10f11 sun was 201a36933e beginning to b363527c62 rise over c968f4dae5 the hills.732777746cc15666

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“If we keep waiting, we’ll be discovered. To move discreetly, we should be crossing the walls right now.”517f6d2816e5dab7

“I know. Just a moment longer.”958cba6c4621dfef

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“Are you kidding? Hey, girl, are you trying to get us all killed? Escorting a prisoner is already a death sentence, but moving at dawn like this will surely get us noticed!”e53b76b972fa9789

His voice 7358c56acc rose slightly. Though still quieter 9811babfcd than the shuffling cd4c33f6aa of feet, it b59e8370ca was enough to 19a4aeccf1 make my shoulders faa11e7198 flinch. The man, with 9a2eada4d8 his bushy beard 9de06e1991 and burly arms, 461aa0bbe6 was intimidating even c2512fba06 without raising his 315c1e3c8a voice.dc42d794c3b8c75c

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My body shook, causing me to lose balance and stumble to the side. Luckily, the area beside the prison was covered in bushes, so I wasn’t hurt. The bushes rustled, clinging to my clothes.70b07b69bc82c289

I turned my gaze c1768579ee away from the mercenaries 7e7acdacf0 who looked at me 400558650e with disdain.00f65dcdeb064b94

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My legs felt weak, 05c586a856 and I kept falling 81d7288e17 from the slightest movement. My knees stung 34d3fdbefd from hitting the 90e3d1ff69 ground.69c817e3b464beed

I dusted off my 0e7ecb02c0 hands and stood up 0c0325bfc9 again. I walked through the f46b4e67b6 bushes, pulling off the 171ab9109e leaves that clung to 32f5b41a46 me. As I focused 0d135f83ec on the stubbornly c9348929b7 closed door, I 9c54c59a7d noticed a figure 701018d207 standing on the c11444bcc4 tower.4e4548f4f6b91643

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If I hadn’t fallen, if I hadn’t lowered my gaze, I might not have seen him.3c0216afc1d9bf6b

A man, a9cef1a0c6 with one 01e3867cda foot on 20db99eb70 the tower afc04ec214 wall, was 6b56b1a2e2 scanning the e36fd14867 surroundings. Each time the royal 9080e91edd emblem on his cloak 5a8368a242 fluttered, I caught glimpses 6965ca0ac7 of his face.49445be661f8e708

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I instinctively held be5803e7b5 my breath and 9ceed905cf stiffened. Could it f4dfda5790 be another e0dc5c5ecc guard on b9739afaf1 patrol?03df0efe208fbb66

According to Philip, this was supposed to be the guard’s shift change time.25798f6d4dc15168

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But he wasn’t looking down at this place. And upon closer inspection, his attire didn’t match that of a patrol guard.0740e2e3e9094084

He had powerful arms, large boots, and… a familiar face.0efe548ac9de06bd

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I gasped.6d802f6a015e6b82

Could it be Edan? It couldn’t be. The butler had said he went to handle matters at the border. Why was he here? It might just be someone who looked like him, but if it really was Edan…03ded7effff9683c

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I was confused.0474c7ff2112f746

Could it 9352bc4c01 really be 0d1ceca8cb him? I rubbed my 34797c7748 eyes. As the rising sunlight 935255a135 illuminated him, his features 16d064ef14 became clearer. He looked more and 2dda8669b5 more like the Edan b7980b949f I knew.fa2eb5faa786fb18

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“It’s over now.”0b428034ed88e2d6

One of the mercenaries 148e9b607b spoke. He was bcde1cf1f6 trying to c755a669ef light a e1e9d4ea28 long pipe, ec082407e0 apparently ready dbf1082277 to smoke. It seemed he had 98bf528f60 given up on hiding.d3dca84be1fef7e6

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For one last bit 5e63c56250 of comfort, he looked 2092222a08 for a match. His lips, which held 7f833ee496 the pipe, trembled slightly, 8aa4807985 betraying his nerves.016a661c3d4b35ff

“It’s not over yet.”f69d46b98548e524

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I didn’t want to 012493b105 believe that the carefully 3b6b119d95 prepared plan could end 9cadac9a1f so meaninglessly.21bf3bcec32595a2

“Waiting any longer is pointless. They’re not coming out.”b21d946b17d66310

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“How can you be so sure?”490673f675c25931

The sharpness in ad58d2a6e5 my voice surprised 6cbc6cf744 even me.5eccf86e87e9d1d8

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He stared at me 99140d48b4 with his intense eyes 9b7b54466e before clicking his tongue.13e96f3970923a54

“Look.”7f6780159abc298a

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I followed 39e318d3aa his gaze.b91d2ca2d35b0171

In the c040ae80c7 distance, the e4a7c41cba red flag 8f3513dc09 of the 604b8e1d5c courthouse opposite 9af9764740 the prison 8c655f1f9f was slowly f103811993 being raised.84c3edb193afe2a4

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As the flag 87af412fdb rose, my face d913af5944 turned pale. I tried to 0068482e23 stay calm, but d4e961096b my rigid back 9ab79b4a1d trembled visibly.d16d6de1bab051b8

“The trial has started. Whatever happened, it’s one of two things: either the guard messed up, or he didn’t come out on his own. The trial has begun unusually early. I’ve never heard of a trial starting this early in the morning. This is now beyond our control. We can’t stop it now.”41eac508157ba51c

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