“There is stone, not dirt, so calm down!”
“No one is trying to be calm here!”
Saito grabbed Louise’s hand and ran away, escaping the room, the duo leaped down the stairs.
Meanwhile, the room below became a pandemonium.
Suddenly a group of soldiers came to assault Wardes and company who were drinking.
Guiche, Kirche, Tabitha and Wardes were using magic to defend themselves. However, there were too many people. It appeared every soldier from La Rochelle came attacking.
It seemed like they were losing.
Kirche broke one of the table’s legs, and decided to use the table as a shield against the coming foes. The attacking soldiers were used to fighting magic-using foes already. While they were fighting, they observed Kirche and her allies range and style. Then moved out the magic’s range to attack with bows. The soldiers hidden from the dark had the advantage of the field, leaving those inside the room a bitter battle.
If anyone stood up to chant magic, they were answered with a torrential volley of arrows.
Saito lowered his body, charged to Kirche’s shield-table wall, letting her know Fouquet was above them and attacking, but the giant’s huge feet were already visible, so there was no need to tell them.
The other nobles and guests were hiding under the counter and shaking in fear. The fat innkeeper called out to the soldiers, “What are you doing to my establishment??” But one arrow slammed into his shoulder, leaving him slumped on the ground.
“This is really troublesome.” Listening to Wardes’ words, Kirche nodded.
“It appears this band is not only just interested in a simple little robbery.”
“Maybe Fouquet and Albion's nobles are behind this?”
Kirche raised her wand, and mumbled, “…Those guys are planning for us to use our magic, exhaust ourselves then come in with a charge, what can we do?”
“My Valkyries will protect us.”
“Guiche, your Valkyries are only a small squad, these are seasoned mercenaries.”
“If we don’t try we will never know.”
“But Guiche, if it comes to warfare I am a far better expert than you are.”
“But I am the son of General de Gramont, how could I lose to this band of idiot soldiers?”
“This is intolerable, the nobles of Tristain are only tough with their words, but their actual combat capabilities are pretty weak.”
Guiche stood up, preparing to chant his magic. But Wardes stopped him by grabbing on to the young noble’s shirt.
“Everyone listen carefully.” Wardes whispered. Saito and the others became silent to listen.
“This mission counts as complete if one half of the group arrives safely at the destination.”
At this moment the cute Tabitha also closed her book and looked at Wardes’ direction. The girl used her staff and pointed at herself, Kirche and Guiche and uttered one word, “Bait.”
Then Tabitha continued and pointed at Saito, Wardes, and Louise, then uttered another word, “Go to the harbor.”
“The time?” Wardes asked the young girl.
“We will carry it out right now.”
“Just like we planned a while ago, go from the backdoor.”
“Ah? AH!” Saito and Louise shouted out in surprise.
“They are responsible for holding the situation; we should be able to confuse their sight. Using this time we should be able to escape toward the harbor, just like that.”
“But…But…”
Saito looked at Kirche, and the girl ran her hand through her red hair. And puckered her lips then added, “Bah, can’t help it anyway, we really didn’t want to go to Albion with you anyway.”
Guiche sniffed at his rose, “Heh, I might die here. What would happen then? If I die then I won’t be able to meet Princess Henrietta again.”
Tabitha nodded at Saito. “Go.”
“But..”
Kirche began to push Saito, “Ok, time to go. When you come back…I will let you kiss me.”
Then, she turned around to face Louise, “Ah, Louise, please don’t make any misinterpretation of this, I am not here to be bait for you.”
“I know, I know!” Although she said it, Louise still lowered her head in a salute to Kirche and others.
Saito and the others lowered their body to the floor, and began to run. Arrows flew in their direction, but with a wave of Tabitha’s wand, the roaring wind protected them from the onslaught.
The group fled from the bar into the kitchen and toward the other exit, and then there was a huge explosion behind them.
“…Looks like it has begun.” Louise mouthed.
Wardes crouched close to the door, then listened at the situation outside.
“There doesn’t appear to be anyone.”
Opening the door, the three leapt into the night streets of La Rochelle.
“The docks are this way.”
Wardes was in the lead, Louise followed behind. Saito came in the back.
Under the moonlight, the trio’s shadow extended, and followed closely behind.
Chapter Six: The White Country
After making sure Saito and company were running, Kirche commanded Guiche, “Now then, it’s time to begin. Guiche, there’s a pot filled with oil in the kitchen somewhere, right?”
“You mean those frying pots?”
“Yep. Bring them over with your golems.”
“No sweat.” Guiche hid behind a table, waving his rose, which was his wand. The petals fell slowly and female bronze warriors sprouted from the ground. The golems headed towards the kitchen, even though arrows were aimed at them.
The steel arrowheads burrowed into soft copper, causing the statues to wobble. Guiche laughed, as the statues finally reached the kitchen behind the counter, and picked up the frying pot.
“Can you throw that at the entrance?” Kirche put on make up looking at a mirror while talking.
“You’re putting on make up now, of all times?” Guiche said, a shocked look on his face, but still commanded his statue to throw the pot at the entrance as he was told.
Kirche brandished her wand and stood up.
“Because the play is about to begin, and if the female lead has no make up on...”
She waved her wand at the oil, now sprinkled in the air.
“...wouldn’t that be embarrassing?”
Kirche’s magic lit up the oil, spreading flames all over the Goddess’s Temple, making a loud noise. In an instant, a group of mercenaries, once bent on advancing, retreated from the sudden fire.
Kirche seductively sang a spell, waving her wand again. The flames burned even fiercer, spreading towards the mercenaries at the entrance, enveloping them and causing them to roll around in pain. Kirche stood and elegantly flicked her hair before raising her wand. Although all the arrows flew towards her, Tabitha’s wind magic parried them all.
“Dear unnamed mercenaries, although I have no idea why you’re attacking us,” Kirche smiled and bowed in the rain of arrows, “please let me, Kirche the Ardent, graciously be your opponent!”
Sitting on her enormous earth golem’s shoulder, Fouquet bit her lip in annoyance. The group she just ordered to attack instantly came back in confusion after being surrounded with fire. She turned to the hooded masked noble sitting beside her. “Geez, making a fuss just because of this level of fire... hired hands just aren’t dependable.”
“That’s enough anyway.”
“But you can’t beat them like this!”
“It’s alright even if they can’t. All they have to do is separate them.”
“Even if you say so, I won’t let this go on. I took so much humiliation because of them.”