"All the prisoners have escaped!" ［Sebastian］
Sebastian's panicked voice resonated throughout the whole dining room as he relayed the urgent news to everyone present. It was news so sudden that the people who heard it froze for a moment.
Everyone who had just been enjoying a hearty talk was now wearing seriousness on their faces. Fritz's expression was especially grave as the town's safety falls within his responsibility as the lord.
"Sebastian, give me a detailed report as briefly and concisely as possible." ［Fritz］
Nevertheless, Fritz immediately regained his composure and immediately asked for a report on the current state of affairs. His composure influenced everyone else in the room, making them calm as they awaited Sebastian's words.
Heeding Fritz's words, Sebastian quickly reported what the soldiers had investigated so far. From the amount of guards injured and the amount of prisoners which had escaped. Every single detail was spilled out.
According to the report, there were a total of 118 escapees. From those 118, 57 are H-rankers, 30 are G-rankers, 18 are F-rankers, 9 are E-rankers, 3 are D-rankers, and there was a single C-ranker.
The C-ranker, the 3 D-rankers, and 8 of the E-rankers are part of the bandit group named "Crimson Skull" which had just been captured about a week ago and are supposed to be executed today. Unluckily, they were able to escape along with the other prisoners.
"What about their whereabouts?" ［Fritz］
"Not much is known about that, and there are still no reports about their sightings, but I believe that they will be trying to escape through the gates." ［Sebastian］
"Has the Adventurers' Guild been notified about this yet?" ［Fritz］
"A letter of notice had already been sent to the Guildmaster. We have yet to receive a reply but, with the Guildmaster's ability, I believe that she had already started moving the adventurers." ［Sebastian］
"Good... Then gather the knights and soldiers within the mansion immediately. Send them towards the gates and make sure to avoid causing panic as much as possible. Panic will only make things more chaotic and will give way for the prisoners to make their escape." ［Fritz］
"Understood." ［Sebastian］
As suddenly as he barged in, Sebastian left the room as he carried Fritz's orders with him. Fritz also stood up as he prepared himself to spearhead the operation of recapturing the escaped prisoners.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, everyone. Shameless as it may be, could you lend me your help in this matter. I assure you that your efforts will be rewarded adequately at a later date." ［Fritz］
There was no sense of pride nor arrogance in Fritz's voice as he bowed his head towards everyone in the dining hall. He was desperate for help as it involved the safety of each and every one of his subjects.
What the eyes of the people present in the dining hall saw was a lord who was truly and genuinely concerned with the safety of his subjects. His devotion to his people was a virtue not every noble possessed.
"Hahaha, what's with the formality, Lord Landevar? This is something we must do as adventurers as well." ［Kris］
"Kris is right. We also can't just stand by and do nothing, after all." ［Aria］
"Don't worry, Fritz. We'll catch them before they cause any harm." ［Grey］
"Raise your head, Fritz! That's not how a lord should act. You need to be strong for your people." ［Gustav］
From the start, everyone inside the room had already decided to catch the prisoners even without Fritz's request. But hearing Fritz's words, they were moved by his compassion towards his people which allows him to lower his head.
Gustav in particular was very enthusiastic with his comment. He was trying to tell Fritz to strengthen his will and fortitude for the welfare of his people and act like a lord with pride and dignity.
"Thank you, everyone... Truly, thank you..." ［Fritz］
A bottomless happiness filled Fritz's heart as he heard the responses of the people before him. Even though there were only 5 of them, they are just as capable as thousands of soldiers.
"Now then, I'll be heading towards the northern gate. I'll leave the other gates to the three of you." ［Kris］
"Then, I'll head towards the eastern gate." ［Aria］
"I'll take on the western gate." ［Yuna］
"I guess that leaves the southern gate to me, huh..." ［Grey］
"Very well, while you four secure the gates, I'll be taking my knights with me and scour every nook and cranny of this town. I'll make sure not one criminal will cause trouble. Hahahaha!" ［Gustav］
Led by Kris, everyone immediately picked an area to secure. But just as they were to go out of the dining hall, Grey, along with the other high-rankers, managed to pick up a sudden spike of mana.
⟨⟨Barrier!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
Grey didn't waste a single moment and immediately erected a barrier of mana in an instant, covering the whole mansion. His reaction speed was fast enough that the barrier was erected in just a fraction of a second.
A few moments later, a spear of flames appeared in the horizon and came watching towards the mansion at great speeds. It was a scarlet spear which could easily stone iron upon contact.
Booooomm
A loud explosion echoed throughout the manor as the spear came in contact with the barrier, sending shockwaves and smokes throughout all directions. The surrounding was greatly alarmed upon seeing the explosion and hearing such a loud noise.
But even with how powerful the spear was, it didn't even leave a single scratch against Grey's barrier. After all, it was a barrier which could even hold on against missiles if it were back on Earth.
"Fritz von Landevar! Get out of here! We have a score to settle!" ［Merzin］
What came after the loud explosion was a booming voice coming from none other than Merzin. He is the leader of the "Crimson Skull" and was also the one who shot the spear of flames.
A face full of anger was displayed on Merzin's face as he declared those words, but as soon as the smoke cleared out, that face was replaced with shock. Shock that the mansion was not damaged even by a little.
It wasn't only Merzin, his subordinates were all shocked as well when they saw the untouched mansion. After all, Merzin's spell was enough to turn large buildings into rubble in an instant.
"Tsk! ⟨⟨Flame Tridenー" ［Merzin］
"Guak!"
Merzin was about to launch yet another attack, but before he could even finish his incantation, a rock came flying out of nowhere, knocking out one of his subordinates out cold towards the ground.
Nobody knew where the attack came from nor did they know who was behind it, but for them, one thing was sure. That is, the one who shot it was an incredibly powerful person.
Luckily for Merzin, he was capable of reabsorbing his mana. Otherwise, the backlash of stopping the spell midway would have caused him great pain. Now, he had become more wary towards the unknown enemy.
"I assume that you guys were those that escaped, right?" ［Kris］
As the smoke cleared out, the sound of footsteps came ringing towards the bandits' ears. What came after was the voice of a young adult man, followed by his appearance as the smoke fully cleared out.
"Who are youー" ［Merzin］
"Ugwaakk!"
Yet again, Merzin was not able to finish his words as one of subordinates got knocked out once again. This time, it wasn't a rock which knocked them out but the hilt of a young lady's dagger.
Before they could even notice, Yuna appeared amongst them. They didn't see her nor felt her presence. She just appeared suddenly as if she was some sort of ghost.
Yuna's mood was already ruined when her breakfast was disrupted, but after seeing Eliza's scared face during the moment of the explosion, she swore to give a good beating towards the one which caused it.
"Guaaakkk!"
"Urk!"
"Ackkk!"
Yuna's fury didn't die down after knocking out one of the bandits. Her swift movements lashed out like a tornado and knocked everyone within her reach before they could even fight back.
"You b*tch! I'll make sure you pay for yoー" ［Merzin］
"You talk too much!" ［Yuna］
For the third time, Merzin's words were once again interrupted when Yuna's delicate looking fist struck the center of his solar plexus, sending him flying towards the air and his face kissing the ground during his fall.
Everyone who witnessed Yuna's performance was all frozen in shock. It was not because of her strength, but because of how pissed Yuna was. Including Grey, it was the first time they saw Yuna really angry.
It was especially scary when Yuna was wearing a calm and cold expression on her face despite being angry. She looked totally different from her energetic and kind usual self.
Thankfully, Yuna still knew how to hold back. She only knocked out the prisoners unconscious and didn't kill them. After all, unlike the raid, they were still in town where laws and proper conducts exist.
"Looks like there's none left for us to take on... We'll then, I'll be heading towards the northern gate now." ［Kris］
"Grey, take care of Yuna, alright. I'll also be heading off." ［Aria］
Seeing that there was no work left for them to do, Kris and Aria quickly jumped towards the roofs and headed towards their destination, leaving Grey to deal with the angry Yuna.
"You okay?" ［Grey］
"Ah, Grey..." ［Yuna］
Seeing Grey walk towards their direction, Yuna's expression loosened up as she gently took in how she just acted. She was also in shock towards her own sudden actions.
"Um, Grey, I'm sorry I acteー" ［Yuna］
"Why are you apologizing?" ［Grey］
"It's because Iー" ［Yuna］
"Got angry and lashed out?" ［Grey］
To Grey's words, all Yuna could do was nod quietly. She knew full well that lashing out when one is not able to control their anger is not the best course of action one should take.
When she saw Grey getting angry before and regretting his actions, Yuna swore to herself to also control her emotions and become stronger both emotionally and mentally, eyt there she was breaking her own promise.
"Listen, Yuna. It's normal to be angry when your precious ones get in danger. Compared to me, you handled yourself better even when you were angry. So don't be too hard on yourself, okay?" ［Grey］
"... Un..." ［Yuna］
Yuna's worries were stopped when Grey's hands suddenly reached out to her and patted her head. He told her that it was okay to be mad every once in a while, reassuring her troubled heart.
When she came to her usual self, Yuna became worried that Grey might look at her differently after seeing a hidden side of her neither her nor Grey knew. But her worries were all for naught as Grey accepted her all the same.
"Alright, I'll be heading to the southern gate now. Make sure to also head towards your destination, alright?" ［Grey］
"Un!" ［Yuna］
As quickly as Kris and Aria left, Grey also started jumping from building to building as he headed towards the southern gate. Soon after, Yuna also headed towards the western gate with a smile on her face.
Roof after roof, Grey maneuvered himself towards the southern gate with the aid of wind magic, jumping hundreds of meters in a single leap and leaving bursts of wind in his wake.
Whilst he headed there, he made sure to utilize his "Heaven's Eye" to ascertain the locations in town where criminals may be hiding. He especially took note of the criminals' clothes which were supposed to be all white rugged clothing.
But along the journey towards the southern gate, Grey did not notice any suspicious people. Rather, the only ones which stood out were Gustav's knights as they patrolled the town.
Grey then ran along the walls and continued his search as he headed to the southern gate. The moment he arrived there, there were also no suspicious activities to be seen nor any signs of criminals.
'Are they on the other gates...?' ［Grey］
Grey thought as he continued to observe nothing out of the norm. There were only guards in the gates as they inspected the people and carriages going in and out of the gates.
But Grey's thought didn't age very long as when one of the guards tried to inspect a carriage heading outside, a group of rugged men suddenly jumped out. All of them were wearing criminal clothing.
Amongst the dozen or so of them, there was a certain familiar figure which caught Grey's attention who was standing besides a fat middle-age man who looked like he choked himself with his own saliva. It was Gabal and Algerio.
"Criminals! Sound the alarms!" ［Guard］
As soon as the guards realized that the ones before them were escapees, they quickly raised their guards and drew their weapons. Unfortunately, the criminals were also armed with their own.
⟨⟨Fire Arrow!⟩⟩ ［Gabal］
Gabal didn't wait for the guards to strike and shot a spell first before anyone could even start the attack. The attack was about to hit a guard straight to the face when suddenly...
Crasshhhh
... A loud crashing sound, accompanied by a cloud of smoke same out of nowhere as an unknown figure descended from who-knows-where.
The arrow which was aimed at the guard was caught barehanded by the mysterious figure and was then crushed into nothingness soon after. The mysterious figure was none other than Grey who just descended from the wall.
Both the guards and the prisoners were dumbfounded by what just happened. There was only one person amongst the many people gathered there who wore a different expression.
"Y... You...!" ［Gabal］
Gabal's face was filled with terror and rage when he saw the man before him. After all, he was the man who caused him to get arrested and was the one who trampled on his pride.
"You should have just stayed put, Mister Gabal. You even brought the other prisoners with you on this troublesome plan of yours," ［Grey］
"Huh...? What bullsh*t are you talking about?!"
One of the criminals, who had no knowledge of Grey's identity, charged towards him recklessly with the goal of cutting him down. The criminal swung down his axe towards Grey's head...
"W-What...!?"
... but Grey immediately caught it without much effort, causing the prisoner to voice out a question filled with disbelief and confusion.
The prisoner tried to exert more strength to his axe, but Grey's arm didn't budge even an inch. The gap between an F-rank criminal and S-ranker was simply too large. Even if there were thousands of them, it still wouldn't make a difference.
"You're annoying. Sleep." ［Grey］
With his other hand, Grey struck the criminal's chest, basting him towards the solid wall and knocking him out unconscious. His weapon was still in Grey's hand which the latter simply threw away nonchalantly.
Grey's display of power left the other criminals in shock. Taking that opportunity, Grey rushed towards them and knocked them out one by one without them even being able to resist.
"Eeeeek!" ［Algerio］
A cowardly scream left Algerio's mouth as soon as he saw the other criminals getting knocked out one after another. It only takes a single glance with his stubby figure to know he was the weakest amongst them.
"G-Gabal, do something about him!" ［Algerio］
"Tsk! ⟨⟨Fire Arrowー Urrkk!" ［Gabal］
Gabal attempted to shoot Grey, but it was all for nothing. He couldn't even finish his casting when Grey suddenly appeared in front of him, grabbed his face, and slammed him towards the ground, unconscious.
With Gabal out cold, there was only one amongst the criminals left to be dealt with. That person was Algerio whose face was pale from fear and looked like he would piss himself at any moment.
"D-Don't come n-near me! D-Don't yー Guuuk..." ［Algerio］
"Shut up." ［Grey］
The useless and cowardly Algerio was sent towards dreamland with his mouth frothing and eyes turned white. All it took was a "light" puch from Grey and he quickly became quiet.
Soon after, Grey casted "Sleep" towards the criminals in order to make sure that they never escape again. He made sure to be extra careful and casted one which knocks out people for a whole day.
The gate guards and soldiers who were supposed to deal with the escaped prisoners, along with the spectating civilians were all dumbfounded as they witnessed a scene of a young man beating up more than a dozen tough looking men. A scene which didn't even take a single minute to unfold.
"You guys." ［Grey］
""""Y-Yes!""""
The guards answered in unison when Grey called out to them. The moment Grey looked at their direction, they all jolted as they felt a very cold chill run down their spines.
"Can you bring these guys to the prison? Don't worry, I've already casted sleep magic on them. They shouldn't be waking up anytime soon." ［Grey］
"O-Of course, Your Excellency!"
Leaving the criminals to the guards' capable hands, Grey headed towards the other gates in order to give aid if need be, but as he was on the way to the western gate where Yuna was...
Grumbleeee
... a low grumbling sound echoed throughout the air. The source of the sound was none other than Grey's stomach which missed out on breakfast because of the sudden happenings.
"Ah, I should probably eat first..." ［Grey］
CHAPTER 53 END