Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess - Chapter 97

Chapter 97: Chapter 96- A sudden obstacle
The next day, early in the morning, they first ate something and took a bath in the nearby lake before changing their clothes.

Now, on their horses, they were heading toward their west, where the port city was located.

It would take almost a day to reach there that’s why Sebastian has already packed some meat for the journey, since the path to the west wasn’t covered with dense forest. And taking a break to visit a town would be dangerous.

Thankfully, there was no one on their tail even after they stayed at one place for the whole night. Sebastian made sure of that.

Now, on the horse, Austin asked the system,

‘How many points do I have now?’

[Current points: 176]

Austin hummed; the giants, in comparison to those warriors back in the first dungeon, gave many more points, and it wasn’t like the more he defeated, the more points got reduced.

His first goal was to unlock the Shop feature since Austin has a feeling it would be quite beneficial in the long run.

He has read in several novels and mangas, how the Shop feature allowed several items useful within and outside dungeons.

But for now, he couldn’t afford to go inside the dungeon again since he had to cross the distance as soon as he could and reach the port without becoming a burden on the other two.

‘I need to be careful about my itch for battle…’ Recently, Austin has realized that he has been craving battles more and more. Was it a good trait?

“Young master!” Sebastian suddenly brought his horse to a pause, and following suit, Austin and Valerie also halted before they looked into the distance and realized the reason behind his concern.

“Checkpost, huh. Not something unexpected.” This route led to the headquarters of the Union Council—the most important body of the human side.

Naturally, there would be checkpoints at several turns.

There was forest on either side of the path—not as dense as the Great Forest—and in the middle of the path were long barricades with several soldiers standing on either side.

“The barbed fence isn’t spread for a long distance, so are we still using our original plan?” Valerie added, as they got down from the horses and hid them in the forest.

However, “We can’t,” Sebastian spoke, as he pointed towards the forest, “They have planted traps in the forest.”

Austin frowned and looked at the place he was pointing.

Beneath the muddy lands and between the tree leaves, there indeed were some steel teeth and marks of human movements.

‘That…was not expected.’ The last time Sebastian visited the Council, there weren’t any traps. The soldiers were sufficient to track if anyone tried to use the other route to pass. However, it seems they have added another layer of security; that is why he even suggested taking this route in the first place.

Austin looked around and asked, “How long will it take for us to reach there on foot?” After coming this far, Austin wasn’t thinking of backing off.

Sebastian took out a map, and pointed at a mark, “This is the first checkpoint so we might be here

here, around half a day away from the port.”

Austin nodded; they can travel that much on foot. The main problem was the checkpoints.

Crossing them would be a hard part.

Not only one but there were three checkpoints, each one of them was connected through an artifact that allowed long-distance communication.

If they attack the checkpoint, which would be foolish given all those soldiers are highly trained and well-experienced, then the other two checkpoints would get notified of the danger, too.

And going straight through by revealing their identity was a total no-go. They would land not on the Vessel but inside the interrogation cell of the HQ.

“It’s too risky…” Austin muttered with a sigh as he calculated all the possible routes.

Valerie’s shoulders lost their strength…it was her who suggested this idea, without thinking things through, and now, they have already wasted half a day, only to meet a dead end.

When every hope seemed to have dimmed, Sebastian suddenly voiced,

“I might have a way.” The older one suddenly took out a stamp from his pocket, which Austin instantly identified.

“Isn’t that…”

Sebastian smiled at the young man, “Please never inform your father of this, young master.”

Valerie and Austin eagerly saw Sebastian writing something on the parchment, and soon their face lit up with a smile.

….

It was yet another day for the soldiers to be standing in attention all the time, in the middle of nowhere.

These soldiers were picked from their posts from all over the world for this job.

They used to work for different nations and at various corners of the world, when suddenly, their strength and skills were identified, and they were called by the Union council…only to be handed a job as a watchdog.

Well, the pay is good.

“Senior…do you think I will get two days of leave? My wife is pregnant.”

The said senior side-glanced at the soldier before saying, “You remain around the checkpost for most of the time all year around…when did you get your wife pregnant?”

The junior scoffed, “You need just one night to plant the seed. Well, you are unmarried-”

The glare from the senior was enough to tell the junior that his request for leave had already been denied.

They returned to their positions, and were standing in silence…until, “Someone is coming.” The soldier on the left notified before the senior officer noticed that indeed, a man on a horse was advancing in their direction.

Bound by the saddle was a rope that was tied around two individuals who walked behind the horse. Their faces were covered with a black cloth but the man on the horse was identifiable.

“Sebastian?” The chief of the unit knew the butler, as he called out, “What are you doing here?”

Sebastian got down from the horse before extending his hand, “Long time, Sir Drek.” Sebastian knew the man since he once served Eryndor as the Commander of the Imperial Legion.

Sebastian then took out a parchment and said, “You must have heard about the recent attacks on Eryndor, I suppose?”

Drek was aware of the conflict between Drenovar and Eryndor, so he slowly nodded and took the parchment

There was an official seal of Eryndor on the letter that stated that these two prisoners had been caught recently, causing mayhem in the capital, and even tried to assassinate the king.

“The King was attacked?” Naturally, he, who once worked for the King, would feel a little agitated upon hearing that someone dared to slaughter the man he once severed.

Sebastian nodded, “Thankfully, I was in the capital at that time so I handled the situation.” His voice sounded weak and the man seemed emotional.

Drek heaved a sigh, and patted Sebastian’s shoulder, “You are a great man, Sebas. Despite the offer from the Council…you kept your loyalty. And even until this age, you are serving the throne in every way possible. I respect you, man.”

Sebastian lowered his head slightly, “Your words are wasted on me. It’s you all whom I respect. Away from your families, standing here in the wild, day and night.”

The soldiers straightened a little, their chests swelling in pride.

Drek gave a short laugh, as he handed the paper back to Sebastian and said, “We both have our difficulties. While we tolerate the harsh weather here, you have to tolerate the tantrums of that snorty brat.”

Very slightly, the person behind the horse flinched.

‘No, Valerie…don’t react ..’ All Austin could pray right now was that the soldier shut his mouth or Valerie might not be able to retain her silence.

Sebastian didn’t say anything about that and just kept up a smile as he folded the parchment and asked, “So, can I take them to the Council headquarters?” It was mentioned in the letter that the two assassins needed to be interrogated using the lie detection artifact they had in the headquarters.

Drek nodded, “Yes, of course. And, take this.” Drek suddenly pulled out a small red badge, before saying, “This will help you with the other two check posts.” With an annoyed expression, he added, “Those people annoy the hell out of someone with hundreds of questions. This badge will let them know that it is an emergency. And once you reach the headquarters, hand it to someone from the security wing.”

Sebastian gladly accepted the easy access before he returned to the horse and climbed on it.

“See you around, Sir Drek.”

“Take care.” He gestured towards the soldiers before the barricades were parted, giving him space to pass.

And with that, they crossed all three checkposts and reached the most secured city of the human side by night.

°°°°°°°

A/N:- I hope you all liked the chapter. Thanks for reading. Drop a comment.