Chapter 671: A Turbulent Situation
Yorko suffered in silence.
Hell — didn’t they agree never to meet again? “Please feel free to contact the ambassador should you encounter any difficulties” is a courtesy, not an invitation.
He exchanged a look with Otto. After a long hesitation, he said, “Send her in.”
Had the real buyer not been present, Yorko would have invented some excuse — the ambassador is indisposed, please call again later — and bolted the door. But Otto was here, which meant the door stayed open.
No. 76 led the girl into the room. As Yorko had feared, it was the tenth item from the “Black Money” auction: Amy.
The witch seized his arm the moment she crossed the threshold. “Sir, please help us. Annie and the others are in danger!”
“Danger?” The word landed like a cold stone. “Slow down. Sit first.” He guided her to a chair and kept his hand steady on her shoulder. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
“We’ve — we’ve been found!” The words came in broken bursts, each one harder to pull free than the last. “A large patrol surrounded the orphanage. They’ve blocked every road nearby. I saw more than one platoon of knights — they’re searching block by block. The others are still trapped inside. Please, please help them!”
“Are there other witches besides you and Annie?”
“Yes — Hero and Broken Sword. Hero has no legs, so Annie carries her.”
Yorko drew a slow breath. One witch had seemed problem enough. Four. “How did you escape?”
“Our food was running low, so I went out for groceries. By the time I came back…” Her voice frayed at its edges. “By the time I came back, they were everywhere.” She pressed a fist to her mouth, fighting back the sob.
He was in an impossible position. Ambassador of Graycastle was a title with no executive weight behind it — he could not order the patrol to stand down, could not countermand a king’s operation. And the operation was Appen Moya’s, the very king he had vexed that morning at court. If Yorko stepped forward to shield these witches now, expulsion from the palace would be the least of his penalties.
“Don’t worry.” No. 76 settled beside Amy and drew slow, gentle circles across the girl’s back. “Sir Yorko will know how to bring them all back safely.”
Not at all, Yorko thought, with a ferocity he kept well off his face. If Amy had simply accepted Roland’s protection when he’d suggested it, none of this would be happening.
“What about Mr. Hill?” Otto asked.
“I never know where he is. He doesn’t report to me.” Yorko frowned. “If you want him, try after dinner.”
“Then I’ll start with Earl Quinn.” Otto’s expression was complicated — past and present compressed into a single look. “He’s the king’s prime minister and commands the patrol teams. Perhaps he can arrange something.” He paused. “Do you remember the witch I mentioned — the one I called a friend? Her name is Andrea Quinn. She’s the earl’s daughter.”
Time moved through the room like water through sand.
No. 76 worked quietly on Amy, and the girl’s ragged breathing gradually eased; somewhere in that slow interval she tipped sideways in the recliner and slept. Yorko stood at the window and watched the light change. The long journey had hollowed Amy out — that much was obvious. Still, he thought, falling asleep in a place like this required a particular kind of trust.
Hill Fawkes returned to the ambassador’s mansion at dusk.
“Where did you—” Yorko stopped mid-sentence.
Three people had followed Hill into the room. Two and a half, really.
The tallest stood half a head above Hill, her face streaked with dried blood, her eyes wide-open and watchful. Annie — the same woman who had spirited Amy out of the auction. She was carrying someone on her back: a purple-haired girl lashed to her with two straps, one crossing the waist and one the shoulders, the arrangement functional and without ceremony. From the way the girl’s trouser legs hung empty below the knee, Yorko understood. Hero.
The third figure was barely taller than No. 76 — silver hair cut to the shoulder, frame gaunt, one hand pressed to her side as though bracing a wound. Broken Sword.
Amy jerked awake at the sound of footsteps. For one bewildered second she blinked, and then she was across the room, pressing herself against Annie. “You escaped — thank God! Did the knights hurt you?”
“I’m fine. But Broken Sword — she spent a great deal of her power.”
“I was so worried…”
“Annie’s here,” Hero said quietly from her perch on Annie’s back. “Nothing to fret about now.”
Yorko stared. “How did you find them?”
“It’s a long story.” Hill caught him by the wrist and pulled him into the bedroom, lowering his voice. “Listen — all of you must leave Glow before the city gates close. Five wagons are ready. The first two carry wheat and fruit. You and the witches take the other three—”
“Wait.” Yorko stopped him. “You said you and the witches.”
“You and the witches,” Hill corrected, pressing each word flat. “Not including me. Someone has to maintain contact with the Kingdom of Dawn so His Majesty’s plans aren’t compromised.”
“But I am the ambassador.”
“Which is precisely why you need to leave.” Even in a crisis, Hill’s composure held — a steady flame behind glass. “Understand something: I did not save those three witches.”
“What?” Yorko blinked. “You didn’t?”
“My birds circle Tourney Square. When I can’t find a target, I watch my rivals find it instead. I learned the knights had moved out the moment they did. But by the time I reached the block, it was already sealed.” He paused. “The only people who know those streets well enough to move inside a siege are the Black Street Rats.”
“You bribed the Rats.”
“I’ve been cultivating them since I arrived in Dawn. It costs money, but money is what crises are made of.” Hill’s voice dropped further. “Still — by the time the Rats traced the witches for me, they had already fled on their own.”
“Then it’s simple. I’ll have Denise move them out quietly. We pretend nothing happened—”
Hill shook his head. “It isn’t that simple. The King of Dawn knew exactly where those witches were hiding. He had sufficient men to turn that block inside out. Yet they escaped. There is only one explanation: he let them go. Either Appen wants to flush out other hidden witches — or he wants to identify whoever is shielding them.”
Yorko’s throat tightened.
“If that’s the case, every hour you remain in Glow increases your risk.” Hill held his gaze. “If you can bring four witches to His Majesty, the value of that far exceeds anything you might accomplish as an ambassador.”
“And you?” Yorko asked, after a pause. “If they catch you—”
“They can arrest a man with a name and a face.” Hill allowed himself a small smile. “Not a nameless man who lives in the dark. To them, I don’t exist.” He spread his hands. “No one will notice that one guard from the delegation has gone missing, and Lord Otto will cover for me. Remember what I told you — I’m simply an acrobat. The next time you and His Majesty visit the city of Glow, you’ll probably find a brand-new troupe performing in the square.”
Chapter 671: A Turbulent Situation
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
Yorko lamented in silence.
“Hell, didn’t they agree not to meet each other ever again? It’s just a courtesy to say ‘please feel free to contact the ambassador if you come across any difficulties’!”
He exchanged a look with Otto. After hesitating for quite a while, Yorko said, “Send her in.”
If it was not because the real buyer was here, Yorko would rather make up some excuses such as “The ambassador was currently not available. Please come again later” and shut her out.
No. 76 soon led the girl to the room. As he had expected, it was the 10th item in the “Black Money” auction, Amy.
The witch grasped Yorko’s arm anxiously as soon as she came in. “Sir, please help us. Annie and the others are in danger!”
“Danger?” Yorko feared that it was not a good sign. “Slow down, slow down. Take a seat first.” Yorko patted her on the shoulder. “Tell me what exactly happened?”
“We’ve… been found!” Amy uttered a series of broken words breathlessly. “A large number of… patrol team surrounded the orphanage and blocked off the roads in the vicinity. I saw more than one platoons of knights… They’re searching for witches one block after another. The other witches are still stuck in there… Please, help them!”
“Are there other witches apart from you and Annie?”
“Yes, Hero and Broken Sword. Hero lost her legs, so Annie has to carry her on the back.”
Yorko gasped. One was already enough for him to worry about, and there were four! “How did you escape?”
“Our food is running low, so I went out to buy some groceries. By the time I came back… by the time I came back, they had been everywhere!” Her voice trailed off into a barely-suppressed sob.
Yorko found himself in a very difficult position. Although titled with Ambassador of Graycastle, he did not have any actual executive power. Therefore, it was impossible for him to stop the patrol team. Further, the operation was commanded by the King of Dawn, whom he had just vexed a great deal during the court meeting. If he now stood out to protect the witches, he would probably face a more severe consequence than being expelled from the palace.
“Don’t worry. They’ll be OK.” No. 76 consoled Amy while gently stroking her back. “Sir Yorko must know how to bring them back safe and sound.”
“Not at all!” Yorko snapped in silence. If Amy could have sought Roland for protection as he had suggested earlier, nothing of these would have happened.
“What about that Mr. Hill?” Otto questioned.
“I don’t know. He never reports to me, and often time I can’t find him anywhere.” Yorko frowned. “If you want to see him, I’m afraid it has to be after dinner.”
“I see… I’ll look for Earl Quinn first. He’s the king’s prime minister and is in charge of the patrol team. Perhaps he can help them escape.”
“Hang on. Will he listen to you?”
“I’ve no idea, but it’s worth giving it a shot.” Otto gave a look full of mixed feelings. “Do you still remember the witch friend I talked about earlier? Her
name is Andrea Quinn. She’s the daughter of Earl Quinn.”
…
Time slowly slipped away. Yorko could do nothing other than looking out of the window while waiting.
Meanwhile, No. 76 did an amazing job in comforting Amy. The agitated girl finally calmed down and fell asleep in the recliner. Yorko could tell that the long journey had cost the witch a great amount of energy. Having said that, it was still pretty… gullible of her to sleep at a place like this.
By evenfall, Hill Fawkes was back to the ambassador mansion.
“Where did you go…” No sooner had Yorko finished his sentence than he found three people followed Hill to the room.
Actually, it was two and a half people.
One of them was even half a head taller than Hill, her face stained with blood and her bright eyes observant. It was the same Annie who had taken away Amy from “Black Money” the other day. She was carrying a purplehaired girl on her back. Out of convenience, the girl was closely attached to Annie with two straps clutching her waist and her shoulders.
From the dangling pants, Yorko knew she must be legless Hero.
The person who entered last was about the same height as No. 76. She had shoulder length silver hair, gaunt and frail, with her hands at the waist, as though she had sustained severe injuries.
Awakened by the patterings of footsteps, Amy was stunned for a second before throwing herself to Annie. “You all escaped… Thank God! Did those knights hurt you?”
“I’m fine, but Broken Sword… She consumed a lot of magic power.”
“I’ve been so worried about you…” Amy could not hold back her emotions anymore and broke out into tears.
“Annie’s here. Nothing to fret about now.” Hero offered her solace.
Yorko gaped. “How did you meet them?”
“It’s a long story. They must leave here as soon as possible.” Hill grabbed the ambassador’s hand and pulled him aside to the bedroom. “Listen, you guys must leave the city of Glow before the city gate closes. Our wagons are ready, five in total. The first two will carry wheat and fruit, and you’ll get on the other three…”
“Hold on for a second,” Yorko interrupted. “You just said… ‘you guys’?”
“You and the witches, not including me.” Hill stressed each word with due strength. “In order not to obstruct His Majesty’s plan, we have to keep in touch with the Kingdom of Dawn.”
“But I’m the ambassador!”
“That’s exactly why you need to leave.” In a critical moment like this, Hill appeared to be even more self-collected than usual. “Look, I didn’t save these three witches.”
“What?” Yorko was shocked. “Not you?”
“My birds are always hanging around the Tourney Square. If I can’t find the witches, it would be a better idea to see how my rivals locate them. I received the news right after the knights set out. Unfortunately, by the time I got there, the block had been under a siege. Only Rats from the Black Street know how to get in there.”
“So you bribed the Rats?”
“I’ve been keeping in contact with local Rats since I arrived at the Kingdom of Dawn. Although it has cost a big chunk of money, they do sometimes help me in the event of a crisis.” Hill said in a low tone, “But the three witches had already fled by the time I found their traces with the help of the Rats.”
“Isn’t that perfect? I’ll ask Denise to get them out of here. Let’s pretend nothing has happened…”
Hill shook his head. “It isn’t that simple. The King of Dawn already knew where the hiding place of these witches exactly is. He has manpower sufficient enough to turn the whole block inside out. How did they escape? There’s only one possible explanation: they let the witches go. Perhaps Appen wants to expose more hidden witches in this way… or rather—he wants to find out the person who supports them.”
Yorko swallowed hard.
“If that’s indeed the case, it would be too risky to linger in the city of Glow. The best option is to leave as soon as you can.” Hill continued, “If you can bring four witches to His Majesty, the payoff of that would be significantly greater than fulfilling your duties as an ambassador.”
“What about you…” Yorko asked hesitantly. “If you get caught…”
“They can arrest a person with a legit name, but not a nameless man who secretly hides in the darkness. In their eyes, I never exist.” Hill chuckled. “Nobody will ever notice one guard in the delegation is missing, and Lord Otto will also cover for me. Do you remember what I said? I’m just an ordinary acrobat. Next time you and His Majesty visit the Kingdom of Dawn, you’ll probably see a brand new acrobatics troupe in this prosperous city of Glow.”