Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 401: A Glimmer of Hope
TL: Etude
The moment the knocking sounded with a thud, Liszt could discern who it was by the frequency and force of the knocks.
“Coming, coming.” He opened the door, and a slim figure slipped in from outside.
The visitor took off the hood of the cloak, revealing grayish-white hair. However, beneath the hair was a face still retaining traces of youth, looking to be about fourteen or fifteen years old, with eyes full of spirit and cunning, though a reddish nose added a somewhat comical touch.
He raised his hand in greeting, “Hey, Liszt, the big fella sent me to give you his regards.”
“Hello to you too, Roskin.” Liszt replied with a smile, recognizing the person before him.
Roskin was one of the wizards saved by Seviya and was the youngest among them. Since their successful prison break, the wizards had built a refuge in the vast forests outside the city of Ness. Seviya continued to stay in the city to observe the situation, and Roskin was one of the most frequent messengers, as people’s image of spellcasters either resembled bearded old grandfathers or wrinkled old grandmas, so a juvenile like him considerably lowered suspicions about him.
Roskin inquired, “Is Sister Seviya around? I have something I need to see her about…”
“What’s happened at the camp?” A sharp female voice rang out, filled with concern. Seviya Acitini hastily descended from the second floor.
“Hey, hey, don’t worry,” Roskin said with a playful grin, waving his hand dismissively, “It’s nothing dangerous.”
Seviya and Liszt both breathed a sigh of relief.
“Then you’re here to…”
Roskin’s grin faded, “The Arcane Society has contacted us.”
“What?” Seviya exclaimed in shock, her pretty face turning pale, “How did they contact you?”
“Yesterday morning, we found an arrow shot into the camp with a letter tied to it.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Seviya’s face instantly frosted over, “It means your hiding place has been exposed.”
“We’re all spellcasters, they have no reason to harm us, right?”
“Hmph, you’ve eaten enough meals to know better. Don’t you have any sense of caution about others, haven’t you heard of the reputation of the Arcane Society before? Besides, you just believe them when they say they’re from the Arcane Society?”
Liszt, standing to the side, recalled the name of this organization. In these days, he had learned quite a bit about the world of spellcasters from Seviya, and according to her description, the Arcane Society was a rather radical outfit, with a very hostile attitude towards ordinary people. What was worse was that they showed no mercy even towards other factions of spellcasters with different ideologies. In short, it was an organization that made one’s blood run cold.
Ah, this stuff of legends was actually unfolding right before his eyes, Liszt couldn’t help but be struck with amazement.
Roskin continued, “Ah, we’re already in such a pitiable state, if it were the Church, they would have quietly assembled their troops and surrounded us already, so it’s highly unlikely to be someone from the Church. The letter contained no threats, on the contrary, it said they would offer us help but wanted to meet with our leader first. Everyone in the camp unanimously thinks you are the most qualified.”
“Me?” Seviya was surprised.
“It was you, big sister, who rescued us from the fate of being burned alive. No one else would be accepted by everyone,” Roskin stated matter-of-factly.
After mulling over it for a while, Seviya finally said, “Alright, then. I’ll make a trip on behalf of everyone. You go back right now and tell everyone to prepare for the worst and also send someone to find a new place to settle.”
“Understood, leader!” Roskin saluted playfully, looking every inch the loyal follower.
“Goodbye, Brother Liszt! I’m heading back now.”
Waving at Liszt, he then headed for the exit.
“Hey, hold on! Tell me the rendezvous point and how to get there.”
…
After Roskin had left, Liszt expressed his concern with slight unease, “I’m against you meeting with someone from the Arcane Society. Maybe it’s fine for that youngster Roskin, but the others… I just feel like they’re afraid of falling into a trap, and that’s why they’re pushing you out front.” ȑÄΝ𝐎𝖇Еs
This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.
Seviya was a bit touched but shook her head, “Continuing to hide near Fort Ness is not a long-term solution. The Arcane Society is powerful if we can get their help, that would be great.”
She glanced at Liszt, “Don’t worry, if it’s indeed a trap and I get caught, I will never give you away.”
“Is that what I’m worried about?”
Liszt felt insulted.
…
The tavern in Fort Ness was rowdy and dimly lit, just an ordinary little establishment.
Sailors gathered in groups, sharing bawdy tales, while waitresses weaved through the tables, serving drinks and fending off the stealthy gropes.
Wrapped in a cloak commonly seen on adventurers, Seviya made her way to the back corner of the tavern where a man and a woman were already sitting.
The man appeared young, not very tall and looked to be under twenty, while the woman’s age was inscrutable.
She asked, “May I sit here? As thanks, I’ll treat you to sugarcane wine.”
The woman glanced at Seviya and smiled, “Of course, beautiful miss. But we’ll each have two glasses.”
“No problem.”
Seviya settled a bit more comfortably, getting seated across from them.
The woman across from her looked at Seviya with interest.
“If I’m not mistaken, you’re the one responsible for that big incident at the church, right?”
Seviya replied, “Let’s get straight to the point. If you can help us get out of this predicament, what do we need to pay?”
“Hehe, such an impatient girl,” the woman covered her mouth and chuckled.
As they conversed, the young man beside her seemed nonchalant but remained vigilant, watching whether anyone was approaching.
“Can’t it just be out of righteous indignation at the oppression faced by our kind, prompting us to lend a helping hand? Just like what happened that day at the cathedral.”
“That doesn’t seem to be your organization’s style.”
“Hmph… nothing in the world is constant. Alright, since you asked like that, I hope that you will join us.”
“My personal answer is—absolutely not. However, I won’t stop others from making their decisions.”
The woman shook her head, “What a stubborn girl. But I appreciate your latter statement. Ensure that you accurately convey my words to your compatriots.”
Seviya asked skeptically, “Can you really help us get out of this predicament? Ever since… the incident at the cathedral, there are Church watchposts everywhere on the roads and ports.”
The woman across smiled mysteriously, “Rest assured that you can count on us. However, I can’t divulge the details just yet. But I assure you, our strength here far exceeds your imagination.”
“Is that so? Then I thank you on behalf of those compatriots who can escape.”
“Those?”
“You just said they had to join your organization, didn’t you?”
“Haha, but I also said it’s out of righteous indignation at the oppression we face. Why don’t you believe that part?”
“This…”
“Relax, if it’s at all possible, we will help all of you get out of your predicament without anyone left behind. After that, it will be voluntary whether to stay or go.”
Seviya was incredulous; were these really people from the Arcane Society?
“May I know how to address you?” She asked respectfully.
“You may refer to me as Mrs. Red for now.”
Seviya noted that the woman did indeed have red hair, clearly still cautious.
“And you, young lady?”
“You guessed right, Acitini.”
“I thought as much.”
