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Chapter 460: Unusual Getaway.

“What is it now?”

“T-this creature, I don’t think it will last for much longer, it’s been running for almost a whole day…”

Roland concentrated on the soldiers gaining ground behind them, casting spells, and setting traps along their path. Despite his efforts to create distance, the pursuers consistently closed in. The primary obstacle was their wagon\'s speed. The lizard creature pulling it simply wasn\'t fast enough. It was good at maintaining a steady pace, but pushing it beyond that taxed its endurance. Roland cursed under his breath, realizing that eventually, the mounted knights would catch up to them. He needed to think of something and needed to do it fast.

“Keep it steady, Vico.”

“Y-yes, Sir.”

The boy nodded but it was clear that he was starting to panic. At first, it appeared that his spells were effective, but the relentless pursuit began to wear him down. As the soldiers spread out to the sides, they became much more difficult to handle. The traps had a limited area of effect, as did his spells. It felt akin to battling a hydra; for every obstacle he managed to overcome, two more emerged to take its place.

‘My mana reserves are running low, using so many spells is too taxing, and even the runes on this armor are starting to burn into the mithril, what can I do?’

To aid in his decision-making, Roland brought up the map of the area while simultaneously scanning the surroundings with his own eyes. He knew they weren’t far from his territory, but at their current pace, they would need more time. By his calculations, the enemy soldiers would likely catch up to them in around thirty minutes, potentially surrounding them once they did.

They faced a steep hillside, with the road beginning to incline. Roland speculated that some of the knights may have maneuvered around the hill and were possibly lying in wait on the other side. Reaching the summit could mean being trapped between the two forces. While there was a chance to break through, it was risky. The wagon could falter and once their momentum was stopped, they would be easy pickings for their pursuers.

‘This isn’t that far, If I could just go in a straight line and avoid the soldiers on the other side, then it could be possible…’

His mind raced at a superhuman rate as he made all the calculations. The plan formed in his head and there was one way of them reaching the end of the road in one fell swoop. It was a problematic strategy but after examining the wagon they were in, he was inclined to believe that it could work.

‘This wagon was made from mostly metal to hold the slaves inside, it should theoretically last through the spell.’

At that moment, Roland stood atop the wagon, gripping his staff tightly in his right hand. The wagon boasted a somewhat rectangular shape, its roof arching overhead, creating a faint oval surface upon which he could stand or walk. It reminded him faintly of a train cart from his old world, and it seemed sturdy enough for what he was about to attempt.

‘I’ll probably need to use the shield as the conduit and a few of the golems, but it should work…’

“Vico, hold it steady like before, don’t worry about the beast, we won\'t need it for much longer. When you are close to the top, tell me.”

“Okay, Sir!”

After a brief moment of deliberation, Roland made his decision. Vico, who still held the reins to the exhausted lizard beast, simply nodded in response. Though the boy appeared confused by Roland\'s statement, he seemed to trust in his judgment. Meanwhile, the other kids remained huddled inside the slave cart, occasionally peering out of small holes meant to allow some fresh air into the stuffy interior. A precaution probably only there, to keep the captured people from suffocating.

“...”

Roland maintained his silence, unsure of how to approach speaking to the frightened children. Thanks to Vico, however, they no longer seemed to fear him. To them, he was beginning to appear as a savior, and he was determined not to betray that trust. Thus, to start off his plan, he placed his shield on the floor and did it precisely in the center of the wagon. Some of the children looked puzzled as he retrieved another shield from beneath his robes, and their confusion only deepened as strange cube-shaped objects began to float out.

‘Let’s get to work, I only have around half an hour to do this.’

First, Roland activated the enchantments on his robe, causing it to retract onto itself. The magic allowed it to transform into a belt and in turn revealed his fully armored form. Though he was reluctant to be seen like this by Theodore\'s men, inside the cart, he was shielded from unwelcome gazes. The children, however, could now see him clearly, and their young eyes were captivated by the glowing runes and magic before them.

“Step back a bit, it will get warm in here for a moment but bear with it.”

After holding his fingers together, Roland conjured something akin to a controlled blowtorch. Despite his efforts to shield the area, some heat still seeped through, but the children remained undeterred, their eyes fixed on him as he melted the corners of his shield into the floor. Once complete, the shield was fully connected to the lesser steel of the wagon, forming the central platform for his plan.

Roland pressed on with his task, retrieving a spare runic hammer that would aid him in inscribing everything with traces. With time ticking away, he wasted no time in swiftly moving around the cart, hammering key areas. With each swing, he created more trace routes for the runes that needed to cover the entire structure of the cart for his plan to work.

As Roland meticulously inscribed the runes onto the wagon\'s surface, he could feel the pressure mounting. Time was ticking away, and the enemy soldiers were drawing closer with each passing moment. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he worked with unmatched focus. The children watched in awe as the intricate patterns of the runes began to take shape, their young minds unable to comprehend the full extent of Roland\'s magical prowess. To them, he seemed like an archmage from the tales they had heard, who wielded powers beyond their wildest imaginations.

After the last runic trace was forced into place, Roland took a step back to survey his handiwork. The wagon was now adorned with a complex network of runic traces that connected to the shield in the middle. It wasn’t his best work, nor would the metal hold for long but this would have to do. He nodded in satisfaction and it was just in time as Vico called out to him.

“Sir, we’re almost at the top and w-we are slowing down…”

“That’s fine, you did well Vico. Now go back inside, I’ll take it from here.”

The boy looked quite exhausted as he was forced to stay up all night. As Vico retreated into the wagon, Roland let the robe expand over his body once more. With his runic armor covered again, he moved to the coachman\'s seat. There he was able to see that his assumption was correct and they were indeed facing a large group of knights. They were positioned at the foot of the hill, and their leader stood out by wearing a distinctive helmet adorned with a large comb.

‘It’s that Commander I’ve met, this explains why they were able to organize so quickly. I guess, this is it… I really hope this thing lasts through it, otherwise this might get bloody…’

Roland did not wish to face these people out on the field. While they only numbered in the thirties, killing brought him no joy. Moreover, even if he managed to defeat them all, the reinforcements approaching from behind would likely catch up, potentially exposing his true identity and causing trouble for Arthur. Nevertheless, Roland remained determined not to give up. He held onto the belief that his contraption would ultimately lead him back home.

“Everyone, hold onto something and don’t let go, this might get a bit bumpy!”

*****

“Sir Alphonse, we can see the wagon, it\'s coming down the hill!”

"Prepare yourselves! Ready the shielding artifacts at once!"

A group of armored men stood at the foot of the hill, their eyes fixed on the descending wagon. It was clear to them that the beast that was pulling it was starting to slow down as it was even being pushed by the momentum of the cart as it descended. They were dealing with a powerful mage that had been evading their pursuit for more than a day. However, this would be where they corner this criminal.

First off, a line of ten men spread out, each one holding a shield enchanted to block spells. They understood that they were facing a spellcaster, and in such situations, magic was best countered with more magic. They speculated that their enemy was likely reaching the end of their mana pool. Casting spells for an extended period and continuously consuming mana potions would inevitably lead to toxicity backlash. Alphonse was well aware of this and awaited the opportune moment to strike.

Behind the group of shield bearers, another ten mounted knights stood, armed with hand crossbows. This was a new, specialized weapon capable of firing two bolts simultaneously. Enchanted to turn their ammunition into explosives upon collision, these crossbows were a large addition to their arsenal. Additionally, the mounted archers also carried longbows, ready to be employed once the crossbows were depleted.

Then in the third row, stood the Knight Commander Alphonse himself, his imposing figure clad in ornate armor adorned with the sigil of House Valerian. Alphonse stood with his most trusted men, ready to engage the mage in melee combat once the wagon was brought to a halt. Their objective was not to negotiate or seek explanations; rather, they were there to silence him and ensure that no one ever knew of this encounter.

“Sir!”

“What seems to be the matter?"

“Something is happening… I…”

"Pray, elaborate on your statement. Speak clearly!”

Suddenly, a knight peering through a spyglass caught sight of something peculiar. He struggled to articulate what he saw to the Knight Commander but eventually answered the question.

“Sir, the wagon… it seems to be rising.”

"It is ascending?"

It didn’t make sense to him but he couldn’t ignore the word of this knight as he knew that none of them would ever lie to him. Instead, he moved his horse forward, to see with his own eyes if this wagon was indeed rising or if it was just tumbling down the hill. As Alphonse approached, his eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before him. The wagon, instead of hurtling down the hillside as expected, was indeed rising into the air. It defied all logic and expectation, leaving the Knight Commander momentarily stunned. The man quickly recovered and started shouting out orders to his men."Ready yourselves. It appears to be a levitation spell, likely of temporary duration. The mage must be in dire straits!"

Alphonse\'s voice rang out, commanding authority and instilling confidence in his men. They swiftly adjusted their positions, readying themselves for whatever was to come. The shield bearers tightened their grips on their enchanted shields, while the mounted knights readied their crossbows and longbows, aiming at the airborne wagon.

The Knight Commander observed a figure, a lone man stood at the front. With a raised hand, the man conjured a blade made of blue flames, its intense heat unmistakable even from a distance. With precision, he brought the blade down, severing the connections between the wagon and the beast pulling it. As the wagon started soaring, the lizard creature was momentarily dragged upward. However, once the connections were cut, the beast fell down to the ground where it now rested. Their target on the other hand, now liberated from its restraints, started to soar at an increased pace.

Initially, it appeared that the increase in speed wouldn’t be much. A levitation spell merely removed the weight but didn’t provide any additional forward momentum. Alphonse anticipated that the wagon wouldn\'t move much faster than its current pace, which wasn’t much more than before. He presumed their enemy was attempting to gain some distance, possibly with the intention of crashing the wagon and making an escape. However, Alphonse soon realized this was not the case.

It continued to rise into the air and increase in speed, to make things worse the mage that was in the front produced a strange spell. A dense gray mist enveloped the flying cart, concealing it entirely beneath a cloud-like veil. The magical cloud\'s size far exceeded that of the wagon, and was clearly there to hide it from view. Aplhonse quickly turned to his men and gave an order, it seemed that their target was going to push through. Before it could go past them, it needed to be shot down.

"What on earth are you all waiting for, you imbeciles? Utilize your crossbows posthaste and bring it down!"

The mounted knights immediately obeyed their commander\'s command, raising their hand crossbows and taking aim at the obscured wagon. With expert precision, they fired their enchanted bolts toward the moving target, hoping to bring it crashing down to the ground. The bolts streaked through the air and approached the strange mist cloud before exploding inside of it. At first, it seemed that the target had been hit but to their surprise, the cloud continued to streak through the air, its speed continuously increasing as if it was unaffected.

The cloud persisted in its forward movement, unaffected by the barrage of enchanted bolts unleashed by Alphonse\'s men. Despite the sound of multiple magical collisions, it showed no signs of slowing down Soon the knights prepared for another volley which after being fired, was intercepted by a large shower of bolts of mana. These bolts homed in on each projectile with uncanny accuracy, colliding with them and triggering premature magical explosions.

“S-sir, what do we do now?”

One of the knights asked as the cloud containing the wagon streaked through the sky. They were not out of their range and their speed continued to increase. Alphonse gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he watched the scene unfold before him. Their target was getting away at a rapid pace that exceeded the capabilities of their horses but in his mind, it was not over.

“We gave chase! One of you shall remain and apprise the remainder of our company of our current location!"

“But sir, if we continue any much further, then we will arrive in the territory of the other Lord…”

"I am cognizant of that fact; however, it holds no significance. The scoundrel is inconsequential. Let us depart ere he becomes aware of our presence."

“Yes, Sir!”

Alphonse urged his mount forward, leading his men in a swift pursuit of the airborne wagon that was rocketing into the distance. He knew that time was of the essence; if they allowed the mage to reach the territory of another lord, it would complicate matters greatly. While he didn’t fear the man known as Arthur Valerian, he knew that his Knight Commander was strong. Their priority was to apprehend the rogue mage and to bring him back into their territory. As long as they weren\'t caught red-handed, the other party would be powerless to intervene.

The pursuit continued but unbeknownst to Alphonse, the young Valerian noble whom he had no respect for, wasn’t far away. A battalion of well over a hundred armored soldiers was not far from here and more seemed to be coming. They were all gathering at one specific location, which was on the path between Aldbourne and Albrook.

“Lord Arthur, are you sure this is the correct spot?”

“This should be it, we just need to wait and Wayland will arrive. He even gave me the map location, the coordinates should be correct!”

A man adorned in fashionable armor, distinguished by his silvery-white hair, sat astride a regal-looking steed. Beside him stood a woman, standing firmly on her own two feet. Her most striking feature was her feline ears, which set her apart amidst the armored soldiers and knights. Despite her unusual appearance, she held an air of importance, evident in her ability to converse with their leader.

Not long after, the two were alerted to something approaching from a distance. A strange blazing inferno hurtled toward them, streaking like a star from the direction their ally was supposed to arrive. The man named Arthur squinted with his eyes as he tried to ascertain what this thing was.

“Is that the fabled… Meteor spell?”

“Lord Arthur, it’s coming right for us!”

“Spread out! Take cover behind the rocks and trees, protect yourselves!”

Their leader shouted at his soldiers and knights, quickly telling everyone to take cover. The meteor was hurling right for them and if it was really the fabled spell of old, then the explosion would be devastating.