Half an hour later, Lucas and his group ventured deep into the forest, about twenty minutes away from Moth City. He turned off his flashlight and began moving forward in the dark.
Fortunately, Lucas had arranged decent meals for the troops, packed with vitamins and nutrients, ensuring no one suffered from night blindness. Plus, the weather tonight was cooperative, with soft moonlight that, while not illuminating far, was sufficient for walking.
"Who's there?"
A sharp shout from the War Wolves up ahead made Lucas, Mina, and the others behind them tense up, their faces grim as they quickly rushed forward.
Bonnie stared in shock at the two figures before her. She hadn't expected to encounter humans, especially with the strange-looking knight's sword pressed against her neck, making her too scared to move.
The soft crunch of footsteps reverberated through the dense forest…
The rhythmic sound of approaching steps halted Bonnie in her tracks, her body stiffening as if rooted to the ground. Moments later, a few more figures emerged from the shadows, clad in similar attire, their piercing, icy gazes locking onto her with unnerving intensity. That kind of cold, predatory stare was something she had only ever witnessed among the elite knight squads of the Black Iris organization, a memory that sent a shiver down her spine.
"A girl?" Chris's brow furrowed as he scrutinized the trembling figure before him. His sharp eyes flicked over her distinctive green hair and pointed ears, his voice dropping to a chilling tone. "You're an elf, aren't you?"
"I-I…" Bonnie stammered, her voice faltering under the weight of his gaze. A flood of panicked thoughts surged through her mind. Could these people be slavers? Did they catch wind of elves in the area and come to snatch us? If that were true, what could she possibly do? The thought of being captured and sold off was unbearable. No, she couldn't let that happen—not when she had to return to care for her mother. If she were taken, her absence would leave her mother vulnerable. The Black Iris organization's ruthless principle of discarding the "useless" would surely mean her mother's abandonment, a fate Bonnie refused to accept.
More footsteps echoed, urgent and deliberate…
Just as Bonnie braced herself to scream, hoping to create a commotion and draw attention, another series of footsteps broke through the silence. Her eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope, her heart leaping at the thought that the knights might have arrived to intervene.
"Have you caught a scout?" Lucas's voice cut through the night before his figure came into view, authoritative yet calm.
"City Lord, we've apprehended a girl—an elf," Chris replied, his tone laced with deference as he stood straighter.
"An elf?" Lucas's voice betrayed a hint of surprise. In a few swift strides, he closed the distance to Chris's side, his eyes settling on the girl before him. She had an unremarkable appearance—green hair, pointed ears, and an air of ordinariness that made her seem like any other young woman, save for those distinctive elven ears.
"Young Master, she's definitely an elf," Ayesha chimed in, craning her neck to get a better look at the girl. She nodded with certainty. "She's probably here to rescue elves, just like Elisa."
Elisa? The name hit Bonnie like a jolt, freezing her in place. She discreetly scanned the group, her astonishment growing as she noticed beastkins standing shoulder-to-shoulder with humans—an unusual alliance. From their demeanor, it was clear this group knew Elisa. Could they be reinforcements she called for? The possibility sparked an idea. If she played her cards right, she might manipulate the situation to her advantage. Steeling herself, Bonnie doubled down on her act, adopting a pitiful, trembling demeanor to sell her story.
"Are you also here to save elves?" Lucas asked, his eyes sweeping over her from head to toe. With a casual wave of his hand, he signaled Chris and the others to lower their weapons.
Clang! Clang! The sound of blades being sheathed rang out as Chris and his team stepped back, fanning out to maintain a vigilant perimeter around the group.
"Y-Yes," Bonnie replied, hunching her shoulders and shrinking her neck to appear as meek as possible. "We… we failed again."
"What do you mean by that?" Lucas's brow creased, his tone probing.
"Miss Elisa, along with four other elves… they were all captured," Bonnie said, her voice breaking as she lowered her head. To sell the act, she pinched her thigh hard, the sharp pain making her tremble visibly, her face contorting in feigned distress.
"What? Elisa was captured?" Ayesha's eyes widened in shock, her head whipping toward Lucas. Her anxious gaze seemed to carry an unspoken question: Young Master, didn't you say Elisa was too smart to get caught so easily?
"Ahem…" Lucas cleared his throat, his expression twisting into something awkward. How could he have predicted that Elisa, of all people, would be ensnared so quickly? The situation was as baffling as it was inconvenient.
"What's your name?" He asked, turning his attention back to the girl.
"Bonnie. My name's Bonnie," She replied, wiping away a tear with a trembling hand. The stinging pain in her thigh lingered, a fiery reminder of her commitment to the ruse.
"Bonnie, how do you know Elisa was captured?" Lucas's brow arched slightly, his dark eyes boring into hers with an intensity that made her falter.
"I…" Bonnie's heart skipped a beat under his piercing stare, a flicker of panic threatening to unravel her. She quickly ducked her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "I-I was too weak… useless. Miss Elisa and the others didn't let me go with them."
"I see," Lucas said, his tone neutral. "And how many people are in Moth City?"
"There… there are over fifty," Bonnie answered, deliberately halving the true number. By understating the enemy's strength, she hoped to lure them into a trap—a calculated risk to turn the tables.
"Oh?" Lucas's frown deepened, his gaze lingering on the bowed Bonnie. Without a word, he tilted his head toward Chris, subtly gesturing toward the forest's edge.
Chris gave a curt nod, instantly grasping the City Lord's unspoken command. He signaled two of his teammates, and the trio melted into the shadows, their footsteps silent as they moved to scout the perimeter and verify the girl's claims.
"How long have you been here?" Lucas asked, his voice soft but laced with scrutiny.
"F-Five or six days," Bonnie replied, her mind racing to piece together a convincing story. Her eyes welled up again as she spoke, her voice trembling with feigned desperation. "Twelve elves have already been taken. Please, you have to save them."
"Of course we will," Ayesha declared, nodding vigorously. "We're Elisa's friends, so we'll definitely rescue them." Despite her obvious worry, she restrained herself from pressing Lucas, her rationality holding her impatience in check.
"Thank you… thank you so much," Bonnie said, bowing her head lower to hide her calculating thoughts. Just as I suspected, she mused. These people know Elisa, and they're close to her.
What she hadn't anticipated was the depth of their loyalty. Given Elisa's status and the staggering 1,000-gold-coin bounty on her head, Bonnie had assumed anyone would prioritize the reward over friendship. These people must be fools, she concluded, a spark of disdain flickering in her mind.
"We'll make sure everyone is saved," Lucas said calmly, his dark eyes glinting as he scanned the surrounding forest, alert for any signs of danger.
Mina, standing close by, tugged gently at Lucas's sleeve. Her eyes blinked twice, and she mouthed silently, "Young Master, something's not right." As a cat-eared beastkin, not an elf, Mina lacked the inherent trust that elves like Elisa might inspire. Her years of survival experience had honed her instincts, and she sensed inconsistencies in Bonnie's story that others might overlook.
Nearby, Freya's brow furrowed, her orange eyes fixed on Bonnie with an intensity that seemed to pierce through her facade. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her greatsword, her keen intuition screaming that the situation was far more complicated than it appeared.
Lucas gave a subtle nod, acknowledging Mina's warning. He, too, had picked up on the discrepancies in Bonnie's tale. Her story was riddled with holes, and her clothing—clean and intact—hardly looked like it had endured five or six days without a change or wash.
"You must all be exhausted," Bonnie said, her face twisting into a mask of sorrow, her voice hoarse and strained. "I can lead you to a place where you can rest. There's a cave nearby that shields against the cold wind. Not long ago, Miss Elisa and the others rested there."
"Alright," Lucas agreed, a faint, enigmatic smile curling his lips. As he studied the girl, a spark of intrigue ignited within him. This encounter was proving far more interesting than he had anticipated, and he was eager to see where her deception would lead.
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