[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 138 - 28: Frozen Thorns [3]

Chapter 138: Chapter 28: Frozen Thorns [3]

It was a clear threat, a warning that Leon was sure would spell defeat for them the moment they tried to resist.

He watched with trepidation as the villagers began to rush upstairs, intent on capturing Ardyn while he was unaware.

Next to him, Luke stiffened, but before he could open his mouth to say anything, Cliff suddenly stood before them, his stance and gaze sharp and intimidating.

"You two are coming with me. No funny business," he said, all traces of light humor or weariness gone from his tone and expression. "Otherwise, I’ll be forced to do something I don’t want to do."

Leon pressed his lips into a thin line. "All right," he conceded quietly.

It was too late now. Leon would have to come up with a plan later, once they were in the shed and had some time to think without all these people around.

***

Meanwhile, from the rooftop, Ardyn watched with wide eyes as the villagers surrounded both Luke and Leon, leading the two men hastily to a small shed on the right side of town. It was located in a semi-isolated area, probably for storing supplies and extra materials.

Ardyn watched, heart pounding in his chest, as the villagers locked the shed from the outside and began talking to the Guardian standing guard at the door.

Ardyn strained his ears to hear what was being said, but unfortunately, he couldn’t.

Are they going to call the government or something? he wondered, jaw clenching. How can they contact the royal family or the Duke, though? By messenger bird? Or through commcrystal?

Come to think of it, how do they report things like this to the government? Do they have something like police stations around here?

I don’t remember seeing one, though...

Soon, the villagers rushed back into the inn, leaving the tall Guardian alone. Ardyn hid just in case the man spotted him, and his mind began to race.

What was he going to do?

Better yet, how the hell was he going to get them out of there?

Didn’t things like this only happen in movies and stuff? Frankly, he was surprised that he hadn’t gone crazy yet!

Okay, calm down, Ardyn. You’re panicking again, he scolded himself. This isn’t the time to be complaining!

Let’s approach this calmly, one by one.

He closed his eyes, hoping it would help him relax and concentrate more on the matter at hand.

First off, Luke and Leon were locked in the shed over there, which was some distance from the inn.

The only person outside at the moment was the man, the Guardian, who had managed to kill the beastspawns that had tried to invade the village. This meant that Ardyn could not even think about attempting to attack him or provoke him in any way. That would be a dangerous and idiotic move, even for him.

Since the villagers were still paranoid about another beastspawn attack, they seemed to feel safer indoors, which was reasonable, of course.

From what he could see from the roof, none of the villagers even dared to go outside, and they still had their doors and windows closed and locked. He couldn’t even see a single light in the houses except for the inn.

Perhaps the villagers inside the inn felt safe and secure because of the presence of this strong Guardian nearby.

Which meant that if Ardyn ever decided to go down there and somehow rescue Luke and Leon, he would only have to deal with the Guardian and no one else. Hopefully.

...which, to be honest, was not a very good idea.

I need to distract him somehow, Ardyn thought, brow furrowing as he tried to wrestle his brain for ideas. But how can I do that? I don’t have anything with me here that I can use.

Maybe if I have a magic bomb with me or something. I could probably create a diversion with that.

Wait, no. That would only be short-lived. He’d quickly figure out that I’m trying to distract him away.

Ardyn tried to figure out a solution, but came up with nothing. After all, this was no ordinary person he was dealing with. This was a magic user who was certainly no fool. Petty tricks or traps wouldn’t work. He had to think of something deeper and more foolproof.

Ardyn opened his eyes and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Damn it, he swore internally. This is not boding well for me.

It’s my fault though, isn’t it?

I was the one who suggested that we come back here. I’m the one who brought this mess upon ourselves.

I only have myself to blame, so I need to be the one to solve this.

-

"Will you stay? Even though you could be in even more danger if they discover who you are?" Luke said gently. "They won’t understand, you know. Even if you explain your situation. They’ll fear you and turn a blind eye to your suffering."

-

Ardyn bit his lower lip, feeling the guilt begin to settle in the pit of his stomach. Maybe he should have listened to Luke in the first place.

But it was true, wasn’t it? Ardyn was the one who started it all. Not only was he the harbinger of destruction for this world, he couldn’t even keep his own friends out of danger. He couldn’t even save Evan, Elyana and Ansel. He left them behind and ran.

Fucking hell.

Ardyn stood up shakily on two legs, huffing to himself quietly.

I can blame myself more later on. Right now, I need to find a way to free those two.

If the Duke gets a hold of Leon, I don’t know what he might do to him. I can’t risk it!

Ardyn walked silently to the other side of the roof, where he wouldn’t be seen by Cliff, and started to look around.

Sure enough, there was no one outside. He couldn’t stay on this roof forever, so he had to get down somehow.

But where should he go...?

Ah. Maybe I can find something on the upper floors?

Ardyn looked down and saw a couple of windows below, both closed. Were they locked? He could try, right?

He looked around for a drainpipe he could hold on to for support, just like when he climbed up to the roof here. When he found it, he adjusted his backpack properly and started to climb down.

Thank goodness for the ledge, he thought as he stepped onto the narrow ledge, making sure to hold on to the walls.

A window was nearby, so he reached for it and tried to push it open.

Oh!

It wasn’t locked!

With a small sigh of relief, Ardyn pushed it open, revealing a dark, empty room. Not exactly empty, as it was furnished, but rather that there were fortunately no people in it. He really lucked out with this one.

Careful not to make a sound, he shifted his grip, then swung a leg over the windowsill and eased himself inside. He dropped into the room and landed softly on the wooden floor.

He took a deep breath and took in his surroundings, one by one. It was too dark to see anything clearly, so he straightened his backpack and scanned the room for a switch.

Okay. The room was lit now.

After turning on the light, he saw a neatly made bed and a wardrobe against the far wall. It definitely looked similar to their room on the second floor, only this one had a single bed. Nothing stood out, and the designs were plain and simple.

All right. Time to think of a plan, he thought. I’m the only one those two can count on right now.

Besides, it probably won’t be long before the villagers get to this floor. They might be checking the entire second floor right now, so I need to hurry before they arrive.

His eyes darted around, wondering if he should check the closet and drawers before leaving.

Maybe there’s something in this room that I can use as a distraction.

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