[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 139 - 28: Frozen Thorns [4]

Chapter 139: Chapter 28: Frozen Thorns [4]

There was nothing in the room. Nothing useful, to be exact.

Still, there was one last thing here that he needed to check.

Ardyn sighed as he approached the part of the wall opposite the bed where there seemed to be a wooden cover that was a shade lighter than the wallpaper. It wasn’t inconspicuous, but it didn’t stand out much either. It was as if it were just a normal part of the furniture.

Ardyn crouched down and inspected it. From the mechanism, it seemed to work like a sliding door.

Feeling a twinge of curiosity, he pushed the cover to the left and stared.

Is this a hearth?

He looked at the piles of firewood. Come to think of it, how would you light a fire here? Did they use traditional matches or perhaps some kind of magic?

As if realising something, Ardyn glanced at the side of the fireplace and saw about four spherical objects there. The sight of them made him frown slightly. They looked really familiar...

Ah!

-

"Magic spheres are contained magic," Evan explained. "Everybody on the planet uses them. We depend on them for almost anything."

-

Are these the magic spheres he told me about? Ardyn thought, picking one up and examining it. It felt cool and smooth, but there was no other sensation. No electromagnetic waves, no vibrations, nothing.

Maybe because it was not in use at the moment? After all, the one he had seen in the lighthouse had been used to power the place. Besides, this one wasn’t brightly lit and instead looked like a simple glass ball.

Since these spheres were right next to the fireplace, maybe they were supposed to be used to light a fire?

How does one activate it, though? he wondered. I have no idea.

Well. They might come in handy, so I should take a few with me just in case.

He took three spheres and put them in his backpack, leaving only one behind. Then he got up and headed for the door. There was nothing else here that he could use.

He put one ear to the door and listened for any sound. When he heard nothing, he grabbed the handle and turned it firmly, slowly opening the door.

Fortunately, the hallway was lit, so it wasn’t obvious that the room he was in was lit. He stuck his head out and found that the corridor was empty, which was certainly fortunate.

Ardyn switched off the light in the room and slipped out the door, closing it softly behind him. He padded down the hall, gazing uncertainly at the other closed rooms.

Should I go inside one?

Maybe I can find something more there...

Wait, no. It might just be the same room I was in. This is an inn, after all, so there’s probably a cleaner who cleans the room after a guest checks out...

But what should I do next, then? Ardyn thought, lips pressing into a thin line. If I go downstairs, it might just be the same thing...

Hold on! There might be some kind of storage room here. Right?

I should find one before someone comes up here!

With that in mind, Ardyn made his way to the far end of the corridor, where there seemed to be an intersection to the left.

That path should lead to a storage room, right? Or a staff-only room. I should check—

Suddenly, just as he was about to get close, he heard muffled voices coming from nearby. The sounds froze him in his tracks, and his eyes widened as the realisation began to sink in.

But before he could turn and run, two figures rounded the corner in front of him, stopping only a few paces away.

It was too late now.

"Huh?"

"You...?"

Two women stood before him, staring at him with varying expressions of surprise. One of them looked familiar, as if he had seen her before, but he couldn’t remember where. Though that was probably due to the panic that was rapidly building up in his gut.

The woman had short brown hair cut in a French bob, green eyes, and freckles that looked endearing against her pale face.

The other woman, the one Ardyn wasn’t familiar with, had longer hair tied back in a low, braided ponytail. Her hair was the color of caramel blonde, and she had dark, upturned eyes that seemed almost cold and distant. She appeared to be in her early thirties.

Ardyn just stood there, as if his feet were glued to the ground. There was no escape now. Even running away might cause them to start screaming and alert the other villagers to his presence. Ardyn did not want to hurt anyone. No, that was absolutely not an option, not even for the sake of escape.

Besides, if that Guardian ran up here and cornered him, that would be the end for him.

Wait...

If that man came up here...?

Suddenly, the short-haired woman let out a gasp.

"Hold on! You’re... You’re those guys’ other companion, aren’t you?"

Ardyn sighed. Well, he was definitely in trouble now.

Maybe if he was together with Luke and Leon in that little shed, they could come up with something better. Well, it was better to think positive in a situation like this, no matter how hopeless it might be.

"I am," he confirmed quietly.

"Oh my..." The short-haired woman seemed a little torn by this. She turned to her companion with an unsure look in her eyes. "Um... what should we do, Beatrice?"

The other woman, Beatrice, was still staring at Ardyn, but there was no trace of fear in her features. She didn’t say anything at all, which made Ardyn slightly unnerved.

Was she going to jump him, tie him up, and call for the others? After all, there was a possibility that she might be good at martial arts. Ardyn, who hated sports and exercise, would definitely lose against such a person.

Should’ve worked out more in my original world... Damn it...

"Please pretend you didn’t see me," he said quietly, gripping the strap of his backpack so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Even though pleading might prove useless, he had to at least try. "I don’t want any trouble. I just... want to leave quietly. That’s all I want."

His words seemed to startle both women. They exchanged glances, and the silence seemed to last a few seconds longer.

"Um..." the short-haired woman said uncertainly. "I don’t think..."

"Wait," Beatrice suddenly said. "Hold on for a moment, Solana."

Solana turned to her, startled. "What? What are you..."

Beatrice ignored her and stared at Ardyn, her eyes seemingly devoid of emotion.

Ardyn tensed. Would it be better to leave after all? Maybe it would be a better choice than staying here and giving up...

"Why did you flee?" Beatrice suddenly asked quietly. "When the others checked your room, you weren’t there. Why did you leave?"

"Because you guys were going to capture us, that’s why," Ardyn said solemnly. "I overheard the conversation downstairs and instinctively decided to leave. We knew that once our identities were revealed, there would be little chance of escape, so I... left first, before any of you could detain me, too. And I was right."

"That means you plan to leave the village alone?" Beatrice said in an unusually steely tone. "You’re just going to abandon your friends?"

Ardyn stared at her as if she had just sprouted two heads. "What? Of course not," he said, both puzzled and irritated that she would assume such a thing. "I’m going to find a way to free them."

"And after that? What happens if you succeed?" Beatrice asked calmly. "What will you three do to us?"

Solana went rigid, her eyes widening in horror at the frightening possibilities that flashed through her mind.

Ardyn blinked. "What do you mean what we’re going to do with you... Of course we’re just going to leave and then continue our journey. We have somewhere important to go as soon as possible."

"Oh... right. You guys did leave hours earlier, back at the tavern during your first visit," Solana suddenly said. "But you three came back later to warn us about the beastspawns..."

The tavern? Huh?

Wait a minute...

Ardyn thought back to that time and remembered that when Luke had returned to their table with the food, there had been a woman with him, who was presumably the server.

"Oh, that’s why you look familiar!" Ardyn suddenly exclaimed. "You’re that woman from the tavern!"

His suddenly light, friendly tone must have surprised Solana, because she appeared stunned by his words.

"Y... Yes... I am," she confirmed timidly. "I wasn’t sure if you remembered me. I was only at your table for a few seconds."

"I’m pretty good with faces," Ardyn said, feeling a little embarrassed.

"I see," Beatrice suddenly said, effectively cutting off the conversation between them. "So you have no intention of harming any of us here?"

"No... why should I? You haven’t done anything wrong," Ardyn said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Besides, I’m not a psycho. I don’t want to hurt anyone."

Beatrice nodded, as if she had already expected that answer.

When she spoke again, her voice was full of conviction, as if she had already made up her mind.

"Very well. Then I’ll help you escape and free your friends."