Chapter 45: Trapped

From a corner of the wooden staircase, I could hide myself while looking at whoever was being attended by Ms. Grace.

They were a group of four: two huge guys and two girls, both of them using the Silver Fang white uniform covering their bodies. The two muscled and tall guys were using silver armor, which meant they were physical fighters. I didn’t remember them, so they could be from any class, from Monk to Knight.

What caught my eye were the other two. I recognized the girls right in front of Ms. Grace, and they were bad news.

“Good morning.” Ms. Grace said with a gentle voice.

“Morning.” The woman leading the group gave her a small greeting. Her outstretched arm showed a silver medallion. Ms. Grace’s eyes opened wide when she saw the Silver Fang emblem. “Do you mind answering some questions? I would be really glad if you could help us.”

“Sure, have a seat.” She was still stunned by the surprise, but she regained her composure, offering a table for their conversation. It wasn’t very far from me, so I could hear their voices clearly.

Ms. Grace and the other two women sat down at the table close to the window. The two guys stayed guarding in front of the inn.

The two members of the Silver Fang were really different from each other. The first one, closer to the window, was wearing a pair of glasses, and she carried a serious expression in her black eyes. Aside from that, she was beautiful. She had pale but well-treated skin with a mole below her left eye. She had a slim waist and a curvy body, with a bust that compared to Sarah’s.

The second one I remembered too well. I couldn’t stop feeling that dealing with her would be a pain. The leader of the officers from the Silver Fang had her hair tied in a messy bun, and it was difficult not to look away from her. Her hair had a wine-red color that was pretty unusual, even more if you consider the contrast with her white uniform. Her eyes were also another distinguished feature, with an amber color, like a cat staring at her prey, analyzing everyone in her sight.

“Let me introduce ourselves first. My name is Erina Ashburn, Captain of the Silver Fang Army. She is my First Lieutenant, Justine Blackwood.” She politely said to the inn owner.

“My name is Grace Evergreen, it’s a pleasure to meet you. How can I help you, officer?” Miss Grace asked after her introduction.

“We are looking for two people. A blond-haired girl, a bit shorter than me, and a tall silver-haired one. Did you see someone like that recently?” She asked Ms. Grace.

I froze there. They were looking for Alicia and Diane. ’If they were looking for them as bandits, they are going for their heads.’

Instinctively, I looked at their status, and a cold sweat ran down my face when I saw it.

[

Name: Erina Ashburn

Level: 10

Class: Gunner

Health: 90 points

Mana: 70 points

Strength: 15 point

Defense: 9 point

Magic: 7 point

Agility: 10 point

]

[

Name: Justine Blackwood

Level: 9

Class: Mage

Health: 70 points

Mana: 80 points

Strength: 4 point

Defense: 8 point

Magic: 18 point

Agility: 8 point

]

Neither Sarah nor I was even close to their status. ’Should I plan a matchup? If Sarah fought Erina and I fought Justine, maybe we could…’

My brain froze. It was a bad idea. If we challenged Erina and Justine, the other two outside would join the fight, and Diane would be forced to enter this mess. The place could be destroyed, or worse, Ms. Grace, Alicia, and the normal people still here could get hurt.

I sighed deeply, trying to keep myself calm. ’There has to be another way. Calm down!’ My heart slowed down, my mind became peaceful once again. I focused my attention on their conversation, waiting for Ms. Grace’s answer.

“Are they criminals of some sort?” the inn owner asked, with a scared look on her face.

“The silver-haired one is very dangerous, actually. But the blondie, no. She was actually kidnapped by the other.” Erina said, her eyes gazing at Ms. Grace with expectation.

Miss Grace looked relieved, knowing that the sweet girl she met wasn’t involved in something bad.

Knowing that she knew the girl, Erina continued talking, “I heard from the shop lady that the girl was walking around town with someone. Her name is Sarah Lockhart. Do you know her?”

“She is one of my guests.” She said, but her calm voice became more nervous when a certain thought crossed her mind. “Don’t tell me that you are suspecting her of being part of the kidnapping? Sarah would never do that!”

“Calm down, Miss Grace,” Erina said in a calm voice. “On the contrary, I think she helped the girl, but of course, as an investigator of the case, I can’t throw the possibilities out of the window on a whim. Do you understand me?”

Erina wasn’t the type of person who would try to speak louder, coercing someone into doing as she pleased. She was good at reading people, but better at manipulating them into her mind game. Her carefully planned kindness would bring better results when talking to the peaceful civilian in front of her. I was hoping that Grace wouldn’t fall for it.

“Alicia was here until early morning. She said they would travel and needed to leave really early, spending several days on a trip.” Ms. Grace said to Erina. Thankfully, Ms. Grace wasn’t trusting Erina’s intentions, protecting us with her lie.

“So are you saying that Alicia went on a trip with this Sarah girl, right?”

“Right.”

“Really?” She asked while tapping her finger on the table.

“Yes.”

“The two girls alone? Anyone else?”

“No, no one.”

“Hey, did you listen to this, Justine? Two girls traveling alone in the woods. Seems dangerous.” She said in a playful but provocative tone. Justine didn’t move, but she was paying attention during the entire conversation, not intervening in the questioning.

“Sarah is an Awakened, and on top of that an Adventurer, so I don’t think this will be a problem for them.” Miss Grace said.

They stayed quiet. Grace did a good job; if I didn’t know the truth, I couldn’t tell she was lying. However, Erina was a professional who could read people like a book. ’Will she fall for it?’

Erina stayed silent, staring at Miss Grace, looking for any signal of an amateur liar.

“You called her Alicia. How much do you know about that girl?” Erina asked the lady in a more intimidating tone.

Ms. Grace simply opened a big smile and said, “That she is a lovely young lady.”

Her cheerful smile disarmed Erina, and the officer made a confused expression. “I see…”

After restoring her composure, Erina kept staring at Ms. Grace. Her eyes were fixed on the lady without blinking once, with a serious expression while muttering.

“Hmm…”

“Is something wrong?” Ms. Grace asked, starting to feel uncomfortable under her gaze.

I stood there, with my heart in my throat. I thought she would try something about Miss Grace’s lie. The inn owner was in danger.

“Lady, with all due respect, you have big boobs, don’t you?” Erina said.

“Eh? E-Excuse me?” the inn owner said, surprised.

“They are bigger than mine,” Erina said, her hands almost touching her own chest. “They are even bigger than Justine’s. I’m really impressed.”

“T-Thank you, I guess.” She responded with a crooked smile, still adapting to the sudden change. I don’t blame her.

Erina Ashburn from SCRL was like that: a mix of calculated genius and a goofy idiot. However, even with this easygoing side of her, she was still a menace.

“So I think there is nothing to do here anymore. We will have to follow their trail.” Justine said, finally breaking her silence.

Miss Grace sighed silently, as if she was replying to the girl’s words.

I sighed as well, thinking that the problem was already over. But it was not the case.

“But it would be a waste to visit a countryside town without flavoring their food, don’t you think, Justine?” Erina said, surprising all three of us.

“Y-Yeah, I think so.” Her underling responded.

“So, Miss Grace, what are you serving today?” Erina asked with a dumb smile.

“S-Soup. We are serving soup with vegetables.” She said with a hesitant voice, knowing that her lies were for nothing.

“Make two— actually, make it three. You can’t tell by her appearance, but Justine is a glutton.” Erina said in a playful tone.

“Ahem!” Justine coughed as a sign of disapproval at her Captain’s words.

“But man, this inn is so comfy. Justine, what do you think about renting here for the day?” She asked Justine, making her intentions clear.

She wasn’t going to leave. She didn’t entirely trust what Ms. Grace said, and she believed that we were still there. If we stepped into the dining room, she would catch us. If she stayed here, she would use the opportunity to search the two upper floors.

We were trapped, even though she didn’t use force for that.

I went back to my room hastily, my restless mind thinking about how we would escape from here.

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