Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Riding Out of the County
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Once we were out of the count's territory, making our way to the Rewishi self-sustaining colony would be a piece of cake.
I'd memorized the map and locations countless times.
Plus, I'd heard that as soon as you got close, there was a prohibition line set up to keep people out, so it should be easy to spot.
The real challenge is just getting out of the count's territory.
To make up for the rudeness we'd committed last time, Count Dvayer had banned the Morten Trading Company folks from leaving the territory.
That also meant security at the checkpoints had been beefed up considerably.
Because of that, my plan to pretend to sightsee around the castle gates and sneak out was scrapped immediately.
But that didn't mean I could just give up on leaving entirely!
I came up with a plausible excuse. On the appointed day, I gathered the kids and marched straight to Count Dvayer's office, knocking on the door.
"Count!"
"Mariella. What is it?"
"Saskia said it was okay for me to ride Lightning last time. Can we go to the riding grounds today?"
The excuse I'd picked was heading to the riding grounds to ride horses together.
Conveniently, Saskia herself had said it.
With a haughty look, she'd clearly given me permission to ride Lightning.
The count looked down at the four of us with a sluggish expression.
"Is Erich going too?"
"No. Erich's busy with his painting... Oops!"
"Hey, shut up!"
I pretended to be shocked and clapped a hand over my mouth, while Dietrich yelled and covered my mouth at the same time, peeking at Count Dvayer's reaction. It all happened in perfect sync, like a combo move.
We'd practiced teamwork like this dozens of times.
Count Dvayer frowned as he watched our flawless coordination.
He muttered "Painting, painting..." several times before sighing heavily, as if something had just clicked.
Tax evasion issues weighing on your mind?
Why'd you go and commit tax evasion, anyway...
From what I saw in the ledgers, there were major problems with importing that Saint Agnes icon you bragged about so much.
It was a smaller issue than processing monster parts into unauthorized medicines on a whim.
Still, if word got back to Grandfather, he'd be slapped with a massive fine for sure.
To distract him completely, I started pleading even more earnestly.
"Please let us go? The weather's perfect today."
"How many knights are you planning to take?"
"The riding grounds are safe, right? We just want to go by ourselves. The other knights need to help Erich."
Erich was handling some super important business right now!
So we had to stick all the knights with him to assist!
The count scowled reflexively at my implication.
"Take Stephan and Saskia too. Family should stick close."
"Yes!"
"And bring a few knights from our side. His Highness is going out too—no way we're sending you without an escort."
"Thank you for your consideration, Count!"
I replied brightly and slipped out of the office.
Taking Stephan and Saskia wasn't part of the original plan, but it worked out perfectly.
As I giggled to myself, Lavinia sighed again and patted my head.
No, I wasn't being stupid this time!
As soon as we arrived at the riding grounds, we headed straight for the stables.
Stephan, who'd been suddenly dragged from home to babysit us, stuck out his lips and started grumbling.
"What a hassle. Doesn't your Rommel Count's territory have any horses? Riding all the way out here—what's the point?"
"Why are there so many jerks in the world who talk smack to baby Ella?"
Stephan flinched at Dietrich's grinding teeth and took a cautious step back.
I was reveling in evil thoughts, so even Stephan's sniping sounded like sweet birdsong. I grabbed Dietrich's arm to hold him back.
Just wait a bit, and we'd pay them back—no need to rush.
Saskia, seeing Stephan getting cornered, hurriedly ordered the stable master to bring out suitable horses for us.
The horse assigned to me was Lightning, Saskia's beloved mount, as promised.
The moment I stepped into the stirrup and mounted up, my view shot up high.
"Are all the knights on their horses?"
"Yeah. Just follow this path straight to the riding track."
Count Dvayer had assigned twelve knights as escorts.
They claimed it was for our protection, but who needs twelve elite knights just for a bit of riding?
Especially since they were all top-tier guards from the count's inner circle.
It was blatant surveillance.
"We're the guests, so we can go first, right?"
"Whatever. I'm dying of boredom here—don't ask every little thing, just go. It's cramped."
Ignoring Stephan's complaints, I rode out of the stables and confirmed that Florian, Lavinia, and Dietrich followed one by one.
I also clearly saw Florian blocking Stephan's path as he tried to follow.
"What? Move aside, Your Highness."
That instant, my eyes met Florian's.
Now!
The moment I signaled, tiny flames sparked by Florian burst right in front of Stephan's horse with a pop.
Neighhh!
Stephan's horse reared in panic, and the chaos began.
Last time, I'd noticed even the warhorses in Count Dvayer's territory went berserk if spooked.
So a thoroughbred like this? Forget it.
"Wh-what! What's wrong with you?!"
As Stephan's horse bolted wildly around the stables, the other horses caught the frenzy in seconds.
I watched calmly as the already cramped stable entrance turned into a stampede of panicking horses.
"Calm down! Calm down, I said! Argh!"
One of the Dvayer knights yelled while trying to soothe his mount, only to get thrown off backward.
Every time a horse started to settle, flames would unexpectedly erupt from the ground.
Once the short uproar died down, all twelve Dvayer knights were sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain.
Among them was the jerk who'd kneed Peter during that friendly polo match.
He'd smashed someone else's knee to bits, but his own hurt? What a tragedy.
Why the crying!
"What the hell do you think you're doing? You think you'll get away with this?!"
Stephan bellowed at me as I smirked at the knights.
"Yeah. I think we will."
"What?"
"As long as you two are in our hands?"
The moment I finished, shards of ice created by Dietrich rained down.
The ice he'd formed with his Divine Grace power enclosed the knights, Stephan, and Saskia like a bladed prison cell.
Taking Stephan and Saskia had been an impromptu order from Count Dvayer, but it turned out to be a stroke of luck.
They have high value as hostages.
Even if things went south, with the count's heir and his sister in our grasp, we'd have bargaining power.
We'd left Erich behind too, so we needed some insurance.
"Damn it! This stupid Divine Grace!"
Stephan and Saskia couldn't use Divine Grace.
The Dvayer Count family is just in-laws to the duke's house.
There had been a few marriages with the duke's line in past generations, but the blood was diluted now. Stephan and Saskia were basically ordinary people.
No matter how hard Stephan punched the ice bars, they didn't even crack.
Not even the burly knights could break it, so that was expected.
That ice prison was made by Dietrich, my brother.
The guy who'd won seven times against Dad in Divine Grace training.
Of course, he'd lost over eighty times, but still...
"Don't waste your strength, idiot. It'll take a full day to melt that. Forgot I'm the Northern Duke family's top Divine Grace prodigy?"
Even in this situation, he wanted to show off?
Dietrich, honestly.
As Dietrich flexed and bragged at the fuming Stephan, I, Florian, and Lavinia spurred our horses and rode off first.
A moment later, I heard Dietrich galloping up behind us in a hurry.