Chapter 25: Ch. 25: An Ambush!
The fading twilight sky was like a beautiful abstract painting, decorated with a fading orange tinge.
I sat on a horse-drawn carriage travelling slowly on the quiet street of Morte Region.
The night air was cool there, and the breeze caressed my face.
I heard the sound of the carriage wheels creaking like soul-soothing music, accompanied by the regular breathing of the horses from the front.
Every now and then, I heard the cries of night birds like a mysterious, mesmerising song.
The horse-drawn carriage continued on its way, taking us through the darkness of the night.
The gas lamp, which was hanging from the carriage, was switched on, illuminating the luggage, me, Mr. Edward and Li Wei with a dim yellow light.
The sword I had requested from boss was placed beside me, also illuminated by the gas lamp.
If anything happened I could immediately remove the sword from its sheath and be ready for battle.
Keeping the sword in inventory wasn't very effective because it took too long to retrieve it.
As I finished talking to myself, I noticed two people who were having a conversation in front of me.
They were Mr. Edward and Li Wei, the merchant who had asked someone to look after them until they reached Liyue safely.
Mr Edward basically had a wrinkled face, under the eyes for example. His features were like Fontaine's.
I was able to recognise the characteristics of the Fontaine, where I lived after all.
Mr Edward was a wise and friendly old man. He always had interesting stories to tell. Completely different from his cold exterior.
Li Wei, on the other hand, was not from Fontaine.
His round and radiant face was like a full moon at midnight.
His narrow, twinkling eyes are like stars decorating the sky.
His small, pointed nose was like a glittering jade.
I knew immediately that Li Wei was an energetic and passionate young man. In addition, he was also timid.
"How many dead are there now?" said Li Wei with both curiosity and fear.
He had been asking Edward since their previous topic of conversation had not been interrupted.
Hearing this topic of conversation, I had gasped and was about to hear their conversation as well.
"It's three now." Edward exhaled then continued, "two of them are women, one is... a teenager, it is said that he just returned home after finishing watching an opera at Opera Epiclese."
"How unfortunate."
"Fate does it this way. Constantly rotating, from above to below, from below to above, forming a vicious circle, we are trapped in our own destiny," Edward replied, sighing at the silence of the night.
Honestly, I wasn't really listening to what they were discussing, my mind was focused on one thing and another... I couldn't let my eyes off the neighbourhood watch.
Ambushes are capable of happening when caught off guard.
That's why I was reluctant to listen to them.
I was actually quite interested in the topic the two of them were discussing because it was most likely related to William's first murder.
If only I hadn't been hired as a bodyguard, I might have focused my ears on this topic.
While muttering, I placed my forefinger in front of my lips, implying that there should be silence.
That's because I felt something move from the grass!
I observed the two, alternately looking at Li Wei, then Edward.
The timid Li Wei gulped. His eyes opened wide. Then, he placed his hand in front of his mouth to prevent himself from blurting out.
Edward, on the other hand, stared at me as he followed my order to be quiet, locking his mouth tightly.
His gaze was cold and piercing. But it couldn't be compared to Olivier, the boss of Treasure Hoarders. Hence I had become accustomed to this kind of piercing gaze.
After all, considering that this timid Li Wei talked to Mr. Edward without awkwardness and fear, shows how good Mr. Edward is.
In other words, he's not a bad person.
Suddenly the carriage braked suddenly, and we were instantly pushed forward.
"Wh-what happened?!"
The timid Li Wei was about to speak. However, when I looked at him, he immediately closed his mouth.
Suddenly the swish of the grass turned into a roar, like ocean waves hitting the shore.
Every blade of grass moved frantically, jostling against each other, creating a deafening noise.
Amidst the chaos, I heard small branches snap, signalling that the creature was getting closer.
Picking up my sword, I pointed it straight at where the sound was coming from.
"Mr. Henri, please go to the back immediately!" I shouted to Henri who was controlling the horse in front.
As Henri rushed into the wagon with the other two.
Small, masked creatures appeared simultaneously. They were wielding wooden clubs.
"Hilichurl!" shouted Li Wei in panic and fear.
At that shout, I rushed forward and cut down one Hilichurl quickly.
In one swift and ferocious motion, my sword slashed through the creature's flesh, splitting it in half with terrifying precision.
I didn't use Vision because there were people watching.
However, that didn't make it any harder for me.
Flesh and bone split apart easily, creating a sickening cracking sound. Blood splatters like crimson dancing in the air, tinting the ground with the colour of death.
The acrid scent of blood pierced the nose, evoking a sense of horror and fear.
The sound of the creature's dying moans was like horrible music, the final melody of a life lost.
After that I retreated back to the carriage.
"It shouldn't be just one, please help me find out where they will appear."
I couldn't tell their reply if Li Wei or the other two replied with a nod or with body language, as my back was to them.
"Two on the left!" replied Henri.
A few seconds later, Edward added, "Two on the right, too!"
Upon hearing that, I nodded and moved as quickly as possible to slash at Hilichurl on the left. An easy feat for me who had increased my Agility by even one point!
After that, with incredible reflexes, I cut down two more on the right.
All five of them died in my hands without any resistance!
The advantage of attacking at night, they couldn't see either!
When I finished, I turned around, heading for the carriage with a smile on my face.
However, I slowly heard the rumbling of the grass. This time it was more numerous and noisy!
I immediately turned around again in fear. My hand gripped the sword more firmly.
Suddenly, my vision became blurry and faint.
A few seconds later, I lost consciousness.
***
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