Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Action, Action

In a residence beside the main road of the town, just outside the Sun Church, a dozen or so figures in white cloaks were gathered.

They had been waiting here for a long time.

A moment later, a short man covered in snowflakes pushed open the door and entered.

One of the cloaked figures immediately stepped forward.

"Lord Betto, what’s the word from Lord Geoffrey? Has any news come back?"

"Not yet."

The short man brushed off his clothes and scanned the crowd. Only after a silent headcount did he speak.

"Even if we don’t hear back from him, we’re still attacking once the girl comes out."

"As I’m sure you all know, this corrupt Empire has recently been embroiled in constant conflict with the Religious Country to the south, leaving it unable to pay attention to local affairs."

"And that is our opportunity."

His voice wasn’t loud and his posture wasn’t aggressive, but as he spoke, his audience clearly grew more attentive.

Clearly satisfied with their reaction, the man nodded and continued.

"What I can tell you is this: today, within Heta County, the same events will unfold in several other towns, not just Birch Town."

"What we do today is use the blood of those detestable nobles to stain our banners red and proclaim our arrival!"

"We have waited far too long for this day!"

As he spoke, the man named Betto slammed a fist against his chest with a THUD.

"For the Blood Eye Association! For our sacred ambition! Our nation shall rise again!"

The dozen or so figures in white cloaks stood at solemn attention, slamming their fists against their chests in unison. Their eyes were fanatical, their voices low.

"For the Blood Eye Association! For our sacred ambition! Our nation shall rise again!"

"Good! That’s the spirit!"

After offering a few more words of encouragement, the short man gave an order to the squad leader who had greeted him.

"Alright, I’m leaving now. You all wait for the opportune moment."

"When the other team makes their move, you follow suit. Understood?"

"Yes, Lord Betto!"

...

Meanwhile, Reya had finished her business at the Sun Church for the day and was preparing to depart.

Ingram saw the group to the door. Without wasting words, he simply offered Reya a quiet word of advice.

"Reya, be careful."

"Yes, thank you, Grandpa Ingram. I will."

The red-haired girl had already put her fox-fur cloak back on. Clutching a heavy, sacred tome in both hands, she gave a slightly clumsy bow, then turned and boarded the carriage without lingering.

What was done was past, and the road ahead was still waiting.

Jon, still dressed as a guard, stood beside the carriage box.

This time, however, a slightly shorter, inconspicuous figure had joined him, blending seamlessly into the group of guards.

The convoy set off, its heavy wheels grinding over the snow-dusted flagstone road with a rhythmic, muffled rumble.

The Golden Maple Leaf Trading House party slowly left the sanctuary of the Sun Church, driving onto the main road of Birch Town. The snowstorm was subsiding, but the streets remained deserted. At the same time, those who had been spying on their movements began to act.

Inside the carriage, Reya kept her head down, silently gazing at a round disk she held in her hand.

She had long known this return journey would be anything but easy and was mentally prepared.

But in the moments before the attack came—as it inevitably would—she couldn’t help but feel a little tense. It wasn’t quite fear, however.

Because this time, things were different.

She had the reliable Mr. Jon by her side, along with Evans and his well-trained guards. There were reinforcements who had traveled a great distance hiding in the shadows, and even a newly hired "teacher" in their group.

She had done everything in her power, and those around her had done everything they could to cover her weaknesses.

Especially...

The girl gently caressed the disk in her hand, a faint smile gracing her lips as she recalled the look on Jon’s face when he’d given it to her after lunch.

It was both a gift and a line of defense.

’Mr. Jon... he really is a gentle person...’

Outside the carriage, however, Jon never let his guard down. His ice-blue eyes, sharp as a falcon’s, seemed to casually scan the area, but he was in fact taking in every shadow and the slightest movement in every window.

At the same time, he was subtly shielding the shorter, less conspicuous figure behind him from view.

Evans himself was driving the carriage, his gray eyes serene and his grip on the reins steady and strong. The guards exchanged no words, but their tense muscles and darting eyes revealed their high state of alert.

A moment later, the convoy reached a section of road where the houses on either side were more densely packed. The shadows under the eaves here seemed much darker than anywhere else.

Jon’s eyes narrowed instantly, and he shouted a warning.

"Watch out! Ambush!"

The words had barely left his mouth when—

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

A sharp whistling sound tore through the silence without warning!

Several black streaks, like a viper’s tongue, shot out from the attics and dark alleys on both sides of the road!

Their target was clear—the carriage in the center of the convoy, the one Reya was in!

But the Trade Hall Guards, having been briefed beforehand and now alerted by Jon, showed astonishing speed and coordination.

They didn’t panic in the slightest, reacting almost instinctively, as if they had drilled this maneuver a thousand times.

"Hah—!"

With a unified roar, their biceps bulged as they thrust heavy, iron-bound Square Shields diagonally upward, their bodies dropping and closing ranks in the same smooth motion.

CLANG! CLANK CLANK CLANK—!!

An ear-piercing symphony of clashing metal erupted!

Heavy arrows slammed viciously into the surface of the thick shields, sending sparks flying.

Most of the lethal volley was blocked by this hastily formed human wall, which was as impenetrable as fortress ramparts.

A few arrows, fired from extreme angles, struck the carriage’s sturdy wooden walls with dull THUDS. They left deep gouges but failed to penetrate.

Jon, however, did not join the shield wall.

He had never trained with these guards; inserting himself into their formation now would only disrupt their tight defensive rhythm and might create an opening.

The second after shouting his warning, his gaze locked onto the general locations from which the arrows had come. But instead of rushing out to counterattack, he dashed to the front of the carriage, grabbed the reins from Evans’s hand, and pointed toward the buildings.

"Over there!"

"Mm."

Evans didn’t hesitate for a second.

The instant Jon took the reins, the man known as the "Stone Sword" shot from the carriage shaft like an arrow loosed from a bow. Twisting sharply in mid-air, he drew the thick Longsword decorated with a Yellow Gemstone, pointing it toward the source of the arrows on the right.

A heavy, almost tangible beam of light blasted out from the tip of his blade!

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