Chapter 110 – Heart and Ted's Separate Action

In the connecting corridor one stretch ahead of the laboratory, the shadow of a man shouldering a large sack dashed past.

I reflexively gave chase, my mind blank as I pursued the man.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Gain-san sprinting toward the lab.

“Ted!”

“Yes!”

At the same moment, Heart-san—who had bolted out alongside me—pointed ahead. Get clear from that side.

I split off from Heart-san for the time being and raced down the alternate route as directed.

I’d chased on pure instinct because he was fleeing, but what the hell was in that bag?

Sneaking past the church’s ironclad security like that… a thief?

No, judging by the size… a person?

No way… Marie?

“Ted! Wait at the gate!”

Heart-san, pursuing on horseback from behind, rocketed past me with ferocious momentum.

Out of breath and staggering on my feet, I finally reached the outer wall gate. Heart-san came riding back slowly from the opposite direction.

“Haa… haa… Possibility of the thief’s accomplices inside the capital?”

“If they’re in there, Gain won’t let ’em slip away.”

A short while later, torches flickered to life across the twilight-shrouded capital—the telltale sign of an elevated alert level.

Gain-san must have issued orders to the gatekeepers and patrol guards right away.

Which meant… could Marie really be inside that sack?

Heart-san seemed to arrive at the same grim conclusion. Staring at the torchlight, his expression darkened.

“Catch your breath first.”

With that, he handed me his horse and began methodically scouring the road.

Pacing back and forth repeatedly, he finally returned.

“This way. Looks like they bolted on horseback after all.”

Heart-san jabbed a finger toward the path veering southeast through the forest.

He then walked all the way back to the gate and returned with my horse.

“We’re in pursuit. Follow me with everything you’ve got.”

“Yes!”

I vaulted onto my horse and tailed Heart-san with desperate fervor.

As twilight deepened into enveloping darkness, I urged my mount onward in a mindless haze.

Before long, the faint clip-clop of hooves drifted toward us on the wind from up ahead.

I couldn’t spot them yet, but hope glimmered along our path.

“Your Holiness! The Saintess has been kidnapped by thieves!”

The priest burst in without knocking and bellowed the news.

“Lady Marie?!”

Bishop Moras—the one who practically worshipped Marie—was the first to cry out.

“What is the situation?”

“Yes, sir. Heart-sama and Ted-sama are in pursuit of the thieves who took her. Word from the outer gate guards says they headed down the road southeast through the forest. The Second Holy Knights have given chase.”

The road southeast through the forest?

Nothing but the border lies beyond that.

Hard to imagine they’d head for a border where they risk getting nabbed by patrols from either side.

Come to think of it… a ways ahead, veering west leads to the river…

Feigning a dash for the border while the real goal is the river?

“Your Holiness. If they’re escaping by river, wouldn’t the route be west?”

Bishop Moras had reached the same conclusion.

I nodded to him.

“Send the Fifth Holy Knights west.”

“Understood.”

The messenger White Priest dashed off.

“Your Holiness, you’re deploying the Fifth?”

“I want intel. No helping it.”

Bishop Moras shot me a dissatisfied look and pressed the question, but nodded after a moment’s thought.

“No, I was going to suggest the Fourth instead… but you’re right.”

“Don’t worry. There’ll be no mercy.”

The Fifth’s covert unit doesn’t shy away from brutal torture if it means prying out information.

Use the Fourth’s assassins, and we’d never get anything on the mastermind.

Bishop Moras seemed to rein in his anger and regain his composure…

“Stop! Ted!”

Heart-san bellowed right as we reached the crossroads before the main road he’d cut across.

We were this close to spotting the thief visually. Why stop now?!

Swallowing my frustration and forcing calm, I realized what lay ahead: the border.

Ah, right. Crossing over from here.

“No way they’re taking Marie into the neighboring kingdom?”

Heart-san nodded gravely.

“Contacting His Holiness. We stand by here for now.”

He fished a sheet of paper from his pocket and scribbled a hasty letter. Attaching it to one of those fluffy seed puffs used by the church, he released it into the wind.

The downy fluff sailed through the sky, tinged pink by the dawn glow.

I shut my eyes and silently urged it: Hurry…

Damn, this is bad.

Fatigue’s about to knock me out.

Time’s of the essence, but skipping procedure would spark an international incident.

If only we could prove Marie was in that sack, we could pursue…

Gnashing my teeth in frustration, I peered across the border—and saw they’d already been surrounded by the neighboring kingdom’s border patrol.

Huh?

Looking closer, they were in full attack formation.

Something’s off. Their reaction’s way too fast.

Even if the guards spotted the thief, this is unnaturally quick.

Is it planned? Is the kingdom in on it too?

Thank God we didn’t charge across on impulse.

Might’ve been walking right into a trap.

With Marie’s safety unknown, playing into their hands is suicide.

Heart-san’s unflappable cool in moments like this… I really admire the guy.

“Who goes there?”

Our kingdom’s border guards emerged from the forest depths.

Spotting our uniforms—distinct from the Holy Knights’—they pegged us as church affiliates.

They gave a light bow and approached warily, eyes on the enemy.

“They’re fully surrounded. What’s the situation?”

Heart-san gave a concise rundown of what he knew.

They agreed to escort us to their outpost, at least.

The outpost was sturdier than I’d pictured: ground floor held a proper waiting room and a cramped meeting space next door. Upstairs boasted nap quarters, a mess hall, and the like.

We were shown to a cavernous, empty waiting room.

“Get some shut-eye. And don’t whine about needing a bed.”

Heart-san flashed a grin before slumping against the wall and sliding to the floor.

Even the unbreakable Heart-san had hit his limit…

I crashed out on the spot, sleep claiming me like a blackout.

Gatan!

The door flew open with a violent bang, jolting me awake.

Head foggy from sleep, I stared blearily at it.

“The Second Holy Knights have arrived!”

“Send them in.”

Heart-san instructed the guard to bring the knights here, then yanked me to my feet by the hand—my mind still half-asleep.

As he watched the guard’s retreating back, Heart-san’s eyes burned with anything but calm.

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