"We've been discovered," John whispered, his voice low.
The system map never lied, and now the courtyard was densely packed with red dots, with Archibald and Leopold's blue dots standing out starkly.
"What do we do? They are still inside," Isabella said, though puzzled how John could know from such a distance that the place was crowded, she didn't press further.
Everyone has their secrets they prefer to keep to themselves, which is perfectly normal.
Besides, John having inherited secrets from the realm was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Do you remember the path we passed by the back mountain?" John asked after a moment of thought, to which both nodded.
"Head to the back mountain first. Take these, and use them if you run into trouble. I'll catch up with them," John instructed as he handed over some MP and HP recovery potions.
Fortunately, these small vials weren't bulky, fitting easily into a pocket.
Isabella frowned, "Are you planning to rescue them by yourself?"
Amelia slowed down her movements, "Didn't you say it? Everyone here is strange, and there's the power of the dark god at play. How could we possibly feel at ease with you going alone?"
They both knew John had his strengths; his previous escape from the courtyard to save them had already demonstrated his capabilities.
But now that his escape had been discovered, it indicated there were surely more people inside the courtyard.
"What if something happens to you?"
"Don't worry, if things get too dire, I can hide them in my secret realm," John reassured them.
"I sent you two to the back mountain also to check it out. I overheard them talking, and they seem very wary of that area."
John quickly relayed the snippets of conversations he had picked up while passing through the village.
Although the upcoming ritual seemed to be a cause for celebration in the village, John had picked up hints of unease regarding the back mountain.
"There must be a way out of this secret realm, and if there is one, it's likely in that dreaded back mountain," he concluded.
The two women exchanged looks, quickly made up their minds, and started stuffing the supplies into their pockets, making sure nothing would fall out.
They then nodded at John.
"Be careful, we'll leave markers," Isabella started, but John cut her off quickly.
"No need!"
He glanced around the still quiet courtyard, feeling a sinking sensation in his stomach.
"These people know this village inside and out. Whatever markers you leave, they'll notice. Don't worry, I have a way to find you."
If looks could kill, the man before him would have been slain a thousand times over by Archibald's furious glare.
Beside him, Leopold, enraged, attempted to lunge at the squad leader but his bonds prevented any effective movement.
Instead, another captor struck him hard in the stomach with a fist.
"Ugh," Leopold grunted, his mind going blank from the pain as cold sweat dripped down his face.
He curled up on the chair, nearly bursting up in agony if not for his restraints.
Leopold glared furiously at the man beside him, only to receive another punch.
"What are you looking at? Believe me, I'll gouge those eyeballs out if you keep staring!" snarled another man who appeared to be a squad leader as well.
The room was filled with curses, though some of their words were unintelligible to John and his companions.
John quickly assessed the situation.
The two squad leaders were dressed similarly in black uniforms, but their cuffs were embroidered with white stripes, and their caps were adorned with similar white lace.
The rest of the men wore plain black without any white details.
Though the leaders' accents were distinct, their words were somewhat understandable compared to the others, whose speech was completely foreign to John's group.
Despite having a knife pressed against his throat, Archibald showed no signs of fear.
He fixed a steady, defiant gaze on his captors.
Had he been able to speak, he surely would have been hurling insults by now.
"Show some sense and crawl over here on your knees, and maybe I'll spare your life!"
The squad leader sneered, his eyes gaining a new intensity as he looked at John.
The others around him stared intently at John as well, like predators lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce at their master's command.
John, unfazed by the situation, chuckled softly and fixed his gaze on the man before him.
Slowly, he spoke, "Do you dare kill him?"
The squad leader's movements halted abruptly, his expression stiffening as he glared at John.
The next moment, the blade edged even closer to Archibald's neck, as if the slightest pressure would draw blood.
"You guess whether I dare or not?"
Archibald could feel the knife's proximity to his neck, alarmingly close.
Yet, it seemed the man was still wary of something.