Chapter 178 - 178 The other road, another choice

178 The other road, another choice

The galloping horses into the way of a runaway healer, Vale, Xander, and Foster were trying the best that they can to catch chief Clara’s carriage.

“Sh*t! we are officially two hours behind her. She could be anywhere!” Screamed Foster towards Vale, while he ride into the road, where Xander was behind the two of them on his own horse.

Vale nodded his head to Foster. “You’re right, let me do something!”

He cast retrace and finally saw the carriage that was allegedly being used by chief Clara. He informed the other two and lead the search for them. Vale rode in the front while Xander and Foster followed from behind. Vale used the retrace and saw the movement of the carriage from hours ago, hoping they could get into her in time.

“Primary captain, how much time do we have?!” Asked Xander, from behind.

“Too much, we are so far behind!” Shouted Vale to Xander.

Anxious, Vale was hoping the carriage will be delayed, rather than stopped to take a rest or if they were lucky, the dark and mischievous road could get into the carriage. But then, it could be fatal for everyone inside the carriage, and he never wished that for anyone, even for a family that almost cause the kingdom to ruin because of a false plague.

He suddenly has some ideas, “Foster! You know about this area, don’t you?” Vale asked the master sergeant of the guard, hoping that this was one of his routes.

Every guard in the kingdom has their own route to patrol. They have a skill called mapping, where instead of using any kind of map, they will use the mapping skill to memorize the road. It’s a high-level skill that only a master sergeant and above that will be able to learn the skill, and he was hoping Foster is already learning it.

.....

“I know the area, but I must tell you, I just memorize this road a couple of days ago, so need to concentrate for a bit.” Said Foster with hesitation, he was nervous, and hope that the skill will work. “This is also my first time using the skill.”

“It’s alright, you can do it, Foster!” Said Vale, giving a bit of encouragement to the man. “I need you to find a shortcut for us and see if there’s a small town or village nearby. She probably stopped to get supplies or rest.”

They stopped for a moment, to let Foster use his mapping skill. He close his eyes and concentrate, and Vale and Xander took glanced at each other, hoping that this skill will be working in their favor. They were already losing so much time.

“Are you sure about this?” Xander doubted the method that Vale wanted to use, but it was the only way to get ahead.

“We don’t have much choice. This is the only way.” Said Vale to Xander, and he was telling him the truth. They really don’t have much of a choice.

After a while, Foster open his eyes, and informed the other two, “We got a shortcut on the way to a small town, we will have our chance to go there faster.”

“Are you sure?” Asked Xander to him.

“Yeah, I’m sure because the road is for the pilgrim and the on-foot travelers. The carriage won’t fit. But it was at a top of a hill and it could be dangerous.” Said Foster to them.

“We are going to take that chance!” Vale said to them while casting full protect on all three of them, including the horses. “Let’s go, gentleman! We don’t have much time.”

They back into the saddle and this time Foster will lead the team. The road is just as the master sergeant guard predicted. It was up into a hill and narrow. They need to ride the horse one by one. Vale just hoping there won’t be any dark and mischievous road ahead of them.

Thankfully, after an exhausting two hours on the narrow road, they reached the small town that Foster mentioned. Vale used the retrace once more and confirmed that chief Clara was inside this small town.

“We should be careful. She probably knew that she was already being exposed. We need to be vigilant.” Said Vale to Xander and Foster, and then his attention turned to Foster. “How many gates that this town has?” Asked Vale.

“Just three, this small one for any on-foot travelers, and two that were facing each other on the south.”

“Good, that’s good, we just need to guard the other two gates, Xander, you go into the position,” Vale order the young man who obeyed him immediately, Vale also gave an order to Foster, “I want you to go to the guard post and asked for help, despite that, keep it vigilant, do not alert the woman.”

“Affirmative, primary captain.”

After the two of them leave Vale alone, he used retrace once again to locate chief Clara. He goes around from the small gate, and finally saw her, eating in a small restaurant with two men sitting with her at the table. Vale sat on the opposite road, hiding from her. He could just go and capture the woman, but the street was busy, and there were too many people walking around. Vale intended to get into them when they were going through the gate.

Half an hour later, chief Clara leisurely walked outside the restaurant, seems she wasn’t aware that her pursuer was already in the same town. Vale tightens his hood, making himself conspicuous from the crowd. He follows the three of them back to their carriage. Chief Clara and another man sat on the passenger seat, while the other man became the coachman and drove the carriage towards the south gate.

Vale run as fast as he could to the south gate, he curses when he saw there were women and children in front of the gate. He was reluctant to use his magic and opted to call for Foster, who saw him and the carriage.

“Stop the carriage!” Screamed Vale to the master sergeant.

The coachman saw him and speed up the carriage into the crowd; he doesn’t seem to care about the safety of the people around. People were screaming, two girls were fallen down in the path of the carriage. Vale doesn’t have a choice. He cast the whirlwind spell that sends the carriage spinning and crashing into the other side of the road.

People were screaming when they saw the wreck of the carriage. The two girls from earlier were saved, but with a cost of the people at the carriage. Vale dropped himself in the street. He looks into his hand and punches the ground repeatedly.