Chapter 172: The Preparation for Escape
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The situation finally changed on the 17th day the Gateway was besieged.
On that morning, the mages within the Gateway gathered after their breakfast to discuss a more direct method to gather the elements. They were quite worried about using dual practice as a way to raise their affinity with the elements – they could not actually throw fire balls at the person who was meditating like how they would with water balls, right?
That was why they were having a heated debate on the matter.
On the other hand, Benjamin did his routine check. He stood by the door of the pathway as he used the water particles to sense the situation and check on the surrounding soldiers. What are they up to today? The scene outside the Gateway slowly formed before his eyes based on the response he got from the water particles. Once he fully assessed the situation outside, he froze.
"This... This is...."
Right outside the door, troops of soldiers were busy packing up their supplies, removing their tents.... They reattached the wheels and ladders on the Gateway and moved the things from above the Gateway back into the Kingdom. The soldiers also seemed to be continuously marching towards the Town of Crewe, as if they were prepared to lift the blockade on the other side of the Gateway, and move all of their forces back within the borders of the Kingdom.
At this sight, Benjamin withdrew his senses, his eyebrows arched in surprise. Could it be that the Kingdom no longer intended to lay siege on the Crusader Gateway? He was puzzled for a moment before he realized what caused the scene before him.
Icor must have sent out their soldiers.
The Crusader Gateway was located right between the borders of Kingdom and Icor. Beyond the Gateway was a wide, abandoned field, the no-man’s land between both countries. Normally, the Kingdom would not order anyone to go past the Gateway, nor will Icor’s people approach the Gateway. However, as the Kingdom sent people to besiege the Gateway that were currently occupied by Benjamin and his people, the kingdom technically broke the unspoken rule that was established between the countries.
Once Icor sent out their army, the Kingdom could do nothing but withdraw their soldiers. Or else, Icor could literally start a war and corner the soldiers around the Gateway, and these several thousand people from the Kingdom would basically be sitting ducks.
Thus, the Kingdom had no choice but to retreat.
Benjamin felt quite elated, frankly; their chance would present itself once Icor appeared. As the Crusader Gateway was free, the Kingdom wanted to recapture their lost territory while Icor wanted to take advantage of this situation. Even if both parties did not start a war, there would at least be some conflict over this matter. For them, a bunch of mages hiding within the Gateway, even if they did not directly benefit from that, they would definitely be able to escape the siege safely, and finally leave this land of chaos behind them.
Hence, Benjamin quickly returned to the renovated discussion room and informed the mages of this newfound observation.
"Ah, so we wouldn’t be able to stay here for long?" Frank the mage said with a hint of sadness.
"Of course not, what will we look like if we spend all day hiding here?" Joanna immediately patted Frank on the shoulder and exclaimed, "I, Joanna the Great Mage, am not going to be a terrified turtle. One day, I will let the people outside have a taste of my Forbidden Spell: Roaring Blaze!"
"...."
The other mages merely smiled and shook their heads.
"Honestly, I don’t really feel like staying here anymore. Those people outside would occasionally bombard us with cannons, and it’s so noisy and disrupts my meditation."
"As long as I could live with everyone, I’m fine with settling down anywhere other than the Kingdom of Helius."
"I never left the Kingdom before. I wonder what life is like in other countries..."
After Benjamin’s announcement of departure, everyone did not seem to feel dejected about the prospect. Instead, they looked eager and excited as they discussed the myriad of possibilities in their future. Benjamin was pleased as he left the discussion room quietly.
Benjamin had quite a lot to prepare for this thought to come into fruition. Even if the Kingdom withdrew their troops from outside of the Gateway, it did not mean that the mages could simply leave without worries. They still needed a thorough strategy.
Time flew by quickly, and the relocation of the Kingdom’s soldiers continued until late afternoon. They completed their basic relocation at approximately 3-4pm. All soldiers successfully passed over the Gateway and returned to the borders of the Kingdom. They then set up their camps again in the Town of Crewe.
Only the bishop was left on the other side - the bishop who forbade Benjamin and the folks from leaving; the bishop who was standing guard at the Gateway right from the start.
Simultaneously, a loud noise echoed from this side of the Gateway.
"Listen up, mages within the Gateway, we have lifted the siege towards the Crusader Gateway. Please open up the doors as soon as possible and leave the Kingdom. We promise that we will not require you to take responsibility for this incident. We will not hurt you. As long as you open up the Gateway and return it to us, you will be able to leave the Kingdom freely. We will never go back on our words...."
The voice was probably enhanced by some magical instruments or divine charms. It sounded exceptionally loud, and it was felt clearly in the ears of every mage in the Gateway. They were busy packing and preparing for their departure. Once they heard the statement, they could not help but laugh.
"Do they really think that we have no clue about the situation outside? Do they think that we don’t know that the bishop is still standing guard on the other side when they said this?" Varys said as he pulled a huge bag of gold coins from under the General’s bed and packed it. He even stomped twice on the bed.
Augustine nodded beside him. He packed all the books on Divine Arts into a bag as he commented, "If they wanted to do this, they should at least order the church people around the Gateway to back off a few thousand meters to show their sincerity."
It was evident that no one believed that insincere declaration of peace.
Benjamin glued himself to the door and activated Water Particle Detection as he listened to the statement. He sensed the soldiers who packed the streets of the Town of Crewe and shook his head.
What else could he say? The Church was too greedy. If they actually gave a show of good faith and allow the mages to leave, the Gateway would definitely be open once we’re gone. Then, the Church could once again regain control over the Crusader Gateway, and they would just lose some respect from this event. Now, the other countries have deployed their soldiers, and now no one knew who would be able to besiege the Gateway. The Kingdom was finally afraid now. It was probably for them to lose the Gateway if something happened. It was their stronghold for decades, and if that really happened, it would be the biggest joke of the century.
That explained why they chose this moment to declare their ‘defeat’ to the mages inside the Gateway. Unfortunately, they were still unwilling to be honest. They refused to give up on their chase for the mages, and wanted to regain the Gateway at the same time. Of course, Benjamin and his mages would not agree with this.
Frankly, Benjamin had no idea who would finally seize the Gateway. Although they temporarily occupied it, they had no power to decide something this big. Thus, the only thing they could do now is to slowly leave the center stage of this upcoming storm before the situation become more chaotic than it already was.
The voice that offered settlement repeated for an hour. They even switched a few people in the process as each announcer’s throats gave out. At last, they stopped shouting altogether when they realized that there was no response from the Gateway. They understood that the mages have seen through their intentions.
After that, an unsettling silence hovered around the Gateway. No one took any actions as both the mages and the soldiers waited patiently. It was like a hot, damp day in summer waiting for the clouds to cover the sky and strike its first thunder.
That continued until evening.
It was rare for the bishop who guarded the exit of the Gateway to shift his gaze away from the door. Instead, he turned around and squinted at the far end, as if he found something.
At an unknown moment outside the borders of the Kingdom and the Gateway, silhouettes as thick as huckleberries started to flood the horizon connecting the sky and the wide plains.