The Ruined Death Knight-Novel

"So they recognized me..." Danzel mumbled to himself.

Although he was cursing internally, he still found the situation to be under control.

Thanks to the rune in my helmet, it allowed me to see things as if I haven't had a helmet at all.

That alone allowed me to when I turned my head slightly to see the short guy with the many knives tailing him.

This fact made him feel much more reassured.

If those guys were to choose to come headstrong at him right here in the city, he dreaded the consequences that would arrive shortly after.

According to Serran, the mercenary association rules the whole city.

If they were to be a fight inside the city he could very well imagine how an army of mercenaries, if not that monster like grandpa.

Adding that he was basically being chased by people he knew nothing about for his runed contracts.

Even if he were to kill those bounty hunters aiming for his skull, he would end up being surrounded and become the price of the others.

That was the worst possible scenario that could occur.

"At least they got someone smart within their group if they had decided to trail me..."

It wasn't difficult for Danzel to guess why they decided to trail him.

Since they wanted me to get the reward from the bounty, they wouldn't want to possibly risk me getting on someone else hands.

This way of thinking is the reason why he was so confident of his situation.

'Continue thinking that way, if you guys want me all alone, then I will be grateful to set up that stage of yours...'

Knowing their purpose, even if vaguely, Danzel will use that information to the fullest.

´Even if they got the number advantages, as long I got to that place their defeat will be sealed...´

Changing his path, he soon arrived at a place where many carriages were being held with people doing their business.

Seeing the same carriage where Serran once rented for them for the earth lizard quest, he walked towards the person waiting beside him.

The person who was lazing looking around for customers noticed a shadow that came at him.

"Hmm?" Looking to the side, a tall figure wearing a cloak stared down at him.

Though the tall figure looked ominous at first, once he noticed the helmed that was hidden from the hood, he exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh, aren´t you one of those fellows who recently rented my carriage to hunt an earth lizard?"

"That´s correct..." Danzel said with a deep voice.

"Oh~ it´s indeed you. Could I help you with anything then?" 

Pointed at the carriage and him, Danzel said.

"I would like you to bring me to the forest."

"Huh? Do you want me to bring you there? Don´t you want to rent the carriage?" The man said with a small frown on his face.

Seeing that Danzel confirmed his question by a nod, he was about to reject the offer before a heavy bag fell to the side of the carriage.

"Before you reject me, please take a look at what I offer." 

"What do yo-oof!" 

Taking a look at the bag, the man sucked up his breath and looked at the bag with astonishment.

`S-So many gold coins...´

With his breath quicking, he stared at Danzel with greed in his eyes.

"I just need to bring you to the forest right? If I were to bring you to the forest you will be giving me the bag, right? You aren´t lying to me are you now, right?"

`Disgusting...´ Putting his hand on his cloak, Danzel pulled another small bag and pushed it in front of the man's chest.

"You just need to bring me there, after you bring me to the forest you might leave, together with those bags..."

Frozen for his current situation, once he realized what was happening the man put swiftly hidden the bags to his shirt while going in the carriage.

"We got a deal! I will bring you to the forest no matter the cost dear customer! Just make yourself comfortable while I prepare the horses."

Shaking his head internally, he jumped in the carriage while staring outside.

Though he looked like he was aimlessly looking at the sky at the way where his helmet was facing, his ethereal eyes were glued on a person specifically.

`Now what will you do? Will you come after me or let me get away? Whatever your choice, I will be fine with.´

Although he didn´t know much of their abilities, to say the least, Danzel was very well confident to win if it were in the forest.

But even if they didn´t chase him, he will be fine with too.

Although he found it quite a pity that he didn´t pick all his possession from the church, if they really didn´t chase him then he would simply run away to some other down or something.

Where he would go, he didn´t care as of now.

As the situation was going out of his control, his survival was the biggest priority.

"We will begin moving, dear customer!"

"Hmm alright..."

Losing sight of the short man tailing him, he seated to one of the seats of the carriage while complaining internally.

"Carriages are truly slow..."

With the carriage leaving Nercana, Danzel made his way towards the forest where he once slew the earth lizard.

***

At the same time...

"Hey Jack, did you really just say that this bastard left Nercana just now!?"

Nodding his head at Serras question, Jack seated to a barrel.

"That´s indeed the case, I saw it with my own eyes."

"What!? Then we got to chase after him before he escapes!" Serras said with an angered tone.

"Calm down, Serras." The magic caster, Sumire said while looking at Jack.

"Do you know where he is going, Jack?"

"Mhmm, as far as I heard he is going towards the forest."

"You ability sure is helpful for stuff like this, Jack. To be able to enchant you hearing sure sounds useful..." Bernard said with an envious look on his face.

"What´s so good about that useless ability, when instead you can turn someone into a crisp with a fireball of my" Naomi said with a prideful tone while raising her staff.

"Such a simpleton wouldn´t understand..." Bernard mumbled to himself just loud enough for Naomi to hear.

"Huh? Who are you calling a simple-"

"Are you guys really going to start fighting while our target is running away?" Jack solemnly said to the two of them.

"Jack is indeed right, we don´t have the time to joke around. We need to decide if we are going to chase him or not..." Sumire said from the side.

"What´s to decide? Of course, we will chase him! We already spend days searching for him and if we were to just give up now, then all our efforts would be for nothing!" Serras replied as if he was scoffing at Sumire's use of words.

"Serras is right. If Serras and that guy Danzel really had met, with the red hair that Serras has there is no way that he didn´t recognize him back at the shop. If we don´t grab that opportunity now to catch him, we can kiss the bounty reward goodbye." Bernard said with a frown on his face in which Naomi nodded in agreement.

"Guys..."

Glancing her staff much harder, Sumire had a troubled face.

As she wanted to say something, Jack beat her at that.

"I believe that we should give up on chasing him."

"Huh?" 

All explained in surprise.

With a frown appearing on his face, Serras looked at Jack with anger.

"Why? Weren´t you the one most excited had about the bounty? Why did you change your opinion out of the blue?"

Sighting out loud, Jack looked directly into Serras eyes.

"Sigh...it´s because that the information on the bounty was wrong. While I was the one trailing him, I felt an unconfirmable feeling of being watched. Not only that, the way that guy pulled that sword and put it in front of my neck was way too fast. Rather than him being a 2nd-tier like a bounty says, he felt much more powerful-"

As Sumire was about to put her agreement on Jack's statement, he jumped off the barrel.

"But seeing that the majority is for chasing him though, I won´t go against the party's wishes."

He glanced at Sumire for a second before turning his back towards the road where many men were offering their carriages.

"Let´s quickly rent a carriage. If we go now we will be able to catch up. Even if he is a little stronger that is. We should be able to handle him somehow."

"Alright! Let´s go pick up our ticket to the riches!"

Running past Jack, the group slowly moved to rent a carriage.

As Sumire was following along with a troubled face, Jack patted her shoulder.

"I know how you feel, but we will be counting on you, Sumire" Whispering to her, he quickly moved towards Serras who was talking to a coachman.