Chapter CLXXVII - Fireworks Escape (part 1)

Getting them out of the basement is easy, but getting them out of the kingdom might be an issue.

I can go ahead and take down all the guards there easily, but then the villagers will still have no choice of going out of the kingdom.

Valon gave me an idea, and I don't like it one bit.

He asked me to wait a little longer while they prepared, and after ten minutes, he spoke again to the crystal.

"Okay. We are ready."

"Then let the fireworks begin."

I lifted my hand, and conjured multiple firebombs with different colors. Each color is made using different tiers of fire magic, from Beginner to Emperor tier. I shot all of them to the skies, and they all exploded almost at the same time.

"Woah! Look at that!!"

"Woah, that's really cool!"

Seeing that beautiful colored explosions were occurring on the night skies, the knights inside the barracks easily lowered their guard. 

In this world, who doesn't get attracted to fireworks? Even in the other world, people still gaze up to fireworks that they have seen thousands of times.

While the knights were staring elsewhere, I sneaked in, leaving Lescia behind me and quickly went inside the barracks. One by one, the knights fell down to the ground while the fireworks were still exploding in the skies.

Due to the loud explosion noises, the screams from the knights can't be heard by the other knights. After a while, all the knights were taken down.

After noticing that all the knights had gone unconscious, Lescia entered from the front gate and quickly slapped me in the shoulder.

"Aw! What was that for?!"

"For leaving me and not telling me what those explosions are. It's so beautiful!"

"You are mad because of that!?"

I left the stupid grinning princess and went towards the entrance to the underground. There were still a few guards inside, but I easily took them down.

One of them is really big and muscular, so taking him down was no issue, but I immediately found Lescia rushing towards him.

The guy was three times her size, and she challenged him as if it was easy. She leaped forward and threw in a kick at the guy's face.

She is… clearly showing off.

Unfortunately, her kick merely slapped him in the face. Her body wasn't heavy enough, causing the kick to not be as powerful as she thought. It was a good kick, but unfortunately it caused the guy to easily grab her legs.

"O-Oh--OHHH!!!!"

BAKK!!!

Lescia screamed as the muscular guard spun her body in the air and slammed her to the ground. I had to close my eyes as I watched her being slammed like that.

Y-Yikes…

"Aahh… my back hurts."

Lescia mumbled while still lying down, but the big guy is already moving his hammer to slam it at her. She moved her hands to protect her face, but then a shadow moved in above her and smacked the muscular guy really hard.

BAARR!!

He crashed to the walls and formed a crater there.

Lescia was dumbfounded as to what just happened, and she quickly sat back up despite the broken back and stared at the wall where the big guy went. Meanwhile, I was already standing next to her.

"Well, you are a lack luster in terms of physical combat, even though your mother is a really good sword user and your father an ex-general knight--"

"Hey! That guy is really huge! And muscular! You don't have that kind of muscles, do you!?"

I lifted my shirt on my stomach to show her my abs, just in case she forgot.

"N-No, I meant in your real body…"

She flustered as she answered, and I simply chuckled.

"Nope, not a chance."

After healing her wounds, we continued strolling the underground path, until we arrived in a really large room. It smelled horrifying in here, and there is a stairs that leads to the level underneath.

I checked using my magic senses, and found plenty of individuals on that level.

That is where all the villagers are.

Before we entered, the villagers were simply doing nothing. It's as if they are waiting for their fates, wondering whether they can see the day tomorrow or not.

But the moment the iron door was slammed open, everyone turned their attention.

"H-Hey! Look!"

The villagers started to point towards us who just entered the room. They all stood up questioning what was going on, but then the two of us removed our hoods. Noticing that everyone here are the kidnapped villagers, Lescia stepped forward and loudly spoke.

"Everyone! I am the princess of Mazino, Lescia Mazino! And we are here to get you all out of here!"

The princess said with high dignity, and the villagers quickly cried her name in happiness.

"It's the princess!! We are saved!!"

"The princess herself came to get us!! Thank gods!!"

While the villagers were cheering, a single young girl came to the front side and into view. Noticing her, I grinned softly, and she cried as she laughed while grinning back at me.

Somehow, she lost her bear doll, but that's okay. 

Doesn't look like anyone here is badly wounded, so we are all good to go.

"Everyone!! Please follow me!"

Lescia turned around and went back to the path we just took. The villagers went up the stairs and followed her.

"Wait, princess. There are others that are still in solitary confinement."

One of the men ran forward on this tight hallway and called the princess. Lescia and I stopped our march and turned around to face him.

"R-Really? Where?"

"I don't know, but they are still here, in this underground area."

Everyone else nodded, and I can see the ones that got taken away must have been the resistant ones. There are not that many men here, mostly women, elderly, or children. I can see that the men probably resisted and got taken away to solitary confinement.

"I can look for them later. For now, we need to get everyone out of here."

I said to everyone, but they all accepted half-heartedly.

"N-No, seriously. I can save them later. But if I go now, all of you will not be protected."

"But there's the princess…"

"What? You want to rely on this little girl to do those things?--Aw, aw, aw!"

The princess pinched me on the cheek, and she turned to everyone else.

"Let's continue!"

Lescia led the way again with a mean grin, and we all started moving once more. Lury walked past me with a funny grin, and I chuckled while rubbing my cheek.

She actually humiliated me in front of these people… what a princess.

We arrived outside where all the knights had been taken down, and everyone rushed out from the basement.

"Oh god! Fresh air!!"

"Finally, I can breathe!!"

While the villagers are enjoying their freedom, I took out my coms crystal and called the others.

"Guys, I have the hostages out. Now, where is the transport?"

"Right here!!!"