Jonny
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Master Odanel slowly stood up from the ground and brushed off his clothes. His expression had returned to calm, no longer the grim visage he wore while casting the spell.
"In the garden behind the mansion, there is a disguised rockery. By moving a turtle shell-like stone decoration on the rockery, a passage leading underground can be opened. Our target is down there."
Derson and Andy exchanged glances.
"I'll go notify them!" Derson hurriedly ran outside, hoping the target hadn't suffocated from the smoke after all this time.
Odanel instructed Andy, who stayed behind, "Clean this place up, especially the magic circle. Leave not a trace, and as for this person..." He glanced at the still-lying Somolet.
"Just throw him into the fire outside."
"Yes, Master," Andy nodded in agreement.
...
Half an hour later, in the back garden of the Somolet family mansion, now reduced to ashes, a blackened rockery stood alone.
After a few rumbling sounds, a square tile about a meter on each side shifted, revealing a dark entrance before everyone.
Under Baldur's direction, the robed figures entered the tunnel.
The tunnel was well-ventilated, allowing the smoke from the fire to seep in, making it quite choking along the way.
Baldur silently hoped that the target was okay.
The inside wasn't a maze; it was merely a straight path, presumably just a temporary hiding place.
Finally, they reached the end, a stone chamber roughly twenty square meters in size.
Aside from candles for illumination, there was nothing else inside—completely bare.
In the corner, the robed figures found their target for this mission.
A servant, dressed as a servant, lay on the ground, clutching his chest and motionless, apparently dead for quite some time.
Next to the servant's body stood a boy even younger than the little mage Andy outside, who was watching them warily.
He was hunched over, covering his mouth and nose with his left arm, while holding a still-bloody candlestick in his right hand, the sharp spike glinting menacingly.
The boy's gaze was sharp, like a young leopard attempting to hunt alone for the first time.
Baldur waved his hand, signaling his companions not to make any sudden moves.
"I'll handle this!"
The only woman in the group, Carol, suggested.
Baldur nodded.
Carol stepped over Baldur and slowly approached the boy.
"Who are you?" the boy asked, his voice revealing his fear and tension.
Carol gently removed her hood, exposing her face, and said softly, "Child, don't be afraid; we are here to rescue you."
The sight of her beautiful face and gentle words eased the boy's guard.
He straightened up, although still holding the candlestick tightly.
"Rescue me? Oh God! What is happening? First, a group of people said they would take me to a wealthy life, and when my parents disagreed, they killed them and kidnapped me to this strange place. Then you suddenly appear, saying you're here to rescue me. Should I trust you?"
As he spoke, tears began to fall; the boy had endured too much mental stress in such a short time due to the upheaval in his life.
Taking advantage of his moment of vulnerability, Carol stepped forward, snatched the candlestick from him, and threw it to the ground, then embraced the boy without hesitation.
He struggled for a moment but ultimately gave in, his small strength insufficient to resist.
Carol said, "I know you're in great pain right now. Please give us a little time to prove ourselves. But first, we need to leave this place quickly. I promise, both now and in the future, your safety is assured—those who kidnapped you have already been dealt with."
Baldur waved his hand, "Time is running out; let's leave before dawn."
The group took the boy back to the surface, navigating a safe route through the flames until they reached the woods outside the town, where six carriages awaited them quietly.
Carol shared a carriage with the boy.
After they left the town of River Sand, she asked, "What is your name?"
"Jonny, Jonny Landry."
"Child, did you kill the person in the basement?"
"Uh... yes." The boy named Jonny lowered his head, his expression a mix of fear and worry about having done something wrong.
"When the fire first broke out, he dragged me into that basement. Later, when he heard noises upstairs, he despaired and shouted that it was all over, saying he would send me on my way. Fortunately, I was prepared; after entering the basement, I grabbed a candlestick and hid it in my clothes, then, taking advantage of his moment of inattention—he thought I wouldn't resist—I stabbed the candlestick's sharp tip into his chest. And then you all appeared."
Carol smiled and gently ruffled his hair, "You did well. That's how one should treat bad people; your relatives would be proud of you."
Jonny looked up in confusion, "Which relatives?"
"You'll find out when we reach our destination. I'll explain everything to you then."
As the carriage bumped along, the boy Jonny fell into a deep sleep amidst his confusion, exhausted from the extreme ups and downs of life.
In the same carriage, Baldur remarked, "At such a young age, facing danger with such ruthlessness... or perhaps decisiveness. I suppose he truly embodies the bloodline of the Griffin family?"
"I hope he becomes an asset to His Highness rather than a threat," replied Baldur, his eyes glinting coldly.
...
The residents of Heisha Town worked through the night, finally extinguishing the large fire in the southwest corner of the town as dawn broke.
As they entered the disaster-stricken area, everyone felt deep sorrow for the devastation.
All the buildings had been reduced to ashes, and many bodies lay in the streets—some burned to death, others suffocated by smoke from the fire.
In fact, many more had turned to piles of ash.
The townspeople were mostly related to each other, and soon cries of grief filled the air.
The largest building in the area was the mansion of the Somolet family, which had also been reduced to scorched earth.
Even more terrifying was the discovery of many ashes near the fountain in the courtyard in front of the mansion.
They might have tried to escape the fire by running there, but the flames eventually spread to this area.
"Master! Oh! Master!"
One person cried out in deep sorrow, and others noticed that this was the mayor's servant.
He was collapsed over a body that, while not reduced to ash, had been burned beyond recognition, weeping loudly.
The servant recognized his master by the gold ornaments on the body.
Next to the mayor's corpse lay several other bodies, likely those who had rushed in with him during the fire.
The entire town of Heisha was enveloped in immense grief.
(End of the Chapter)
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