If you take poison, you will be a sitting duck.

It was a windowless room.

The room, which was illuminated by a magical light, was appropriately named "the office".

A bookshelf filled with account books and documents. A desk lined with writing implements and documents. A moderately luxurious leather chair. All of them were brand new.

There was not another piece of furniture in the room, not because of the owner's taste, but simply because they had not yet finished unpacking.

“Chief! Communication. They can't send reinforcements...!"

"I see. Then we're abandoning this base and getting out."

Hearing the report of the subordinate who rushed into the room, Derik, Chief of the Night Pythons Keely Territory, nodded his head listlessly.

At first glance, Derik appeared to be a nervous-looking small man in his forties.

But in reality, he possessed a bold and unrestrained personality and was ruthless toward those who opposed him. Those who knew Derik never underestimated him.

Above all, he rose to become a top executive in charge of one of the territories because of his strength with numbers and his intelligence.

This was one of the mansions in the upscale residential area of Vonnay.

Disguised as a trading house bought by a merchant, it was a base of operations that could be called the territorial headquarters of the Night Pythons.

In fact, however, they had just moved here. Yet, the chief, Derik, was abandoning the base and leaving.

The subordinate who brought the report was dismayed when he heard Derik's answer.

"Is it okay? We just moved here..."

"The "fight" is based on the premise that reinforcements will come. Otherwise, there is no way we can win."

Derik spoke without hesitation. For him, fighting was a calculation, not a mentality.

The Night Pythons had three bodyguards as their best fighting force.

Udanosuke, a katana wielder who could cut through mithril. Est, a female assassin skilled with disguises and dark weapons. Godo, a Dwarf fighter who once beat a tiger to death, and all three were fierce, single-handed warriors, and if they were to be compared to adventurers, they would be considered 6th class Elites or better. If only one of them could have been employed, they would have been able to defeat the elite forces that the small lord had barely managed to raise.

A human who has trained his or her body to the utmost limit will be able to draw strength through the circulation of bio-magic, and will have a power that transcends the limits of the living. It would be as if the body were casting a strengthening buff magic on itself. It was said that sometimes their bodies alone could withstand the breath of a dragon and even smash an iron golem. All of the bodyguards had reached that level.

In contrast, none of Count Keely's men were that good. If "Dragon's Throat," a party of 4th class Guards, had attacked, it might have been troublesome, but Derik had already set a trap and captured Magician Iris of the "Dragon's Throat". The "Dragon's throat" was already locked in a trap.

The "Dragon's Throat" was greatly reduced in strength, and the hostage could further limit their movements. The only thing left to do would have been to get reinforcements, but that request was denied.

The top brass decided that it was better to limit attrition than to win a local battle.

“The fact is, we've even been told that we can temporarily withdraw from the Earl of Keeey's territory. So if reinforcements aren't coming, that means we should retreat."

"... Really? I can't believe it."

"It's all right. The Earl of Keely's territory is about to be demolished by the land reform anyway."

Derik laughed when he saw the surprised look on his subordinate's face.

This was information that was only circulating privately at the moment. He was only able to learn about it because he was a senior member of the Night Pythons.

"The reason why the base was moved to Vonnay in the first place is because the importance of Eltaref will diminish with the loss of Count Keely's territory soon. It's a town of little significance except for the presence of the Earl's castle there. The new territory will probably be centered here. Well, there is a possibility that it will be merged into the neighboring territory. Then I'll be demoted from territory to town manager."

"No way, demoted!"

"It's fine. If that Earl of Stonehead disappears, there will be an eye to rise again. The old Earl's territory will be my garden."

In fact, Derik was not at all concerned about the possibility of demotion.

He knew the area he was in charge of, front and back, and he had his own contacts, not those of the Night Pythons. As long as he was in the organization, Derik's presence could not be ignored.

For the same reason, he thought it was possible to recover lost ground even if he pulled out of the Earl's territory now.

"I heard that the Earl's men in Kolga are on their way here. Tomorrow they will enter Vonnay. Gather up the remaining men. We're going to get us out of here tonight. Tell anyone who can't make it in time to get the out of here on their own. "

“Got it... By the way, Chief. What about that little adventurer we caught?"

"Hmm? Well..."

Derik, who had begun to sort out in his mind what to take and run away with, what to leave with the merchant, what to dispose of, and what can be seized... as it is, was reminded of Iris when his subordinate asked him about it.

He was thinking of Iris, whom he had prepared for the battle, but what would he do if he escaped without a fight?

"We got into the plan and were able to catch her, but it was pointless because we decided not to fight... Well, let's take her... If the adventurers come after us, she could be a hostage, and she's a "female" "kid" and a "magician". Her face is not bad. Even if we don't need her, she could be worth a lot of money if we sell her to the right people."

"Understood."

＊ ＊ ＊

It was snowing that night.

It was an eerie view to see the white snow blowing eerily from the depths of the blackness, almost disheartening to behold. She felt as if she would never be able to escape this darkness.

Several horse-drawn sleds with box-like carriages were in formation, holding up magic lights that had been artfully crafted to make their light invisible from a distance. The 30 or so members of the Night Pythons escaped along an old road that was rarely traveled by people.

The horse-drawn sleighs were loaded with cash, some magic items, ledgers, proof of debts, and expensive drugs (all illegal). The members of the group were riding through a gap in such a large shipment, and one hostage was tossed in the middle of it all.

"We have confirmed that the area is safe. There are no monsters or travelers."

"Thank you."

A member of the neighboring territory serving as a scout reported through the small window of the horse-drawn sled, and Derik, riding inside, responded.

The scout in his winter gear disappeared back into the snow.

Everyone took their turn to play the role of the coachman, but Derik, who was sitting unceremoniously with his feet on his luggage, naturally did not join in.

He stared into the darkness of the carriage, calculating what he needed to do.

"How far will we go?"

“Until the Earl cannot move, we'll stay in hiding in a remote place. It may be cramped, but it will be three months at the most."

When Derik said this.

"That's not good. I have to be taken to the big boss."

A voice came from inside the luggage, and immediately afterward, the horse-drawn sled Derik was riding in burst apart from the inside.

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