Ch. 50 - Predicament
"While you were reporting this matter up the chain, I tried to rally a few of the neighbors.
But no one wanted to rashly leave this place, pass through the treacherous Dawnmist Forest, and relocate to the unfamiliar Longgold City—
That place, to them, exists almost entirely in imagination."
Father Lynn recalled what had happened previously.
When he mentioned 'the orc raids,' the townsfolk showed the kind of fear one might have upon seeing a ferocious beast.
But when he spoke of 'crossing the forest,' their expressions could only be described as cowering and resistant.
It was like when people got dead drunk at the tavern and someone brought up the southern defensive campaign—they'd spout nonsense about how orcs were nothing special and couldn't even withstand a single blow from their hoes.
But whenever the forest's strangeness and the werewolves of Dawnmist Forest were mentioned, they'd be too scared to make a sound.
Because they truly lived right next to the forest.
Having lived too long in this narrow corner, they only had a vague understanding of everything beyond the forest, relying entirely on the occasional merchant caravans for information.
Until they truly recognized the severity of the situation, no one would willingly abandon this fragile yet warm cocoon.
"See that, poet? You thought the only obstacles were that little white pig and that mercenary leader?
We dwarves have a saying: 'The taller they are, the more problems they have!'
Elves are arrogant, giants are stupid, and orcs are just wild dogs who only know how to shout.
And you humans—well, most humans are cunning, greedy, and yet weak."
As Catherine and Father Lynn were leaving, Stonecrusher simply stayed in the tavern, refusing to leave, swearing to drink the entire stock of starberry wine.
After all, if they were going to flee, they could take very little with them. Leaving it would just be giving it to those orcs.
Before he could continue drinking while mocking Tang Qi's naivety and attempting to prove that 'short people are the superior race'—
Tang Qi cut him off first:
"Look at it from another angle. As long as we make them realize the danger, even without anyone to lead them, they'll flee the town of their own accord."
"You're as stubborn as any priest now. Those people also spread their teachings even when death is at their doorstep!"
Stonecrusher couldn't understand Tang Qi's reasoning at all.
"Even if you convince those fools, how will you deal with the trouble from the nobles?
Do you know how many hurdles you'll need to cross to achieve that naive goal of yours?"
He said this to make Tang Qi retreat from the difficulty.
Who would have thought the other party would act as if he didn't understand, and actually list out the current predicament:
"Setting aside the obstacle of the townspeople not wanting to leave.
First, we need that eye beside Melade to ensure we can still recognize the path after entering the forest.
Second, we need to confirm whether Melade, after learning this news, has any plans to escape..."
Father Lynn interrupted him, saying with certainty:
"There are indeed nobles in this world who would choose to share their territory's fate for the sake of honor.
But from the moment Lord Merle abandoned his people and moved to Longgold City, it was destined that their family had no honor to speak of.
Young Master Melade will definitely flee. Even if he doesn't, that steward beside him will make him do so.
And to stabilize the people and prevent unrest, he'll probably choose to stay behind himself, organize the defense, and wait for rescue—
This is the conclusion I've drawn from my decades of observing this territory."
This was a priest of high moral character.
It was precisely because of this that this old gentleman was willing to cling to his only lifeline and try to find a way together to lead the townspeople away.
Tang Qi trusted him, so he continued:
"Then they're probably already preparing horses to leave. We absolutely cannot let him slip away quietly..."
"Maybe in just an hour."
Catherine thought of Melade's specific emphasis before leaving and suddenly realized,
"Young Master Melade specifically asked me to bring him starberry wine at that time—I think he was reminding me to pack my luggage in advance."
Smart people can always read the deeper meaning in words.
Tang Qi blinked, feeling somewhat uncertain instead:
"Are you that certain he'll take you with him?"
"He once told me that in front of noble young ladies, he cannot reveal his true self, or it would bring shame to his family—so he craves freedom and needs my cover."
"Next comes the mercenaries and the village militia—
This is easy to handle. Their numbers aren't large. If that steward truly plans to suppress by force, we just need to find a way to incite the townspeople, and they'll waver and weigh their options on their own."
Tang Qi listed the obstacles in his mind, searching for a way out, then murmured thoughtfully,
"Finally, there's the matter of time. After all, it's a mighty procession of three hundred people, including even carts and horses. Even heading north, it would be an extremely long column...
So we need to flee as far as possible before dawn."
As for the problems they'd encounter after fleeing, Tang Qi was too lazy to think about them in detail—
In fact, such a large group entering Dawnmist Forest would definitely encounter all sorts of trouble.
But currently, he only wanted to achieve the 'town-wide evacuation' achievement. Demanding more was futile.
"There's are less than two hours until dawn!
So you want to incite, in these two hours, an uprising of three hundred civilians including the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled, then capture Melade in front of Explosivewolf, a bunch of remaining mercenaries, and the village militia under the little mustache's command?"
The dwarf nearly sprayed out all the starberry wine in his mouth. By the end of his mockery, he could barely hold back his laughter,
"This is fucking hilarious! I once thought there couldn't be a funnier joke in this world than 'a 12-year-old little girl stealing an entire ton of starberries in one night'!
Two hours—you can't even fucking complete the first task!"
"I certainly can't do it alone."
Tang Qi didn't avoid acknowledging his own inability.
But Stonecrusher felt that the way this poet was looking at him was somewhat like that cunning old ranger [Mark Twain] from his past team—
On their adventures, that old bastard would often make him, walking at the front of the group, deliberately step on traps he'd already seen through.
So he instinctively backed up two steps:
"No—no way. I'm only responsible for protecting Catherine's safety now. Don't even think about ordering me to do anything for you!"
"I promise you, all my plans going forward are premised on ensuring her safety.
If Catherine encounters danger, I will definitely rush ahead of you—Black Snake saved my life. This is what I owe him."
Tang Qi answered sincerely, then also looked at Catherine,
"Of course, this also depends on what you think, boss lady. If you'd prefer to leave with Young Master Melade, I'm willing to respect your wishes, and we can pretend I never said any of this."
The red-haired girl first looked at the Golden Oak tree and tombstone, then turned to glance at the quiet tavern and the direction of the second floor.
She gripped the necklace at her chest and shook her head.
"I won't leave here alone. I must take my family with me.
But I can tell that Young Master Melade's mercy will never extend to Anbi.
Mr. Tang Qi, you can tell me what I should do next."
"Good lord..."
Stonecrusher slapped his own forehead,
"I'd almost forgotten—you humans even have 'blindness and arrogance' packed in your heads!"
"I already have a plan."
Catherine's choice gave Tang Qi more confidence,
"This requires everyone present to help me put on a show—
If you don't mind, I need you all to play the villains."