Chapter 37 The Escape Plan
Chapter 37 The Escape Plan
After seeing Flint off, Zag finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Although this tactic of exploiting a time gap isn't foolproof—for example, if Liam and Flint were to discuss the matter in more depth—
"Hey! That sentry said you showed him fire magic?"
That's right!
Just yesterday?
No, in the morning.
"Morning? How early?"
Then, if the two of them compare the times, they will inevitably find contradictions, and Zag will be unable to clear his name even if he jumps into the Fairy River.
Of course, given Liam's and Flint's personalities, this is a low-probability event. Not to mention that Liam himself said that the relationship between the Golden Palace and the Lonely Tower is not good. The probability of the two of them sitting down calmly to discuss Zag, who can barely be called Flint's friend, is much lower than the probability of Zag transforming into a legendary archmage today.
Most likely, Liam will just ask casually, and Flint might not even speak to Liam, just nod... In that case, Zag's goal will be achieved.
"No, we still need to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible and go to a big city. In a big city, we can 'hide in plain sight' and at least be safer!"
As he muttered to himself, Zag looked around at everything in the room.
Aside from the sentry uniforms with leather armor and a ceremonial sword that was more for show than practical use—the only equipment the association provided to the sentries free of charge—there was nothing of value in the room.
If I had to say, that wool-filled quilt was quite valuable. If Zag's inherited memories were correct, it was handmade by his mother, Mrs. Marsh, and was worth about 2-3 gold pounds. The wool inside was even obtained by Mrs. Marsh through handicrafts from her neighbors, and she personally washed off the grease and dried it.
"We're leaving next week. I don't think we can delay any longer!" Zag looked at Snowball and Helford, his tone firm. "This place is too eerie!"
Snowball declared: "I support him! I get goosebumps just looking at Liam!"
Helford also said, "Of course, it's best to stay away from trouble!"
Snowball wrinkled his nose, his face full of worry: "But, can we really get away from him? Dragonborn, do you remember what Mordo told you in the tavern? 'Peter' went to Eastern Harbor!"
"Then let's bypass the eastern port; if that doesn't work, we'll go south!"
"Zag said decisively."
"Are you serious? Walton Territory to the south isn't much better than the Eastern Territory! Unless you go to Strath Territory to the west! But do you know how far that is and how much the travel expenses will be? The few dozen gold pounds you've saved up won't be enough! And Mrs. Marsh simply can't handle such a long journey, not to mention the uncertainty of whether you'll be able to replenish your Healing Hands—unless you buy a few bottles in advance!" Snowball was unusually reliable, analyzing the situation logically: "Furthermore, you also have to consider crossing the forest around Fairy Lake. You can walk, but what about Mrs. Marsh? You might have to hire a carriage for her, which will be another huge expense!"
Snowball's incessant nagging gave Zag a real headache. He knew Snowball was right; if it were just him, he could run far away. After all, he had a Fireball spell, and with Snowball and Herford's help, he could handle most of the dangers on the road.
But he also had Mrs. Marsh, a woman who was so ill that she could only lie in bed most of the day.
Not to mention the close and interdependent relationship between the body he inherited and Mrs. Marsh, even with his moral compass honed by the peaceful society of the 21st century, he simply couldn't bring himself to abandon Mrs. Marsh. He couldn't even leave all his money to her and entrust her to the villagers' care.
If you actually believe that this is a proper way to handle things, you'd have to be out of your mind!
Zag slumped down on the spot, somewhat dejected: "So, we have no choice but to go to the Eastern Port."
Dongchui Port is the largest and most prosperous city in the entire Dongchui territory, and it is also the only option for traveling north by boat.
"On the bright side, at least the lord knows about the alchemical potion, and the Golden Palace has also sent people. It's hard to say that a cult could really wipe out the entire Eastern Territory—if they really had that power, why wouldn't they just rebel?"
Snowball attempted to analyze the situation.
Finally, it added, "Besides, we fairies are the Mother Goddess's retinue! If we really encounter danger, the Mother Goddess will send down a divine decree! I'll definitely let you know before I run away!"
Zag remained dejected: "It sounds even more dangerous now."
Helford then suggested, "Why not start some business? That way we can save enough money quickly and take a boat directly to Highwynmouth!"
"Want to start some business?"
Helford explained, "Look, you know tree spirits, you have snowballs, and you even have me! The first werewolf! You could easily go to the black market and resell magical materials! Like tree spirit healing slime, and my fur—both are quite valuable magical materials!"
Zag was somewhat shocked: "Werewolf fur is also a magical material!?"
Snowball wrinkled his nose in disgust: "It's disgusting, but yes, and the original werewolf's fur is the most valuable. You're right, we can shave Coal Ball bald and sell his fur to make up for the food shortage! He eats so much!"
Upon hearing this, Zag seemed thoughtful, then his eyes lit up as he looked at Snowball: "Snowball, do you have anything on you that can be exchanged for money?"
The snowball flew angrily into the sky, hissing at Zag: "Don't even think about it! No way! How dare you disrespect the great snowball! Awooo!"
"Sorry, I was just asking, I didn't mean any disrespect to the great Snowball," Zag apologized half-heartedly, then quickly changed the subject: "Or perhaps the great Snowball could ask the tree spirits if they'd be willing to sell healing slime, or exchange it for more [Meretra's Mercy]?"
Snowball didn't answer, still wearing an angry little cat face, even turning its head away, hands on its hips, deliberately refusing to look at Zag.
Zag had no choice but to promise, "We'll split the profits 50/50!"
"make a deal!"
Snowball was finally satisfied. It flew down from the ceiling beam and said, "I'll go ask right now!"
Today is Thursday. After finishing his work for the week tomorrow, he will have to tell Mrs. Marsh about this and then take her with him from the Redcurrant Mill to Eastgate Harbour.
Redcurrant Mill is a small village on the southwestern outskirts of Cabbage Town, with a population of only a few dozen, and it is a settlement formed around a mill.
The people who live here work in the mill, while a small number maintain a self-sufficient lifestyle, growing cabbages and wheat.
The mill owner was the father of the head chef who worked in the kitchen of Golden Helmet Fortress. The old man was quite kind and, through his son's connections, obtained a special permission from the lord to harvest the redcurrant grove.
Because the red currant grove was so large, the old man kindly allowed the villagers to pick the fruit freely as long as they didn't damage the grove itself. They could then make jam or syrup to sell and supplement their household income—this was the main reason Rosa was able to do this in the first place.
Otherwise, even a broken tree branch within the territory would belong to the lord and commoners would not be entitled to take it.
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【Dawn Magic Encyclopedia】: Healing Sap, a thick sap secreted by tree spirits, is a precious alchemical magic material. After being processed at high temperatures, it turns into an amber-like substance and has a very good healing effect on external injuries, but it is ineffective on a small number of magical creatures such as tree spirits and treants.
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