Capítulo 44: Flee

Chapter 44: Flee

"Secretly releasing some half-beastmen captives we worked so hard to acquire. Providing them shelter, coin... even safe passage out of the kingdom!"

Glen continued, his voice rising with exaggerated shock, "All noble deeds, I suppose. But hardly befitting of a member of the Red Crescent, don't you think?"

The leader's voice cut through the growing commotion.

"Carla. Answer the accusation. Have you been aiding the half-beastmen?"

Carla's lips pressed into a thin line. For a fleeting moment, Sevi thought she might try to explain, but instead, she stepped back, her posture tense.

"I don't owe you an explanation," Carla said coldly.

"Especially not to him." She shot a glare at Glen, who only laughed in response.

The leader's hand rose, signaling the group.

"She's admitted enough. Carla, you've betrayed the Red Crescent. You leave us no choice."

Weapons were drawn, the sound of steel filling the air. Carla's eyes darted to the tree line, calculating her escape.

Carla's eyes narrowed as she weighed her options, but before she could make a move, a trap was sprung.

One of the Red Crescent members, the anxious figure, launched a series of quick, precise motions, and in an instant, thick vines erupted from the ground, ensnaring her ankles and wrists.

The trap had her immobilized.

"Damn it," Carla cursed under her breath, trying to break free, but the more she struggled, the tighter the vines seemed to constrict.

The Red Crescent members moved in swiftly, surrounding her. The burly figure swung a large mace, the impact causing the ground to tremble, and another member—the female one—lunged with a series of rapid strikes.

Carla fought back fiercely, her sword flashing through the air.

She took down one attacker with a well-timed swipe, but the others were relentless. Despite her strength and skill, the numbers worked against her, and she soon found herself overwhelmed.

Her movements slowed as the battle wore on, her body beginning to show the signs of the struggle—blood staining her clothes, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Sevi, watching from his concealed position, could only watch helplessly, feeling his heart race as Carla fought for her life. Every instinct screamed for him to intervene, but the odds were grim.

"We have to help her, Noemi! She's not going to make it!" Sevi whispered fiercely as his hands trembled.

Noemi's eyes narrowed as she assessed the situation.

"Think, Sevi. There are too many of them. If we jump in now without a plan, all three of us are as good as dead."

"So what? We're just going to sit here and watch?" Sevi's voice was laced with frustration.

"She's our ally!"

"She may be our ally," Noemi said sharply, her tone colder than she intended.

"But we're not saviors."

Before he could move, Noemi's hand shot out, grabbing his arm and yanking him back. She pushed him down and pinned him to the ground, her grip unyielding despite his struggles.

"Are you insane?" she whispered fiercely.

"You'll get us all killed!"

"She's going to die!" Sevi's voice cracked, and he thrashed against her hold, but Noemi's strength—and her resolve—kept him in place.

"And if you go out there, you'll die too!" Noemi's eyes bore into his, her tone cold and cutting.

Noemi's grip tightened as she glanced toward the battlefield, her jaw clenched. Carla was still fighting, but her movements were slower now, her strength clearly fading.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath. Letting out a sharp exhale, she released Sevi but kept her hand on his chest, keeping him firmly in place.

"Listen to me," she said, her voice low and urgent.

"I'll go. You stay here. If you make a sound, if you give us away, I swear I'll make you regret it."

"Noemi—"

"Stay. Here." Her tone left no room for argument.

Before he could protest further, Noemi activated her invisibility skill, vanishing from sight.

'...I really hate being weak,' Sevi thought as he watched helplessly as she moved toward the battlefield, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and gratitude.

Noemi quietly moved like a shadow through the trees, swiftly maneuvering her way to Carla's side as the Red Crescent members focused on their assault. With her invisibility making her nearly undetectable, she reached Carla without being seen.

"What--" Carla said, startled as she felt a hand suddenly grip her shoulder.

Noemi's hand immediately clamped over Carla's mouth, silencing her.

And in an instant, the two of them were shrouded in the same shimmering aura of invisibility. Noemi lifted Carla effortlessly, using her agility to carry the injured woman away from the fight.

Before Carla could fully process what was happening, Noemi effortlessly lifted her.

As Noemi carried Carla away, the chaos of the battlefield shifted. The Red Crescent members froze, their weapons paused mid-swing, their gazes darting around in confusion.

"What the—?!" the burly man with the mace shouted in confusion.

"Where did she go?"

"She couldn't have just vanished!" Glen snarled, scanning the area with narrowed

"Spread out! Find her!" Their leader said in a loud and commanding voice.

The group moved quickly, their once-coordinated assault devolving into frantic searching. The burly man swung his mace into the ground again, the impact sending tremors through the earth.

"She has to be here somewhere! She couldn't have gotten far!"

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