My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros' Obsession-Chapter 26Vol 2.

The day we were scheduled to meet the Second Prince’s faction, the reconnaissance team was on high alert.

After work, we decided to wear civilian clothes to avoid drawing attention.

In my case, I wore my favorite white dress. Aquila wore the suit I picked for him.

Ishina wore his usual shirt. Winter, true to his Northern Duke aesthetic, dressed in black. Karon also wore an outfit I chose for him.

As someone who considered himself trendy, Altair opted for a fashionable shirt. Yuri, among us, had the most understated look, donning a simple, long dress.

Meanwhile, April wore a lively dress—one that suited her so perfectly it sent chills down my spine.

That evening, despite our nervousness, there was also a hint of excitement in the air.

The meeting place was a bar near the headquarters of the Dark Sorcery Reconnaissance Special Forces.

As we stepped inside, one thought filled my mind.

Wait a second—could it be...

Was I about to act like a real romance fantasy protagonist?

Would I get to experience one of those moments where the bartender asks, “What would you like to order?” and I get to coolly reply, “A peach martini,” followed by a knowing pause and a secret exchange of passcodes?

Humming in excitement, I barely noticed Ishina’s worried voice as he walked ahead of me.

“Salvia, we’re not actually here to drink. You do know that, right?”

“...I do. And I don’t even like alcohol that much....”

“For someone who doesn’t like it, you sure knew about bomb shots last time....”

“.......”

I shut my mouth.

To be fair, the last time the squad came over for a post-mission gathering, I had mixed up bomb shots for them.

Honestly, I blame this world for not letting me drink a single drop for the past eight years.

Either way, the bar we entered had a rather plain atmosphere. It was small—almost claustrophobically so—and completely empty. Considering its secluded location, though, that wasn’t surprising.

Leading the way, April confidently approached the bartender.

“Excuse me.”

“What would you like to order?”

Alright, here it comes—the passcode exchange!

What could it be? I can’t wait!

“No, we’re not here to order. We have a meeting.”

“Ah, you may proceed to the back.”

...Wait, that’s it?

No passcode?

April, male lead power: -100.

Disappointed, I followed her into the back room the bartender had gestured toward.

“Wow.”

The inside was unexpectedly spacious—large enough to accommodate several dozen people with ease.

This was it.

This was where we would meet members of the Second Prince’s faction.

I wonder what they look like...

Would there be someone with a scar over one eye, fitting the classic revolutionary trope?

Ah. No, I’d already met someone like that elsewhere.

Before my mind wandered too far into unpleasant memories, I instinctively reached for Aquila’s hand.

“Aquila.”

“Hm?”

Feeling inexplicably melancholic, I decided to say something I normally never would.

There was a time when Aquila had tried to say it to me, and I had cut him off.

Maybe if I said it first, he’d be happy.

“When all of this is over...”

“Yeah?”

“...Let’s get mar—”

BANG!

Before I could finish, the door burst open.

Winter instantly raised his sword in the direction of the noise.

“Huff... Huff...!”

A man staggered in, clutching a wound on his back.

“Run! Get out of here—now!”

“Who are you?”

April’s voice remained calm as she asked the question.

“I’m with the Second Prince’s faction... Hah...! A spy within our ranks sold us out to the Imperial Army! We’ve been exposed! You need to escape, now!”

“What?!”

Before we could fully process his words, a commotion erupted outside.

“They went in there!”

“Capture them!”

It dawned on us.

We were completely trapped.

“We have to run!”

The man who had delivered the warning collapsed onto the floor, motionless.

Louise quickly knelt beside him and checked his pulse.

“He’s dead.”

“We need to move! But—!”

The only exit was the door we had entered through, and the Imperial Army was already storming in from that direction.

Where the hell are we supposed to go?

“Do we have to fight after all?”

I muttered grimly.

Right then, a deafening crash sounded behind me.

BANG! BANG!

“Brave, sir!”

Brave, who had been wielding axes since his Border Defense Army days, was hacking at the wooden wall with one of his massive weapons.

After a few well-aimed strikes, the wall split open.

He pointed at the opening.

“Move! Now!”

Without hesitation, we slipped through the gap.

But as soon as we emerged outside and began running, we were met by Imperial soldiers encircling the area.

“Seize them!”

“XX!”

What the hell was happening?

Of course, deciding to join a revolution meant I had prepared myself to face danger at some point.

But from the very beginning?

Still grappling with my confusion, we ran.

The Imperial Army’s encirclement tightened with every passing second.

Assessing the situation, April quickly shouted,

“Scatter! We’ll regroup later!”

She was right.

If we wanted to shake off our pursuers, we had to split up.

But I hesitated for a brief moment—where should I go? Which direction would ensure I didn’t cross paths with my seniors while also avoiding the Imperial soldiers?

As I faltered, Aquila suddenly grabbed my hand.

“Run.”

“...Yeah!”

Holding onto his hand, I ran.

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With our superior physical abilities, we easily outran the Imperial soldiers chasing us.

We dashed through unfamiliar streets at full speed—until I realized we were heading toward the headquarters of the Dark Sorcery Reconnaissance Special Forces.

Just then, Aquila’s pace slowed dramatically.

Noticing his change, I halted and turned to him.

“...Salvia.”

“Yeah.”

“I have to warn the others.”

My breath hitched.

Not all of the reconnaissance squad had attended the meeting with the Second Prince’s faction. Some had stayed behind.

Aquila was saying he needed to alert them to escape as well.

“But...”

I glanced behind us.

If we slowed down to warn them, we’d be caught.

While I hesitated, Aquila loosened his grip on my hand—only to place a firm hand on my shoulder.

Then, without warning, he pushed me into a parked cargo wagon.

He threw a thick cloth over me, ensuring I was completely hidden.

“Salvia.”

Before covering me completely, he whispered gently,

“Come back here. If you can’t, I’ll come find you.”

“No...”

“Run, Salvia.”

“Aquila, I... I’ll make it. I swear.”

I knew he wouldn’t listen to me, so in the end, I let go of his hand.

But I made a silent promise.

Not just to Aquila—but to myself.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

That I would survive. That this revolution would succeed. That we would meet again.

Aquila gave me a faint smile.

“Alright.”

And with that, everything went dark.

I knew better than to make any noise, so I clenched my eyes shut.

We had been discovered by the Imperial Army.

I didn’t know whether Aquila would be captured today or manage to escape.

This was where my story stood now.

***

After a while, the wagon jerked into motion.

I stayed perfectly still, buried among the cargo, holding my breath.

Where is this thing going?

I had no idea where the wagon was headed. If I wasn’t careful, I could end up outside the country entirely.

Time passed. At some point, I figured we had managed to shake off our pursuers.

But jumping off a moving wagon was out of the question. I had no choice but to wait until it stopped.

Clatter—

After what felt like hours, the wagon finally came to a halt.

I listened carefully. The driver got off and wandered away.

Taking the opportunity, I quickly pulled the cloth away and peeked out.

And the sight that greeted me was—

“...What the hell?”

I frowned, staring at the dense forest surrounding me.

No sign of civilization in sight.

This wasn’t a place I could safely disembark.

I needed to find a town—somewhere I could catch another wagon back.

The driver, unaware of my presence, had wandered off to relieve himself in the woods.

Ah. ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ So that’s why we stopped.

I turned my head away, pretending I hadn’t seen anything.

For now, I decided to stay put until we reached a populated area.

So I covered myself up again and remained still.

And then—

“Another forest?”

“Damn it, another forest?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake!”

Every time the wagon stopped, it was always in the middle of nowhere.

That’s when I started feeling uneasy.

I was being taken somewhere unfamiliar.

I had no idea where I was.

I had no idea when I would be able to get off.

In my desperation, I started sneaking bites of food from the cargo. But my mind remained blank.

Aquila... what happened to him?

Not just Aquila—

Karon, Ishina, Winter, April, Altair, Yuri, Taro...

I had no idea what had happened to any of them.

As the wagon rumbled along, I quietly shed a few tears.

The brief period of happiness we had shared felt like a distant past.

All that remained within me was fear.

“Haa... Haa....”

Whether it was my imagination or not, I started feeling cold.

Maybe it was because I had a tendency to feel chills when anxious.

The wagon kept moving for what felt like an eternity.

And then—

Clatter—

When it finally stopped, I could tell that this time was different.

It wasn’t the eerie silence of an empty road.

It wasn’t the biting wind of an abandoned path.

This place felt... alive.

There was a vibrant energy in the air. The unmistakable atmosphere of a town.

Seizing my chance, I slipped out of the wagon unnoticed.

And—

“...Ah.”

The cold air immediately bit into my skin, making me shiver.

But the sight in front of me made me forget about the chill.

It hadn’t been my imagination.

I was freezing.

Because the town I had arrived in—

A place I knew all too well.

The place where we had once captured our first dark sorcerer.

A place closely tied to the Border Defense Army.

Northern territory.

Egott Village.