Chapter 186: Escort'? 'Hostage'? Seven Carriages and the Evacuation

"You are threatening us? With self-detonation? Using that magic dagger in your hand?"

Mr. Kasi stepped forward and questioned coldly.

The family guards surrounding them became slightly restless upon hearing Jier's words; many retreated a little, causing the originally tight defensive formation to loosen significantly. Many felt regretful—why did such a life-threatening emergency have to happen during their shift?

Mr. Bogete was terrified; he could not accept the outcome of everyone present being blown to death, especially the tragic result of losing both the family's top brass and the young knights within the family. If such a thing really happened, by the time Bostafa Baron returned urgently with troops from the front lines, it was hard to imagine how massive the losses to the entire family and Suishi Cheng would be during this period!

This was a completely lose-lose situation, at least that was how he saw it.

Thus, Mr. Bogete changed his face as if performing magic, piling a smile back onto it: "Hahahaha... just joking, I was just joking with everyone!"

The Baroness stared at Mr. Bogete with dissatisfaction, somewhat blaming him for saying the wrong thing. Now it was ruined; the originally peaceful and stable situation had been shattered in an instant, and the tiny bit of rapport between the two sides due to the banquet and cooperation had vanished because of a single sentence.

The Bostafa Family had sought out many people for this Dwarf Secret Vault that could not be opened, and even when they invited a well-known Mage from the Southern Province to wear down and crack the Protective Magic on the vault, the Baron himself did not claim it was to keep the news secret, and thus placed that high-status Mage under house arrest.

It was not just that they lacked the ability, but more so because the Bostafa Family dared not.

Mages have been natural nobles in human civilization since ancient times, unlike the titled nobles under the Noble Council established in modern times based on the God of Nobility. If anyone had studied some ancient history, they would at least know that during the Magic Empire period over two thousand years ago, the nobles of the Magic Empire were those powerful and noble Mages; Mages were naturally the nobles of the Magic Empire.

And the nobles of today are actually just the knight commanders of the armies that were once under those Mages.

Jier, however, was unmoved by Mr. Bogete's talk of a misunderstanding. He held the dagger with the ruby high in his right hand and stepped forward to 'affectionately' wrap his left arm around Mr. Bogete himself, preventing him from escaping, which instantly made this middle-aged man, who could not fit into his Knight Plate Armor due to his weight, stiffen up.

Mr. Bogete looked at the center of the dagger held high in Knight Jier's hand, looking at that fiery red, glowing ruby that could release powerful Magic Power to self-detonate at any moment, and dared not move at all. He used to look down on such self-detonating Magic Tools, always feeling their purpose was unclear; now, he finally understood where the use of these things lay.

He only wished he still didn't understand.

Greeting his Dwarf companions to follow him, Jier said to Mr. Kasi, who was controlling the guards: "Please stay here and manage the scene; we have to leave now. My Lady, could you see us off? After all, as the hostess of this place, seeing off guests who have traveled far is more in line with etiquette and rules."

The Baroness could feel the powerful Magic Power ready to erupt at any moment from the dagger Jier held. She could not guarantee whether the many Magic Tools on her person, which had already been depleted once, could withstand a Magic Power explosion at such close range, so even with an ugly expression, she still said: "Etiquette and rules are prepared for friendly guests."

"But a minute ago, we were indeed friendly, weren't we? We even helped your family solve a problem that had troubled you for years! Please see us off; this is better for everyone."

Jier's proactive and confident aura controlled the overall situation, making everyone present afraid to act rashly and causing them to move according to his words.

Although the Baroness was unwilling, she still nodded and walked in front, followed by Jier holding Mr. Bogete hostage, and finally the three Dwarfs bringing up the rear. The Refining Qi guards of the Bostafa Family were restless at the sight, especially the two young family knights leading the team, who were eager to follow.

But their shoulders were pressed down by Mr. Kasi.

"Wait a moment, it's better not to follow now; let them go. Sigh... what a loose-lipped Bogete! The family's reputation has been damaged because of his one sentence!"

Mr. Kasi was not angry at the hostage-taking by Jier and the others; after all, their Bostafa Family had the superior force on the scene, and the other side had no choice but to do this to survive. He only blamed Bogete for speaking recklessly, turning a situation that was originally happy and mutually beneficial into something sharp.

He immediately arranged for personnel to stay here, while also having some people go to the warehouse above in a while to fetch some living utensils for long-term residence. Guards would be stationed here continuously afterward, and the gate at the passage entrance above would also be arranged with sufficient force for defense.

Although it seemed the Protective Magic of the Dwarf Secret Vault was still there and these personnel shouldn't be needed for defense, things were not calculated that way. It would be very difficult to keep today's events secret; once the secret spread in a few days, there was no telling how many people would be attracted by today's news.

Especially those annoying professional thieves from the Thieves Guild; without arranging enough personnel here, they would definitely be found by those guys and slip in.

On the way up, Mr. Bogete apologized the whole time, and Jier accepted the other's apology with a grin. However, while his left hand affectionately hugged Mr. Bogete's shoulder, his right hand kept a tight grip on the Magic Dagger that could be activated at any time.

Furthermore, Jier intentionally adjusted their speed of movement, preventing the Baroness, who wanted to walk a few steps faster to shake off the people behind, from succeeding.

"Please don't walk so fast, noble Lady. We have no malice; in fact, the ones with malice are you, aren't you?" Jier said unhappily with a cold snort.

Mr. Bogete slapped his own mouth in regret. At the time, he just felt that his side had the upper hand on the scene and wanted to help the family keep the fact that the secret vault had been half-opened temporarily secret. He really only intended to place Jier and his group under house arrest for a period of time; who could have imagined that the reaction of Jier and the others would be so great.

"In fact, you are overthinking it. There are only a few of us; how could we covet the treasures of such a large secret vault? Thinking about it, it's not very realistic, right? If you let me take whatever I want, how much can I take? So we few just want some small wealth that is nothing compared to the secret vault. This obviously means nothing to the Bostafa Family that controls the entire city."

Jier continued to speak, to which the Baroness did not respond.

Jier could not guess the other's thoughts either; did she feel guilty toward them? Or did she resent them for half-holding the two of them hostage? Or perhaps she didn't care about the current situation at all, but had her entire focus on inviting someone later to break the Protective Magic and obtain the massive treasures of the Dwarf Secret Vault?

But Jier glanced at the old Dwarf, who seemed to have a different view on what kind of good things were in the Dwarf Secret Vault, as if he were only focused on obtaining the immediate gains and changing to a new carriage, and even had the thought of actively avoiding the things in the vault?

Jier bumped the old Dwarf subtly, and the two didn't speak but exchanged glances.

Raising his eyebrows, Jier confirmed one thing, which was that old 'Iron Fist' was indeed actively avoiding the interior of the secret vault.

When they walked out of the long Rock Passage several minutes later and arrived at the first basement level of the castle above, there were also a dozen ordinary guards guarding here, who even had to salute after seeing the group led by the Baroness come out.

This seemed to provoke the Baroness's displeasure; after scolding them for no reason, she took the initiative to lead Jier and the others upward.

Jier released Mr. Bogete, no longer holding him hostage at close range, and whispered to the old Dwarf: "'Iron Fist', what exactly are you afraid of? I noticed you aren't afraid of the standoff just now, but have always felt a kind of dread toward the things inside the secret vault?"

"Sharp kid..." Muttering a sentence, the old Dwarf did not explain immediately, only saying they would talk later, and continued to walk with his head down.

Although a large number of guards in the castle had been temporarily called away by Mr. Kasi, the servants did not care and continued to serve the dance party in the hall.

Yes, don't look at the big scene Jier and the others made in the Dwarf Secret Vault below the castle; not to mention the dance party in the castle above being affected, even the manservants who occasionally went to the basement to fetch wine needed by guests didn't discover what happened in the secret vault.

The long Rock Passage in and out of the secret vault hall seemed to have the effect of attenuating volume and shockwaves. No one noticed when they went, but when Jier and the others returned, they guessed this possibility through the situation in the castle being as usual.

Walking out all the way, the servants and Butlers they met on the road gave way and saluted Jier's group. The Baroness also didn't seem to have been half-held hostage by Jier; while letting the servants move aside, she had the Butlers they encountered notify the guests at the dance party: "Tell them, I am seeing off the Knight and his group who have traveled far, and will return to host the dance party in a while."

"Yes, my Lady." The Butler bowed his head in salute, not noticing at all the Magic Dagger Jier was playing with in his right hand.

Who would care about this dagger? Normal people would only think Knight Jier liked to play with this exquisite and beautiful weapon; those without experience would never imagine this thing could self-detonate at any time.

When passing through some passages and metal doors in the castle, the guards originally responsible for guarding these important passages were not there. The servants just felt it was strange and never imagined that the people had all been called to the secret vault below the castle.

When they finally walked out of the main gate of the castle and arrived at the open area of the inner courtyard, Jier whistled, letting the Tianxuecao, which was mixed among the many horses and carriages in the inner courtyard, hear his call. It squeezed through the carriages and some honest horses, trotting all the way to Jier.

The Baroness did not step forward; she stood still at the castle gate, ignoring the greetings of some guests who were not attending the dance party and the servants who came up to serve.

With her hands on her abdomen, she slightly raised her head and said to Jier and the others: "The trouble Bogete caused, let Bogete solve it himself. In short, although the end was not very beautiful, the Bostafa Family thanks the few of you for your contributions."

To the surrounding people, they thought the Baroness was talking about Jier and the others solving the Bandit Group that was rampant on the Shanglu; no one would think this was related to the Bostafa Family's Dwarf Secret Vault.

After all, the last time the Dwarf Secret Vault was attempted to be opened by the Bostafa Family was fifteen years ago. Fifteen years, a generation had passed, and many people couldn't remember this matter at all, even if they had heard about the secret vault.

"Kasi will personally deliver what you deserve to your hands tomorrow morning, and as for the carriage and other things the few Dwarfs requested, Bogete is familiar with them, so you can look for him."

After speaking, she raised her head, turned around neatly, and returned to the castle surrounded by servants.

At this moment, she looked completely like the hostess of the entire city and the entire castle.

After the Baroness was surrounded and walked far away, and could no longer see Jier and the others, she let out a heavy breath; only then did her hands, which had been held against her lower abdomen, clench together violently.

Her figure was slightly unsteady, and the maid next to her immediately stepped forward to support her, but was pushed away by the Baroness.

She used her hand to support the sturdy, cold wall of the castle and walked step by step toward the central hall of the castle.

"The Baroness has left, so Mr. Bogete, please help out and take a trip with us, how about it? I don't have the habit of riding the same horse as someone else, and I believe you wouldn't like to sit with someone like me wearing armor either? Then I'll have to trouble you to sit in my Dwarf friends' ox cart. Haha."

Jier put away the 【Heart Fire】 dagger, patted the shoulder of the somewhat stiff Mr. Bogete, and pushed him to 'Shishou' beside him.

Mr. Bogete looked at the smile on the face of 'Shishou', whose strength was unknown, and it looked like crying: "Haha, no problem, the ox cart is very good, very good, right? Stable, right? Of course, a four-wheeled or six-wheeled carriage would be better! What kind of carriage do you all like? Do you need to add some Dwarf-style decorations?"

Mr. Bogete made awkward small talk with Shishou, while the three Dwarves ignored him completely.

Others who saw this scene from afar felt slightly strange, but no one really said anything. The guests who were not dancing loudly bid farewell to Mr. Bogete Bostafa, who was beside the Dwarves, and then left by riding their own horses or taking carriages. As for the servants, they saw Mr. Bogete as if he were seeing off important guests for the night, so they tactfully retreated to the side.

The Groom of the Bostafa Family drove the Dwarves' ox cart over; the old Dwarf jumped up first and took the initiative to sit in the driver's seat, while Mr. Bogete and Shishou sat side-by-side in the carriage, sandwiched between two Dwarves, unable to move.

Just like that, Jier guarded against any possible accidents, and the group rode horses and sat in the carriage, walking out of the central castle of the Bostafa Family surrounded by high walls.

On the way back, seeing no pursuers or ambushes, Jier walked alongside the ox cart and said to Mr. Bogete with a light laugh: "Look, we are people of great integrity; why did you have to say those things back then? The whole thing could have been perfect; I could have even had time to go up and have a drink, or take off my armor and dance a dance."

"Sigh..." Mr. Bogete also had a dejected look on his face, his arm being firmly gripped by Shishou, leaving him no chance to use his Knight skills to jump away and escape.

Of course, it seemed there was no real need to escape now.

He steadied his mind and began to complain that after this incident, his status in the family would definitely decline, and perhaps after the Baron returned, he, a family member responsible for external affairs, would be punished and sent to guard the prison, a job no different from being in jail.

"If it weren't for the fact that I'm old, and after saying the wrong thing, I foresaw that my future wouldn't be very good, I would really want to just follow you, Jier! Fighting in a war and earning merit sounds pretty good." With a bitter smile, Mr. Bogete said some things that were beside the point.

However, unlike when they came, Jier was not as familiar with Mr. Bogete on the return trip. Although Mr. Bogete told a few witty remarks trying to liven up the atmosphere, the three Dwarves beside him did not laugh, so these witty remarks were rather cold.

On the way back, Mr. Bogete had Jier and the others take a detour to the south of the city near the city wall, and stopped in front of a Merchant Guild with towering walls.

"This Merchant Guild is a direct subsidiary of our family, and basically, the senior management of the Merchant Guild are all members within the family. If you are in a hurry for carriages, we can call for suitable carriages here as soon as possible."

This Merchant Guild is called 【Full Load Mine Cart】, and on the sign, a mine cart filled with Mineral Ore is being pushed by someone walking on a wooden track.

Even in the middle of the night, there were many people on duty here. Mr. Bogete's status was clearly higher than that of the president of the Merchant Guild. After leaving behind one of his own tokens, Mr. Bogete directly mobilized seven sturdy and suitable carriages from the Merchant Guild, as well as the Pack Horses that were temporarily fitted with Jiansheng and bits.

Leading such a convoy, the group went directly out of the closed south city gate, and then bypassed the city from the outside to the vicinity of the hotel outside the west city gate.

When the Merchant Guild drivers who were temporarily driving were asked to walk back on their own, Jier personally helped Mr. Bogete off the ox cart.

"Look, isn't everything going smoothly? We helped your family solve a trouble that has plagued you for many years, and you Bostafa Family only paid a small part of the wealth that is nothing to you, and you can reap a hundred or a thousand times the return!"

Jier said with a smile.

Mr. Bogete nodded: "That's right, I was a bit nervous; I almost ruined everything today. Sigh, let's just leave it at that. Before my cousin returns, I suppose I will still be the one doing the family's external work. But as for the future, I guess it won't be me..."

"As for the family's reward for you all helping to crack the secret vault, Kasi will send it over tomorrow morning. If he brings some guards with him at that time, please don't be nervous, because a large amount of wealth, even when transported in a city controlled by our family, must be watched by enough guards."

"According to the family rules and the promises made by several previous Barons, although the secret vault has not been truly opened and the total value of the various treasures inside cannot be calculated yet, giving you a large reward temporarily is enough to compensate you."

"However, Knight Jier, will these alien mercenaries of yours still accept employment after taking such a large sum of money? They won't just leave, will they?" Mr. Bogete looked at the few Dwarves and asked, guessing.

Jier gave a huff of laughter: "That is my business, isn't it? You don't need to worry about it."

"Yes, yes, yes, then that's it, I'll take my leave?"

After speaking, Mr. Bogete made a gesture to leave, and Jier did not stop him.

So Mr. Bogete immediately walked away quickly, directly called for the west city gate to be opened, and returned to the city.

After the other party could no longer be seen, Jier also led the three Dwarves and returned to the hotel where the convoy was staying tonight. As soon as he entered, Jier ordered his subordinate Warriors guarding the hotel lobby: "Wake everyone up, and have everyone fully armed! The drivers should prepare the convoy for departure. 'Iron Fist', what about your side?"

"My people are naturally also armed, ready for the Bostafa Family to turn hostile immediately." The old 'Iron Fist' sighed, feeling that things had finally lost control. It was originally very good; although the risks were high, the returns were also high.

But after making a scene all night and the few people working for a long time, the only things that ended up in their hands were seven carriages and the accompanying horses.

But this was not bad either.

"Then should we wait for that Kasi to send the reward after dawn tomorrow?" Jier was still thinking about that potentially very generous sum of money.

The old Dwarf shook his head: "I advise you not to be blinded by greed. If you swapped identities with those threatened Bostafa Family high-level members, what would you do?"

Jier patted the Long Sword at his waist: "I would immediately assemble the military force of the entire city, leave the city from the north and south gates, and surround the entire area outside the west of the city on a large scale."

The old Dwarf rolled his eyes: "Then what are you waiting for now?"