Page 51 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
Julian cursed.
Barry raised an eyebrow at the duke, but Lomen flinched, saying, “I-I’m done.”
“Good, because we just ran out of time.”
He eyed the pair.
Lomen seemed like the anxious type who followed through with his orders, but Barry was in it for the amusement and the challenge. The latter wasn’t a safe bet, but he was the more likely to get the job donewell.
“Barry, I need you out of the port gates.Now,” Julian instructed. “I’ll give you a bag of goldanda shiny treasure from my personal stash if you inspect the docks and rescue my sister should you find her.”
“Why now?” the human asked, but his eyes gleamed at the request.
“Because the entire city is about to get magically sealed.”
“Alright. Later, Lomen.” Barry smiled, waved at the elf, and then he wasgone. Julian’s twenty-five Perception wasn’t enough to catch what happened, but he did note the scuff in the dust of the alley floor.
“Wait!” Lomen’s voice was high pitched, and he turned on Julian. “You aren’t expecting us to actually find and rescue your sister on this sidewithoutBarry?”
“Did you learn anything from your spell earlier?” Julian gestured at the doors.
“Of course.” Lomen pointed his staff at the second door on the left. “That door is the only one magically guarded.”
Julian nodded. “Can you get through its defense?”
The elf scoffed. “Who am I?” He raised his free hand. “By Gates between and Sight Unseen, Threads Unwind and Pass through Clean, [Undetected Interference].”
The spell took, and he picked the lock without setting off any alarms, opening the door into a long hallway that spanned the side of the building. Before Lomen could go in, Julian held him back and activated his [Barrier].
[You have attempted to use the Perk:Multi-Target Shield. You have succeeded …]
As long as Lomen had a shield on him, Julian could activate further abilities to protect the mage. “Nowyou can go.”
There were no doors on the inside where he could clearly see them on the outside. It looked promising, but he wanted eyes everywhere.
[John, go check the next building and meet me in the loading bay area in ten minutes.]
The shadow slipped out before Julian closed the door behind him. Lomen had a finger pressed to his own lips while waving to catch Julian’s attention. There were voices coming from one end of the hall.
The pair moved closer.
“… andyoupromised we’d be out of here before dinner!” a man’s voice grumbled. He had a slight accent that softened hisO’s intoA’s. It was a dialect common to seafarers on the southwest coast. “Nowyou’re saying it’s too soon?What’stoo soon?”
Another voice replied, this one deep and somber. “The western star needs to crest the tree line.”
“We wait that long, and we might not make it out to sea!” the first voice countered, frustration clear. “I’m calling it—we ride outnow.”
“It is too late to leave now,” the deep voice said sadly. “Wait until the star tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?!The depths with your nonsense, Wayfaring Vashid. If you aren’t on the carriage in five minutes, then we’re leaving you behind.”
“My friend—” the deeper voice called out as a door opened and then loudly closed. There was a sigh, and the man spoke into the silence. “There is no use if the way is already barred.”
CHAPTER 29
Any Fool Who’d Read anIsekaiShould Know the Drill by Now
Gerda
