The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 146: pursued

Chapter 146: pursued

When Anastasia heard this reply, she found it unexpected. She had not expected the captain to keep them. A few merchants had encountered this roadblock on the night of the king’s death. Some decided to return to the village and observe the mourning period, while only a few chose to wait. Anastasia had decided to ask for permission so that the caravan could leave openly. She also felt that amidst the chaos, the soldiers wouldn’t have time to pay attention to her, giving her a chance to slip away in the another direction; returning to her identity as a woman and escaping.

She had planned to dirty her face so she wouldn’t be recognized, but now the commander had refused to let them go. She found the situation annoying, but there was nothing she could do. Just as she was giving up hope of escaping that night, a shout rang out from within the camp.

"Thieves! Thieves!"

Anastasia’s heart skipped a beat when she heard it. After all, the first attackers had disguised themselves as thieves.

"Your Highness, those people are highly skilled. They’re the ones pretending to be thieves among the crowd. I find their behavior strange," Alden said.

"Why?" Anastasia asked. She didn’t know much about those people.

"Your Highness, I have asked around and found out that the carriage was supposedly taking an injured soldier back home to see his family for the last time. The two men claimed to be a coachman and a fellow traveler with some medical skills but judging by their capabilities, something seems off," Alden replied. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Though he held a low rank among the soldiers, he was a trusted man at the captain’s side and knew how to analyze situations.

Anastasia’s heart skipped again. No citizen of Nixel would hide their identity at a time like this. Recently, the army at the border had been dealing with spies from Gube. She also remembered hearing something in their conversation about carrying an injured man.

"That injured soldier is still in the carriage?" Anastasia asked after thinking for a few seconds. The situation was dire. It would be one thing if they were simply spies trying to escape but what if they were the group trying to kidnap her? With Elfrida Ashcombe’s portrait circulating, the kidnappers might have realized they had taken the wrong person. Although she had tried her best to cover her tracks, she couldn’t assume she was the only clever one. The general was not hiding his movements, which indirectly fed information to the enemy. In any case, these people might be after her.

"Yes," Alden, who had been observing the carriage for hours, answered.

"Can you tell if his condition is serious?" Anastasia asked quickly.

"It should be. This captain seems cautious. If the injury were minor, he would have kept a closer eye on them," Alden replied.

"Then go with Gavin and steal the injured man," Anastasia said. Since it had come to this, rather than trying to run again, she might as well take the initiative. She felt that the ’injured soldier’ might have a special identity. If so, he could become leverage. If not... if he was truly a spy or traitor; they could do a good deed by eliminating him.

Alden and Gavin didn’t question her. They seemed to understand the princess’s thoughts.

"They are currently on the other side of the camp. After kidnapping the man, try your best to escape toward the lowe," Anastasia instructed.

The two guards looked at her, wanting to argue that it was a bad idea, but hearing the rising chaos, they knew there was no time to waste. Gavin trusted Anastasia’s judgment and moved, pulling Alden along.

Anastasia didn’t remain idle. She immediately summoned the leader of the caravan and told him to retreat to the village with the others. She used the excuse that she was going to find the captain to inform him of their decision.

The group of trained servants from Steward Gray had already taken positions to protect the supplies. Hearing the young woman’s instructions, they all obeyed.

Anastasia sighed at the scene. "Leave the supplies. Protect your lives," she said before leaving. In her heart, though the supplies were important, their lives mattered more. After all, the supplies belonged to the army at the front lines. If they didn’t fall into the hands of thieves, they would return to the soldiers. After a proper investigation, they would be reclaimed. She didn’t want anyone to die for nothing.

Moreover, by having the others scatter, it would become harder for the soldiers to track her movements and those of the two royal guards.

After giving her instructions, everyone gathered their belongings and fled. Anastasia saw a group of people running in her direction.

"Those thieves came this way! We must catch them!"

Anastasia calmly walked in the opposite direction. The soldiers who had been standing guard were also chasing after the thieves. The place was in chaos. Anastasia was small and, using the night and confusion as cover, she slipped past the checkpoints. After all, the camp was temporary, so leaving unnoticed while the soldiers were distracted was easy.

Once she escaped the chaotic scene, she realized she had made a grave mistake. She was unfamiliar with the road to Lowe and had been using this journey to learn how to read maps. Though she carried one, she feared making a mistake. Moreover, while she had told Gavin and Alden to escape toward Lowe, they hadn’t agreed on a meeting point.

Anastasia felt overwhelmed. She was carrying a small cloth bag that contained the box the queen had given her. She had worked hard at the Duke’s residence, so the weight was manageable—but traveling alone on foot for the first time was frightening.

Though anxious and scared, she didn’t dare stop or turn back. She kept moving forward, thinking of possible countermeasures in her mind.

She walked for hours without seeing anyone. No one from the camp seemed to have noticed her direction. She consoled herself that only when she was far enough could she safely study the map. Fortunately, she had been studying diligently.

After finally stopping to camp, she heard footsteps coming from the opposite direction. Her heart skipped a beat. Anyone traveling at this hour was unlikely to be ordinary.

"Maybe it’s one of the guards," Anastasia thought, considering how to hide. The footsteps grew closer, and she realized the person seemed to be in a hurry; possibly injured and being pursued.

With that thought, Anastasia dashed into the nearby bushes.