Nune and Tine were being dragged by soldiers in the middle of the road.
After a moment of shock at their predicament, a single thought popped into my head.
“This is seriously a popcorn-worthy scene!”
Those bitches who had tried to smack me upside the head in the past were now being dragged like a couple of mutts. It was truly a sight to behold from my point of view.
“Let go of me! Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”
“We are the Paladins of His Holiness the Pope! How dare you commit such rudeness! Do you think His Holiness will let this slide when he finds out?”
The two ladies were spewing threats and fury. Though they were among the strongest Paladins, there were armed soldiers aplenty around to put a damper on any plans of rebellion.
It would be a bad idea to show any signs of resistance; it could end with a bullet to the head and a swift trip to the Lord.
Moreover, shouting that they were Paladins or invoking the Pope’s name here in Bohemia was practically tantamount to saying “Come and arrest me!”
“You got caught flaunting your status as a Paladin in a city of heretics. Can’t blame anyone but yourselves. Looks like ignorance really does get you into trouble.”
In their continued struggle to understand their predicament, I once again realized just how thoughtless those women were.
Of course, one could interpret their boldness as a sign of the guts expected of Paladins, but still.
“Alright then… I’ve seen a good show, so maybe it’s time to head back?”
I was trying to enjoy this priceless moment, but if they caught sight of us, it would be a hassle.
So, Cazerose and I quietly attempted to slip away.
But then…
“Hey! You over there! Santana! Cazerose!”
“…”
“…”
At that moment, Nune and Tine’s voices rang out.
We both froze in place.
“Seriously… what kind of hawk-eyed freak are you? Are you a Paladin or some kind of Mage? How did you…?”
Honestly, I never thought they’d catch on to us, but the odds were definitely low.
There were dozens of people crowded here, and those two were too busy being dragged to even notice.
In a situation like this, it should have been nearly impossible for us to be spotted amidst the throng, yet somehow they pulled it off.
“Hey! Are you just going to stand there and watch? Help us out!”
“No way! We’re Paladins! We help each other out in tough times!”
“…”
“…”
With their pitiful pleas, I had zero reason to feel sympathetic.
“What do you expect us to do about your own idiotic actions? And thanks to you two, I nearly got stabbed!”
“I don’t know why you’re in this mess, but I have no obligation to help you out. Good luck!”
Neither I nor Cazerose had any reason to maintain loyalty in a place like this.
Even if they were somehow on good terms with us, risking our necks to save them would be tantamount to suicide.
And so, Polena, Cazerose, and I decided to ignore them and continue on our way.
At that moment…
“Hey! You two! Are you also Paladins?”
“Yeah! We’re talking about those two!”
“There’s a church’s henchman over there!”
“Everyone back off! If you don’t want to get executed with church agents, clear out!”
“…”
Some moron with too keen eyesight suddenly pinpointed us amidst the crowd.
The people around us scattered, leaving just the three of us at the center of attention.
At that moment, soldiers promptly surrounded us, pointing their guns right at us.
When I saw this, Cazerose’s and my expressions froze.
“This… this isn’t good.”
“Uh, Master? What should we do? Use that brilliant mind of yours to come up with something!”
“Ugh… I doubt anything can be done in this situation…”
Even in this crisis, Polena smirked as she asked her question.
But with guns trained on us, there was hardly anything we could do.
“Damn it… I had a bad feeling about coming here.”
As we began to feel the tug of despair, we suddenly heard…
“Cough!”
“Gah!”
“Capture those two!”
“!”
In an instant, while the guards loosened up their vigilance, Nune and Tine managed to strike the nearby soldiers and began to flee.
They weren’t just carrying the title of top-tier Paladins for nothing; they effortlessly broke their ropes and vanished into the crowd.
“Damn it! After them! We can’t let them escape!”
“Yes, Commander!”
Following their leader’s command, the soldiers hurriedly began to chase after the two.
In the midst of the chaos and gunshots ringing in our ears, we couldn’t grasp what exactly was happening.
Before we could understand the aftermath, the commanding man turned his attention to us and issued orders.
“Take these three to the Lord’s Castle. Lock them up in the dungeon and keep a close watch to prevent any escape.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Wait! We’re not like that! We’re not Paladins! Those two just accused us falsely to escape! We are merely travelers passing through, not suspicious at all…”
“Commander! We found a Paladin emblem! They’re definitely Paladins!”
“We’ve found their Paladin garb too! They must be in cahoots with the church!”
“Ugh…”
While searching through Cazerose’s belongings, the guards shouted in alarm, shattering her previously composed poker face.
“Dammit…”
As *bad luck* compounded upon us, the expletives popped out of my mouth unbidden.
Now that clear evidence had been found in Cazerose’s baggage, there was no way for us to wriggle out of this.
The commander merely motioned sharply for us to be taken away, a clear signal it was time for us to go.
And just like that, we found ourselves in a complete role reversal, dragged off to jail after enjoying the show.
“Motherf—!!!”
In the end, I internally screamed in frustration, realizing my choice to stick around and go through this mess was a huge mistake.
I regretted not simply passing through this wretched city without a second thought.
And simultaneously, I lamented once more my unfortunate fate that had ensnared me in such absurd situations.
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