Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Great Escape (2)

#14

“Unless you’re a monkey you should have understood.”

Bran muttered.

Thinking about it again it was a decent broadcast.

Since the Resonance Stone was at maximum activation the evacuation broadcast would have echoed throughout the fortress.

Having done this much if they can’t escape it can only be called fate.

Rumble rumble rumble!

The Bottom Farm was shaking as if it would explode at any moment.

The central management office collapsed as soon as Bran left.

The bridges connecting the slaves’ dorms and each cultivation site, the facilities producing drugs.

All of that was collapsing unable to withstand Harmeno’s growth.

“Yes. Break everything.”

Bran smiled.

The entire Bottom Farm being buried was also a matter of time.

Harmeno that had absorbed all the nutrients the Serpent of Dementia had stolen was literally running wild.

Excited voices were bursting out one after another from the surroundings.

“It’s an opportunity given by heaven! Definitely escape!”

“Waaaaa! Let’s go out!”

“Kill all the guys who block!”

Bran was crossing the Bottom Farm with the slaves.

It felt like coming to a cattle drive festival.

A cattle drive festival where the ratio of people and cattle was reversed.

About a hundred angry slaves were running while shouting.

Bran rolled his hands to his mouth and shouted.

“Mog! Do well!”

“Uooo! Just trust me!”

The man running at the front raised his fist high.

It was Mog, Bran’s slave colleague.

Mog who had responded to Bran’s call more agilely than anyone was naturally leading the Bottom Farm slaves.

A guy who used to wash underwear becoming the vanguard of the escape party, a tremendous sudden rise.

“Y-you were alive Mog. Fortunately··· ueek!”

Kale who had been relieved dry-heaved.

Every time Bran took a step it felt like his brain was shaking.

He was still slung over Bran’s shoulder like a rice sack.

No matter how much he begged to run on his own feet Bran did not put him down.

“Huff, how did they get here!”

“R-rebellion! We have to suppress···”

“Suppression my ass! If you don’t want to die just run!”

The bandits who had been fleeing in the same direction were astonished.

They began full-speed running while even throwing away their weapons.

Friction with the Crow Bandit Group was unexpectedly not severe.

Because they were also in the position of fugitives.

In a situation where everyone was about to die master-servant relationships were meaningless.

“You bastards! I’ll make you the same as my younger brother too!”

“Grab the limbs! Even if we go we should do what we have to do!”

“D-don’t do thaaaat!”

Of course minor revenge was being carried out.

Slaves who grabbed one bandit held his limbs and stabbed with a spear.

Puwaak!

In the end the spear that forced into the butt protruded from the mouth.

“Ugh. That must hurt.”

Bran frowned.

Karma is scary for this reason.

When processing the escape slaves they probably didn’t know the same thing would happen to themselves.

After running about ten more minutes a two-forked passage appeared.

The left was to Blackstone Fortress, the right was a path connected to the outside of the fortress.

“It’s the right Mog! Run straight following the tunnel!”

“Got it! Just go out?”

“Yes! It’s a path the bandits use so it should be fine!”

The path connecting to the outside without taking the elevator was only that one.

There was no way they would have destroyed it when they themselves hadn’t all gotten out yet.

Bran shouted again.

“Instead, absolutely do not stop until you enter the forest! I clearly said it!”

Bran put an accent on the word forest.

It was a really important matter that must absolutely not be forgotten.

Mog’s reply returned.

“I’ll remember! I will never forget this favor Bran!”

“Going out! Going out! Going out!”

“Pride of the peeling team! See you again somewhere sometime!”

The muscle men he had worked with even briefly expressed thanks and passed.

The slave group soon disappeared into the darkness beyond the tunnel.

If lucky they might meet somewhere.

“Good··· then···.”

Confirming the slaves had left, Bran moved his steps.

It was the right path.

One iron ladder was connected along a narrow vertical tunnel.

It was so rusty that one suspected it was not originally red.

Kale carefully opened his mouth.

“B-Bran? Aren’t we escaping?”

“There is still work left. We have to stop by the fortress.”

“What?! Wh-what if we get caught or buried?”

“It’s regrettable.”

Saying that Bran rummaged through his pocket.

One pocket watch was grasped.

It was an item collected from Delgato’s corpse.

15 minutes since Harmeno began rapid growth.

There was still some leeway.

“Good. It will work.”

“Ugyaaak!”

Bran immediately began climbing the ladder.

Kale’s scream rang out.

It was said to be climbing but it was the same as surging.

Bran climbed the ladder five steps at a time while carrying Kale.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Every time Bran stepped the old ladder creaked as if it would be pulled out.

“Save me! I’ll live kindly!”

“You already lived kindly enough Kale.”

Sorry to Kale but he could not stop.

Because what really needed to be worried about was not collapse or anything.

****

It did not take that long to arrive at Blackstone Fortress.

Bran who had been wandering while rummaging the interior stopped in front of some iron door.

“Found it.”

Bran said that and at the same time rammed the iron door with his shoulder.

Boooom-!

The door that was torn off at once collapsed to the opposite side.

Kale was horrified and stepped back.

“Hiiik!”

“Performance is certain.”

A satisfied smile rose at the corner of Bran’s mouth.

The surface he had rammed was completely dented.

Now this much did not even require activating Power of the Giant Tree.

The weight was different?

The Strength that had greatly risen while taking care of the Serpent of Dementia and Delgato exerted an effect beyond expectations.

“Wh-where is this?”

“Blackstone Fortress’s treasure warehouse.”

Precisely it was Spera’s personal vault.

It had been built in the most secretive place, but to Bran who completely knew the structure of Blackstone Fortress security or anything had no meaning.

Belatedly looking at the interior of the vault, Kale opened his mouth and admired.

“Uwaaaa···!”

All kinds of gold and silver treasures were piled in the narrow secret room.

As expected of a crow it was full of sparkling items.

A scene that would appear in a comic of being rewarded for the hardships so far.

Bran said.

“Let’s loot quickly and run. Prioritize small-volume jewels.”

“U-uung!”

“Also collect gold coins that shine unusually. They’re issued by the imperial mint so the value is much higher.”

Kale took out a sack he had prepared in advance.

It was small enough that not even one watermelon would fit but it was much better than stuffing into pants pockets.

The two looted the vault like bank robbers.

Clink clink!

The sound of scooping gold coins rang out cheerfully.

Kale collected goods that looked expensive at a glance, Bran prioritized usable items.

Then, Bran’s gaze that had been looking around stopped at one place.

“Aha. It was here.”

He had thought someone had already taken it.

A sphere the size of a fist was contained in a box made of glass.

On the smooth surface the two characters “discard” were engraved.

Bran put the sphere not in the sack but in his pants pocket.

Kale tilted his head.

“What is that?”

“Something like a prop for the finale. Originally it should have disappeared, but Spera secretly kept it.”

“Finale···? Prop?”

“You’ll see soon so you can look forward to it. Roughly collected everything?”

“Yes!”

Kale lifted the pocket that had become heavy.

As expected this much seemed sufficient to use after going out.

The two who had collected everything that needed to be collected exited the vault.

Going up and down a few stairs a corridor lined with windows appeared.

Dusky light rays were falling diagonally.

Crash!

Without hesitation smashing the window, Bran swept his bangs.

“As expected people should live looking at the sun.”

A smile came out automatically.

It was truly the outside air drunk after a long time.

The dawn air sweeping the lungs is refreshing.

The dawn brightening from the eastern sky was illuminating Bran’s face.

An indescribable sense of liberation.

If it was up to his heart he wanted to lie down and sleep sprawled in a nap right now, but unfortunately the conditions did not allow it.

An angry voice rang out from below.

“Step back you slave bastards! If you come even one step closer I will kill you!”

Bran lowered his gaze.

A group of bandits and slaves in confrontation was visible.

“P-please move! Anyway if it continues like this you all die too!”

“You bastard!”

The bald Overseer pulled the crossbow trigger.

Thud!

The bolt that flew while cutting the wind embedded in the shoulder blade of the man who had shouted.

“Aaaak! M-my arm!”

“Hiiik···!”

The man rolled on the ground.

The slaves beside him also hesitated and retreated.

Dozens of slaves working on the surface were confronting the bandits in front of the fortress main gate.

Encouraged by the Overseer’s words the bandits raised their crossbows.

“The Crows do not collapse! Guard the place until the Captain returns!”

“Don’t let them approach or run! If they leave the field of view just shoot!”

The situation on the surface was progressing in a different aspect from the Bottom Farm.

Spera was not visible, but bandits led by some executives were controlling the slaves.

If they are great they are great guys.

The fortress is about to collapse yet they are acting like that.

“I-it’s all over···.”

“Anyway we’re going to die, let’s just charge!”

“Damn, easy to say! Don’t just chatter and you do it first!”

The slaves were only stomping their feet not knowing what to do.

There were more resident bandits compared to the Bottom Farm, and they had not secured weapons in the early confusion.

“Ah. Idiots.”

Bran spat out a curse.

No matter how scared if they all charged together it would be manageable.

Truly pathetic, but there were quite a few faces that caught the eye to just ignore and leave.

“Huk··· uh, mom.”

“Are we going to die now?”

Kids who seemed not even to know the taste of beer were trembling in the center of the group.

Among them were included Kale’s friends that he had beaten up.

He did not particularly want to see kids die.

Suddenly Bran sucked his index finger and raised it.

Whooong!

The wind was blowing westward.

“Perfect.”

Bran muttered to himself.

Fortunately Spera was not visible either.

Since they were going out anyway going out proudly through the main gate wouldn’t be bad.

“Let’s go. Kale.”

“Eh. Wait···”

Even before Kale could react.

Bran who wrapped his waist jumped out the window.

It was a height exceeding the fourth floor of an apartment but it didn’t matter.

Bang!

Landing while raising dust, Bran immediately kicked the ground and ran out.

“Wh-what is that guy?!”

“He’s running this way?”

The bandits who discovered Bran and Kale were flustered.

The Overseer’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

“You guys are···!”

“Long time no see. Brother.”

Meeting eyes, Bran smiled crookedly.

They were in a position where they could not forget each other.

Veins bulged on the Overseer’s smooth scalp.

“You!”

He aimed the crossbow. The other bandits followed.

About fifty steps of interval remained.

The face of Kale who had become the target of dozens in an instant turned white.

If even one shot among them hit the escape was over.

But Bran did not panic, and took out the sphere brought from Spera’s vault and threw it.

“Employment gift!”

And he lay face down on the ground.

The sphere that flew drawing a low parabola fell in the middle of the bandit group.

Puuuung-!

A milky white cloud that burst like blooming swallowed all the bandits.

“Th-this is?!”

“Damn. Eyes···!”

The bandits were astonished.

The cloud was gradually spreading wider riding the wind.

The effect appeared quickly.

“Keuhe, keuhehe! Huh? Huhaha!”

“Ahaha··· ah, no! This is surely···! Uhahahat! Uhihi!”

Laughter began to be heard from the bandit group.

The laughter that had been low at first became even larger and more intense as the gas spread.

In the end the bandits who even dropped their weapons began to roll on the ground.

“L-laughter won’t stop···!”

“S-someone, ahaha! Help!”

It was an item with the setting that the performance was certain even though it had been discarded because the profit did not match.

A bomb made by gathering only the highly toxic ones among the Bottom Farm crops!

The person who inhaled the gas had to suffer from unstopping laughter along with paralysis and difficulty breathing.

“Now do you know the sorrow of laborers?”

The day he entered the Bottom Farm came to mind.

A man who had complained of exactly those symptoms had been beaten to death by the Overseer.

Confirming the bandits had been neutralized, Bran turned back and shouted.

“What are you doing idiots! Hurry and go out!”

The thunderous voice was large enough for everyone in the fortress to hear.

The slaves who had been watching Bran gasped.

Hope settled in the eyes that had been pressed by fear.

“R-run!”

“Cover nose and mouth with clothes!”

The slaves who belatedly came to their senses began to sprint.

Since the wind was blowing from the west if they ran biased to the east they could avoid the cloud.

“S-stop··· keheha! Stop··· gack!”

The slaves ran while trampling the wriggling bandit group.

Crack!

The Overseer who had been consecutively kicked in the face went limp.

Whether the neck bone was broken the head was dangling powerlessly.

“Yes. Since everyone is laughing together how good it looks.”

Bran smiled.

The cloud that spread riding the wind was turning the entire Blackstone Fortress into a sea of laughter.

Unlike the slaves he passed while breaking through the cloud head-on.

Since this was ultimately also a plant toxin it was the same as having no effect.

Kale was also not receiving damage because he was receiving Morning’s Blessing.

“W-we’re really going out...!”

Kale muttered.

The castle gate was wide open.

The moment they came out through the cloud a long drawbridge appeared.

Just crossing this and they are free.

Time also remained precariously.

The moment he stepped onto the drawbridge following the slaves.

“Dear. Where are you trying to go?”

A soft woman’s voice rang out from behind.

Kale froze. Goosebumps rose along Bran’s nape.

“Ah.”

Bran turned his head. Spera was there.

The voice was gentle but the face was hardened without a single laugh.

The appearance of the black cloak fluttering was like a crow spreading its wings.

“I missed you. Really.”

“I didn’t.”

Bran cynically raised the corner of his mouth.

The trembling of the body quickly subsided.

Honestly now it was worth trying.

Clang!

Putting Kale down, he drew the longsword collected from the Bottom Farm.

The moment he associated the image of the surging Harmeno, the muscles of his entire body swelled greatly.

『Activated the skill “Power of the Giant Tree”. Strength value doubles during the duration!』

He had no intention of dragging it long. Bran swung the sword.

Spera who leaped while avoiding the cloud thrust the daggers held in both hands at the same time.

Kaaaaang-!

The metallic sound that burst out as the blades met tore the atmosphere.