I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 110

Chapter 107: The Village

After a breather, Roy and Charlotte set off on the run again.

Since the Golden-Winged Griffin was still nursing its wounds and couldn’t carry them both, they had to walk.

But first, they needed to decide on a route.

“Are we really going back to the capital? Leo and the Evil Dragon Society would probably be lying in wait,” Charlotte expressed her concerns.

“But the other towns are too far away. Besides, there’s no guarantee Leo doesn’t have some backup in another town. The fact that he’s ambushing us outside the capital shows he feels relaxed about his control there. With Aunt Leisa around, he wouldn’t dare make a move on us,” Roy explained in detail to Charlotte.

Roy was sure that the Queen and Leo weren’t in cahoots; otherwise, Leo could have easily attacked within the capital, and they would’ve been truly cornered then.

As long as they could make it back to the capital, even if the Queen hesitated to hit Leo hard because of their mother-son bond, she would still protect their safety adequately.

Charlotte didn’t argue, supporting her chin as she continued, “So the next question is how do we get back?”

Roy wasn’t very familiar with the terrain, but Charlotte had grown up in the capital and had long since memorized the map in her mind.

In just a few strokes, the girl drew a rough map with a stick.

First off, the Kingdom Highway was off the table. It was safe and devoid of magical beasts, but it also lacked cover, making it too easy to get spotted.

The nearby small roads were also a no-go; Leo was just as familiar with the terrain, and his knights and the Evil Dragon Society had numbers on their side, so closing in was just a matter of time.

After a bit of thought, Roy made a decision: “Let’s take a detour. We’ll go around the Doomsday Volcano back to the capital.”

The area around the Doomsday Volcano was piled high with volcanic ash, perfect for masking their tracks. Even if Leo temporarily called in some Griffin knights, aerial searches would be tough in that location.

Plus, they had their own griffin.

Even though the Golden-Winged Griffin was injured, it could still serve as their mount.

Most of Leo’s knights were ordinary folks, and the followers of the Evil Dragon Society were only tainted by Extraordinary Power; they couldn’t compare physically to true Extraordinary Beings.

The farther họ went off the beaten path, the longer they could stretch out the pursuers’ route and reduce the numbers on the opposing side.

If luck was on their side, there was even hope of waiting for Leisa to bring some reinforcements from the capital.

Noticing Charlotte’s face as she started to understand, Roy didn’t elaborate further.

But truth be told, he had another reason.

<Hint! Reverse fate node progress detected! Every choice you make will alter destiny, so choose wisely! Keep it up!>

<Current Reverse Fate Node: Lionheart>

<Lionheart Reverse Fate Progress: 40%>

<Would you like to spend 1 Reverse Fate point to project the path of kings?>

Leo’s men were all skilled warriors, and the Evil Dragon Society had unpredictable methods.

They had to consider the worst-case scenario—he needed more cards up his sleeve.

Last time he projected, he witnessed a glimpse of historical truth, which fully activated Bloodline Resonance. This time, he should gain new powers as well.

But first, it would be best to find a place to rest.

The sky was turning dark; the forest at night wasn’t safe.

After determining the route, the two mounted the griffin and set off.

Even traversing the rugged mountain roads, the Golden-Winged Griffin moved with ease.

In terms of flying, the griffin was top-notch, but not one of a kind.

However, when it came to moving through forested areas, no magical beast could compare to the nimble and tough-skinned griffin.

As the last bit of twilight was devoured by the night, darkness enveloped the mountains, and the two finally arrived at the foot of the towering volcano.

The pungent smell of sulfur coupled with the volcanic ash that fell like fine snow kept many magical beasts at bay. The lush vegetation stopped here, beyond which lay barren land.

The air was scorching, making it hard for Roy to breathe.

This place was clearly unsuitable for any living creature.

Strangely enough, Roy spotted distant twinkles of light.

Pursuers, mountain bandits, or perhaps Adventurers?

Roy moved closer with Charlotte, hiding behind a large rock, peeking in, only to be surprised to find it was a village!

And not a small one!

Inside the wooden fence built from trees stood rough straw huts, domesticated fowls and livestock, with dim flickers of light.

Roy and Charlotte exchanged puzzled glances.

Could people actually live here?!

It wasn’t strange to find small villages hidden in underdeveloped mountains.

But the environment here was too harsh.

They were Extraordinary Beings, yet they weren’t afraid of dry air and volcanic ash. How could ordinary folks possibly stay here long-term?

And what did they even eat?

Those livestock and poultry were thin as skin and bones, and Roy didn’t see any nearby crops.

“Should we go check it out?” Charlotte also felt something was off and hesitated.

Roars and howls from magical beasts echoed through the forest, quite chilling.

Even with the Golden-Winged Griffin around, it would be hard to scare off the night’s predators.

No matter how strange this village was, its inhabitants were just two arms and a head, better than the beasts lurking in the jungle, right?

Roy led the way straight to the village entrance.

The farmers eyed them coldly, numbly, neither greeting nor stopping them, just like soulless scarecrows.

It wasn’t until they reached the village center tavern that they finally felt some life.

Inside the tavern, a few burly men sat scattered around, but they were not drinking; they were just rudely chomping away at meat chunks, splattering grease everywhere, making one royal princess frown.

By the rickety bar, there was a young girl in a beige long dress with her flaxen hair tied up. She had some freckles on her face, but it didn’t affect her sweet, charming smile at all. She seemed completely out of place in this bizarre village at the foot of the volcano.

Roy and Charlotte sat at the bar, while the Golden-Winged Griffin lay outside.

“Good evening, travelers.”

“Can’t believe you managed to find this remote village.”

The girl was rather friendly, marveling as she immediately poured them some tea.

After a long journey, thirst was inevitable.

Charlotte politely thanked her, but just as she was about to raise her cup to drink, Roy tugged at her sleeve slightly, causing her to drop the cup.

“For nobles, this journey must not have been easy,” the bartender observed.

“Huh? Miss, how did you know we were nobles?” Charlotte frowned, putting on a thinking pose.

The bartender chuckled: “Why, dear lady, that uniform isn’t something ordinary folks can afford! And, typical Adventurers don’t sit so straight, now, do they?”

Charlotte, having failed her act, twitched her lip and forced a laugh.

“I’m Mina. What do you two go by?”

Learning her lesson, this time Charlotte kept quiet, and Roy replied earnestly, “We are Xiao Ming and Xiao Hong.”

“Ha!” Charlotte nearly choked on the air.

Mina smiled sweetly, her voice bright and melodious: “You’re quite the joker, young man.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t pry into noble matters. If you need to rest, please feel free to head upstairs. As for the fees…”

“No need to change!” Roy tossed aside a few silver coins.

“I’ll bring dinner up shortly!”

Mina’s face lit up as she eagerly accepted the coins, then handed them a worn key labeled 205, leading them upstairs into a room.