When the Villain Joined the Knights to Avoid Doom Flags, but Somehow the Heroines Started Approaching Him - Chapter 36: The Plan for Escape

Chapter 36: The Plan for Escape

After moving into the villa provided by Luna, there were a few things the knights had decided upon.

The first was to use a clear signal in case of intruders.

The watch for security was assigned in shifts, and whoever was on duty would send a signal that could be recognized by everyone inside the villa. 

This time, Yulis covering the villa with a layer of ice served as the signal to alert everyone.

The second was dividing responsibilities.

There would be those who fought the attackers, those who helped Fia escape, and those who could adapt to either role depending on the situation.

Given their individual strengths, it made sense for Yulis and Iris to handle the attackers. Celia, with her experience, would be on standby, ready to adapt to the battle or assist in the escape. Lieselotte, who was calm and good at assessing the situation, was best suited to protect Fia.

In the event of an attack, surviving depended on how calmly and quickly they could act. That’s why these plans had been decided beforehand.

And one more thing—they had also decided where to take Fia in case of an escape.

“I’m sorry to make you walk through such an uncomfortable place, Lady Fia.”

Rustle. 

Lieselotte spoke as they made their way through the forest, a short distance from the lakeside.

She held Fia’s arm to keep her from losing her way and guided her forward.

“Please, don’t worry about me. It’s not like I’d say, ‘I refuse to walk unless it’s on carpet.’ I understand this isn’t the time for such jokes.”

“…Thank you.”

Lieselotte and Fia were now outside, using the escape route prepared in the villa.

When Fia glanced back, she could see the lakeside villa encased in a shimmering ice dome under the moonlight. There was a hole near the top of the dome—likely caused by intruders attacking a different area of the villa while Yulis was handling the situation elsewhere.

“Even so, everyone seems so calm and composed… especially you, Lady Lieselotte. You only joined the Knights recently, didn’t you?”

Fia’s question was understandable.

The coordination between the group was almost too perfect.

When the attackers appeared, the signal was sent. Any intruders who slipped through were handled by others, and while the villa kept the attackers’ attention, Fia was escorted out.

All of this had been executed without panic, and without the need for lengthy communication, by someone who had joined the Knights barely a month ago.

As a girl the same age, Fia couldn’t help but be amazed.

“…The ones who are truly amazing are Yulis and Iris. My family comes from a lineage of knights, so I’ve been trained for situations like this. But they haven’t.”

“So, it’s not just modesty, then?”

“Not at all. In fact, Iris was the first to respond. Although… she did take the most dramatic shortcut to get there.”

“Don’t worry. Even if the property owner gave permission, any damages caused by her grand entrance will be reimbursed by the royal family later.”

“No, that’s not really the issue—”

Before Lieselotte could finish her sentence, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

What’s wrong? Fia wondered, confused, when a rustling noise came from the bushes ahead of them.

Moments later, a young man with black hair stepped out from the shadows.

“Ronye and Chloe really need to start using their heads more, don’t they? See, if you don’t keep a close enough watch, your cornered mice will slip right through the cracks.”

He wasn’t holding any weapons.

But that didn’t mean there was no reason to be cautious.

“Are you someone we’re supposed to meet up with?” 

“Ah, if only that were the case.”

Lieselotte drew her sword without hesitation, the blade gleaming as it caught the faint light.

In response, the young man smiled faintly, as though amused.

“Well, that’s the obvious reaction, I suppose. But didn’t you even consider the possibility that I might just be a regular person?”

“The moment you mentioned Ronye and Chloe, don’t you think the ‘regular person’ excuse stopped making sense?”

“Haha, fair enough. So, their names are already known, huh? That’s odd, though… Ronye, maybe, but Chloe isn’t the type to introduce herself.”

In truth, Chloe hadn’t introduced herself.

The only reason her name was known was because Yulis had mentioned it beforehand.

Thanks to his knowledge of the game, Yulis had predicted the enemies who might appear and warned the others about them in advance.

But that was limited to characters who existed in the game—

(This person wasn’t someone Yulis mentioned. I’d considered the possibility of a new enemy, but to think one would show up here, of all places…)

Their abilities were unknown, their tactics unpredictable.

Gripping her sword tightly, Lieselotte heightened her guard even further, preparing for whatever might come next.

“Well, the situation has changed more than I expected. Looks like our client might be in your care sooner rather than later, so I’ve had to skip the sneaky ambush and go all in.”

“…If the client is out of the picture, wouldn’t that make your work meaningless anyway?”

“Honestly, I feel the same way. But I’m stuck working for a cutthroat employer, so it’s not that simple. When there’s something to take, you take it. When there’s a risk of losing trust, you do whatever it takes to keep it. Otherwise, the one facing ‘cleanup’ won’t be the client—it’ll be me.”

And…

The black-haired young man—Haku—pulled a knife from his sleeve.

“If any of this trouble ends up hurting my little sisters, well… I figured I could at least try a little harder. So, do me a favor and just die already, would you?”

“You’re ridiculous. Do you seriously think any woman would obediently die just because you asked her to?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, both of them lunged forward at the same time..

TLN: The author’s changing names again—this time, Raul -> Haku.