NOVEL NEXT Chapter 56: Escape (1)
"I need your help to get out. Can you do it?"
Merlin's voice broke Margaret's reverie. She nodded slowly as she rose.
"What can I do?"
"Please shout to attract the attention of one of them," Merlin explained.
Margaret looked puzzled. She asked instinctively, "Is that all? There's no other way?"
"No," Merlin replied curtly.
Margaret was still confused, but she didn't protest—she just nodded.
"Then I'll start now."
Merlin quickly sat back in his seat, lowered his head, and pulled his hood over it. At the same time, he whispered, "System, do you have any tools or one-time abilities to retrieve objects from afar?"
"[There is, Master. Would Master like me to purchase it for you?]"
Merlin nodded slightly. "Yes, buy it."
"[Ding! The one-time use special ability has been purchased! Current System Points: 14,500!]"
Whoosh!
A cool breeze swept over Merlin, lifting him slightly. He looked down at his hands. "How do I use this ability?"
"[You just need to focus on the object you want to grab and whisper 'grab.' It will then appear in Master's hand,]" the system explained proudly.
"Oh? That's interesting! Looks like the system's shop has even more amazing things," Merlin chuckled.
"[Humph! So now Master admits that I'm useful, right?]" The system sounded satisfied.
"Yes, you are very useful. Thank you, System," Merlin replied perfunctorily, which only made the System sulk.
Before they could continue, Margaret suddenly burst into tears and screamed.
"Whoaaa! Where am I? Why am I here? Help... anyone! Whoaa!"
Her cries rang out in every direction. The room wasn't soundproof, so her screams carried all the way outside.
The door at the top of the stairs opened, and a sinister-looking man appeared. He was tall, with the sides of his head shaved and hair only down the middle.
He descended to the underground chamber and, surprised to see Margaret awake, grinned.
"Oh! You're awake? Hehehe..." He gave a faint, mocking smile. "Shocked, huh? That's natural. I know how you feel."
Stopping in front of the cell, he continued in a playful tone, "Stay where you are and don't cry. Once your family pays the ransom, we'll let you go. Just relax."
Margaret kept crying and spat, "You wicked person! I'll send you and your friends to hell! Release me now! Somebody, help me!"
The man's smile vanished. He hated dealing with children—noisy and irritating—and this girl's bold curses had finally broken his paper-thin patience.
"Shut up, or I'll hit you!" he threatened, raising his right hand.
Margaret recoiled in fear but didn't back down; her cries grew louder. Merlin, who had been pretending to faint, felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
'Isn't this girl overreacting?'
His earlier order had been simply to attract one of the men's attention—not to anger them.
Yet Margaret's outburst had an unexpected advantage. Merlin noticed a black key hanging from the right side of the man's black trousers and quickly realized it was exactly what he needed.
Just as he prepared to act, the man grabbed the key, opened the cell door, and stepped inside.
The sight left both Merlin and Margaret frozen. Before they could react, the man advanced toward Margaret, making her tremble in fear.
"Didn't I tell you to be quiet!? Why do you keep making noise, damn girl?"
He grabbed her by the neck, lifting her small body off the ground. Margaret gasped as pain shot through her neck and her breaths grew short.
She thrashed and struck at his hand, but it did nothing—the grip only tightened.
Just as her vision began to blur, a shadow suddenly darted across her sight.
Through her pain-clouded eyes, she saw Merlin appear mid-air, twisting his body to deliver a powerful kick to the right side of the man's neck.
Bamf!
The man's neck snapped, and his body flew sideways, crashing into the cell with tremendous force.
Margaret fell, but Merlin quickly caught her in his arms.
"Are you alright?"
Timidly, Margaret opened her eyes and found Merlin's face unnervingly close.
The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Margaret suddenly panicked. "Kyaa! Let go of me!"
Her body twisted from side to side, making it hard for Merlin to keep hold. Quickly, he snapped, "Shut up! You'll fall if you keep moving!"
Margaret froze, staring at Merlin's sharp, angry-looking face. Fear rose within her, and she swallowed nervously.
Merlin sighed, and his expression softened.
"Sorry, I was just worried you'd fall. That could seriously hurt you."
He spoke gently and slowly lowered her into a standing position.
Margaret bowed her head. "You're not wrong, but I was. Thank you for saving me."
It was, in fact, the first time anyone had ever scolded her. Her mother—and certainly not her father—had never done so.
Strangely, she didn't feel angry. Instead, a peculiar mix of excitement and happiness stirred within her.
"[Ding! The heroine Margaret's affection increased by 20 points! Affection now: 40 points! Cheer up, Master!]"
Merlin froze for a moment before regaining his composure.
'Did her affection really increase this much just because I saved her?' he wondered silently.
Glancing at Margaret, still bowing her head, he couldn't help but smile.
'Abel, your heroine will soon be mine. Don't cry later, okay?'
A thin, wicked smile curved her lips. Suddenly, Margaret's curious voice rang out.
"By the way, are we going out now?"
Her tone softened, and her caution seemed to vanish—Merlin was no longer a stranger to her.
Merlin noticed this, though he wasn't surprised. After all, 40 points of affection didn't lie.
"Yes, we'll go now," he replied without hesitation.
Margaret glanced at the other children, still unconscious.
As if reading her thoughts, Merlin reassured her, "I understand your worries, but it's better if it's just the two of us. Escaping with more people would be troublesome—maybe even impossible."
Taking Margaret alone meant he had to ensure her safety. If the other children came along, keeping track of all of them would be a nightmare.
Of course, he could ignore the responsibility—he didn't know them, after all. There was no obligation to save them.
But he couldn't. Letting that happen could shatter Margaret's perception of him.
"You're right. Then, let's escape now!" Margaret said, her excitement evident.
Merlin nodded slightly. Together, they moved to leave the underground chamber.