Chapter 93

Chapter 93: Chapter 93

Six hours? The time frame was smaller than what Ingrid thought she’d be given but the main mission itself had to be done in three days, it was to be expected. She looked at Maya and Freya, even though it sounded like they did want to leave, convincing them to actually do it would be a slight problem. She had to use the right approach and not do it haphazardly.

"Freya, is it possible you can show me around?" Ingrid turned towards her, trying to make the request sound casual. "I’ve been in here for quite a while, and it’s beginning to feel stuffy. Besides, I want to see the other foxes I came here with. I haven’t heard anything about them since I was brought here, and I’d like to know if they’re safe."

Freya nodded, although her expression turned a little awkward. "Showing you around isn’t a problem, but I honestly don’t know where they’ve kept the foxes. The Guild has several restricted areas, and I’m not allowed into all of them. I can take you around the places I’m familiar with, though. Maybe we can find someone who knows where they are being kept along the way."

"That’s fine. We can start with the places you know."

"Hold on!" Maya interrupted, looking Ingrid up and down. "You aren’t going anywhere dressed like that. You’re still wearing those clothes, and Lysander doesn’t look much better. If you’re going to walk around the Guild, at least let me find you both something decent to wear first."

Ingrid glanced down at herself before looking at Lysander. She hadn’t really paid attention to their clothes, but Maya was right. It wouldn’t make much sense to walk around the Guild looking as though they had just crawled out of a medical emergency.

"Alright. I’ll leave that to you."

Maya took them out of the nurses’ room, leading the way down the corridor. However, before they could get very far, Ingrid glanced back towards where Hunter G was laying down.

"Wait, isn’t someone supposed to stay behind and watch over him? What if somebody tries to hurt him while we’re away?"

"Don’t worry about that." Maya waved her concern away. "Only my fingerprint is registered on the door. Nobody can enter without my permission, and there are cameras inside and outside the room. If anyone tries anything suspicious, I’ll know about it immediately. Besides, nobody would be foolish enough to try something while I’m away. They all know how paranoid I am about my patients."

Ingrid looked at her for a moment before nodding. "Alright, then. I’ll follow your lead."

With that, Maya led Freya, Ingrid and Lysander out of the infirmary. Instead of taking them towards the main hall, she turned into a smaller corridor that branched off from the main Guild building. Ingrid followed quietly, paying attention to every turn and doorway they passed. She glanced at the walls, the staircases and the different entrances, making sure to remember their positions.

If she was going to escape the Hunter’s Guild, she needed to know as much about the place as possible. She couldn’t afford to wander around blindly when the time came, especially when she would have other people depending on her. Every corridor could become an escape route, and every door could lead somewhere useful. She wasn’t going to let anything go wrong simply because she hadn’t bothered to familiarise herself with the building.

"Is this where you guys usually go?" Ingrid asked Maya. Since she was their lead now, then she had to be taking them somewhere.

"Sometimes. This side of the Guild has a few facilities that aren’t used as often as the main ones. There used to be more people working here, but things have changed over time." Maya pointed towards a doorway ahead. "There’s a small store around the corner. You can get almost anything there, including clothes, although the supplies have been running a little low recently."

They hadn’t walked much farther when Ingrid noticed something unusual, especially in a world like this.

The place ahead looked like a convenience store. There were shelves arranged along the walls, counters and several storage spaces, but most of the shelves were completely empty. It seemed as if the store had once been stocked with all kinds of goods, but someone had cleared almost everything out. More importantly, there was a heated argument coming from inside.

Maya and Freya slowed down, and Ingrid did the same.

"What’s going on?" Freya whispered. Beside her, Maya’s eyes had narrowed and Ingrid noticed that she looked a little colder than usual. Ingrid turned her head towards the source of the noise.

’Could there be something inside that Maya is concerned about? Or someone?’

"I don’t know. But let’s take a look. If they’re causing trouble in there..." Maya muttered under her breath as she walked into the convenience store.

Ingrid and the others followed, approaching the entrance quietly. Inside, two men were standing in front of a woman, their expressions unpleasant as they argued with her. The woman stood behind the counter, refusing to back down despite the obvious difference in their numbers.

"I won’t allow you to take away my licence!" she shouted. "I earned it fair and square, and I have every right to operate this store! You have no authority to close it down!"

One of the men scoffed. "Running a store like this in a place like the Hunter’s Guild is already shameful enough. A half-breed like you doesn’t even deserve to be here. You should be sensible and leave before things get worse for you."

The other man laughed, clearly enjoying the situation. "Exactly. It’s only a matter of time before you’re sent away anyway. You have no place here, so why make things difficult for yourself? Just accept what’s coming and leave quietly. Don’t be shameless and continue clinging onto what doesn’t belong to you."

Ingrid’s gaze settled on the woman.

She looked different from almost everyone she had encountered since arriving in this world. Her facial features were noticeably different, and she had an appearance Ingrid would associate with someone from Asia. In fact, she was the first person she had seen here who looked Asian, and the difference immediately caught Ingrid’s attention.