The Systems Challenge-Chapter 448: An Odd Encounter

Elin blinked. She wasn't sure if that was where most of Kim's army had come from. She also couldn't help but feel like it was probably where the noble 'children' had gone off to, though she wasn't sure why their parents would consider them having been 'kidnapped.'

"How long ago did this occur?" Owen asked, looking like he might decide to see if he could join them and abandon their efforts to complete the challenge.

"Couldn't say," the guard said, sighing. "All I know is that I'm supposed to locate the kidnappers, the noble children, and return them back to the capital. In addition, we're supposed to question anyone we encounter along the way."

"And how're you supposed to find the kidnappers if you don't know what they look like?" Jonas asked, sounding like he sympathized with them. "Sounds rough."

"Yeah, but we've been assured that when we find the kidnappers that we'll also find those they kidnapped," the soldier said, sighing. "We're on our way to where we've been told a bity is being built in the mountains further south of here and that's where we'll find them. It's supposed to be an easy job, but we're not sure how quickly we'll be able to get it done, even though we're supposed to return in a month."

"Well, if you need to move on, we don't want to keep you, Jonas said. "Your task sounds rough and we wouldn't want to impose on you more than we already have."

The soldier nodded, motioning to the others with him and they all rode off, Although, Jonas couldn't say that these soldiers were well trained in caring for horses, as he was quite certain horses wouldn't fare well for very long at the pace they were setting. Which either meant they were taking frequent breaks or they really didn't care to reach the location they were sent to investigate.

He wasn't sure which it was, but Jonas was pretty sure that this group of soldiers weren't likely to find it and return within a month.

"Any idea who kidnapped the children?" Elwin asked, looking like he was ready to join the soldiers and go for blood.

"Probably my group," Jonas replied conversationally. To Elwin's stunned expression, Jonas continued, "When we left the capital, a number of sons of noble houses wanted to join Kim because they were chafing at what they were allowed to do by their parents. So they formed an army and attached it to Kim."

"Then why would they say that their children were kidnapped?" Elwin demanded, looking a mix of confused and outraged.

"Probably because their children aren't under their control anymore," Jonas replied, not changing his tone in spite of Elwin's hostile one. "Many parents who're like that don't want to accept that their children don't want to leave that kind of life, no matter how miserable they are. So, when their children do choose to leave, they come up with some excuse that they convince themselves of, where they're not the ones at fault, and how their children didn't really choose to leave. That they were forced to or something like that."

Elwin shook his head. "But even that's a far cry from kidnapping."

"Exactly," Jonas replied. "If those soldiers do find those who had accompanied us, I'm sure they'll find that they're there of their own free will and the supposed kidnappers aren't anywhere to be found by them."

Elwin sighed. "How do you know that?"

"Because when we left them, one was working at establishing a city in the mountains for all of them to live in and the others were working on training in drills or something so they'd be able to be a better army in the face of the dangers in those mountains."

"What if they're not the ones you were supposed to have kidnapped?" Elwin challenged.

Jonas merely sighed in response as if he didn't have time to deal with that. "If that's the case, then we're not the ones they're looking for."

"And you know that how?" Elwin asked in a rather demanding tone. "There wasn't a description given on who the kidnappers were."

"We know that because what we told you about was the only possible connection we have to that accusation," Jonas answered flatly, sounding like he was getting ready to accept whatever challenge Elwin was issuing with his words.

"Uh, shouldn't we continue on?" Owen asked, sounding like he was uneasy at the turn of events here. "We still have daylight to work with here and if we're harboring the kidnappers the soldiers are looking for, I'd rather get back to the dungeon as fast as possible and avoid getting caught up with whatever'll happen to them."

"No, I think this should get handled now," Elwin insisted.

"And what're you planning on doing about it?" Bart asked, sounding rather rhetorical. "Fight to the death?"

"No, just a custom where I'm from where we engage in single combat and the winner will have proven themselves right," Elwin answered.

"Are you serious?" Jonas asked, his expression mirroring what Elin felt herself about the situation. Baffled.

She wanted to say something as the others threw in their thoughts on Elwin's proposal, but she couldn't think of anything that the others weren't saying. Not to mention that she was already feeling out of place in this matter.

Did them leaving Kim's army in the mountains like that mean they had kidnapped them? If so, Elin couldn't help but feel a little queasy. She hadn't thought that that's what they were doing, nor did she imagine that those who had joined Kim's army had done so without accepting the risks involved themselves.

However with the guards looking for the kidnappers, as the whole weight of the situation was settling down on her, Elin couldn't help but worry that she'd done something just as bad as those who ran this competition in bringing them without warning to this world or even Douglas who would store exotic and rare magical creatures inside that crystal pendant of his.

"Look, if you want to fight him, just say it flat out," Kim snapped at Elwin. "Otherwise chill out. It's obvious to everyone that you're still looking for a place to die so you can be with your brother again."

"Leave Leon out of this!" Elwin snapped. "He has nothing to do with what this is about."

"Then you should leave him out too!" Kim retorted. "You go on as if you know all the details when you're just as clueless about who the kidnappers were as those soldiers. Unless you have evidence that we're the ones responsible and took those 'children' against their will, then you need to drop it or we'll have to assume that you really are doing exactly what I said you were doing."

Elwin blinked, looking rather stunned. Nor did it appear that he knew what to respond to that with. Elin knew she certainly couldn't think of anything.

After a minute, Elwin merely shook his head. "Whatever."

As Elin watched Elwin start walking in the direction the soldiers came from, she wondered if maybe getting past the capital wasn't going to be as easy as she'd have thought it would be.