All My Summons Become Divine Girls

Chapter 243: The Second Report

Juna led Hajin through the northern grate before the eastern guards finished tying the mercenaries taken at Loccy’s wall. Toma’s water cart waited across the channel with both wheel pins removed, blocking anyone trying to follow from the road.

One trace of blood marked the handle, though the ground beside it showed five sets of feet continuing north.

"He walked away from here," Juna said, crouching near the deeper prints, "one man held each arm while the others pulled the cart across."

Hajin lifted the empty water barrel, finding a folded notice trapped beneath its rear brace with another Flint seal.

{Send Hajin alone by the kiln road, open a Wing or move guards north and the grain shed burns.}

"They knew who would follow him," Hajin said, passing the notice toward Juna, "the scouts gave them more than our wall."

Hans reached the grate behind them with three guards, his injured leg slowing him more than the missing arm.

"There is lamp oil near the cart," Juna said, pointing toward a wet trail entering the drainage channel, "someone carried it back toward town."

Hajin followed the smell to two buried cords, one running beneath leaves toward the northern grain shed while the other turned toward the forge yard.

"Cutting them may pull whatever waits at the other end," Hans said, keeping the guards away from both lines, "I need Ferra before anyone touches them."

"Take the town side," Hajin said, looking toward the ridge above the cart, "Cassie walls off the grain, Ferra checks her yard."

"I will send Elise once the clinic route settles," Hans said, signaling the guards behind him, "leave marks she can follow without helping the men ahead."

Lana arrived through the grate carrying Ash under one arm, followed by Toma’s wife with both children pressed close behind her.

The child blink-stepped from her arm before Hajin could answer, appearing beneath the blocked axle with his face against the ground. He pulled a carved bird from the channel, holding it between both palms while Toma’s younger child called for it.

"Papa keeps that on the water strap," the girl said, reaching toward Ash, "he made it when we lived above the ridge."

"Let me smell where he touched it," Juna said, holding the bird beneath her nose, "then you can keep it safe until he comes back."

Juna separated Toma’s scent from the lamp oil and horses, finding it strongest on a path that avoided the marked kiln road.

"The note points west," she said, returning the bird to the girl, "but they took him through the water channel."

"Hans clears the cords before that watcher knows we moved," Hajin said, summoning the chain into his hand, "we stay beneath his ridge."

"You are still bringing a weapon," Juna said, entering the channel ahead of him, "so hide it before the links give us away."

He returned the chain to his inventory, following her beneath the bank without calling a Ring or Aegis.

Four horse scents joined the trail near an old culvert, confirming the missing reserve had met the secondary team after leaving Loccy’s fight. Only two mounts continued north, while the others turned toward the kiln road with branches tied behind their saddles.

"They dragged a false trail for anyone watching prints," Hajin said, checking the scraped channel behind the westbound horses, "Toma stayed with the two going north."

Juna touched a heel mark beside the culvert, finding the uneven edge Toma’s worn work shoe had left near the cart.

"You can see him now," she said, following the mark uphill, "keep watching that foot when their horses cross again."

Hajin found a registry mark cut into the next tree, matching the shelter symbol on the map strip Juna recovered.

The hidden rider had watched Lana’s first full bell drill, then copied the movement route used by Toma’s water crew.

They had also recorded who crossed the northern grate alone, giving the Flints a captive whose absence would pull Lana from the shelters.

"The second report had the drain on it," Hajin said, rubbing the fresh cut with one thumb, "I gave them the route."

"I heard them planning that report," she said, turning toward the next heel mark, "we can finish this after Toma is away from them."

"Your track from here," Hajin said, following her away from the mark, "I am done guessing where they want us."

The path split above the grain shed, offering a clear climb toward the old toll house and a lower route through abandoned quarry drains.

Horse prints covered the climb, but Toma’s uneven heel appeared once beside the lower route before disappearing under running water.

A cut rope waited around the next bend, running upward toward loose blocks stacked above the narrow passage.

Hajin caught her shoulder before she crossed it, finding the trigger tied to a hook where a captive could be forced through first.

"They want the passage closed behind him," he said, tracing the rope toward the stacked blocks, "someone waits above to cut it after we enter."

Juna looked toward the bank instead of the trap, finding one fresh handprint where a man had climbed to the upper ledge.

"He left the horses below," she said, exposing her claws, "I can reach the ledge without opening a Wing."

"Wait for Elise," Hajin said, checking the passage behind them, "if you chase him, the men holding Toma hear us beneath them."

A single bell rang from town, followed after several breaths by the same signal from the northern post.

Hans had cleared one fire line, giving them permission to continue while the grain shed remained under guard.

The watcher above answered with a bird call from the toll-house path, then turned toward town to look for smoke.

Elise appeared at the lower bend with Sable behind her, both keeping their heads below the edge of the channel.

"Hans found two oil jars near the forge," Elise said, watching the rope above Hajin, "Ferra broke the triggers before the rider signaled."

Sable studied the ledge where the watcher had moved, then pointed toward a second descent hidden behind the stacked blocks.

"One man climbed down there," she said, drawing her sword without raising it above the bank, "the passage joins the old kiln terrace."

Juna checked the lower descent once more, catching Toma’s scent beyond the trap instead of along the toll-house climb.

"He is on that terrace," she said, indicating the lower descent, "two men stayed with him, while the others are circling back."

"Elise takes the ledge with Juna," he said, summoning the chain below the bank, "Sable comes through the drain with me."

Above them, the watcher gave the bird call again as a man’s voice ordered Toma away from the kiln entrance.