Leveling Up by Seducing Milfs-Chapter 74. The Old Quarry Confrontation

It was difficult to remember the walk back to the guild hall. Rick didn’t notice the crowds or the worried looks on the faces of people who passed by.

He couldn’t stop thinking about Carmilla, who was alone and scared with that collar that stopped them from being together. Did she think he had left her? Did she know he was on his way?

When they got there, Guildmaster Roderick was already getting ready. City guards were being called in, search parties were being formed, and magical trackers were being sent out.

Rick knew it wouldn’t matter, though. The kidnappers had done an impressive job of hiding their tracks, and they had already set the rules for how to deal with them.

"Give me the note," Roderick said, and he grabbed it right away.

His face got darker as he read. "Shadow Covenant."

"I know that name. People who hire mercenaries and killers."

"They are very costly and very professional." Someone with a lot of money hired them."

Rick said, "I don’t care who they are. I’m going to the Old Quarry at midnight to get Carmilla back."

"Like hell you are! Not all alone like a naive fool!" Roderick hit the table with his fist. "This is clearly a trap!"

"I know it’s a trap, but I’m not letting them have Carmilla!"

"Then we go with backup," Roderick said again. "Hidden, at a distance far away, ready to step in."

"They said they’d kill her if I brought anyone!"

"Either way, they’re going to try to kill or catch both of you!" Roderick’s voice got louder, just like Rick’s. "Think, boy! You are worth something now!"

"Political asset, bond network, and the Dragon Queen’s Consort! This isn’t just a simple kidnapping! This is all about politics and power plays!"

Rick agreed with Roderick. He knew that this was more than just Carmilla in his mind, but all he could think about was her face when she left the bar.

He was grappling with complicated feelings about their relationship and the weakness she had been trying to conceal. Now she was paying the price for how important he was, how many people he knew, and how stupid it was that he was the Hero of Mature Hearts.

Within an hour, guild messengers had called Fredrich to come. The Grand Magister looked serious as he read the ransom note.

Fredrich said, "Shadow Covenant doesn’t do random work."

"Someone with a lot of money and clear goals hired them. The question is, who and why now?"

"Is it important?" Rick lost it. "They’ve got Carmilla! We have to get her back!"

Fredrich said in a calm voice, "It matters a lot."

"We can guess what they’ll do next if we know who did this. Rick, this isn’t just about one knight who was kidnapped."

"This is about breaking up your bond network, taking away your support system, and either capturing or killing you."

Natasha’s hand on Rick’s shoulder made him feel more stable. He could feel her analytical mind working, taking in information, and making plans through the bond.

"We follow at a distance," Natasha said firmly. "Rick goes to the Old Quarry as told, but we keep an eye on him from a distance so that their magical sensors don’t pick us up."

"Fredrich can set up scrying, and Liora can keep in touch with the divine through her spiritual link with Rick. We step in right away if something goes wrong."

"They said that if I bring anyone—"

Natasha cut in, "They’ll say many things, but they want to catch you, not kill Carmilla."

"She is leverage and worth living for as long as you’re free. That calculation changes the moment they get you, and we need to be ready to do something."

Rick wanted to argue and say that he could do this on his own, but he knew they were right. Going in by himself was a death sentence. And if he died, who would save Carmilla?

"Fine," Rick said, his teeth clenched. "But if I think she’s in danger, I’ll do whatever it takes to get her out."

"It doesn’t matter whether there is a bond network or a Dragon Queen. She comes first priority for me."

"Agreed," Liora said in a low voice. "We all want Carmilla to be safe. Don’t worry, Rick, we’ll make this work together."

... 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Rick’s life felt the longest in the next three hours. He got ready with careful planning, following the advice of his training and the experience of his partners.

He wore dragon-scale armor under his clothes. It was light but powerful.

He had hidden weapons all over his body that were easy to get to but hard to see. Fredrich’s emergency teleport scroll went into a safe pocket that only he could open with his magical signature.

Rick focused on Sylvia’s faraway presence through the bond network. She was still hours away, flying at speeds that would kill most animals, but he could feel her anger and determination from miles away.

He felt stronger knowing that whoever was to blame would have to deal with a very angry Dragon Queen if this went wrong.

The time until midnight was painfully slow. Rick stood alone at the city’s northern gate, as he had been told to do, with his heart racing.

He knew that Natasha and Liora were following him in the dark behind him, with Fredrich’s help. But it really felt like he was going into the unknown by himself.

The Old Quarry was about two miles outside of town. Decades ago, the easy-to-get ore ran out, leading to the closure of this old mining site. The best place for an ambush was one that was isolated, had lots of places to hide, and was difficult to get around in for people who knew it well.

Rick used his Partial Dragon Transformation as he walked, feeling scales forming under his skin that would burst out if he needed them. His dragon powers were getting stronger. He was immune to fire, and the Dragon’s Presence ability was ready to scare or distract.

The quarry was a giant hole in the ground with steep walls and dangerous paths. The depths were mostly dark because moonlight couldn’t reach them. Rick observed the broken and scattered mining equipment, which was rusty and dangerous.

He walked to the edge and yelled. His voice bounced off the stone walls. "I’m here. assholes!"

"Come out wherever you are! And you better show up with Carmilla!"

Silence answered him, except for the sound of the wind blowing through the quarry.

Then a calm, professional voice came out of the dark below. "Hello, Consort. Just in time. I do value being on time."

Rick’s eyes followed the sound, and a person stepped into a pool of moonlight at the bottom of the quarry. The same woman who had been in the alley was now surrounded by what appeared to be a dozen more Shadow Covenant members.

Carmilla was there, tied to a support beam with that awful black collar still around her neck. Rick observed the dried blood stains on her clothes and the strength with which she maintained her composure despite the pain emanating from such a distance.

She was still alive but beaten up and held hostage.

"Let’s talk about the terms," the woman in the mask said again, her voice easily distorted. "You want the knight back."

"In order to get back... we want you! Quite an easy trade, right? You come down here peacefully, and she is free right away."

Rick knew it wasn’t true. He knew that as soon as they caught him, they would either kill or capture both him and Carmilla, but it pained him to see her trapped and bleeding because of his actions. The most painful thing for Rick is that Carmilla had been weak in dealing with her feelings for him.

"Okay," Rick said as he began to walk down the dangerous path into the quarry. "I’m on my way. Please don’t hurt her anymore."

The woman with the mask laughed. "Oh, Consort..."

"The real pain hasn’t even started yet."