No one at the left, no one at the right.

Alright, there are no scouts around. They should take about five minutes before they notice something wrong and start looking for me. The plains is not good for me, the horses would just catch up to me. I need to dive into the outer forest and find a way to sneak into a nobles territory that isn't affiliated with the royals.

Its not much of a trap but since there is no roof on the exit hole the tunnel is very muddy. That should give them a bit of a nuisance tracking me. Run, run, and run some more. The scouts are bound to spot me if I stop for a moment. They are excellent trackers after all.

The nearest anti-royal noble house in the terra territory should be at the mountains near the mines. Before the hero enacted the prison work group they were the ones in control of the mines and had solo ownership of the money to be made in them. However, since the prison work group started they were required to surrender the mines and made to convert the miner into farmers or raise livestock's. The peasants is happy with it since their family members doesn't have to work in such a dangerous place and they won't go hungry but the nobles profit was drastically reduced.

I don't know how to get there though, Worrying about it at this time is pointless I need to escape from here first. Jumping in the river and riding it down the current should give me the best chance to escape. I still have a bit of rope left, while running I should collect some branches and create a floating branch board. That should help me increase a bit of speed while conserving my strength.

*Splaaash*

Finally in the water, all I need to do is swim for my life. It's only been about 10 minutes, so right not they only noticed that I'm taking too long. If they followed my tunnel it should give me at least 10 more minutes before they start scouring the forest.

*woosh* *woosh* *thunk* *splash*

They're already here? that was close, they hit my floating board and missed my head. How did they know I was here? The path from the tunnel is pointing towards the road to the village. No, since there are scouts they don't have to follow my tunnel. They must have been sent to different directions and started investigating the surroundings instead of following my escape route.

*woosh* *BOOM*

I was right, now that this one found me he tried a sneak attack and since it failed he notified everyone with a flare. This river should lead me to the giant rabbit and serpent's territory, after that it would pass in the middle of the goblins and kobolds territory into the deep woods. I never ventured into it because once the orcs started attacking I know I will meet all sorts of monsters just to escape. My defense near the forest isn't an ambush zone, its my last line of defense in case I was invaded, I won't test it out simply because I got curious in what dangers lurk in a forest.

Staying in the water is foolish since I can't attack or maneuver well to evade but its faster. I could also conserve energy while they are using their all trying to keep up with me.

*clip* *clop* *clip* *clop*

What!? horses inside a forest? The knights arrived already, at least they won't be as fast inside here. I still have a chance.

"Sebastian! Surrender yourself quietly! If you continue to run away we will start attacking with the intention to kill you!"

He must be the captain of the knights. What a deep voice, is it the requirement for being the captain? Whichever it is, There is no reason for me to stop here. It's hard to breathe inside that castle full of people. I even have to change how I act since I am a personal servant to the princess. If I am to act not like me all the time, is it really not the same as me not living.

"So be it, Everyone FIRE!!"

*woosh* *woosh* *woosh* *woosh* *woosh* *woosh* *woosh* *woosh*

Here comes the arrows, Dive!! Dive down and use the float board as a shield. The water should slow down the arrow a lot making them unable to pierce the bundle of branches. I need to be patient we are almost at the frogs nest. The frogs aren't a problem for them but they would still stall them a bit, and as they follow me deeper into new monster territories they would keep getting stalled enough for me to escape.

*RIBBIT*

There we go, be a good frog colony and delay these shiny pieces of idiots for me.

"Giant frogs, looks like a whole nest of them too. Four scouts and 2 knights clean up the frogs, the rest keep following Sebastian!"

Tsk, not all of them are bogged down but half the scouts are diverted and around 14 knights are left. I need to keep running, the serpent's have no nest but they should be near I hope some of them are ambushed.

"Aghhh" "C-Captain" "Wraaaagh"
"Grgh, Giant Serpents, Those who got ambushed catch up as soon as you deal with it. Everyone don't let Sebastian out of your sight."

Three knights got their horses bitten by the serpents. That should slow them down. Those horses are done for. They should almost be out of arrows by now. Good thing too, I used up most of my mana healing myself.

It should be around now.

*woosh* x30

"Shields!! An ambush? Did sebastian have allies in this forest? No, they're goblins. Knights charge formation, scouts hide in the middle of the formation. We will charge through and keep following sebastian. Don't you dare stop."

As expected of the captain, he knows his priorities. However, you can't escape that easily, this is where I counterattack. Have a taste of my throwing knives.

*thunk* *thunk* *thunk* *thunk*

"What an idiot, do you really think you can snipe the scouts just because we are distracted? Every kingdom knights need to have the skill to block a rain of at least 100 arrows with a sword before he can graduate and Elites like us can do it with our bare hands."

What a requirement, are you serious? However, that won't stop me. While buffing myself with [Butler Buff] try and block these daggers.

*stab* *stab* *stab* *stab*
*slam* *slam*

Two horses down and two scouts down and furthermore.

*stab* *stab* *stab* *stab* *stab* *stab*

Six horses down again, No matter how good you people are at blocking ballistics the knees and ankles of your horses are outside of your reach. Three knights and two scouts left.

"Tsk, how pathetic.. Those who fell recover the scouts, they can still be healed. Go back to the goblin mobs and regroup with the ones that got left behind. After you healed the scouts catch up with us."

Almost, I'm almost there, I only need to escape from five more people.

"Sebastian, Give yourself up."
"Do you really think I would stop? Why don't you just give up now and save yourselves some time."
"As a knight who has sworn to protect the kingdom, Do you really think I would listen to the words of a traitor."
"Traitor? I see so that is how they intend to clean it up. As expected of a paid mercenary."
"We are not mercenaries we are knights who swore an oath to protect the kingdom."
"Your oath is nothing more than written words that say you will fight for them as long as they pay you. How is that different from mercenaries."
"I'll give you one chance to take that back, against the chivalrous knights you disloyal bastard can't escape"
"Chance for what? What kind of idiot are you? If I can't escape I'll die, why would I need to mind my words in the face of death? It's pretty funny you call me disloyal and you chivalrous. In this situation where a group of armed people are chasing a single man through the jungle, how chivalrous can you get?"
"You betrayer does not deserve mercy, we knights are the swift arm of justice. We do our work efficiently, this is sufficient to hold down the [Immortal Princess Protector]"
"I'm honoured, but I'm still insulted. To think they would send gold-hungry mercenaries after me."
"You unrepentant bastard, Did you say mercenaries! You dare call us MERCENARIES!!!"
"What's wrong? Can't hear at your age? Mercenaries, MERCENARIES!! You know, those people who do idiotic dangerous stuff for a bit of gold. You know, those useless bastards who betray their employers if the enemy gives them more gold."
"YOU USELESS OLD MAN!! Are you comparing our glorious knights to a bunch of armed civilians! We knights are the most loyal protectors of this kingdom!"
"Exactly, you are loyal to the kingdom. You don't care who the top is, even if the nobles won in the battle and the princess died you would just simply change allegiance. If the nobles bribed you, you would agree but with concern for your so called honour you would reject it first. The nobles would then have to sweet talk you and you would 'reluctantly' agree while screaming 'for the kingdom'. You don't care who wins as long as they pay you!"
"GRAAH, KILL HIM, KILL HIM! KILL THIS SLANDEROUS BASTARD!!!"
"They are already trying to kill me idiot!! That is why they are here. Don't worry after I escape from here I will be sure to advertise that the kingdom knights mercenary group is looking for work."
"RAAGGHH!!"

Good, Goodbye rational thinking. Now follow me deeper into the forest. The orcs are next, Even for knights you can't escape being mobbed by a group of orcs. If they died from the orcs I can continue on land instead of taking a risk to follow the river that leads me to who knows where.