203 Blood

"Yes… Yes, sir! It was the warden’s orders!" the prison guard said with a shiver after being pounded by one of the soldiers.

He did not forget to push the responsibility on someone else. Who was better to put the blame on than a dead person after all?

Gradon did not care about the prison guard’s words though. His attention was focused on something else.

"How badly are they wounded?" he asked.

"Hanses was almost passed out. Without medical care, he would not last through the night-"

"I know that! What about his two accomplices?" Gradon interrupted the prison guard, as if he did not want him to say anything else.

"One of them was whipped twenty times! The bigger one got fifty lashes!" the prison guard said honestly.

Having gotten what he wanted, Gradon waved the prison guard off.

The prison guard ran off like he had just been given amnesty.

As soon as he set foot outside the prison gate though, a cold light flashed through him.

The guard’s head was sent flying through the air, but his body ran for another two or three meters before finally falling to the ground.

"You shouldn’t be this merciful, Knight Gradon!"

The cold voice belonged to a scrawny man with long limbs who was walking through the prison gate slowly.

Gradon’s face turned serious when he saw the man.

"My beliefs tell me who my sword should punish! I spared him, yet you killed him, Ferlin! Are you trying to challenge my authority?"

"No, no, no… How would I dare? You are the Grand Duke’s appointed Knight, and I am but a puny consultant. How would I dare question your authority? Any disrespect towards you would be like disrespecting the Grand Duke himself. I’m just here to help!" the man named Ferlin said with a gloomy smile and a slight mockery.

"I could help you catch one of those thieves, if I may! Even though you’ve guessed their plans, if you let them roam freely like some mannerless brats, they might cause trouble and disgrace His Majesty’s great name and honor! What do you say?" Ferlin asked.

"Fine!" Gradon nodded stiffly.

Although he knew Ferlin had come down to the prison and killed the prison guard just to silence a witness, it was just as he’d said. If the two thieves kept roaming around causing trouble, it would stain the Grand Duke’s name and honor.

This was something Gradon, as the Grand Duke’s Knight, would not tolerate.

"You will capture the one causing trouble outside. I want him alive. You have no authority to interrogate him privately!" Gradon agreed, setting his own terms.

"As you wish, sir!"

Ferlin took a slight bow and disappeared in the shadows.

All the soldiers present saw him exit the premises and every single one of them shivered.

On the battlefield, they were all brave souls full of pride and honor. Even when they were facing enemies two or three times stronger, they never backed away from a fight. Not a single one of them wanted to face Ferlin though.

No common soldier could fight a dagger in the shadows.

"Let’s go! We’re heading to the infirmary! Ferlin might be a creepy arse, but he is on our side!" Gradon comforted his men as he walked out of the prison with big steps.

He might hate Ferlin for his mysterious and eerie presence, but if the Grand Duke was willing to trust him, then so would he. That’s why the other soldiers were also willing to trust the man.

Gradon led his men away from the prison and towards the infirmary.

He never set foot on the second floor of the prison, but it was easy to guess what had happened there.

His theory made him hasten his steps. It seemed like Gradon had underestimated the two thieves, and so had everyone else.

...

After succeeding the first time, Kieran threw the torch in his hand towards the warehouse ceiling to light a second fire.

He quickly climbed up the winding corridor and hid in the shadows before the soldiers could rush there.

As the shadows camouflaged him, Kieran’s eyes locked on the blurry castle door a little further away.

The sudden surge of soldiers made him realize that the prison was exposed and there would soon be a search that would place him at total disadvantage.

Kieran knew he had to divert the attention of the newly arrived soldiers, or he would not even stand a chance.

When he saw a squad of men holding long bows and wearing armor, his thought was solidified.

It was the Bestowed Squad. A squad formed entirely of magical archers, and one of the most elite squads in the Grand Duke’s army.

Their numbers might not be high, but the Bestowed were always a crucial squad during a war. The other squads included the Barrier which was the infantry troops and the Hurricane Knights.

Those three factions were the strongest forces among the Grand Duke’s military assets.

During his previous dungeon, Hanses had been assigned to the Barrier Infantry.

All the information they had about the enemy's military forces had come from him.

Truth be told though, when Kieran saw the Bestowed Squad, he could feel their formidable strength even without Hanses’ intel.

They all had enchanted long bows, armor, and boots, and every single one of them had extraordinary abilities.

Kieran could also tell from their pace and the way they advanced that they were extremely disciplined and well-trained. Even during peaceful times, they still had a sense of vigilance in their eyes.

Kieran wanted to avoid facing the Bestowed by any means.

They should have been in the frontline, fighting in the war, but instead they had showed up there. The whole arrangement was very unusual.

"Is this about the 'Legacy'? Or did something else happen?" Kieran guessed as he moved slowly in the shadows.

Lighting a warehouse on fire was obviously not enough to distract the soldiers. Kieran needed to create more diversions.

He had already set his eyes on his next target, the Church Hall.

It was an eye-catching location, but it was not heavily guarded, especially now that the warehouse was already on fire. Everything was progressing like Kieran had expected.

The warehouse fire had attracted all the nearby soldiers' attentions, and all the spots along the road that were supposed to be guarded were empty.

Only a couple of important places had one or two soldiers left.

It was easy for Kieran to avoid the leftover soldiers' sight.

He reached the Church Hall smoothly, without coming across any obstacles on the way.

Suddenly, Kieran froze in the shadows. He had noticed that something was not right.

The Church Hall before him was too quiet.

Compared to the busy, noisy outer building, the Church Hall formed a huge contrast.

Water drops tore the silence apart.

Kieran turned his attention towards the source of the dripping and saw fresh red blood.

It looked extremely bright even in the darkness.

Kieran’s heart skipped a beat as he shivered.