Chapter 60: The Prisoner’s Escape and Aric’s Deception

Ketia returned, alone, and with a grave expression.

“What’s wrong, Ketia?” Novas asked, his brow furrowed.

“Your Majesty, the prisoner… escaped!”

Standing firm in the grand hall, Ketia bowed his head.

“What? Escaped? How is that possible?” Novas rose abruptly from his throne, his voice grave.

The prisoner was confined in a dungeon adjacent to the imperial palace, guarded by layers of soldiers. How could they possibly have fled?

Novas found it inconceivable, yet Ketia’s expression showed no hint of deception, causing his brows to twist into a knot.

“Is this truly the case?” Novas gazed intently at Ketia, who still had his head bowed.

“Indeed!”

Upon hearing Ketia’s resolute affirmation, a heavy aura emanated from Novas. “Sound the full city alert! Find them!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Ketia saluted, lightly touching his chest, then swiftly exited the grand hall to relay Novas’s command.

After Ketia departed, Ledi, his expression growing somber, slowly made his way out of the hall, with the lifeless Yalu trailing behind him.

“Where are you going?” Novas asked, seeing this.

“To find them!”

Ledi replied with indifference, then vanished from the grand hall with Yalu.

Gazing over the now empty grand hall, Novas slowly settled back onto his throne, his expression dark and uncertain.

****

A resounding horn blast echoed through the vast Imperial Capital of Candillac.

Doors and windows, previously tightly shut in every household, now creaked open.

Heads peered out, observing the Candillac Knights as they patrolled the streets and alleys.

Feeling the bite of the cold wind, they swiftly closed their windows once more, yet a growing buzz of speculation filled the air about what could be happening in the capital.

The last time such an alert was issued was when the entire army marched south to conquer the continent. Although the campaign only secured the northern half, leaving their daily lives unchanged, it had filled them with a profound sense of pride.

“Everyone, search for them!” a stern-faced, somewhat rugged Young Man bellowed to the surrounding area.

Receiving the command, the disciplined Knights immediately split into pairs, fanning out to scour the vicinity.

From a rooftop, Aric, his presence concealed, silently observed the numerous Knights below, who were searching for something unknown to them.

Though he suspected they were hunting Qi Lin and her companions, he decided to inquire just to be certain.

To think was to act—such was his unwavering style.

Retrieving a brand-new set of Candillac Knight plate armor from his magical dimension, Aric meticulously donned it.

After securing the flat V-shaped knight’s helmet, which left only his chin and lips exposed, Aric leaped, landing silently in a dark alley.

After a quick adjustment, Aric emerged from the dark alley, his face impassive.

He scanned his surroundings, then chose a direction and began walking south.

After walking several dozen meters, voices became audible ahead.

Upon hearing them, Aric retrieved a palm-sized bottle of alcohol from his spatial storage.

He shook it a few times, then tilted it to his lips, emptying the contents completely.

Immediately, a strong scent of alcohol emanated from him, and his face flushed, giving him the distinct appearance of being thoroughly drunk.

Having achieved the desired effect, Aric staggered forward, his steps unsteady and his body swaying.

Ahead of Aric, a group of Knights diligently searched for their target.

One of them, a Knight with a scraggly beard, wrinkled his nose slightly. Catching the strong scent of alcohol, he turned to look back.

Seeing a drunkard approaching, and realizing the man was a fellow Knight, he felt a surge of irritation.

“Hey, brother, how much have you had to drink?” the younger Knight asked, frowning, as he steadied Aric, who was about to stumble.

“Drink, hehe, keep drinking…” Aric seemed not to hear, raising his loosely clenched hand and grinning foolishly as he shouted at the empty air ahead.

Seeing this, the scraggly-bearded Knight understood: this fellow Knight was utterly drunk and hadn’t sobered up yet.

He snorted, then produced a basin of water and splashed it over Aric.

The younger Knight, who had been supporting Aric, quickly darted aside as he spotted the incoming water.

This left Aric in a predicament, first doused with cold water, then tumbling face-first onto the ground.

‘I should have known better than to pretend to be drunk,’ Aric thought with a wry smile.

After a few grunts and groans on the ground, Aric suddenly stood up.

“Who’s the blind idiot who dared to hit me? Do you know who I am?!” Aric roared at his surroundings, still feigning intoxication.

Seeing Aric in such a state, the Knight who had splashed him, still holding the basin, now put it away.

“I did. Do you have a problem with that?” the Knight’s indifferent voice reached Aric’s ears, and he immediately glared back indignantly.

Upon realizing it was a fellow Knight, Aric immediately adopted a confused expression.

“No, brother, why did you hit me?”

Seeing Aric’s bewildered look, the Knight’s anger flared even more.

“Are you a damn Knight? Why are you behaving like this?!” the Knight roared, glaring at Aric with bristling whiskers.

After being reprimanded, Aric first feigned a moment of bewilderment, then slowly pretended to sober up.

He pulled out a cup from his spatial storage, took a sip of water to clear his throat, then returned it.

“Major? And… where am I?” Aric mumbled, casting a hazy glance at the Knight’s shoulders and chest.

Hearing Aric’s question, the Knight retorted, exasperated, “Mothor Street.”

“Huh? Mothor Street? No, Major, how did I get here?” Aric exclaimed in surprise.

“How should I know?” the Major replied, crossing his arms and silently watching Aric rub his head through his helmet.

Under the Major’s gaze, Aric feigned an awkward nose-rub.

“What’s your name? What’s your identification number?” the Major slowly asked, his eyes meeting Aric’s, which were hidden beneath the helmet.

“Aric, of the Candillac Moderick Knight Regiment!” Aric declared after a brief pause, straightening his posture as he delivered his pre-prepared answer.

“The Moderick Knight Regiment, you say? I see.” The Major nodded slightly.

“Drink less in the future,” he continued. “As a Knight serving Candillac, this sort of conduct is unbecoming!”

In Candillac, Knights adhered to strict regulations, jointly drafted by Ketia and Novas.

These rules included provisions regarding alcohol consumption: while not strictly forbidden, it was to be done in moderation. Unrestricted drinking was reserved for specific times, such as holidays.

Aric’s recent behavior had clearly exceeded these limits.

“Yes, sir!” Aric saluted, his feet clicking together in a hurried manner.

“Hmm.” The Major nodded indifferently, then prepared to lead the younger Knight away.

However, recalling that Aric, being drunk, might be unaware of the current situation, he turned back. “Oh, right. The entire city is on high alert, searching for a white-haired Maiden and two Orcs. If you see them, remember to report it!”

“Yes, Major!” Aric responded solemnly, saluting respectfully.

Casting a silent glance at Aric, the Major this time left without looking back, taking the younger Knight with him.

Watching the Major’s retreating back, Aric pursed his lips.

‘They were discovered after all,’ he mused. ‘Though, if someone imprisoned in a cage could escape for days without detection, then I suppose the Empire would truly be nothing special.’

With a sigh, Aric adjusted his helmet and departed Mothor Street with light steps.

After several detours, Aric returned to the crossroads where he had stored his equipment.

Finding no one around, Aric removed the manhole cover at the intersection and climbed down.

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