The streets were busy enough that no one paid attention to another traveler moving through the crowds. Towards the castle since it was normal to sight see.
The castle district was in the northern part of the city, separated from the common areas by another set of walls. Not as impressive as the outer walls, but still formidable enough to keep out casual intruders.
I circled the perimeter first, noting the guard positions and patrol patterns. There were fewer guards than I expected, probably because They felt secure behind his walls.
The sun was beginning to set when I finally identified my entry point. A section of wall on the eastern side, partially obscured by a large tree that had been allowed to grow too close. The guards passed by every fifteen minutes like clockwork.
I waited for the next patrol to pass, counted to sixty, then moved.
Scaling the wall one-handed definitely a struggle having to use a lot of grip strength but I'd gotten used to the challenge over the years. My fingers found holds in the stone, my feet braced against the rough surface, and I pulled myself up inch by inch until I could grab the top of the wall.
I paused there listening. I heard no alarms so it seemed I was good to go.
I dropped down on the other side, landing in a crouch in the shadow of a hedge. The castle grounds were sprawling, with manicured gardens and stone pathways connecting various buildings. Guards walked predetermined routes, their movements predictable so i avoided them.
They're not expecting anyone to actually try this.
I moved from shadow to shadow, keeping low and quiet. The first guard I encountered was standing alone near a side entrance to the main keep. He was leaning against the wall, looking bored out of his mind.
I approached from behind. I used magic to make a rock and shot it at the back of his head. His eyes rolled back and his body went limp. I lowered him to the ground carefully and dragged him behind a nearby hedge where he wouldn't be immediately visible.
The second guard was slightly more alert, but not by much. I used another small stone, conjured with earth magic and propelled with precise force. It struck the back of his head with a dull thunk, and he crumpled without making a sound. These guards were incredibly weak.
The third guard actually saw me coming. His eyes widened and his mouth opened to shout.
My hand shot forward, a burst of wind magic pushing him against a wall stopping his shout. I caught his throat and squeezed. He struggled for a few seconds, clawing at my arm, but then his eyes rolled back and he went slack.
I set him down gently.
Three down. How many more until I reach the holding cells?
I continued deeper into the castle, knocking out guards as I went. None of them saw me coming. L
Everything felt tacky, I thought, making my way down a corridor that sloped gradually downward. All this wealth and they spends it on gaudy decorations instead of decent security.
The holding cells had to be in the lower levels. That's where places like this always kept their prisoners.
I found the stairs and descended into cooler, damper air. Torches lit the way, casting dancing shadows on the stone walls. The smell hit me before I saw the cells. The particular stench of despair that clung to places where people were kept against their will.
The corridor opened into a wider area lined with cells on both sides. Most were empty, but a few contained huddled figures. I passed them by, my eye scanning for familiar faces.
Then I found them.
In a cell near the end of the corridor, two figures sat on a thin mattress. One was a woman with long dark hair, wearing a maid's uniform that had seen better days. The other was a small girl, no more than seven or eight years old, with the same dark hair as the woman.
Lilia and Aisha. They sat there Lilia holding Aisha I could see the fear in her gaze.
I approached the cell door and knocked softly on the bars.
Both of them jumped, their heads snapping toward the sound. When Lilia saw me, her eyes went wide.
"Rudeus?" Lilia's voice was barely a whisper, like she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Hey," I said, keeping my voice low. "Sorry I'm late."
Aisha scrambled to her feet and rushed to the bars, her small hands gripping them tightly. "You're really here! You're really my big brother! Mom said you'd rescue us you or father." Her eyes were still wet with tears, but a huge smile had broken across her face.
"You look so cool!"
I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden compliment. "Uh… thanks. You look cool too."
She beamed at me, her earlier tears seemingly forgotten in her excitement.
Lilia stood more slowly, her expression a mixture of relief and lingering worry. "Rudeus, how did you… we've been here for weeks. We thought…" She trailed off, seeming unable to finish the sentence.
"I know," I said, already working on the lock with a small piece of wire I'd brought for this purpose. "I came as soon as I could. Are you both okay? Did they hurt you?"
"We're fine," Lilia assured me, though her voice wavered slightly. "Pax has been keeping us in reasonable conditions. He probably wants to use us as leverage, not… not hurt us or else we'd either be dead starved or worse."
The bars were broken I swung the door wide and stepped aside. "Come on. We need to move quickly."
They emerged from the cell, and Aisha immediately grabbed my hand. Her grip was surprisingly strong for someone so small.
"Wait," Lilia said, glancing around the corridor. "What about the guards? How did you even get in here?"
"Took care of them," I said simply. "They're alive, just unconscious. We don't have much time before someone notices."
"You came alone?" Lilia's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Not entirely. I have someone waiting at an inn in the city. I'll take you both there." I paused, considering my next words carefully. "Her name is Sylvia. She's… traveling with me."
Lilia's expression became unreadable. "I see."
"We're just companions. She helped me get here."
"How did you even know we were in Shirone?" Lilia asked as we started moving back down the corridor. "We've been held here in secret. No one outside the castle should know."
"I have sources," I said vaguely. I couldn't exactly tell her that I remembered this from a story I'd read in my previous life. "Good sources. That's all that matters."
Lilia accepted the answer, though I could tell she didn't quite believe it. "And where is this inn?"
"The Silver Deer, in the central district. Room seven on the second floor. Sylvia's probably back there by now, wondering where I went." I glanced down at Aisha, who was still holding my hand and looking up at me with wide, admiring eyes. "You two head there. I'll meet you in a bit."
"What?" Lilia stopped walking. "Where are you going?"
"I'm not leaving the other prisoners here," I said, gesturing to the other occupied cells we'd passed. "And there's someone I need to talk to before I go."
"Rudeus, that's too dangerous. If you're caught—"
"I won't be caught," I interrupted. "Trust me. Take Aisha and go to the inn. I'll handle the rest."
Lilia looked like she wanted to argue further, but Aisha tugged on her sleeve. "It's okay, Mother. Big brother is really strong. He'll be fine."
I felt a small smile tug at my lips despite the situation. "Listen to your Daughter she seems to be really smart," I said to Lilia. "I'll see you both soon."
Lilia hesitated for a moment longer, then nodded reluctantly. "Be careful."
"Always am."
I led them back through the castle, retracing my path and avoiding the unconscious guards I'd left scattered around. At the eastern wall, I helped them climb down using earth magic to create handholds, then watched as they disappeared into the city streets.
Once they were gone, I turned back to the castle.
Time to free the others.
I made my way back down to the cells, already forming small keys from earth magic to unlock each door.
The prisoners inside looked at me with a mixture of fear and hope as I opened their cells one by one.
"You're free," I told each of them. "Get out of the city as quietly as you can. Don't draw attention to yourselves."
Most of them didn't need to be told twice. They scrambled out of their cells and fled up the stairs without a word.
I was unlocking the last cell when I heard footsteps behind me. Heavy, measured footsteps that didn't sound like they were trying to be stealthy.
I turned, my hand moving to my sword.
A man stood in the corridor. He had to be at least six feet tall, with a build like a sturdy Pencil. His hair was cut in a bowl, and his eyes were small and squinted, giving him a permanently skeptical expression.
Zanoba Shirone. The third prince.
Shit. This complicates things.
"You," Zanoba said, his voice surprisingly high-pitched for someone so large. "You're the one freeing the prisoners."
(A/N: I don't remember if Zanoba knew pax was imprisoning the guards)
"That's right," I said carefully, trying to gauge his intentions. "You going to try to stop me?"
To my surprise, Zanoba shook his head. "No. I don't care about pax's political games." His eyes focused on me more intently. "But I do care about your arm."
"My… arm?" I glanced down at my left side, confused.
"You're missing your right arm," Zanoba clarified.
"That must make it difficult to create things with your hands."
Where is this going?
"I manage," I said cautiously.
Zanoba took a step closer, and I tensed. But he didn't attack. Instead, he looked at me with something almost like reverence.
"I collect dolls," he said. "Figurines. Beautiful crafted objects made by masters of their art. It's the only thing in this world that brings me true joy." His expression became almost desperate. "And looking at you I can feel the divinity of a godlike creator that's what's drawn me here. You have to show me make a figurine I have to have my curiosity be answered."
I hesitated, then made a decision. If Zanoba was the same, having him as an ally could be useful.
I held out my hand and focused. Earth magic gathered in my palm, and I shaped it carefully, creating a small figurine of Sylvia with long flowing silver hair striking a angelic pose. I added details. A rapier. Facial features. The whole process took maybe thirty seconds.
When I was done, I held it out to Zanoba.
His reaction was immediate and intense.
His eyes went wide. His mouth fell open. He reached for the figurine with trembling hands, holding it like it was made of the most delicate glass.
"Incredible," he breathed. "The detail. The craftsmanship. And you created this in mere moments?" He looked up at me, and there were actual tears in his eyes. "You're a master. A true master of the craft!"
"It's just a simple—"
"Nothing about this is simple!" Zanoba clutched the figurine to his chest. "I've spent years searching for artisans who could create works of this quality, and you do it with a wave of your hand! You must teach me! You must let me study under you! I'll do anything!"
"Zanoba," I said firmly, cutting off his increasingly frantic rambling. "I need your help with something first."
He immediately straightened up, his expression becoming serious. "Anything. Name it."
"Take me to Pax."
Zanoba's expression darkened. "My younger brother. You want to confront him?"
"Something like that."
"He's in his chambers. Third floor, western wing.
"Lead the way."
We climbed back up through the castle, the silence between us heavy with unspoken implications.
When we reached Pax's chambers, Zanoba stopped outside the ornate double doors.
"I'll be on floor one," he said quietly.
I nodded and pushed the doors open.
Pax's chambers were even more ostentatious than the rest of the castle. Gold and jewels everywhere, expensive fabrics draped over every surface. And in the center of it all, sitting on an elaborate chair that was trying very hard to be a throne, was Pax himself.
He was younger than I expected. Maybe thirteen or fourteen. Short, with dark hair and the kind of face that would have been handsome if he took care of himself and wasn't lechorus
When he saw me, his eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in rage.
"You!" He shot to his feet, pointing at me with a trembling finger. "Who even are you?"
I closed the doors behind me and took a step forward.
"It doesn't matter because I know exactly who you are, Pax. You're the spoiled brat who kidnaps innocent people to use as bargaining chips. You're the coward who hides behind walls and guards because you've never had to face consequences for your actions."
His face turned red. "How dare you! I'll have you executed! I'll have you—"
"You'll have me do nothing," I interrupted, my voice cold. "Because you're about to die."
The color drained from his face. "You… you can't. I'm royalty. If you kill me, the entire kingdom will hunt you down. My father will—"
"Your father is weak," I said, gathering mana in my hand. "Your kingdom is weak. And you're the weakest of all."
I thought about it for a moment. Really considered the consequences.
Killing a prince would cause problems. Political complications. Maybe even a manhunt. Depending if they knew it was me.
But letting him live meant he'd continue his games. Continue kidnapping people and holding their families hostage. Continue causing suffering because he could.
The decision was surprisingly easy.
I raised my hand, and mana coalesced into a dense sphere of earth magic. A stone cannon, compressed and deadly.
Pax's eyes went wide with terror. "Wait! Please! I'll do anything! I'll—"
The stone cannon fired.
It struck him in the center of his forehead with a wet crack. His head snapped back, and his body crumpled to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut.
Blood pooled beneath him, spreading across the expensive carpet.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the body.
I had to leave before someone discovered the body.
I turned and walked out of the chamber. And went to the first floor.
Zanoba was still waiting outside, his expression carefully neutral.
"It's done," I said simply.
He nodded slowly. "I thought it might be." He paused, then added, "For what it's worth… he deserved it. Hopefully my father can birth a better prince.
His hands clenched into fists. "If only father knew."
I started walking away, then paused and looked back. "Zanoba. That figurine I made for you. Consider it a gift. If you ever want to learn more, come find me. I'll be traveling for a while, but eventually I'll settle at the magic academy in some years."
His face lit up. "You mean it? You'd teach me?"
"Maybe. If you prove you're serious about it." I turned away again. "Take care of yourself,
"I will," he called after me. "I swear it!"
I made my way out of the castle the same way I'd entered, scaling the eastern wall and disappearing into the night. Behind me, the castle remained quiet and oblivious.
It would be hours before anyone discovered what had happened.
And by then, I'd be long gone.
I returned to the Silver Deer just as the city bells were chiming midnight. The common room was empty except for a single drunk snoring in the corner.
I climbed the stairs to room seven and opened the door as quietly as I could.
Three heads turned to look at me.
Sylvia was sitting on one of the beds, her expression a mixture of relief and anger. Lilia sat on the other bed with Aisha sleeping against her shoulder.
"Rudeus," Sylvia hissed, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Aisha. "Where the hell have you been? Your mother and sister Lilia and Aisha randomly showed up an hour ago how can you let your mother and sister walk back alone. I thought something had happened to you!"
"I had some things to take care of," I said, closing the door behind me. "It's done now."
Lilia's eyes studied my face carefully. "What did you do?"
"Freed the other prisoners there. Dealt with some complications." I met her gaze steadily.
"We can leave in a couple days."
Lilia looked like she wanted to say more, but she glanced down at Aisha's sleeping face and seemed to reconsider. "We'll discuss this later," she said quietly. "When little ears aren't present."
I nodded and moved to the window, looking out at the quiet city. Somewhere in the castle, guards were probably just discovering their prince's body.