At that moment, Thales figured out many things.
Outside Dragon Clouds City, Nicholas once told him that the "king's men" were investigating within Constellation and found clues about the Disaster Sword's assassination of Moriah.
Furthermore, the assassination attempt on Thales at the fortress was also related to the Disaster Sword. The two clues combined and implicated Archduke Poffret.
But Miranda and Cohen had already confirmed that the Disaster Sword was just a cover to lure them here.
In other words … the information obtained by the "king's men" was also a lie. It was an excuse to draw King Nuven's attention to Poffret.
The problem was, who in Eckstedt was qualified and capable of being King Nuven's eyes and ears, investigating cases on his behalf and sending back fabricated information?
And now …
Thales looked at the red-robed lady before him with a complicated gaze. He watched her cross her hands and stand calmly and kindly in front of the thick door.
Not only that.
Why did Lampard's grand operation not alarm Dragon Clouds City? Why could his army enter the city without anyone knowing? Why could he easily find so many connections …
Thales took a deep breath and brought his attention back to the present.
Raphael stood in front while Cohen and Miranda stood on his left and right.
The young man from the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department was no longer as indifferent as before. Instead, it was replaced by intense vigilance and solemnity.
"I thought it would be someone coming to change shifts or patrol, but …" Cohen looked suspiciously at the Red Witch, who had a faint smile on her face.
He carefully whispered, "The situation is bad, right? Who is that old lady?"
"Very bad," Miranda replied softly behind Raphael with her hand on the hilt of her sword. "I think that's the Red Witch."
Cohen did not speak anymore. His eyebrows furrowed again.
Thales tightened his grip on Little Rascal behind him and felt the slight tremble in her palm.
He took a deep breath and told himself to stay calm.
'If the Red Witch is involved, that means …'
"Madam Calshan." Raphael looked at the old woman before him coldly. "No wonder I was able to sneak in so easily."
"You knew I would come, so you set up a trap?"
Calshan looked at him quietly and suddenly grinned.
"I've been dealing with the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department since I was eight." The old woman's expression was peaceful and her eyes were calm. "I know you all too well."
Raphael's expression changed slightly.
Thales frowned. 'Eight years old?
Is child labor popular in the darkroom?
He cursed silently.
"As for you."
"You are still too young, little friend," the Red Witch said plainly. "If it were Morat, he would have noticed something was wrong when he entered the city."
Raphael did not speak. Her red eyes trembled slightly, but the tension on her face did not relax in the slightest.
Having been exposed to the Secret Intelligence Department for many years, he was deeply aware of the terrifying power hidden in this seemingly frail old woman before him.
"Damn it." Cohen tilted his head, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly. "That's the Red Witch? Is she ambushing us? "
Ralf shook his head, his face serious — he felt something in the wind.
"As you can see," Miranda's gaze was fixed on the door behind Calshan, "I can sense that there are many people lying in ambush outside."
Moving stealthily and breaking out of the encirclement by surprise — this was their greatest advantage, but now it was gone.
Wya gritted his teeth with an unpleasant expression. The attendant in front of Thales whispered, "She's standing very close to us. At this distance, maybe we can —"
"No," Miranda answered crisply.
Cohen furrowed his brows. "Why?"
"Because she's the Red Witch," Raphael's gaze did not waver. His lips parted slightly as he answered for Miranda.
'Only a fool would believe that she would intercept us unprepared.
'We can't act rashly.'
Hearing that, the police officer gritted his teeth in indignation.
'I've probably encountered half of all the bad luck in my life today.'
"Look for other exits," Miranda said in a low voice, "If it doesn't work, we'll break out from her — they're definitely well-prepared."
At this moment, Madam Calshan, who was sitting opposite them, laughed softly.
Her laughter was old, but warm and peaceful.
As her laughter rang out, everyone on Constellation's side looked as though they were facing a formidable enemy.
"Raphael Lindbergh, a homeless orphan in the Great Desert, and now the young man that the Black Prophet values the most," Calshan said with a smile, "Is this how you repay the Arunde Family who raised and nurtured you for twelve years?
"Why, is Duke Arunde not good to you? Why did you betray him? "
Raphael did not move.
Thales' expression changed.
He glanced at the other two people worriedly, but Miranda did not seem to notice, while Cohen looked puzzled.
"But you also know — look at your eyes." Calshan sighed and continued, as though she felt sorry for Thales, "You can never become one of them."
In Thales' eyes, Raphael's back was still unmoved.
But from his half-cut sleeve, the prince noticed that the tendons on Raphael's wrist tightened slightly.
'He's wavering,' a voice whispered in Thales' heart.
"And you, Miss Arunde." The Red Witch turned her head and looked at Miranda, revealing a mother's loving gaze toward her daughter. "Have you ever thought about it?"
Miranda was startled.
"Why Raphael? Why him?" Calshan said slowly, "Why did the Black Prophet choose him, who has no power or influence, instead of any noble with a bright future?"
The cold-looking swordswoman could not help but frown slightly when she heard this.
"Don't listen to her!"
Raphael turned sideways to face the Red Witch, his expression as though he was facing a great enemy. "Don't listen to even a single word!
"Look at your father … If you still care about the Northern Territory and don't want this precious land to be taken away by despicable means, Northland girl, Eckstedt will always open its doors to you. Northland belongs only to Northlanders." The Red Witch smiled at her.
Thales frowned slightly. He felt that there was something wrong with this sentence.
But Miranda only frowned and said nothing.
He did not know what she was thinking.
The Red Witch turned her head again and looked at the tall, blond figure.
Cohen, who was worried, felt his scalp go numb.
"Ah, Officer Cohen Karabeyan from Walla Hill." This time, Calshan smiled brightly. "You …"
"Wait!"
Cohen's expression changed and he interrupted her. "Stop talking nonsense, old woman!"
Recalling Raphael's warning, Cohen's face tightened and he grabbed the hilt of his sword fiercely.
He shook his head violently and said nervously, "I won't listen to a single word you say!"
Miranda rolled her eyes and exhaled through her nose.
Raphael raised his eyebrows slightly.
'This guy … is so nervous that he's incoherent.'
But the Red Witch only shook her head and smiled at the impolite Cohen. Her expression was peaceful.
It was as though she was looking at a naughty child.
"Oh, no, young Cohen." Calshan shook her head and said helplessly, "I just wanted to say …
"You're really handsome."
Cohen's fierce and ferocious expression froze.
He was not the only one. Thales also raised his eyebrows.
'Huh?'
"What?"
Cohen looked confused. He blinked his eyes and asked in surprise, "Did you just say …"
"I said, don't listen to what she says!"
"The Red Robe's words confuse the mind, and the witch's curse bewitches the mind." Raphael exhaled fiercely and looked around. "The Red Witch, Calshan, is extremely good at lying. You can't believe a single word she says.
"She's the only person in the world who can deceive the Black Prophet!"
Calshan sighed and shook her head helplessly. Her gaze seemed to say, 'Is that so?'
Thales was slightly shocked.
'Deceive the Black Prophet?'
He remembered his confrontation with Morat in Mindis Hall, Morat's Psionic ability, and the time he barely passed the interrogation with Yodel and Serena's help.
'And the Red Witch … can actually deceive that old man in black?
'Isn't that … the nemesis of Morat's Psionic Ability to detect lies?'
Cohen, on the other hand, was completely stunned.
'Wait a minute.'
"She, lied?" Cohen blinked and was a little puzzled. He turned his head and said, "But she just said I'm handsome …"
Miranda and Raphael turned their heads together and shouted angrily at the same time.
"Shut up!"
Cohen had no choice but to shut his mouth resentfully.
"God, I have a feeling." Wya sighed. "She can reduce our morale by half with just her mouth alone."
Ralf mumbled indecipherable words.
Thales did not speak. He only stared at the Red Witch with a numb scalp.
She was clearly alone, but at that moment, the second prince felt that even if all of them were tied together, they could not compare to one person on the other side.
"There are no other exits." Miranda retracted her gaze from the corner and shook her head.
"What do we do now?" Cohen exhaled and whispered in dissatisfaction, "Do we just wait?"
"I'll stall for time. All of you slowly spread out." Raphael curled up the corners of his mouth slightly. Thales did not know how he managed to practice his ultimate skill of speaking without moving his lips. He said, "Look for an opportunity and attack together. See if we can capture her."
"According to rumors, the Red Witch's abilities are not high." Raphael narrowed his eyes. "But be careful, she may be carrying equipment similar to the Alchemy Ball."
"Okay … Wait, what do you mean by 'rumors'?"
"It literally means: according to rumors."
However, in the next moment, Thales became the next person the Red Witch spoke to.
"Prince Thales." The old woman looked at the prince with a complicated expression. Her expression was one of pity. "It is my honor to see you again."
Thales' expression changed slightly. "Of course, it would be my honor as well. If I wasn't in prison and you weren't on Lampard's side."
"Your Highness." Raphael shook his head slightly at Thales and narrowed his eyes. "Lies."
Thales nodded.
The second prince kept repeating Raphael's words about the 'witch's curse' in his heart to remind himself to be careful.
Compared to the time he faced the Black Prophet in Mindis Hall, compared to the feeling Morat gave him, compared to the huge pressure that made his nerves taut all the time …
This old woman gave him a vague sense of unease, which made his hair stand on end and made him feel inexplicably terrified.
Especially the panic and apprehension he felt about what she was going to say next.
Calshan sighed and shook her head at him with a sincere expression. The wrinkles on her face moved slightly, as if she was very helpless.
"I'm really sorry, but since you've already come to the Kingdom of the Great Dragon …
"Since you'll be returning to prison in a while, you may never be free again," the old woman said mournfully.
"Do you have anything else to say …
"Do you want me to bring it to her?"
Thales frowned slightly and secretly became vigilant. "Who?"
"Who else could it be?" Calshan sighed. Her expression was subtle and there was a smile on her lips, as if she was recalling something. "Of course it's beautiful and intelligent …"
"Madam TherrenGirana."
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