In the dark, Thales followed the fleeing crowd and walked anxiously.
The White Blade Guards had already divided into three teams. One team went forward to scout for danger, and another team stayed behind to guard against possible pursuers.
The last group of guards stood guard around them.
Nicholas walked at the front of the team and sighed deeply in the dark.
"When did this happen?" he asked hoarsely.
No one answered him.
Then, Miranda's voice came from the side.
"If I had to guess," the swordswoman said flatly, "it was from the beginning."
Nicholas was silent for a second.
"He might have just been tricked," the current commander of the White Blade Guards said dejectedly. "You know, Black Sand Region fabricated information about the Disaster Swords and passed it to Kaslan …"
Thales exhaled. He felt the mental exhaustion begin to attack him again.
'No matter what lies ahead …
'Please …
'Hurry up and end it.'
"Enough," the impatient Kohen replied to the Star Killer. He walked at the back of the team and his voice was a little loud.
"Your hypocritical former boss personally appeared to deal with us," the police officer said mockingly. "He hid among the soldiers of Black Sand Region and knocked me down with two punches."
"Then you should feel honored." Nicholas raised his head abruptly. Suppressing his anger, he said coldly in the dark, "Not everyone is qualified to take two punches from Kaslan."
Kohen furrowed his brows and was about to retort, but Raphael interrupted him.
Raphael narrowed his eyes. "To be able to persuade the Ground-Shaker to help. Now we know how they quietly and effortlessly deceived us into opening the gatehouse."
Nicholas lowered his head and did not speak.
No one saw that at that moment, his eyes were filled with complicated emotions.
Thales thought of something.
"Wait, if Kaslan knew about this secret passage from the beginning," the prince muttered in the team, "then how did you still have the chance to sneak in?"
Nicholas raised his head.
But the person who answered was Kohen.
"Maybe he wanted to wait for all the White Blade Guards to arrive," the police officer said through gritted teeth, "then finish us off again."
The others did not speak.
The atmosphere became very oppressive.
"Look, they were guarding us. First, they waited for the Secret Intelligence Department, then the White Blade Guards." Before Kohen finished speaking, he said indignantly, "Besieging the enemy and attacking the reinforcements — is there a more vivid tactical example than this?"
Nicholas punched the wall fiercely.
"Bang!" A muffled sound rang out.
Even in the darkness, everyone looked at him.
The Star Killer raised his head and exhaled.
Nicholas' gaze turned cold again.
"Go to hell, Kaslan," the Star Killer said coldly.
Raphael snorted softly, his meaning unclear.
At this moment.
"Erm, perhaps, outside of the debate …" Thales' voice cut in abruptly. There was a hint of fatigue in his voice.
"What should we do?"
The second prince said quietly, "If this is the only exit of the secret passage …"
Nicholas clenched his fists lightly.
The Star Killer suddenly laughed.
"We don't have a choice," he said softly, "don't we?"
Therefore, the group of people could only continue to walk on the secret passage in a strange atmosphere.
Waiting for the unknown dangers on the road ahead.
Walking towards the equally mysterious exit.
Thales sighed softly. But at this moment, he could only abandon all distracting thoughts and focus on moving forward with the team.
Another child's figure moved to his side.
A soft and gentle voice traveled into his ears. "Thales."
"I can't escape, can I?"
Little Rascal's expression could not be seen in the darkness, but Thales could hear the sadness and despair in her voice.
Thales sighed.
He was already annoyed. Right now, he was not in the mood to comfort the little girl.
"Don't worry," Thales said absentmindedly. "Even if there's an ambush ahead, we'll definitely find a way to escape …"
But Little Rascal's voice suddenly grew louder.
"No!"
She seemed to be a little agitated.
Thales was slightly stunned.
"I'm not talking about that." She panted in the darkness, her voice terrified. "I mean … they, they all found me, found me …
"I-I can't escape, I can't leave!"
Little Rascal's reaction even made Nicholas and the others, who were talking on the other side, involuntarily look at her.
It was only then that Thales realized what Little Rascal was talking about.
'She means …'
Thales moved closer to Little Rascal.
The second prince held his breath. He felt Little Rascal's body rise and fall slightly beside him.
"They, they called me … Miss Walton …" Little Rascal whispered quietly, trying her best to keep her body steady. But Thales could still feel the fear in her heart.
Thales' mood darkened.
"They won't let me go …" Little Rascal had already unknowingly sounded like she was about to cry.
'So that's how it is.'
They had agreed in the butcher's shop. This little maid had planned to sneak away after escaping danger.
'But now …'
Thales raised his head and glanced in the direction of Nicholas and the others.
The White Blade Guards found her, the Red Witch recognized her, and Lampard knew that she was here.
King Nuven had not only left her a ring, an identity, but also a curse.
A curse that once she joined the game, she could not leave it.
The prince's heart was filled with sadness.
Not only that.
Thales immediately thought of the present after King Nuven's death.
Dragon Clouds City was in chaos.
The Walton Family's future was in jeopardy. The Cloud Dragon Spear might not be able to rule this city anymore.
Eckstedt, the Kingdom of the Great Dragon with six hundred years of history, was about to fall into an unknown whirlpool. Its future was uncertain, and its fate was uncertain.
Also, Lampard was leading his army and vassals to pin the crime of assassinating the king on Thales' head (even though he was not completely innocent as the Prince of Constellation). He was continuing to carry out his conspiracy in the dark that no one knew about.
'What does that ambitious and ruthless person want to do?
Where will he bring Dragon Clouds City, Eckstedt, and the two powerful countries in the Western Peninsula?
'And these …'
Thales turned his head. In the darkness, he could vaguely make out the little maid's silhouette.
Were these things really something that this little girl, who had experienced life and death in a single night and was sobbing softly in the darkness, could bear?
Thales sighed softly. He felt Little Rascal's hand in the darkness.
It was a pair of small, dusty hands, trembling and cold.
Little Rascal's hand shrank slightly.
"Are you afraid?" Thales asked softly, using his softest tone.
Little Rascal's sobs stopped for a moment.
"Yes." She nodded in the darkness where no one could see. "I'm sorry, but I'm really …"
"It's right to be afraid," Thales said flatly.
Little Rascal's breathing suddenly froze.
"I'm as afraid as you are," Thales' voice rang beside her ear.
Little Rascal was stunned.
"So we have to remember it." The prince recalled that night in Red Street Market. He could not help but clench his fists slightly. "Remember this fear of being at the mercy of others, of being unable to make your own choices.
"I hate this feeling," Thales muttered. "This disgust even surpasses the fear I feel."
Little Rascal did not speak. She listened to Thales quietly.
"So, try to hate it. Hate this situation where you have no choice but to become a Walton." Thales held her hand gently. "Then, you will no longer feel afraid of 'becoming a Walton'."
Little Rascal said softly, "Disgust?"
Thales pressed his hand against hers.
"Yes."
"It is precisely because of this disgust, to avoid this fear, to be able to choose freely one day, that we will become stronger," he said in an unquestionable tone. "No matter who you want to become, there is no need to be afraid.
"When you can face the future without fear …" The prince took a deep breath.
For some reason, at that moment, Lady Jines' figure actually appeared before his eyes.
It was the day she wore high-heeled boots and strode valiantly into the Hall of Stars alone and arrogantly behind the king.
It was the unique demeanor she had when she turned a blind eye to the countless gazes around her.
Thales' pupils constricted slightly. "At that time, you will definitely not be controlled by anything, and will definitely be able to make your own choice."
Little Rascal sniffed and fell silent.
Thales, on the other hand, was lost in his own thoughts and did not speak.
Soon, the first batch of White Blade Guards returned to meet up with them.
When they heard their footsteps, Kohen and the others nervously unsheathed their swords.
However, the other party brought a few strange pieces of news.
"What?
"You didn't find anything?"
Nicholas furrowed his brows.
"No." One of the leading guards shook his head in the dark and answered his superior's question, "Whether it's an ambush, a trap, a trap, or someone in the open, we didn't find anything. We're already at the exit."
The Star Killer furrowed his brows slightly.
"Is this normal?" Raphael's voice came from behind.
Nicholas shook his head.
"It shouldn't be like this," the commander of the White Blade Guards muttered. "Kaslan should know about this secret passage."
Kohen's voice also came from behind. "Could it be that he still doesn't know about this place?"
"It's possible," Miranda said softly. "Or he was delayed by something."
"Maybe they're lying in ambush outside the exit." Wya raised his eyebrows. His voice was filled with worry. "Waiting to catch us all in one go."
Thales exhaled through his nose and interrupted them with a sound.
"Alright." The second prince felt a headache coming on. "It's useless no matter what we say."
Thales said dejectedly, "No matter what's waiting in front of us, we only have one answer, don't we?"
They could only move forward.
There was no way out.
Just like how he did on the battlefield in front of the fortress.
They could only move forward.
Everyone in the darkness fell silent again.
With an indescribable sense of nervousness, they continued on their way.
For a few minutes, only the sound of hurried footsteps could be heard in the darkness of the secret passage.
The pitch black darkness, the dull and monotonous rhythm, and the fear in their hearts caused the atmosphere to become more and more solemn.
Because of this, Thales could only count the number of steps in his heart to relieve his increasingly depressed state of mind.
Finally, when Thales did not know whether it was the 728th or the 827th step, the walls on both sides of the road in front of them began to reflect a faint light.
Everyone's spirits were lifted.
But their nerves, which had just relaxed and eased, also tensed up.
"That's the exit." Nicholas placed his hand on the hilt of his knife and whispered to the people behind him.
"Be careful."
The group immediately fell silent.
Kohen exhaled, shrugged his shoulders, and slowed down his pace.
Miranda and Raphael remained silent, as if they had a tacit understanding.
Thales did not even dare to breathe loudly, afraid that he would startle some unknown entity.
But as their field of vision became brighter, they moved forward faster and faster.
As they gradually approached the exit, the light in front of them grew brighter.
Then, the exit appeared clearly in front of them. At the end of the dark tunnel, there was a hole that emitted a piercing white light.
Nicholas sighed.
Everyone's nerves also relaxed.
It was not because of safety, but because they had been in a dark and oppressive environment for a long time, even their minds had become abnormal.
So, the moment they saw the exit, they felt as if the thing they had been anxiously waiting for had finally come to an end.
'Even though …
'This is not a good outcome.'
A silhouette stood at the exit quietly.
Thales' heart sank.
"Is it the person who will receive us?" he asked softly.
"Of course not." Nicholas shook his head. He no longer lowered his voice. "He's not stupid enough to stand at the hole."
The Star Killer's expression became very calm. He seemed a little … relieved?
Kohen sighed.
The White Blade Guards quietly spread out and protected Little Rascal's surroundings.
Miranda pressed her hand on the hilt of her sword and opened her mouth slightly. "Are you ready to fight?"
Raphael narrowed his eyes. "Did you see who that was?"
"I couldn't see his face clearly." The corners of Miranda's lips curled up slightly. "But that figure … is too familiar."
Kohen frowned. "Familiar? You mean Kroesch? "
Nicholas ignored the argument behind him.
He gestured to the people behind him and strode forward alone.
He walked towards that figure.
The figure turned his head slightly. Light shone on his face.
When everyone saw the person's face clearly, they were suddenly shocked.
That was not the Ground-Shaker, not Kaslan.
"We meet again." Nicholas walked ten steps away from the person and sighed softly.
"Madam Calshan."
In front of him, the Red Witch smiled slightly and nodded amiably as usual.
Thales stared in disbelief at the Red Witch who appeared before him again. He turned his head to look behind him, then turned back to look at Calshan.
'How could she be so fast …'
"As expected, Kaslan told you about this secret passage," Nicholas said coldly.
The Red Witch smiled faintly.
"I only found out about it just now. Don't blame him." The old woman observed Nicholas' position and then raised her eyebrows slightly. "It's close enough, Lord Nicholas."
The Star Killer stopped in his tracks.
His hand was still pressed on the Severing Souls Blade.
"Where is he?" Nicholas had to squint because of the backlight. He could not see the situation outside the cave clearly.
Calshan looked at him and sighed. "He won't show up."
Nicholas tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade.
"Hmph." Nicholas looked elsewhere. His voice was full of disdain. "Coward."
Behind him, Thales frowned. "They're standing too far away … They can't hear anything."
He tried to activate the Sin of Hell's River, but he had used up too much of his Power of Eradication while searching for the way in the secret passage. He called out a few times, but the Sin of Hell's River did not respond.
Miranda had a strange look on her face. "Why is it only the Red Witch?"
"Maybe it's an old trick." Kohen shielded Thales' side tightly and looked around suspiciously. "That big guy with the blade might be hiding in some gutter, planning to suddenly jump out like the last time."
"Be on guard," Raphael said calmly. "This time, we don't have backup."
"Haih," Wya said softly, "When will they start fighting?"
Thales watched the two of them talking. His heart was heavy. "We'll find out."
Nicholas' gaze returned to Calshan.
"What about you? Where's Tolja?" The Star Killer sized up Calshan and estimated the distance between them. He said coldly, "Where's your ambush?"
The Red Witch sighed slowly.
"Outside." Calshan nodded and bowed slightly. "Archers you can't imagine are lying in ambush in the most tricky corners. They're all good snipers and assassins in the Secret Room.
"As for Black Sand Region … I didn't plan to let them participate in this hunt."
Nicholas' pupils shrank slightly.
He hated this feeling.
It was the feeling of being locked down on on the battlefield.
His eyes gradually got used to the light. He looked through the hole and saw the scene outside. It was still empty.
Nicholas looked back into the Red Witch's eyes. His pale face moved slightly. "Aren't you afraid that I'll hold you hostage again?"
Calshan flashed a friendly smile. "Oh, I'm prepared this time. I'm afraid you won't have it so easy."
The uneasiness in Nicholas' heart grew stronger. He fixed his gaze on the old woman and did not speak again.
"Then what are you waiting for?" the Star Killer said coldly. "Do it. Or do you think that as long as you block this place, we'll surrender obediently?"
But to his surprise, Calshan shook her head. "Of course not."
"I do have all the advantages," the Red Witch said flatly. "But that's not what I want. Pointless violence and death won't help.
"We haven't finished talking either.
"It's only a conversation between the White Blade Guards and the Secret Room. It's only between the Blade and Wing."
Nicholas was slightly startled.
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