* Thud, thud, thud … *
Perhaps it was because his damaged hearing had just recovered not long ago, but the sudden footsteps in the dark dungeon were exceptionally frightening.
The Royal Guards, who were not in good condition, reacted very quickly. All of them immediately extinguished their torches and held their breaths.
'Pursuers?
'So fast?'
This was the first thought that appeared in Thales' mind after he was chased continuously for half a month.
* Thud, thud, thud … *
Beldin made a light gesture, and the entire Royal Guards quietly and swiftly spread out to both sides of the tunnel. They found a spot for an ambush, held their weapons in their hands, and were ready for battle.
Thales was pressed behind Barney Junior, and even Quick Rope was pulled into a corner by Bruley.
* Thud, thud, thud … *
The footsteps drew closer, and the corner of the tunnel gradually lit up with torches.
The prince did not need to listen to know that everyone's hearts were slowly racing.
In the dark, Beldin aimed his sword at the corner and prepared to strike suddenly.
Then, the owner of the footsteps appeared from the corner with a torch in his hand.
"Canon!"
Nalgi was the first to shout in surprise.
"Stand down." When he saw who it was, Beldin breathed a sigh of relief. He patted the nervous Barney Junior behind him and said gently,
"It's Canon.
Our scouting cavalier trailing behind us. "
The Royal Guards released a long sigh of relief, put away their weapons, and lit their torches.
'It's Canon.'
Thales also let go of his nervousness and anticipation.
'It's not him.'
Canon, one of the seven Royal Guards who had just turned the corner with a torch in his hand, looked at everyone's expressions and understood something.
"You know, you almost scared the sh * t out of us!"
Nalgi shrugged. He looked as if he had just escaped from a difficult situation and punched Canon's chest.
Canon shuddered a little and lowered his head.
"I'm sorry, my ears haven't fully recovered."
Canon pointed at his left ear and winced a little.
"I can only control my footsteps based on habit.
And my scouting skills have also regressed … "
Barney Junior patted his shoulder. He seemed to be very pleased.
"No, you did very well, Canon, as always." Barney Junior forced himself to smile.
"How are things at the back?"
When they heard this, the Royal Guards' expressions froze slightly.
Canon handed the torch to Nalgi. His expression was stern.
"He should have recovered some of his sight, and perhaps his hearing. He treated his wounds, lit a torch, and moved along the wall. He didn't move fast, but …"
He paused for a moment and looked at the crowd.
"He's chasing in the right direction."
Am I on the right track?
Everyone's expression changed.
Thales felt a chill in his heart. He knew who Canon was talking about.
"I left a few traps, but I don't think they can delay him for too long … Zakriel is familiar with all the tricks of the Vanguard Division." Canon's voice became more dejected.
The atmosphere became heavy and stiff.
Barney Jr. was silent. He seemed to be thinking.
"Can we ambush him?" Beldin asked with a frown.
"I don't think so." The second logistics officer, Naer, shook his head.
"I don't need an assessment to know that this is not the best time for us to face the enemy. If we hope that Zakriel's condition is worse than ours …"
"We will lose even more." Tardin ended the suggestion with a sigh.
The guards' expressions became even gloomier, and this made Thales secretly realize that he was in trouble.
Nalgi observed everyone's expressions and coughed.
"Everyone, I don't think the most important thing right now is to fight head-on against Zakriel. In fact, I think we should avoid him if we can …"
Thales noticed that even though Nalgi was looking at everyone when he said this, his gaze always drifted to the quiet Barney Jr., as if he knew that this was the key.
Everyone was smart enough not to say anything. They just waited for the vanguard's decision.
Finally, after a brief change between Barney Jr.'s eyebrows, he raised his head, exhaled, and said,
"Nalgi is right."
Thales swore that he felt the crowd more or less heave a sigh of relief.
"From now on, our first goal is no longer to kill Zakriel." Barney Jr. turned to Thales. His eyes shone with a strange light.
"Instead, it is to protect His Highness."
Thales' eyebrows twitched.
He awkwardly returned a friendly smile to a few pairs of gazes that were directed at him.
"Perhaps you should be glad that they are still quite loyal?" Quick Rope whispered to Thales.
'No.
'Not completely loyal.'
Thales stared back at Barney Jr.'s expectant gaze and said in his heart.
"Then let us seize the moment. We will no longer rest and continue moving downwards." Samel, the leader, walked forward and glanced at Barney Jr.
"Maybe we can find the exit before he catches up to us."
Barney Jr. frowned.
"Wait, go downwards?"
He looked at his other colleagues in surprise.
"Aren't we going to the surface?"
After Beldin sighed and Samel explained the whole story in a cold tone, Barney Jr.'s face darkened.
But when he saw the slightly troubled expressions on the others' faces, he did not say anything. He only clenched his fists and urged everyone to continue moving downwards.
Hence, the Royal Guards and the two princes continued moving forward. But this time, their footsteps were much faster.
"You better find the so-called exit, Samel."
Barney Jr. walked to the front of the group and stood beside Samel.
He suppressed his emotions and spoke in a calm tone, but Thales could feel the vanguard's dissatisfaction.
"Otherwise, everything we do today will be meaningless."
Surprisingly, Samel did not refute him. He only cast a profound glance at Barney Jr. and continued moving forward.
The group of people walked quietly in the deep darkness. They felt less relaxed, and more solemn.
Samel led the way forward. While he recalled what Ricky told him, he discussed their route with Penal Officer Beldin, who had some understanding of the Prison of Bones, behind him.
Barney Jr. occasionally joined the discussion, but his communication with Samel was still stiff.
Behind the vanguard were Thales and Quick Rope, who were trembling in fear. Nalgi and Naer stood guard beside them.
Bruley and Tardin, who could not speak, stood behind them like two iron walls, acting as a second barrier.
Canon was still at the back of the group, constantly paying attention to the movements behind him.
In a few minutes, they walked down many stone steps and finally arrived at the empty hall on the last floor.
The moment the torches illuminated their surroundings, everyone's expressions froze.
Corpses.
Corpses all over the floor.
They were the Disaster Swords' mercenaries.
There were more than twenty of them, and they were scattered all over the floor. The blood that flowed out from the corner of the wall in the distance to the floor tiles under their feet was enough to soak the entire hall.
These people died in different ways. Some died from decapitation, some had their throats slit, some had their necks broken in an irregular shape, some had their bodies pierced by crossbow bolts, and there were even some who had been nailed into the wall by a terrifyingly large axe.
Without exception, their faces were still filled with terror before they died.
When he saw the scene before him, Thales almost thought that the Blood Mystic had returned.
"This guy died from his companion's sword. This one has seven or eight wounds. He should have been held hostage and used as a human shield … As for the one on the wall, he should have been unlucky enough to bump into the axe beside him when he was attacking."
Barney Jr. swept his gaze past the corpses with a stern expression. His expression was not very natural.
"It's Zakriel.
It's his warm-up work when he was just released from prison. "
Samel stared expressionlessly at the faces of the corpses that he was either familiar or unfamiliar with. He stepped over a corpse whose abdomen had been cut open.
Nalgi gulped softly.
As the guards moved forward, the puddles of blood on the ground grew from sparse to dense. In the end, they pointed to a tunnel.
Thales stared at the dark tunnel that led to Zakriel's prison. He looked at the blood in front of him and frowned deeply.
He remembered that he and Yodel had sneaked out of Zakriel's prison through that tunnel.
And after they left …
He remembered that Zakriel had said that the Disaster Swords "ran away".
'Ran away?'
"They must have thought that they had the advantage in numbers, and that there was only one of them, so they swarmed forward …" Beldin raised his torch and looked at the hellish scene. He shook his head slowly.
"But this time, they don't know what they're facing."
"Forty White Blade Guards … Argh!" Quick Rope mumbled subconsciously with a ghastly pale face. He accidentally stepped on a blood clot that might have been an intestine or something else.
'Chaos of Armies.'
Thales muttered the term in his heart. His nerves tensed up.
He stepped over a mercenary who had a crossbow bolt stuck in his left eye socket.
Nalgi kicked away a corpse who had a short knife stabbed into his chest. He sighed and said, "I'm guessing.
He's still considered polite to us, isn't he? "
No one answered him.
Samel walked past the crimson tunnel that led to Zakriel's prison and lit up another fork in the road.
"Ricky said that this leads to the storage room."
Thales turned around and tried his best not to look at the mess on the ground. He looked at the square tunnel that looked like it was left for the transportation of goods.
Compared to the other two roads, it was inconspicuous.
"Ricky said that the Alchemy Tower has a secret tradition: to always be prepared for war." Samel's expression was complicated.
"And the storage room is one of them."
He raised his torch, strode forward, and took the lead to walk into the tunnel.
The remaining guards looked at each other at a loss.
Barney Junior cast a glance behind him, sighed, and followed. The others shrugged in resignation and entered the tunnel in a single file.
"How did you know about this place? How did you know about the secret that even the kingdom has not discovered? Did you find a forbidden wizard's handbook? "
Barney Junior pushed aside a thick spider web and carefully illuminated the area.
"The place where Ricky came from has some research on these things." Samel did not even turn his head as he walked forward.
"Based on his hateful tone, they might have been wizards' enemies, or at least they used to study how to deal with wizards and magic."
When he heard this, Thales frowned slightly.
'The place where Ricky came from …
'This means that the way the Disaster Swords organize themselves is not that pure. At least, many of them joined halfway.'
"Then, how did the one you mentioned, Ricky, end up becoming a Disaster Sword?" Barney Junior asked.
"I don't know. Every scion from the Outer Tower has their own story, especially the leader. Most of them are filled with bitterness and difficulties." Samel shook his head.
"Including you, right?" Barney Junior said with a profound meaning.
In the face of the seemingly hostile prying, Samel's footsteps paused for a moment.
But he only hesitated for a fraction of a second.
"What about you?" Samel walked over a short flight of three steps and said airily.
"If you can get out, what will you do?
Escort this prince to the capital, assist him, watch him ascend the throne, and fulfill your oath as a praetorian guard? "
When they heard this, all the members of the Royal Guards froze for a moment.
Thales endured the people's gazes that drifted towards him out of nowhere, and he suddenly felt awkward.
Barney Junior was silent for a few seconds.
"That's not all.
"Those brothers who died in vain, they must be held accountable."
Barney Junior's words echoed in the dusty and cobweb-filled tunnel. There was an unshakable determination in them.
"The truth of that year must be revealed to the world."
Thales shuddered slightly.
'The truth of that year …'
The guards were silent. Bruley snorted softly, but the meaning behind his words was unclear. Nalgi immediately patted him.
But Samel responded to Barney with a sarcastic tone.
"The truth? Are you talking about what Zakriel said about the cooperation between the late king and the calamities? "
He sneered at the front of the group.
"If that is true, based on my understanding of Kessel, he would never admit it, whether it is from the perspective of Constellation or the Royal Family."
Samel's words were very cold.
"He would rather all of you be buried in the grave forever, along with the secret and disgrace, never to be known.
Even if you saved his precious son. "
As soon as he said this, the Royal Guards became even more silent. For a moment, only hurried footsteps could be heard.
Barney did not answer.
Thales pursed his lips. He felt a little melancholy in his heart.
He knew that what Samel said was very likely to be the truth.
He wanted to say something, or at least refute Samel and motivate the others.
But what could he say?
'When I return to the capital, I will work hard to vindicate all of you.'
Thales thought of King Kessel's cold face and the Black Prophet's gloomy gaze. He pursed his lips again. He felt that his tongue was heavy, and he felt sad.
Quick Rope obviously understood the atmosphere very well. He hid behind Thales obediently and did not dare to breathe loudly.
Nalgi coughed.
"Err, Barney?"
His voice rang behind Thales, and it sounded a little shaky.
"I was thinking that maybe we need to hide part of the truth —"
At this moment, Barney Junior suddenly spoke and interrupted Nalgi.
"That's why we need this prince even more."
Thales was stunned.
He looked through the crowd and saw Barney Junior's back, but the latter did not turn around. He only stubbornly walked forward.
Barney Junior said airily, "He is luckier than us.
He is luckier than the former king and the former princes. He was born after the tragedy, and he is not shrouded in the shadows of the past.
"I believe that compared to the king on the throne and the princes in Renaissance Palace, he is more qualified to handle this matter properly and reveal the truth of the past.
"Just like just now, if he was unwilling to abandon his companions, then he would definitely understand us.
"He understands the souls of the deceased eighteen years ago, and the grievances they suffered during these eighteen years."
The breathing of the guards became disorderly.
During the arduous trek, some of their footsteps even strayed from their original rhythm.
Thales listened to his words and endured the gazes that drifted to his front and back. He only felt that his shoulders were getting heavier.
"At least, I believe that he can find the best way to reveal the truth for us and preserve the reputation of the royal family."
Barney Junior's voice was intermittent, and he sounded like he was having a hard time speaking.
"No matter how difficult it is and how long it takes …"
Many sighs came from the group.
Thales lowered his head.
No one knew what he was thinking.
Only Quick Rope patted his back gently and sighed so softly that it was almost inaudible.
"This is why you do your best to protect him," Samel said airily. His tone seemed to be even more tired than before.
"You see him as your savior?
You see him as the savior of the Royal Guards? "
Thales was dazed for a moment.
Barney Junior snorted, and there was a hint of loneliness in his voice.
"At least."
He said absentmindedly,
"I hope that the forty-six — forty-five Royal Guards who were imprisoned that year, including us, will no longer have to bear the shame of collaborating with the enemy and committing treason.
"The entire Royal Guards will no longer have to suffer torment and bear the brand of punishment for one person's heinous crime. They will not be able to die in peace even after eighteen years.
"We will no longer have to cry at night, tremble in nightmares, and rot in guilt."
Many of the guards turned their heads and looked at the two sides of the tunnel.
It seemed like there was something worth observing there.
There was a hint of relief in Barney Junior's voice.
"That's enough."
Samel did not reply to him.
Everyone's footsteps remained the same, but Thales felt that his footsteps had become heavier.
Barney Junior took a deep breath, as if he had recovered from his emotions just now. His tone became a little louder.
"So, yes, we will wash away the stain on us and return to Eternal Star City with dignity. At least, we will be able to see our families again."
There was a hint of hope in his voice.
"I remember that Naer had a daughter who was just born …"
Naer, who was walking behind him, sighed.
At this moment …
"Barney."
Nalgi suddenly spoke.
His tone was very dejected and terrified, like a lost child.
"Then … what about Zakriel?"
When they heard this name, even the light around them seemed to have dimmed for a second.
After a while, Barney Junior's tone became cold, as it should be.
"Ah, that traitor …"
He snorted softly. His words were filled with strong disdain and hatred that could not be erased.
"Zakriel's shameful deeds must and will definitely be made known to the public.
"All of Constellation and the entire world will know of his evil and shameless deeds. He will pay for his betrayal."
The guards were once again immersed in the cold.
It was as if Barney Junior's words through gritted teeth caused the temperature around them to drop.
"Regardless of whether he was alive or dead, he will forever bear the infamy and torment of a traitor."
Thales sensed that Nalgi wanted to say something, but did not.
Barney Junior snorted coldly.
"Instead, we will, and we will eventually find him and find peace, be it ours or his."
Nalgi took a deep breath.
"But Zakriel, after all, he was once … one of us."
He was also one of the Royal Guards. "
His tone was filled with hesitation and pain.
Everyone was silent.
Barney Junior frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Thales saw Nalgi lower his head. His entire body trembled.
"I think, be it him or us, everyone has suffered enough injuries."
He seemed to be enduring something. With great difficulty, he squeezed out a few emotional words.
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