Chapter 1, Conspiracy in the Darkness

You

Before long, the entire corridor was silent except for the occasional excited howls of the prisoners coming from behind the closed iron doors

The person who should have fallen in a pool of blood left Malfi so astonished that he was rendered speechless. Not only did his powerful strike, which was not light, get easily evaded by the opponent, but it also resulted in the loss of the priestly staff that symbolized his identity.

I understand

The lean and capable Mida Luo approached silently, holding in his hand two unconscious temple warriors.

Upon arriving at the lowest level of the prison, the enthusiastic cheers startled several church envoys

It is indeed impossible for me to release so many serious offenders at once, but... if the high priest could appropriately reduce the number, I might be able to accept it gladly. For instance, it would be preferable to select some elderly individuals with lighter offenses, or the descendants of exiled nobles. In this way, even if they continue to commit wrongdoings outside, the damage would not be too significant

However, if you do not possess formidable strength, the clerk responsible for registering personnel entering and exiting will advise you against attempting the perilous survival game

This border town is named as such because, when viewed from a high altitude, it closely resembles a gigantic rose

Because the Ming-Su Empire abolished the death penalty, even those who commit murder while imprisoned will not be sentenced to death. Although the warden does not restrict the use of underhanded tactics such as assassination, poisoning, framing, and gang assaults, each murder committed will increase the prison term of the perpetrator.

It's up to you

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This time, the archbishop approved only sixteen slots for the amnesty

The previously departed burly man named Kofi also brought back an immovable temple warrior

Malfi stared at the girl in black before her with a mix of anger and fear. At this moment, she no longer resembled the pitiful figure from before; her pitch-black eyes were filled with mockery, and wisdom and calculation had replaced her earlier innocence. The smile at the corner of her mouth sent a chill through Malfi, as if she had fallen into an icy abyss.

The fully armored warrior appeared to be weightless in the hands of the prisoner

Upon receiving this news, Malfi immediately rushed to the White Rose with great enthusiasm

Under the red sunset, the cunning death row inmate, wearing a victorious smile, vanished into the vast wilderness in a horse-drawn carriage

Due to the first regulation of the Holy Teachings of Light: "One must not arbitrarily take the lives of innocent, good, pure, and harmless beings"

Starting from the tenth level, the prisoners held are all first-class criminals wanted by more than five countries—extremely dangerous individuals who must never be allowed to enter society

Even though half of the people buried in the cemetery each year are residents of Rose Town who died in Grig Prison, the exiles still rush into the prison like moths to a flame, adding many wronged souls to the graveyard outside the city

You go find the remaining candidates, I will wait here

Under the guidance of the prison guards, the temple warriors gradually left in a state of complete disarray

Aren't there any guards coming up with them? How can you be so sure that those who left are the priests and the temple warriors?

However, in order to prevent his subordinates from discovering it, he always sneaked out alone.

"He died last night," the tallest boy said quietly, his childish face showing no trace of sadness, or perhaps it should be called numbness.

You... do you want to escape from prison?!

Believing that the other party could not resist this temptation, the High Priest signaled for the temple warriors to leave first

The prison guard skillfully opened a large iron door painted red on the wall, from within the dimly lit entrance came waves of increasingly loud shouts

It is not a matter of desire, but rather of action. Long before your arrival in Grig, preparations had already been underway. As for you, Your Excellency the High Priest, I will be very careful to spread the word about your various misdeeds. Given the public's dissatisfaction with the Church, it will not be an easy task for them to pursue us. Compared to fugitives, the Church is more likely to prioritize someone like you, the blasphemous High Priest. Farewell, we shall never meet again

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Call ... ... Call ... ...

The first to seventh floors are all occupied by ordinary criminals

Seeing the predatory gaze of Bifert, High Priest Malfi felt quite uncomfortable inside

Before it was converted into a prison, it was a renowned stronghold on the Eastern Continent. As the first line of defense against the orc nation of Nodding's southward advance, it lacked sufficient elite troops; not to mention the occasional incursions by orcs, even the various factions attempting to rescue prisoners could not be repelled.

Pulling down the hood, Mo Ya laughed heartily with the death row inmates, leaving only the solitary awake Malfi to sleep on the cold ground of the prison alongside the collectively unconscious temple warriors

This is a handwritten letter from His Majesty the Emperor of Law, which you may examine personally

It seems that this high priest still has some intellect; compared to those old stubborn figures in the Holy Capital, he is much more pragmatic. It is better for the bad people to remain locked up in prison

If it were not to fulfill the mission bestowed by the Emperor of Law, they would not willingly travel to the most desolate town of White Rose on the entire continent during the sweltering summer. When have the clergy, who enjoy the boundless scenery of the temple, ever endured such suffering

Ideson, the commander of the Iron Cavalry Corps, who is fifty years old and possesses a calm and steady demeanor, displayed a significant crack in his perpetually icy expression after hearing the envoy's purpose, a look of shock that he had never shown even in the face of an orc attack

As a special prison specifically for the incarceration of serious offenders, its level of brutality is unmatched by other prisons

Murder, violence, betrayal of faith, treason... The most notorious criminals from various countries can find their final resting place here

In the center of the town stands a massive obelisk, a structure designed to defend against magical attacks, serving as the sole passage in and out of the prison

Malfi nodded in agreement, and under the escort of the jailer, he went to the prison with the temple warriors to select candidates for the upcoming release under the special pardon.

A delicate young girl dressed in a black robe emerged from the darkness of the corner, and her appearance immediately made the temple warriors tense. They had no idea when she had come so close, or perhaps she had been there all along.

In addition to the occasional brutal killings staged by the criminals themselves, the guards, in order to pass the tedious time of their watch, would occasionally organize duels among the inmates, using food, women, or reductions in their sentences as incentives.

"Director Bilfit, although I understand your feelings, this is the decision of the Church Senate, which is beyond our control," Malfi spoke as calmly as he could, unable to agree with the decision made by the Supreme Council; "Moreover, if the situation you mentioned were to truly arise, I would also be powerless to intervene"

Hehe

With a sense of confusion, Malfi walked through the iron gate and discovered that many prisoners had gathered here

They must toil diligently to support the non-productive vermin criminals in the prison, to the extent that some exiles, unable to endure the hardships of labor, voluntarily request to enter Grig.

Although he is a messenger of enlightenment, the high priest, hailing from an ordinary merchant family, possesses a dark side unknown to most people

You little brat, just watch me teach you a lesson

A clear voice echoed in the cold prison, and Malfi was immediately ensnared by a binding spell, rendering him unable to use any of his magical powers, and even his hands and feet were unable to move freely

In the end, she still managed to escape

As I watched, all the temple warriors were captured without exception, lying motionless on the ground, uncertain whether they were dead or alive

It is taken for granted that the losing side has no choice but to go to the free graveyard outside Rose City for the next match

"Hmph, stop pretending. You think you can maintain your purity after entering the City of Death Row? Do you take me for a three-year-old? If you obediently listen, I will definitely not treat you poorly." Malfi sneered as he cornered the retreating girl, his appearance now devoid of the sanctity he had while praying in the temple, his expression as ugly as those death row inmates cheering in the duel arena.

It seems that this church envoy has brought very bad news, as they have never seen the warden so angry in his fifteen years of administration.

Just as his chubby hand was about to rest on the girl's slender waist, she alertly dodged away

This ... ... question posed to the superior left the secretary somewhat vague

Ah... indeed, just as Mitalo said, Your Excellency the High Priest, your depraved heart is no different from that of the prisoners in this jail. One could even say you are worse than they are. At least they do not disguise their desires, nor do they cloak their wicked deeds in the guise of the Church's charity.

The criminal law of the Ming-Su Empire indeed does not permit private duels or murder. However, this is Grig, the only place where the empire's laws allow killing within its territory. The prison guard replied expressionlessly, as if he had long been accustomed to this; "Which of these repeat offenders does not have a murder charge? What difference does it make if a few more die?"

After the children stood in line one by one, the young girl suddenly realized that there were only five people, missing the youngest one.

If your criminal law is not severe and you wish to regain your freedom, it is best not to kill indiscriminately. After all, the likelihood of a pardon occurring at Grig Prison can be said to be once in several decades

This is a concentration area for notorious criminals—a true nest of crime

Unlike the mournful gaze of the temple warrior, a strange light flashed momentarily in the high priest's eyes, disappearing so quickly that it was impossible to capture.

The prison guard retreated in a flustered manner, seemingly afraid that the frail girl would topple over with just a gust of wind

In a prison governed by the law of the jungle, the weak cannot survive at all. One must always be fully alert and prepared to face challenges, with the mindset that one could lose their life at any moment. Only in this way can one strive for more time and opportunities to live.

The envoy from Estonia, it is rare that those old men in the holy city still remember us, a group of wretches abandoned by the gods

"Bierfeite will not agree to that." Understanding Malfi's meaning, the young girl immediately shook her head, rejecting the death exemption that the criminals were mad about, appearing completely indifferent to the proposal

"Why are they not stopped? Both private duels and murder are violations of the law. Why does the prison allow such things to happen?" questioned an enraged temple warrior who followed the high priest.

How is the matter progressing

The harsh climate of scorching days and frigid nights, the barren land that yields no harvest, and the vicious orcs that frequently cross the borders to launch attacks—none of these are what the residents of Rose Town fear the most

He threw the hot potato to the warden, and after a series of tedious formalities to see off the envoy, Iderson sat down in a chair covered with soft polar bear fur and began to worry

Do we have a choice

A person who has lost so much blood is beyond the point of survival; yet, not only does the pitiful prisoner refuse to give up his final struggle, but even those besieging him show no intention of halting their assault

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As she gazed at the black figures gradually appearing in the corridor, Malfi's hope for rescue from her subordinates was dashed

Certainly, not all those imprisoned are evil wrongdoers; those who have been wrongfully convicted even account for one-third of the total prison population

Although everyone is a wanted criminal with a murder case, they can only be considered novice offenders compared to serious criminals below the seventh level

To be honest, he does not like the city of death row filled with death and decay at all; it is no different from the legendary underworld, with foul odors and the moans of prisoners everywhere

This is not within my jurisdiction; you should go speak with Warden Bilfitt, as he is in charge of all matters, big and small, concerning the prison

They looked around at each other, finding their own aging faces reflected in each other's eyes, and the death row inmates slowly nodded.

Under the pretext of an attack by prisoners, the guard Grigg, who was stationed at the main gate, closed the heavy stone door

"Who among those imprisoned in Grig Prison is not a repeat offender? Even the Goddess of Light cannot save their fallen souls. I absolutely cannot allow such evil individuals to walk out of my prison!" Almost shouting, Bilfitt insisted vehemently; "Moreover, if only a portion is released, it is highly likely to provoke dissatisfaction among the other inmates. If a riot occurs as a result, may I ask, High Priest, how should I handle it?"

Under the guidance of the prison guards, the church envoy and the *Tujia* officials passed through one checkpoint after another, walked through numerous iron gates, and after traversing an unknown number of staircases in the darkness, finally arrived at the lowest level of the prison marked with "10"

Although the girl appears to be young, she possesses a maturity that is absolutely uncommon for her age

In the name of Garcia, I grant you peace

What is going on here

Since its establishment seven hundred years ago, even with no fewer than one hundred prisoners from around the world being sent to the prison each month, successive wardens have never worried about overcrowding

Did I hear that correctly

The legion commander shook his head, indicating that it was not a matter of distrust; he simply disagreed with the church's decision

After venting, a slightly calmer Biefite regained his rationality. After much contemplation, he finally made a decision

In the dark and damp underground prison, one can find notorious crime lords who are on the wanted lists of various countries.

How can one belittle human life? Even if they are a criminal, they are still a life. The Goddess of Light will never allow such things..." The High Priest reprimanded sternly, and before the prison guard could voice a rebuttal, another voice interrupted.

Isn't this akin to letting the tiger return to the mountain? Not to mention the losses incurred by releasing those bad actors, their past notorious deeds alone are sufficient to provoke discontent among other nations. If this leads to war with neighboring countries, Iderson would not be the least bit surprised

How is the preparation going

In prison, in order to survive, one must kill others

Do not worry, it is the prison arena. Today is the monthly recreation time, and the inmates gather in the arena to watch the matches, as this is their only source of entertainment

Staring at the empty lower-level prison, the warden murmured to himself, while the other inmates burst into laughter in unison, and even the town of Rose on the surface could hear the laughter coming from below

On the surface, he appears dignified, yet he delights in tormenting beautiful young women. Although the girl before him is somewhat plain in appearance, she serves as a decent diversion before his departure from the Eastern Continent.

Tomorrow marks the Day of Atonement, presided over personally by the High Priest Malfi. If you miss this opportunity, you will have to wait at least another thirty years for the next one. I am indifferent, but you no longer have that much time, do you? The pale-faced girl coldly met the gaze of the elderly prisoner beside her. If it were not for the obvious curves beneath her thin clothing, her resolute face paired with an air of pride would make her resemble a naive youth venturing out into the world for the first time.

The eighth to tenth floors are the lairs of first-degree criminals

Once again, the High Priest regretted his reckless actions

Though the prisoners, weak and powerless, harbor resentment and injustice, they have no choice but to relinquish their meager dignity and the humanity they have long lost in order to survive, entrusting their lives to the grotesque struggles of the arena

"No problem, I have already made arrangements with the church, just waiting for those fools to come to me," Mataro replied with a smile that was more grotesque than crying, his cracked lips stretching painfully. The girl standing opposite him completely ignored his frightful appearance, which could terrify a child, and calmly moved towards the old man beside her, whose looks were not much better than Mataro's.

Several others inquired anxiously, as this operation could be considered the largest prison break in the history of Grig Prison

"As the last candidate for pardon, do you not wish to return to the outside world and live anew?" Observing the girl before him without leaving a trace, Malfi once again revealed a satisfied smile

A total of five guards were bribed, and they provided sufficient passwords to access the surface. If there are no mistakes in the plan, we will definitely be able to leave this time. Coffey nodded, indicating that he had completed the task.

Where is Ellie

After the envoy left, Birfield quietly departed from the official residence and headed to the forest tavern in White Rose Town, where he needed to vent his pent-up frustrations.

Boss, is it feasible? Although our plan is extremely cautious, any slight misstep in one of its components could lead to complete failure

The surrounding prisoners, shrouded in darkness, were excitedly howling due to the bloodshed and killings

I originally thought that there had been enough misfortunes this year, with the reassignment of Bai Qiang to hetushu.com at the beginning of the year and the defense against the third wave of orc attacks just ten days ago. Yet, the old fellows who were comfortably staying in the church actually had the audacity to entertain the idea of granting clemency for some heinous crimes, in order to demonstrate the new emperor's mercy

In the darkness, the eyes of the death row inmates gleamed with a fierce light, particularly bright in the dim prison, causing Malfit to suddenly feel as if he had fallen into a den of wolves. The leader of this pack of ferocious prison wolves was the girl known to the inmates as "Moya".

In the center of a circular hall reminiscent of a coliseum, a group of prisoners dressed in white uniforms is attacking a middle-aged man. Outnumbered, he is desperately evading their assaults, with streams of crimson blood trailing a path of despair across the white marble floor

At noon the next day, a middle-aged man dressed in the clerical attire of the Church of Light arrived in Rose Town, escorted by a dozen knights from the church

In order to rescue the crime lord imprisoned in jail, their subordinates, family members, partners, and enemies employed all sorts of unconventional tactics and spared no effort. The fascinating processes and strategies involved could easily fill a textbook on prison breaks

He is eager to return to his picturesque hometown

The girl in black seemed momentarily taken aback, her expression showing a fleeting moment of daze

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Upon hearing the request of the high priest, the aged warden displayed an expression on his face that was as incredulous as that of the legion commander

Each time, the candidates for amnesty are always divided into four categories, excluding young children. They must also be allocated to women, the elderly, and men. This is a special amnesty that occurs only when each new emperor ascends to the throne

The more prisoners are confined in the lower levels, the more dangerous they become; any one of them, if released, could wreak havoc in the surrounding area

What the astute warden never dreamed of, this decision will not only become an indelible stain on his pristine record, but it will also turn over a decade of hard work into mere illusion

What?

With lingering fears, Malfi looked anxiously at the guard. Could it be that the prisoners had staged a riot?

As the young girl was about to fall into his grasp, Malfi couldn't help but smile triumphantly in his heart

When the warden returned from the tavern in high spirits, he heard the clerk's vivid account of how the high priest left in a bloody state

If not for the dispersion of power, how could the temple warrior be easily defeated given his strength? At the very least, he still had the opportunity to call for help from the jailer

The entire prison is divided into a total of 18 levels, extending downward in a spiral shape from large to small

Although the Ming-Su Empire, which established the Church of Light as the state religion, has abolished the death penalty, the Grig Prison remains the only exception not bound by law

The guards responsible for defending each level blocked the envoy who had just arrived shortly after settling in

Eh?

Password

Then... find a young one to replace her. The young girl sighed, allowing the child to leave through the red iron gate. Just as she was about to instruct Kofi to find another child, the High Priest Malfi smiled and held her sleeve.

Everything is in order, including the guards outside who have also been subdued

The entire city is constructed on the towering Gilkut Mountains using the strongest white limestone from the Eastern Continent as the primary building material

Bierfit, who had been somewhat puzzled, suddenly recalled something. When he led his men down to the lowest level of the prison, what he saw was not only the guards lying scattered on the ground but also the unclothed priests and temple warriors.

Garcia, the Moon God, is indeed one of the Dark Deities, and only his followers can wield his power. This means that this seemingly harmless girl, who once had inappropriate thoughts, is actually a Dark Priestess

Successfully using the password obtained through bribery, the disguised prisoners, posing as priests and temple warriors, quickly passed through the various checkpoints

On the surface, White Rose appears to be an orderly border town, but what ordinary people may not know is that the residents living in this town are not just any individuals; they are the designated location for exiled nobles from various countries, illegal merchants, treasonous mages, fallen knights, and rebellious commoners.

Yet even riding in a carriage cannot shield them from the intense heat radiating from the sun, leaving this group of weary clerics feeling faint, with darkened eyes and weak limbs

What truly troubles them is the enormous "City of Death Row" located beneath the town—Anisia's largest and most infamous underground prison, "Grig"

Although it is an illegal act, under the tacit approval of the warden, this bloody and violent conduct not only went unrestrained but also gradually evolved into the foremost rule of Grig Prison

Unfortunately, this is Grig, where the rays of the sun cannot illuminate the dark underground city

The High Priest Malfi took out a letter from his bosom, the seal of the Church of Light's sun emblem clearly stamped in red wax.

If it were not for the calculating gleam flickering in his eyes, you might not associate this ugly old man, who could even be described as half disfigured and unkempt, with the shrewdly renowned "Grigg the Fox"

East Continent He Yin Weijia

The enraged high priest raised the Sider staff in his hand and struck it down forcefully onto the girl's head

Not good

However, this is limited to prisoners in the upper levels of the prison

The warden's mustache

A candelabrum carved from precious amethyst shattered into countless fragments on the ground, and Biefite, panting heavily, stared at the flowing Latin on the exquisite manuscript. To inscribe the name of a notorious criminal in such beautiful script was nothing short of a desecration of the muse of the arts

However, the warden is now disinclined to argue about these trivial matters that he usually cares about; what is most important at the moment is to ensure that a group of despicable scoundrels in the prison is specifically released by the church, as those first-degree felons must not be let out under any circumstances

Just as the envoys were astonished that the girl could command the other prisoners at will, the departing man had already returned, followed by several children around ten years old, among whom were two little girls aged seven or eight, their once beautiful dresses now so dirty that their colors were unrecognizable

"Very well, esteemed priest, it is time for you to fulfill your role." The young girl, Moya, skillfully removed Malfi's priestly robe and put it on, holding a golden staff, she presented quite the demeanor of a cleric

Furthermore, I advise those who wish to flee to first observe the three layers of armored military camps surrounding the town. The medium-sized fortress of Rose Town, with a population of less than 10,000, is garrisoned by 50,000 armored cavalry and 20,000 infantry.

What do you mean by this

The prison officials outside the large door secretly peered inside, unaware that the usually affable warden could display such a furious side.

He indeed did not see the face beneath the priest's hood

Due to the ascension of the new Pope, the High Priest Malfi, who had been awaiting reassignment in the central diocese of the Eastern Continent, has finally received permission. He will be able to set off for his hometown in the Southern Continent after completing the Day of Atonement

The death row inmates donned the armor stripped from the temple warriors, making it impossible for anyone to associate them with the infamous Grig prisoners.

Clang! ! ''

Ah, finally dealt with those troublesome fellows, which caused me to get injured as well. It seems my skills have truly declined; in the past, I could eliminate ten temple knights in the blink of an eye

For particularly serious offenders at the lower levels, the warden cannot casually jeopardize his own future and family.

In the depths of the underground prison, at the lowest level, several serious offenders secretly gathered together, discussing their plan, which they had been secretly working on for many years, in the quietest possible tones

At the westernmost border of the Ming-Su Empire, there lies a peculiar town that does not match its beautiful name—White Rose.

Recently, a beautiful dancer from the Western Continent arrived at the Forest Bar. Because she bears a striking resemblance to his wife, Bilfit often spends a considerable amount of time in the bar to soothe his homesickness.

Even a three-year-old child knows that the Grig Prison houses only evil criminals, yet granting clemency to death row inmates is an essential ritual for every new emperor of the Church of Light. He had no choice but to endure the sweltering heat to come to Grig Prison

"There are only sixteen... Kofi, go call those few newcomers from this year." Taking the decree from the hands of the high-ranking official, the young girl frowned slightly and waved her hand, prompting a burly man behind her to turn and leave