Chapter 2, Escape from Prison
Upon returning to the Duke's residence, Duke Mralak learned of the escape of the prisoner, yet he did not display any significant change in expression. He calmly instructed that the personal belongings of the prisoner be brought to him for inspection
As Asar awoke, the first words he heard were a complaint. This tone is often heard in the market. When an elderly woman purchases unsatisfactory or substandard vegetables and meats, it immediately surfaces.
The thin man spoke animatedly: "I told you long ago that these young masters just like to put on airs, relying solely on their family's influence; their posturing is intimidating. If it were an ordinary commoner, I could kick him to death with just one kick..." The fat man, lost in thought, echoed his words.
Asa suddenly heard strange sounds coming from a nearby cell. It was the gasping and moaning of a man and a woman
This knife is very practical; every useful part is crafted with precision, yet there are no signs of decoration, not even the most minimal embellishment. In other words, this knife is not a commodity, nor is it a gift among friends. It seems as if it is meant for personal use. The duke asked, "How old do you think that soldier is?"
After the footsteps faded for a while, the thin man finally caught his breath and expressed his dissatisfaction in a very disdainful tone: "What a pretentious display, isn’t it just because of a better birth? If I were born into the Elni family, I would have been a general at his age." Seeing the fat man still trembling and fearful from the knight's gaze just now, the courage in his heart was revived. He patted the fat man's shoulder and said: "So, what do you think? You said you wanted to handle the corpse yourself, but that takes time and is easy to be discovered. Why not just hand that thing over to old Sandru? He can solve our problem much faster. If you were to do it yourself, we wouldn’t have made it in time just now."
The sound of bones breaking echoed unusually clearly in the quiet dungeon. A few still fragile ribs in the chest were kicked and broken by this figure, causing a dull pain in the chest. Asa fell backward, the back of his head striking a protruding stone beneath the straw, and everything went dark as he lost consciousness
The thin man became increasingly furious: "Go to hell..."
Why is it still alive
The thin prison guard was still shouting: "Go to hell, I have never seen you wait so earnestly during normal times. Now that I am a few minutes late, you have to complain for so long. Now you are not in a hurry to go back, but are here enjoying yourself. Why should I help you clean the pot?"
Looking up, one can see that the three walls are constructed of large blocks of blue stone, with only two ventilation holes slightly larger than a fist allowing some dim light to seep in. On the other side, there is a wooden fence as thick as an arm, and beyond that, there are several more wooden fences. This is a cold and damp dungeon
Asa rubbed his neck and woke up, discovering that he was lying on a pile of moldy straw. A mouse quickly jumped from his feet and scurried into a crack in the wall
Not long after, and even before the two had experienced any significant soreness in their legs, Clovis had already arranged the search operation of the Royal Capital's Guard and returned to the prison
"You are still too young," the duke concluded with a tone of mild exasperation as he withdrew his gaze. He then issued a command: "Inform the commanders of the royal capital's guard that this spy is extremely dangerous. If found, execute him on the spot, and no one is to engage him in conversation"
Two guards covered their necks, and the thin man replied in a voice that was on the brink of death: "He said he was seriously injured and asked us to find a doctor for him. This is an important criminal you have captured, and we were afraid he would really die, so we went in to check on him. Little did we know, he suddenly knocked us out and escaped." To prove his loyalty, he pointed to the other cells and said: "You can ask the other prisoners; they all witnessed it with their own eyes." The entire dungeon echoed with half-hearted affirmations.
Has the offender spoken with anyone here
No one at hetushu.com is infallible; even if a mistake is made, it is sufficient to try to make amends. Regret and blame are of no use, don't you agree? The two guards noticed that the knight's complexion was no longer as dreadful; it was no longer that terrifying shade of blue, and there was even a hint of warmth in his eyes. His words seemed to offer them forgiveness and comfort. This brought them a sense of relief, and the thin one quickly replied, "Yes, yes, we will certainly do our best to make amends."
The portly jailer smacked his lips, still savoring the moment, and replied in a slow, deliberate manner: "Who told you to arrive so late? You missed the shift change time, and I was left waiting anxiously."
The thin man was secretly astonished by the power of this kick, but he feigned calmness and shouted, "What are you panicking about! What's so surprising about a dead criminal? I told you long ago that my skills are quite solid; I was well-known for it during my time in the army. You can ask around about it back then..."
The two guards heard the crisp sound and saw the prisoner lying motionless on the ground. The fat guard hurriedly opened the gate, came over to check on Asa, felt for his breath, and exclaimed, "Oh no, he's not breathing!" He then touched his chest. "Several ribs are broken. It seems there is no heartbeat either."
Hmm. It seems that Clovis has figured something out, made a decision, and slowly nodded to himself.
"Damn you!" The thin man suddenly turned around and kicked, striking Asar squarely in the chest, completely catching him off guard
A burst of light that could almost be used to kill erupted from Klauvis's eyes as he fixed his gaze on the two guards and said, "You are not allowed to move here; wait for my return." He then turned and sprinted out of the dungeon
"Good, good, what you are saying is correct." Clovis placed his hands on the shoulders of the two guards, leaving them utterly astonished. The stout man was no longer afraid, feeling that this handsome and amiable young noble was even more worthy of reverence than the statues in the church. The thin man also inwardly acknowledged that this wealthy young man was indeed slightly superior to himself.
Sir Clovis furrowed his brow with great authority and, in his slow and steady tone, akin to an adult scolding a child, reprimanded the rising and falling cries: "What is all this noise? They are merely fulfilling their responsibilities. You have responsibilities as well"
Before he could react to what was happening, the door of the dungeon was kicked open with a loud bang. A thin man dressed as a guard rushed in, heading straight to the cell door where someone was moaning, kicking the wooden bars above and shouting: "Get out!"
The fat man is still trembling, and his voice is hardly clear: "His gaze is quite frightening."
Yes. Claudius was ordered to withdraw. He had great confidence in the efficiency of the Royal Guard, and it was possible that the soldier was already dead by now
Klawis examined it closely and replied: "This is not a soldier's weapon produced by a regular arms factory; it is forged by an ordinary private blacksmith." He looked at it again. "He is a very good blacksmith."
One fat and one thin body leaned against each other as they fell, as if they shared a deep bond, with blood and brain matter mixed together, indistinguishable from one another. From a relatively close distance, several voices of astonishment emerged from within the nearby enclosures, clearly witnessing the situation.
The Duke stared at Clovis for quite some time. Although he knew that the Duke did not intend to express anger or blame, Clovis still felt a slight chill running down his spine
Just moments ago, he was in the opulent duke's mansion, and now he finds himself lying in a cell of a dungeon. The stark contrast leaves Asa's still-dizzy head at a loss for what has transpired. He shook his head and tried to recall the events, but it only made him more confused.
If this knife was made by him, then he must have started practicing blacksmithing skills while still in the womb. The maker of this knife should be one of his ancestors, possibly his father. The duke's reasoning left Clovis in awe. The iron used for this knife is also of excellent quality; how could an ordinary blacksmith's family possess such high-grade ore, unless it was in...
Um... this... I commanded to throw it away
It seems there is no... The thin man did not dare to meet Clovis's gaze, instead looking at the wall behind him as he responded. The fat man merely stared at the ground, trembling.
I believe that keeping items used by such people in the residence is nothing short of a desecration
Is it that knight who doubts whether there is an issue between him and his fiancée? Or does he think that he has realized that his fiancée's injury was caused by him? Asa carefully filtered through his report in his mind, and indeed, there were no flaws. He had already dealt with the story about the swamp on his way to the royal capital. Was it that knight who acted on his own accord? If so, then he could only speak directly to the Duke. He had already dealt with the story about the swamp on his way to the royal capital. Was it that knight who acted on his own accord? If so, then he could only speak directly to the Duke.
Not long after, when the two guards had just finished their arrangements, Sir Clovis arrived
A dull thud echoed through the air of the dungeon
"Thrown away?" A rare look of surprise appeared in the Duke's eyes. "Why?"
"No need, it has only been less than an hour anyway; the person is surely still in the city. Just search diligently." The duke set down the knife. "Where is the chair that soldier sat in, and the cup that was used?"
Knight Clovis looked on with genuine admiration at the Duke's calm demeanor, which was as tranquil as water. He was a person who never revealed what he was thinking, yet those eyes, slightly squinted with a hint of a smile, seemed capable of seeing through the deepest secrets of anyone's heart. This was something Clovis aspired to learn diligently.
Inside, there were several muffled groans of effort, and then a rather stout prison guard emerged slowly, holding up his trousers.
Approximately twenty
As Asa approached the wooden fence, he said to the two guards outside, "I want to see Duke Mralak..." pondering in his heart how to convey this matter to the duke.
The thin man was still intoxicated by the bravery of having kicked someone to death, his eyes widening: "What’s there to be afraid of?" It seemed that even if the Baron himself came, he could just kick him to death. However, after taking a moment to catch his breath, he felt a sense of unease; after all, the recent disturbances caused by heretics and spies had been quite severe. Killing a spy could easily lead to suspicions of being a spy oneself, resulting in a cover-up. Moreover, the Baron's reputation for severity was well-known. The thin man's voice lowered a notch: "Let me think this over carefully..."
"Is it good?" Klauvis's voice seemed to be inquiring, yet also appeared to be speaking to himself. The two guards did not dare to respond
The thin jailer shouted loudly: "What is going on? Wasn't it agreed that I would come first?"
The fat man looked at the thin man in terror and said in a voice as shaky as sifted flour: "This prisoner is a spy just sent over from the Duke's residence, instructed to be kept under close watch. He was captured by Baron Clovis himself, and he may come to conduct an interrogation."
The fat man said nonchalantly: "Forget it, since it's already done, there's no point in discussing it further. Whether you do it or not is up to you... Why not wait until she is released before you go..."
Klawis examined closely, yet could not discern anything. He could only respond: "I cannot see anything."
Did he escape? The knight's face was even paler than the color of the bluestone on the wall
Whether speaking passionately or listening intently, the two stood there without moving at all
Holding the knife in his hand and examining it closely, the Duke squinted his eyes even further. He traced the blade with his finger, lingering for a while, and suddenly asked Clovis: "What kind of knife do you think this is"
Unless his family is located near a mine that produces ore, " Claudius continued. "I will send someone to Karendo to investigate.
Indeed, it is crafted by a very skilled blacksmith. The angles of the blade, its length, and variations in thickness are all expertly controlled. Can you discern the relationship between this blacksmith and the user of this knife?