Kingdom's Bloodline, page 463
His gaze moved past Ricky to Thales, who was in front of Marina. He continued to smile.
Thales raised his eyebrows.
Examining the back and front of the line of caravans, Ricky noticed Stake's gaze, and he snorted coldly.
Nevertheless, he did not say anything in the end. He just entered the storage area in the horse carriage and waved his hands.
The Disaster Swords caught up to the line of caravans and easily moved into the gaps between the carriages. They became one with the caravans. As for Thales, he was pushed roughly into one of the horse carriages.
The caravans moved on as the different wheels rotated.
The caravans were very quiet. No one made a sound, whether it was the hidden Shadow Shield or the murderous Disaster Swords. Those steering the carriages steered the carriages, those rising the carriages rode the carriages, those walking continued to walk. At that moment, there was only the sound of wheels and hooves. The atmosphere was very oppressive.
While Thales was filled with discomforting thoughts, a seemingly familiar building appeared in his swaying vision: it was a huge fortress in the shape of a large bowl, with only a protruding archway serving as its entrypoint.
The Prison of Bones.
As the supply caravan drew close, the guards guarding the archway lifted their torches and walked forward.
Thales looked from afar and could not help but frown.
"You're a bit too early." A guard who appeared to be the leader walked near the first horse carriage accompanied by a few of his colleagues. He looked at the smiling coachman, then frowned.
"There's still some time before the breaking of dawn…"
The horse carriages in front stopped.
The coachman jumped down from the carriage. He instructed his "workers" to unload the goods while he spoke with a smile, "We're under special circumstances now, could you make an allowance..."
The leader's gaze, however, moved to the back of the line of caravans.
"Wait.
"Your line is a little long." The leader of the guards looked at the unending line of caravans coming from the back. Suspicion appeared on his face. "And why are there some who have brought weapons?"
Even so, the coachman was calm. He just spread his arms, and explained with an obsequious laugh, "We're new here. You know that the campsite hasn't exactly been peaceful recently…"
The leader's gaze froze.
He took a step back, and subconsciously placed his hands on his waist.
The eight guards behind him were also alerted.
Observing from the side, Thales clenched his fists tightly. He saw it; the leader's armor had the emblem of the Stardust Unit.
*Swish!*
"Not too safe, my foot." The guards' leader had already discovered that something was amiss. He drew out his weapon without hesitation and warily said, "There is no need for this many people to deliver supplies!"
The faces of the guards behind him changed.
The coachman's face turned pale. He quickly waved his hands to defend himself. "No, no, no, that's b-because we are Hell's River's—"
The armed leader was stunned when he heard this. "What of Hell's River?"
The next second, a guard behind the leader suddenly took a step forward and hugged him from behind!
*Slurp!*
"...Ferrymen," The mole behind the leader calmly continued what the coachman said.
The leader's mouth was covered. He convulsed, and his eyes were wide in disbelief. He looked at the blood-stained sword that came out of his chest.
Thales breathed hard, but next to him, Marina covered his mouth with a firm grip.
Before the remaining guards could react to the sudden, drastic change, the coachman suddenly shot up!
He moved past the leader who died with his eyes wide open. He arrived before the second guard, and under the latter's shocked expression, he stabbed the guard's throat with a dagger, pinning his screams between his chattering teeth.
At the same time, six or seven mysterious figures materialized in the dark!
A terrified guard drew his weapon, but just as he was about to scream, a "worker", who moved behind him, seized his chin and effortlessly cut open his trachea.
In his despair, he looked at his colleague beside him to ask for help, but he discovered that his colleague was being strangled with a metal string by an assassin who appeared at some unknown point of time. His colleague was looking at him with an expression of pain, scrabbling at his neck in vain.
Another guard instinctively turned to the archway to call for help, but before he could complete his actions, a scary cracking sound was heard. His head was twisted in another direction by an assassin.
There was even an assassin who took out a crossbow and accurately shot through a guard's nape, right through his spine. It effectively cut of the guard's screams and halted his footsteps.
In Thales' terrified eyes, the sudden appearances of the mysterious figures resulted in the stabbing, strangling, or twisting of the guards' necks. They silently yet efficiently ended the lives of the nine guards.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
Thales had even nearly forgotten to breathe.
'This is…
'Shadow Shield?'
The mercenaries who came with the caravan all widened their eyes as they watched the scene under the moon in shock.
When the similarly shocked Marina released Thales, who was breathing frantically, the assassins ahead had already carefully held up the guards who could no longer move. They then skillfully removed the torches and weapons they dropped before they dragged the bodies to a dark corner, hiding them from the eyes of the crowd.
Very soon, the area before the Prison of Bones became empty. The last traces of Constellation's troops had also disappeared from the streets.
There was only an indistinct blood stain on the ground, which served as a testament to what happened moments ago.
Ricky's frown grew deeper.
"Williams' underlings are indeed alert." Stake clicked his tongue as he watched everything before him, but he remained nonchalant. "They're vastly different from those recruits. If we had not been well prepared, and you acted alone…"
Ricky nodded slightly and got down from the carriage.
He maintained his composure. He knew that Stake was demonstrating his power towards him, all because they had detained his "goods".
"Damn it." At one point, the Northlandic swordsman, Klein had arrived at Ricky's side with an unpleasant face. He commented on the silent bloodshed, "I've killed many, but this is just…"
He looked at the blood stains on the streets, and he could not go on.
Thales understood what he meant.
Ricky patted Klein on the shoulder and made a hand gesture.
The mercenaries who were stunned by the scene then came back to their senses.
The caravans in disguise continued to move forward. They entered the archway and the deep passage leading to the Prison of Bones.
Thales was among them. His expression was grave.
"As you can see, the guards on the ground who guard the area outside the Prison of Bones have quietly been disposed. We've arranged men to take over their positions." Stake moved past the torches and blood stains, as though they had nothing to do with him. He smiled at Ricky and said, "The patrol team will pass by this place after fifteen minutes during curfew, but they are all recruits sent from each Great Clan to fill up the gaps in manpower. They're up to their throats in complains, their morale is bad, they are inefficient, and they cannot be compared to Williams' regular troops. They won't be able to tell what's wrong.
"We will have at least four hours for our plan until the shift at the Prison of Bones changes."
Thales' heart froze when he heard their conversation.
Ricky nodded. "And is there anything else that I should know?"
"Even if there is an accident somewhere along the way, we can try to delay the time for the patrols to investigate this place and allow ourselves enough time to retreat. The patrol team in charge for these two areas belong to Brave Souls Fort and New Offering Land, and there's conflict between the two factions," Stake said with a smile.
Eckstedt's former envoy, Lasalle Weider appeared among them and frowned.
"According to what I know, Frank the Stallion is still in the camp, and he's a tough character. The few Stardust Unit soldiers he commands are the elite of the regular troops under Williams. Their reaction is fast, their battle skills shocking, plus they know the camp well."
Stake nodded with a smile.
"That's right, but Blade Fangs Camp has nobles whose statuses are far greater than a bumpkin like Frank. Don't hope for a group of counts and viscounts to obey his orders. He would already have to thank his lucky stars if they don't act as his stumbling block."
Stake spoke in a crafty manner, "We also did some work here. The recruits, regular troops, local nobles, the Royal Family, and the disunited Blade Fangs Camp will take a much longer time to realize something's wrong, gather their troops, and rush here to provide assistance."
Lasalle finally understood, and he nodded in approval. "Constellatiates gathered their troops to march west en masse. It may seem like they're showing off their might in the desert, but they bound their hands and feet together themselves in their own camp. You are very lucky."
Samel rubbed the brand on his face, and snorted coldly. "Why do you think we picked this time to enter, Northlander?"
When Stake saw that the two men who never got along were about to start fighting again, he immediately changed the topic.
Stake coughed and said, "Even if we are driven to a corner, we can still strike the gong and lure the tigers away."
Klein was confused. "What?"
Stake laughed smugly. "This is a saying from the Teng Family. It means to divert their focus. Think about it; an accident happened at the Prison of Bones, a noble who came from afar was assassinated, a fire broke out at the army storehouse. If you were Frank, and these three things happened at the same time, which matter would you attend to first as the watchdog Williams left behind?"
The three Disaster Swords understood what Stake meant. They exchanged looks, and their gazes were serious.
"You all seem to have forgotten about the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department and their ears in the camp," Ricky whispered. "Do you think they won't detect a thing?"
Stake's eyes brightened.
"They probably have noticed a lot of clues, but they can't react. We've already released a bait along time ago. A young man who looks like the Prince of Constellation showed up at the Tower of Eradication recently. Trust me, for this news, all the agents of the Secret Intelligence Department have set off to the north."
When he heard this, Thales sighed in disappointment.
Ricky remained silent for a while.
"You didn't come here at the spur of a moment, or because this event in Blade Fangs Camp happened all of a sudden." Ricky understood something and lifted his eyes. His gaze was wary. "You've been planning this for a long time."
Stake laughed in a nonchalant manner.
"Perhaps you're more used to killing in direct confrontation, but when it comes to this…"
Stake peered at his surroundings. "We are the professionals."
Samel snorted angrily. "Just like eighteen years ago?"
Stake smiled. He wisely chose not to continue with the topic.
They finally finished walking the passage, which was neither too long, nor too short. They then entered the main building in the Prison of Bones.
A wooden door, which was the height of three or four men, appeared in front of their eyes.
Behind the big door were jumbled shouts from the prisoners.
Klein walked forward and knocked on the door.
"My Home, here to deliver supplies," he said coldly.
A small window on the wooden door was pulled open, revealing a man's face. He regarded the caravan skeptically. "Supplies?
"You're here early, and… shouldn't you be accompanied by the guards?"
Those were his last words.
In the next second, Klein drew his longsword from his waist, thrust forward at the speed of lightning, and delivered his sword straight through the guard's face behind the window.
An alarmed scream came from behind the door.
"Intruders!"
It was clear that the guards behind the door had realized the situation in front of the door. An alarmed voice rose into the air. "Quick, sound the alarm—Argh!"
He fell silent. Even the other frantic noises behind the door disappeared.
After a few seconds, the terrifying silence was broken by the sound of a few large objects dropping on the ground behind the door.
As Stake continued to smile in the same manner, Ricky released his grip from the sword hilt by his waist.
Thales' breathing grew faster. The muscles on his arms became tenser.
Very soon, the sound of metal scratching against something was heard, and the door was pushed open with a loud creak.
Two assassins dressed like guards came out from the darkness. They nodded expressionlessly at Stake.
As Thales sighed, the Disaster Swords all got down from their caravans. After that, they lifted their torches and entered in a single file.
In the dark, the sounds of intense fighting continued.
Not long after, the brief scuffle ended.
Thales took a deep breath. Then, as Marina urged him forward, he entered the Prison of Bones.
He left the world lit by the moon, and entered the dark place illuminated only by torches. It was a place filled with sounds unique to prisons: knocking, moaning, crying, cursing, and roaring from prisoners.
"Whoa, come and take a look. We have some entertainment!"
"Hahaha, who's got the guts to do this?!"
"What happened? What happened?"
"Oh, f*ck, I think I saw the guards falling to the ground!"
"Hey, those who live near the door, tell us what happened there."
"It seems like the guards were fighting?"
"I bet ten gold coins. Big Lyer will surely win!"
"Twenty gold coins! I'm putting all my money on Morpheus! He was trained in the Tower of Eradication!"
"As if you two smugglers even have any gold coins!"
Thales averted his gaze away from the dead guards to examine the place before him.
The Prison of Bones looked like a crudely-made, dome-shaped colosseum from the outside, but the interior of the building was incredibly complex. Clearly, they had only entered one layer within the prison.
The first thing that entered Thales' view was the ground made of hard rock. It was solid but crude. The walls made of huge stones had several torches fixed on them to provide light. It did not matter whether it was the low ceilings, the darkness from the tunnel, or the nonstop buzzes from the prisoners' screams, all of them caused Thales to feel incredibly depressed, and he felt awful.
And the jumbled up noises came from the darkness in the arc-shaped tunnels which the torches could not illuminate. He could vaguely see arms stretching out of the darkness, and they were waving in the air furiously.
"Damn it, I can't see clearly!"
"It's a prison break! There's definitely someone doing a prison break!"
"Enough already. Every single week, there's someone who declares that there's a prison break. Can we please have another story?"
"Hey… prison breaker, help a man out and break my lock, will you?"
The Disaster Swords ignored these voices. With one single command, they spread out orderly in a well-trained manner, and entered the darkness on both sides.
Stake stopped moving, and turned towards Ricky.
"We're inside. Of course, we won't be able to help but miss someone. After all, even the guards have to be on patrol, but there's only one exit to this place. Based on the information, there are quite a number of people who are locked in each layer." Stake took a torch and gestured to his left and right. "There will be the most number of prisoners in the first layer, and when we move one layer up…"
But Ricky only lifted his hand gently and cut him off.
"That'll be something we'll take care of ourselves."
Even though he had been tactfully rebuked, Stake still bowed amiably once his smile froze for a moment on his face.
Several minutes passed. The sounds of battle shot out from the darkness, along with the prisoners' feverish shouts.
After a moment, while the clamor among the prisoners grew louder, a rather large number of Disaster Swords came back from the tunnel to the left in a continuous stream with the signs of battle on their bodies. The observant Thales noticed that there were a lot of shabbily dressed newcomers among them, and they seemed to be the Prison of Bones' prisoners.
Among them, a built prisoner came to stand before Ricky, and with a perfectly collected expression, he caught the weapon and clothes Shawn threw at him.
"Looks like you're pretty used to jail food, Josef," said Klein with a cold smile.
"Eckstedt, Anlenzo, Alumbia, Constellation. Different places, but their prisons are all the same." The prisoner named Josef changed his clothes and looked around before chuckling softly. "Besides them shutting me together with the disgusting cross-dressing male prostitutes, there's really nothing different about these prisons.
"But you sure move fast. I thought you would cause more of a ruckus."
"We were very lucky. We obtained some 'help' we didn't expect," Ricky answered with a smile.
Stake winked amiably.
By the side, Lasalle observed the prisoners who were released, and he frowned.
"You did a prison break to release these people?" He seemed to rather disapprove of this action. "Honestly, you just need to use some money…"
Ricky chuckled and shook his head.
"This must be your first time in the Prison of Bones, Baron Lasalle."
Lasalle was somewhat taken aback.
He narrowed his eyes and looked towards Stake. The latter only smiled helplessly while he was beside him.
"In truth, there are two parts to the Prison of Bones." Ricky patted Josef, who just escaped from prison, then turned around and said to Lasalle, "Your Grace, what you see is just one part of it—the White Prison. And we are going to…"
