Inheriting a Lost Bloodline, My First Task is to have heirs?!

Chapter 248: Chapter 248 - Rescue Mission (Part 3 - Palace Dungeon)

The palace dungeon area is built quite deeply under the main palace. It can only be accessed via a hidden door behind the throne room. The only entrance brings you in front of a circular set of winding stairs that looked like it can go downwards forever.

Descending through it really made me dizzy but I couldn’t use teleportation straight to the bottom since I haven’t been to this area yet. The palace map I made doesn’t include this hidden area. It took me almost 20 minutes to reach the lowest floor of the dungeon.

As I was moving down the stairs, I saw that the palace dungeon consists of a total of three floors which matches the report of the initial scouts sent in this kingdom. As per the briefing I had at Noir, the lower the floor is, the more important or dangerous are the people being kept in the prison cells. Of course, I would pick going to the lowest floor in a heartbeat.

As I reached the lowest floor, I scanned the area with my mana and found several life signatures in the cells. I am currently invisible just in case they have recording devices in this place. There were two guards at the base of the stairs which I have easily dealt with small darts to the back of the head that contains a sleeping poison.

I hurriedly went to the farthest cell from the base of the stairs. As I was nearing the cell door, I called on a name provided to me by Richard together with a code that he and his brothers agreed on in case they get separated. This will help them ensure that the person talking to them is really sent by an ally to get them back. I called loudly using a spell to make me sound like a young male, ”Wylden, I have come to take you away.”

I heard a weak cough inside the poorly lit cell and then a hoarse voice came after. He responded through code automatically, ”I am Wylden. Who sent you?” I answered immediately to avoid him doubting my reasons for coming here, ”I was sent by the verdant plains and the boundless seas. They want to be reunited with the blazing sun.”

He was silent for a while but I can feel an intense stare being directed towards me. After the awkward silence, he spoke again with a hoarse voice, ”I am glad that they found each other quickly. I want to be reunited with them. Take me away.”

After I got the confirmation which matches the code provided, I immediately opened the cell door to reach my rescue target. The metal was sturdy but was of poor quality so destroying the locks were as easy as pie.

When I spoke to Wylden a while ago, I heard soft gasps from the other cells around. They may have never considered that someone will be brave enough at the same time have the ability to infiltrate this underground dungeon and rescue someone.

As I entered the cell, I saw an emaciated and filthy looking man who was tightly chained to the wall. His hair, mustache and beard had become unkempt, dirty and clumpy, covering his entire face. I scanned the whole place again and noticed that all the other people here seemed to be bound to the walls too. All four limbs were clamped and chained to ensure that they couldn’t escape.

With a flick of my finger, all four metal clasps and chains holding Wylden in place was destroyed. He weakly fell forward and I immediately caught him before he hit the ground. He was too light and his breath is really weak. I placed a purple tag on his wrist which indicates that I was the one who sent him through teleportation. I immediately teleported him to Sklavryet for immediate medical care.

I know that the other people in the cells have heard the commotion so I spoke out loud, ”State your names, who you were before you got imprisoned and the cause of your imprisonment. If you dare lie to me, you can just stay here until you die.” To show my intention, I confidently opened all the cell doorspp with people in them all at once.

There were still five people imprisoned in this floor but I want to make sure I only save those that are worthy of saving. One of the prisoners immediately spoke, it was a woman and she said, ”My name is Astrid. I was the previous queen of Viridis. The current king was my half brother who usurped the kingdom through treachery and rebellion. He enslaved all the families of the current palace official to keep them obedient and working for him. The other three here are my loyal aide, my main consort and my only concubine. My son and daughter was placed somewhere else. I don’t want to lead this kingdom anymore. I just want my family and my trusted people to be safe.”

The fifth person then spoke, ”My name is Rekker. I am the leader of the rebel group who stands against the current king. He massacred the people of my village including my parents, my in-laws, my wife and my three children. The land bathed by their blood was then reused as a ranch for his collection of horses as if killing everyone there was not enough insult. On the night of his coronation party, I poisoned him and his whole harem. Too bad he lived like the cockroach he is but two of the wh*res he’s keeping and his only child died. He doesn’t deserve to have a family or a child!”

Ohh... Aren’t we starting this line up with a bang?!

I spoke with a neutral tone, ”If I free all of you, you understand that your lives will belong to me, right?” There was an awkward silence that followed. Nobody wants to be enslaved by others so I understand their doubts. I added, ”I will give you a minute to decide then I will leave this place. I have other people to take away from the other floors.”

Rekker immediately stated his condition, ”My life is yours but on one condition. Help me in taking away all the other members of the rebel group and their families out of this kingdom.” I did not respond immediately and simply waited for the ex-queen to speak.

A few seconds before the time is up, she spoke, ”I will agree to your offer as long as you keep me and all my loyal constituents safe. Help me take away my children, my loyal officials and their families as well as what is left of my loyal royal guards. They should be placed in the other floors and other prisons in this kingdom. We all want to leave this kingdom as well.”

I smirked at the conditions they provided since it was my original intention to bring innocent and willing people out of Viridis but getting extra benefits while doing my mission is not so bad. I need trustworthy people to manage my properties in Sklavryet in the near future so these two will fit the bill and repay me that way.

I responded with a lazy, ”Sure, it’s a deal then.” I entered the first cell where Rekker was. I placed my hand on the nape of his neck to mark him as my follower. I unchained him and then casted a healing spell on the guy. I also gave him something to eat and drink to get a bit of his strength back. I need him to accompany me to rescue his people.

I did the same thing with the ex-queen Astrid and her entourage. I decided to keep her for now after healing her up and feeding her so she can help me identify the people we need to take away and where they are as of the moment. As for the Astrid’s aide, consort and concubine, I tagged them with purple tags and sent them via teleportation for immediate medical help.

Once my two followers have the strength to walk, we casually went up the next floor where the other dungeon prisoners are in. The second to the lowest floor are filled with palace officials loyal to Astrid, high ranking soldiers and guards that don’t want to accept the current king as their master and other rebel group members that got caught together with Rekker. I freed all of them, tagged them and teleported them back as well.

The highest floor of the dungeon imprisons loyal palace maids of Astrid, wives and children of the officials who were imprisoned in the lower floor who work by force in the current king’s court, and surprisingly, some nobles and royal women that were kidnapped from other kingdoms and territories. I guess they resorted to kidnap and ransom to get funds to keep this kingdom running. We freed all of them as well, tagged them and sent them back to Sklavryet.

I sent a message to the Noir elders about the three women I recently sent over. I told them that we have to keep them safe temporarily. For now, they have to check if there are any monetary rewards being offered to get these people back so we can claim it to fund Noir’s projects. It maybe mean since we are getting something in return for rescuing them but we also need funds and they fall under a special case, honestly.

After emptying the three-floored underground dungeon, our trio went around the palace and with the ex-queen’s permission, we looted every single valuable thing left inside it including the ones in hidden places and the treasure room. I gave Astrid a large capacity storage ring and let her go crazy looting her previous palace. She happily did it until all the rooms, floors and walls are bare. She even took the chandeliers!

As we went around each and every room, we took away Astrid’s loyal followers, the slaves forced to work here and lastly, I poisoned the current king to ensure that he never bears a child again. This is within my power and as Rekker said, his cruelty makes him unworthy having children of his own. It will also keep him from breeding a new generation of vicious individuals that were greedy for wealth and power as well as ones that relish in the suffering and death of others.