The Devil’s Cage

A convoy departed from Lander’s mansion during the night.

The convoy consisted of five wagons and had more than thirty guards and escorts with it.

After leaving Herl City, the convoy headed north from midnight until sunset. After a full day of traveling, the convoy stopped at a shelter area and the guards built a temporary camp to rest.

Some of the guards and escorts were cooks and they started making dinner while the rest kept a lookout around the perimeter, searching for potential pursuers.

Harold’s father and Joanna’s parents were sitting together, whispering about something.

They were doubtful about this ”trip” as they didn’t even know the destination. However, their trust towards their children and the abnormalities that happened in Herl City for the past few days persuaded them to listen to Herbert’s advice.

Of course, Herbert’s well-known reputation from the old days made him more reliable in convincing them.

”May everyone be safe throughout the journey!”

Joanna’s father was a middle-aged gentleman and her mother was a delicate and beautiful lady. Both of them shared the same worries about the current situation.

”Worry not. I’ve brought my family’s most loyal guards and escorts. Besides that, we still have Sir 2567 with us!” Harold’s father said with confidence.

When he mentioned Kieran, his tone sounded unnatural. Not only was this because Kieran took control of the spy in front of him but it was also because of what happened at Charlie Street. He was also an indirect participant in that incident and had a lot of knowledge about the context behind it. When he saw Charlie Street get obliterated, the shock in his heart raged like frightful storms and violent tides.

The perspective of a common person would be toppled over when they experienced such events. Yet the toppled perspective made Lander trust Kieran even more, allowing him to be even more confident in relying on Kieran.

So when Lander had gotten the news from Herbert that this ”trip” was proposed by Kieran, he agreed without hesitation.

”Lander, you seem to trust that bounty hunter a lot, don’t you?”

Joanna’s father looked at Lander, trying to observe everything with his gaze.

Since their children were the best of friends, the relationship between both parents was quite good as well. In fact, both sides were friends from the previous generation. It started with their grandparents, so Joanna’s father knew quite well what kind of person Lander was.

The fact that Lander could truly trust a person to that extent within such a short period was quite rare and astonishing.

Unless…

Some other thoughts appeared in Joanna’s father’s heart but Lander didn’t give any reply. Instead, he just waved his hand and pointed to the furthest wagon which belonged to Kieran.

...

The four-wheeled wagon’s carriage was very spacious.

The front and back seats that faced each other could hold six, maybe seven men. After stuffing a huge backpack, the spacious carriage became cramped although there was still more than enough space to fit another three people.

Kieran glanced over his two captives. One of them quivered and the other was saying ”Master” with a respectful tone.

After hearing that word, the one who was quivering got even more nervous.

Rien never thought that he was a coward. After all, as a Mutant, he had witnessed too many things that the common folks weren’t even aware of. Frightening matters to the common ears were just ordinary tales to him.

As far as those matters were concerned, he was a participant as well. The serial murder case that went wild in Herl City a while back was his nifty work.

Rien spared no mercy to the Night race. He resorted to his most brutal and harsh methods to deal with those failures and betrayals of the experiments.

Yet Rien was like a helpless girl facing a hulking brute when he sensed Kieran’s gaze on him.

He could only quiver harder than before, unable to resist Kieran.

In fact, up until now, Rien couldn’t understand why Sven, his partner, would suddenly turn on him, not only addressing Kieran as master but also answering all of his questions. Even the most secretive matters about the Mutants were revealed before him without any hesitation.

It was too profound for him to comprehend. Even as a Mutant himself, Rien never saw anything like this, though he did hear some rumors before.

According to the legends, his Majesty, the king of Neegor Dynasty, possessed abilities to control one’s mind.

”Damn it, damn it, damn it! Everyone underestimated our enemy! This guy here is not some high-rank Noble. He is the direct bloodline to the king himself: a Royal! Only a Royal could possess such abilities! But why would a Royal appear here? Grouping himself with the commons? Maybe some unpredictable changes happened to his Majesty’s seal?” Rien’s gears were turning fast in his head.

At the same time, the panic and fear of the unknown spread throughout his heart.

Right after that, Kieran finally made his move.

[Mesly Ring]’s cooldown has been reset, emanating its shine once more that one could barely notice. Rien stopped thinking abruptly. When he regained his ability to think, he gazed at Kieran with respect, seemingly treating Kieran as the person that he was born to serve.

”My Master! Rien reporting!”

Rien kneeled on one knee and gave a salutation of the ancient, similar to Sven beside him.

”Rien, tell me your plans again. Fill up the gaps in Sven’s statement.” Kieran said slowly.

”Yes, my master! Mozorc and Edgar had formed an alliance. They are eager to make their move! Not only had they sent me and Sven for recon, he also got a hold of Contly’s weakness. They wanted to use master’s acquaintance with her to keep an eye out of your whereabouts…”

Rien said everything he knew and compared to Sven, his side of the information was much more constructive.

Especially the part about Contly.

”Being held by her weakness… so she was controlled?”

Kieran squinted his eyes, recalling the guardian of Isogu City.

It was unusual for her to not show up as promised and it seemed like she did at least try to resist the control over her but the effect was self-explanatory.

At least now, the enemies were still very vigilant but the alliance between the Mutants and Nights were out of Kieran’s expectation.

Based on Sven’s words, Kieran knew that Bartos led the Night race and betrayed the Mutant race in the past. The Mutant race just suffered a huge loss that almost exterminated their entire race.

Given such a grudge between both parties, an alliance was quite surprising.

”Are my actions too overbearing during that battle? Is it causing them to feel threatened by me? Or did the Night race offered some irresistible benefits to the Mutants?” Kieran muttered.

He was never an arrogant person so he leaned towards the latter.

Especially when the latter was related to Edgar who could forge replicas out of great items, Kieran guessed that Edgar must have offered something from his side.

It might very well be one of the ”great items”, but regardless of what it was, the alliance formed between two race was already done. The dominated Mutants wouldn’t be able to lie to him.

After getting affirmative news, Kieran fortified his thoughts for his ”escape plan”.

If Kieran waited until the Night and the Mutant races were fully prepared in their setups, it would result in disaster after disaster, like frost being added to the snow...

Only when they left Herl City, the place where the enemies had plotted for a long time, Kieran would have the chance to catch them off guard with a chance to strike back.

Of course, escaping was just a name. Kieran would never escape by all means. It was not his style.

He preferred to counterattack with a lethal strike!

”Master! Lady Contly request an audience!”

Pelby, the dominated guard, knocked on the carriage door and delivered the message softly.

Kieran lifted the corner of his mouth.

”This is the chance to strike back!”