The Devil’s Cage

Celty stiffened his body out of instinct.

He wasn’t going to attack Kieran but it was more like he had met his greatest foe.

Before Celty came by, he already thought about Kieran since Kieran had displayed the strength of a powerhouse that rivaled a thousand men alone.

Any underestimation would lead Celty to a bad position but after meeting Kieran in person, he realized that he still underestimated him.

”Damn it, how could a common mercenary train such a disciple? Did those scouts that gathered information on him have sh*t in their mind?”

Celty was cursing those who gathered information about Kieran in his heart but his face maintained the friendly smile.

His eyes carefully sized up Kieran again.

Since the information gathered beforehand was useless now, all Celty could do was improvise and get what he could.

Kieran wasn’t handsome by any means but clean looking with a pair of sharp energetic eyes. He was sitting down with his legs crossed and was extremely calm.

There wasn’t a slight sense of grumpiness or hastened urge coming from him.

Celty kept wondering Kieran’s identity while he scanned him.

Was he a noble? His calm manner did strike some resemblance but his presence wasn’t overbearing.

Was he a warrior? Undoubtedly in terms of combat abilities, he excelled but he lacked the common recklessness.

Was he an assassin then? He did work in similar ways but didn’t possess the cold and gloomy presence.

Identity over identity popped up in Celty’s mind but were denied right as they bloomed.

The resemblance was uncanny but not entirely correct for each category he came up with.

Celty’s anxiousness almost erupted from his heart but his words remained slow and clear. He knew he would get better results by prying with his own words; he needed to seize the opportunity right now.

”Princess Mary’s mother, Ellen was one of the orphans taken in by the Raven Sect. Back in the days when the war between Warren and the Prairies invader broke out, it was far worse than the current situation and it was also because of that war, Lightning Fortress’s construction was hastened to completion. However, the war had already created many orphans.”

”Most of them had a rough fate and only a handful of them survived. They had to stay together during the rough nights to warm each other up. Ellen, however, was the orphan group’s leader! She brought a portion of them and tried to survive in Riverdale. It was hard to imagine that Ellen was even younger than Princess Mary here when she had to survive.”

”But, troubles always come. The weak and young orphan group eventually met up with the violent and strong vagrants group. In the end, the orphan group lost in a bad way but what Ellen displayed shocked one of the members of the Raven Sect. Right before her last breath, the member saved Ellen and brought her back to the Raven Sect.”

All of the stories were nothing really important as Celty was observing Kieran.

While Mary listened to stories about her mother, she tended to get nervous but she was ignored by Celty. If he would notice how nervous her expression was, Celty would know how the girl was feeling.

But his attention was on Kieran.

Kieran didn’t even flinch! On top of that, when Kieran listened to the stories from Celty, he even took out a small handkerchief from Mary’s pocket and wiped off the oil on his fingers.

Celty thought he was being extremely clear with his words.

War, orphans, and survival.

All sorts of words, when mentioned, would definitely make a kind and empathic person worry. Even the listener couldn’t help it, they would feel unbearable, and yet Kieran didn’t show any expression at all, as though the matter didn’t concern him at all!

As a matter of fact, it was indeed none of Kieran’s concern.

He didn’t know Ellen in person even though she was Mary’s mother. All he knew was a name and the impression of a cautious, smart woman.

Kieran knew nothing more about her, not even what she looked like. The words that described her was all he could get.

”A cold person in nature? Or he only accepts those he acknowledges?”

Celty knew he was in trouble. Regardless of which kind, he knew it was hard for him to complete his mission today but he wouldn’t give up just yet. There were still tests he’d like to try.

”How do you see this ongoing war Sir 2567?” Celty asked.

”What are you trying to say precisely? The invaders and the invaded?” Kieran replied with a question of his own without answering directly.

”No, no, something more crucial that could turn the tides of the war! Such as… why are you involved in this war? Based on what I know, you aren’t a Warrenian right? Your teacher Andy was a Murantian and you should come from there, am I right? It’s quite a peaceful place and famous for its wine.” Celty said with a smile.

His weather-beaten face even looked younger with the smile.

However, Kieran’s raised a puzzled brow after keeping calm since the start. He was scanning Celty with a judgemental gaze.

Celty immediately felt the invisible pressure from Kieran’s eyes. It wasn’t a suppression of aura and presence but something higher…

The suppression of the soul!

Celty felt as though he saw the devil crawl out from the deepest part of the abyss and was growling at him with the blazing flames falling on him like a meteor shower.

He was in the middle of the meteor shower!

Celty couldn’t stay as calm as he was anymore and started to back off but his legs were stiff as though they had been infused with lead, it wouldn’t even budge with all his might.

”You are with the barbarians?”

Kieran spoke all of a sudden.

The fictional blazing flames and meteor showers vanished into thin air. Celty realized he was still in the woods and beside the campfire.

Kieran was opposite him but when Celty faced the calm gaze and expression again, he felt extreme pressure.

Celty could swear to himself that what he experienced and saw wasn’t fictional or illusory but something that was real!

If he couldn’t answer the question precisely, he would face a catastrophic fate.

A cold sweat broke out on his forehead and soon all over his back.

The evening breeze was blowing at him, a striking chill covered his back and spread all over his body, causing him to shiver quite a bit.

”No! Of course not!”

Celty stood up right away, he ditched the idea of prying more and replied loudly.

He emphasized it once more as he worried Kieran wouldn’t believe him.

”Then why are you here then? Just to see the daughter of your acquaintance?”

Kieran’s devil aura grew denser by the second, Celty could even smell the sulfur with his nose.

”I’m asked by someone else to be a lobbyist! His Excellency only wanted Sir 2567’s friendship and he assures you to never invade Riverdale. All he wanted was you to give permission to let them pass through Lightning Fortress…”

Celty spilled the beans without further concealing.

”Pass through Lightning Fortress?” Kieran laughed coldly before going silent.

Luring a wolf into the house.

Kieran knew the saying when he was in the welfare home.

Celty grew even more anxious and scared when he saw Kieran’s cold laugh. He was scared that he wouldn’t be able to leave the woods alive.

”Since you do not agree, I will deliver the message honestly to his Excellency. May I?” Celty asked.

Kieran nodded after thinking for a while.

Celty swiftly turned around and left as though he was pardoned and allowed to live.

”The Vipers are assassins and the Ravens are lobbyists? Such a matching image for a talkative bird.” Mary spoke after staying quiet for a while.

”Whosoever believes such a saying would really be a fool. Let’s go now, someone is being anxious,” Kieran said before he stood up and return to Lightning Fortress.

Mary quickly followed as well.

But after two steps ahead, Kieran returned to the campfire and took the roast rabbit.

”It’s a shame for people who waste food.”

Kieran said while Mary looked at him confused.

It was the psychological attack he used on Celty but it was also the truth, at least it was what Kieran thought.