The Devil’s Cage

Looking at the bowing Tenar, the royal doctor’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

“How, how is this possible?”

The white-haired royal doctor pointed at Tenar with his trembling finger; his words stuttered due to his incomprehension!

As the doctor of the palace, the old doctor was very familiar with Tenar’s old wounds, and because of his familiarity, he could tell that the Tenar before his eyes right now was the same one that he remembered. The face looked the same, the countenance, and even his less noticeable limping posture caused by old wounds was identical.

If the doctor hadn’t just finished inspecting Tenar’s body, he would have really thought he was meeting the real one.

At the next moment, the doctor turned to Kieran.

How did you do it?

The doctor asked with his gaze. Likewise, Mary looked at Kieran as well, but unlike the doctor, the young princess’ gaze was glimmering colorfully.

Kieran never let her down, not in the past or even now in the present. He would always do his best for the girl he cared for.

A deep breath later, Mary placed her hands over the palm atop her head. She clutched it tight, not wanting to let go.

Beside her was Perry Kaner, who stayed quiet. However, anyone could tell that the Viper Sect leader was suffering through quite the shock. She looked at “Tenar” first, then Kieran.

Her gaze made it feel like she was looking at the most unbelievable thing in the world.

“Exceptionally observant; very unlike the tracking techniques from the past; a guise that could fool even the real one. He really is a natural scout or… an assassin!”

Perry Kaner’s eyes glistened for a while as thoughts formed in her mind, but they died off soon enough.

What use was there in Kieran being a natural-born assassin?

Her own branch was eliminated, leaving only her behind.

More so, based on how powerful Kieran was…

Other than the Prime Viper, what else could pique his interest?

Besides, Kieran was already the confirmed Crown Raven!

Perry Kaner knew exactly what the recorder of Raven Sect, Maxim, would do… It was true that Maxim had ambitions, but he didn’t possess the abilities or the personality to match his bold thoughts.

He was even considered as weak and useless at times.

Perhaps all Kieran had to do was raise a hand against the recorder and he would be reduced to ashes.

As for the rest of the Raven Sect?

They might try to oppose him but would the final outcome change?

No.

“He is already the Crown Raven. If…” Perry Kaner sighed.

However, a seed was planted in her heart without her knowing, and soon, it would sprout into something else entirely.

Kieran didn’t care about all the looks he was receiving from them. He said to the High Demon, “I’ll leave it to you.”

“Yes, master.”

The High Demon, Bloody Mary, had taken on Tenar’s form. It bowed to Kieran before going to the door and knocking on it.

Dok Dok Dok.

“Come in.”

Eldar didn’t have the bearing of a noble, so as the knocks sounded, he stood up and opened the door for “Tenar”. When Eldar saw who he had opened the door for, he jolted for a while before giving “Tenar” a hug.

“I knew you would come. 20 years, it’s been 20 years and you haven’t changed!” said Eldar while hugging “Tenar”.

Eldar then saw Kieran, Mary, Perry Kaner and the doctor in the corridor.

His smile grew brighter and he led “Tenar” into the room.

The door slowly shut.

“Did Duke Eldar notice something? He shouldn’t have known of the death of Mr. Tenar,” Mary said in a slightly puzzled tone.

“A person that survived 20 years in Will Prefecture, even if he were not the brightest back then, with 20 years of experience, he should have become a wise man. A wise man that holds vigilance and doubts everything,” said Kieran before walking away.

Kieran was heading towards a small tea room in the palace.

The room wasn’t big at all, not being used for ball parties. It was more suitable as a foyer.

Celty and Maxim were sitting side by side in the tea room, quiet.

Unlike Maxim, who was sitting real still, Celty was sampling the tea and cakes the servants were serving them and even commenting on the taste.

“The cakes are really bland. The flour isn’t handpicked, the eggs aren’t whipped properly, even the fermentation process is off. The worst part is that practically no sugar was added in the mixture. Now if the cake isn’t sweet, can it be called a pastry? And don’t get me started on the tea! This cup of tea was obviously left idle for too long. Even if it’s kept within a silver cup, it’d still be damaged by the humidity; it’s very bitter on the tongue. I was looking forward to this at first, you know. After all, this is the palace, but who knew… sigh!”

Celty heaved a long breath.

“King James VIII isn’t a fatuous and self-indulgent ruler. He is clean and honest, and if it weren’t for Jeanne James, Warren might have been stronger and richer beyond anyone’s imagination.”

Maxim shook his head at his friend’s sigh.

As the recorder of Raven Sect, he knew heaps of hidden information that the commoners never even got wind of. All the information in his mind was priceless.

If he really wanted to be a wealthy person, selling that knowledge away would suffice him to live the rest of his life in riches, but…

He still had a less than realistic ideal to achieve, and because of that, he had run up and down relentlessly. It would always make him hesitate; he would see that his target was within grasp, just like how he pictured it to be, one more step forward and his wish would come true.

But…

Someone else was even more suitable than him!

It was as if that person was naturally born for that specific position.

Powerful, calm, vigilant, sharp, having a code to live by.

Each of the criteria was hard to come by, yet that person had it all.

Maxim tried to look past all of this, but once he thought about that position and everything he had faced, his heart would hesitate again.

He knew his hesitance made him lose out a lot in life, but it was too late to correct it now.

He would always overthink during crucial timings, thus leading to his hesitance.

Unconsciously, Maxim sighed as well.

When Celty heard the sigh, he shrugged.

He knew what his friend was thinking about, but he didn’t say anything because he knew his words would only fuel Maxim’s hesitance.

Of course, Celty didn’t sit back and relax either.

“You better think about what you want to say to him later. He isn’t someone to be messed with. One misstep and both of us will die without an intact body. I don’t doubt his ruthlessness towards those who showed malicious intent before, you know.”

Celty was trying to shift Maxim’s attention.

“Yes, yes. He is even colder and more ruthless than the winter’s wind from the Winter God towards his enemies. But who isn’t moved by the Tale of the Virtuous King?” Maxim smiled bitterly after a second sigh.

“Tale of the Virtuous King?”

A voice suddenly entered the small tea room.

A black figure then stepped out of the shadows.