The Devil's Cage

"Look!"

Lawless nudged Kieran, who turned around to see what he was pointing at.

His eyes widened instantly at what he saw.

Two huge rock catapults were being dragged into the battlefield by horses and mules, but it was not the catapults that were making the ground tremble.

It was a dashing rhinoceros fully equipped with battle armor.

The heavy, metal-forged armor covered the rhinoceros’ body like fish scales, allowing it to ignore any incoming arrows.

Even the arrows of the Bestowed merely scratched the armor. No damage was inflicted on the wild-eyed rhino.

Every once in a while, Captain Jorque would fire an arrow that pierced the rhino’s armor, but it was still ineffective against the rhino’s naturally hard skin.

On the contrary, it only fueled its rage and boosted its frenziness against the Bestowed.

The rhino dashed towards the squad with accelerating force. Anyone in its path was stamped to death, both ally and enemy.

The rock catapult’s rope was cut off, launching a millstone rock up in the air with its giant spring.

The courtyard’s ward was blasted to pieces when the giant rock crashed through and rolled inside.

The defending troops within the trajectory of the rock were crushed into a pile of bloody goo.

The round rock was hurled through the debris and dust, rolling through the courtyard and leaving a bloody trail behind it.

Anyone who stood in its path was blown away and crushed into bones.

The giant rock rolled over the courtyard’s parterre and the defensive formation of the defending troops.

Meanwhile, a fire caused by two giant rocks obliterated the defending troops’ defense.

"WAR!" the rebels shouted, giving the signal for attack.

After an unwilling parting glance at the armored rhino and the Bestowed Squad, Kieran and Lawless went into the chaos, sprinting towards the courtyard.

Kieran was sure that if he killed the armored rhino or one of the Bestowed, he would get a good reward.

The situation before him did not leave room for such a thought though.

Once the rebels located Hanses, they would torture him for information about the "Legacy". Hanses would be defenseless, so their blades would slash across his throat in no time.

The rebels had shown no mercy against defenseless maidens, so they wouldn’t care about a prisoner.

When Kieran and Lawless reached the hall of the courtyard, they saw two corridors.

"Let's split up!" Kieran told Lawless.

They had to expand their searching range, so Kieran headed towards the left-side corridor, and Lawless headed towards the right.

There was a reason behind that choice. An interrogation was not a trial, so it would not take place in public. Plus, it involved secrets, so it could only be held in a private place.

The hall in the courtyard was not the right place for that. Other than that hall, there were two more corridors.

Each of them covering a side was the quickest way to get to Hanses.

The left-side corridor was filled with soldiers from both sides fighting each other.

Kieran rolled quickly into the shadows.

His Musou Level [Undercover] almost allowed him to become one with them.

The shouting and fighting rebels and the palace soldiers did not notice him, as both sides were focused on each other.

It was a life-and-death battle after all.

Kieran went through the corridor filled with defending troops and reached the back of the courtyard.

After a quick scan of his new surroundings, he found his target.

It was a two-storey building filled with defending troops.

Compared to other parts of the castle, where there were soldiers everywhere, that building had layers of defense. It seemed like there was someone important inside, someone they were guarding.

Who was more important than the Grand Duke’s second son?

Hanses had been sent to jail by that man, so chances were that he would be wherever the second son was.

Kieran carefully scanned through the huge amount of guards on the building. Even though there was a huge battle going on outside, the guards remained still.

There was not even a hint of anxiety in their eyes.

They were obviously experienced veterans that had been through lots of tough fights on the battlefield.

This was not good news for Kieran considering that he wanted to infiltrate the place.

His Musou Level [Undercover] allowed him to slip past common people unnoticed, but those guards were not some nobodies.

Although they might not be as powerful as Kieran, their senses definitely surpassed common people’s.

Every possible path that led into the building was guarded, and there were even archers on the roof. There was not a single way in.

Kieran frowned hard. It would be difficult for him to break through that defense.

He could wait for the rebels to barge in and slip in unnoticed during the fight, but the best option would be to exfiltrate Hanses and leave the place before the rebels arrived.

Otherwise, considering Hanses’ weak condition, even the slightest mistake could turn their efforts into dust.

Just as Kieran was racking his brains for ideas, two ear-numbing sounds pierced the sky.

Kieran raised his head and saw two millstone-sized boulders and countless arrows that almost formed a cloud strike down the two-storey building before him.

Half the building was torn down, and rising dust and debris blocked everyone’s vision.

The soldiers struck by arrows were countless.

Hanses! Kieran’s heart skipped a beat as he was struck by panic.

He used the dust and debris as a cover and sprinted inside the building.

He had just gotten inside and checked a couple of bodies, when he saw Hanses tied down and gagged. He looked dispirited and exhausted.

Kieran felt delighted when he saw his teammate.

Hanses had seen Kieran as well, but he did not look delighted by any means. His face was filled with anxiety and his mouth was gagged, so he kept making sounds through the stuffing.

He was staring beneath Kieran’s feet, his eyes wide and round.

Beneath Kieran’s feet? Kieran was struck by panic a second time.

He unconsciously recalled the scene back in the Church Hall.

He immediately rolled to the side. His dagger, which had just appeared in his hand, was hurled towards the body under his feet.

A long sword suddenly rose up with a cold flash, blocking Kieran’s flying dagger and lunging towards his chest with unstoppable force.

A masked face appeared within Kieran’s sight. It was the Church Hall killer!

Kieran dragged himself backwards as the masked killer lunged fiercely towards him. The sword in his hand was as quick as a comet.

Within a few seconds, the sword had forced Kieran into a corner.

It did not just possess ridiculous speed. It also reeked of death.

With a turn of the man’s wrist, the sword was pointed towards Kieran’s throat.

Kieran could not dodge it.

Ugh!

Fresh blood splashed out, dyeing the wall bright red.