Chapter 124: The Beginning of Killing Intent (Part 2)
“Lord Caden, it’s just not fun talking like that.”
Captain Paul’s expression darkened: “We risk our lives following you because we trust and admire you. We share a common goal, wanting nothing more than to see that dog Keynes perish by our hands. We’re not here to listen to your sarcastic remarks. If this is how it’s going to be, I’ll have to reconsider tonight’s operation.”
“Reconsider?”
The old man raised an eyebrow, a hint of mockery dancing in his gaze: “If this is all the resolve you have, feel free to turn back now before we even begin… I can handle the rest by myself, no need for you to stress over it.”
“You—”
Those words made Captain Paul furious.
However, after taking a few silent steps, he ultimately refrained from exploding.
“Captain Paul.”
Seeing that the other had fallen silent, the old man’s tone softened slightly: “Tonight, it’s not just your lives on the line. The matter of the tunnel? That’s because Duke trusted me to handle it, and I’ve let you in on this secret. If the mission fails, well, no need for me to elaborate on my fate.”
He paused.
“I’ve been planning this for a long time, spending a small fortune to privately contact the Palace’s Chief Steward, Feller. I know that old dog Keynes has already made arrangements for his escape. Even if our army launches a full assault and breaks into the Royal City, by the time we reach the palace, that coward of an Emperor will have already fled with his gold and concubines through a secret passage under the city…”
“That secret passage was constructed with the Church’s aid, finished earlier this year, and after it was completed, all the builders were executed, their bodies bricked into the walls of the tunnel. Nowadays, only a few inside the palace who have gained Keynes’s trust know how to navigate it. Chief Steward Feller is one of them, but that old geezer… well, I don’t need to say much more.”
As he spoke, the old man pulled out a crumpled map and handed it to Captain Paul.
“This is the design blueprint of that secret passage I painstakingly acquired. Hold on to it, just this one sheet; don’t let the blizzard blow it away.”
Captain Paul took a deep breath and carefully unfolded the map. The yellowed parchment rustled like a leaf in the wind, and with the dim light, it was nearly impossible to see. After glancing at it a few times, he stuffed it into his chest pocket.
“Lord Caden, I can’t thank you enough.”
When Captain Paul turned to look at the face nearly buried in snow, his previously suppressed anger had disappeared, replaced with genuine gratitude.
“After this is all over, if we’re both still alive… you, my lord, will be the great hero who stabilizes the Empire’s war efforts. Once Keynes is dead, the Church will have no more reasons to stop the Shanter Army, Lord Skarlij will ascend to the throne, and you’ll be granted a title, becoming a lord who commands a territory. When that time comes… I’ll lead my men to pledge loyalty to you.”
“Haha.” At this, Caden rarely smiled, “Well then, I’ll be looking forward to that day…”
He curled his lips into a smile, but the eyes hidden beneath the cloak, shrouded by the blizzard, showed no signs of mirth: “But when that time comes, Captain, I doubt your status will be any lower than mine… Whether you can see me as more than a cripple is all up to your heart…”
“Rest assured, my lord… I may be a rough man, but I value promises above all.”
“Ha, let’s just focus on surviving tonight,” the old man replied.
The night was ethereal as ice.
Under the moonlight, the snow seemed to fall heavier.
Nearly a hundred men emerged from the mountainside, trudging across the vast white expanse. They quickly extinguished their lights, using the cover of the blizzard to evade several patrols of the City Guard. Even Paul and his men grew cautious, speaking little, taking nearly two hours before they finally laid eyes on the looming giant city standing solitary in the winter night.
And that meant the most critical and dangerous moment was finally upon them.
Next, under the direction of the limping old man Caden, the cavalry split into two groups, circling to approach the Royal City. Their goal was to bypass the “Heavenly Eye” on the city walls, and under the cover of snow, they would make their way to the rear of the city, meeting at the outer walls of the Chelyr Arena—this was the entrance to the “Underground Passage” of the Royal City.
It was said that long ago, a certain Emperor of the Empire had a fondness for sword fighting, spending lavishly to train numerous duelists, which led to the construction of that place for their daily entertainment, to watch the swordsmen k*ll each other—now, that venue had long been abandoned, as imperial decrees outlawed such brutal activities. The once-grand structure had fallen into ruin due to the ravages of time, receiving little attention and thus becoming the most overlooked spot.
And the exit of that passage was hidden deep within the collapsed rock walls. The specific location was clearly marked on the map—circling the mountain from there would quickly lead to Moon Mountain Gorge, and due to the complex terrain blocking the view, it was difficult to spot, making it the best escape route.
… It was also the best route for them to infiltrate the palace.
The intricate underground passage had only one exit, leading straight to Emperor Keynes’s quarters.
“So cowardice is indeed the deadliest weakness…”
Their operation went surprisingly smoothly.
But it seemed both unexpected and expected.
Battling the harsh wind and snow, the first to circumvent the city’s barriers and arrive at their destination was a squad of fifty elite cavalrymen led by Captain Paul, while another forty, guided by the old man Caden, soon followed. No one noticed them among the sentries atop the fortress…
The blizzard was so intense that visibility was reduced to a mere twenty to thirty meters, making it alarmingly easy to avoid detection from those high walls.
Upon regrouping with Caden, they entered the dilapidated arena. Here, they ordered the lanterns to be lit again—far from the city walls and without patrolling City Guards around, they felt little fear of being caught by the flickering lights. Utilizing the bright flames, they hid among the ruins, carefully matching their positions with the design blueprint before initiating their search—before long, they located the entrance to the underground passage.
“But there are guards on the other side…”
The returning cavalry reported to Captain Paul that the entrance lay in the southern side of the arena’s ruins, where the royal family used to enjoy the bloodshed. Although it had long been abandoned, several makeshift huts had been erected nearby, complete with campfires and possibly occupied by sentries.
“How many are there? Are they armed, wearing armor?”
“The snow’s too thick; I can’t see clearly… but it seems they’re wielding weapons.”
“Then they must be City Guards…”
A sneaking suspicion prickled in Paul’s mind.
“It’s normal for the passage’s entrance to be guarded, but the ease of our journey has me on edge… No time to hesitate. Paul, give the order. We can’t leave any witnesses; we need to burst in as swiftly as possible, not giving the palace any chance to react.”
With Caden’s urgent prompting, the operation began.
