**Chapter 144: Viki??**
Turning around at the corner and darting to the right, I suddenly found myself at the entrance of a spiral staircase leading down, just as that chubby man had said. From here, I could access the grand hall on the first floor directly.
The stairwell was a bit dim…
Faintly, I could hear footsteps and voices below, occasionally illuminated by the flickering light of torches, accompanied by the clanking sounds of armor as soldiers hurried past in the hallway below.
“You go check over there…”
“Why’s it so noisy outside? What’s going on—”
“Must be some rebel doing something stupid, showing up here to get themselves killed.”
“Forget it, let those guys in black robes handle it…”
They were knights…
There were quite a few of them, roaming on every floor.
They were searching for Mother’s hiding place…
Could it be that she hadn’t managed to leave in time and that Viki was hiding her somewhere in the Black Fort?
If that’s the case…
Then not only would she be in trouble, but Viki’s situation must be quite precarious too.
I needed to act faster…
Yet, deep down, I didn’t have a clear plan to resolve this. All I could do was take it one step at a time, trying not to attract too much attention, first find Victoria, then figure out what to do next.
Boom—
The sounds of muffled explosions and thunder still echoed from outside the corridor, flashes of golden light streaking across the night sky, creating a flickering glow that added to the tense atmosphere within the fort. It won’t be long before more people realize that we’ve snuck in here…
Time was running out.
I dashed down the spiral staircase, skipping my Moon Step, trying my best not to make too much noise. I didn’t want to slow my pace too much either, so I moved from the fourth floor down to the second floor. Fortunately, I didn’t run into any knights searching around the staircase.
After reaching the second floor, I didn’t continue downwards. According to that chubby man’s words, the first floor’s grand hall was probably brimming with church folks guarding it, and barging in would most likely make things more complicated. I was afraid I wouldn’t have the chance to speak with Viki shortly.
However, the grand hall did have a second level.
From here, I could access it easily. At least before making my move, I could check out what the situation was…
That cowardly chub really didn’t dare to lie to me. I quickly located the entrance to the second level of the grand hall, a small arched doorway with two guards standing watch.
They seemed to be chatting about something when they suddenly noticed me and were about to draw their swords and shout, but I rushed forward, fingers together, hands slicing down. “Smack!” Two solid thuds echoed as I struck their throats, with the sound of crushed windpipes as they crumpled to the ground. Swiftly, I caught them, gently laying them down.
Good…
Outside the archway, the light was bright, and I could already hear voices coming from the grand hall.
“I know she’s right here…”
“Your Majesty, can I interpret your attitude to mean that you intend to oppose the church?”
Who was that…
The voice was deep and magnetic, sounding like a man of considerable age.
Was he speaking to Viki?
I ducked behind the archway and peered out.
It looked like a corridor outside, a wide elevated walkway with marble railings blocking my view of what was going on in the grand hall below.
But if I leaned over the rail, I should be able to see the entire floor.
So, I perked up my ears and listened.
In the corridor…
There didn’t seem to be any other church knights moving around.
“Please open the door. I believe we should sit down and talk if you don’t plan on dragging the entire Ethanbel into your conflict with us.”
…Open the door?
What do you mean open the door? Did Viki not let them in… No, wait, that voice was clearly coming from inside the grand hall.
I was puzzled.
I crept out from behind the archway, glancing around. Indeed, there were no knights in sight along the corridor, so I crouched low and hurried to the edge of the railing, then knelt down, peeking through the gaps to quietly observe the grand hall below.
It was an impressive room.
Ornately carved stone pillars, pitch-black stone walls, countless exquisitely shaped shields hanging on the walls, and various odd weaponry on display. Rows of oil lamps embedded with gemstones lined the walls, making the shields and weapons glimmer.
The hall itself was quite spacious, with knights standing sporadically about, interspersed with clerics, while the guards on both sides were dressed in silver armor, gripping long polearms. It seemed there hadn’t been any conflicts, as there was no tense atmosphere; instead, a lavish banquet was laid out in the center of the hall… but no one had touched it.
This grand hall had an adjoining chamber.
A large, iron-reinforced wooden door sat at the far wall of the hall on the right. That door was currently tightly shut, with a man and a woman standing on either side, both dressed in simple black suits, standing straight without a sideways glance… I clearly saw their shoulder insignia—a drawn blade.
Those were members of the Sword of Kanli…
And right in front of them, amidst a throng of knights, stood a strikingly tall man—he must have been nearly two meters! With two long swords hanging at his waist and draped in the Pope Knight’s cloak, he had his back to me, looking as if he were blocked from entering.
“Your Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.”
The man spoke again; it was the same magnetic voice I’d heard earlier.
“Here you are, the leader of a great nation, choosing to hide away behind closed doors at such a critical moment like a frightened little girl. I find this behavior rather contemptible and unbecoming.”
“Surely with your dark black mandrake’s reputation, you can’t be afraid of just one Pope Knight, can you? Or is it that you have something to hide in your heart, which is why you dare not face me and assure us that Ethanbel hasn’t had any close dealings with the Northern rebels these last two months…”
He paused, “Or perhaps you are just stalling, hoping to buy more time for Skarlij’s lady to escape? If that’s the case, I must admit, I hold you in higher regard than I thought.”
At the end, his tone dripped with disdain.
“This castle has long been surrounded by our forces. At this point, not a single bird could fly out. Even your Sword of Kanli won’t slip through easily, much less with me here. You really think a defenseless woman can escape?”
Of course she could.
What a joke; I’m here, aren’t I?
I watched the man’s back, unable to resist squinting my eyes, taking a deep breath to calm the surging killing intent within me.
Wait…
Calm down, hold on a second…
Don’t be impulsive; they haven’t noticed me…
The issue is, from the church’s tone, they seem pretty sure that Viki has hidden Mother here… If that’s true, if I act directly now, take them out and just leave, wouldn’t that cause big trouble for Viki afterward?
The church would certainly pin the blame on her…
Shouldn’t I try to contact her first? Ask her where Mother is, save her first, and then decide what to do…
Don’t rush, Silvya, think calmly…
With Viki’s clever head, she must have had a backup plan… She wouldn’t recklessly hide Mother somewhere, leaving both of them in such a passive situation; she’s not that stupid…
I should wait a little longer to see what she says…
Then…
Huh?
Wait a minute.
What’s that woman doing hiding in the chamber? At a time like this? That’s just not her style.
Why isn’t she willing to meet with the church people…
And why hasn’t she said anything?
