As restless as Hikaru was, they couldnât move at night. He was painfully aware how inconvenient it was. Try as he might, sleep wouldnât come. Rather, he was getting more and more irritated.
Why am I getting impatient? Is her resembling Hazuki really that important? I already have Lavia. Ah, darn it. Iâll get there and settle things once and for all.
The inexplicable feeling of meeting someone who somehow resembled a person he knew overwhelmed him.
Iâll make this the last time I go to the Tower.
By daybreak the next morning, Hikaru was already upâalthough he didnât get much sleep. He headed straight for the well to wash his face and gave his cheeks a good slapping. He then got on a carriage that took him to Agiapole where he arrived just past noon. However, there was a long line in front of the gate, the entrance to the city.
TOP ARTICLES1/5Mercenaries in Apocalypse Volume 1Chapter 29
ăWell, this is unfortunate.ăthe coachman said.ăItâs unusual for this place to be so crowded. Did something happen?ă
The passengers voiced their frustrations, while Hikaru quickly got off, activated his Stealth, and proceeded onward. There were still shadows he could use with the sun still shining bright. With his Skills and the power of his job class, no one should be able to spot him, except those with Instincts.
As he got closer to the gate, Hikaru noticed something off. Not only were there soldiers around, even temple knights were present. He listened closely to their conversation.
ăI doubt a careful inspection will help us find their helpers.ă
ăProbably just making doubly sure. The Red Priests sure are distrustful.ă
ăAre you sure you should be complaining? The Blue Knights now have vacant spots. If we discovered a friend of theirs, one of us might get promoted.ă
There was no doubt in Hikaruâs mind that a Blue Knight was arrested. After some sort of mutiny, they were immediately subdued. The temple knightsâ carefree attitude suggested that the authorities had everything under control now.
Hikaru wanted to gather more info, but he was also in a hurry. With his Stealth on, he slipped through the gate and made his way to the Tower as quick as possible. As usual, the streets had a well-organized bustle to them. The difference this time was the number of patrolling soldiers had increased. Nothing had changed with the people which suggested that the uproar had no effect on ordinary citizens.
Thereâs the TowerâŠ
Although he took a carriage inside Agiapole, traveling for three hours still left him exhausted. But complaining right now would do him no good. He needed to find out what was going on. Since the Foreign Minister had gone home, the Tower had returned to its normal operations.
Not a lot of people⊠The temple knights are out patrolling, but I donât see any Blue Knights or Red Priests.
Hikaru recalled what was happening in the tower. Unfortunately he hadnât seen a jail here, but he had an idea where it was.
What I need to do right now is secure the Blade of Severance⊠I can look into this mutiny thing laterâŠ
After a moment of pondering, Hikaru headed to where he thought the jail would be. If someone found out the blade was stolen, it would cause an uproar. If that happened, prison security would tighten as well.
At the very edge of the Tower grounds where the light of the sun barely shone was a square building with only a few windows. Hikaru guessed it to be the prison.
Bingo.
He arrived at just the right time. A servant was pushing a cart that carried food, its rather poor quality suggesting it was for the prisoners.
The servants entered through the front entrance. A guard simply nodded at them and let them in. The sun was setting, and under the cover of dusk, Hikaru followed them inside. They didnât have points on Instincts, but that didnât stop Hikaru from getting scared of getting busted. He was even surprised at himself for being this daring.
Relax. Calm down, now.
He passed through the soldiersâ office and found a door made of iron bars. After asking for it to be opened, the servants proceeded inside. The magic lamp provided plenty of light.
Should I go? No⊠I have to be careful.
Hikaru turned around to check if there were other routes he could take. While the ceiling was high, the corridor was extremely narrow.
The soldier near the door has the key, and heâs not moving from his spot. What nowâŠ?
The guards had an unobstructed view. Hikaru felt the urge to bet on his Stealth, but only because he wanted to move fast. His calm self managed to suppress the urge. Based on what he saw outside, the windows were three meters high and fitted with iron bars. It didnât seem like humans would fit through there.
No other choice but go through the iron bar door.
After checking around, Hikaru returned to the door.
Iâll make my move once the servants return.
The servants finished serving the food as usual. They had brought the prisoners a pot that contained soupâa bland mix of meat scraps and leftover vegetables, plus some bread. For commoners, this would be decent food.
Prisoners kept inside the Tower were people of status. Until they were deemed guilty, this was the kind of treatment they received.
ăAll right. Letâs head back. Thereâs still quite a lot left.ăone man muttered.
Most of the time, this prison was empty, and having two cells occupied was rare. The food prepared was a little bit too much.
As they returned, pushing the cart along, the soldier standing by the door stood up.
ăAre you done?ă
ăYes, Sir.ă
A simple, meaningless exchange. Like always, the servants only had to step out once the door was opened. But something else happened.
ăHuh?ă
The cart suddenly turned to one side, causing the pot to fall of, spilling its contents on the floor.
ăWhat are you doing?!ă
ăS-Sorry. The wheel seems to be broken.ă
ăWait here. I think thereâs a rag here somewhereâŠă
The soldier left in a trot.
It worked.
Needless to say, the wheel breaking wasnât a coincidence. Making full use of his maxed out Throwing, Hikaru hurled a pebble at the wheel. He then quickly turned a corner, climbed the narrow walls with his arms and legs and stuck to the ceiling. He watched as the soldier ran past below him.
Time to move.
Hikaru jumped down and broke into a run. The servants crouching down on the floor, wondering what to do with the spilled soup, raised their heads and looked at the corridor, but found no one.
Hikaru had already leapt over them and into the other side. Not only did he have his Stealth on, he barely made a sound when he landed. Professorâs Milleâs short sword lessons were paying off. It was a good thing too that he practiced by himself even outside of classes.
He headed into the deepest part of the prison, crouched down, and held his breath. I think Iâm far enough. They shouldnât see me even with the light.
After cleaning up, the servants bowed and left.
The door to the prison was firmly locked, but the soldier on watch was sitting with his back towards Hikaru.
All right. Letâs do this.
He already knew that two cells facing each other across the corridor were occupied thanks to his Mana Detection.
I knew it.
Hikaru heaved a sigh after seeing the two. He expected this to happen, but this was too soon. The first one was Conia Mercury, as he guessed. The other was Gilbert Gabranth, the unshaven Blue Knight he saw in the underground research facility.