After everything was over Leon came to find them, and they went inside Thomas’ workshop to talk in private.
"So, what the hell happened?" The blacksmith stared at Leon with crossed arms. "Even those spineless bastards looked uncomfortable."
"It all started when they took me for interrogation after we came back from the hunt." Leon explained. "I decided to go all in and confronted them about the mimic and the mind control."
"Well that’s the weird part, not only did they know about both, they are seemingly slowly throwing off the control – currently Arthur can’t order them to do anything they don’t agree to."
"So they are against him... Why won’t you just attack him together and get rid of him then?"
"Apparently the thing he added to our drinks was also a curse that allows Arthur to kill them whenever he wants – even if he can’t control them, they can’t go against him or they’ll be risking their lives." Leon sighed. "Him declaring that he’ll execute Nickolas is pretty much a test – if any of them would object he would kill them."
"What prompted him to come out of his room?" Cassian frowned. "Could his sword really be feeding his some kind of delusional visions?"
"It’s entirely feasible, being a blade of crimson contracts doesn’t exclude the possibility of the sword being cursed or having some other power." Calen admitted.
"Its power comes from suppressed Blight." A new voice came from the entrance.
Greg was standing in the door with a serious expression.
"How certain are you?" Leon questioned.
"Completely. " The devil nodded. "I lived with something similar for centuries, there’s no mistaking it. The power he wields is suppressed in a completely different way than the armour and the amulet, but the source is still the Blight."
"Different in what way?"
"It’s not being suppressed entirely – instead it affects only the part influencing cognitive functions and its spread. From the looks of it, it was made to use the Blight as a weapon without experiencing its negative effects."
"The weapon part? Sure. Not affecting his mind? The man talks to his sword, you tell me."
"So to summarise – we need to bail out Nickolas or kill Arthur before tomorrow." Isara stated. "I’m going to just assume the latter is impossible, so how do we get him out?"
"Oh, that’s easy. There are at least seven secret passages leading outside, but we have to be quick – Greg, go grab Damien and meet us near the gutted bathroom." Leon ordered. "The rest of you come with me, we have to grab a few things before we leave."
"There’s something we really need if we hope to go against Arthur without turning this place into rubble." Leon said as they rushed through the dim corridors of the lower levels of the castle.
They stopped in front of a storage room.
Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing Friedrick standing with crossed arms.
"Running away with Nickolas, are we now?"
"Um, this is just a misunderstanding, we’re here to, uh-"
The older man extended one arm holding a dark metal coin and a familiar ornate canteen, and then another holding a beautiful sword.
"You came for these, right? Take them and be quick – Arthur already ordered for guards to be stationed directly in front of Nickolas’ cell, but we told him that you need to be informed first."
Leon took the item with a frown.
"Why are you helping us?"
"I’m running away myself – I know that whether you succeed or fail, I have no future in the Order. Arthur will inevitably kill himself, so I don’t worry about him, but in the case you win I hope this little gesture will stop you from going after me."
"Do others know about it?"
"Some. Those who didn’t declare loyalty to Arthur after his stunt are also running away – I imagine Philip is leaving the castle as we speak."
"I see." Leon nodded. "Where will you go?"
"Home." Friedrick actually smiled a little. "I come from Greenheart, and some of my family there is still alive."
"Good luck then, and thanks."
"What took you so long?" Damien asked. "We almost thought you got caught by Arthur."
"We did get caught – by Friedrick." Leon admitted. "He helped us."
"I guess he had some decency left then – come on, let’s get out of here."
A few minutes in a cramped tunnel later they were in front of Nicholas’ cell.
Leon threw the door open with all his strength and burst into the room.
"What’s got you so worked up?" Nickolas raised an eyebrow and looked around the group. "And why the large entourage?"
"Arthur ordered your execution, we’re getting the hell out of here."
"Oh." Nickolas frowned. "That’s not good at all."
"I’ll say." Calen snorted. "Get everything you need and lead to the nearest passage outside."
"I’d like to at least get my sword, but I don’t know if that’s possible."
"Here." Leon pushed the weapon into his arms. "We already got it, now let’s go."
"Alright then, follow me – there’s a tunnel leading outside nearby."
All it took was a couple of false walls and cramped tunnels, and they were outside.
"Where should we go?" Nickolas questioned.
"The temple seems like a safe bet, no one aside from us knows that it has been restored." Leon reasoned.
"Okay, I’m curious how it looks now that it’s not overrun with monsters."
"UTTER INCOMPETENCE!" Arthur screamed while holding one of the remaining members of the round table by the collar.
"My lord, if you would just calm yourself..."
"Calm myself? CALM MYSELF?! Four of you ran away like cowards, one of you even freed that worm in the dungeons – and you ask me to be calm?" He tightened his grip.
"We assure you that we know nothing about it my lord, those were filthy traitors and we’ll make sure they see justice." The man suspended in the air gasped.
Arthur scoffed and let him go.
"You better make sure that you do." He turned to leave but then added: "and it’s ’your Grace’, not ’my Lord’."