Chapter 24: Secret and Mansion
Kreyn remained in his inner space for nearly ten minutes. During this time, he gained a better understanding of his power, saw his status for the first time, and used the Fractal.
However, in the real world, to Judith and the others, it appeared as follows: Kreyn closed his eyes, a few seconds passed, and he opened his eyes.
This was not unique to his case. Every Origin was capable of this, however, it required remaining calm, both in mind and energy. Thus, entering inner space during combat to think through one’s next move would not work.
"So...? Did you do it?" Judith asked, she wanted to know how he used the Fractal.
Kreyn grinned.
"Of course, it wasn’t difficult. Now I have a plan, and I’ve solved one of the problems."
"Tsk! Tell me what you did!" She waved her fist.
"Nope. It’s a secret. You’ll find out when the time comes. I think you’ll be around then."
He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder.
"We’re allies now, aren’t we?"
Judith gritted her teeth. "You... What an asshole. Of course, we’re allies, I already said that."
"Great. In that case, it’s time to go back and get to work. Stop wasting time fighting walking rocks, we don’t have that much to spare."
...
Now, Kreyn controlled one point in the region, and he would soon form an alliance with the second, Boneveil Village, but Kreyn always remembered that he was on a clock.
No one would forgive a prisoner who took over a prison and killed the guards. Only death could redeem his sin.
Under the light of the blue moon, at the foot of the hill, a small town lay, though compared to it, the Boneveil Village was nothing more than a hunting lodge.
Neither the streets bathed in lamplight, nor the people moving along the roads even late at night, nor even the tall towers watching over both the town and its surroundings could compare to the magnificent, gloomy mansion located behind the town.
It seemed that this mansion alone contained all the wealth of the region, and that was not untrue, for it was the residence of the Wurhen Family.
No one could compare to the Wurhen Family in the lands before Frost Ridge. They were the richest, most influential, and most powerful. Almost all important locations, such as the Dark Hand Prison, were under their control.
Well, at least that was the case until that day.
"Sir..."
A woman in formal attire stood in the middle of the room as dim light fell on the large frame in front of her.
"We have confirmed that the Dark Hand Prison has been captured and is under the complete control of the prisoners..." Her voice trembled with fear.
Seated at an oak table was a man with long black hair falling to his shoulders like a raging flame, his face lined with wrinkles and his beard streaked with gray, but all of that paled in comparison to his piercing gaze and menacing aura.
"Gha." The man exhaled cold air and interlaced his fingers. "Merina, you disappoint me. Did you not promise me that if I gave this prison to your control, you would exceed my expectations?"
"B-But, sir!" Merina exclaimed. "The yield of the Worm Crystals has increased by 30% over the last three months! Also, over the last six months, resentment among the guards has significantly decreased and—!"
BAM!
The fist slammed down on the table, causing Merina to flinch.
"And now, my daughter, my beautiful Laura, is either dead or being held hostage by those animals! On top of that, you say this was done by an unknown prisoner? Some boy who was supposed to die of starvation in a few days?!" The man’s frown instilled fear in her.
Without hesitation, Merina fell to her knees, brushing her forehead against the floor.
"Lord Ardur! Please forgive me! It will never happen again!"
Ardur grunted as two green eyes opened from the shadows.
"Father." The young man’s voice rang out. "Perhaps a blessed one or even a cursed one has appeared in the prison?"
Ardur waved his hand.
"Don’t talk nonsense. Although..." Ardur rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "It’s worth admitting that everyone has a chance for a blessing, even such scum. A curse, hmm... that’s out of the question. There was no one powerful in prison, no one would waste so much energy on these lowlifes, and a natural curse is also impossible. These bastards are too confident."
After a few moments, Ardur sighed heavily.
"Merina, lift your head and answer the question. Did someone with a High Blessing appear in prison?"
The woman stood up abruptly.
"From what I know at the moment, the prisoners, led by someone named Kreyn, first captured the prison and then lured Mr. Enor into a trap. They won with the help of explosions and a bait for an Arakta Worm."
She didn’t have all the details because this was told to her by a guard who escaped in the middle of the battle and saw everything from a distance.
Ardur said nothing, assessing the situation.
Merina gulped as she suggested:
"Sir, just say the word, and I’ll send a squad right now to destroy them. We’ll do it in just a few hours, and by morning, there will be nothing left of them!"
"DON’T BE A FOOL!" Ardur roared as Merina’s face paled. "What if my daughter is still alive? Do you want her to die in battle? Do you want them to use Laura as a hostage?!"
The young man in the shadows glanced at Ardur.
"Father... The chances of Laura being alive are..."
Ardur raised his hand to stop him.
"The one who started this rebellion, this Kreyn, he is smart, cunning, and cruel. Otherwise, he would be dead by now, but he managed to do all this in a single day!"
After a long pause, Ardur narrowed his black eyes.
"Merina, send someone tomorrow to negotiate, first thing in the morning. Before we act, we need to know if Laura is alive. Only then can we set our plans in motion."
"Yes!" Merina exclaimed. "It will be done!"