The sound of boots crunching gravel echoed down the quiet courtyard just outside the guardhouse. Moments after Arthur and Kai left this place, a squad of armored knights arrived on the scene. Their polished armor glinted beneath the lanterns, and at the center of them strode a man whose presence alone made the other knights unconsciously straighten their backs.
He was a broad-shouldered figure with silver streaks in his short-cropped hair and a black cloak embroidered with a silver sword draped across his back. His armor bore the insignia of the Church's Knight Order, specifically, the mark of a Knight Commander with four stars, he was just a single rank below the highest ranking knight of the church 'The Knight Grand Cross'.
Commander Hadrian Verrick, a name spoken with both reverence and fear throughout Brightwater, and he was stationed here on the order of the church.
He stopped at the entrance of the dungeon, his sharp eyes scanning the bodies of unconscious guards strewn across the place.
"What the hell happened here…" Verrick muttered, in a low and gravelly voice laced with irritation. He was angry that someone dared to attack the knights of the church.
The knights accompanying him fanned out, as they surveyed the wreckage.
"Sir, all the guards appear to be alive," one reported, bending to check pulses. "But…they are all knocked out cold."
Another knight added, "The guardhouse's front wall has collapsed. Looks like it took a hit from an attack?"
Just then, a figure stumbled out of the rubble, his armor scorched, dented, and smeared with blood. It was the knight who had attempted to stop Kai.
He limped forward, wincing with each step, and came to attention with a painful salute.
"Commander Verrick," he rasped, "I… I can explain."
Verrick raised an eyebrow. "Start talking."
The knight nodded and relayed everything, from how a masked man, likely a Grandmaster martial artist, and some invisible enemy took them down like they were nothing.
"I don't know why they attacked us," the knight finished. "But judging by the traps being triggered inside the dungeon, I'd say it was a planned rescue."
Verrick narrowed his eyes. "Rescue?"
Without another word, he stormed into the dungeon with the knights following behind him.
They arrived in front of the cell that once held Arthur. Across from it, another prisoner sat glaring from behind his own bars. With his arms crossed and a sour expression.
Seeing the metal bars of Arthur's cell fallen on the ground, Verrick turned toward him and asked.
"You," he said. "What happened here?"
The man, still angry at Arthur for not taking him with him, told them everything, "Some figures showed up, they cut the bars with some dirt like thing. Freed the kid and left with him."
Verrick said nothing, just glanced at the broken cell again before turning to the knight who'd fought Kai.
"Who was imprisoned here?"
"I'm not sure, sir. The guards would know."
Verrick's lips curled with disdain. "Useless."
The knight looked down in shame and followed them outside.
Outside, Verrick ordered two knights to wake the unconscious guards using healing spells and minor light magic. Within moments, groggy groans filled the courtyard.
Soon, a few knights, those previously sent to the academy to detain Arthur arrived before him and saluted. One of them quickly stepped forward.
"Commander, the prisoner was detained today. His name is Arthur Sully, a student at Velcrest Academy."
"Arthur Sully…" Verrick repeated, rolling the name on his tongue trying to remember if there was anyone influential with the surname Sully. "A student?"
"Yes, sir. We verified his background before detaining him, but nothing significant came up. He first appeared in Durnholde with no prior records. Later, he came to Brightwater and enrolled in the academy."
Verrick narrowed his eyes. "A student with no origin… who breaks out of a church operated dungeon, leaving trained knights unconscious in his wake?"
He turned, pacing slowly, fingers tapping against his scabbard.
"Either someone's covering for him... or he's more dangerous than we gave him credit for."
He stopped and faced his knights. "I want everything. His origin, his movements, his contacts. If he has a family, I want their names. If he has a hideout, I want it burned to the ground. Find him with any means you can."
The commander's voice dropped to a snarl.
"If he thinks he can attack the Church's authority and walk away… he's severely mistaken."
…
Count Bahram's Manor
It was late at night, but a soft knock came at the count's bedroom door.
Count Bahram stirred from his sleep with a grunt. Dressed in an emerald robe trimmed with gold thread, he sat upright on his grand four-poster bed.
"Enter," he called.
The door creaked open and a woman stepped in, limping slightly. Her black cloak was torn and blood crusted one side of her face. She knelt before him in silence.
Bahram's eyes narrowed. "What happened?"
"I apologize, my lord," she said, her voice somewhat shaken. "The mission failed."
He folded his hands, motioning her to continue.
"There was…some interference in the mission. A masked martial artist at Grandmaster level attacked the dungeon, and escaped with the boy."
She hesitated.
"But we still engaged, and tried to eliminate him, but he…he was much stronger than we anticipated."
There was a flash of disbelief in her eyes. "He's just a student… but I couldn't defeat him."
Bahram said nothing for a moment, letting the silence settle like dust in a crypt.
Then he stood and walked to the window, gazing out over the moonlit city.
"I see," he murmured. "Didn't you say he runs an orphanage in the lower district?"
The woman nodded.
"Send a squad to monitor it, he might return there."
He turned back, a smirk playing at the edges of his lips.
"The Church won't take this lightly. Their pride was wounded tonight, they'll come for him eventually. There's no need for us to do anything now, he has dug his own grave by attacking the church."
The woman bowed lower. "Yes, my lord."
Then stood up and exited the room, leaving the count alone.
…
Arthur and Kai landed silently on the gravel path outside the orphanage nearly fifteen minutes later, the night cloaking their figures. After checking the area and seeing no one monitoring it yet they entered the orphanage.
The gate creaked slightly as they slipped through and entered the main building. Despite the late hour, the lights in the foyer were on. As soon as they stepped inside, a familiar voice called out.
"Sir Arthur?" Butler Hudson emerged from the hallway, a lantern in hand. His eyes widened with relief. "By the gods, you're alright."
Within moments, Lisa ran in from the adjacent room, her little arms wrapped around Arthur's legs, laughter and tears bubbling in equal measure. Few of the children and staff also gathered as well, their faces lighting up when they saw him. They had heard he had been arrested by the church, so they were worried about him.
Hudson glanced at Kai, and bowed respectfully. "Thank you… for bringing him back."
Kai gave a lazy shrug. "You don't need to thank me. He could have left the prison himself."
Arthur picked Lisa up before stepping forward. "Where are the others?" he asked.
"They are all waiting in the dining hall," Hudson replied. "Everyone you saved last night, the staff and the childrens, just like you told us to."
Arthur nodded and followed him through the familiar halls. The air inside the dining hall was tense. Everyone looked up as he entered the hall, and even the former slaves he'd freed the night before had hopeful eyes.
Arthur stepped up to the front of the room, standing beside a long table, where the flickering chandelier cast long shadows across his face.
Before Arthur left for the academy yesterday he had gathered everyone and had confirmed with them if they would come with him.
…
Flashback…
Arthur stood in the dining hall, with every staff member of the orphanage seated before him. Butler Hudson stood to his right. His tone was serious, even though his words carried no threat.
"I'm going to be honest with you all," he said. "The orphanage... isn't safe anymore. Not because of the children, or because of you. But because of me."
He took a breath. "So I would be closing the orphanage from today."
Murmurs rippled across the staff, but he raised a hand to silence them.
Arthur continued, " I will go to a different place and set up the orphanage again, so I need to know from each of you your stance. I will take with me anyone willing to go with me, but I won't force anyone. Staying might be easier."
Silence.
A man from the back raised his hand hesitantly. "Sir… is this place in a different kingdom?"
Arthur's lips twitched into a smile. "No," he replied, voice calm but certain. "It's not in any kingdom, it is an entirely different place."
Butler Hudson was the first one to stand up and say, "I don't need to know the name of the place, or what it looks like," he said gruffly, "If it's where you're going… then I'll follow you sir."
One by one, others also began to rise.
Most of these staffs used to work for a noble family along with butler Hudson, but after the noble family was destroyed, they had lost their job and Arthur was the one who had given them shelter and work with a good pay. He even allowed for their family to come and stay with them, so they decided to go with Arthur.
Arthur nodded, the weight of their loyalty pressing against his shoulders.
He didn't smile, but there was a warmth in his gaze seeing the scene before him.
"Then get ready," he said. "Pack your belongings. When the time comes, I'll take you there myself."
…
Back to the present…
As the memory faded, Arthur looked around the room again. Familiar eyes stared back, some fearful, others uncertain, but every single one of them had chosen to stand with him.
Kai stepped forward. "We don't have much time left. By now the church might have figured out what happened at the dungeon, they might come here anytime."
Arthur nodded and led everyone outside the building in the open field of the orphanage.
***
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