novelraw Chapter 205 : Infiltration
Chapter 205 : Infiltration
Chapter 205: Infiltration
「Here for a shift change so early today?」
Inside the dungeon of the War Fortress, two guards on duty looked at the comrades before them with surprised expressions. 「And this one is?」
「A wanderer from some settlement—pitiful soul, really,」 one soldier said, shaking his head helplessly. 「Unfortunately, he committed theft. Lord Yam despises that kind of crime. According to his temporary laws, he’s to be detained for a while. The captain figured since the prisoner was coming here anyway, we might as well swap shifts. That way, you guys can head back early.」
When he said this, the soldier’s face was full of resignation.
The two guards originally stationed to watch over the high-security prisoner, however, cheered in delight, praising their captain’s wisdom.
「The one inside, he’s fine, right?」 Another soldier gestured toward the cell behind them. 「You checked? Don’t let something happen and have us take the blame later.」
「We just checked.」 The two guards nodded. One of them even opened the cell door. 「He’s already been re-injected with a suppressant, and we fed him once this morning. The next feeding isn’t due for a while, so no worries. —By protocol, you should check once yourselves.」
Of the two new guards coming for the shift change, one remained outside watching over the woman, while the other entered to conduct a thorough inspection of the imprisoned man inside—an inmate Lord Yam had ordered to be closely guarded.
「Do you have to be that meticulous?」 one of the guards muttered. 「You weren’t this serious yesterday.」
「Sigh, that’s exactly why I got scolded yesterday—because I wasn’t serious enough.」 The inspecting guard spoke with frustration. 「I suggest you start being careful, too. Lord Yam apparently set up an additional surveillance here. If you get caught slacking, there’s no way to explain it. That’s how I got chewed out today.」
Hearing this, the other guard immediately became serious. 「So this prisoner’s really that important, huh.」
「What do you think?」
「But what did he do?」 The guard outside the door glanced into the cell curiously. 「I heard he was caught right after delivering some intelligence. —Was it a breach of military secrecy?」
「Don’t know.」 The guard outside shook his head. 「The lord won’t tell us. We just need to keep watch.」
「Fair enough.」
A reply came from inside the cell.
「All done—no problem.」
At that moment, the guard who had gone in to inspect spoke up, and the shift change proceeded quickly.
「Need help taking that woman to her cell?」
「No need.」 One of the new guards smiled. 「We’re finished here anyway, and no one else is coming in. You can stay on watch; I’ll take her. —You finally get an extra hour off, why waste it?」
「Heh, thanks then.」 The two guards cheerfully left.
One of the new guards stayed behind, while the other dragged the chained woman away, heading toward the inner cells.
The guard hummed a tune under his breath, looking completely at ease.
It was an old song—ancient-sounding, and not in the style of the Tyrella Kingdom. It carried a faintly iron-blooded tone, solemn yet grand.
The song was short, only one verse, ending quickly.
As the final note faded, the sound of footsteps echoed again.
The other guard returned.
Just as before, he followed behind the female prisoner.
But unlike earlier, this time the aura around the guard was completely subdued. He no longer looked like a guard at all—more like a retainer walking behind his mistress.
The once-timid female prisoner now wore an expression as cold as frost, exuding a commanding, steely presence.
The guard standing at the cell door turned the moment he heard footsteps, unlocking the cell for them. The three entered one after another.
Almost instantly, the prisoner—an Invisible One placed under Lord Yam’s strictest orders—opened his eyes. His face was pale, his body weak to the point of speechlessness, yet upon seeing the three before him, his eyes lit up with life.
「Captain—cough, cough.」
「You’ve been injected with restraint needles. You know what that means, don’t you?」
「Yes.」 The Invisible One’s eyes dimmed noticeably.
「How were you discovered?」 asked the supposed “female prisoner,” whose tone was now commanding and calm.
「I… don’t… know,」 the prisoner said between coughing fits.
At that, one of the disguised guards stepped forward and fed him a vial of golden liquid.
Almost instantly, color returned to his cheeks, and his vigor began to recover.
「Time’s short. Tell us everything you know.」 The “female prisoner” spoke gravely. 「Our infiltration and replacement plan has failed, but your capture means the information you hold is far more valuable. —For the Empire.」
「Cough…」 The prisoner hacked again—this time spitting up blood.
「For the Empire,」 he rasped. Then, quickly, he spoke, 「I don’t know exactly how it happened, but Aches Soderbell… there’s something wrong with him. He saw through our ambush once—I thought it was luck, but after being captured, I realized it wasn’t luck at all. He read our formation.」
「It’s possible he saw through my disguise from the very first moment we met.」
「Later, he used his own identity and story to trick me into delivering that intelligence report to Yam Soderbell. On the surface, the intel looked like it was to confirm his safety and lure Yam Soderbell to rescue him—but in truth, the real target was me. —I was the fish walking straight into the net.」
「Even now, Yam Soderbell hasn’t come to interrogate me. He’s likely marched out to rescue his nephew.」
「Yes,」 the female Invisible One nodded. 「He mobilized his forces the day after your capture. He’s now facing the Empire’s army in open conflict. I can’t predict who’ll win—I’m no strategist—but regardless of the outcome, our time is short. That’s why I came to hear the full account.」
「I don’t know more,」 the prisoner shook his head. 「But beware of Aches Soderbell. I suspect his bloodline ability grants some kind of instinctive perception—that’s how he saw through us. That’s all I can confirm. If the Empire plans future operations, his movements must be monitored closely, or our strategies may be compromised.」
「Understood.」 The female Invisible One nodded. 「Anything else to add?」
「Nothing more.」
「Your sacrifice will be remembered by the Empire,」 she said solemnly, giving a formal Imperial salute.
「All for the Empire,」 the prisoner replied with a faint grin. 「May Lady Isabella’s glory be eternal.」
「May Lady Isabella’s glory be eternal,」 the three Invisible Ones murmured in unison.
Then, the woman drew a sword from the side guard’s belt and plunged it into the prisoner’s heart.
He closed his eyes calmly, without a trace of pain.
After saluting once more, the female Invisible One turned and left. The other two sealed the cell and followed swiftly behind.
The three entered an empty cell.
The two “guards” quickly stripped off their uniforms and donned prisoners’ clothing, while the “female prisoner” changed into a guard’s uniform.
They then took out pre-prepared vials of red liquid and drank them.
In seconds, their bodies and faces began to shift and morph.
The two male guards transformed into a man and woman—appearing like a malnourished couple.
The former “female prisoner” became a tall, muscular male guard.
Once the disguises were complete, the guard escorted the “couple” out of the dungeon.
The burly guard led the frail pair upward, greeting other guards along the way with friendly familiarity.
「Their sentence’s up?」
At the dungeon gate, the gatekeeper eyed the couple and pulled out a record book. 「Sign for release.」
The couple nervously searched for their names and finally found them on the fifth page, pointing them out.
The gatekeeper drew a line through the names.
He glanced at their crimes, then said sternly, 「Since it’s your first offense, the punishment’s light—just a few days in holding. Next time, you won’t get off so easy.」
「Y-yes, we understand. We’re sorry, truly sorry.」
The couple bowed repeatedly, trembling.
The burly guard shook his head and sighed. 「Enough. This war’s to blame. Don’t be too harsh on them. —If people had a choice, who’d want to be a thief? If you must blame someone, blame the Aust Empire.」
「You’re right.」 The gatekeeper nodded. 「Alright, take them out. But don’t slack off outside. Lord Yam’s deployed troops to the front, and we’re short-handed. Don’t think you can sneak off for half a day like before.」
「Don’t worry,」 the burly guard grinned. 「I know my priorities, sir.」
「Good. You’re the only one I trust.」 The gatekeeper chuckled. 「Go on, then. —You’ve got one hour. I saw nothing.」
「Thank you, sir!」 The burly guard’s face lit up with joy.
Then he turned cold again, barking harshly, kicking the “couple.” 「Move! Don’t dawdle! Don’t waste my time!」
「Y-yes—sorry, sorry!」