There were two types of prisons in Ateloia.
One was a church prison that imprisoned those who had harmed people by using evil magic, like the place where Ivan had been imprisoned, and the other was a prison located in the basement of the imperial palace.
In the former case, knights belonging to the church took full responsibility for security, while in the latter case, responsibility was entrusted to soldiers belonging to the Emperor.
Fenrir was in the dungeon.
And that too in the most heavily guarded place where political prisoners are held.
"..."
The air, having settled coldly, was frigid beyond measure. With a face devoid of any expression, Fenrir sat in his seat, gazing toward the small window.
Thus, the prisoner remained composed as if nothing had happened, but ironically, it was the guards who were terrified.
"I don't know if this is okay..."
A few sentries standing guard in front of the prison began whispering to each other in very low voices.
"Does it make sense to imprison Grand Duke Fenrir like that, of all people?"
It was only natural for the soldiers to be worried.
And understandably so, as the current situation in Ateloia was utterly chaotic. Not only had murders occurred one after another, but even the Archbishop and Archmage Ivan had died.
But to think they would arbitrarily imprison Fenrir, one of the Emperor's few closest aides.
"It makes no sense that the Grand Duke is a suspect."
Dietrich was determined to somehow link the deaths of Attar Hanan and Noah DeVern to Fenrir, but others, just like Siegfried, thought differently.
"What would he gain from killing those people?"
"But rumors were circulating about Lady Presepe."
Just as Vidar once told Presepe, before anyone knew it, rumors began to spread widely among the people.
The content was simple.
Grand Duke Fenrir fell in love with none other than Presepe.
"That is precisely why it makes no sense. He is His Majesty's closest confidant and has even been granted the title of Grand Duke; what could he possibly be lacking?"
"That is true, though."
"He really isn't going to be executed just like that, is he?"
Rising to the position of Grand Duke as a person of humble origins was possible because he had proven his exceptional abilities to the point that no one dared to question them.
Not only the soldiers under Fenrir's command, but also the soldiers who had fought alongside him on the battlefields and achieved great victories could not suddenly harbor ill will toward Fenrir as easily as flipping a switch.
Rather, there was a greater suspicion that he had been unjustly imprisoned after incurring the Emperor's wrath. This was especially true since he was the one who had saved their lives time and time again on the blood-soaked battlefield.
"I feel so uneasy."
"It’s even more so because he’s just standing there still."
Even while the soldiers sighed heavily and glanced at him nervously, Fenrir showed no reaction.
He was just lost in thought.
'Private Soldiers.'
Fenrir was calculating the number of soldiers who could move freely at that moment.
Just as Dietrich had imprisoned Fenrir in the dungeon with his own scheme despite the forced evidence, Fenrir had also prepared many things in case something unexpected happened.
Just as he told Dietrich.
"If I fall into the Emperor's scheme and have my ankles bound, Dietrich will probably imprison me."
The conversation he had shared with Kevin some time ago flashed vividly through Fenrir's ears.
"What do you do then?"
"Move the soldiers the moment I am captured. Move as close to the border as possible; the numbers must be discreet, not conspicuous. However, you must act in a way that reaches the ears of the nobles, just as if you are dropping bait."
"However, the Emperor could use that as a pretext to view it as treason. You are aware of this, aren't you?"
"If it weren't for what happened in the Forbidden Forest, I suppose I could be driven into that corner."
The soldiers under Dietrich participated in wars, but their primary duty was to protect the Emperor. Dietrich had been gathering soldiers since before he plotted the rebellion, solely for this purpose.
Of course, they also went to war when it broke out, but the number of those who fought directly on the battlefield was overwhelmingly large, consisting of the Knights and Fenrir's private soldiers.
However, now that more than half of the Knights were dead, it was obvious that if rumors spread that Grand Duke Fenrir was plotting a rebellion, the anxiety of the nobles would increase, just as it would for Dietrich.
Fenrir intended to use it.
"More than half of the noble families of Ateloia have interests in my favor. Confused and debating which side to align themselves with, they will eventually try to join hands with me. By all accounts, the one at a disadvantage will be Dietrich."
Having turned their backs on the Emperor, they will do everything in their power to somehow free Fenrir from prison.
To be honest, it wasn't simply because Dietrich was in a disadvantageous situation.
It was because it was obvious that if Fenrir were executed for treason, they, who had maintained a close relationship with him, would also suffer.
Moreover, since Dietrich had usurped the throne by ousting the Second Prince, there was nothing good about seeing signs of civil war in this way.
Since a full day has already passed, Kevin must have mobilized his soldiers. If things go fast, rumors might already be circulating by now.
'Now there is no justification for taking Presepe out.'
Fenrir's red eyes flickered quietly.
...But is something like justification really that important?
"Actually, justification is the most important thing, Fenrir, as always."
Dietrich might think so, but Fenrir was a completely different person from Dietrich.
Even if he were the one sitting on the throne, he would have kept Presepe by his side, prepared to lose everything.
'After going straight to the West Tower, together with Presepe...'
However, Fenrir's thoughts could not continue any further.
"..."
Fenrir's red eyes, gazing out the window, trembled greatly in the moonlight. He seemed frozen in the stiff daylight, then sprang to his feet.
“The Grand Duke?”
The sentries hesitated in fear, and a series of loud clanging sounds swept up the underground prison.
"..."
Fenrir, who had rushed right up to the soldiers' noses and was gripping the iron bars tightly with his blood-stained hands, glared at them and spoke.
“Open.”
“Yes, yes?”
“I told you to open it.”
"..."
“Right now!”
And it was that moment.
“It’s a monster!”
At someone's sudden scream, the soldiers' faces froze.
"Monsters, monsters are swarming in by the hordes! There are way more of them than last time!"
"West Tower! Go to the West Tower!"
What on earth is this all about? Now, not only the soldiers guarding Fenrir but everyone in the underground prison began to murmur.
"If you don't want to die, open the door! Right now!"
And behind Fenrir, someone was shouting with the force of someone about to smash through the bars and leap out at any moment.
Through the small window, he could see monsters swarming pitch-black toward the West Tower.
***
Fenrir doesn't even remember what state of mind he was in when he escaped the underground prison.
“Ugh!”
“Help, help me!”
What was visible was literally chaos.
Dietrich's soldiers, the Knights, the priests of the Church, and even the mages from the Magic Tower who had been keeping a low profile after Ivan's escape were fighting the monsters.
It was an absurd number at first glance. Even when they were attacked in the Forbidden Forest, the scale wasn't that large.
And every single one of those monsters surrounded the tower.
To be precise, they were killing everyone who approached the tower.
‘Vidar...'
Gritting his teeth, Fenrir pressed forward, relentlessly fighting off the monsters. Chunks of flesh severed by his sword rained down like snow, and gushing crimson blood drenched his entire body, but that was not what mattered now.
"Fenrir! Grand Duke Fenrir!"
Those who recognized Fenrir shouted loudly for help, but Fenrir did not even give them a glance. He ran quickly while fighting the monsters and began to climb the tower, leaping over the corpses that had stained the ground.
As if he had risen from hell, Fenrir, drenched in blood, stepped into the front of Presepe's room.
"..."
Then, immediately, he bit his lip hard into the icy cold day.
The tower was empty.
Presepe was not visible.
Anywhere.
"Ugh, uh..."
Siegfried, who was half-dead, was merely rolling on the floor, drenched in blood just like Fenrir, and groaning.
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