Chapter 230: The Prelude to Rescue
In the Nightblades' headquarters at the royal capital, within a secured conference chamber, all those aware of Wang Yu's capture had gathered to plan an imminent rescue. They sat around a round table, deep in discussion.
"For now, if we want to free Wang Yu from the royal family's clutches, we'll have to use force. Negotiation is futile—if the royals refuse to acknowledge his arrest, in the worst-case scenario, they might choose to silence him permanently if we blow up this affair."
As Sieg spoke, his hand traced across a projection of the royal palace conjured from magical energy—a miniature fortress turning and shifting at his will.
He expanded a section of the model, revealing a particular structure in greater detail.
"This is likely where Wang Yu is being held—an underground dungeon beneath the palace, intended for enemies of the throne: foreign spies, or disgraced royal kin who have lost power struggles.
"This prison is not like the Abyssal Depths where void creatures or even evil gods are confined. Its purpose is less containment and more... extraction. The royals use it to take what they want from the imprisoned, not necessarily to ensure prolonged captivity.
"This is our best lead. Edward, I'll leave the task of confirmation to you. Only with your position can this be accomplished discreetly."
Sieg looked toward Edward, who responded with a calm nod—no objections.
"As for the actual incursion," Sieg continued, "there is good news. The kingdom's greatest defensive curio, Themis' Shroud, has been rendered inert after prolonged exposure to the power of the God of Terror. It won't recover for at least a month. During my time with the Royal Institute, I learned enough to be sure of that.
"That means our concern now lies elsewhere—and for this, we'll turn to Miss Avia. In truth, she is the cornerstone of the entire operation."
With that, Sieg took his seat, yielding the floor to the young woman who was, even now, scribbling furiously upon the Endless Pages Wang Yu had left her. Her calculations flowed ceaselessly.
"Breaking into the palace will be impossible while Themis' Shroud is active. Now that it's temporarily disabled, we stand a chance.
"The key lies in Mr. Sieg's true form as a dragon. Once transformed, he should possess strength beyond even legendary knights.
"With Mr. Sieg's help, I intend to break into the palace by raw, overwhelming force."
It was a bold and reckless plan. But given the strengths of those present, it seemed the only viable way forward.
The plan was to have Sieg assume his draconic form and dive from a high altitude, bearing Avia with him. With layered magical barriers serving as ramming armor, they would pierce the defenses and crash straight into the heart of the palace.
She said nothing of the possibility that his transformation might draw Its attention—that entity lurking beyond mortal comprehension.
The Lady of the Night, only recently having awakened from the God of Terror's influence and still regaining her power, had already pledged to aid her dear friend and archbishop without hesitation.
She would veil Sieg's draconic form with her hidden might, concealing him from Its gaze.
But once they had breached the palace, that protection would be withdrawn at the opportune moment—for Its gaze, as Avia and Sieg had privately discussed, was also part of the plan.
"Once inside," Avia said simply, "I will locate Wang Yu and bring him out. With my mastery of The Gate of Phases, I am the most suitable candidate."
She laid out the plan with striking brevity. Mad though it sounded, there was method in the madness.
She offered no further elaboration—those details were left to her and Sieg.
Plans rarely survived contact with reality. Whether success or catastrophe came first, they would have to adapt. That flexibility, in itself, was part of the plan.
"We must strike before the royals can react," Sieg emphasized. "We cannot allow them any time to muster a response. If we do, their entrenched power will crush every effort we've made.
"If we succeed in freeing Wang Yu," he continued gravely, "we must be ready to weather the storm that follows—the wrath of the royal family. To survive that, we need enough power to make them hesitate, to force them to swallow their pride and back down.
"They are not fools. For all their arrogance, the royal family are merchants of power—they will not sacrifice themselves over one man, not if the cost is too great. We must present them with a ‘threat,' a force they cannot afford to challenge."
And that force could only be the Nightblades.
"We don't know who among the Nightblades may have been compromised, so the plan must be kept among ourselves. There can be no leaks.
"What we need," Sieg continued, "is a gathering where we can reach most of the Nightblades at once. Fortunately, one is approaching. But I must ask Miss Avia for her judgment.
"Twelve days from now, we hold our annual Day of Mourning, to honor fallen comrades. Nearly all Nightblade members will gather then, and the royals won't suspect a thing. If we reveal Wang Yu's arrest at that time, we'll have the strength we need."
His voice was calm, but the fire in his eyes burned unwavering.
"But the problem," Sieg continued, "is time. We don't know if Wang Yu can endure for twelve days. In the hands of the royal interrogators... I can only imagine what horrors await him. So I leave the choice to Miss Avia: do we wait, or do we act now?"
All eyes turned to the young woman.
Avia lifted her head, her expression steady, her mind clear.
"I believe in him," she said without pause. "His will cannot be broken—not by any means. Our actions must not be a rash sacrifice. These twelve days will not be wasted."
With consensus reached, the plan was set in motion Avia and Sieg returned to the Church of Nightfall's stronghold, where preparations for the assault would be made. Charles had used his family's influence to acquire vast quantities of alchemical materials, which the Nightblades' squad captains helped transport.
When members of the Church learned what had befallen their High Priest, they didn't hesitate—they gifted Avia every rare item they had previously consigned to her shop, including materials nearly impossible to find on the open market.
Of course, Avia didn't want to wait twelve days. No one longed more desperately to save Wang Yu. But she knew that rushing in without a plan was suicide.
Suppressing her rising urgency, she turned all her focus toward preparation, on enhancing both herself and Sieg's dragon form. The calculations she had been running continuously were all for this.
"Wait for me, Wang Yu. This time, I'll be the one to save you."
She exhaled slowly and glanced toward the giant chasm that connected the capital on the surface to its shadowy twin. To the side was the palace atop the mountain, the royals' throne.
Turning away, she immersed herself in work, emptying her mind of all distractions.
Far off, metal ground against metal. Inhuman howls rang out, shrill and jarring. In the deathly silence of the prison corridor, the sounds were like a gunshot to the ear.
A tall figure clad in full plate armor emerged from the far end of the corridor, dragging a cart-like contraption behind him.
Bound to the cart by a lattice of enchanted chains was a bizarre humanoid creature, its head like the skull of a goat, its body draped in black fur. It thrashed violently, the chains rattling with every movement.
"Rudolf, this wendigo is yours to handle. Make sure it doesn't die. It was caught in the frontlines at Selwyn—the royalty want to use it in a trade with the old noble houses. With your expertise, I assume you know how to manage it."
The voice was calm, detached. The speaker entrusted the creature to the man before him—Rudolf.
From a ripple in space, Rudolf appeared beside the cart. He placed a hand on the creature, feeling its strange texture, the eerie energy coursing through it. His eyes gleamed with fascination.
"A Wendigo? Haven't seen one of these in over a decade. I thought they were extinct. Amazing that one turned up after Selwyn's fall.
"Cursed blood and platinum flesh... It's fascinating how those two traits could coexist in one being.
"Lord Uller," he said, addressing the armored figure, "I'll take good care of it. But... might I take a small sample? For research. It won't affect the trade. I promise I'll be gentle... very gentle..."
He looked eagerly to Uller's expressionless helm, the zeal of obsession shining plainly on his face. Everyone in the palace knew what Rudolf was like.
"As you wish. So long as you do as you say. And make certain this creature—and anything else inside—does not escape. I've heard all about the mistakes you made in your earlier years."
Uller's tone remained calm and severe. He issued a warning before turning his gaze toward the pitch-black interior of the prison.
"Got it."
Rudolf nodded with a grin as he took the cart in hand.
Uller's eyes pierced the darkness, lingering inside the cell for no more than a quarter of a second. Then he turned his head away, as if by instinct, and left without another word.