They don't want me to try anymore.

Megan tried to resist, but was surprised to find that there were two Silver Rank 2 beings hiding on the small island. As a result, he was subdued and was not able to return to Connaught. Instead, he was taken directly to the Empire.

"We have already lodged a protest with the Empire."

At this moment, the scribe interjected, "Arresting our court monks on the territory of a third country without trial is utterly incomprehensible! But..."

But isn't empire just about long-arm jurisdiction?

There was no need to listen any further; Richard had already guessed the outcome.

Moreover, he sensed a conspiracy in this matter.

Indeed, compared to Luvia, Megan is not a strong person.

But how much gold can a small island overseas have? Logically speaking, someone with silver could walk around with impunity, yet they still got caught. Nobody would believe they were lying in ambush beforehand.

In that light, it's no wonder that protests and appeals are useless.

So who did it? Standard Fruit? Dulles? Was it a routine act of oppression against Connaught, or was it because of the commotion he caused in the Empire that someone targeted his relatives and friends back home?

Richard frowned, his nails digging slightly into the table.

The clerk sighed, "Your Highness, we didn't want to disturb your studies, but we heard that you've made some connections in the Empire during your six months of schooling..."

"I understand. I'll help."

Richard quickly regained his composure, comforted Madame Herrera, and then asked the clerk, "Has anyone made any demands on our side?"

"No……"

Where is Megan currently being held?

"In the Feldspar Prison of Idaril."

Phew, thank goodness, it's not the Central Prison.

“It’s too late today, Mrs. Herrera. You should go and rest. I’ll find someone tomorrow to see the teacher first, and then we’ll discuss things further…”

After saying this, Richard helped the woman up and left the coffee shop.

the next day.

While they said they were looking for someone, they could only ask Luvia for help.

Richard was a little embarrassed, but since it concerned his teacher's safety, he had no choice but to swallow his pride.

Needless to say, Luvia's reaction was that even after Richard clearly stated that the Dulles family might be behind this, she readily agreed to help.

She wrote a letter to Richard under the pretext of helping Nyon's former comrade-in-arms.

So at noon that day, Richard arrived at Longstone Prison with a letter of introduction bearing the Sword of the Empire. Naturally, no one stopped him, and he met Megan without any trouble.

Inside the dimly lit and damp magic-suppressing cell, the once dashing middle-aged mage now wore heavy shackles and looked dejected.

"teacher!"

"Richard?"

Megan looked up and saw the young man outside the railing. Her spirits lifted, but she shook her head with a wry smile and said, "Oh really, you've seen such an embarrassing side of me."

“If you care about this, teacher, I can turn around and leave now.”

"I feel like your sense of humor has gotten worse, which is really bad."

"Then let's stop joking. Can you tell me the details of what happened to you?"

Seeing Richard become serious, Megan immediately told him everything she knew, which was largely the same as what Mrs. Herrera had told her the night before.

This made Richard somewhat uncomfortable.

After listening to it a second time, he realized that the case was currently airtight, and apart from the fact that long-arm jurisdiction was a diplomatic issue, there was nothing else that could be a breakthrough for Megan to be exonerated.

Megan waved her hand and said, "Don't think about it, Richard. This is a trap. You can't defeat them in their territory... Fortunately, the Imperial Inquisitor seems to accept my claim that I killed someone by mistake, and with the diplomatic protest from His Majesty the King, I certainly won't be sentenced to death."

"Then he'll be imprisoned for at least several decades."

“It’s alright, that way I can still watch you break through the Imperials’ defenses.” Megan’s lips curled up and she laughed, “Haha, that’s enough for me… I’ve heard about your exploits, Richard. You have a bright future ahead of you. Don’t get caught up in this mess for my sake and ruin your own life.”

Richard raised an eyebrow but did not reply to that statement.

Then he noticed Megan's shoulder, where several whip marks were partially visible.

"Are the people in prison torturing you?"

"At the beginning of the interrogation, there was a red-bearded guy who really liked this method, but it's a common tactic of theirs, so it's nothing special."

Megan was getting impatient: "You should go now. Leave things here to me and your father and the older generation. You should focus on your studies."

"How can I feel at ease with this... Alright, I'll come see you again in a couple of days."

Richard rose and followed the guard leading the way, walking out with a heavy heart.

Midway through his journey, as he passed through a corridor, he caught a glimpse of a red-bearded guard chatting with his companion:

"I heard that the person who came to visit cell 404 today had a letter of introduction from Lady Luvia. Damn it, I don't understand how a Connaught prisoner could have contact with that woman?"

"I remember you whipped that guy a lot before, didn't you?"

"Ah, yes, you know I enjoy the process... so I'm a little scared now. What if some big shots are fighting and I get dragged into it? Sigh, the warden said before that it didn't matter how they fought..."

After rounding two bends, Richard suddenly stopped, looked directly into the eyes of the guide, and said, "Excuse me, I have something I'd like to go back and tell you something. Could you wait here for me for a moment?"

“Sir, this is not in accordance with the rules… but if it’s only for a short while…”

The guard leading the way hesitated for only a moment, then inexplicably felt that Richard was not to be disobeyed, and quickly nodded.

"Please hurry and return to the master."

"no problem."

Richard quietly took a detour and arrived at the place where the red-bearded guard was. The latter had already separated from his companions and was drinking alone while playing with his keys.

Upon seeing the person arrive, he began to ask a question.

boom!

Richard punched him right in the face, knocking him to the ground on the spot!

"Sweet! You..."

The man covered his blood-stained mouth, swayed as he stood up, and tried to pull out the stick from his waist to fight back.

But then, Richard looked the other man straight in the eye and delivered a sharp rebuke:

"You're in big trouble!"

"……what?"

Redbeard was stunned by the words and glare, and his hand holding the stick froze in mid-air.

Richard continued his tirade: "Who do you think is locked up in 404?"

"No, he's just a Connaught."

Snapped!

"idiot!"

Richard slapped him again and said in a deep voice, "How could an ordinary Connaught be worthy of Lady Luvia writing a letter of introduction?"

The red-bearded guard touched his swollen cheek and thought to himself: "Yeah! I was wondering about that too!"

He asked, bewildered, "So, sir, who is he?"

"He is an Imperial Royal Agent, specializing in infiltrating Connaught to gather intelligence!"

"what?!"

Redbeard's eyes widened, and he stammered for a long time before finally saying, "Don't joke around, if he were a royal spy, how could he possibly be imprisoned..."

Snapped!

"Oh dear, please stop hitting me, I really didn't know."

"Okay, I'll tell you now."

Richard gestured for the other man to come closer and whispered, "You don't understand, do you? This is to gain the trust of the higher-ups in Connaught. He'll have to go to one of our Empire's prisons before they'll think you're one of their own... To put it bluntly, this is all an act!"

"It can still be like this..."

"That's right! But look at you, ah, what audacity! The secret agent put on a show, and you dare to whip him directly!"

"But the warden said..."

"Who is the warden, and who are you so sweet-talking about? Besides, the warden gave you hints to pretend to be serious, you clearly didn't see them!"

"me……"

Under the gaze of the "Black-Clad Prime Minister" and the persuasion of the "Newspaper Tycoon," the red-bearded guard's brain completely turned into mush.

Did the warden give any hints? It seems like no, but it also seems like yes... Yes, I must have missed it!

So, my God, I have whipped a royal secret agent!

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. Finally, he knelt down at Richard's feet, grabbed the latter's trouser leg, and said, "My lord, my lord, I didn't mean it! Please forgive me!"

"release!"

Richard kicked the man away and said coldly, "Originally, you were bound to die, but fortunately Mr. Megan understood your predicament and felt that ignorance is no excuse, so he gave you a way out!"