Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

And then we arrived at the second basement level.

After looking through the narrow iron windows, they could see the slaves imprisoned inside.

Lin Gui frowned.

It wasn't that the slaves inside were too dazzling.

On the contrary, they were all too ordinary.

The people imprisoned here are all human.

They lacked striking good looks and their strength was mediocre, with the highest level seemingly only being mid-high rank.

Unlike the slaves in the upper class who were "properly kept".

Their bodies were almost entirely covered with shocking whip marks and branding scars.

His clothes were tattered, and he looked listless.

"How could someone like that be locked up here?"

A sense of doubt arose in Lin Gui's mind.

Judging from the level of security and the location of the detention.

It seems to be of a higher level than the elves and orc warriors above?

The arrival of the third young master, Far, attracted the attention of many people on this floor.

They all crowded around the iron bars of the window, silently watching him.

Far looked anxious and hurried through the passage.

He searched through each window until he reached the deepest cell.

A girl's weak voice came through: "Fal... here..."

Farr rushed over immediately.

He tightly grasped the hand, covered in tiny scars, that peeked out from the crack in the iron window.

His voice was choked with sobs.

"Lithase, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting... I'll release you right away!"

The girl named Ryusei shook her head and refused.

"Fal, I won't run away with you."

"Uncle Muze and the others are still here; I can't abandon them."

"They... were captured by those damned slave traders because of me."

"If I leave, Erwin will definitely beat them to death!"

A weak but firm male voice came from the next cell.

"Liuse, you should go with this young master. Don't worry about us old bones!"

"If it weren't for Caesar's rescue back then, we would have died at the hands of those damned nobles ten years ago!"

Mu Ze's words resonated deeply in the surrounding cells:

"Yes, Lithium!"

"That slave trader is delaying your release so he can use you as leverage to blackmail Mr. Caesar!"

"You can't let your father's and so many compatriots' sacrifices be in vain. Go now!"

"Hahaha! That's hilarious!"

A sharp, piercing laugh suddenly rang out from a cell diagonally opposite.

A man whose clothes were tattered, yet still retained some of his former arrogance.

He was peering through the iron bars of the window, laughing gleefully.

"A bunch of rebel bastards!"

"Even if this noble young master were willing to help, how would he manage to get you, the daughter of a rebel leader, out of the dungeon?"

"There are superhuman guards outside! Killing you is as easy as slaughtering dogs!"

Far glared at the guy with displeasure.

"Viscount Miles! I have my own ways! Now, shut your mouth!"

"Hahaha! A solution?"

"You, a mere eighteen-year-old high-ranking low-level trash? A noble scum who's mingled with the rebels, what can you possibly do!"

Viscount Miles laughed even more wildly.

"What, you want to release your rebel friends so they can cover for you?"

"Still want to make a deal with the upper-class orc warriors?"

"Haha, I guarantee that those muscle-bound bastards will abandon you and run away on their own. They're not going to hold off the guards for you!"

Miles' laughter was sharp and piercing.

Farr's face turned deathly pale. He had indeed considered trading his freedom for the power of those orc warriors...

"How will I know if I don't try? Uncle Roger managed to escape! I refuse to believe I can't!"

Farrell stubbornly retorted, trying to boost morale.

"If we gather the strength of all the slaves here, we can definitely break through the villa's defenses and get everyone out!!"

"Hahaha!! Hahaha! This is hilarious!!"

Miles felt as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

"What's Rogge's strength?! What's your strength?!"

"That madman dared to kill his own brother and the eldest prince of the royal family! Do you dare?!"

"No! You wouldn't dare! You're just a spoiled brat who knows nothing, living in an ivory tower! A naive and foolish spoiled pig!"

Leuse and the surrounding rebels glared angrily at the rampaging Miles.

But no one spoke up to refute it.

Because they all knew in their hearts that Miles' words, though harsh, were a cruel reality.

Irwin would never let them, especially Ruse, escape so easily.

If he forces his way out, the likely outcome will be that Far will be imprisoned for life.

Mu Ze and the others will face death.

Far clenched his fists stubbornly, his nails almost digging into his flesh.

"I don't want to act so rashly... but I don't have time!"

"Father is ready to fully side with the Second Prince, intending to hand over Sulfurat as a pledge of loyalty!"

Miles's laughter stopped abruptly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Your father is siding with the second prince?? Why?"

"Everyone knows the current situation; the Third Prince is the biggest winner!"

"The presence of two legendary knights is enough to compensate for the lack of support from the great nobles!"

Far said coldly.

"Five days ago, the soul lamps of all members of the Order of John went out."

"This is impossible!!" Miles grabbed the iron bars of the window, glaring at Far with a ferocious look in his eyes.

"You're lying to me!"

Far responded with a cold laugh.

"Nothing is impossible. It's not uncommon for legends to die in the wild."

"Symbolizing the pinnacle of the military power of the Kingdom of Carter, what does a legend amount to in the wild?"

"The epic queen of Eagle Fortress controls the key passage through the Withered Rift."

"Even with the recent development of the Golden Road through the magical city cut off, the Carter Kingdom hasn't dared to utter a single word."

Seeing that Miles was still in a state of great shock, he changed the subject.

"Miles! Don't you pride yourself on being the eldest princess's greatest strategist and ally?"

"Now that your arch-enemy, the Third Prince, has lost a crucial pillar, he is at his weakest! Don't you want revenge?"

"Help me! Help me get out of here! I swear in the name of Far Irwin, I'll give you your freedom after this!"

A flicker of excitement crossed Miles' eyes, but it quickly subsided, and he shook his head.

"Impossible... This is an absolute difference in strength."

"Besides, you underestimate your father."

"I'm afraid he's already here with the Second Prince's men."

"Letting you get the key so 'easily' might be a way to keep you under tight control."

"After all, that old man is getting on in years, and all his sons died in the brutal struggle for succession, leaving you as his only son."

"After this incident, you can expect to be completely imprisoned by him, have your marriage arranged, and become a puppet, my dear young master."

"Precisely because he only has one son, me!"

Farr practically spat out those words through gritted teeth.

Without further hesitation, he quickly used the key to unlock all the cages holding the rebels.

They deftly removed the slave collars from their necks.

Immediately afterwards, he shoved another sharp dagger into Ryusai's hand.

Far looked at Ruse with a resolute expression.

There is only one way to escape successfully.

"Use me as a hostage."

"If they don't believe they can harm me... cut off one of my fingers. If they still don't believe me..."

He pointed to his chest, his tone unusually serious.

"Stab it here."

"Fal!" Tears welled up instantly in Liuse's eyes.

"You don't need to go to this lengths for us..."

Far smiled, a smile tinged with nostalgia and bitterness.

"Do you remember? In the slums, it was you who rescued me when I was on the verge of death and pulled me out of that endless hell of despair."

"I am very grateful to... Erwin for finding me, bringing me back here, and making me a noble young master."

"Because only in this way will I possess the power and the status to help you."

"And now... is the time to take advantage of this identity!"

Before he finished speaking, Far suddenly raised another dagger and stabbed himself in the shoulder without hesitation!

That was too fast! Liu Sai and the others didn't even have time to react.

Warm blood spurted from Far's shoulder.

He endured the excruciating pain, pulled out the bloodstained dagger, and threw it on the ground.

He yelled at the still somewhat dazed Liu Sai and the others.

"Quick! Take me hostage! Ryusei, don't hold back! If you can't do it..."

His eyes sharpened.

"I will end my own life with my own hands."

Ruse looked at Far's bleeding shoulder and his resolute eyes.

Sobbing, her hand holding the dagger trembled violently.

Mu Ze sighed, stepped forward, gently patted Liu Sai's shoulder, and said in a deep voice.

"Girl, let me do it."

Miles watched the "kidnapping" scene unfold before him with a cold eye.

Farr's actions were within his expectations.

But the fact that the other party did it so decisively still surprised him.

"A bunch of idiots..." he scoffed inwardly.

Erwin? He had dealt with this old fox quite a bit when he was still the princess's advisor.

The other party is ruthless and decisive, a vicious character who would even use his own offspring as a bargaining chip.

How could they not be wary of Far being taken hostage?

That's an absolute joke!

Miles did not offer any warning.

Instead, they adopted a gloating expression, ready to watch the show unfold.

After Far left, a gentle breeze blew by, and Miles couldn't help but sneeze.

"Ouch!! Ugh~ Where did that wind come from? I'm freezing..."

He rubbed his nose and muttered to himself.

"I wonder when Gladys's people will arrive."

"If this kid isn't lying to me, the Knights of John really have been completely wiped out..."

"Then this is indeed Your Highness's only chance to turn the tide and contend for the throne..."

On the other side, Mu Ze held a dagger firmly against Fal's neck.

With Sussab and all the released rebels.

They walked out of the basement step by step.

However, when they saw what was happening outside, their faces turned deathly pale!

All that could be seen was the open space outside the basement exit.

A full fifteen powerful extraordinary guards.

And hundreds of high-ranking mercenaries with fierce eyes.

They have already formed a tight encirclement, completely sealing off this place!

The cold blades and the pent-up energy and magic.

They locked down each and every one of them.

Mu Ze's heart sank; this was indeed a trap.

Knowing there was no way out, he could only press the dagger even harder against Far.

A murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

To the obese man sitting in the ornate sedan chair outside the encirclement, he issued a stern warning:

"Irwin! Let's go! You don't want anything to happen to your only heir, do you?"

"Clap clap clap..."

A slow but clear round of applause rang out.

Erwin, sitting in the sedan chair, clapped his hands and laughed, his fat face full of mockery:

"Oh dear, what a fine dog raised by the traitor Caesar."

"With that aura, anyone who didn't know better would think you were some legendary figure!"

He turned his head and spoke ingratiatingly to a nobleman beside the sedan chair who wore gold-rimmed glasses and had an arrogant expression.

"Lord McKee, look, that little girl hiding in the crowd is Caesar's only daughter, the rebel leader. The real deal!"

McGee pushed up his glasses, a look of impatience on his face.

"His Highness has given orders that he only wants Caesar's daughter's head."

Erwin put on a fawning smile and nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, I understand!"

His expression immediately turned serious, and he coughed lightly.

Upon hearing the sound, the surrounding warriors and mercenaries instantly raised their weapons, their killing intent palpable!

Seeing that Erwin completely disregarded the safety of his "only" offspring.

Mu Ze's eyes widened in fury as he questioned her sharply.

"Erwin!! Don't think I won't do it!!"

After saying that, he tightened his wrist.

The dagger's blade instantly sliced ​​through the skin of Far's neck.

Fresh blood immediately seeped out, just millimeters away from the carotid artery!

Far immediately cooperated by feigning extreme fear.

With a sob in her voice, she begged Erwin for help:

"Father! Father, save me! It was your son's fault!"

"It's my fault for being bewitched by the beauty of this traitor's daughter, for letting her betray and hold me hostage! It's my fault for disobeying your teachings!"

He confessed with tears streaming down his face.

"I swear! If you save me, I will definitely obey you from now on."

"As you've arranged, I'll obediently be a playboy who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun, and I'll never dare to have any disloyal thoughts again!"

"Father, please save me!"

Faced with her son's "sincere" pleas for help.

Erwin merely chuckled coldly, stroked his gray beard, and slowly said:

"Oh, Far, my dear son..."

His face suddenly darkened, and his voice was like shards of ice.

"I knew it from the first moment I saw you in the slums."

"You'll end up like your damned Uncle Rogue! A traitor among the nobility!"

"You dare to draw your sword against the father who raised you for so many years just for this damned daughter of a rebel!"

"And that damned Rogue, for the sake of his half-demon slave, dared to murder the noble eldest prince!"

"They also released all the high-quality slaves that our family had accumulated over the past ten years."

"Listen to that beggar's words and go find Avalon, which only exists in fairy tales!"

"Ding!"

A crisp metallic clanging sound suddenly rang out.

This interrupted Erwin's impassioned accusation.

Erwin paused, looking in confusion towards the source of the voice.

A soldier also squatted down in confusion and picked up a glittering gold coin from the ground.

He looked around and realized that everyone was looking at him.

He swallowed hard, silently tucked the gold coins into his pocket, and retreated back to his camp.

Distracted like this, Erwin looked at Fal again and sneered:

"The only heir? Heh...maybe before."

He clapped his hands and said loudly.

"Roel, come out here, come and say hello to your... brother Fal. You might not have another chance like this."

As he spoke, a thin, pale-faced little boy appeared.

Accompanied by an old butler, they emerged from the back of the crowd.

She looked timidly at Far.

Instantly, Mu Ze, Liu Sai, and the others turned deathly pale!

Their last bargaining chip is gone!

"Bastard!!" Mu Ze shoved Fal aside and roared at him.

"Quick! Take the sulfide and get out of here!! Everyone else, follow me and hold them off! Every second counts!!"

He had already resigned himself to death.

Upon seeing this, Erwin let out a triumphant and arrogant laugh.

"Hahaha! Trying to run? Too late!!"

He suddenly stood up from the sedan chair, waving his arms and roaring wildly.

"Kill them!! Slaughter all these rebel bastards! Leave no one alive!!"

However, his laughter did not last long before he was shocked to discover that...

The fifteen extraordinary guards and hundreds of mercenaries around them remained completely still!

Their gazes, all focused on him with an indescribable sense of dread.

A chilling sensation instantly shot from Erwin's tailbone to the top of his head!

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of something rolling on the ground...

He stiffly turned his eyes to look.

That's Lord McKee's head with his gold-rimmed glasses!

His face was still frozen in shock and disbelief!

Erwin trembled violently, his soul trembling in his throat!

Just then, a cold and sharp dagger appeared.

It crept onto his neck skin silently, like a venomous snake.

A calm male voice, devoid of emotion, gently sounded in his ear:

"Could you tell me in detail about the whole process of your unfilial son's trip to Avalon?"

"I'm still quite curious."

Lin Gui kicked the obese Erwin to the ground from beside the sedan chair.

Without any mercy, he stepped on his struggling body.

The dagger in his hand was precisely and ruthlessly plunged into the opponent's lower back!

"Ah!" Erwin let out a bloodcurdling scream like a pig being slaughtered.

Lin Gui gave a cold warning to the supernatural guards around him who were itching to make a move.

"Take one more step and I'll slit his throat."

Before he finished speaking, he drew his sword again.

He thrust into Erwin's body again.

The location was cunning, avoiding all the vital points.

All that remained was intense pain and continuous bleeding.

Ironically, this method was learned by Lin Gui from a nobleman.

Although the surrounding guards were wary, they still intended to surround and capture him.

Lin Gui understood that they had seen through him; he was merely a high-level mid-rank mage.

Their strength was indeed insignificant in their eyes.

He smiled.

The blade of the dagger in his hand slowly traced a circle around Erwin's neck.

The icy touch instantly stiffened Erwin's bulky body.

"It seems the people you're raising don't understand human language very well."

Irwin felt the real threat of death and, disregarding everything else, roared hoarsely.

"Don't come any closer!! Listen to him!! Do you want me dead?!"

The master's fierce roar finally intimidated the guards.

They gritted their teeth and reluctantly took a few steps back.

The mercenaries, on the other hand, had already wisely retreated to the back.

They're just doing their jobs for money; they don't want to risk their lives.

But the guards were different.

These are the guys who were handpicked from the Golden Adventurers and aspire to join the ranks of the nobility.

They all signed stringent security agreements with Irwin.

If Erwin were killed right under their noses.

They will definitely not get away with it.

Although Erwin was not a traditional nobleman.

However, their wealth and power were enough to make many minor nobles look up to them.

"Get all the superhuman guards and mercenaries into the basement."

Lin Gui gave the order again, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Seeing that Erwin was still hesitating, he tried to persuade him.

Without hesitation, Lin Gui flashed a red light and plunged his dagger into Erwin's body once more!

"The next cut will sever your neck."

Erwin suppressed the excruciating pain, his eyes hardening.

"We might as well die together!"

"Is that so? Goodbye then."

Lin Gui's tone remained completely unchanged.

He gripped the dagger and made a move to stab Erwin in the neck!

The movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

"etc!!"

Irwin broke down at the last moment.

He could even clearly feel the cold touch of the blade as it grazed the blood vessels in his neck.

The shadow of death completely enveloped him.

Isn't this guy afraid that his guards will kill him after he dies?

Erwin was covered in cold sweat, his mind filled with too many questions, but he had no time to think.

Under his repeated shouts and commands.

All the guards and soldiers eventually laid down their weapons.

They filed into the basement entrance.

On the open ground, only Lin Gui and Erwin, whom he had trampled under his feet, remained.

And the still-shaken Fal and his gang.

"Okay...okay...I've done as you said..."

Irwin, panting heavily, tried to negotiate despite the excruciating pain.

"Shouldn't you...let me go?"

"Don't worry, I swear I won't retaliate! Whatever you do today, I'll pretend it never happened, okay?"

Lin Gui continued to stand on him, his strength not loosening in the slightest, and said calmly.

"There's no need to waste your energy secretly activating those magical items you're carrying."

As he spoke, he precisely pulled several small magical objects from Erwin's pocket.

It was casually tossed on the ground, making a crisp sound.

Lin Gui sneered.

"It seems that the wealthy merchant Erwin's reputation for riches is somewhat undeserved?"

"These magical items haven't even reached the extraordinary level."

"The startup is so slow, do you need to manually trigger it secretly?"

Irwin's face turned deathly pale instantly, his last glimmer of hope shattered.

"What...what do you really want?"

"Just spare my life, and I'll give you my wealth, my collection, whatever you want!"

Lin Gui ignored his probing and pleas for mercy, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.

"Now, I'll ask, and you'll answer. If I find that your words contradict any of the information I have..."

He paused, then pressed down with his feet.

"I will kill you, but if you are telling the truth, I will consider letting you go."

"First, tell me in detail about your 'unfilial son' Roger."

Erwin was taken aback; he had considered countless possible motives of the other party.

Assassins sent by princes for money, revenge, or even other princes.

But to everyone's surprise, the other party would ask about that name that had almost become a family taboo: Roger.

He felt the blade at his neck getting even closer.

Erwin dared not be negligent in the slightest and immediately spoke.

He then spoke of his nephew, whom he both hated and feared:

"Rogge...he...he's always been an outsider, like an oddball."

"But his talent in swordsmanship... is truly astonishing."

"He's a renowned genius at the Knight Academy, reaching the transcendent level at the age of twenty-seven!"

"Everyone says he has the best chance of becoming a legend and a new pillar of the capital..."

"Our family is counting on him to lead us into the door of a truly great noble family..."

"He did not disappoint these 'expectations'; he perfectly fulfilled the role that his family and royalty hoped he would become..."

"He won the great appreciation and trust of the then-eldest prince."

"They often hunted together, attended banquets together..."

"The eldest prince even intends to marry his most beloved daughter to him, a man of non-noble birth!"

"At that time, Rogge was riding high..."

Erwin's tone carried a twisted nostalgia, which quickly turned into deep-seated resentment:

"But nobody knows! It was all a facade!"

"He deceived everyone! His brother, me, even his father!"

"He's not the person we expected at all!"

"Tell me in detail how he assassinated the eldest prince, how he left the capital with the slaves, and how he went to find Avalon."

Lin Gui interrupted his emotional outburst, demanding specific details.

Erwin dared not hide anything and recounted the shocking event that had gripped the capital in fits and starts.

How did Rogge suddenly turn against him when the eldest prince trusted him the most?

How to rely on familiarity with the palace guards.

He brought with him a group of slaves whom he had secretly released and gathered.

They broke through numerous blockades and escaped the capital.

And so began his journey to find the elusive "Avalon".

After listening, Lin Gui remained silent for a moment before asking a question.

"Avalon only exists in nursery rhymes and legends, so why is he convinced that it must exist? What is his basis for this belief?"

"I...we're also confused..." Erwin swallowed.

"I only heard that he often went to the homeless area and talked to a strange, old homeless man..."

"We all thought he'd been fooled by that old madman..."

Lin Gui coldly pressed for an answer.

"Do you even believe that reason yourself? After the incident, didn't your family secretly investigate that homeless old man?"

"We dare not investigate!" Erwin's voice was trembling with tears.

"Because of Rogge's affair, our family has been subjected to relentless suppression and retaliation from the eldest prince's faction since his death..."

"My other descendants... have all been assassinated in retaliation... We are barely able to protect ourselves, how dare we investigate further..."

Lin Gui paused for a moment, raised his head, looked past Erwin and at Fal who was watching nervously in the distance, and asked.

"Is everything he said true?"

Farr clutched his still-bleeding shoulder.

Seeing his usually arrogant "father" lying on the ground like a dead dog.

He swallowed and nodded.

"Yes... in fact, almost everyone in the upper echelons of the capital knows about this, but due to the dignity of the royal family, no one dares to discuss it openly..."

He hesitated for a moment, looked at Lin Gui, as if he had made up his mind, and said through gritted teeth.

"I...I know someone who might know the details of why Uncle Roger insisted on going to Avalon..."

"If I tell you, will you let us leave safely?"

Lin Gui became interested: "Oh? Tell me about it."

Far took a deep breath and said the name:

"Princess, Diana Carter...she's Uncle Logue's...ex-girlfriend."