Leo followed Liamond and Wina out of the room, their steps muffled against the uneven ground. Ahead of them, the new companion led the way with an air of calm confidence.
"Wouldn't someone notice our teleportation?" Leo asked, glancing at the dilapidated building.
The man turned slightly, his voice steady. "This house is lined with protective spells woven into its very walls. It's designed to mask any magical disturbances." He paused briefly. "Still, it's not foolproof. There's always a chance someone could notice."
His eyes flicked to Leo, catching the faint suspicion on his face. "Ah, forgive me—I forgot to introduce myself. You can call me The Specter. I'm here under orders from Mr. Wells."
Leo's steps faltered slightly at the mention of the name. "Mr. Wells? Edgarth Wells?"
"The very same," the man confirmed with a slight nod, his expression unreadable.
The revelation stirred a mix of surprise and intrigue in Leo. Over the past few days, his curiosity about Edgarth had only grown with every cryptic hint and mention of his influence. Who exactly was this man?
They stepped outside, the air cool and dry against their faces as they followed The Specter.
"Follow this road for about five minutes," The Specter instructed, gesturing to a narrow dirt path winding into the distance. "You'll find a house with a sign that says Police Lodge."
"Thank you," Liamond replied with a firm nod. "We'll be back soon."
The Specter nodded back, his cloak billowing slightly as he turned to go back into the house disappearing into the shadows.
The three of them began walking toward the Police Lodge, their steps quiet and measured. The path was eerily silent, broken only by the occasional rustle of wind. After exactly five minutes, they reached their destination—a small, unassuming house with a faded wooden sign that read Police Lodge.
As they stood in front of the house, Liamond's voice rang clearly in Leo's mind through Telepathy.
'Wina, use invisibility on us. Leo, once we're inside, put everyone under an illusion. Wina will then make them invisible too and we'll drag them out to the house we just came from. I'll check for trap spells as we go.'
Leo furrowed his brow. 'Why drag them all the way back? Can't we handle it here?'
'This place could be under surveillance,' Liamond explained, his mental tone calm but firm. 'Even with all our precautions, it's still risky. That house is the safest place we have in this area.'
Leo nodded silently, suppressing any further argument. There was no point in questioning Liamond's judgment, not when the stakes were this high. They had a plan and it was time to see it through.
…
It had been nearly a year since Lewis and Nardo were transported to Murg. Lewis sat on his grimy bed, his gaze settling on his already-sleeping companion. Bitterness churned within him. It was Nardo's fault they were stuck in this hellhole. He hated Murg—the city was small, filthy and suffocating. Worst of all, the women here were nothing like the beauties of Flesa. Each day, he silently cursed his friend, the meddling paladin kid and his terrifying captain.
He leaned back, letting the old mattress groan beneath his weight and shut his eyes. Sleep came fleetingly. Within a heartbeat, his eyes flew open again and he found himself in a completely different room.
Lewis shot upright, scanning his surroundings. The room was sparse, with bare walls and only two chairs—one of which he had been seated in. His pulse quickened as realization struck: he had been taken. Alone in the unfamiliar space, panic began to creep in, but his instincts as a policeman forced him to focus. He needed answers.
He examined the room carefully, searching for any sign of how he'd been transported. A split second ago, he had been in his bed and now... there could only be one explanation: a ranker. Among low-ranking officers like him, a ranker was someone of higher status, above F rank, with abilities beyond the ordinary.
His eyes locked on a single door on the far side of the room. Steeling himself, he took a hesitant step toward it, then another. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed beyond the door. His heart thudded painfully in his chest as he instinctively backed away. Cold sweat trickled down his temple as his hand clenched into a fist.
Dropping into a defensive stance, he prepared to lunge at whoever entered. The door creaked open and the sight of the person on the other side froze him in place.
It was the paladin boy. The one responsible for all of this. Fear gripped him momentarily, but it was quickly replaced by rage. He charged forward with a furious cry, determined to make the boy pay.
But before he could reach him, the room around him twisted violently, the walls and floor undulating like the insides of a living creature. Lewis staggered, losing his balance and crashing to the ground. Dazed, he looked up and saw the boy walking toward him, calm and unaffected by the shifting surroundings.
The twisting room might as well have been an illusion, but to Lewis, it felt horrifyingly real. Helpless on the ground, he watched as the boy approached with a steady, deliberate pace.
Leo calmly placed the chair in front of Lewis and sat down, the quiet creak of the wood echoing in the tense room. He motioned toward the other chair with a sharp gesture.
"Sit," he said, his tone cold and commanding. "I have some questions for you."
The edge in Leo's voice sent a chill down Lewis's spine.
His mind raced, trying to piece together why he was being interrogated. The anger radiating from Leo was impossible to ignore, pressing down on him like the weight of an approaching storm.
'Is this about his sister? Am I going to die?' The thought seized him and whatever fleeting anger he'd clung to moments earlier was drowned by an overwhelming surge of fear.
Trembling, he shuffled to the chair and sat down, his gaze darting between Leo's face and the twisting walls around them. The room felt alive, pulsating with an energy that mirrored the weight of his dread.
…
Though Lewis didn't realize multiple illusion spells were being cast on him, Leo felt no sympathy. Instead, he struggled to suppress the urge to lash out, gripping the chair tightly as he stared Lewis down.
Lewis shifted uneasily, sensing the weight of Leo's gaze but clueless about what was truly happening. The tension was thick, but Leo forced himself to stay calm. He needed answers, not an outlet for his anger.
"Name and rank?"
"Lewis Stout, Sergeant," he stammered, his voice trembling.
The door creaked open, and Liamond stepped inside. Without a word, Leo stood and gestured for him to take his place. he unfurled a scroll enchanted to detect lies.
"Put your hand on this," Liamond instructed.
With no table in the room, Lewis awkwardly grabbed one edge of the scroll, his hand trembling as he complied.
"Your friend didn't want to talk. Too bad for him—he was really young," Liamond said coldly.
Lewis's eyes widened in horror. Nardo is dead? His teeth began to chatter and his fear was palpable.
"What about you?" Liamond leaned in slightly, his tone menacing. "Are you a tough guy too?"
Lewis shook his head vigorously, fear etched across his face.
"Good," Liamond said, his voice sharp and commanding. "Then answer all of my questions."
The weight of Leo's illusion spells, combined with Liamond's calculated words, broke Lewis in less than a minute.
When they left the room, Lewis was drenched in sweat, his body trembling and Leo and Liamond had all the information they needed, leaving their prisoner defeated and terrified.
"Just as his friend said, it seems they let Eliza's father leave the city," Liamond remarked, his tone edged with frustration. "Too bad they have no clue about the noble backing him. All we're left with is this so-called 'mysterious man'—the one who threatened them into silence—and we don't even have a name or description to go on."
"What are we going to do with them?" Leo asked, a hint of hope for some punishment in his voice.
"We'll report this to the captain and he'll decide. For now, we let them go. Use an illusion spell on them so they can't see anything," Liamond ordered calmly.
Leo nodded, turned around and reentered the room. Lewis looked up at him, his face pale with dread. A moment later, everything went dark. He couldn't see a thing.
Leo grabbed Lewis firmly by the arm and guided the trembling man outside. On the way, he caught hold of Nardo as well. Both men were blind, deaf and numb to everything except Leo's guiding touch. They stumbled along, disoriented and helpless, as Leo led them through the streets.
When they reached an alley far enough from the house, Leo released them. When he was a safe distance away, he dispelled the illusion.
He considered keeping them under the illusion and tormenting them, but decided against it—for now, they weren't worth the risk.
Lewis and Nardo blinked rapidly, their eyes struggling to adjust to the sudden return of light and sound. For a moment, they were disoriented, their breaths uneven as they took in their surroundings. Their gazes met and a fleeting wave of confusion passed between them.
Each had believed the other was dead. The realization that they were both alive brought a fragile sense of relief, though it was tinged with fear. They weren't naive—this wasn't mercy. The paladins had let them go, but the memory of the interrogation lingered, a chilling reminder that their freedom was conditional and the leash could be yanked at any moment.
Neither spoke, the silence between them heavy with unspoken emotions. They both knew better than to dwell on their fragile reprieve or the humiliation of being outplayed so easily. For now, survival was all that mattered. Without a word, they turned and bolted toward the police lodge.
When Leo returned, he found Liamond and Wina waiting in the hall of the house.
"We're teleporting back," Liamond announced, his tone steady.
Leo and Wina followed Liamond and The Specter to the same room they had first arrived in. Inside, the circle and the teleportation scroll were already in place, glowing faintly with magical energy.
The three stepped into the circle, positioning themselves carefully.
"I wish you good luck in finding what you seek," The Specter said, his voice calm but laden with mystery.
Liamond nodded politely in acknowledgment before the circle activated. In a flash of light, they disappeared, only to reappear moments later in the same ruined hut they had teleported from earlier.
The carriage was still there. They went in and after half an hour with the help of Edgarth Wells, without them knowing it, they were in front of the association.
The whole mission took around four hours, so by the time they returned, it was near dawn, when the sky was still dark. They headed straight to Edmond's office, where Liamond reported everything.
"So now we know how he got out but have no idea where he is, no leads on the noble, or the kidnappers," Edmond said with a sigh. "The only thing we have is this mysterious figure." He paused briefly. "Good job. You'll each receive a three-gold bonus as compensation. Take tomorrow off and get some rest."
"Captain, what's the next step? What are you going to do to find Eliza's mom?" Leo asked, the worry evident in his voice.
Edmond met Leo's gaze, noting the concern in his eyes. "For now, I'll send a team to bring those two here. They might know more than they remember."
"We can—"
Edmond cut him off. "If nobles are involved, this is above your rank. This mission is too important for you to handle." He stood up, his tone firm but reassuring. "I'll take care of it myself. You go and rest."
Leo's hesitation melted away at Edmond's resolve. Knowing the captain would personally handle the mission eased his worries. The group placed their fists on their chests in a salute before leaving the office.
After saying their goodbyes, they each made their way home, exhaustion tugging at every step.