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“… Who is in Aden?”
Pale blue eyes asked Eluana for an answer.
“His Highness the First Prince. He has an imperial villa next to Aden.”
Khazar smiled bitterly. He had expected it to be the Empress's doing. The only thing that struck him was that this kidnapping wasn't done by the Empress. So he doubted that it would be the 5th Prince's side.
'Why did the Empress decide to take care of me again?'
In any case, Khazar fell perfectly into their hands. In Aden, it was a suitable place to trade people without tracing it to them.
As he was organizing his thoughts, he heard a voice from afar.
“Is there no physician in this place? Jackson shouldn't be dying like that.”
“He would also sell. Are there any of us who haven't given up our lives?”
“Hey. Money is my enemy.”
In the next moment, the two attendants with saws climbed the stairs.
'Saw?'
There was also a hacksaw.
“By the way, why doesn't the prison door open? It's upsetting.”
"I know right. If we can't open the cage, we'll be ending up like Jackson, too."
“This time, it won't end with just popping of our eyeballs.”
The attendants, who headed to the room where Eluana and Louie were, were surprised to find Khazar trapped in the room across them. The two stood in front of the cell where Eluana was imprisoned, showing their backs to him, turning away in an awkward gesture.
"Back off."
At their words, Eluana took Louie and stepped back from the bars.
The attendants shook the iron door that wouldn't open, then pushed the saw into the hinges. There was a searing sound every time they saw the bars. Eluana's calming heart was on fire yet again. Her fingertips trembled, so she had to clench her fists.
She was pretending to be resolute, but in fact, she had reached her limit. Could she have endured all eighteen strikes? If she can't hold up, Louie will have to take the rest.
She hated being sick. But what she hated more was Louie getting sick. She had to endure it at all costs until she finds a way out of prison.
'But can we even get out of here?'
'No, no. Just think positively.'
Negative thoughts don't help at all. Maybe her dad gave her a wish and summoned a monster from the forest or released a thunderbolt. If only Regis disappears, this benevolent ladyship will be willing to show you favor.
The fitting of the iron door was steadily cut open. One of the fittings fell off with a grunting sound. One more cut would open the door.
The sound of scraping the iron began again. As the two saw them alternately from beginning to end, even the remaining joints began to snap.
'No. Don't open it. I hate this.'
It was when she closed her eyes tightly and couldn't see the door open that there was a feeling of something seeping out of Eluana's body.
The moment Eluana's legs staggered, Louie screamed. Reflexively opening her eyes, Eluana slumped on the floor at the incredible sight.
The iron bars of the prison that stood upright were bent like serpents.
Surprise has also shown on the attendants' faces.
"What is this!"
"Ahh! Go away!"
The iron bars stretched and curled the waists of the screaming servants. One of the attendants hung in the air with his waist wrapped by it. While he was struggling, the other was not standing up or sitting, but fixed in a staggered posture.
“Huh, it’s black magic!”
"Help me!"
The squawking attendants quickly became quiet. The servants, wrapped in bent iron bars, groaned like a pooping dog because of the tight pressure.
The first person to move in the turmoil was Khazar. He came out through the open bars and stared at Eluana. Even Eluana realized that the bars in the prison that contained her and Louie were open enough to escape.
'We can get out now.'
After a short agony, Eluana woke up. She reached out to Louie and hugged him. Eluana let Louie out first and then she came out after.
While pulling herself out of the iron bars, her back slightly grazed. Her body twisted in terrible pain. Khazar reflexively grabbed Eluana's arm.
Eluana, who was almost collapsed to the floor, clings to his supportive hand. As Eluana leaned against him, Khazar quickly threw a question at her.
“How did you use Alchemy?”
“Alchemy?”
When she answered inadvertently, Khazar's face was too close.
Wow.
Khazar's appearance in front of her could be described as beautiful in a single word. His dark hair was dusty, and even though his eyes were dull, she could tell that it was close to gray.
Eluana has never seen anyone as handsome as him. He looked different from Aden's lads. If it wasn't for this situation, she would have invited him for a bowl of corn stew. It's not just because of his unrealistically beautiful appearance, he was wearing a noble atmosphere like 'The Prince' in a fairy tale that her mother would read to her.
Turning around, Khazar muttered to himself as he climbed the stairs.
“If you weren't a Spess, you wouldn't be able to use an alchemy ability."
Eluana asked, holding Louie. "What are you talking about? Wasn't it you who did it?”
"Me?"
“Then, did our Louie do it?”
Khazar's gaze turned to Louie. The child was too young. He has never been told that one will be awakened his alchemy ability at that age. No, you can't use the alchemy ability unless you're from the Spess family.
Eluana asked. “You were a mage? This is my first time seeing a mage.”
“I didn't do it. That thing back there isn't even magic.”
Khazar immediately denied it. There was no mana in the prison, so it was not magic. At such a sparse concentration of mana, even Archmage Keiran will not be able to use magic.
Khazar wasn't a mage, but he could see mana. So it was obviously the alchemy ability that bend the bars.
'What happened back there?'
While Khazar was contemplating a phenomenon he couldn't understand, Eluana walked quickly and fixed Louie's hold on to her. The pain intensified when Louie's weight pushed into her back. She bit her lips to avoid groaning.
“It doesn't matter who did what. Let's run away. I know a mutt's hole.”
At the forefront, her back figure caught Khazar's gaze.
The backside was torn like rags as if she had been beaten with clothes on. There was blood in the countless wounds that were revealed in the holes. There was a lot of festering, perhaps because of a piece of cloth dug through the open wound, but the bigger problem was the wound that healed with the piece of cloth still buried inside.
“Your back…”
Eluana replied, without looking back as if it wasn't a big deal.
"I know. I'm not gonna die with this.”
Khazar's eyebrows frowned.
'I think you'll die if you leave it at that.'
Inflammation was the problem rather than the depth of the wound. The treatment seemed urgent.
“Was it the first prince?”
Eluana was amazed. This is because Khazar did not add the word 'His Highness' while referring to the first prince. Well now that they were trying to escape from that tyrant's enjoyment. If you get caught, you have no choice but to die anyway, so if you call him a madman, nothing will change.
"Yeah. It's that crazy guy.”
"Hold on a second."
As Eluana turned around, Khazar reached out wearing an uncomfortable look. He took Louie off of Eluana's arms with one hand.
“Guide me on the way. It’s difficult if you fall in the middle.”
Eluana shuts her mouth while trying to say something. Khazar was right. Now, it was difficult to control her body alone. She was just barely holding on.
"Thank you."
Turning her back, Eluana moved, and Louie wriggled in Khazar's arms. Khazar whispered in a small voice to the unfamiliar child.
“Your sister won't have the strength to hold you.”
Like a switch, Louie stopped moving.
Khazar hurried his steps, feeling the child with his arm around his neck. However, Khazar's physical condition was also not normal. He focused on his nerves, but he couldn't feel anything with his dull sensations.
“Do you know how many soldiers are guarding the prison?” He asked, already bracing himself, but an unexpected answer came back.
“Huh? It's usually empty. How many soldiers do you think the prince brought in?”
"Empty?"
“Because there are no criminals in Aden. The prison tower is usually just empty.”
No way.
No matter how small the population, it was impossible. It is normal to have at least one pickpocketer. While Khazar was confused, Eluana proceeded without hesitation.
As they went down the stairs that followed, an iron gate, symbolizing the entrance to the prison, appeared. Next to it was a dragon-shaped flag that symbolizes the Empire.
As Eluana expected, there were no soldiers. However, the iron gate was the problem. Eluana glanced back.
“What should I do? How should I open the door?”
Eluana wondered if she had to go back up the stairs and get the keys from the attendants when Khazar pushed the door past Eluana. The iron door, which she thought would be tightly closed, opened smoothly.
Like magic.
“Again, are you a mage? Does it have to be a secret to be a mage?”
Khazar looked behind and gave her a look as if what she said was absurd.
"It's not. It was just open.”
“Okay. I'll keep it a secret then. Thanks to you, we'll be able to run away like this.”
Eluana took the lead again and exited the iron gate. They just came out of the building, but the musty smell on the tip of her nose disappeared. As she moved a little further, she came out with solid confirmation. There were no soldiers outside the prison tower. Not only the soldiers, but the people themselves were nonexistent.
The moment she stepped out of the building, a strong wind blew. A scent of flowers passed through Eluana's fluttering hair. The flowers blooming in the field greeted them.
Eluana breathed in the fresh air.
“We're finally out.”
And survived. However, it's still too early to be relieved.
Khazar looked at Eluana while she was still feeling the air around her. Even though he came out of the prison, he didn't feel any mana from her.
'Why don't you have any mana?'
He furrowed his eyebrows in doubt as he heard the rushing footsteps.
"What are you doing. This way!”
Eluana rummaged through the wide-grown bush with both arms. There was a space where one could barely get out. It was a mutt's hole.
Khazar asked dumbfoundedly. “How did you know there was such a hole?”
“Because Louie was messing around, running everywhere. I chased him around for a bit.”
Eluana left first, followed by Louie. Khazar came out last. The hole was narrow. If Khazar had been a little bigger, it seemed he could not have escaped.
After leaving the castle, both ran like it was now or never. Khazar asked while running at full speed with Eluana while holding Louie.
“Where are we going?”
“We can't go on the main road. We're going to the eastern woods. Oh, I have to stop by the house for a moment.”
Khazar did not respond. Separating at this point was a better option, but oddly enough, he couldn't abandon Eluana and Louie.
'Because you seem to know the way.'
It also seemed she was using the alchemy ability, so it was necessary to check it. Thanks to her, he escaped effortlessly, but if he leaves them behind, he would feel uncomfortable.
Khazar followed Eluana's footsteps, thinking a lot of excuses.
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