The atmosphere in the cell transformed subtly. Certainly, it was still gloomy for the task ahead was daunting, but they were determined. Their hearts would not waver. Thankfully, Elizabeth did not keep the key on her when she left. The key was kept in a hidden corner of the cell when Benedict dug it out. At this point, although they did not trust Princess Xiuying entirely, the key was their sole hope. They all had their doubts and reservations about the Xingyuu Empire. But it was apparent that not everything was as simple as it seemed. A storm was undoubtedly brewing!
"There are three steps to escaping this prison. If we manage that, then we can think about what happens afterwards," Freon said. "The first is understanding the rotation of guards. The second is figuring out where the armory is. The third is breaking out of the front entrance!"
"I've been keeping an eye on the guard shifts. I have a good idea of when to leave," Benedict said. "But the problem is I don't know where to go."
"I've memorized the path they used to bring us in," Freon said.
"That leaves the armory, right? Too bad I don't know where it is," Shirley explained sheepishly.
"It's not essential…" Freon pondered. "If we manage to get the jump on a few guards, we'd be able to arm ourselves."
"That's easier said than done," the knight denied. "On the off chance that we fail to end it decisively, a single shout is all it takes to send more guards over. By that point, we'd be surrounded."
Freon nodded. "It won't be easy, but the armory is our best chance. We'll have to gamble on whether it is guarded or not."
"When should we leave?" Shirley anxiously asked.
Timing here needed to be impeccable. If they were too hasty, then a fight would be inevitable. On the other hand, the guards could come back at any moment to execute them! Their lives could be decided by a second of difference! Freon was also hesitant to say anything because he understood this fact. Together, they looked toward Benedict for guidance.
"Hmm…" Benedict recalled. "If I remember correctly, there should be a small trio of guards passing by soon. We should be able to leave as soon as they disappear around the corner."
"Do you know how long until then?"
"It's a bit hard to judge time here, but I'd think in five or ten minutes."
"Then we'll leave then," Freon stated with the two nodding.
So, the three waited patiently. And waited some more. After an unbearably long time, Freon finally blurted out, "Where are they? They should have already come by."
"I also don't understand…" Benedict frowned.
"Has it been ten minutes?" Shirley added. "Are we too impatient?"
"It should be far longer than ten minutes," Freon wondered. "By my estimates, it might even be half an hour already!"
"So long?" Shirley was stumped. "Did you remember wrong, Benedict?"
Benedict was hesitant to give an answer. His memory might not have been the best, but he was sure he remembered such crucial information. Hence, he scratched his head in confusion. The routine of the guards was very methodical and thus predictable. They followed the same pattern the last few days. Did something happen? Little did he know, it was exactly that. The conflict between the Imperial Sentinels and the Li Family alarmed the entire stronghold. The news of the second strongest family in the Xingyuu Empire revolting was simply too shocking!
"This might be an opportunity," Freon mused. "If something really happened, we can take advantage of the confusion to make our escape! This is our best chance!"
"That makes sense…" Benedict added.
"Then let's do it!" Shirley declared.
She grabbed the key, strode towards the cell door, and fumbled with the lock. Benedict and Freon were watching for any patrols but were more focused on Shirley. If the key was a bust, then their hopes would be ruined! Luckily, a soft click was heard, and the door swung open. All at once, they were relieved that it worked, but also stumped. Why did Princess Xiuying give them the key? Was it meant for them to escape? But why would the princess want such a thing? Even if she wanted to free them, why go through such a roundabout method? However, they shook those unnecessary worries and focused their minds. Time was of the essence!
Under Freon's guidance, the trio bolted down the hallway through the twisting stone complex. Although they wanted to avoid any brightly-lit areas or long corridors, they simply did not have enough information to make detours. That said, they could not wander around weaponless. Being able to defend themselves was the highest priority! Therefore, as they travelled along the path they first used when they arrived, they kept a look out for the armory and patrols.
They sped along, trying to keep as quietly as possible, while also looking as far ahead as possible. Whenever they came upon a fork in the hallway, they would carefully inspect the corners before proceeding. Through this arduous process, they avoided a few patrols. But the density of patrols was truly too low! The escape was proceeding far better than expected, such that Freon suspected it might be a trick. After all, should the Yunyun Stronghold's underground prison truly be so laid back? Granted, breaking out of the prison would have been impossible without Princess Xiuying's help, but certainly there was a limit!
The three searched a few rooms, but most of them were bare storage rooms. Nothing noteworthy. However, in the fifth room, there was an unexpected harvest. There were old guard uniforms and armor! After changing into the uniforms and armor, they could finally breath a bit. The difference between their rags and their uniforms was night and day. Now, they could openly search the prison. As long as they were not overtly obvious, the guards would have no reason to question them. Of course, pushing their luck was still not a smart idea.
With their newfound confidence, on the seventh room, they stumbled upon the armory. The lock was undone, and the room was dark, so they had to strain to find appropriate weapons for themselves. Benedict wasted no time in fumbling through the arming swords. Swords were the arms and legs of a swordsman. The weight, the length, the balance, and the sharpness were all critical. Every type of sword had minute differences which could lead to vastly different performances. As a Hawken Swordsmanship Style practitioner, this was further ingrained into him. Therefore, he carefully considered every sword, unsheathing it, and swinging it a few times. Only when he was completely confident in his choice did he sheath it and tie it to his waist.
Shirley held proficiency in two weapons, which was rather uncommon. It was far easier to progress and master one weapon. Furthermore, if the skill sets required to learn the two weapons were incompatible then it would only lead to confusion. In the worst case, it may destroy any chances of the person progressing further. However, Shirley was a unique case. Without formal training, she was not bound by the rules and techniques of others. She relied on her instincts to compensate, which was a stark difference from Benedict. She picked a halberd and an arming sword she was comfortable with.
Freon struggled to find Arcanist weapons. After all, the number of Purists, those who lacked any capacity in magic, overwhelmingly outnumbered Arcanists in the world. There may be one in ten thousand who was an Arcanist! Consequently, the armory was stocked with regular weapons such as swords, bows, and axes that were confiscated from the prisoners. Freon groaned, but did not give up. Just when he was about to give up, he found a small pile of wands. Like a pile of kindling in the corner, it was hardly noticeable amongst the boxes. He fumbled through the dozen or so wands and found his own! With this, the three of them were fully armed!