Walking through the empty corridors, Elizabeth led a large group of children which grew by the minute. They found a few more cells and freed them, much to their joy. Their group was approaching thirty! Despite that, she felt confused. There was not a single guard in sight. They wandered cautiously at first, but gradually, their wariness dropped. After all, with such a large group, it would be nearly impossible to hide anyways. Might as well use their time better to search for the exit. Therefore, they soon spotted the exit and it was guarded by five people.
Elizabeth prepared a Stone Shard and coordinated with the other children. A few of them had swords, while the rest had rocks or pebbles. She fired her spell and learning from her previous mistake, she aimed it accurately. This time, it directly killed one guard! With that signal, the older children charged forward fearlessly with swords. The younger kids threw rocks to distract or annoy the guards. Thanks to this, the children were able to hold their own in combat. Elizabeth nodded and used another Stone Shard. This shifted the fight in their favor, and they won without casualty! The children cheered in joy. They were one big step closer to finally escaping!
Elizabeth smiled and took her first step up the dark staircase. However, her smile froze. Soft pattering of footsteps sounded from above them, walking slowly but elegantly. Despite the great distance, every step released a hair-raising aura that surged through everyone like a storm! It continued to amplify with every step unendingly like the descent of a primordial beast! No one could move a finger or a hair under the pressure! It went beyond mere suppression and intimidation. No one could move, although they wanted to! The air felt tougher than steel under this creature's indomitable power. Even the walls and floor groaned under the pressure! The only thing they could do was await the arrival of this unfathomable and transcendental being!
Everyone was frozen in time, but their minds continued turning. They were terrified of what was happening. Their limited understanding of the world was shattered! They thought this was a god! Many began prostrating themselves in their mind or praying to higher powers. Elizabeth was no exception, but her expression was grave. She could sense that being focusing on her. That suppressive force grew to a hundred times more powerful. Not even a thousand Sir Winstins at the peak of Perception Realm could resist it! She felt like she was encased in diamond! For mere air to behave like this, she could not imagine how godly this being was!
As those footsteps stopped, a scholarly and simple man appeared before everyone's eyes. He looked as weak as could be. Any of these children with a sword could probably defeat, if not kill him. Many began doubting if he was responsible for this mysterious phenomenon. However, Elizabeth was slack-jawed, if she could, in disbelief! This was obviously Lord Wenmord Lannisail, the patriarch of the Lannisail Household! She realized that the mysterious suppression originated from him! For Lord Wenmord to be a near-transcendental existence, she had a hard time believing it, but the best proof was right here! His dark void-like eyes looked down on them, as if he disdained the filth of the mortal world.
He spoke in a deep voice, "To think that I was forced to make a move myself. Unfortunately, I'm on a tight schedule…"
He took three steps forward. They seemed as weighty as an immortal! On the first step, a wave of pressure radiated from him. Everyone lost consciousness and Elizabeth was no exception. On the second step, the children turned to dust. There was no sound, no scream, and no pain. Their clothes vanished alongside them. As if they never existed to begin with, they were instantly erased from existence! In a flash, just he and Elizabeth remained. On the third and final step, the two of them vanished. Time resumed once again… leaving no trace of anyone here.
Some time prior, Benedict had just left Castle Reinhard after being reprimanded by his father. His heart turned cold with determination. Although his mind and father told him differently, that Elizabeth was safe and sound, he could not accept it. There was a deep feeling in his gut that not everything was as it seemed. He was not an unreasonable person, but this nagging feeling would not leave him. Besides, it would not hurt if he made sure, right? If nothing happened, then that would be for the best. However, on the off chance that he was right, at least he could do something about it! Thinking that, he rode in the last direction he sensed something wrong.
He stopped outside as he looked up to the large extravagant household and frowned. This was the Lannisail Household! As a Grand Noble himself, he knew some things about this family. It had a higher status than his Hawken Household, ranking solidly amongst the top-hitters of the kingdom. After all, his family produced Royal Guards. While Sir Roland was powerful and held a unique position as Protector of Prince Ranir, that was it. He was merely a guard. Queen Bethnal, the royalty, as well as everyone else looked down on these so-called brutes. Royal Guards could never be tied to the kingdom's prosperity. Meanwhile, Lord Wenmord was a key figure of his generation! The difference was like night and day.
Therefore, the manor was exquisitely decorated and overflowing with wealth. It was undoubtedly one of the most luxurious estates in Algard. It was a symbol of their status! Many guards wandered the premises, alongside the tall metal fence, that dissuaded any attempt of breaking in. Benedict glanced at the guards from afar. He was a Fundamental Realm Adept, around the same level as Shirley. His swordsmanship mastery could barely be considered acceptable. Combining everything, he was indistinguishable from other regular Knights of the Realm. It was impossible for him to break in to find Elizabeth, much less help her.
He wondered again if his gut feeling was wrong. This was really the point of no return. Infuriating his father was one thing. Angering the Lannisail Household was… another matter entirely. That was a bona-fide Grand Nobility Household, superior even to his own! Getting expelled from the family would be a light punishment. Little did he know, that would soon happen in Castle Reinhard regardless… But at the moment, he was lost. He had no helpers here, nor could he hope to ask for help. As for asking them directly, that would be a stupidly suicidal strategy. He was not that naïve. This meant he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He could neither advance nor retreat. It was really awkward.
As he sat there in silence, the gates suddenly opened, and a series of extravagant carriages charged out. Benedict caught sight of Lord Archibon, along with other high-profile figures in the family. They were answering the Royal Family summons! Of course, Benedict had no idea that his tiny commotion earlier would result in such a frightening aftermath. His mind was elsewhere as he spotted a golden opportunity. All the guards stood to attention and saluted the procession as it passed. Their attention was completely drawn away! Benedict hesitated for a few seconds before gritting his teeth. He took a running jump and scuttled over the fence. He landed inside the estate!