Linton's words actually persuaded Gassain. According to Linton's plan, if Gassain directly appointed him as the representative, the other side would undoubtedly investigate Linton's strength. Of course, they'd find information about Linton being a complete weakling. Since the intel would portray him that way, the enemy likely wouldn't send a powerful fighter, probably opting to send someone from their own family to build up some prestige. After all, the role of the arbitrator in a duel trial is a prestigious one, which could greatly help a knight's career.
Although Gassain wasn't fully aware of Linton's true strength, he knew Linton had defeated star-level mages and knights before. Given this, Linton might actually be able to handle the duel.
Moreover, if things went as Linton suggested, Gassain might not even have to endure any torture. After all, in everyone's mind, demanding a duel trial was like asking for death. Why bother torturing someone who's already doomed?
While thinking this, Gassain warned, "But you can't use mental magic. If you do, things could get worse."
"Relax, relax, didn't I just say it? I've recently learned a new ultimate skill—Ashina Swordsmanship. With that, I'm invincible," Linton replied.
"I've been meaning to ask, why is a mage like you learning swordsmanship?" Gassain questioned.
"Do you even know what Ashina Swordsmanship is? The essence of Ashina Swordsmanship is not being confined to the sword. It's about using any weapon at your disposal, and magic counts as one of those weapons. That's why it's the best swordsmanship for a mage," Linton explained.
"It sounds reasonable, but why does it feel so strange to me?" Gassain muttered.
"Huh? Can you develop resistance to being tricked?" Linton whispered to himself.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, nothing. Anyway, you're my nephew. How could I deceive you?" Linton patted Gassain's shoulder.
"I'm in this mess because of you!" Gassain yelled.
"I told you, it's just your bad luck..." Seeing Gassain about to argue, Linton quickly added, "Anyway, I'll save you. Just follow my plan. I'm off now."
After saying that, Linton transformed into a puddle of mud and disappeared into the ground. Gassain stood there in shock for a long time. Though Linton's words seemed unreliable, his magic truly surpassed Gassain's understanding. After thinking it over, Gassain decided to follow the plan. He had a hunch that his uncle was much more powerful than he appeared.
Linton was using Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole, a basic C-rank ninjutsu. With ease, he emerged from the prison and soon found himself on the streets of St. Delavan City.
This was Linton's first time seeing the city in its entirety. Before him stretched a clean and orderly street, so long he couldn't see its end. This was a massive city compared to Digarnor, which now seemed like a mere village in comparison.
Looking around, Linton spotted an imposing castle-like structure in the distance, surrounded by a wall, likely the inner city wall. That must be the palace. On the opposite side of the palace, he noticed another distinct group of buildings with blue roofs. He wasn't sure what those buildings were.
The grandeur of the imperial capital amazed Linton, but unfortunately, he didn't have time to admire it. He needed to get Gassain out of there quickly. He couldn't just leave his nephew hanging.
There were two main tasks: communicate with his family and meet with the Third Princess. The goal was to ensure that neither mentioned the Fire-Swallowing Beast incident. Otherwise, with the evidence so clear, there would be no chance for a duel trial. Both tasks, however, posed challenges.
Meeting the Third Princess was difficult because she was in the palace, and sneaking in would be nearly impossible. As for his family, Linton didn't know where they were.
He had asked Gassain earlier, and it seemed his family hadn't been captured—at least not before he was imprisoned. What happened afterward was unclear, and he didn't know where they had gone.
This was troubling. Linton had marked Gassain with the Flying Thunder God technique, thinking the family would stick together, but he never anticipated this situation. Now, where should he start looking?
The Meloway family didn't have property in the imperial capital, so theoretically, they'd be staying at an inn. Finding them meant checking inns, but in such a large city, searching all the inns could take forever. Plus, he didn't even know where they were located.
After some thought, Linton walked to the prison gate and asked the guard, "Has anyone from the Meloway family been here?"
"The Meloway family again? I've already told you, the warden isn't here today. No visitors allowed. Come back tomorrow," the soldier replied impatiently.
From the guard's words, Linton realized his family had been here but were turned away. After all, Gassain had mentioned no one had visited him yet.
"Do you know where the Meloway family went?" Linton asked.
"How would I know..." The soldier, clearly annoyed, then added after a moment, "Actually, I remember they mentioned something about Duke Raiden."
"Duke Raiden?" Linton paused. He had heard of that name. Baron Serdes had mentioned that both the Meloway and Serdes families had ties to Duke Raiden. Linton's father and Baron Serdes had once served as knights under the old Duke Raiden. Though the old duke had passed, the families remained connected.
His family must have been worried and gone to seek help from their benefactor. Linton considered this and asked, "Where is Duke Raiden's mansion?"
The guard, still polite, pointed Linton in the right direction but warned him that commoners entering the noble district might face restrictions. Linton didn't argue and headed in that direction.
Soon, he reached the noble district, where the architectural style changed dramatically, as if a clear line separated two worlds. Linton knew that in this city, nobles and commoners lived in completely different worlds, and this divide was reflected in everything, from daily life to the architecture.
Looking ahead, Linton saw guards at the entrance. They weren't preventing entry but were stopping everyone to ask questions. Realizing this might cause unnecessary trouble, Linton decided to sneak in. Although he was a noble, he didn't have any proof of identity, and explaining himself could lead to complications.
Using Earth Release again, Linton bypassed the checkpoint and entered the noble district. Just as he started searching for Duke Raiden's mansion, a voice suddenly called out from the side, "Wait a moment, young man. What magic did you just use?"
Linton turned to see an elderly man with white hair and a long beard, likely in his seventies or eighties. Judging by his fine clothing, the man appeared to be a noble of high status. While it wasn't surprising to encounter such people in the noble district, Linton was curious about how this old man had spotted him. Despite being unaccustomed to underground movement, he had used Observation Haki to scan the area before surfacing and hadn't detected anyone.
"Earth magic," Linton answered briefly.
"Earth magic?" The old man looked puzzled. "I've never heard of an earth spell like that."
"Do you understand magic? Are you a mage?" Linton retorted.
"Of course I am," the old man replied, a little annoyed.
"Ahem, well, even though you're a mage, it's clear your understanding of magic isn't deep enough," Linton remarked.
"Huh?" The old man was shocked. "Are you saying I don't understand magic?"
"Obviously. Otherwise, why wouldn't you know the spell I just used?" Linton replied.
"This..." The old man was momentarily stumped.
"Anything else? I'm busy," Linton said, trying to leave.
"Wait!" The old man called out again. "You... don't know who I am, do you?"
"Are you someone important?" Linton asked.
"Seems like you're not from the capital," the old man observed. "You said you're in a hurry, but you don't seem to be a local. I bet you're here to seek help, aren't you? How about this: you teach me the magic you just used, and I'll help you with your problem."
"Oh? You sound pretty confident in your abilities," Linton remarked.
"In this capital, there's nothing I can't handle," the old man replied proudly.
"Then are you aware of the beast that rampaged through the city yesterday?" Linton asked.
"Uh... that? Well, um... I apologize, goodbye," the old man said, hastily retreating.
(End of Chapter)