Chapter 173: Benevolent Lady Arwyn
The prisoner's body jerked forward as though he intended to lunge at her, but the ropes binding him held him firmly in place, cutting off even the slightest chance of movement. So his frustration twisted into rage as he snapped back at her, "No, you are goddamn wrong, fucking bitch. Everything I am doing right now is only for my own sake… and mine alone. There is no one else in this to play."
A long silence stretched between them as neither of them made any effort to break it.
After waiting but receiving no response, the man found himself unsettled by her lack of reaction. The two soldiers standing near the iron bars exchanged uncertain glances as though attempting to communicate without daring to speak aloud.
At last, Arwyn leaned forward and uncrossed her legs in one smooth motion.
Without any warning, she drove her fist straight into his face with a force that shattered the air between them, the impact breaking his nose instantly as a dull crack followed through. Thin trails of blood began to flow from his nostrils while the back of his head slammed against the wall behind him with a dull, heavy thud.
The man spat a mouthful of blood to the side before lifting his head slightly. Drawing in a rough breath, he spoke in a strained voice, "Hit me all you want, it will not change a damn thing."
Withdrawing her hand at a measured pace, Arwyn let a cold smile form upon her lips, one that carried neither warmth nor hesitation, "We shall see about that."
For a moment she did nothing, and then without any change in her expression she began striking him again. Her fist drove into his face repeatedly in a measured rhythm, each blow carrying enough force to shatter bone and distort his features until his face barely retained its original shape, now drenched in blood that dripped steadily onto the ground beneath him.
Despite the assault, the man did not let out a single groan as though this kind of pain meant nothing to him.
A violent cough tore through him, blood spilling past his broken lips as he forced out a hoarse, rasping hiss, "You stupid girl... have you not realised it yet? Beating me is pointless. No matter how many times you harm me, it does not matter, you will never be able to change my beliefs. You see, there are some things that can never be attained through sheer force alone. Unfortunately, my answer happens to be one of them."
A hollow laugh escaped him, dry and empty.
'What else did I expect from a pawn?'
Arwyn rose to her feet without haste, stepping forward as she reached out and seized his throat in a single motion.
'There is no other option left to make someone like him speak.'
Caught off guard, the man struggled against her hold as a flicker of surprise crossed his face, "W-what are you doing?"
She did not answer, though.
Instead, with a swift motion, she lifted him off the ground and forced him back against the wall, holding him there with ease despite his size. Although the man did not give in without resistance, his bound hands rendered him helpless, leaving him no choice but to lash out with his legs in an attempt to strike her. But before he could land a single hit, two tendrils shot forward and coiled tightly around his legs, restraining them completely.
Her grip tightened around his throat, cutting off his air little by little, "I have had enough of you. I will not tolerate your reluctance any longer."
Behind her, the two soldiers stiffened as panic crept into their expressions at once.
"L-lieutenant? You can't do this..."
"If he dies here… then how are we supposed to resolve the situation outside? Please… think this through again, ma'am…"
Even as they spoke, neither of them dared to approach her.
The man forced out a strained hiss through clenched teeth, struggling against the pressure crushing his throat, "Guess... your hands are tied too, huh? You cannot kill me even if you wanted to... so this is nothing but an act to scare me, isn't it? But did you really think... it would work, bitch?"
Arwyn lowered her gaze slightly, a soft sigh escaping her lips, "What a pity."
A thick tendril shot forward without warning, piercing straight through his chest with a sickening force that forced a guttural groan out of him. His body jerked violently as blood spilled from his mouth and splattered against her gauntlet.
"Arrrggh! You... arrogant bitch!"
The tendril withdrew just as abruptly, only to thrust into him once again before he could even catch his breath.
"ARGHH! How... dare you?"
His eyes widened, terror finally breaking through the defiance that had held until now, "W-what the?!"
Behind her, several more tendrils rose into the air, swaying slowly as they loomed over him like a cluster of waiting serpents, their sharpened tips gleaming faintly like curved blades poised to strike.
Her teal green eyes glowed with an incandescent light as a quiet chuckle slipped past her lips, "Who, exactly, were you calling a bitch again?"
The tendrils shot forward at a terrifying speed, aiming to tear him apart.
There was no doubt about it.
'This girl... she's outrageously crazy. There's no way these tendrils are just for show to scare me... no, no... she is truly going to do it this time. But doesn't she still need me alive to answer her questions... then why would she try to kill me now? Does she already know who is behind all of this? That can't be...'
Just when death was about to claim him, when the cold tips of those tendrils had already begun to graze against his skin and send a dreadful chill through his body, he shouted at once with all his might, his voice cracking under the weight of his fear, "Wait... Lieutenant. I'll tell you everything... everything you want to know. Don't kill me... please, don't kill me. I beg of you."
At once, all of the tendrils halted an inch away from his skin, so close that even the slightest movement would have been enough to tear him apart.
Arwyn's brows knit ever so slightly as a faint trace of disappointment flickered across her face, but still she released her grip on his neck at last.
'I was just about to begin the actual torture, though... well, no matter. What matters now is knowing the true identity of the perpetrator, and that alone will suffice.'
The man collapsed onto the ground the moment he was freed, his legs giving out beneath him as though they no longer had the strength to support his own weight. He raised a trembling hand to rub his neck gently while coughing several times as he struggled to steady his breathing.
Dismissing the tendril-chair without a word, Arwyn stood there and stared down at him with a cold, unwavering gaze, one that carried enough pressure to make the air around him feel suffocating.
The prisoner leaned back against the wall, his chest still rising and falling unevenly as he tried to compose himself, "You want to know who's giving me orders to start the rebellion, right? Unfortunately, it's just like I said earlier, you've been wrong... no one gave me any order. That's the harsh truth."
Arwyn's eyes narrowed slightly as she began to raise her hand again, her intention clear even without words.
Upon noticing that movement, the man quickly added in haste, "However... there is someone who helped me with all of this, or rather, it would be more fitting to say that he gave me everything I needed to start a rebellion... courage, support, and enough manpower to stand against you. He even gave me the hope to bring all of you down."
Arwyn remained silent for a brief moment, her expression unreadable as she processed his words, before she finally spoke in a commanding voice, "So, who is it?"
The bald man glanced around cautiously, as if fearing that even the walls might be listening, before he finally spoke in a lowered tone, "You know him all too well, ma'am. He was one of the two gang leaders who ruled over Velhart for a long time. He also worked under the previous Duke by commission... that is, until your arrival. He was arrested personally by the Captain back then, and later transferred to the Capital to face his punishment, though after surviving two years of imprisonment, he was eventually released."
He paused for a moment, then added with a serious tone, "That man... is none other than Oren Carley."
A look of surprise crossed Arwyn's face.
Truth be told, she had not expected the one behind all of this to be a man, much less a former criminal whom she had personally interrogated before, especially when most of the Queen's pawns tended to be women.
Letting out a quiet sigh filled with clear displeasure, she asked, "Where will I find him?"
The man shook his head, his expression uncertain as he said, "I'm not exactly sure where his hideout is... but he's definitely somewhere in the southern district. At the very least, that's where his people used to come from when they came to assist me."
Without giving him a proper response, she turned on her heel and began walking toward the cell door.
'I must admit... that man has quite the nerve to show his face here again after everything that happened. That also means the recent disturbances caused by those criminals who appeared out of nowhere must be his doing as well. But what exactly is he trying to achieve through all of this? By stirring a rebellion and shattering the town's peace to make us look incompetent in the eyes of the townsfolk... is he hoping to reclaim his former power? Or has he become nothing more than another pawn like the rest?'
Just as she reached the door, the prisoner called out again, his voice hesitant but unable to hide his anxiety, "Ma'am... I almost forgot to mention, but I heard that this time, someone else is backing him... someone strong. Anyway, now that you have your answers... what is going to happen to me? You are not just going to leave me like this, are you?"
Arwyn was just about to think of that, but that was when she heard the sound of hurried footsteps coming from up ahead.
A young soldier soon appeared before the cell, clad in silver armor that still bore faint marks of the ongoing conflict outside.
She stopped right in front of the bars while trying to catch her breath, "Lieutenant... things are looking worse outside. You have to hurry... we can no longer hold the rebels back without harming anyone. They have become aggressive after hearing the torturous sound of their leader. As it turns out, they had mages hidden among them all this time, who are now attacking us quietly while slipping past our notice to break through our defenses. If this continues for longer... most of our soldiers will end up injured. Lyra ma'am is still out there... trying to convince them, but they are not listening to her at all. What should we do?"
Arwyn remained silent for a moment, then she turned her head over her shoulder, "There is no need to worry. I will see it through myself. Also... bring him with us, he will prove to be a useful asset."
The two soldiers beside her gave a quick nod before moving forward to carry out her order.
Just then, unnoticed by anyone, a thin ring of tendril slipped from beneath the man's shirt and fell to the ground, vanishing into it as if it had never existed.
Of course, Arwyn had been keeping a keen eye on him all this time. In fact, she had been monitoring most of his actions with quiet precision. By all reasoning, she should have uncovered the true identity of the perpetrator long ago, but she had not. It was not because of her broken mana core, nor was it due to any lack of awareness, but rather because the man himself had never once met Oren personally, not even within the span of a week, nor had he received any form of letters. Not even the faintest trace of communication existed between them, which was enough to convince anyone that he held no connection to the Queen whatsoever.
However, that same absence had begun to trouble her, as she had noticed that from time to time his behavior shifted in ways that were far too abrupt to ignore. Somehow, he always came to possess new information with each passing day, despite not receiving any visible orders from anyone, which led her to a quiet conclusion that he was indeed communicating with the perpetrator, but in a way that only he could perceive, something that no one else could hear or trace.
Whether it was telepathy or something far more obscure, she could not tell, but that uncertainty had been the very reason she had failed to uncover Oren's identity before. So, today, she chose to interrogate him directly. Through that, she had managed to uncover at least a fragment of the truth.
'It hadn't been easy, though.'
Arwyn was just about to lean down to step out of the prison when she felt something familiar, an inexplicable connection that seemed to tether itself to her mind. A thin tendril coiled itself delicately around her ear, its tip hovering near her ear canal.
There was a long silence before a cold voice spoke in her ear, making her eyes widen.
"Arwyn... where is Kael?"
In the next moment, her hand rose to cover her face, her teal-green eyes trembling faintly beneath the dim light.
'What is he doing... inside the dungeon?'
---
"Release our leader! Release our leader!"
Outside the office, a growing crowd pressed forward against the defensive line formed by several knights.
Behind the front line, a woman with short red hair stood firm, her hair fluttering in the wind as sunlight reflected off the polished surface of her silver armor.
Taking a step forward, she raised her voice, trying to reach them over the noise, "Everyone... please, calm down! There is no need for this."
"Calm down?" one of the rebels snapped back at her, "Why should we? You dragged him away like a criminal, didn't you? Thought you could shut him up like that?"
Lyra exhaled softly, her brows tightening as she tried to maintain composure, "I assure you... he is unharmed."
'I hope so, at least.'
"You're lying," another voice cut in, "we heard his pained groan ourselves. Do you think we are deaf, or do you take us for idiots? If you think you can stop us by torturing our leader, then you have it all wrong. We are not going to stop... not now."
A ripple of agreement followed, though not all seemed convinced. Some faces showed hesitation while others burned with agitation.
'Lieutenant... what have you done? How am I supposed to stop them now?'
Before she could speak again, another rebel stepped forward, his expression twisted with a crude grin, "You knights really picked a bad day to show off your authority. Your so-called Sword Princess happens to be inside the dungeon, busy with something else. In the absence of your protector... who exactly is going to save you now?"
A few scattered laughs followed.
He tilted his head slightly, his grin widened, "Your lieutenant? Where is she, hm? Is that little beauty of yours hiding behind a desk somewhere like a coward? Come on, bring her out. If she needs help calming down, we would be more than willing to assist. What do you all say?"
"Yeah! Yeah!"
"Bring her! Bring her!"
Some among the rebels broke into laughter at the remark, while others hesitated, uncertain, their expressions reflecting doubt rather than malice.
"Watch your tongue, bastard!" one of the knights snapped, his grip tightening around his weapon as he was about to attack.
Before he could take another step, a hand caught his shoulder firmly, making him halt in place, "Keep your cool, man. Don't let them get inside your head. That's what they want... push us far enough so we strike first. We can't let that happen... understand?"
"Tsk... it's frustrating."
"Well, she won't be acting so high and mighty once we are done talking to her. But isn't she taking too much time? Maybe we should just go in and drag her out ourselves," someone from the back shouted.
At that, Lyra finally lost her patience. Her fingers curled into tight fists on her sides, her body shaking faintly.
'These guys... they're the worst. I can't just stand here and do nothing when they're insulting my superior in such a disgusting way. What kind of subordinate does that make me? The others are handling this better than I am... standing firm, holding the line, while I hesitate. It's as if, in the absence of Captain, I can't do anything on my own. Am I really that incapable?'
Her expression gradually dimmed.
'I agree, unlike others, I am not that close with Lieutenant, and it's true that she sometimes gives me the creeps. I am also a little scared of her. I didn't like her once either... only because of her lack of duty as well as professionalism, and the way she never seemed to take anything seriously at all.'
It had reached a point where she had once questioned, in quiet doubt, whether that incompetent woman was truly fit to hold the position of a lieutenant or not.
'But after spending years working under the same roof as hers, I came to realise that she is not such a bad person at all. Even though I still hate how often she disobeys Captain's orders, sometimes what she does ends up being correct in her own way. But that doesn't give these people any right to insult her like that. They've crossed the line, and I can't stand it anymore.'
"Hurry up, man. Break their defense. I can't wait to see that bitch begging for mercy."
Her expression darkened at those words as she raised her voice again, "I think you misunderstood our intention here, rebels. We're trying to stop you not because we're afraid of you, but for your own good."
"What the hell are you even saying?"
"For our sake? Don't make us laugh."
"Maybe she's lost her damn mind with her captain gone, knowing full well no one's coming to save her now. Ah… poor thing."
The crowd erupts into harsh, jeering laughter that made her skin crawl.
Lyra let out a quiet breath, though there was no calm left within it, "Fools, had you any sense of who you're provoking, you would have fled long ago. Our lieutenant is not some benevolent lady... she is both cruel and merciless when she chooses to be. So, it isn't us who should be wary of Captain's absence, it's you. After all, she's the only one who can tame this wild beast."
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(Chapter Ended)