Chapter 182: THE DUNGEON: PART 1

After Cabel thought that it would be better to follow Alisha and Chrisfold for now, they found out at the end of the passage a dark room with a muddy smell and a cold humid floating around the air.

"What is this place?" 

Cabel asked as he tore one of the magic spells that is used to make fire that he has in his pocket. A small ball or fire floated in the air and stayed beside him, making the area around him visible to him.

Alisha also did the same and decided to answer Cabel's question.

"It seems to be a dungeon of some sorts…"

"Inside the academy?" Cabel mumbles.

"Psssh~" The fire that comes from Chrisfold's spell made a sound as it envelops the paper that he tore down and the fire swallows the pieces of the paper whole and assembles it to make a small ball of fire.

All of them don't have affinity to fire that is why all of them have been given simple spells by Cassandra that could help them in case of scenarios such as this.

"I also asked that question when I found out about this dungeon for the first time..."

Cabel turn his head to where he heard Chrisfold voice, It was dark and his face was covered by the shadows casted by the small ball of fire that is hanging around Chrisfold left shoulder.

Cabel coudn't see well what face Chrisfold was making, he had this feeling that Chrisfold was talking like he already knew what the dungeon was for. His suspicion arises as he saw Alisha turn her head and avoid making eye contact with him.

'For the first time?' Cabel thought to himself.

Now that he thinks about it, Chrisfold confidently walked to where the door was and stomped his foot with the right precision and found the passage to where the dungeon was. It was like, he knew all along where it was.

Cabel couldn't hold it in as his curiosity reached its peak and he asked his question.

"What are you hiding?"

Alisha and Chrisfold stop walking when they hear the low voice of Cabel. 

Alisha only glanced at Chrisfold and Cabel. The subject of Cabel's doubtful eyes were directed at Chrisfold, though she also feel that Cabel has also started to be suspicious with her, she thought that it would be better to step aside and let Chrisfold handle the situation.

"Tell me why it seems that you knew all along about this location? Are you really on Eve's side? Or…"

Cabel didn't continue but Chrisfold already knew what he was about to say, his glinting red eyes were enough hint for Chrisfold to think that he was being suspected as a spy or an enemy,

Chrisfold decided to face Cabel.

"I know that it's odd for me to know these things but I can assure you that I'm loyal to Evelyn alone."

He stared at Cabel with seriousness. He wanted to convey through his eyes that he wouldn't do such a thing to his master though Cabel doesn't know about the contract that he has and the other spirit to Evelyn.

"Ha…" Cabel let out a laugh that is akin to a mocked, he didn't hide it and let Chrisfold see it. 

"And why do I need to believe such words that anyone with a mouth can say?"

Chrisfold only looked at Cabel who was walking closer to him.

"You think if you say words like loyalty, I'll believe you?"

Cabel's wretched face was looking straight at him.

"You wouldn't think that I would be satisfied with that, right? Tell me everything or I'll bury you here, I wouldn't risk Evelyn's safety when someone suspicious was beside her pretending to be someone with loyalty but is full of secrets!"

At that moment, Cabel unsheathed the dagger that he hid inside his cloth and attacked Chrisfold.

Alisha only frowned with what is unfolding in front of her eyes as she watch Cabel swiftly move with a dagger on his hand while Chrisfold repelled all his attacks and avoid his punches and kicks.

She shakes her head and lets the two fight it out.

***

Evelyn was looking outside the window at the second floor of the room that she was being detained. She was still trying to figure out how she would try to bypass the guards that were patrolling the area.

The window has iron bars on them, Evelyn could use her wind magic and slash through them, the only problem would be after that. She doesn't know how many guards Prince Adley stations in the vicinity. 

Evelyn glanced back and saw the four men standing inside her room and in front of the wooden door. They were silently watching her as Prince Adley's orders.

She doesn't know why but Prince Adley became vigilant yesterday after he came back from god knows where. 

'I wonder what happened?' she thought as she still looked outside the window.

"Can I talk to Prince Adley?" she asked fumbling with her slender white fingers.

The men watching her flushed at how gorgeous she looked as her long lashes casted shadows in her small face making her look pitiful.

One of the men coughed and Evelyn switched to look at him.

"The Prince is busy, you should stay quiet inside this room and wait for your wedding." the one with the spiky hair answered.

Evelyn flinched.

"Is he really going to proceed with the ma-mar-marriage?" Evelyn stuttered and tried her best to appeal like she was shocked to her core.

Another man clicked his tongue at her. 

"Tsk! This is why I don't want to take this job. Why should I be placed here and watch this woman! I'm really unlucky!" The man with a scar on his brows talked. 

He was a mercenary before he became one of the soldiers of Prince Adley. He has seen a lot of nobles kidnap pretty girls that they fancy but it was a shock to him to find out that one of the noblest in the kingdom would have kidnapped a girl and decided to marry her.

Even though he knew that it was common for something like this to happen among the nobles who have hobbies to take or adopt some poor soul in the streets it was still a shock that someone like a prince would do something like this.

He really doesn't understand the hobbies of nobles who have power, money, and luxury.

The man turned around and opened the door.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Evelyn asked.

"I don't want to see someone like you. I'm going out!"

Evelyn ignored the man and stole a glance to what was outside the door of her room as the man opened it. She saw a window across from her room which had a view of the lake.

'What the-'

Evelyn tried hard not to frown in front of the guards in her room. Then, she asked again when she saw that the guards were anticipating for her to speak and was watching her.

"Can you tell Prince Adley that I want to talk to him?" Evelyn said and pleaded again.

She wanted to make one of them go out and open the door so she can take a look again and confirm the surroundings that she was in right now.

A lake surrounded by big trees but still big enough to be seen from afar and in the south of it are mountains that are lush with monsters and the opposite of it are the Kingdom of armor which is the Krasnulod. The kingdom of the dwarfs.

'If I'm right then that means this was the border of the Levingstone Kingdom in the east… how did we get here in just a couple of hours? And I was sure that we traveled through the carriage so how?'

Normally, it would take a couple of weeks for them to arrive at the border in the west where a lot of mountains were surrounding the Levingstone Kingdom. 

If her guess was right then somehow her memory must have been tampered or some technology or magic was used for them to arrive this quickly.

"Alright, I'll tell the Prince later when it's time to switch the guards shifts" One of the men with spiky hair answered.

Evelyn wanted to click her tongue when she heard the answer of the guard. Now she needed to wait for that door to open and confirm her thoughts.

'It would be good news if this place is really near the border.' She thought.

That means that she can estimate how far she needs to be when she decides to escape Prince Adley.

For now, she was content that she discovered where they are. She only needed to confirm her speculations.

'What do they want from me? What does my heart have to do with what they planned?' 

That 's the question that she wanted to know since the day she remembered the last day her mother breathes.

***

Alisha was still watching the two attack each other. First, she thought that Cabel would feel better if he release some stress that accumulated since Evelyn was on the enemy's place and was held "hostage"

But as time went by, she was starting to grow impatient when she heard the accusations poured out from Cabel's mouth and was answered by a sarcasm from Chrisfold.

However, right now, the accusations turn into teasing of who's who for Evelyn. It was childish if Alisha thought about it.

"You think Evelyn will pick you? You have your hopes too high brat! Evelyn will definitely pick me over you…"

"What did you say? You're just an acquaintance of Eve… she will definitely have me over you." Cabel answered.

After a while. Alisha's patience has run thin and decided to attack them with her water magic.

She started to cast her spells. Cabel and Chrisfold realize the surge of mana too late and...

*Splashed!

Cabel and Chrisfold was shocked as they become soaking wet, they can only slowly looked at the person who casted the spell who has an indifference written all over her face.