SUPREME ARCH-MAGUS

Kent sat before the black wooden table inside his room. The old inn was a blessing… its tattered structure kept most guests away, which meant fewer disturbances. My Virtual Library Empire

On the table Kent was busily working on the map which contains the layout of Royal prison. He was remembering the surroundings of Royal prison as he inspected it during his visit to the queen yesterday.

With paint brush on his hand, Kent is noting down all the flora Fauna and permanent structures around the royal prison which can be used for his plan.

Meanwhile, the stunted beast men along with Chelli were working on making final notes on each individual profile they prepared for the criminals who Were imprisoned in the royal prison.

Along with people Kent noted down, Chelli also picked up a few names based on her intent. Almost the entire walls of the room filled with pictures of information about the criminals.

After what felt like hours of intense concentration, one of the beast men approached Kent respectfully, bowing his head. “Respected master, we’ve completed the profiles and prepared everything as you instructed. Please take a look when you are ready.” He said in a low, reverent tone.

Kent set down his brush and nodded, standing to stretch before addressing them. “Before I look over the profiles,” he instructed, gesturing to the prison map on the table, “study this map carefully. Mark pathways for the tunnels you’ll dig to reach the prison’s foundation underground. They need to be discreet and silent; soundproof your tools if possible, or find ways to mask the noise. It’s critical that no one detects us. Understood?”

The beast men exchanged serious glances and nodded, taking the map to the far corner, where they began carefully plotting.

Kent turned his attention to the wall, filled with hundreds of profiles, sketches of faces, lists of crimes, family histories, notes on their suffering, and finally, each prisoner’s current cell number.

He began scanning the profiles, brush in hand, marking the names he deemed most valuable to his cause. He considered each person’s cultivation level and, even more so, the extent of their hatred toward the royal family.

Chelli, watching him with crossed arms, leaned over and whispered, “The royal family sure has a long list of enemies. And they’re all in one place. Quite convenient for you, don’t you think?”

Kent paused, his eyes narrowing as he scanned yet another name. “Convenient? It’s horrifying. This wall alone—these are people wronged, silenced, and crushed under the heel of a family that abused power.” He continued marking, his movements deliberate, his expression grim.

Chelli raised an eyebrow, moving closer as she observed him. “You’re marking almost everyone, you know. At this rate, you’ll pick the entire wall. Why not release every prisoner inside and sort them out later?”

Kent sighed, shaking his head. “The royal prison holds over 15,000 people. If I tried to free them all, it would raise immediate alarm, and the whole thing would be a catastrophe. My method buys us five minutes, no more. In that time, I can barely manage 500. I have to be strategic.”

“Five minutes?” Chelli scoffed, folding her arms and squinting at him. “How do you plan to pull off such a feat? You have some ‘cheat’ that pauses time?”

Kent shot her an irritated glance. “Mind your own business. Go assist the beast men. They need to choose the safest routes.”

Chelli shrugged, her eyes flashing with curiosity despite his brusque response. “Suit yourself.” She strolled over to where the beast men were huddled, poring over the map. She leaned down, studying their careful markings and noting their choices of routes.

The youngest beast man, noticing her interest, explained, “We’re marking entry points where the forest canopy is dense enough to mask our digging. And see here,” he pointed to a spot on the map, “this old watchtower—it’s rarely used and far enough from the main guards. We could start from here, and by digging low and close to the roots, we can conceal the tunnel better.”

Chelli nodded approvingly. “Good thinking. Make sure the tunnel’s entrance stays camouflaged. If we’re discovered too soon, it’ll be impossible to release anyone.”

Meanwhile, Kent continued his work on the profiles. Time slipped by as he weighed each prisoner’s background, scrutinizing their potential for revenge against the royals. Many were warriors, leaders, mages who had lost their clans or families because of some royal vendetta.

His brush marked profile after profile. He couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, “Gods… How many people did the royals destroy just to keep their power?”

Finally, he leaned back, surveying the wall covered in red markings. He’d selected nearly all of them. Only a handful of profiles remained untouched—those of actual criminals whose motives had been pure greed or malice. He turned to see Chelli staring at him with a smug smile.

“At this rate, you might as well throw open every cell door,” she teased. “Seems like everyone here has a score to settle.”

Kent clenched his fist, a glint of defiance in his eyes. “If I could, I would. These people are victims. The royals built that prison to trap their opposition, anyone who dared challenge their tyranny.”

Chelli chuckled darkly. “And here I thought you were just in this to save Ria. Didn’t know you had such noble ideals.”

He turned to her with a solemn expression. “It’s because of saving your sister Ria, I’m here. But if I can make use of others while I’m at it, why shouldn’t I?”

She watched him in silence for a moment, then her gaze softened, though her voice kept its teasing edge. “Just make sure you don’t get yourself killed over all this big plan. After all, you’re still my only chance at saving Ria.”

“Then keep your doubts to yourself and help me finish the task,” Kent replied, his tone firm. He glanced at the beast men. “Are the tunnel routes ready?”

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Thank You All ;-}