Chapter 103: Sorry, Please Die (Part 1)

Every day, it was not just the swordsmen who brought food and other supplies into the cell, but Lancelote himself also came twice a day to personally inspect the special shackles binding Asa's hands and feet, as well as to check for any abnormalities in the prison.

Asa couldn't help but admire Lancelote. As the most esteemed knight on the continent, practically the embodiment of justice, Lancelote seemed to be intimately familiar with all the tricks of thieves and crooks. Every attempt Asa made was easily foiled by him. The food brought every day was only a bowl of thin porridge, which the swordsmen would bring to Asa's lips for him to drink in one go. After three days, Asa no longer had the strength to resist.

It wasn't until the thirteenth day that Asa truly understood that he could not escape by his own strength.

In these thirteen days, Asa had tried every method he could think of. In the final attempt, he even pushed himself to quietly break his own bones, slowly slipping out of the chains. Given the little strength he had left, this was an excruciatingly long and painful process, and he had to ensure no one noticed. It took him half a day to fracture one of his ribs and part of his ribs while being careful not to damage his internal organs or major arteries. He also had to maintain the appearance of not being injured. However, when Lancelote entered and took one look at him, he calmly said, "I used that method when I was fifteen. You're sweating all over, it's hard to hide it."

"Fifteen..." Asa gave a bitter smile. He had kept his head lowered, pretending to be unconscious, so no one would notice his drenched forehead. "So you really are stronger than me. I can bear the pain, but I can't hide the sweat."

"I couldn't hold out either, but at that time, they had peeled off part of my skin, and I was covered in blood, so no one noticed," Lancelote said as he stepped forward and slowly helped Asa realign his bones, using healing magic. "I'll tell you, this isn't a good method. Even if you manage to escape, fully recovering from the injuries and regaining your strength is impossible. The rest of the time, you'll be almost helpless."

"Can I ask how you escaped back then?"

"In the end, I was saved by a companion, but... he died."

"Are you saying that I can only wait for a companion to save me?" Asa's eyes twitched slightly.

Lancelote caught this expression and shook his head. "Even if you have a companion, you won't be able to escape. This is the Glory Fortress. Magnus's consciousness, aided by the Ring of Kings, covers the entire castle. No matter how skilled someone is, they cannot infiltrate it. If it's a direct attack, it's just suicide. Even a necromancer would be no match for the entire Glory Fortress. Magnus actually hopes someone will try to rescue you. It's a good opportunity to eliminate dangerous individuals."

Asa didn't answer. This was exactly what he feared the most. If anyone found out he was captured, would they truly come to rescue him? Sandru? Grandma Ail? Unfortunately, no matter who it was, they would be facing the entire Glory Fortress. He had seen firsthand the power of that ring in the Pope's hands—it was not a force any one person could oppose.

"There's no need to be so down. Your death could save the lives of tens of thousands of warriors. That's quite valuable."

Asa sneered. "So, according to you, I should be happy? Unfortunately, I don't have such noble sentiments, nor do I share your sense of grand justice. If it were you tied up here, I imagine you'd be quite happy, wouldn't you?"

"No, no one, as long as they are human, wants to die, no matter how great the reason. It's instinct. However, one must always have something greater than instinct, something worth sacrificing for."

"Sorry, but I really don't have that kind of nobility."

"Then perhaps try to think the way I do. Think about how your death can indeed allow many others to live. Maybe that will ease your mind a bit. Sometimes, nobility can be a very good painkiller." Lancelote smiled slightly, and that smile was deep.

"Thanks for your concern, but I'm not accustomed to that kind of thinking. Still, I should thank you. I know you've made things easier for me. If it weren't for you, I'd be nothing but a human stick without arms or legs right now."

"I just promised Talice some small things," Lancelote said, looking deeply at Asa before letting out a soft sigh. "I know you're not a bad person, but there's no helping it. I don't possess any lofty ideals. It's just that, in my view, the lives of tens of thousands of warriors are far more important than yours."

"So, I'm sorry. Please die. Don't worry, it won't be long now. His Majesty said the power of the Ring of Kings will be fully restored soon. After that, we may not have many chances to meet again."

Lancelote left the cell, and with a heavy clang, the steel door shut like the gates of a fortress, plunging the room into darkness once again.

"Dammit... Am I really going to die? I don't want to die... Granny, don't come here..." Asa's voice, full of despair, echoed lonely in the dark.

Meanwhile, Orford.

Theodorus were sitting at his desk, reviewing several reports, his brow furrowed with concern.

Celeste hadn't taken any action against Orford. Instead, she had concentrated all her forces in the southern desert, capturing the nomadic tribes that had long occupied the area. This should have been good news for Orford, but Theodorus couldn't bring himself to feel happy about it.

What Orford needed most right now was time, and Celeste's actions weren't just giving him time—they were practically allowing things to unfold as they would. Progress in the Saundfest Mountains was going smoothly, the stance of the Tooth Tower had become clear, and preparations for war were growing stronger by the day. With each passing day, Orford grew stronger than before.

Magnus, on the other hand, seemed impossible to make such a foolish move from any perspective. The only explanation was that he no longer cared about how Orford's situation would develop; he was holding a trump card that could completely turn the tide of the entire situation.

Theodorus didn't fully understand what kind of trump card Magnus held. Ever since the cataclysmic battle between the Archangel and the Fire Phoenix in the Glory Fortress, Theodorus had lost almost all of his spies within the faith-based nations. The victory wasn't just for the Pope and the angelic figure— it was a triumph for the entire Church's ability to rally and unite people's hearts. Unless one was truly depraved, anyone with even a sliver of faith was overwhelmed by the real, tangible presence of the angel, turning what had once been an abstract concept into a living reality. No one dared to question whether God truly existed after that.

It took a great deal of effort for Celeste to gather some vague information, and with his reasoning abilities, he could roughly piece together what had happened.

"That kid got captured… does it have anything to do with Magnus's strange behavior right now?" Theodorus furrowed his brow, tapping the desk and muttering to himself. "Should I go rescue him? At the very least, I should find a way to clarify things..."