Patching Some Leaks

Fumes rose into the air, and the building engulfed in flames lay sprawled before him. As he stood with Melissa standing besides him, Augustus felt a cold frown form on his face.

People were rushing out of the residential building near the gates of the treasury, their faces blackened by soot, and clothes charred by the flames. Everyone was in great shock.

"What happened here?" Augustus grabbed a villager from the building, preventing them from rushing further away. The grey haired woman was shaking, unable to utter a word.

"She was cooking in the back, then we heard it— a massive bang." The woman spoke, her lips trembling and fingers stiff, "She got reduced to ash. We don't know what happened."

'An accident?' Augustus calmed down somewhat, but he was not satisfied. He turned to Melissa, his gaze stern, "Have you interrogated those bandits? I think this is related t—?"

"No, Augustus." Melissa narrowed her eyes, stepping forward and loosing his grasp from the shaken woman, her brows knitting, "You're reading too much into it. Take a breather."

'Reading too much into this?' Augustus took a deep breath, then stepped back. Allowing a serious Melissa to step forward and address them while he calmed the storm in his heart.

Augustus closed his eyes, loosening his body. After a while, he lifted his hand and held his chin, his aura changing as a smile formed on his face, 'What if I was the spy sent to Iona?'

He'd for one, lay incredibly low. He'd be the average farmer that lives in isolation with all his beloved crops He'd get the trust of everyone he could, and be the kindest in the village.

If he got caught, he'd try eliminating the source of evidence with underhanded tactics. He would keep his public image and manipulate matters from the shadows, his reach endless.

He'd definitely not try blowing up a building close to the area where his interests lay. It'd be the dumbest thing he could do. It'd attract attention and tie a leash round his advances.

"Melissa, the woman that died, was anyone with her before it happened?" Augustus lifted his head, a cold gleam flashed though his violet eyes, "Talk to them. I'll go visit the slave."

"Why?" Melissa asked, turning from the shaken villagers to Augustus, stunned to see he'd already turned his back to her and began walking away, "Hey! Don't try anything stupid!"

Augustus glanced to the side out of the corner of his eyes, scoffing to himself, "They were testing something probably, and it backfired in their face. The slave should have an idea."

He would ask the bandits too, until the general picture is formed— what exactly there are planning to do with the autumn leaf against the flame palace. The spies here, how many?

'Lily should have created the disruption now. That'd lead the focus of the enemies until I have achieved my mission.' Augustus paused, then held his chin, looking up to the clouds.

[Quest Encountered!]

[C-Ranked Quest, "Orchestra of Delusions"]

[Reward — "Chance to Summon S-Ranked Item"]

'I remember this quest. I got it right before the demon horde attack.' Augustus thought to himself, then continued walking down the path, 'I guess I'm biting more than I can chew.'

——

The interior of the prisons was grim and lifeless in design. The pale lighting gave the area an eerie air to it, causing Augustus to lift a brow, "For a tiny village, Iona has many cells."

Most of them were empty, by the way. In his past life, Melissa had told him the prison has over six hundred cells, making it the biggest structure next to the barracks in the village.

Augustus gazed to the number on a cell, then raised a brow, 'Normally, I'd have to request an audience in proper conditions so they wouldn't have a chance to escape the prison cell.'

He reached for the door, then unlocked it with the key he burrowed from a fainted guard. It was better to ask forgiveness than permission, Augustus pondered as he stepped inside.

As soon as he locked the door behind him, revealing his face in the light, the moon slave in the room dashed for him. Augustus lifted a brow, watching him swing his arms around.

"Are you trying to die faster?" Augustus raised a brow, not moving an inch as the slave in question threw his chained arms at his face. Augustus waited, then he exploded with aura.

A sudden pressure appeared, forcing the slave to collapse on his knees, screaming out in a rage. Augustus scoffed, then raised his leg and swung it in an arc, kicking the moon slave.

The slave, even under the intense pressure, was ripped off his knees and into the air until he crashed in the wall far back. The slave's joints groaned as his body nearly ripped apart.

"I didn't come here to play with you." Augustus cracked his fingers, pacing around in the room with his demeanour transforming, his pose stern and eyes sharp, "Let's have a chat."

Seeing that the moon slave wasn't ranting their heart out, Augustus blinked, "Or I forgot that you wouldn't be able to control the muscles of your face laying under that pressure."

"Monster…" the slave started the second the pressure was released, trembling. He dared not stand up to Augustus after testing for himself how dangerous the prince was, "Ugh."

"I'll entertain your thoughts, moon slave and spare your life." Augustus chuckled, then crouched down to stare the slave in the eyes, "Have nothing to offer? I'll rip you apart."

'The best lies were always mixed with truth, weren't they?' A calculative gleam flashed past his eyes as he stood to his feet, 'The more he gets to say, the less he'll have to hide.'

Seeing that the moon slave suddenly grew silent, Augustus chuckled to himself. Well, it was not always easy. Augustus snapped his fingers and the left leg of the slave got bent.

The slave screamed out, reaching for the leg and squirming on the ground. While he got himself accustomed to the feeling, Augustus said, "You have a lot more joints to twist."