Reborn as the Last van Ambrose

Grim realized they were walking into a trap within a trap. The rebels’ suspicion of humans was going to be used to isolate him, making it impossible for him to help maintain their cover story. "Actually," Grim said, making a calculated decision, "Isolation might be for the best. I understand your concerns."

Lin shot him a look of surprise and concern, but he gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. He had a plan, though he wasn’t sure yet if it would work.

"How... cooperative," Commander Taiwei observed. "Most humans would protest such treatment."

"Most humans don’t understand," Grim replied. "I’ve worked with enough dragon forces to know that security comes first."

The answer seemed to satisfy the rebels, though it clearly puzzled them. They had expected resistance, complaints, and perhaps even panic. Instead, they were getting calm acceptance that didn’t fit their preconceptions about human behavior.

"Very well," Commander Yuehua decided. "The human will be held in the detention level. The captain will be questioned in the intelligence wing. And the... princess... will be taken elsewhere."

As guards moved to escort them to different parts of the stronghold, Lin managed to catch Grim’s eye. Her expression showed worry, determination, and something else—a growing trust that he would find a way to help them even when separated.

"It will be alright," she said quietly, ostensibly to all of them but clearly meant for Grim.

"I know," he replied, putting as much confidence into his voice as he could manage.

They were led through different corridors, and Grim quickly lost sight of Lin and Captain Zhen. The detention level turned out to be a series of chambers carved deep into the volcano’s heart, where the heat was almost unbearable.