Chapter 484: Temporary Respite.
Inside the dimly lit dungeon, the heavy stone walls echoed the footsteps of the small group. Two soldiers led the way, guiding the somewhat overweight Count Laurence forward. Behind him, the two young ladies, Robert's mother and sister, darted their eyes around, taking in the sight of the various prisoners groaning in their cells. At the rear of the group walked the robed magician, guarded closely by several armored knights, their expressions tense.
‘I managed to get here, but now what?’
Roland, who used his position as deputy professor from Xandar’s Institute of Wizardry, felt the weight of the situation pressing down on him. He had managed to get this far with a bold bluff, but now, as they approached the cell where Robert was being held, he realized the difficulty of the next steps. Count Graham De Vere was not a man who would easily let things slide, and the matter might even escalate to the noble court.
‘I need to play this carefully. Any wrong move could jeopardize everything. I wonder, can I use this man?’
In the front was Count Laurence, someone that he focused on during his initial ploy. It was thanks to him that he got this far. He had managed to notice his house crest on one of the accompanied knights who was standing outside the main mansion. Only then did he create his unconventional plan of filming Robert’s torture with his runic drone and presenting it to this man, who he was sure was a judge. The Laurence family had a long history of judicial figures, and his assumption seemed correct.
Roland used his persona of an overprotective and just professor. Count Graham had probably already tasked someone with conducting a background check. They would likely inform him about the events at the institute and perhaps even the one in the dungeon. The Viola incident would confirm Roland's character and show that he was not afraid of going against the nobility. This would probably lead the Count to speculate about his true identity. Typically, no sane person went against those in higher positions unless they had some type of backing, and this was something Roland had based his scheme on.
Robert’s fate seemed to hang in the balance as the group neared the cell where he was being held. The heavy iron door groaned as it swung open, revealing Robert still hanging limply in his restraints, his body battered and bruised. The sight drew gasps from his mother and sister, who rushed forward despite the knights' attempts to hold them back.
“Robert!”
His mother cried, tears streaming down her face. His sister clung to her, eyes wide with horror. Count Laurence attempted to maintain his composure and turned to Count Graham with a stern expression.