"Are they in here?" Orion asked curiously, trailing behind Stronghold Leader Zogar and Stronghold Leader Seth toward a building guarded by two warriors.
Though he had visited the Leftward and Rightward Strongholds in the past few months out of curiosity, there were still some places he hadn't yet had the opportunity to see, and one of them was where the warriors were detained if they misbehaved.
Stronghold Leader Zogar nodded in response. "Yes. Even if we know that this might not do much in holding them back, they would surely think twice before attempting to escape," he responded.
The two warriors standing guard outside saluted and opened the door for them to walk through.
Orion followed behind the stronghold Leaders as they led the way forward.
…....…
As Seig rested his head on the floor, he couldn't help but sense some familiar footsteps heading towards their direction.
He immediately tapped Evadne, waking her up.
Evadne stirred awake and took a few deep breaths before focusing her eyes on Seig. "What is it, Captain?" she asked with a frown. She was close to completing their plan, but Seig had ruined everything, forcing them to start afresh if they wanted to succeed.
Unfortunately, the warriors around them had stronger mental fortitudes than she had expected. Not only would she need to wait a few more hours until one of them was tired again, but she would also need to ensure that her execution was perfect before she could try again.
"It seems we'll be having another interrogation soon," Seig said, focusing his eyes towards the cell's iron bars.
Evadne's expression suddenly changed into a frown as she scowled. She raised her head and narrowed her eyes at the iron bars. These people were adamant about getting the information they wanted.
Regardless, she had no problem keeping her lips sealed, no matter what they planned.
Suddenly, Stronghold Leader Zogar's and Seth's faces appeared, along with a new face they hadn't seen before.
"Good, it seems you two are still awake," Stronghold Leader Zogar said as he observed the two figures of the attackers within the cell.
"We had fallen asleep, but after sensing your arrival, we decided to see why you were here. Don't tell me that you have agreed to our proposal?" Seig asked with a raised brow as he looked at the two stronghold leaders curiously before focusing on the unknown figure, wondering where the Village Chief was.
However, instead of responding, Stronghold Leader Zogar snorted in response. He stretched his hand towards Orion and introduced, "This is Orion, the architect and owner of the Three Border Cities, one of which you had previously attempted to attack and the one in succession to the Village Chief's position. And this time, he would be the one handling the interrogation."
When Stronghold Leader Zogar's words left his lips, Seig and Evadne couldn't help but be dumbfounded by what they had just heard.
The revelation hit them like a thunderbolt – the City they had assaulted was not an ancient sanctuary as they had believed, but a recently constructed settlement. And to add their astonishment, the architect of this City was the young man who stood before them.
Seig and Evadne were left speechless, reevaluating their assumptions about their surroundings. Forget about him potentially being the next Village Chief; this revelation left them dumbfounded.
Seig quickly regained his composure and fixed a narrowed gaze on Orion. "So why are you here? Don't tell me you came to threaten us for daring to attack your City? If so, you should know you are wasting your time here. As long as our lips are sealed, you can go ahead and do whatever you want," Seig said, his voice tinged with resolve.
Orion cleared his throat loudly in response. "Since the Village Chief has already explained everything to you two, I'll get straight to the point. I am willing to consider your requests as long as you're willing to tell me everything you know about the Sanctuaries," he said, his gaze fixed on the tall, muscular man clad in leather and bronze armour and the blue-skinned woman with two dark, curved horns protruding from her forehead, also dressed in leather armour with bronze plates.
Before Seig could utter a word, Evadne interjected. "Are you certain about what you're saying?" her voice tinged with scepticism.
Orion turned his attention to Evadne and nodded. "Yes, and in case you doubt my words, as the owner of the Orion's Cities and the next Village Chief, I assure you I have enough authority to make it happen," he replied confidently.
Sensing the intense gazes of the two attackers, Stronghold Leader Zogar and Seth nodded solemnly in agreement with Orion's words.
After absorbing Orion's response and observing the reaction of the two Stronghold Leaders, the entire cell fell silent. Seig and Evadne wore contemplative expressions, silently communicating with each other as they exchanged glances.
Seig redirected his focus to Orion. "Alright, since you know our request, prove to us first that you're truthful. Fulfil it before we believe your words," he challenged, his eyes narrowing as he awaited Orion's response.
Orion sighed heavily, "That won't be possible," he replied, shaking his head. "I came here intending to hear everything you had to say before fulfilling your request. Since the Village Chief seems to have no interest in keeping you alive, and you two aren't prepared to speak, it seems I've wasted my time coming here. Very well, I'll take my leave," he added.
As soon as Orion finished speaking, he turned around and walked toward the exit, with Stronghold Leader Zogar and Seth following closely behind.
Seig couldn't help but grit his teeth and silently curse under his breath. It was obvious that the young man was playing games with him.
"Captain, I'll give it a try," Evadne called out, nodding her head in resignation. She exhaled deeply, feeling defeated.
If Orion had gone through the trouble of coming here to convey this message, then it was worth attempting to see if he would uphold his promises. However, if he doesn't, there would be no point in wasting more time; they would need to execute their escape plan swiftly.
