The handcuffs were made of special high-strength steel, with each link as thick as a finger. The surface was densely covered with magical symbols, including those that suppressed magic, strengthened the handcuffs themselves, and applied weakening spells to the bound object. This thing didn't look like it was meant for locking up people at all, but rather for locking up elephants - or even elephants that could use magic.

  Asa's body now has three such shackles. Overlapping on his body, it looks like he is wearing a strange garment.

  But this was not a dark and terrifying underground dungeon, but the duke's study. Asa was not kneeling on the ground with blood all over his body, but sitting unscathed in a chair. He just looked very dejected. Whoever it was, falling to this point would not be able to lift their spirits.

  Duke Mular smiled across the desk at Asa and said, "These three pairs of handcuffs were actually prepared for you by Grand Priest Kusbert earlier. I heard they were specially made by the Magic Academy a long time ago to bind a Minotaur for sacrifice. Actually, I didn't think about capturing you alive before, but in the end, you didn't disappoint me. Haha."

  "Didn't I keep you waiting? Were you afraid I wouldn't come?" Asa sat in the chair, gazing coldly at the duke's smiling face, saying weakly.

  "No. I knew you'd come. It was always part of the plan. Originally, I intended to kill you on the spot, but in the end, I changed my mind and hoped to capture you alive instead. You didn't disappoint me, not getting yourself killed."

  "What's the point of keeping me alive? I thought you'd definitely cut off my limbs, cut out my tongue and blind my eyes." Asa said with half-closed eyes.

  "Well said. Indeed, I should have treated you this way from the start." The duke burst into laughter, his eyes twinkling with mirth as he chuckled heartily and warmly, like someone who had just heard an unexpected witty joke. Looking at his opponent, who was now completely in his grasp and had no room for struggle or resistance, he let out a sigh of emotion. "Perhaps from a certain perspective, enemies are the best friends. Not only do they bring you fighting spirit and the joy of victory, but also because their positions are clear-cut and unencumbered, so there's no need to hide one's intentions anymore. You can speak your mind freely, without reserve, even if it's hostile, which is a very pleasant thing."

  "You look like you're quite pleased with yourself," Asa said coldly.

  "Wrong." The duke waved his hand in a negative gesture, still smiling with great pleasure. "Not just a little happy. Extremely happy. I almost forgot when was the last time I felt this way. Because it seems like I've never spent so much effort and time to deal with someone. And in the end, I still won." He was very satisfied with the completely defeated look on the young man's face, and his gaze at Asa was even a little reluctant. "Alas, after you die, where can I find such an enemy again, where can I find such a 'friend' who can speak freely?"

  The sound of footsteps approached. The duke fell silent, frowning. He had already ordered everyone else in the mansion not to approach the study, he wanted to secretly interrogate the prisoner. His conversation with Asa was not for others to hear.

  The door to the study was pushed open and Rodhart walked in, bowing to the duke: "Excuse me, Your Grace. Colonel Rolando and an elderly priest are at the gate, saying they want to take the fugitive away for His Imperial Majesty and the high priests to interrogate personally."

  "Colonel Roland? Hmph, he didn't send people when I asked him to, and now he's asking me for people instead." The duke furrowed his brow in thought, then lightly waved his hand and said, "For now, just stall them temporarily." He didn't say how or what method to use to stall. He just knew that since he had said so, Rodhart would naturally go take care of it.

  "Yes." Rodhart turned and left. From start to finish, he didn't look at Asa once.

  "This is a very clever and capable young man. The key is that he knows the times, and in the situation always knows how to make the right choice." The Duke looked at Asa. "But many of your choices seem not quite correct."

  "Because I've never been a clever person." Asa replied calmly. "However, even if I'm not clever, I know that this doesn't seem like a good place to hold people for questioning. You didn't bring me here just to express your joyful feelings, did you?"

  "Heh heh. Indeed." The duke smiled. "I'm being so polite and letting you sit here unharmed because I want to discuss a deal with you."

  "A deal? Are you going to let me off?" Asa's eyes and tone didn't fluctuate in the slightest, still listless. "I may not be that clever, but I also know it's impossible for you to let me off."

  "That's right." The duke nodded, still smiling so intimately. "You know yourself that since things have come to this point, you must die."

  "What can you trade with someone who knows they're going to die? I'm almost out of time, would I still care about anything?"

  "No, I know you care. Even if you don't care about your own life, you still care about one person. My daughter. Hehe. Didn't you take a risk to come here for her sake? I'll use her life as leverage to trade with you." The duke's smile seemed full of compassion. "As long as you agree, I won't kill her. You can rest assured, she is now unharmed, and even better off than you."

  A Sa did not answer, but his eyes had a ripple. After a long time, he said in a somewhat strange voice: "You use your daughter's life to force me, a dying person, to agree to your terms? Others who hear it must think you're crazy."

  "What others say doesn't matter," said the duke calmly. "The key is that I know you'll definitely agree, that's all."

  "What do you want me to do?" Asa sighed.

  The duke's eyes narrowed, and he spoke in a low voice, word by word: "I want you to admit that it was Sedelros and the Death Spirit Association who colluded and instructed you to assassinate Archbishop Ronis. As long as you admit this on both the imperial and ecclesiastical sides, I swear not to harm Little Yi, and guarantee that she will live a good life just like before."

  "Take an oath?" Asa squeezed out a smile. "This kind of thing is nothing but a fart to me, do you still care about it?"

  The duke sighed. His face seemed to have a bit of his father's air about it again. "Little Yi is my daughter, after all, and she's so capable. Do you think I want to kill her? But she happens to know that I was the one who killed Ronis Bishop, and she's also standing with you, as Sedelos' apprentice. I'm afraid she'll clear your name by teaming up with Sedelos, so I have no choice but to plan to silence her. And if you can point out that Sedelos is actually the mastermind behind the scenes, then after you die, I won't have this worry anymore, and of course, I won't bother her again." This time, you rode a two-legged flying dragon, which is the biggest evidence of Sedelos' collusion with the Death Spirit Association. "I can also guess that Sedelos will say it was stolen by you yourself, but even so, it's enough. I naturally have my own way to add fuel to the fire." Seemingly thinking of a wonderful future, the duke smiled again. He really seemed too happy and carefree today.

  Asha sighed: "So you're so happy not only because you caught me, but also because you can use me to deal with Cedros directly."

  "Alright." The duke nodded. "Heh heh, I can already imagine the church and empire joining hands to deal with Ou Fu's situation. I will personally lead the troops. Indeed, thank you for bringing that two-legged flying dragon today, reminding me of its use on the battlefield. Before I go on the attack, I must persuade the military ministers and His Majesty the Emperor to buy more Griffin Lions first. Heh heh."

  Asha said calmly: "Since you know I've been to Eufor and contacted Sedelos, aren't you afraid that we've already made arrangements to deal with you?"

  "What plan?" The duke smiled. "Whatever plan you have, the crime of murdering the archbishop has already been decided, and Sedros will not dare to send out beast troops to help you openly. He also needs to leave a way for himself. Maybe you won't come back and stay with Euph and Sedros together, I'll be afraid that you're plotting something. But I know you must come back. Haha, aren't you already in my hands now?"

  Asa sighed, nodded: "You think very carefully. I did ask Sedros to help me, but he refused. What he is concerned about is the same as what you thought. And I... must come back indeed. You are really good at reading people."

  "Observing people is the most basic and important point in setting up plots and traps." The duke smiled happily, like a famous chef explaining his signature dish to Asa, making sure he savored every nuance and meaning after tasting it. "As long as you see clearly what kind of person they are, what kind of situation they will react to, you can calculate each step and design the overall situation. Even if you let them know your intentions, they will only follow your wishes step by step."

  "It's like me, you know I'll be back, right?" Asa said in a low voice, hanging his head as if he was depressed.

  "Right." The duke laughed very happily.

  "Look at you now, so happy." Asa said suddenly in a low voice. "But I haven't agreed to help you frame Sedros yet."

  "But I believe you will definitely agree." The duke's face seemed to have written on it, "The whole world is in my hands." "Just like I believed you would come back."

  A Sa still looked listless and lifeless, seemingly still in that state of despair. He shook his head and replied in a low voice: "No, I won't agree."

  The duke was shocked. "What?" He was very surprised, thinking he had misheard.

  "No, I won't answer." Asa's voice rose a little. "Because I don't need to answer at all." After saying this, he suddenly stood up from the chair by himself. The chains on his body made a series of clanking sounds as they fell to the ground.

  The duke's expression solidified. He was certain that these shackles were absolutely locked in place, and also absolutely capable of locking down a Minotaur with strength dozens of times greater than a human.

  "You're so confident. It seems you really trust these cattle locks. Indeed, I admit I'm not a cow, and struggling is absolutely futile." Asa raised his hand, with a wooden splinter on his fingertip. "But fortunately, I still know a thing or two about traps and mechanisms, fortunately you had me sit in a chair instead of lying on the ground. Fortunately, these cattle locks aren't that hard to open either."

  The duke was only surprised for a moment, and did not panic. He didn't even get up, but lowered his face and voice: "Although there is no one around the study, the entire manor outside is surrounded by the Imperial Guard. I advise you not to think that with just this bit of luck, you can turn the tide. Also, don't waste the opportunity I gave you."

  But Asa seemed to have no intention of cherishing these opportunities. His originally dim and hazy eyes had gradually cleared up, becoming bright and sharp, just like his voice. "I never thought you were an enemy before. We're on completely different paths, so even though you've tried to attack me multiple times, I didn't think you were despicable, nor did I want to fight back against you. Because I was also forced to stand in your way against my will. But later I realized I was wrong. You actually wanted to kill Ronis the bishop, and Sandru... even little Yee wasn't spared..." Asa's voice and expression finally became distorted due to his agitation. "Even if I managed to save little Yee once, as long as you're still around, neither she nor anyone else can be at peace." Asa growled out a few words in a low, twisted voice: "So I'm going to kill you." His eyes were already filled with bloodshot veins, and the canine teeth exposed at the corners of his mouth emitted a beastly aura.

  "I'm too surprised, and also too disappointed. You actually gave up the opportunity I gave you." The Duke's expression completely turned cold. He slowly stood up, his hand grasping the sword at his waist, and suddenly shouted loudly: "Quickly come here! The prisoner has broken free from their shackles and is going to escape!" Although the Duke's face was full of murderous intent and calmness, this loud shout could feign a tone of panic.

  After the roar, the Duke still spoke in a low voice to Asa: "I'll say it again, you're too disappointing. I just knew you weren't smart, but I didn't expect it to be this bad. Hmph, do you think this is one of those vulgar stories that's popular in taverns? Can you really turn the tables with just a few lucky breaks?"

  Immediately, footsteps echoed down the corridor, but they weren't the chaotic and noisy sounds that should have been made by the Imperial Guards. It was just one person's footsteps. The footsteps came quickly and heavily, almost reaching the door of the study in just a few blinks of an eye. Although it was urgent and seemed to be a bit flustered, every step was extremely precise, following a strange rhythm. This was the sound that only someone who had fully incorporated martial arts into their body could make.

  A Sa suddenly turned around and kicked the door of the study with one foot. A loud noise, two doors burst open and flew towards a figure who was rushing towards here.

  The figure paused, and a faint white line flickered in the air for an instant. The two violently shattered doors immediately dispersed silently into small pieces of splintered wood.

  Wood chips scattered, the newcomer stood still and sheathed his sword. Grey hair, a face full of bookish air, yet with a pair of eyes that emitted a sharpness like a sword, unmatched. He was Roland, the commander who had just been dragged by Lord Hart at the gate of the duke's mansion. He was the first to rush up after hearing the duke's shout.

  "Colonel Roland, this outlaw is going to kill me." The duke drew his sword. He had already decided not to leave the young man alive any longer.

  But Asa suddenly turned around to face the Duke, completely ignoring the Empire's first swordsman behind him. And it seemed that Roland, the team leader, had only chopped up those two doors and then suddenly disappeared without a sound.

  The duke tilted his head in surprise and looked behind Asa. In the corridor outside the study, Colonel Roland was indeed still there. He had his head down, as if he was about to move forward, with his hand on the hilt of his sword. But he remained motionless in that pose, like a stone statue.

  The duke suddenly became aware of a strange aura. This was not an actual smell, but rather a pure feeling that naturally occurred when gazing at a giant beast. Although there were no beasts in sight, the duke knew very clearly that the source of this feeling was just behind Colonel Roland, near the corner of a corridor.

  No one can see what's there, nor hear any sound, but every single being, even if it's not human, just another animal, can sense the abnormality and danger lurking within.

  This strange and ominous feeling grew thicker. The duke had a kind of standing on the eve of a tsunami about to hit the ocean.

  Captain Roland's body slowly bent down. His head was buried deeper, as if his eyes were closed, and the hand holding the sword tightened. If a storm was brewing behind him, then he and his sword were a mountain, a towering and motionless volcano that could erupt into a soaring flame at any moment.

  A strange, muffled cracking sound came from behind Roland's back. A shelf in the corridor and a porcelain vase on it shattered at the same time. It was as if an invisible giant hand had squeezed them, causing them to shatter inward without scattering any fragments, all of which piled up together in the middle.

  Colonel Roland didn't move, nor did the man at the corner who was emitting an aura of unparalleled momentum. No sound was made, and it seemed as if even the air in that area had solidified into a tangible entity. However, once whatever was brewing in that eerie silence erupted, the entire ducal mansion might shatter like a vase struck by a heavy blow.

  The duke was already sweating on his head. He even had a little trouble breathing.

  "There are things that you run into by chance, and there are also things that aren't due to chance." Asa's voice suddenly rang out at this eerie and heavy moment. "Actually, the restraints on me should have been waiting for him to come and release them for me. But it seems he knew I had a way, so he never made a move, leaving me no choice but to take matters into my own hands."

  The duke's hand grasping the hilt of his sword and the veins on his forehead were all dancing, his voice was drier than ever: "Do you really have a plan?"

  "After you see the double-legged flying dragon, you will know that I have been to Eufor. So even if I fail to save people, you should not be willing to let me die. According to your style, you must use me at the end, at least interrogate me. And when saying these things, you absolutely won't let others be around, definitely alone. These are plans, aimed at your plan." Asa clenched his fists, the cracking sound of his joints was exceptionally clear in this strange silence. "You're right, knowing what kind of person the opponent is and how they will react in a certain situation is indeed the most important part of the trap."

  The duke's eyes also jumped with them. "You're betting. I'm surprised Sedros would make such a dangerous plan."

  "You're right. Sedros won't accompany me to gamble, but others will. One helps me plan, and another promises to help me out. Of course, they also make me promise to meet their conditions. But whatever the conditions are, they're better than yours." Asa said, slowly crouching down like Roland, with a pale white glow emanating from his body.

  "Unfortunately, you've lost the bet." The duke's slender sword slowly moved to point directly at Asa. His wrist didn't move, his body didn't move, but the tip of the sword was trembling by itself, like a snake's hiss. "You two, I really had nothing to say. But now there's only you. And outside, there are thousands of soldiers."

  "It's still unclear who will lose." Asa replied coldly, the light in his eyes sharper than the Duke's sword. The white aura all over his body had gathered into his fist.

  The duke's sword quivered even more violently, like a snake that was about to fly out of his hand at any moment.

  Suddenly someone sighed and said: "If you still don't know who lost now, it must be because his brain is full of crap."

  The wall of the study suddenly collapsed silently, and a hole appeared. An old pastor and Rodhart appeared together in the room behind the wall. Rodhart walked in with difficulty, his eyes fixed on the corridor. The stormy atmosphere that permeated the air grew more intense, and the old pastor also looked at the corridor before shaking his head and sighing: "Young people these days are fine, but they like to block the way." He should be the pastor Rodhart mentioned who was waiting with Colonel Roland at the door. These two apparently couldn't come from the corridor either, and instead came in through another room after breaking through the wall. And yet, no one here noticed anything under this tense atmosphere.

  The duke smiled. Although he was a bit puzzled why there was no response from the guards, these two people were enough. He remembered this old priest. At the execution ground, he had been around the high platform all along. And when it came to treating the soldiers who were poisoned by the black rain, his treatment and detoxification effect was better than anyone else's. His magical attainments were absolutely not low. And now with Rodhart, it could be said that they already had a sure win. He drank in a low voice: "You've come just in time. Help me kill him."

  The duke's words fell, and the breath storm in the corridor suddenly increased by tens of times. The fragments of that pile of flower vases continued to shatter, making a sound like stir-frying beans. Even the plaster on the walls was crumbling off with a rustling sound.

  Roland, the captain, still hadn't moved. The sword in his hand hadn't left its scabbard either, but a strange humming noise had already spread from the scabbard to every corner of the duke's mansion. Rodhart's eyes never left the corridor, not even glancing at the duke, and yet beads of cold sweat were already forming on his forehead.

  The old pastor who broke in didn't pay attention to the duke, but instead shouted weakly towards the corridor: "Is your young spirit too good? Everyone is on the same road, let's fight and kill until things are settled here."

  As soon as the words came out, the fine sword in the duke's hand stopped trembling immediately. The snake that was about to pounce on someone suddenly became a clothes rack. The duke's slender eyes were actually wider than usual, staring straight at the old pastor. He couldn't understand why the pastor would say such a thing, he was too surprised.

  Asa's expression was no lighter than the Duke's, his mouth agape as if he could fit his own fist in it, and his fighting spirit vanished instantly. His surprise was even greater than the Duke's.