Chapter 491

2 G Lab Journey

The guards squinted and suddenly recognized the girl before them. She was Frieda from Curtis Manor.

But she was dressed as a servant, a bundle strapped to her back. Had they not recognized her voice, they might never have known it was her.

The guard captain saluted, speaking respectfully. “My lady, please do not be angry. We mean no offense, but the person behind you is suspicious. We must take her into custody.”

Frieda stood in front of Athena and said angrily, “How dare you! Elijah is one of my people. How could he be a spy? You must be mistaken.”

The guards looked at each other.

Although Curtis had no direct proof that Athena was a traitor, everything that had happened tonight pointed toward her involvement.

The captain said, “My lady, we must take Elijah away. This matter can only be judged by the King of Sinitia himself.”

Athena secretly looked around. At that moment, a flare exploded in the sky. The direction was from Ansel’s yard.

Athena’s heart skipped a beat. Curtis must have surrounded Ansel’s yard.

He couldn’t escape, so he asked for help.

She walked up to Frieda and suddenly took out a dagger and put it to her neck.

She threatened, “Don’t move.”

The guards were shocked, and Frieda stared in surprise.

She never expected that Athena was really a spy. “You, you actually lied to me.”

Athena didn’t speak, but looked around coldly.

She held Frieda hostage and moved towards the front of Ansel’s courtyard.

The guards followed closely.

Athena put the dagger closer to Frieda’s neck.

Immediately, a bloodstain was cut on her fair neck.

“Step back.” Athena’s voice was extremely cold, and the guards saw that she was serious.

They were all frightened and stopped moving forward.

Despair filled Frieda’s eyes, and she smiled mockingly. “I didn’t expect that I would fall into your hands.”

“I’m sorry, my lady,” Athena said softly.

The torches crackled in the night wind, illuminating the bluestone ground of the yard in flickering light.

Curtis, wearing a black brocade robe, held the handle of his knife, his eyes fixed on the courtyard gate with a sinister look.

He said, “I request to see the Prince Regent. I hope Your Grace will grant me passage.”

He had just received a reply from his confidant that the Prince Regent had already rescued Deaglan’s eldest son, who was imprisoned in the dungeon.

Moreover, even Deaglan himself was missing.

The more Curtis thought about it, the more frightened he became, especially with the loss of the account book tonight.

His heart was even more uneasy.

Curtis felt that tonight’s events were inseparable from Xander.

That was why he had surrounded the courtyard.

Yet he dared not act rashly. He knew very well how ruthless Xander could be.

If he hadn’t been forced into a desperate situation, he wouldn’t have wanted to fall out.

“Your Highness.” Someone came again and said quickly in Curtis’s ear, “We have found out that Prince Regent entered Aeridon as early as eight days ago.”

Curtis suddenly looked at the closed door, his heart was extremely horrified.

If Xander had already entered Aeridon, then who was the person in the house?

“Are you certain?” His voice was low and strained, the ending trembling. “What of the travel documents? Are they confirmed?”

“Without a doubt!” The confidant sweated and spoke faster.

He continued, “We tracked three unremarkable carriages using the Transport Office’s token. The wheel ruts match Prince Regent’s specifications. They merely disguised themselves as merchant wagons!”

The more Curtis heard, the more frightened he became. The cold wind made the back of his neck feel chilly.

He turned his head sharply to look at the closed wooden door. The mottled paint on the door panel looked like a strange face in the firelight.

He had personally seen Xander’s ruthlessness. Back then, the Blumenfeld family’s deputy general colluded with enemy countries.

Xander had used a dull knife to cut off his flesh piece by piece, and it took him three whole days to die.

But if the person inside was not Xander, who would dare to use his name to stir up trouble in his territory?

“Your Highness, perhaps…” The guard captain hesitated, seeing Curtis’s pale face. “Should we withdraw first? If this is a misunderstanding…”

“Misunderstanding?” Curtis suddenly turned around, bloodshot eyes popping. “The account books are gone! If they fall into Prince Regent’s hands, we’re doomed!”

He stared at the door with a grim look, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Anyone who dares to impersonate Xander must be his confidant.

Rather than letting the threat escape, it was better to simply eliminate it. Let Xander and his entourage die in Aeridon.

If the King sought to blame him later, he could claim they had been killed by pirates at sea.

And if the King refused to believe him, then he would rebel.

“Your Highness, what should we do?” his confidant asked.

Curtis stared at the gate with a deep gaze and ordered, “Kill them all. Leave no one alive.”

Instantly, the guards rushed towards the main gate.

With a crash, the main gate collapsed.

Countless arrows shot out from inside the courtyard.

Those soldiers of Curtis Manor who bore the brunt of the attack were all killed by the arrows.

The muffled sound of arrows piercing flesh rose and fell.

Blood instantly soaked the bluestone slabs in front of the gate.

Curtis was dragged back by his confidants, and he roared with rage, “Useless! All of you, go! Whoever kills the people inside will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold!”

Suddenly, a clicking sound of gears turning came from the courtyard.

Immediately afterward, dozens of fire arrows roared out, dragging orange–red tails of fire towards the guard group.

Dry clothes ignited upon contact with the fire, screams rose and fell, and a sea of fire instantly formed.

Ansel stood under the eaves, holding a longbow, his eyes cold and sharp.

Behind him stood seven or eight sturdy followers, each holding a cocked crossbow, their eyes as cold as ice.

What he needed to do now was stall.

Stall until the Nexalasia army broke through the city, so that they could cooperate from the inside and outside to capture Curtis in one fell swoop.

“Is Your Highness planning a desperate gamble?” Ansel asked loudly, “Do you think you can keep Prince Regent’s men here with these good–for–nothings?”

Curtis was enraged by these words, and he pushed away the blocking guards. “Release the arrows! Shoot them to death! Burn this broken courtyard!”

Fire arrows rained down into the courtyard, and the bamboo fence quickly caught fire, choking people so they couldn’t open their eyes.

But Ansel suddenly whistled, and a muffled sound of heavy objects landing immediately came from the courtyard.

Immediately afterwards, several dark figures drifted out of the thick smoke. The short knives in their hands flashed with a cold light, instantly cutting through the throats of the front row of guards.

“It’s the shadow guards!” The confidant exclaimed in shock.

The dark shadows moved like ghosts, darting through the firelight with ease.

The guards‘ sabers couldn’t touch them at all, but instead they were slashed and screamed in agony.

Curtis then realized that he had messed with the wrong people. These were not ordinary followers. They were clearly the warriors who stayed by Xander’s side all year round.

His legs went weak, and he staggered backward, with only one thought left in his mind… It’s over.

Soon, however, Curtis’s eyes turned grim.

He ordered, “Someone, bring the cannons.”

He was able to gain a foothold in Aeridon because of these cannons.

As long as they were his, no one would ever put a foot on his neck.

Several cannons were aimed at Ansel’s courtyard.