Chapter 444: Francisco Page

The iron shards were from the hidden weapon known as Cloudshard. The name “Cloudshard” had a nice ring to it, but each shard was razor-sharp, with explosive power. Anyone with slightly weaker inner strength would have these shards pierce right through their body. Harrison had been struck by Cloudshard, with the shards lodged in his flesh, showing he had used his internal energy to resist the impact, resulting in severe injuries to his chest and head.

Isolde was very familiar with Cloudshard—too familiar. In her past life, her arch-nemesis, Francisco Page, specialized in using this type of hidden weapon. Francisco was from the Eryndral Empire but had become a strategist in Thalvinar. She had dealt with him many times before. He was not only skilled in martial arts but also adept at scheming and manipulation, making him a particularly tricky opponent. Isolde had been a victim of Cloudshard before, and she had also had to clean up the wounds of soldiers who had been hit by it.

The shards of Cloudshard were dangerous to remove. Each shard had barbed hooks, requiring a delicate touch to avoid injuring the flesh and damaging the tendons, which could lead to permanent disability. She had gathered everything she needed—small knives, tweezers, scissors, cotton balls, and strong liquor. Bending over, Isolde carefully began extracting the first shard. It took her an entire hour to remove the first piece.

“Let me see,” Victoria said, her voice calm. Isolde handed the shard over, and Victoria wrapped it in a handkerchief, inspecting it briefly. “Does this look familiar?”

“Yes,” Isolde replied. “It’s Cloudshard, but it’s not Francisco’s work.”

“How can you tell?” Victoria asked, discarding the shard into a porcelain bowl on the table.

“Francisco’s Cloudshard weapons are made of copper. These are all iron. And if it were Francisco’s work, Harrison’s legs would have been beyond saving,” Isolde explained.

Victoria nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. Continue treating Harrison. I’m going to step outside for a drink.”

Brielle and Harrison’s children bowed and followed Victoria out. “You all should rest for a bit too,” Victoria added.

Brielle shook her head. “No, I want to stay with him.”

“We’ll stay with Father too,” the eldest son, Ulises, said.

Victoria, understanding their deep family bond, nodded. “Then stay here and help Isolde if needed.”

Once Victoria left, Isolde resumed cleaning the iron shards. Harrison’s feet were covered in them—every inch filled with these deadly shards. Each one took over an hour to remove, and some were so deeply embedded that it took two hours to extract them. Isolde’s eyes were sore, her arms ached, and her hands trembled slightly as she worked. The room was warm, with a charcoal burner and a fire wall, to prevent Harrison from getting cold, but Isolde was sweating profusely.

Brielle, watching anxiously, reached over to wipe the sweat from Isolde’s forehead. “Isolde, take a break. Let the boys finish this. You should rest.”

Isolde smiled and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. “It’s fine. I’ll be done soon.”

“Earlier, you said this hidden weapon is Francisco’s, exactly?” Edwin, the second son, asked.

Ulises stopped him. “Ask later. Don’t distract Isolde.”

Isolde sighed, saying, “It’s okay. Talking helps me focus a bit more.”

“Francisco is the strategist for General Deandre Barry of Thalvinar. He’s young, but his martial arts mix both the Central Plains style and Thalvinar’s methods. His techniques are unorthodox, and he specializes in hidden weapons. The one used against Harrison is Cloudshard. It’s about the size of a wrist. When you press the trigger, the iron shards shoot out. All the shards have barbed hooks, so I have to be careful when extracting them. Francisco works alone—he’s arrogant and cunning, not easy to deal with, and doesn’t easily teach others his methods. But those close to him might learn from him. I suspect the person who attacked Harrison is one of Francisco’s close allies. Francisco is skilled in using counterintelligence, so he likely has spies in Argentum. Harrison’s ambush was probably the work of one of Francisco’s spies. If we catch the assassin, we might be able to uncover the spy network.”

“I see,” Edwin said, gritting his teeth. “I won’t let this assassin escape.”

It took nearly four hours to remove all the iron shards from Harrison’s feet. Isolde, exhausted, slumped into a chair, her hands still trembling.

“Ulises, apply the medicine to Harrison. The shards are all removed.”

“Yes. Please rest for now. Let us take over,” Ulises said gratefully.

Brielle, finally relieved, hurried out to arrange for food. Victoria had already returned to the palace, and the cold night was biting. Johnathan and Sadie stayed behind because Harrison was still not out of danger. Sadie had come in several times while Isolde was working, and now she was in the side hall, keeping watch.

Isolde, feeling drained, was resting in the side hall when Johnathan entered. He immediately asked, “How is he?”

Isolde, feeling weak, answered, “The iron shards have been removed, but for the specifics, it’s best to ask Sadie.”

Sadie sighed softly. “It’s not safe yet, but we’ve done everything we can.”

Johnathan waved his hand. “It’s fine.”

The servants brought in the meal, and Isolde, feeling hungry, quickly devoured it after asking if Johnathan and Sadie would eat. Once full, she felt less fatigued and sat back in her chair, closing her eyes to ease the strain. They all kept listening to the sounds from the next room. Sadie walked back and forth three times, and with each return, her expression grew more serious.

When dawn broke, Sadie returned after about fifteen minutes, her face now more relaxed. She said, “He’s much more stable now. His fever is starting to break. If the fever doesn’t spike again, he should have passed through the worst of it.”

Those words relieved both Johnathan and Isolde. After waiting a little longer, Oliver arrived to pick up Isolde. When he saw her exhausted appearance, he softly said, “Let’s go home.”

Isolde, knowing that if Harrison was out of danger, staying there would only inconvenience others, nodded. “Alright.” They said their goodbyes and left the room, with Oliver leading her out.

As they got into the carriage, Isolde asked, “Have you found any clues?”

“After speaking with the deputy commander, it seems Harrison’s journey back to Argentum was full of danger and unexpected setbacks. The enemy had already planned it. I’ve ordered a citywide search, and every gate has been blocked. Anyone entering or leaving Argentum will be questioned. I’ve also sent people to the spot where Harrison fell off his horse. If the hidden weapon harmed the horse, the corpse will reveal something.”