[Vol. 9] Chapter 11: The Same Place, Different People
Hearing the dragon girl suddenly say this, Violet turned her head in surprise and looked at her with doubt on her face.
“What do you mean?”
Xiao Guang didn’t keep her guessing. She nodded and said directly.
“This was also something Cielru told me. She said that although the Human United Kingdom looks weak in strength, in truth, the entire land is covered by a large barrier set up by a certain god. This barrier is designed very cleverly. It’s not only very well hidden, but it also draws power from the magic flowing through the leylines, so it’s almost endless. Even if it runs by itself for hundreds of years, there won’t be any problems.”
“This barrier is actually a weakening curse. The most interesting part is that it only works on creatures between the 6th and 8th rank. For ordinary mortals or for beings above that range, it has no effect at all, they can’t even sense it. So, if the World Sustainers rashly send powerful beings to invade, it may backfire on them instead.”
“There’s actually such a thing? So… it’s a barrier that only affects mythic creatures…”
The priestess looked thoughtful.
After hearing Xiao Guang’s words, she remembered things she had heard before, and quickly guessed where this came from. It made sense, since the Human United Kingdom had been founded more than 800 years ago and still managed to grow into one of the five great powers despite being surrounded by enemies, of course they couldn’t have done so without some kind of trump card to rely on.
“That guy… looks like he really has been doing some real work.”
“Will Cielru and the others be alright?”
The dragon girl gave a small nod.
“I already used the Primordial Flame to temporarily block the barrier’s effects for them. For now, they should be safe. But that’s just a short-term fix. If they want to stay in the kingdom for a long time, they’ll need a true way to resist the erosion. So she asked me to check with you, what should they do in this situation?”
“Hmm…”
The black-haired girl’s lips curved into a faint smile, as if she had thought of something.
“To untie the bell, you must find the one who tied it. Compared to us, the person who set this up is the most suitable to handle it. Conveniently, we can settle this matter together this time. It’s about time, let’s go.”
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Courage City, Sky Prison
As the place where the city’s sins are gathered, Sky Prison is said to have three levels, each different from the others.
The top level is guarded by soldiers and jailers assigned by the officials. Prisoners held there are usually those guilty of lighter crimes, not enough for a death sentence. This part still counts as a normal prison.
But once you go down to the second level, the scene completely changes.
It is filled with traps and hidden dangers. Prisoners here are never allowed family visits. Even kingdom officials need formal documents with the queen’s personal seal to be allowed in to question anyone.
That’s because everyone locked here is a violent criminal with blood on their hands, guilty of terrible crimes. Their punishments are decades, centuries, or even life imprisonment. But they are all very strong, and even with many restrictions, ordinary jailers can hardly control or manage such people.
That’s why, starting from the second level and below, the prison is no longer directly controlled by the officials. Instead, it is suppressed by a special group called the [Sin Wardens].
Speaking of the [Sin Wardens], this mysterious group has always been one of the great riddles of the Human United Kingdom. Their history is very long, some say they already existed at the very beginning of the kingdom’s founding.
Even though they have enough power to easily suppress countless dangerous criminals, they never interfere with anything outside crime. Under normal circumstances, members of the [Sin Wardens] don’t even leave the underground prison by a single step.
Because of this, only a few high-ranking officials of the kingdom, and those who often deal with criminals, ever have the chance to interact with this special group. But as for knowing everything about them in detail, even the current ruler of the kingdom, Queen Lilya Melchior, may not fully understand.
As for the deeper and more mysterious third level of Sky Prison, it is said that only the worst of the worst, those guilty of unforgivable crimes but who, for various reasons, cannot be controlled, are locked there. It is a place of no return. To send someone into the third level not only requires joint approval, but even the queen’s personal consent. In fact, even many of the [Sin Wardens] themselves are not allowed to enter.
But… even in such a secret place, exceptions sometimes happen.
“Ladies, we have been waiting for you for quite some time.”
The moment Violet removed [Anchor of the Present] artifact and stepped out from the space-time field, she saw that two figures were already standing guard at the entrance of Sky Prison’s third level. It was as if they had known in advance, and they placed their hands lightly on their chests to greet her and the little dragon girl.
Both wore silver robes and metal masks that covered half their faces. They carried a faint aura of mystery and authority, and the power flowing around them was strong and steady, clearly far beyond that of ordinary experts.
“Oh? How did the [Sin Wardens] know we were coming?”
The black-haired girl looked at the two silver-robed figures in surprise. Although she hadn’t dealt much with this group, she knew who they were, the deputies of the [Sin Wardens] leader, known as the [Left Guardian] and the [Right Guardian]. The day-to-day operations of Sky Prison were mostly managed by these two working together. Only in major events would they report to their leader, a person who mostly stayed hidden and avoided work.
By the way, [Left Guardian] and [Right Guardian] were more like titles than personal names, roles that could be inherited.
The clearest proof was that the current [Left Guardian] had changed. Years ago, Violet had met a middle-aged man in that role, but now it was a young woman who still looked a bit inexperienced. Though their masks hid most of their faces, for the priestess, such disguises were practically useless.
As for the [Right Guardian], he was still the same person as years ago. But now he had shed his youthfulness and gained a sense of age and maturity. He acted with more balance and smoothness than before. He spoke calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.
“Not long ago, a mysterious powerhouse with incredible strength snuck into the prison and was granted an audience with our lord. Before entering the third level, he told us that soon more honored guests would arrive. He said there was no need to go out to welcome them, so we waited here instead. We just didn’t expect those guests to be you two.”
The [Right Guardian] looked at the two young women. His gaze wasn’t rude, but Violet could still sense a hidden curiosity in his eyes. Yet very quickly, he pulled his eyes away and gave a sigh, almost with emotion.
“Time really flies. I still remember your visit here years ago, it nearly caused an earthquake across the kingdom. Now, after these years, you both look even more graceful than before. As for me… I’ve grown old.”
Violet smiled faintly.
“Yes, many things have happened in the blink of an eye. And she is…?”