Chapter 67: Dark Seed (14/19)

Under the deep night, everything around was so quiet.

At this moment, only the sound of the rented carriage moving along the road could be heard.

The iron-clad wooden wheels creaked, and whenever they passed over a small pit, the carriage shook.

Each time, Mark would shudder as if startled awake.

His plump body sat inside the carriage, and he had no mood to look at the scenery along the way.

He was about to face Willis, and the unpredictable consequences left him terrified.

“Honored guest, there’s someone outside.”

The Coachman suddenly shouted.

Mark’s body trembled, and for a moment, he thought Willis was outside.

“Vice Principal, I have been waiting for you for some time.”

As the voice sounded, Mark slowly calmed down.

This voice was very familiar.

He stepped out of the carriage to look, only to see Professor Tapur from the Academy!

Behind him were two other professors.

These three were the ones who had made things difficult for Willis during the inauguration speech!

Under the coal lamp at the front of the carriage, the faces of the two professors behind were also pale, filled with unease and fear.

In contrast, Professor Tapur in front appeared more composed.

“I-It’s you… Could it be that Willis also…”

“That’s right!”

Tapur nodded, confirming Mark’s guess.

“Then why… are you waiting here?”

Mark asked again.

At this moment, Vicks Todd, standing behind Tapur, explained nervously.

“It was Tapur. He said he had already met with Her Highness Willis…”

“Yes!”

Tapur nodded in confirmation.

“I have already seen Her Highness, so she ordered me to guide you three here.”

In an instant, Mark’s heart leaped into his throat.

He glanced at the carriage not far behind the three, and asked cautiously.

“Tapur… S-Since you’ve met Her Highness, what… what was her attitude?”

At this moment, another professor nearby—Dolan—was equally anxious.

“That’s right, Tapur. We’ve been colleagues for years and are now on the same side. Earlier you said you’d only speak once the Vice Principal arrived. Now that he’s here, isn’t it time!?”

Seeing the anxiety of the three, Tapur no longer kept them in suspense.

“Her Highness Willis said that since we came today, past grievances can be written off, but she needs our help to accomplish one thing!”

Hearing this, the three immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Mark almost collapsed onto the carriage.

“Since Her Highness is so magnanimous, may I ask what she wishes us to do!?”

“You’ll know when you arrive. That’s also why Her Highness sent me here to wait for you.”

Tapur smiled.

But since Willis agreed to let them go, the three finally relaxed.

A relieved smile appeared on their faces.

“By the way, when did you three receive Her Highness’s message?”

Mark suddenly asked.

“In the morning. A girl dressed as a student came to find us and delivered Her Highness’s letter.”

The accounts of Tapur and the others were the same, which made Mark break into a cold sweat.

It seemed Willis had already grasped their information.

And that girl delivering the message was most likely the one who brought the letter to his office in the morning.

“Let’s go. I’ll lead the way.”

Tapur made a gesture of invitation.

The group paused, looking in the direction Tapur pointed.

“T-This is a small path. The carriage can’t go through!”

Professor Dolan frowned.

“You didn’t say we’d be going this way earlier!”

“We’ve been colleagues for years, brothers in arms—would I lie to you?”

Tapur’s expression was sincere.

“Come on, this is Her Highness Willis’s order.”

Mark and Vicks Todd exchanged a glance, then got off the carriage.

They ordered the Coachman to wait in place for their return.

The four of them followed Tapur across the entrance of Gezeer Branch Road, heading towards the small path by the roadside.

“Apart from Autumn Gate Avenue and this Gezeer Branch Road, the surrounding small paths crisscross in all directions, running north and south.”

Tapur led the way under the moonlight, speaking as he walked.

“They’re interconnected, leading to every corner of the surrounding countryside.”

At this moment, under the night sky, one could occasionally see shadowy houses.

But their owners had long since gone to bed, and all was unusually quiet.

“I wonder what Her Highness wants us to do? And where is she?”

Mark felt tired after just a few steps.

He was overweight and a magician.

Sitting in high office for years with little exercise, his stamina was poor.

“Her Highness received word during the day that there were thieves plotting an attack, currently hiding on both sides of Yufeng Valley.”

Tapur spoke calmly, but his words made the faces of the three behind him change drastically.

“T-This, an attack!? Could it be the Restoration Army?”

Vicks Todd spoke in a trembling voice.

“Then, does Her Highness want us to…”

“Exactly. Her Highness wants the four of us to circle behind the Rebels for a pincer attack!”

Tapur smiled.

“As soon as the Rebels charge out, we harass from behind! Once the Rebels are killed, all past grievances between us and Her Highness will be wiped clean!”

Upon hearing this, Mark’s body shook even more violently than when he was in the carriage.

“T-The four of us? Fight… fight the Rebels!? This…”

Isn’t this suicide?

Dolan and Vicks Todd thought the same.

No wonder Willis wanted them here before dawn—it was to help her!

Rumor had it that the Emperor refused to give her more guards. Was Willis planning to use every bit of power she could?

But…

There were only four of them!

“Her Highness said that the four of us—a Vice Principal and three Professors—are all renowned for magic or swordsmanship. Attacking the Rebels should be within our abilities.”

“Besides, Her Highness’s request isn’t much. We only need to disrupt the Rebels, not charge into battle.”

“Her Highness also promised me that as long as we survive this crisis, not only will past grudges be cleared, but she will also speak well of us before His Majesty, granting promotions and honors!”

Hearing Tapur say this, the four finally relaxed.

If it was just to harass and attract the attention of the Rebels, they were confident they could do it.

A frontal assault, no matter how strong, couldn’t stand up to the enemy’s numbers—after all, they were only flesh and blood.

Now that it wasn’t required, nothing could be better.

The four moved through the wild hills along unfamiliar paths, quickly circling to one side of Yufeng Valley.

“Look! It’s the Rebels!”

On a distant mountainside, shadows moved among the dense forest.

Tapur quickly led the three to hide.

“Looks like they came from the deep mountains over there, not via the main road or nearby paths.”

Dolan analyzed.

Tapur let out a cold laugh.

“The main roads are full of Her Highness’s eyes and ears. Naturally, the Rebels wouldn’t dare go that way.”

“The deep ravines on both sides are the perfect places for secret marches and ambushes—Her Highness’s Scouts can’t reach so far.”

Mark couldn’t help but exhale.

“But all this was actually within Her Highness Willis’s calculations? The Rebels really came!”

“Yes, we arrived!”

“Who!?”

In an instant, Mark felt every hair on his body stand up, and the fear of death peaked as a cold blade pressed against his neck.

A group of black-clad figures had somehow appeared behind them, completely surrounding them!

At this moment, Tapur turned around, his legs trembling as he tried to smile.

“G-Gentlemen, this is a misunderstanding! All a misunderstanding!”

“Misunderstanding?”

The leader sneered.

“You come here to scout in the middle of the night, and call it a misunderstanding?”

Seeing the leader about to order his men to kill them, Tapur dropped to his knees.

“It’s really a misunderstanding, boss! The four of us are Professors of the Royal Academy. We heard that Willis the dog traitor was traveling here, and wanted to find a chance to assassinate her!”

At these words, the leader’s interest was piqued.

After a detailed interrogation, he learned their identities and their grudges with Willis.

“Haha! Heaven truly helps me!”

“Since you all bear a grudge against Willis, why not join our Rebel Army and kill her tonight!”

The leader smiled bloodthirstily.

“Of course, you can also choose to refuse.”

But with the blade already pressed to their necks, how could Mark and the others refuse?

They could only nod frantically.

“Take them! Watch them closely! Keep the blade on their necks—if they move, kill them on the spot!”

“Yes, boss!”

The Rebel soldiers obeyed.

“Once we’ve killed Willis and Sielyou tonight, they’ll be our people. Until then, keep them under strict watch!”

Mark and the others were led away in dejection.

But under the moonlight, what he didn’t see was…

Behind the stone they had approached, a tiny Illumination Spell quietly disappeared.

It was precisely because this faint spell stood out in the darkness that the Rebel leader noticed someone spying here.

Thus, he brought his men and captured all four of them.

Meanwhile, the previously groveling Professor Tapur now wore a mysterious smile at the corner of his mouth.