Sinclair, who was leading the way, was moving as quickly as possible while recalling the map he had memorized beforehand, leaving the underground waterway and choosing the places with the least human traffic.

‘The top floor of the castle……!’

The place where Elaina was trapped with Hister would be one of the rooms located at the highest point of the castle.

The reason was obvious. It was the most difficult place for Elaina, who had trouble with her legs, to escape from, and at the same time, it was perfect for surveillance and for protecting herself.

“Intruder! Intruder!”

…… But there was a limit to moving while avoiding the eyes of the soldiers as much as possible.

The group, who had been advancing upward from the underground waterway, silently taking down soldiers, stopped when they reached the center of the castle.

“……”

Sinclair, holding the sword in his hand with all his might, began to swing it roughly. Schuler and Rex were the same.

Before long, at their feet, there were piles of soldiers’ corpses with their limbs or heads cut off, along with pools of bright red blood.

“Your Highness the Prince, it is difficult to advance like this……!”

It was Schuler who pierced the chest of a man rushing towards Sinclair, who was endlessly cutting down soldiers.

“The soldiers keep coming. Even those we passed on the floors we’ve been through so far are the same.”

Schuler’s words were not a lie. Even at this very moment, the soldiers were rushing towards them like crazy.

Taking only Schuler and Rex was an excellent choice when it came to infiltration, but in this situation, it became a huge weakness on the contrary.

No matter how much the three of them had survived on the battlefield, there was no way they could face and survive so many soldiers at once.

“Please go up first.”

Rex, who was wiping the blood from his face, grabbed Sinclair and said in a firm voice.

“This is the center of the castle, so if you go up a little more, you will be able to find Her Highness the Princess. That bastard Hister will be the same.”

“……”

“If Your Highness catches Hister, Duke Heswin will immediately lead his troops to attack the castle walls. There will also be soldiers infiltrating through the underground waterway first, just like we did. So you have to go up quickly.”

Rex was right.

In fact, Sinclair had told Heswin just before reaching this castle.

[Change of plans.] [Pardon?] [Schuler, Rex, and I will infiltrate through the underground waterway that Chaz escaped from and go rescue Elaina. And there is a high probability that Hister will be there with her.] [Then……] [The entrance to the castle is narrow, but on the contrary, the inside is very wide. To put it simply, it can be said to be perfect for attacking those who rush in and defending themselves.]

There was no way Sinclair could not have noticed Hister’s shallow tricks.

[In addition, he will have placed other devices in front of the castle walls. If we attack the castle like this, it is obvious that we will lose many soldiers even if we win.] [Then what are you going to do?] […… I will rescue Elaina and take Hister hostage.]

So Sinclair quickly finished his calculations.

[As soon as I head towards Hister, infiltrate the soldiers through the underground waterway. And when the soldiers who have learned that Hister has been caught are in chaos, you must open the castle gate.]

While coming up with the best way to rescue Elaina and reduce damage at the same time.

“Hurry, hurry up! Your Highness the Prince!”

Schuler, who quickly popped out, urgently shouted while cutting down the soldiers trying to block Sinclair’s way.

“Leave this place to us. We will buy as much time as possible!”

Rex was the same.

Sinclair nodded his head as if he understood, and began to climb the stairs with a solemn face, leaving them behind.

‘I will never…… lose you here again.’

So, poor Elaina, please just hold on a little longer.

Earnestly praying that she could endure just a little more.

* * *

Hister brutally beat Elaina, apparently shocked by Heswin’s words that Sinclair had not come.

It was the violence she had been subjected to every single day since setting foot in this castle, but this time it was different.

Her stomach was kicked with all his might, her hair was grabbed and she was thrown away. On top of that, she was slapped countless times.

Even if she lost consciousness right now, it would not be strange at all in this situation, but Elaina did not cry at all.

No, far from crying, she didn’t even let out a single groan.

Even now, she was just quietly catching her breath, waiting for the moment to attack Hister.

But unfortunately……

“…… Your Highness the Crown Prince, please calm down a little.”

Hister’s guard knight.

Liam had no intention of leaving his post.

“The fact that Sinclair did not come to the castle itself may be a ruse. So the usefulness of this woman may not have disappeared yet.”

It was ridiculous that she was being worried about by Liam. Elaina laughed weakly at this absurd farce.

“Ha……”

A nasty sound came from between Hister’s lips as he ran his hand through his hair and caught his breath. Elaina slowly raised her head to look at him, and Hister also glared at Elaina.

Then, he bent one leg to meet her eye level and opened his lips in a voice dripping with coldness.

“Do you remember where I said it would be next after the hair? Elaina.”

“What……”

“You’re so stupid.”

Slap.

Elaina, who was slapped in an instant, bit her lips with all her might, her head slightly bent.

“I told you.”

“……”

“First the hair, then the fingers, then the arms. I said I would cut off your body one by one and send it to Sinclair.”

Hister smirked as if he was going to smile, then quietly took something out of his pocket.

It was a sharply honed dagger.

“I changed my mind.”

“What…… are you doing……”

“Since your husband is being so rude, I don’t think I need to be polite either.”

Elaina flinched greatly at Hister’s nonsensical sophistry.

“Why bother cutting off your fingers one by one?”

“……”

“Looking at you again, you don’t seem like someone who deserves that kind of consideration.”

At this point, it was Hister who was possessed by evil.

Liam kept trying to dissuade him, but Hister couldn’t accept it at all.

The fact that Sinclair did not come here to save Elaina. In other words, it was no different from saying that Hister’s plan itself had gone awry.

I was too soft. It would have been a little easier if I had done this from the beginning. Hister smiled smugly, finishing his own thoughts.

Then, he grabbed Elaina’s right wrist with all his might and firmly stepped on her palm to fix it to the floor.

“……”

As her wrist was twisted and stepped on, the pain Elaina had been enduring became evident on her face.

…… He’s going to cut it. My arm.

Elaina easily sensed what was about to befall her, but she was not daunted at all.

‘If I’m going to suffer like this, I’d rather……’

Liam was still at his post, but if she threw herself quickly and attacked Hister, the odds would not be zero. Moreover, Hister had lost one arm, so his sense of balance would not be the same as before.

“Now, watch closely. See what your husband is going to do to you.”

With those brief words, Hister raised the hand holding the dagger high.

At the same time, it was the moment when Elaina, who had made up her mind, was about to take out a piece of a vase from near her chest with her other hand.

“Elaina!”

The closed door was shattered as if it had been kicked open, and the voice she had wanted to hear so much. But the voice she didn’t want to hear in this situation resonated in her ears.

“Sincl……”

Liam quickly drew his sword, but Sinclair’s movement was a little faster. He swung his sword with all his might at Liam’s neck, and Liam, who was stabbed in the shoulder, let out a short groan.

“Dodge, Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

It wasn’t only Sinclair who was doing his best to kill. Liam was the same. He swung his sword and shouted loudly, even as he groaned with his shoulder pierced by the blade.

‘Now…… If it’s now……!’

And fortunately for Elaina, Hister’s gaze was completely fixed on Sinclair.

It was a golden opportunity.

Elaina, who hurriedly grasped the piece of the vase in her hand, pounced on Hister with all her might.

“Aaaah!”

Surprised by Elaina’s sudden action, Hister, who was distracted, fell over without being able to respond properly.

With his neck cut by the fragment Elaina wielded.

“You…… you damn bitch……!”

Red blood flowed from between Hister’s fingers as he covered his neck with his hand, but……

Unfortunately, Hister, who had avoided a fatal wound, kicked Elaina’s stomach in great anger.

Elaina was still holding the fragment with trembling hands, but Hister did not miss it.

He mercilessly trampled on Elaina’s other hand as well, and on top of that, he grabbed Elaina’s hair with all his might.

“I knew my thoughts were not wrong. Right?”

“Hister…… How dare you……”

“Liam, keep that guy busy. So you can watch closely what I’m about to do now.”

And then……

Dragging Elaina, he began to walk towards the balcony right in front.

“Now, Sinclair.”

Hister, who had reached the balcony in no time, looked back and smirked.

“You will lose another precious person this time. Without being able to do anything.”

Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he pushed the staggering Elaina.

“Sinclair!”

At that moment, above Sinclair’s wildly shaking golden eyes……

He saw a small, white hand desperately reaching out towards him.

Just like that day.