CHAPTER 66: SILVERWOOD MANOR.

SEVEN HUNDRED METERS AWAY FROM SILVERWOOD MANOR.

*PITTER-PATTER*

*WHOOSH*

"Team leader, what do you think made that howl? Did a beast really get into the capital?"

Tristan, a knight in the Wrathguard/8th squad - team 1, asked while running behind the Team leader toward the source of the loud explosion and howl.

"That should be impossible... but we'll know once we get there... pick up the pace!"

Sir Galen, the Team leader, commanded with a sense of urgency.

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A FEW MINUTES LATER, IN FRONT OF SILVERWOOD MANOR'S ENTRANCE GATE.

"Whoa... What sort of beast could cause this level of destruction to a manor in the capital? Especially one protected by a magic formation?"

Aldric said with a shocked expression after seeing the damage done to the manor while still outside the entrance gates.

"Did a beast really do this? It should be impossible for a beast to get into the capital without the magical detection devices detecting it,"

Sir Galen pondered with a serious expression as he stared at the manor. As he observed the manor, he couldn't shake off the feeling of danger emanating from within.

"TEAM LEADER!"

a voice called out in a loud tone, interrupting Sir Galen's thoughts. He quickly turned his gaze towards the knight, who called. Knight Draven was squatting next to the walls surrounding the manor's compound.

"What's going on?"

Sir Galen asked as he walked toward Knight Draven.

"Team Leader, look here..."

Knight Draven said, pointing to a part of the wall.

"... What am I looking at?"

Sir Galen asked, unable to see anything out of the ordinary.

*VROOM*

Before Draven respond, he gathered mana on his palm and touched the wall, causing magic circles to begin to materialize on the walls, revealing a hidden formation.

"... Isn't this the Manor's magic barrier formation?"

Sir Galen said as the formation appeared. However, he noticed that the formation was different. Magic barrier formations used on buildings in the capital were categorized into six colors: blue, green, red, white, black, and gold. Each color represented the strength of the barrier, with blue being the weakest and gold being the strongest. But this barrier had a gray color.

"...Draven, why does this formation seem different?"

Sir Galen asked, as his knowledge of formations was limited.

"A magic barrier formation only turns this color when it's been deactivated... but, from what I can tell, this magic formation was deactivated about an hour ago,"

Draven said with a suspicious expression while staring at the formation.

"... That's weird. All the nobles are still attending the imperial prince naming banquet. And we haven't received any reports of carriages entering or leaving the manor during our patrols,"

Tristen added. The team members exchanged glances, a sense of foreboding settling upon them. It was becoming clear that something unusual was happening tonight.

Sensing the tension, Sir Galen made a quick decision.

"WE WILL BE SPLITTING INTO TWO GROUPS. DRAVEN, ALDRIC, ORION, AND EVANDER, YOU FOUR WILL INVESTIGATE THE SURROUNDING MANORS AND CHECK IF THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR MAGIC FORMATION. IF YOU ENCOUNTER ANY ISSUES, REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM TEAM 2."

"YES SIR,"

Draven, Aldric, Orion, and Evander acknowledged their assigned task.

"The rest of you, come with me. We're going in."

Sir Galen commanded as he led the rest of the knights into the Manor.

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FIRST FLOOR OF SILVERWOOD MANOR.

After arriving at the manor's first floor, Sir Galen and the knights accompanying him all noticed a hole in the ceiling with moonlight coming through it and wooden debris scattered on the ground.

"Hmm... From the look of the hole, it seems that whatever fell into the manor was not that big,"

Sir Galen observed, his voice laced with curiosity. He bent down to examine the debris, trying to gather any useful information.

"!?"

While scanning the debris on the ground, Sir Galen noticed a piece of wood stained with a black substance. He picked up the wood and examined it, but he couldn't determine what it was.

"..."

Noticing Sir Galen's troubled expression, Tristen walked up to him and asked, "Team Leader, did you find something?"

"Yes, do you have any idea what this stain might be?"

Sir Galen asked Tristen.

"Hmmm... No… But it looks like a blood stain."

Tristen replied after observing the strange black stain on the wood.

"Huh, now that you say that… it does look like –"

"AHHHHHHHH!... LEADER, help!"

Sir Galen's enhanced senses as a third-class grandmaster picked up a cry for help.

Hearing the scream, Sir Galen quickly glanced around and noticed that one of the knights was missing.

"Where is Reynard?"

Sir Galen asked.

"He went in search of clues,"

Knight Percival said as he points at a part of the manor's first floor where the moonlight did not reach.

"FOLLOW ME!"

Sir Galen commanded in a serious tone as he ran in the direction of the knight's scream for help, with the other knights following immediately behind him.

*WHOOSH*

"Shit! I can't believe I got distracted when I knew there was something dangerous in this Manor."

Sir Galen thought to himself, frustrated by his mistake.

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A FEW MOMENTS LATER.

*WHOOSH*

*PITTER-PATTER*

"RAYNARD!"

Sir Galen yelled as he saw Raynard in the distance sitting on the floor at the end of the hallway, his back slumped against the wall. As they got closer to Raynard, they noticed heavy injuries all over his body, and he was also missing a leg.

"Raynard! What happened here?! What attacked you?"

Sir Galen asked urgently, with a concerned expression on his face. As he observed the claw mark wounds on Raynard body. The rest of the knights formed a protective circle around them, scanning the surroundings with their eyes for any threat.

"Cough... cough... Leader. This is a trap... Cough. It set up a trap!"

Raynard warned with fear in his tone and eyes while coughing blood.

"What?..."

Sir Galen said with a confused expression after listening to Raynard's words. But he did not have time to think about it, as his subordinate's life was in danger. He raised his right hand, and took off his gloves, revealing a silver ring on one of his fingers. Then he summoned a vial, with blue liquid in it from the ring and twisted off the cap.

*Pop*

"This healing potion should help stop the bleeding... Open up,"

Sir Galen said as he took the potion and poured it into Raynard's mouth.

"GRRRRRRRRR!"

A bestial growl echoed from a part of the hallway where the moonlight could not reach. The knights raised their guard upon hearing it, their hands becoming sweaty. They stared ahead into the darkness with fear, knowing that what they were looking for had found them.

IMPERIAL KNIGHTS SQUAD

IRONWATCH/SQUAD 1

IRONWATCH

TEAM- 1 TEAM-2 TEAM-3

FLAMEGUARD/SQUAD 2

FLAMEGUARD

TEAM- 1 TEAM-2 TEAM-3

CRIMSON LIONS/SQUAD 3

CRIMSON LIONS

TEAM- 1 TEAM-2 TEAM-3

IRONCLAD/SQUAD 4

IRONCLAD

TEAM- 1 TEAM-2 TEAM-3

WINDRIDER/SQUAD 5

WINDRIDER

TEAM- 1 TEAM-2 TEAM-3

INFERNOBLADE/SQUAD 6

INFERNOBLADE

TEAM- 1 TEAM-2 TEAM-3

SILVERCREST/SQUAD 7

SILVERCREST

TEAM- 1 TEAM-2 TEAM-3

SILVERCREST/SQUAD 8

WRATH-GUARD

TEAM- 1 TEAM-2 TEAM-3