197: Chapter 108: Rescue the Lady 197: Chapter 108: Rescue the Lady Leon picked up a piece of incense emitting a strange fragrance from the ground and stuffed it into his pocket.
He then dragged the castle servant, who was clasping his hands and wailing, out into the corridor outside the door.
In the castle tower, apart from the candlelight held by Olivia and the weak moonlight projected through the windows on the walls, the rest of the area shielded from light was pitch black.
Baron’s castle was clearly not extravagant enough to keep candlelight lit day and night in almost all passageways of the building, unlike in the Athias Empire Embassy.
Although there were niches for candles on the walls, perhaps to conserve resources or to avoid fire hazards, generally, under normal circumstances, except for the main passageways and critical areas, new candles wouldn’t be added to the sconces in the corridors where no one was walking late at night.
Leon escorted the offender, following the circular corridor around the corner tower of the main castle, to the staircase entrance on the other side.
He noticed there was a servant’s room at the back of Olivia’s room position, so he grabbed the offender by the back of his collar and halted.
“Olivia, knock on the door and see if there’s anyone inside.
If there is, wake him up to help,” Leon said, thinking quickly to try and gather more people, not only for safety but for additional witnesses.
Olivia quickly sheathed her sword, stepped forward, and vigorously knocked on the door panel.
We need help,” the girl shouted while banging on the door.
Despite the noise, there was still no response from inside the room.
Leon frowned, then remembered the item in his pocket that was suspected to be incense, and immediately instructed Olivia, “Don’t bother knocking, break down the door and take a look.”
“Okay!” Olivia, hearing Leon’s words, didn’t hesitate.
She took a step back, turned sideways, held the candlestick with her left hand, and then swiftly kicked out sharply.
Her delicate little foot kicked like a War Hammer just below the door lock.
The doorframe trembled, wood chips flew, and the fragile latch twisted out of shape, the door banging open as if it were charged by a bull.
Easily breaking through the door, the young girl charged in holding the candlelight.
Leon smelled the lingering strange fragrance and noticed the burn marks and ash powder on the floor by the door.
Olivia moved towards the bed to check on the individual—it seemed to be an attendant of a visiting knight.
His breathing was steady, appearing unharmed, but despite the loud noise, he still slept soundly, unmoved.
Olivia vigorously shook him, but no matter how she shook, his head just rolled, unable to wake up.
“Leon, he doesn’t seem to be in danger of death, but it’s as if he’s passed out; I can’t wake him,” the girl called back anxiously.
Leon nodded, figuring as much.
He glanced back at the offender he was subduing with his sword; this fellow must have got the incense sedative the same as the one Boris from Selva Village had.
“What are you doing?!”
Suddenly, a robust shout came from down the corridor.
Leon turned around and saw a sword-wielding figure running down from the tower stairs across the corridor.
Leon cautiously tightened his grip on the sword handle and stepped back in defence, quickly responding to the advancing figure, “Don’t be alarmed, I’ve captured an intruder in the rooms, but couldn’t find any guards, so I was trying to find someone to help.”
Hearing the noise, Olivia quickly returned to Leon’s side holding the candlestick.
The sword-wielding figure approached them, and through the candlelight, they finally recognized the young knight they had seen at the dinner.
Leon recognized the man before him, a burly man like himself, who in his haste had come down the stairs armed only in a simple robe.
He seemed to recall the name was Marcello.
Although not familiar, Leon knew he was a Feudal Knight of the Thorny Flower Family.
After all, following the dinner they had shared earlier that evening, he had returned to rest in this tower where the other vassal was staying temporarily in the room above his.
Marcello looked toward the castle servant held at swordpoint by the young knight and immediately glared at the thief.
How could such insolence occur in Lord Eriv’s castle!”
Seeing the castle servant’s battered face, Marcello did not question Leon’s words.
Since it was deep into the night, according to the rules, apart from a few night guards and nobles with chamberlains at the entrance, ordinary servants were strictly not allowed to enter to disturb the privacy and rest of the nobility, let alone stealthily enter the residences of visiting guests.
“But, sir, if you’ve caught a thief, shouldn’t you have just found the guards to lock him up for interrogation?
Why did you break into my attendant’s room?” Marcello suddenly asked in confusion, awakened by the sound of the door breaking.
“I’m not familiar with the internal layout of the castle, I wanted to ask someone to lead the way to find the guards, but couldn’t get the door open…”
Leon explained, pointing his sword at the offender, “This scoundrel likely used a sedative incense on many rooms; fearing the unexpected, I decided to break in and take a look.”
Startled by what he heard, Marcello no longer bothered with questions and hurriedly rushed into the servant’s room to check on the boy’s condition.
“Don’t worry, we’ve checked, and the drug may not be lethal,” Leon reassured.