From the moment I was chosen by the holy relic

The moment Eileen entered the castle, the opulent scene left her speechless. Large crystals were embedded in the dome, reflecting sunlight and filling the hall as if sunlight had fallen to earth. The walls were covered with exquisite murals and reliefs depicting the kingdom's glorious history, every stroke revealing prosperity and pride.

"It's so luxurious it's disgusting," Eileen thought to herself, but maintained a respectful expression on her face.

As she ventured deeper into the corridor, the air of luxury faded, replaced by coldness and oppression. Guards led her through a series of iron gates, the scraping of chains echoing in the empty space. The torches on the walls cast faint shadows that flickered around them, like silent ghosts.

The stone steps wound downwards, the air growing damp and cold, making one involuntarily hold their breath. Eileen smelled a musty, rotten stench, mixed with the scent of sweat and blood. The cells on either side held all sorts of prisoners: dwarves, orcs, thieves. Some wailed, some cursed, some remained silent, their eyes filled with despair and numbness.

They finally stopped in front of a cell. Behind the iron bars, a thin figure was curled up on a straw bed, surrounded by shadows. His clothes were tattered, covered in mud and blood, and his once sharp features had become haggard and blurred.

"You only have time for one meal, hurry up," the guard said lazily, then turned and left.

"Eric," Eileen called softly as she stood before the iron bars.

The thin figure stirred slightly, as if struggling to emerge from a long nightmare. He slowly raised his head, squinting for a moment to make out who it was. When he recognized Eileen, a light suddenly ignited in his weary eyes, and a tired yet sincere smile appeared on his face.

"I knew you'd come." Eric's voice was hoarse and weak, but carried an indescribable certainty.

"You're incredibly trusting," Eileen said coldly, but with a hint of complexity in her voice. "But let's get this straight, you owe me a lot of money." She took several bottles of healing potion from the basket and handed them to him.

Eric gave a wry smile, took the potion, and drank it down. He immediately felt the potion begin to take effect; the pain in his wounds was significantly relieved, and his limbs gradually regained some strength.

"Thanks, Eileen, I really owe you so much," he said.

"Don't thank me. Now is not the time to listen to your nonsense." Eileen approached the iron bars and said in a low voice, "I'm here to rescue you, but you have to do as I say."

Eileen explained her plan in detail, and her calmness and meticulousness earned Eric's secret admiration. He gritted his teeth and stood up; although he was still somewhat weak, the effects of the drug allowed him to move freely.

Soon, the guard returned, ready to take Eileen away. Just then, Eileen took a bottle of pink potion from her cloak and smashed it on the ground. A sweet-smelling pink smoke quickly spread out, and the guard felt dizzy and unsteady, staggering against the wall before losing consciousness.

Eileen covered her mouth and nose, quickly searched the guard and found a set of keys, tossed them to Eric, and urged, "Hurry up, exchange clothes with him."

Without the slightest hesitation, Eric deftly took off the guard's clothes and put them on. "I really admire you; you always come up with these kinds of ideas," he said, a slight smile playing on his lips.

After changing her clothes, Eileen helped the guard into the cell and quickly disguised herself as Eric. The two then left the cell and returned along the same route.

Eileen's composure and Eric's cooperation ensured the plan went smoothly. Several patrolling guards glanced at them, but Eric kept his head down and pretended to be impatient, while Eileen followed behind him with feigned respect, arousing no suspicion whatsoever.

As they finally passed through the last gate and stepped into the night streets, Eileen breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "We're not completely safe yet. Follow me."

Eric nodded, his eyes filled with gratitude and trust. He knew that Eileen had not only saved his life but also taken a huge risk. And at this moment, he owed her far more than just a large sum of money.

The night was deep, and the city lights flickered in the night breeze, casting dappled shadows. Eric and Eileen moved quickly and cautiously through the narrow alleys. They frequently looked back, scanning their surroundings warily, fearing someone was following them. Although they had just successfully escaped from prison, they knew this was far from over.

As Eric ran, he asked in a low voice, "What about the sword? It's still in the palace."

Eileen's gaze was as deep as a pool in the night, but her tone remained calm: "Now is not the time to go and retrieve it. We need to leave the city and lay low for a while. We'll figure something out when things calm down."

Eric frowned. He knew that Eileen's judgment was always accurate, but he still couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

Eileen seemed to see right through him, her gaze sharp as a knife. "Do you think the two of us can fight our way back to the palace and take it back?"

Eric remained silent, glancing down at his still weakened body, knowing that Eileen was right. Although the potion had alleviated some of his injuries, attempting to force his way into the palace would be tantamount to suicide.

They continued on, their pace quickening. Finally, the city gate came into view. Only a few guards stood watch at the gate in the night, their torches flickering in the cold wind, illuminating their silent and vigilant figures. Just as the two were about to slip through unnoticed, suddenly, two long spears crossed in front of them.

"Who goes there?" the guard's voice was deep and authoritative. "How dare you leave the city without permission? Don't you know about the nighttime curfew?"

Eric immediately stopped, trying to appear calm and composed, suppressing his nervousness and adopting the most harmless expression possible. "Sorry, sir, we're from out of town and don't know the rules here."

The guard's gaze swept back and forth between them with suspicion. "Outsiders?" He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Eric's attire. Although he had donned jailer's armor, the scratches and bloodstains on it still hinted at something amiss. As for Eileen, her cloak obscured most of her face, making her difficult to recognize.

"Where are you going?" the guard's voice became even sterner.

Eileen stepped forward slightly, her voice gentle yet earnest: "We are guards for a caravan. We were supposed to leave the city with the caravan tonight, but we were delayed for some reason and now we have to catch up on our own. If we don't arrive on time, our employer will be furious, which may cause trouble for the city's guards."

Eric was secretly alarmed. Eileen's tone showed no sign of panic, but rather carried an undeniable certainty. He knew Eileen's abilities, but still couldn't help but admire her composure.

The guards continued to stare at them suspiciously, clearly weighing the pros and cons.

Just then, a man who appeared to be the captain walked over, his hand on his sword hilt, his sharp eyes sweeping over them. "What is it?"

The guard immediately stood at attention and saluted: "Reporting, Captain, these two claim to be guards of a merchant caravan and want to leave the city."

The captain's gaze lingered on Eric, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, as if trying to see right through him. Eric felt a chill run down his spine; he struggled to remain calm, trying not to give himself away.

The captain pondered for a moment, then suddenly sneered, "Caravan guards? Leaving the city so late, where's your caravan?"

Eileen smiled slightly and said softly, "They'll be waiting for us at the inn just ahead. We can provide their names. Sending someone to confirm would probably take up too much of your time."

The captain's face darkened further; he clearly disliked Eileen's tone.

"This is the king's order from a few days ago, forbidding anyone from leaving the city at night. If you want to go out, wait until tomorrow!"

Eric was about to say something when Eileen quickly pulled him back.

"Now get out of here!" The captain waved his hand, his face full of impatience.

Eric lowered his voice and said, "What do we do? If word gets out, we're finished."

Eileen didn't answer immediately; her expression was calm to the point of being indifferent, but Eric was used to her thoughtful demeanor. She slowly scanned their surroundings, then pulled Eric along quickly through several narrow alleyways, finally stopping in front of a house.