madnovel Chapter 361: Help Arrived
Chapter 361: Help Arrived
Darius forced himself out of the crater.Thud!
His body slammed against the ground. Gritting his teeth, he lifted his head toward the doorway and froze when he saw who stood there.
"How dare you…!" Darius roared, fury blazing in his eyes as he slowly pushed himself up, clutching his side where the blow had landed.
But before he could even straighten his back...
Bam!
A blazing sphere of fire tore through the air, hissing violently as it streaked forward and slammed into his chest.
Darius tried to suppress it at the last moment with gravity magic...
But he failed.
His feet left the ground once again as he was blasted backward, crashing into the same crater in the wall and deepening it even further.
Daliah didn't hesitate. She rushed forward and threw herself into Rowan's arms.
"Brother…" she sobbed, her voice trembling.
Rowan carsed her hair affectionately. "It's going to be fine now. I am here."
Darius dragged himself out of the crater yet again, barely managing to stay upright before collapsing onto the ground. His entire body throbbed with pain, every breath ragged and strained.
"Guards!" he screamed in desperation. "Where are the guards?!"
But the five elites his grandfather, Duke Arthur, had stationed here, were nowhere to be seen.
Panic flashed across Darius's face. "L-listen…" he stammered, his voice shaking now. "Don't do anything reckless. This is our territory…! And we have Logan's mother in our hands. Don't you want to save her, too?"
He swallowed hard, forcing himself to meet Rowan's gaze.
"You consider Logan your friend, don't you? Then do as I say!"
His threat rang hollow, born not of confidence, but of fear, as he realized the guards, his source of confidence, weren't there. And he was never Rowan's match. He himself knew that pretty well.
Rowan strode forward without a word. Darius instinctively crawled backward, fear creeping into his eyes. But it was useless. In the next instant, Rowan was already in front of him.
A hand shot out, grabbing Darius by the throat and yanking him up into the air.
"Where is Mrs. Smith?" Rowan's voice was cold, each word carrying weight. Then his eyes narrowed slightly. "And by Mrs. Smith, I mean Aunt Alice… not your mother." His grip tightened.
Darius choked, his face turning red as he struggled to breathe. "W-wait…!" he forced out, his voice trembling. "If you harm me… you'll never see her alive… Let me go first… I'll take you to her…"
For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air.
Then...
Rowan released him. Darius dropped like a lifeless sack, crashing onto the ground as he gasped for air.
"Move," Rowan ordered.
There was no room for refusal. Darius staggered to his feet and began walking out of the room.
But the moment he stepped outside...
He froze. The five elites his grandfather had arranged… were all pinned to the ground, utterly defeated.
Lilith stood there casually, a smug smile playing on her lips, one foot pressing down on a man's head as if it were nothing.
Beside her stood ten figures clad in full armor. They didn't move. They didn't speak.
But the sheer authority they radiated was suffocating.
The moment Rowan stepped out...
All ten of them bowed in unison. Royal knights. Elite guards of the palace.
Darius's pupils shrank. 'When did they arrive…? How did they even find this place…?' Shock flooded his mind, leaving him utterly speechless.
Rowan shoved Darius forward. "Move. Take us to where Logan's mother is. Now."
Darius didn't dare resist. He stumbled ahead, leading Rowan out of the house.
Just before following him, Rowan turned back toward Daliah. "Stay here with Lilith. Reinforcements have already arrived," he said calmly. "I've also sent word to the Guild Master. He should be here soon."
Daliah nodded.
Without another word, Rowan followed after Darius.
Once Rowan was gone, Daliah turned toward the leader of the royal knights, her brows still knit in confusion. "When did all of you arrive?" she asked.
Like Darius, she was deeply shocked. After all, when they had been captured, there had been no one to send for help.
The knight stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Princess, His Young Grace had a communication scroll with him. He has been reporting his whereabouts to us this entire time. We also informed the Guild Master of the Hunters' Guild and requested additional support."
Daliah blinked in surprise. "Brother had a communication scroll…?" she murmured, then puffed her cheeks slightly in annoyance. "Then why didn't he tell us? We had to wait all this time…"
The royal knights exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. How could they possibly know what the Third Prince had been planning?
Meanwhile, Rowan followed Darius through the corridors until they reached the room where Alice was being kept.
Two guards stood watch at the door. The moment they saw Darius, they bowed and stepped aside, allowing him to pass without question.
Darius pushed the door open and walked in.
Rowan followed. The instant Rowan stepped inside, his gaze fell upon Alice.
His expression froze.
She looked… fragile. Her clothes were old and worn — clearly something a servant would wear. Her body seemed thinner, her face pale and drawn, as if she had been suffering from malnutrition. In just a few days, her condition had deteriorated so badly that, had Rowan seen her elsewhere, he might not have even recognized her. At that moment, she lay on the bed, fast asleep.
A suffocating silence filled the room.
Then...
Rowan's hand shot out, gripping Darius by the throat once more. "What the hell did you people do to her?" he roared, his voice shaking with fury. "You and your mother were imprisoned for far longer, yet when you were rescued, you were in far better condition than this!"
His grip tightened. "Don't you mother and son have even a shred of humanity?!"
Darius could only stare at him, stunned and speechless — unable to form even a single word in response.