'The smell of this perfume is very similar to the one on Evelyn.' With these thoughts in his mind, Rock couldn't help but think of Evelyn's sister, Teslin, the gentle and kind princess.
It was indeed he who single-handedly controlled the fate of the two sisters and separated them, but now that he had promised Evelyn, he would do his best to bring Teslin back safely.
Even for Fairywood, capturing Teslin alive is the best outcome, as this will greatly ease the internal conflicts after the unification of the empire and allow for a smooth transition.
As Rock continued to go deeper into the underground spiral passage, a slight dripping sound came from the front, becoming clearer and clearer.
Finally, he stopped in front of a closed iron gate.
The iron door was engraved with the emblem of some kind of magical beast, and had sturdy rivets on all four sides, making it look very thick. There was a thumb-sized keyhole in the middle, and it was currently locked tightly.
At this time, Rock had no time to look for the key. He decisively drew out the blood-red dagger from his waist, and then slashed it crosswise, leaving two marks on the iron door.
The sturdy iron gate was not cut open by the dagger, but two deep grooves were left. The metal blades at the edges were curled outward, revealing the silver-white part inside.
'The material is quite unusual.' Even as he thought this, Rock's hands kept moving, slashing and cutting again and again, until the back was finally exposed.
Faced with the dilapidated sturdy iron door, Rock kicked it open, revealing the dark world behind the door.
This is a karst cave inside the mountain. It is very damp and cold. There are no traces of artificial axe cutting. It should be the original terrain.
Rock quickly shuttled inside the cave based on the faint smell lingering in the air, but soon he stopped because someone was waiting for him up ahead.
With a "bang" sound, a torch was lit, illuminating the dark cave.
Standing opposite Rock was his childhood friend Isaiah, but compared to his handsome and dashing appearance in the past, he now looked very embarrassed.
"It's you, Rock."
"It's me."
Rock looked at the man in front of him, and then continued to search for Tesslin's whereabouts. He soon found a subtle trace behind the melted column in the distance, where a small piece of white skirt was exposed. Only then did his nerves relax a little.
"If it were in the past, I would definitely laugh at you, but now, I no longer have the capital to say that." Compared to the past, Isaiah has become much more tired and no longer as calm and composed as before.
"Um."
Rock did not continue to argue with Isaiah about their respective ideas as he did in the past. At this point, there was little point in arguing anymore.
The world has given the answer, and everything is almost settled.
"Yes, you won in the end, but I want to know where I went wrong." Isaiah held the sword, his face flickering in the shadow of the firelight.
"Like you, I loved reading biographies and stories about heroes when I was little. Of course, I wouldn't be so foolish as to believe everything in the book. I think it would be illogical to deduce everything based on the book's contents. There are too many things that don't make sense."
"At first I thought it was the result of beautification or artistic processing by later generations, but the more I read, the more I believe that these stories were simply compiled to educate others and make them believe."
"Trampling on the rules, being incredibly powerful, earning the admiration and respect of countless people—that's what a hero is. People naturally admire the strong and glorify all their actions, turning them into the path of a hero."
"I just need to become strong enough."
"I have accomplished a great deal, and I have also seized fleeting opportunities in the tide of the times. Step by step, I have become a high-ranking official in the empire, a renowned general, the object of admiration and following by countless people. Even the Duke cannot rely on my abilities."
"But luck is indeed a strange thing. Even though I have done all this, I am still forced into a corner time and time again. Maybe this is fate. You are more fortunate than me."
"If I had gone to the southern border back then, the outcome might have been different."
"No, Isaiah, even if you go to the South, it won't change the outcome." Rock rarely retorted.
"Many things have been decided from the beginning. You are so smart and confident that you won't change so easily."
"In the Southern Territory at that time, when the Empire's glory had not yet fallen, would you abandon your family and join a wandering and dangerous organization with a bleak future?"
"Everything was decided the moment your sister married into the family of Count Wolfthorn and you received the letter of recommendation."
"If you were emotionless and selfless, you wouldn't have so many soldiers following you, nor would you be able to reassure the important figures. They wouldn't let you sit in your current position. It's precisely because of these qualities that you've been able to gradually gain followers, earn their trust, and become increasingly powerful."
"You will never forget this kindness, and you also cherish the affection of your family. These things support you, allowing you to become stronger step by step, but they also gradually bind you to Count Wolfthorn, the Griffin family, and the upper class of the empire."
"However, times have changed. This is no longer the era where the glory and bravery of the nobility can convince the world. People are more eager for fairness and to break free from shackles."
"So, I said, many things were already decided at the beginning, and it's only now that I'm slowly seeing and realizing it all."
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