The Stonehearted Knight-Chapter 218: Prisoner to Patient

A fog veiled the ruins.

Even with his enhanced senses, Hex struggled to observe what lay beneath it.

’This isn’t normal fog, is it?’

He didn’t think so only because of the veil’s blocking capabilities but he noticed it move as they walked through it. It parted as they passed through and closed up behind them.

An eerie silence hung in the air. Hex didn’t hear a single sound or noise. It took a few seconds before he made a disturbing discovery. The sound of his steps and heartbeat didn’t reach his ear.

’There is matter. There is dust. There is air to breathe. So, why am I not hearing anything?’

Hex knew a few circumstances where sound didn’t travel through space but none applied here.

"Take this batch and teach them the things that need to be taught."

Just as Hex started to suspect that he lost his ability to hear, he heard the voice of the Gatekeeper. At once, all the sounds of the world returned.

The faint sound of heartbeats, the whistling of the wind, and the breath of the people around him, all returned.

’It’s not me. It’s him.’ Hex looked at the elderly Gatekeeper. ’He causes the world to function differently.’

Feeling reconnected with the world, he looked at where they arrived. They stood before a building reminiscent of structures he had seen in the ruins of the noble’s district. According to a rough estimate, the building had four stories with a flat roof.

’Nineteen people.’

Hex counted the energy fluctuations he sensed inside and outside the building. A man stood at the door and received the Gatekeeper with a deep bow. He didn’t look up as long as the Gatekeeper spoke.

After a brief order, he slowly disappeared into the fog. Only then did the man at the door straighten his posture.

He signaled at the group to follow behind him. Hex walked in through a corridor, which came out in a hall. The hall was built wide and open, going up to the roof.

Hex studied the layout. There was nothing on the ground floor. He didn’t see any doors or windows on the floor at this floor.

The first floor above did have a balcony on all four walls. Hex saw metallic bars placed all around the floors. Although he didn’t see people, he could sense them inside.

’This is a prison of sorts.’

Hex understood the purpose of the place quickly.

"Climb up and enter the open doors." The man, who Hex believed to be the warden of this prison, barked at them. The warden didn’t fear retaliation from the group.

Hex sensed the energy fluctuations of a Refined Knight radiate from him. The group climbed up and entered their designated cages. But Hex remained still.

"What about him? He is one of yours."

Hex asked the warden, sounding tired and unwilling to drag a man up the stairs. The warden looked at him and the Vice-Captain on his back mockingly.

"Do I look like an idiot to you? Drag him with you to the cell or you will need to be dragged yourself."

Sensing the pressure around him increase, Hex showed an expression filled with fear. "B-But Lord, the G-Gatekeeper said he needed help..."

The moment the warden heard the name of the Gatekeeper, his expression changed. Even at a distance, Hex sensed the warden’s heartbeat speed up.

"T-Take him with you. I will check it myself." Without even looking at how Hex could climb the steep stairs while carrying another man on his back, the warden strode out.

Hex knew the warden didn’t care whether the Vice-Captain belonged to them or not. He would rather fill his prisons than the sickbeds. But he didn’t dare to ignore the Gatekeeper’s orders even if the old man would never check whether the Vice-Captain healed or not.

A glint passed through Hex’s eyes as his demeanor transformed. He straightened his back and hurried up the stairs with the Vice-Captain on his back. The extra weight didn’t trouble him. With his enhanced physical strength he could carry a few hundred kilos.

The cells on the first floor were filled. Hex continued to climb while he kept his senses out to monitor the return of the Refined Knight. He hurried. It was his chance to turn the situation in his favor.

Although he saw a few empty cells on the third floor, Hex continued his climb, arriving at the fourth floor. As far as he could tell, the entire floor was empty.

Hex hurried inside one of the cells and started to execute his plan. At the same time, his senses noticed the warden return with two more people.

’Shit. He is too quick.’

Hex stripped out of his clothes and cleaned himself using his undershirt. Standing in the nude, he turned toward the Vice-Captain.

"My apologies but it’s either you or me. And you don’t seem up for the task," Hex whispered as he took off all the clothes on the man’s body.

’They are here.’

Hex sensed the return of the warden and his underlings. His enhanced ears picked up the warden instructing his subordinates to search for the Vice-Captain. Apparently, he learned quickly about the situation outside the gates.

Hex changed clothes and used the morphuse box he hid inside the sholes of his shoes. He took great care to match his features. He also applied the potion on the unconscious man.

’They are almost here.’

The subordinates did a quick search. Their speed startled Hex. Although he took a few minutes to apply the potion on his and the Vice-Captain’s face, it still seemed a short time to search so many floors and cells.

’Perhaps they have a system to check that I am unaware of.’

He waited patiently. The preparations were done. He lay on the floor with his eyes closed when he sensed two people arrive.

"They are here."

"Damn. Even without a person on my back I feel exhausted climbing all these stairs. He did it with a person on his back."

"You are just an embarrassment to Knights everywhere. Plus, he didn’t do it unscathed. Look, he is out cold too."

"Bah. I am a Knight not a goat. Let’s just pick that one up and bring him to the Healers. You know how much that guy shits himself when it comes to the Gatekeeper."

Hex listened to the two subordinates bicker. They knelt on each side and picked him up, carrying him to the ground floor. Hex remained still, even when they banged his head against the railings and the stairs or when they dragged him across the ground, tired to carry him for too long.

Hex, who survived Disasters and Calamities, arrived at the infirmary all bruised and wounded.

’At least, now I don’t need to fake about half of my injuries.’