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Just in case, everyone first administered the drug Greenhild's Sleeping Pill to the two trolls, then allowed Amora to delve into their memories.
This particular sleeping pill, as recorded in the Greenhilde Pharmacopoeia, was renowned for its potent and long-lasting effectsâsufficient to render even two trolls unconscious for an entire day.
Amora sat cross-legged on the ground, gently placed her hands on the troll's forehead, and closed her eyes, entering a deep trance of memory-reading.
The moment her eyes fluttered open, Fairwind leaned in with urgency.
"Well? What did you see?"
Amora replied calmly.
"There's no direct clue. But from this troll's memory, the town is freely accessible to all, except the castle at its center. I believe our target is inside that fortress."
"What about the layout or condition inside the castle?" Fairwind asked.
Amora shook her head slowly.
"There's nothing. It seems he has never entered it. Or perhaps, he didâbut any memories related to it have either been sealed or erased."
Rowe narrowed his gaze.
"Try the other one."
Amora reached out again, reading the second troll's memories. After a brief silence, she opened her eyes.
"I found something."
Her voice steadied.
"This troll had glimpses of Warner Protoss women inside the castle. They were working as nurses. I'm confidentâthis is where the little prince is being kept."
Skorch grunted.
"Ulic's trying to raise an adopted heir from the Warner Protoss?"
"Possibly," Rowe mused aloud. "Ulic might be planning to manipulate or even rule the Warner Protoss through that child. Eradicating the entire Protoss line is likely beyond even his means."
Fairwind clenched his fists in anticipation.
"Good. Let's go! We'll be the saviors of the future King of the Warner Protoss. Just the thought gives me goosebumps!"
"Don't be so sure," someone interjected. "Hogan isn't the only survivor of the royal family."
"What about these two trolls?" someone else asked.
Rowe answered flatly.
"We kill them."
Haldo hesitated.
"But if their bodies are discoveredâwon't that trigger a city-wide alert?"
Rowe didn't reply immediately. Instead, he reached into his satchel and pulled out two large pillsâround, coal-black, and with a sheen reminiscent of the kind of muck found behind one's ears after a decade without bathing.
"What are those?" Fairwind asked, wincing.
"A lethal compound I developed. I call it Black Widow," Rowe explained. "It doesn't kill instantly. It takes about a day for the poison to fully act. That way, we complete our mission and vanish before suspicion arises."
The two trolls had blood on their handsâinfamous for raiding and killing among the Warner borderlands. Rowe had no intention of showing mercy.
But a sudden death would draw attention. A poisoned delay ensured they would pass quietly. If discovered early, they'd merely appear to be unconscious drunks. Only after the poison took full effect would their deaths become apparentâand by then, Rowe's team would be long gone.
The primary ingredient in Black Widow? A concentrated venom from the deadly spiders Rowe had gathered during their venture in Walter Alheim.
He slipped the poison pills into the trolls' mouths. Then, with a solemn nod, Rowe signaled the others to move toward the castle in the heart of the town.
"Wait," Fairwind suddenly warned. "Troll patrol, behind the wall."
Everyone immediately halted and ducked into cover.
A patrol unit passedâarmed trolls in dark armor, followed by a canine creature the size of a calf. It sniffed the air aggressively, its nose twitching as it drew near.
Despite having taken tasteless potions that masked their scent, the group couldn't help but feel tense. One false move, one faint smell, and the whole plan could unravel.
But the potion worked as intended. The patrol marched on, unaware.
Once the danger passed, the team resumed movement, eventually reaching the perimeter of the castle.
"Captain," Fairwind whispered, "we've reached the wall, but the entrance is heavily guarded. What's the plan?"
"You think we're going through the front gate?" Rowe asked dryly.
"Well⊠the windows are all too high. Unless we scale or breach the wallâŠ"
"Exactly. We'll breach the wall. Quietly. Let's scout for a weak point."
They crept along the wall's edge, concealed by the night and surrounding vegetation. Fairwind activated his perspective vision, peering through layers of stone and soil.
"Wait," he murmured in surprise. "There's a tunnel underground."
Rowe leaned closer.
"A tunnel? Does it lead into the castle?"
"I'm not sure," Fairwind replied. "It's at the limit of my range. I can't see where it ends. And it's too deep for us to access anyway."
Moments later, Fairwind pointed again.
"There. A utility room on the other side of the wall. No guards nearby. Looks safe."
Rowe scanned the areaâit was ideal. A small hill and several massive trees concealed the section. The perfect breach point.
He pulled out the Rock Mark staff and aimed.
"Rock Mark."
With a faint rumble, a section of the wall liquefied and reformed, constructing a stone puppet that carefully removed a square of the wall without a sound.
"Captain, you're a mage too?" Fairwind grinned.
"Let's move."
They slipped inside the storage room. The rock puppet took up a sentinel position, blocking the breach with its body.
"Fairwind, Amora, you're with me. Skorch, you and the rest stay here. Guard the room."
With that, Rowe used his blade to slice the lock and led his small recon team deeper into the castle.
Inside was a stark contrast to the moonlit townâwarm lights flooded the corridors despite the late hour, making stealth even more difficult.
"Troll incoming!" Fairwind hissed, his eyes glowing faintly from his spell. He scanned nearby rooms and pointed quickly.
"That one's empty. Move!"
Rowe picked the lock and they slipped inside.
A long minute passed before Fairwind exhaled in relief.
"False alarm. He's gone."
They ventured out again, cautiously progressing through the hallways. After several turns, Fairwind stopped and whispered:
"There's someone in this room. A sleeping woman."
Rowe opened the lock quietly and entered.
Inside was a small chamber with a simple bed. A Warner woman lay asleep, her body showing signs of mistreatmentâclear evidence of her enslavement by the trolls.
Fairwind's voice trembled slightly.
"We can't leave her like this. Let's take her."
"She hasn't taken the tasteless potion. The wolf-dogs will sniff her out," Rowe replied grimly. "And she's mortal. If a battle breaks out, she won't survive."
Instead, he administered a sleeping pill to ensure she wouldn't awaken too soon. Then he turned to Amora.
"See what you can find in her memories. Anything about the prince."
Amora nodded silently, placed her hands on the woman's temples, and entered a trance.
Moments later, her eyes flashed open.
"I found it!"
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