Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"That would help a lot… we barely have enough room to walk inside," Roan replied. "We are also lucky that the people from the capital apparently didn\'t find us until now."

"Branden was careful enough to deal with that," Rain said. "Anyway, what do you make out of the king\'s recent actions?"

"... Throughout history, the royal family were involved in some big events, since they wrote history to make them look good, we can\'t believe that they are all true," Roan explained. "The previous king passed out after making this side of the country prosper. Decades ago, the growth of the population increased, and we faced food problems.

With his intelligence, he made his area become the support of the country when it comes to food. The current king\'s grandfather was the one who founded the magic academy. Thanks to that, a lot of talented individuals emerged in the recent decades and we were even able to heal grave injuries like lost limbs.

Thus, that increased the military power of our nation when it comes to offensive magic as well."

"So… he is doing all this to leave his mark in history?" Rain furrowed his eyebrows. "He is even more insane than I had predicted."

"During the war, he acted to make sure that he wouldn\'t be the last king of the human kingdom, but it seems that he now can go on the offensive and become the king that attacked the enemies instead of the king that cowered  in his castle," Roan explained while rubbing his eyes.

"I am amazed that people can see wars as only stepping stones for their goals to increase their fame… they are only brave enough to do that because they aren\'t the ones doing the fighting."

Rain contemplated the idea of discreetly removing the king from the equation, making it appear as an unfortunate accident. Yet, he couldn\'t underestimate Joanis\'s cunning. It was evident that Joanis likely anticipated such a move and was poised to seize control of the nation in the ensuing power vacuum.

The king\'s eldest son was still a child, a vulnerability Joanis could exploit to his plot to marry Esmeralda, further solidifying his hold on power while Branden remained imprisoned. The potential scenarios raced through Rain\'s mind, with the worst-case scenario being the most chilling of all.

Joanis, potentially in league with Revan, could orchestrate the massacre of the entire royal family, leaving Rain as the convenient scapegoat. The stakes were staggeringly high, and Rain knew he had to navigate this treacherous landscape with utmost caution.

"I have to return to the capital and then talk with Branden again, and then talk with Esmeralda and then kill Joanis if possible," Rain said. "Still, at this point in time, it won\'t surprise me if he is hiding somewhere because he predicted my actions this much."

"Well, we are going to," Jori said when he got up alongside the others.

"I appreciate the feeling, but you guys are exhausted," Rain said and then grabbed some potions to make the underground rooms. "Work here with everyone to make sure that everything will be fine while I am away."

Jori and the others wanted to insist, but they truly were too tired… Moreover, they could see that Rain\'s parents and grandparents also needed some help. Looking out after unconscious people wasn\'t an easy job, after all.

Creating the underground chambers turned out to be a relatively straightforward task for Rain. He used his magic skills to manipulate the elements effectively. First, he condensed the air around him, converting it into water within the tunnel.

Then, with his proficiency in earth magic with the added power of his coral spear and forearm guards, he skillfully guided the water to grind against the tunnel walls, resulting in precise and effortless excavation of the underground rooms.

After that, Rain used his tunnel to go to the capital as soon as possible… Soon, he will have to seal it, but he knows a quick way to do so and undo it if necessary.

"I need to rest a bit as well once I return… things will be chaotic and I need a clear mind to think things through," Rain thought.

Once Rain was back to the capital, it was night already and soon he went to check things with Branden… However, it looked like he was moved to somewhere else, he was no longer in the dungeon.

Rain used his magic to check things around the castle, but soon he confirmed that he couldn\'t, the anti magic substance was still working and he could only think that it won\'t ever stop working.

The throne room was empty and silent as well, so Rain went to the warehouse where he found the prisoners and the mana potions, the place was empty as well and no one was guarding it. Joanis was the type who doesn\'t make the same mistake twice, after all.

"This could be a problem…" Rain thought. "Let\'s see if Lotto knows a thing or two about this."

It was only natural that Lotto would be sleeping at such a time, and waking him up silently would be difficult. So, Rain decided to check things in the organization, but the place was also empty.

After thinking for a while, Rain could only think that his best option was Esmeralda, but he had no idea what her instance was in the whole situation. He will have to be careful to avoid letting her know how he arrived in the castle. Still, even after thinking for a short while, he gave up on it. He couldn\'t dig on the castle with his hands without leaving traces behind… he just had to wait.