Chapter 239

While Lance worked with a mage to establish contact with the Royal Palace, Zion took charge of organizing the guards, assigning them to form a perimeter around the caravan. He and Maxwell each secured a side, making sure Addison was well-protected from all directions.

Both of them had already changed into fresh clothes, since their previous ones had been torn to shreds during their shift into wolf form. Even now, unease clung to them like a second skin.

They couldn’t quite explain the source of their agitation; perhaps it was the helplessness they felt at being unable to act when their mate was in danger, or maybe the suffocating tension of the ambush was still lingering in their blood. Either way, both Zion and Maxwell remained on high alert, their senses sharp and their instincts primed.

Meanwhile, Levi stayed close to Addison’s side, silently watching over her.

Addison, on the other hand, was busy formulating a contingency plan. Although she was still agitated and frustrated with herself for not being able to shift when she needed to, she knew now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. What mattered more was finding a solution.

She was hesitant to move forward. While she had once decided to explore this place on her own someday, that was under different circumstances, when she’d have the time and no one else to worry about.

But now, she had an important mission: to aid the West. Time was critical, and every delay could have consequences.

And beyond that, she couldn’t risk the lives of everyone in the caravan just because she was willing to take the danger on herself. She knew how treacherous this forest was, and entering blindly would be reckless.

Her mind raced with possibilities, weighing every option as she tried to stay calm under pressure.

“Princess!”

Just then, Elric returned, panting heavily as he sprinted back from the direction of the rear barrier. His face was pale, and he gasped for air, struggling to catch his breath.

“Why are you back so soon?” Addison asked, frowning as she saw him return after barely half an hour. It was far too quick to conduct a thorough inspection of the barrier, and judging by the expression on Elric’s face, it looked like he’d seen a ghost.

“The… the barrier…” Elric stammered between gasps, placing a hand on the small of his back as he bent slightly, trying to steady his breathing.

“Alright,” Addison said calmly, though her eyes narrowed in concern. “Take your time. Catch your breath and then explain everything properly.”

Behind him, the guards exchanged confused glances as they followed Elric in. None of them seemed to understand what had shaken the Archmage so badly.

After three deep breaths, Elric finally steadied his breathing. He looked up at Addison, his face still pale and tense, and began his report.

“Princess… I believe we’re inside a prison,” he said, his voice low and trembling. The ghastly look on his face only deepened the weight of his words.

Just then, Lance returned with a stormy expression, his fists clenched at his sides. His wolf was clearly agitated, so much so that his eyes had begun to glow a fierce gold.

“Addie,” he growled through gritted teeth, “we can’t contact the outside world. All communication channels have been cut off.”

It was clear he was seething. The realization that the rogues had deliberately lured them here, into a trap, made his fury boil just beneath the surface.

And then it clicked.

Addison’s eyes widened as realization settled heavily in her chest. Everything she had read and heard might actually be true; this place could really be the prison of the dark fairies. It would explain why those who entered were never seen again.

Elric’s words echoed in her mind: a prison.

If this truly was one, then it meant nothing; no one could leave once they were inside.

She turned to Elric, her voice steady despite the unease growing inside her.

“Do you know of any way we could get out of here?” she asked. “Is there a method to break the barrier… or at least temporarily deactivate it so we can escape?”

“That…” Elric hesitated, biting his lip as if bracing himself. Then, after a brief pause, his expression turned resolute.

“This prison was created centuries ago,” he began, “which means the barrier was likely formed using ancient arcane magic and runes, techniques that have long been lost to time. Fortunately, my studies have always focused on barrier magic. So, in a way, this is also a rare opportunity for me to observe and learn more about ancient arcane structures. Honestly, this barrier is an exceptional specimen.”

By the time he finished, a flicker of excitement shone in his eyes.

Addison wasn’t sure if Elric was deliberately trying to keep everyone’s spirits up, masking the terrifying truth behind his hopeful enthusiasm, but what he said wasn’t wrong. He did have a deep understanding of barriers, and the powerful one he placed on the Royal Grounds was proof of that.

Thanks to his confident demeanor, the tension in the group eased a little. They began to feel more grounded, and panic slowly gave way to cautious hope.

“But Princess Addison…” Elric began again, his voice lower this time, tinged with worry. “Even if I manage to figure out how to deactivate the barrier, I’ll still need certain materials to make it work. Right now, the mages and I only brought a limited supply, mostly magic stones and a few components meant for portal summoning. We’re missing some of the key materials necessary to forcefully shut down a barrier of this scale.”

He rubbed his clammy palms together, the nerves clearly catching up with him.

“Unless…” he hesitated, then added gravely, “Unless we find the core source of the barrier and destroy it.”

That changed everything.

They were left with two options: either locate the materials needed to manually disable the barrier, or destroy the core that powered it. But either path pointed toward a single outcome: the destruction of the prison’s barrier.

And if this place truly was a prison, if it was meant to keep something locked inside, namely, the dark fairies, then destroying the barrier would mean setting them free.

Addison’s mind raced.

Could it be… that the rogues hadn’t brought her here to harm or abduct her, but to force her hand? To make them the ones responsible for destroying the ancient prison?

Had she misunderstood everything from the start?

“If we find the materials you need, does that mean we won’t have to destroy the barrier? Could we just temporarily deactivate it?” Addison asked, her heart pounding with unease.

Elric shook his head slowly. “Unlikely… This is an ancient barrier, probably created centuries ago. If I wanted to preserve it and only deactivate it temporarily, it would require years of intensive study to understand the arcane structure behind it. And right now, we simply don’t have that kind of time.”

He sighed, his expression tightening with the weight of the decision. “Given our circumstances, the only viable option is to forcefully break through it.”

Though Elric downplayed the challenge, Addison could tell he was holding back. It wasn’t just difficult, it was dangerously difficult. But instead of overwhelming them with technical details, he chose to simplify it. After all, trying to explain ancient arcane theory to everyone here would be like explaining calculus to newborn pups.