Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 154 Rhys, The Royal Criminal

"...There is something seriously wrong with your family, Sir."

"You do not need to tell me, Mr. Rhys."

Lance did not really have time to rebuke Rhys's words as his eyes darted everywhere. The floor, the aged walls, the ceiling — the once overly familiar corridor to him now felt completely strange.

"Be very careful with your steps," Lance breathed out as he very slowly and gently stepped forward; sighing a relief as nothing happened. He then stayed like that for several seconds; just standing completely still.

Rhys did not really say anything so as to not bother Lance, he just focused on holding Lina over his shoulder; making sure she wouldn't be put in harm's way and that not even a strand of her hair would be lost.

Soon, however, Rhys realized that Lance was not moving at all even after several minutes had passed. Still, Rhys waited for him and did not speak at all — after all, what if he was trying to remember where the triggers of the traps were?

But after a few more minutes had passed, Rhys could no longer wait as he carefully approached Lance.

"What's your plan, Sir?" He asked calmly; his demeanor, completely changing to that of a soldier of the Underworld Corps, "I don't want to rush you, but we are in a very vulnerable position — we're trapped on all sides and have no visible exit."

"I…" Prince Lance's voice also turned serious as he glanced back at Rhys; the look in his eyes, incredibly intense, "...I have no idea how we will proceed."

"...What?" Rhys could really only blink as he heard Lance's words, "You forgot where the triggers of the traps are?"

"It is more like I do not know where they are in the first place, Mr. Rhys," Lance confidently said as he stroked his thick mustache, "This is the very first time I have ever even seen them work, I actually only remember they exist just now."

"You were almost riddled by arrows, Sir."

"I know," Lance's demeanor remained completely calm as he nodded, "You have my utmost gratitude for preventing me from becoming a porcupine, good sir."

"So, you don't have a plan at all?" Rhys could really only sigh and groan.

"Out of all the scenarios I have thought of, this is not one of them," Lance shook his head as he once again started scanning the hallway, "One thing I do know is that this trap is surely reactivated by one of Linette's cousins."

"...One of your children? I thought violence was not allowed in this place."

"Maybe," Lance cleared his throat as he looked to the side, "Violence is not allowed, yes. But like most places, that law is useless without evidence. But that doesn't matter, another thing that is certain is that they already know that their cousin is back… but how?"

"Your wife?"

"Annabeth would never," Lance just waved off Rhys's words, "But let's not waste any time with banter. Although I hate to ask since you are a guest and you have already saved my life once, "Can you perchance find it in your heart to relieve us of this bloody situation we find ourselves in?"

"No," Rhys did not hesitate to answer as he started walking back, "You obviously proved already that you can't protect Lina, we're going home."

"How would you do that, Mr. Rhys?" Lance sighed as he urged Rhys to come back, "Once you step out of the palace, the attempts on Linette's life would be much more violent and savage than this — her cousins, my children… have absolutely no regard for the law of Enkland since they know they will be completely absolved of all crimes."

Rhys did not even bother responding to Lance's words. However Lance wanted to turn the statement, it was wrong in so many accounts — unattended Nobles with authoritative power is never a good recipe.

"I'm going home, Sir. I'll traverse through the Underworld if I have to," Rhys sighed as he continued to walk away, "And I am warning you, if any of your children come after me and Lina, I will kill them. Their immunity… is completely useless down there."

"I know you think you're strong, Mr. Rhys — but my children and most of Linette's other cousins are Nobles."

"It doesn't matt—!!!"

And before Rhys could finish his words, he found himself taking a step back as a wall suddenly emerged from the floor; completely blocking his path back to the outside. Rhys only stared at the wall for a few seconds, before just letting out a sigh and slamming the sole of his foot on it without any warning.

"Mr. Rhys!"

Lance could really only watch as Rhys completely destroyed the trap wall — and he wasn't done, he started kicking all the rubble everywhere; triggering all the traps… if he hadn't completely destroyed the hallway first.

"What are you doing!?"

"Getting us out of this position, Sir." And as the cloud of dust settled, Rhys just glanced back at Lance before continuing to walk away.

"Please wait, Mr. Rhys!" Lance quickly followed Rhys, blocking his path as he walked backward.

"No," Rhys did not even bother looking at Lance; he just made sure not to let go of the unconscious Lina as he made his way out of the palace. As soon as he returned to the isolated parking space, however, he found himself surrounded by a group of guards.

"Lance, what happened!?" Annabeth, who was already with the guards, rushed outside with them to see what the loud rumble was about; her eyes, looking back and forth between Lance and Rhys. But as she saw Lance completely unharmed, the slightly panicked expression on her face completely faded away and was replaced by a look of scorn.

"What did you do…?" Annabeth's glowing hair started to very slowly float in the air as vines and roots that emerged from the ground began lifting her up in the air. The guards who were surrounding the parking space, also either activating their abilities or pointing their extremely high-caliber rifles at Rhys.

"Wait!" Lance quickly stood in front of Rhys, "It is not his fault! The traps… the traps were activated."

"The… traps?" Annabeth's eyes started to squint as she looked at her husband. As for Rhys, he did not really care that he was being surrounded as he just moved over Lance and started walking to the gate even as all the eyes and weapons were on him.

"We're not going to be a part of this anymore, Ma'am," Rhys breathed out as he just casually passed by Annabeth. Everyone really just watched him, no longer knowing what to do.

"What in the bloody hells is going on here!? I have only slept a wink, and I need my beauty sleep!"

Several steps before Rhys could leave from the walls of the palace, however, a group of 7 people started appearing from inside the castle; their glowing hair, enough to almost light up the entire parking space like a powerful gaming RGB pc.

"Is there a party we're not in the know about? Mum? And is that Dad? I thought he was on a business trip."

"What is with the noise? I have already told all of you that I have a call with the people from—Is that Linette?"

And almost as if Rhys was completely invisible to them, the group's eyes went directly at Lina, who was still completely unconscious and unperturbed by everything that was going on. Their eyes squinted all at the same time as they stared at her… and very soon, their eyes started to widen.

"Why is that cunt here!?"

And almost instantly, Rhys could feel the pressure in the air suddenly become heavy as the group almost snarled as they pointed at Lina. They were not even subtle in their disdain as they started stomping their way toward her.

"Vicky, throw her out of the walls so we can kill her!"

"No! Killing the fucking cunt won't be enough, we should torture her!"

"Children, stop it!" Annabeth and Lance rushed to block them, but it was already too late as they reached Rhys and Lina first. The one who seemed to be the youngest of the group, Vicky, was about to grab Lina by the leg. Her almost rageful expression, reflected by her short red glowing hair.

"What the—"

Before she could do so, however, Rhys carefully raised his arm; making sure not to drop Lina as he grabbed Vicky's hand.

"Don't do it," Rhys's voice was not authoritative at all; the tone of his voice, almost pleading… but containing a certain sense of eeriness in it, "Although I don't like doing it… I have hurt children younger than you before."

"Wh…" Vicky stared at Rhys's hand for a good few seconds; her eyes widening even further before turning to look up at Rhys's face. And finally, Lina's cousins seemed to have noticed his presence as they all started staring at him from head to toe,

"Let… let go of my hand this instant!"

"No...

...you're my hostage now."