Hostage, Turning the Tables on Prince Damien of Southlyn

Prince Nolan never acts lightly, but when he does, it's decisive—he never gives Prince Damien of Southlyn a chance.

The moment Prince Damien was ambushed, Prince Nolan's group set fire to their own tent. When the Tiger Guard Battalion arrived, they saw only a few tents burned to the ground.

"Where are they?" The Tiger Guard Battalion commander asked his men. A young soldier nervously shook his head, "I don't know, sir. They were just here a moment ago, but in the blink of an eye, they're gone."

"Search." The Tiger Guard Battalion commander couldn't believe that in such a short time, Prince Nolan's group could simply vanish into thin air.

Fire raged outside the tents, making it impossible for the Tiger Guard Battalion to rush in. They didn't believe Prince Nolan's group was still inside, so they immediately began searching the surrounding area.

But just as the Tiger Guard Battalion turned away, Prince Nolan's group charged out from the flames.

It turned out the fire had been set up in advance by Dorian Owen. It looked fierce from the outside, but inside there wasn't even a spark. For a short time, anyone inside could wrap themselves in a blanket and rush out without any real danger.

It was risky, but it was the best option. The Southlyn troops, seeing the tents on fire, would definitely assume the group had escaped.

As an assassin, Dorian Owen had no trouble pulling off this little trick. Doing something like this right under the noses of a few big dumb soldiers was way too easy for him.

"Grab their horses!" Dorian Owen, carrying Zed on his back, was the first to rush out. As soon as he emerged, he threw off the burning blanket—luckily, he wasn't burned.

With a loud "thud," Dorian Owen leapt through the air and kicked a mounted soldier off his horse, then landed smoothly in the saddle. "I'm going first. Hyah!"

Dorian Owen whipped the horse hard and charged forward, crashing through the chaos. The Tiger Guard Battalion noticed the commotion and turned to surround him, but it was too late—Dorian had already broken through, leading the way out.

Prince Nolan and Serena came out a moment after Dorian, but instead of grabbing horses right away, Prince Nolan drew his flexible sword while Serena pulled out her handgun.

The mounted soldiers all had their backs to Prince Nolan and Serena. Serena fired her gun, each shot blowing out a head—thud, thud, thud—the riders dropped one by one.

"Charge in, grab a horse and go. Don't worry about us." Prince Nolan ordered the shadow guards who followed them out. They knew it wasn't right to leave their prince behind, but their orders were absolute.

The shadow guards didn't argue or hesitate. Taking the Master of the Mystic Healer Valley with them, they leapt onto horseback and raced after Dorian Owen.

Once all eight shadow guards and the Master of the Mystic Healer Valley were mounted, the Tiger Guard Battalion rushed over, blocking Serena and Prince Nolan's path.

"Prince Nolan, Miss Feng, forgive us for the offense, but please return to camp. We don't want to harm either of you." The Tiger Guard Battalion commander, though furious at the death of his men, could only grit his teeth and endure, knowing the importance of Prince Nolan and Serena's identities.

If those two died, Eastlyn would never forgive them. Southlyn might truly become a barren wasteland.

"You think you can stop me? Dream on." Prince Nolan sneered, his flexible sword snapping straight. "If you want to keep us here, show me some real skill."

"That's right. If you can stop me, that's skill." Serena swapped in a fresh magazine and aimed her gun at the Tiger Guard Battalion commander. "Don't move—or don't blame me for what happens next."

Just moments ago, everyone had seen how deadly Serena's weapon was. No one dared make a reckless move, while the Tiger Guard Battalion commander kept trying to persuade Serena to calm down.

"Miss Feng, our prince has no intention of harming you. Just stay here a few more days." The commander kept talking while secretly signaling his men to attack Serena from behind.

"Save that story for little kids—Dorian Owen wouldn't buy it either." Serena noticed the Tiger Guard Battalion's tricks and stood back-to-back with Prince Nolan.

When the sneak attack failed, the commander gave up and shouted, "Attack!"

As soon as the order was given, Serena fired at the commander. "Let's see who dares make a move."

The commander was quick and had been on guard against Serena, but her marksmanship was battlefield-honed—not just target practice. Even if her first shot missed, she wouldn't waste bullets.

The sudden turn shocked the Tiger Guard Battalion. On top of that, the first wave who rushed forward hadn't even attacked before Prince Nolan cut them down with his sword—none of them dared move recklessly now.

Soldiers fear death too. You only get one life—who wouldn't be afraid to lose it?

After three shots in a row, Serena finally hit the commander. He clutched his wound, struggling to order, "What are you all standing around for? Grab them, or we'll all die!"

That shout snapped the Tiger Guard Battalion soldiers out of their daze.

Facing Prince Nolan and Serena, fighting might not mean death. But if they let Serena escape, they were as good as dead.

"Attack!" The Tiger Guard Battalion charged in a frenzy, but just then, an aged but commanding voice shattered their hard-won morale.

"If you don't care about your prince's life, then go ahead and attack."

At the same moment, another order rang out from the vice commander: "Stop! Everyone stop! The prince is in their hands!"

Turns out, Serena's group had taken Prince Damien of Southlyn hostage.

The one holding Prince Damien was a white-haired old man, radiating a murderous aura. His eyes were sharp and bright, and in the firelight, his face glowed red like a lantern.

Serena didn't know this old man, but judging by his aura, he was probably one of the Assassin Alliance elders—the infamous Old Monsters.

Thinking about the bounty on her head—worth tens of thousands in gold—Serena felt a chill run down her spine.

Damn it, why did Dorian Owen bring all these old men here? Wasn't he afraid they'd suddenly decide to snatch her head for themselves?

"Stop—cough, cough... my hand!" Prince Damien's face was turning blue from being choked, and he managed to speak with difficulty.

The old man didn't care whether Prince Damien lived or died. He just gripped his neck and dragged him along, treating the noble prince like livestock.

He dragged Prince Damien all the way to Prince Nolan and Serena, then, seeing them still standing there, snapped impatiently, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go. Or do you want me to put you on horseback myself?"

"Thank you, elder." The old man's tone was harsh, but Prince Nolan didn't mind at all.

As an assassin, raising someone like Dorian Owen was already impressive—so these words were actually quite polite.

The elder nodded. "Kid, at least you know your manners. Makes it worth my trouble to come out." Then, turning to the wary Southlyn soldiers, he barked, "What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and bring out a horse!"

None of the soldiers dared move until Prince Damien managed to croak out a barely audible "Let..." Only then did someone bring out a horse.

Prince Nolan made sure the horse was safe, then led Serena forward. Serena had been quietly hiding herself, but now there was no point—she stepped out openly and thanked the elder. "Thank you, elder!"

"You..." The elder's eyes went wide the moment he saw Serena!