"Grender... old man..." The young man's eyes widened.

"Hahaha! He won! I knew that the criminal couldn't do anything to our chief hunter!"

"Hell yeah! Grender, you're the best!"

The difference in strength and physical condition played a role. Even a dozen precise attacks did not help Kreyn win, and it all ended with just one strike from Grender, into which he put all his strength.

Step. Step. Step.

Grender stepped forward as he extended his hand to Kreyn.

"To be honest, I'm impressed." Grender's gaze deepened. "Your attacks... This is not what a normal young man who ended up in prison because of misfortune is capable of."

"Well, what can I say?" Kreyn looked up at the stars. "I had a hard life, even before prison."

Confusion reflected on Grender's face. "How so?"

"I couldn't do what I wanted to do, what I was best at. But, luckily, I finally got that opportunity, and rest assured, I won't let it slip away."

"Hah. I hope so. We've put a lot on the line with our alliance with you."

"I know, but if you don't take risks, you can't win, right?"

…

It was a long day, a very long one, especially for Kreyn and the other three people who found themselves at the Great Lands with him.

From dawn until late at night, he performed one action after another, killing and defeating both monsters and humans, all to conquer the prison and beyond.

Ironically, but from the moment Kreyn woke up in a cell with a rat and a skeleton, he had not once fallen asleep. At the moment, such a luxury was unavailable to him.

Now, he returned from the village, approaching the prison gates. Grender showed them the shortest and fastest route through the Cinder Swamps, which was not marked on the maps, so it took them much less time.

"Well, we're back." Daren slung a bag over his shoulder.

Each of them had one. Inside were food and water, a small supply for their journey. The clothes and other provisions that Malin had promised in exchange for the white horn would arrive later.

"Yeah, I hope everything's okay. If we have any problems in prison, it'll mess up our timing." Kreyn stepped forward, yawning. No matter how he acted, fatigue affected him just as much as the others.

"K-Kreyn..." Liam's voice came from behind. "You have a plan, right? I mean, the Wurhen Family, they'll seek revenge."

In response, Kreyn walked over to Liam and ruffled his blond hair, treating him like a younger brother.

"Of course. I won't say it's a perfect plan, it has plenty of flaws, but our opponents aren't perfect either. Every warrior or plan has weaknesses, all you need to do to win is make sure your weak points aren't as serious, and you make fewer mistakes."

Knock. Knock. Knock.

While they were talking, Daren didn't waste any time and knocked on the gate with his fist.

The bored prisoners who were guarding the entrance were immediately delighted to let their old boss inside.

"Damn it, let's go!" Kreyn turned abruptly, eager to see the results of their work.

The first person in Kreyn's life had always been himself. He didn't hide it, so he was a true egoist who always relied on his own strength and abilities first and foremost, and he was also his own harshest critic.

However, Kreyn wasn't so foolish as to think that everyone else was incapable of anything. He understood that in a big project, everyone's help was important.

No matter how small a person's task was, as long as a large group of people were working, anything was possible — especially if there was a wise leader. Kreyn wasn't worried about this because he had left Azura in charge in his absence.

Crack.

The gates opened as Kreyn entered the prison grounds through the same passage that Enor and Laura had used a few hours earlier. However, a completely different picture unfolded before him.

The mine had been cleared of debris, and there was not a single rock left blocking the passage. The courtyard was tidy, with both trash and the corpses of the guards removed.

The only thing that remained unchanged was the body of the Arakta Worm, as well as its head, on one of the roofs. Well, none of them could figure out that problem yet.

It was early morning, so most of the prisoners were asleep, but not Azura. She stood in the middle of the courtyard, watching the work and giving instructions, when one prisoner ran up to her.

She raised an eyebrow and turned only to see Daren, Liam, and Kreyn walking toward her.

"Oh, you're back, finally..." Azura sighed with relief, losing her cold expression. She could be an ice queen, strict and harsh, to anyone but Kreyn.

Why?

Well, there was no secret or romantic subtext, she just learned it from him when they were children, living across from each other, so their encounter was, in a way, predestined.

"I see that everything is going quite well, right?" Kreyn looked around. "What about the guards and that warden, what was his name? Ah, right, Borko!"

Azura nodded.

"Almost all the guards decided to resist and try to escape after you and Daren left the prison. They believed it was their chance. Well, they're dead. Borko... he's a surprisingly active person, he helps us like no one else. It's even kind of strange."

"Hah, I don't know what's going on, but it seems like being a scary prison warden was never his dream. What about Laura? I don't see her."

For a moment, Azura's gaze darkened as she stepped forward, leaning toward Kreyn's ear so only he could hear her.

"She doesn't know what she wants for herself. She can't decide between freedom and family, between travel and comfort. She's lost."

Kreyn smirked. "Do you want to kill her?"

"Who knows? It depends on her." Azura added without a hint of mercy in her eyes.

Suddenly, a prisoner's cry rang out from one of the watchtowers:

"I see a convoy! Someone is riding ahead on horseback!"

Kreyn turned toward the gate as he gestured for it to be opened.

"Looks like we have guests. Just in time!"

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