I'm a Immortal Tavernkeeper, But My S-Rank Daughter Doesn't Know That!

"Are you out of your mind?" Robe questioned, trying to keep his voice as low as possible while showing his indignation at Victor’s plan. "They already want us dead, but at least they tried to do it quietly before. If you decide to storm the duke’s castle, they’ll have unrestricted orders to kill you. That would be suicide for you."

Victor looked into Robe’s eyes, firm and determined. "I know it sounds crazy, Robe, but I don’t see any other way to save Wanda and end this nightmare. If I don’t try, who else will?"

Robe pondered for a moment, his expression mixing concern and hesitation. He knew Victor was right about the need to act, but the plan presented an extreme risk. However, as he stared into Victor’s resolute gaze, something inside him ignited. The hunter’s courage and determination were contagious, and Robe had already seen first-hand how powerful this hunter was.

"All right, White Bear. We’ll do it your way." said Robe, finally giving in to his fellow escapee’s determination. "But we’ll need a solid plan to make sure we both get out of this alive."

Victor smiled, appreciating Robe’s courage. "All right... Before Wanda released you from that prison, you were arrested for breaking into the duke’s vault. You must know a lot about the inside of the castle."

The thief nodded in agreement. "Yes, and now I think that was the worst decision I’ve ever made in my life." He said, looking somewhat exhausted.

"Please tell me what you know and I’ll use it to try and make everything work." Victor put a hand on Robe’s shoulder and asked.

Robe was surprised by the way the request was made to him, so of course he accepted.

The two of them crouched down behind a pile of old boxes near the exit of the dungeons, where they could discuss the details of the plan in secret. Robe recounted every element he knew about the castle, and Victor explained the plan he had in mind while Robe listened attentively, asking pointed questions to clear up any doubts.

"To recap: when I enter the castle, I’m going to become a distraction flashy enough to attract the attention of as many guards as possible," began Victor, pointing to a rudimentary map drawn on the stone floor. "In the meantime, you’ll take the opportunity to quietly infiltrate the floors and find Wanda. Hopefully, in order not to disturb the mobilization of the guards who will be leaving the dungeons for the castle, the gates in the corridors won’t be closed and you’ll be able to move around without any problems. Besides, the situation will be so urgent that the guards will be in a hurry and will answer any of your questions, so take advantage of that."

Robe agreed with a positive nod, understanding the plan. "And then?"

"Later, we’ll meet outside, in the northeast tower of the castle. If everything goes according to plan, Wanda will be with you. If I’m not there, talk to her, because she’ll know where to find me," explained Victor.

The two men exchanged a determined look, ready to put the plan into action. With a nod, they parted, each going his own way to fulfill his part of the plan.

Victor prepared himself mentally as he spied the iron door guarded by the soldiers. He knew he needed to be a convincing distraction to get everyone’s attention, so he couldn’t be too stealthy, but if he was too flashy, he would end up being surrounded. Victor’s heart was racing in his chest. He was almost certain that he would die again and the pain of death would be as intense as the previous times, but death was also the factor that had saved him up to this point, so he couldn’t fear it. He took a deep breath, focusing his mind and channeling all the courage he possessed.

Then Victor finally emerged from the shadows and began to walk slowly towards the guards who, surprised by the prisoner’s sudden appearance, quickly turned to face him. One of them raised a sword, and the other reached for a whistle hanging around his neck.

"What are you doing here, prisoner? Get back in your saddle immediately!" ordered the guard with the sword, pointing it in Victor’s direction.

"He’s the man you were interrogating a few hours ago." The other said.

"What? That means he’s..."

Although the men already knew who he was, Victor raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Don’t worry, my good officers. I’m just passing through and the exit from here happens to be right behind you. If you don’t try to stop me, I can spare you the use of violence."

The guards exchanged suspicious glances, clearly not believing Victor’s story as he slowly walked towards them. Letting a prisoner from the dungeons pass through that door without resistance was simply an absurd idea. The door wasn’t directly connected to the inside of the castle, but it was to the inner courtyard, where Victor could surely find a way into the castle, which would leave Duke Olyno in danger.

In other words, for the guards in charge of protecting and guarding the exit, this was an easy decision, or rather, it should have been easy. However, things weren’t that simple.

Victor had long, gray hair that fell softly over his complexion, and his eyes between those locks were very different from any other man those young guards had ever seen in their lives. These guards had seen murderers condemned to death, hunters who had committed atrocities and enemies of the state, all of whom had passed through those doors and never left, but Victor’s gaze was different, not cold, but menacing, as if he were willing to do anything for the sake of his only goal.

So, within seconds of hearing Victor’s request, they felt their bodies go numb and their minds clouded with these thoughts and, in what seemed like only a second, Victor had already passed them and pushed the big one with one hand.

"Thanks for your cooperation, guys."

On the other side of the large iron door, which was uselessly protected by the guards paralyzed with fear, there was a large staircase, which Victor climbed without any haste.

In the courtyard above the dungeons, several guards were spread out, playing cards and chatting. It was the place where they usually stayed between shifts watching the walls and the streets of the noble district, so there were at least twenty men resting at that moment. However, when they heard the sound of the dungeon doors opening, they got up and stood at attention, because they knew there were some high-ranking officers in the dungeons that night. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

It came as a huge shock to them when, instead of one of the lieutenants and sub-lieutenants, an old man in disheveled clothes appeared at the top of the stairs.

Victor looked around, scratched the back of his head with one hand and said:

"Oh, shit..."

At the same time, one of the guards who had been guarding the exit doors to the dungeons finally used his warning whistle, and that shrill sound echoed not only through the narrow corridors of the underground, but also throughout the courtyard outside, warning the soldiers there that someone had managed to escape from the dungeons.