The trio followed behind Amos and the Hidden Master down a narrow stairway.
Adam and Rose were extremely wary of William after seeing that disgusting sight earlier, especially Rose, who had never seen such a scene before.
She hid behind Adam as tears were evident in her large eyes.
William couldn't help but sigh at this sight but didn't say anything. She, after all, had to grow up and learn of the harsh truth, but for now, he would let her be innocent for a little longer.
Since his mana reserves were empty, he could barely continue walking, and his whole body felt weak. He was currently experiencing a state of mana exhaustion, which was going to last as long as he didn't recover his mana.
His complexion was ashen, and Adam had to support him down the stairs.
After descending, they could see another small door at the end.
Amos opened the door, and a small office greeted them with countless bookshelves. White orbs floated in the air, brightening up the otherwise dark room.
The Hidden Master escorted them to their seats as Amos closed the door behind them, standing in front of it like a guard.
"At first, I was interested in knowing about Baron Byrd, but now I don't even care about him. Tell me, William Virtu, how did you know that my subordinates were demon slaves?"
The Hidden Master asked solemnly.
He couldn't understand how this kid in front of him could distinguish the people who possessed the demonic seeds.
It was easy for him to know everything about William and his siblings, from their birthplace to their family secrets and even their relationships, but he was shocked to learn that this kid was a third-grade mage apprentice.
If Amos hadn't informed him beforehand, he, too, would have been shocked and been unable to react in time. After all, he was just a first-stage mage himself with only hopes of reaching the second-grade mage stage. He suspected that William was not human, or at least a creature that took the identity of William Virtu.
Thankfully, he was able to get a hold of this position thanks to his aspect, [Night Stalker].
It was an aspect that allowed him to be in two places simultaneously, creating a 'shadow clone' that looked exactly like him and allowing him to swap souls between the two bodies, essentially making him almost immortal unless both bodies were compromised.
William knew this quite well since he was also part of the organization before his death. In fact, not only was he a part of it, he had become the next Hidden Master.
William glanced around, reminiscing about how the room didn't change even after the demon invasion started. He wondered how long this ancient place would last this time. After all, Pandora was already established before the empire even existed.
Looking at the Hidden Master, he smiled again, his gaze calm and serene.
"Irwin Hamilton, Vice-Leader of the Bard Guild, does that ring a bell?"
He said, his green eyes had a sharp glint to them.
The Hidden Master's expression became ashen as mana rushed out of his body.
"You! Who are you?!"
He shouted, mana congregating on his right hand as a staff appeared, magic circles constructed in front of him in mere seconds, activating the defensive measures of the hideout.
Amos also became alert as he created countless magic circles before the door, sealing any of their exits.
Adam and Rose were frightened. Adam brandished his aura as the metal inside the room gathered on his body, and armor formed, covering him and Rose.
On the other hand, William stood there calmly, his whole body stationary and exhausted.
"Just calm down for a second and listen, it's going to take a few minutes."
Sighed William, not understanding their hurry. Since he was fragile at the moment, his voice came out quite hoarse, prompting the duo to stop for a moment and inspect his condition.
After a few seconds of scrutiny, they turned off their magic spells, expressing doubt.
"I'm not here to fight, I'm here to ask for your assistance. Like I said before, Baron Max Byrd is going to betray the empire, our family is just the start. I'm sure that you already know everything related to us."
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William continued, coughing up a mouthful of blood in the process.
"Are you sure it's alright for you to continue talking like this?"
Adam couldn't help but interject, feeling something amiss with his younger brother.
"It's fine… I used some measures to ensure we were going to escape safely, so I'm experiencing the aftermath of my actions."
William just briefly explained things, his gaze falling on the Hidden Master once again.
The Hidden Master relaxed his stance, still wary but not as hostile as before.
"Why should I help you? What's in it for me?"
Hearing his question, William began feeling a bit more relieved, his words finally getting through.
"We know about your true identity, and we can keep it a secret. Plus, we're not asking for it for free, the information I'm going to give Pandora is more than enough to warrant your assistance, after all the fate of the world relies on this information."
The Hidden Master frowned. That's right, they knew his true identity, Irwin Hamilton, Vice-Leader of the Bard Guild. Just with this information alone, it was enough for them to threaten him and a reason for him to kill them right here and now, but he held this thought back.
"I'll first listen to what the information is and then decide if it is truly the case, otherwise I think we won't be needing you anymore."
He threatened, black fog spreading from his body.
William chuckled at his provocation and didn't take it to heart. To begin with, he had nothing to lose from their deal. In his previous life, he lost everything, but now he had a chance to save his ruined family. He wouldn't miss this opportunity despite the risks.
Seeing that the Hidden Master was still on the edge about his info, William decided to give him enough information for them to get the backing they needed.
"Baron Byrd's accomplices are Marquis Cameron McKee, Queen Valerie Webster, and Grand Duchess Judy Rothsgomery, but you probably already know this, you are the leader of Pandora after all, however, do you know what all these people have in common, other than being nobles and allies?"
William asked, a giant grin spreading on his lips. Since he had lost so much mana and had coughed up a lot of blood, his face was ashen, giving him a creepy charm.
"What?"
The Hidden Master asked, not wanting to play with William's childish ways.
William stretched out his hand, the demonic seed in his hand revealing itself once again.
The Hidden Master opened his eyes wide, understanding the meaning behind William's action.
"You are saying that they have betrayed Roia and joined the demon's side?!"
The Hidden Master shouted in disbelief.
As the tension filled the room, William took a deep breath, trying to steady himself despite his weakened state. His green eyes shone with determination as he looked at the Hidden Master.
"Yes, they've betrayed Roia and aligned themselves with the demons."
William confirmed his voice firm despite the fatigue evident in his tone.
The Hidden Master's expression shifted from disbelief to a grim realization. He understood the gravity of William's revelation and its danger to the kingdom.
"We need to act quickly."
The Hidden Master muttered, his mind racing with the implications of this new information.
"But first, I need a mana potion to regain some strength. I used a forbidden method, and I won't last long without replenishing my mana."
William interrupted, his voice strained.
The Hidden Master glanced at William, weighing his options. Despite his suspicions and reservations, he knew William's knowledge was invaluable. He couldn't afford to let William perish before he shared everything he knew.
Also, the fact that William revealed that he had increased his strength through this forbidden method somehow made him feel more trustworthy.
"Amos, fetch a mana potion from our supplies."
The Hidden Master ordered, his voice commanding.
Amos nodded and hurried off, leaving the room momentarily.
William smiled at Amos's departing figure, finally feeling relieved. He felt like he was at death's door. Sadly, he knew that the mana potion would only stabilize his condition and not improve it.
He would have to wait roughly a month to recover from the forbidden spell's backlash completely.
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At the far north of the Thelwedean empire, a man sat on top of a pile of corpses, his body exuding endless steam as a white aura permeated his white armor.
The long sword that he used as support had countless fractures and even seemed to be shattered in some places.
He panted as his messy and bloody long hair covered his face, sticking to it like glue.
At that moment, a figure that was not far from him appeared.
The figure wore a long gray robe covering most of its body and a hood covering its facial features.
Seeing that the man didn't react to its appearance, the figure approached closer, raising its bony hand, a magic staff appearing on it.
After reaching a particular area around the man, he suddenly raised his longsword and swung it, his eyes pure white, as if unconscious.
A strong aura splits the wind, causing sonic waves to pour into the surroundings.
The figure stepped back as its hood was blown away by the force, revealing a bright blue skull.
The skull opened its jaw as it cackled loudly, its bones clanging.
"Oh Malcolm, how long has it been? I've already sent over fifty thousand undead, but you still haven't given up. If I wasn't a fourth-stage Necromancer, it would have been impossible to capture you, thankfully, that should have been your last stand."
Just as he spoke, the man collapsed on the floor, completely exhausted.
"You truly deserve the title of grand knight. No wonder that trash Baron Byrd wanted to capture you so badly, thankfully we can do him a favor and also get rid of a great obstacle."
The skeleton Muttered as the flames on its eye-sockets lit up brightly.
“[Tier-4 Spell, Bone Cage]”
Shouted the skeleton as bones rose from the ground, covering the man entirely and trapping him inside.
Seeing that the man didn't struggle, the skeleton heaved a sigh of relief, summoning the undead to move the cage for him.
At that moment, a voice was transmitted to the skeleton.
"Ellis, did you capture him?"
The skeleton responded in a hurry after hearing the voice.
"Yes, Your Highness, I will now return to the grand prison for his execution."
The voice seemed pleased as it ordered him to hurry after Hearing his response.
Ellis, the skeleton, sighed as he glanced around the blood and gore-covered snow.
'My poor minions, I nurtured them for so long and they died like cannon fodder.'
He thought, as tears almost fell from his skinless face.
The skeleton's full name was Ellis White, also known as the Blue Lich, while the man he had just captured was the Baronet, Malcolm Don Virtu, William's father.