As they walked quickly back toward the Sylvanthe estate, Viorel explained everything to Aric and Kail. Her voice was shaky, but she tried her best to stay calm.
"There were seven of them," she said. "They came out of nowhere and stole the documents Renna had been searching for... the same ones we thought were locked away."
Aric looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "Seven?"
Viorel nodded. "And they freed her too. Renna. She was one of them. She didn't resist or anything. She acted like she was part of their group from the start."
Kail clenched his fists. "That means she was working with them the whole time."
Viorel's steps slowed. "Yes. But we managed to stop them before they could leave the mansion. They're still hiding somewhere inside. That's why I came to find you two. I searched around the town first but you weren't there. I asked around and someone said The Hero was seen going into the Demon Forest. I almost gave up searching until I saw you."
Aric gave a small nod. "We just returned. Good timing."
When they arrived at the estate, the guards were already in motion. The mansion was tense. Knights rushed through the halls, checking rooms, corners, and behind tapestries.
Viorel led them to the inner courtyard. "They haven't left the mansion yet. They're still inside somewhere. There are a lot of hidden places here Renna know of. They might be there. The hidden places were made in case my family was attacked and since Renna basically raised me she knows them all."
Without wasting time, Aric and Kail joined the search. They went through hallways, opened doors, checked windows, and helped direct a few guards. The estate was big, and with so many places to hide, it took a while.
Finally, after almost an hour, someone shouted.
"They're in the west wing!"
Aric and Kail ran alongside a group of knights. The intruders had been found hiding near the servants' quarters in a hidden place. When they got there, the seven cloaked figures and Renna were already surrounded.
The moment they were spotted, they tried to run. A few guards blocked the exits, but instead of fighting with weapons, they threw spells and kicked over furniture. Some tables shattered, and a few windows broke. Pieces of decorations fell off the walls.
"Stop! Don't damage the mansion any further!" one of the knights yelled.
Instead of charging, they tried to trap the intruders by pushing them toward the eastern gate. It worked. The intruders had no way left to run.
But just as they thought it was over, a man in a hooded cloak appeared at the gate. He stood calmly, blocking the exit.
Aric's eyes widened.
"That's an eighth one," Kail said.
They weren't trying to hide anymore.
Aric pulled out his sword. "Outside the mansion. No more reason to hold back."
The others nodded, and the real fight began.
The intruders used magic. Strong spells. Fire, water, even wind magic. Aric noticed that some of them were sword users too.
But Aric wasn't holding back either. He dashed forward, blocking spells with wind, and knocking down two enemies with precise strikes.
Kail fought alongside him, using light magic to blind one opponent and water magic to trip another. The knights helped corner the rest.
In the end, after a tough battle, they managed to capture all eight intruders and Renna.
Their hoods were removed one by one.
Aric stared.
It was Leno. And behind him, his party.
Aric blinked. "What...?"
Leno didn't say anything at first.
"Explain yourselves," one of the guards said.
Leno sighed and looked at Aric and Kail.
"We didn't want to fight you guys. That wasn't the plan."
Viorel stepped forward, her expression hard. "Then what was the plan?"
Leno exchanged glances with his party members. "We're part of a group. We work in secret. Spies, you could say. With one men leading us all."
"Which one?" Aric asked.
Leno shook his head. "Can't say. We weren't given names. Just orders. Renna sent a message a while ago... then she stopped sending anything. Our job was to come here and get the documents she was looking for. That's it."
Kail narrowed his eyes. "You attacked a noble mansion."
"We didn't hurt anyone inside. We planned everything. But... I guess things didn't go how we expected. I was supposed to distract you Aric and Kail, while my party attacked the Sylvanthe Family."
The guards didn't wait for more.
Lord Alderon arrived not long after and gave the order.
"Take them all to the underground cells. They'll be held until judgment."
Viorel's eyes lowered. "What about Renna?"
Lord Alderon's voice was cold. "She'll face the same punishment."
Three days passed.
The intruders, including Leno and his party, were executed. None of them revealed who sent them. Not even Renna.
The mansion returned to its usual state, but things were different now. The atmosphere was heavy.
Viorel kept to herself more. She stayed in her room often, only coming out when called.
Aric and Kail returned to the inn they originally stayed in. The streets felt quieter now. Even the sky seemed darker that day.
As they walked, they stayed silent for a while. Finally, Kail spoke.
"Do you think Renna really betrayed them?"
Aric nodded slowly. "Yes. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. The signs were there. Her reaction back then. The gold symbol. The magic. The face Viorel saw. All of it, plus she said herself that she was a spy."
They arrived at the inn.
The innkeeper greeted them kindly. "Oh! You two are back."
"Yeah," Aric said. "We're back."
The man gave them their old room and asked no questions. They settled in, putting their things down quietly.
After a bit, Kail sat near the window.
"Everything's changed, huh?"
Aric leaned against the wall. "Yeah. It has."
The chapter ended not with a big explosion or victory. But with quiet. The kind that stays with you after something heavy.
No one knew who sent Renna or Leno's group. No names. No clues.
Only silence.