Meanwhile, on Will's side, he and Lisa had successfully arrived at the entrance of the royal palace. The Palace of Arus was surrounded by a thick outer wall, and at the forefront, a grand gate, encased with iron bars, stood closed. Before the gate, two mages stood guard.
"Shall we make our move?" Will asked Lisa, as they stood not far from the palace gate.
"Of course, unless you have another way of getting through," Lisa retorted, raising an eyebrow.
"Alright, here I go," Will said, and began slowly walking towards the two mages standing at the gate.
"Wait... this time, just you go. I'll refrain from engaging," Lisa called out to Will.
"What? How can I possibly take on two mages by myself?" Will turned back, voicing his concern.
"I'll simply disrupt their magic," Lisa answered calmly.
Will looked at her, not fully understanding, but in the end, he agreed. Lisa had her own reasons—she wished to conserve her strength, for she knew that her inevitable encounter with Merlyn later would demand her at her best. She could not afford to face him in anything less than peak condition. Will, on the other hand, unsheathed the holy sword Durandal that had belonged to Sir Leon, and prepared for battle as Lisa stood off to the side, observing.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Will greeted the mages with a smile as he approached.
"Who are you? You're not allowed to come any closer! We will take action if you do!" one of the mages shouted, raising his voice.
"Don't worry, I'll be the one to make the first move," Will replied, still smiling. With that, he suddenly surged forward, charging at the two mages.
"Dammit! You're asking for trouble!" One of the mages extended his hand, immediately launching a fireball at Will. The other mage, meanwhile, took out a small pouch of white powder from his robe and drew a circle on the ground, continually striking the center of the circle with his staff.
"Will, don't mind that mage—go after the one who's summoning the undead," Lisa shouted, and Will quickly altered his course, charging toward the mage performing the summoning ritual. Lisa, in turn, cast a spell to disrupt the fireball, sending it veering off its intended path.
"What? There's another mage?" the fireball-throwing mage exclaimed, surprised.
Will reached the summoning mage in an instant, decisively raising his sword and cleaving the mage's staff in two. With a powerful kick, he sent the mage crashing into the palace wall behind him, and the impact knocked him unconscious.
Meanwhile, the other mage, who was preparing a second fireball, had no chance to act. Will closed the distance with lightning speed, slashing his sword to sever the mage's staff before striking the mage on the head with the hilt of his blade. The mage collapsed, dazed and defeated.
"That was quick," Will said, turning to Lisa with a smug grin.
"You're so naive. If I hadn't told you to deal with the summoner first, you'd be facing three of them right now," Lisa replied coldly.
"Ah, Lisa, you're too harsh!" Will, who had been pleased with his quick victory, was suddenly deflated by Lisa's sharp remark. He walked up to the locked gate and kicked it open with ease.
"Lisa, may I ask you a question?" Will inquired as they proceeded inside.
"What is it?"
"Why is it that you and Merlyn can cast magic without wands, while these mages rely on them?"
"Wands amplify a mage's power. Technically, all mages can cast spells without wands, but some lack the necessary magical energy, so they use wands to boost their abilities. Understand?" Lisa explained.
"Oh... so what you're saying is, you're stronger," Will teased.
"Hmph, if you want to find out, just try me," Lisa responded, her voice laced with challenge.
"No, no, I wouldn't dare. I think even with Jin, we couldn't beat you," Will quickly backed down, sensing the tension.
"But I'd really like to know who's stronger— you or Merlyn," Will said suddenly, his tone turning serious.
"I'd like to know too," Lisa answered softly, her eyes clouded with uncertainty.
...
Meanwhile, at the tower, Jin and General Lei had made their way to the top of the tower. It was the only room there, the one designated for imprisoning prisoners.
"This must be it. This room is the only one here, and it's the only place fit for holding prisoners," Jin whispered to General Lei, hiding behind a corner.
"This was once the king's favorite place to be. The tower was built for his first wife, and this room is filled with her belongings. Perhaps the king found some solace here," General Lei murmured, gazing at the room where the king was likely held.
"Are you joking? How could anyone find solace in such a small, confined space?" Jin immediately countered.
"Alright, I'll handle the one on the left, you take the one on the right. I'll count to three, and we charge," Jin instructed.
"Understood."
"One, two, three!" Jin said, immediately dashing forward with blinding speed to confront the mage on the left. His movement was so fast that General Lei barely had time to react.
Jin was direct—he reached the mage and landed a powerful punch to the mage's face, sending the mage crashing against the wall, unconscious. By the time General Lei processed what had happened, he swiftly moved to the right, kicking the mage's feet out from under him. With a quick jab, he punched the mage in the face, sending him sprawling to the floor, equally unconscious.
"What's wrong with you? You're a bit distracted," General Lei chided, noticing that he had taken a second longer to react. But he said nothing further, knowing deep down that his younger brother, Jin, had far surpassed him in skill without him even realizing it.
Jin walked up to the door of the room and gently pushed it open. As General Lei had described, the room was a storage area, neatly arranged with various items. The walls were adorned with portraits of the same woman—undoubtedly the king's first wife, as General Lei had mentioned. In the bookshelves, numerous books were displayed, indicating that the queen had been an avid reader. The king's family—his mother, wife, and son—were all bound with ropes, their mouths sealed shut.
"King, Mother, Lian, Wu— we've come to rescue you," General Lei said, his eyes brimming with tears of relief as he gazed at the four intact figures before him.