Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"We reported that the magic people got a dragon thanks to us. I wonder if the king thinks that the anti-magic bombs should work even against dragons," Liss said. "We might end up seeing some dragons around soon in human territory."

"It should work on the younger ones," Rain said. "Still, unless they are forced to digest the bombs they are bathed in, I don't think that the old ones will have a hard time dealing with them… he truly doesn't know how strong the dragons are."

Rain wondered about the nature of the dragons' abilities: Dragon's Breath and Dragon's Rage. He thought that both required mana, yet he wondered if Dragon's Rage relied solely on the dragons' fervent emotions or if it, too, had a mana element.

This uncertainty piqued his interest, leading him to explore the potential of incorporating aspects of these formidable techniques into his own set of skills… dragon's Rage would truly be useful in his hands…

When morning came, Rain said bye to his family and friends and then proceeded to move to the waterway. He found some of the sea folk there and told them that he was going to look for some Intel. After that, he began to fly since he would be harder to fight.

Once Rain reached the town where the battalion came from, he noticed that many soldiers were patrolling around. Some that looked like adventurers, too… it seemed that they still didn't know about the sea folk and that no monster was around.

A couple of hours later, Rain was able to find Rhodes. At first, he acted like he wasn't going to the capital, but soon, he changed his direction once he confirmed that he was far beyond Rain's eyes.

"Consider me not surprised, retard," Rain thought.

Just to be sure, Rain took a good look at Rhodes and his aura before entering his tunnel. After that, he dashed toward the area of his home and then filled most of it with dirt to make sure that no one would find it. He still had to have a clear path to talk with Lotto and to head to the castle, after all.

Just like before, Rain suddenly appeared in the middle of Lotto's shop, and he looked like he almost had a heart attack.

"... Can you stop doing that?" Lotto asked. "I am not young, you know? My heart might stop working if you keep doing this."

"Any news?" Rain asked.

"... The castle remains silent, but some of my informants told me that the princess tried to leave the castle a few times, but he was stopped by the guards," Lotto said after he crossed his arms. "Aside from that, many soldiers and royal guards are moving to the border, but I didn't hear anything.

We also can't send merchants to Teria since it is completely under control of the first army and the king's blade."

As time ticked away, Rain remained in the dark about Branden and the others. This growing uncertainty was starting to wear him down, and he felt his patience waning.

The idea of capturing the king to extract information crossed Rain's mind. However, he couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that the king might have employed a double, just as Joanis had in the past. Falling for a similar trick twice was not something Rain was willing to risk.

"I guess I will have to check things there," Rain said while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "What about Brandoe's family? Are they doing anything?"

"No, they are completely quiet," Lotto explained. "I am not sure if they know that he, Orcis, and Lorene have been put in a dungeon. While Orcis doesn't have relatives, those two are too famous to ignore…"

Rain possessed only a limited understanding of Branden and Lorene's parents. Still, he couldn't shake the suspicion that they were well aware of their children's current situation and had consciously chosen to disregard it. It wouldn't be the first time that they had placed their own personal interests and social standing above the welfare of their family.

This pattern of behavior was evident years ago when Roswall and Melody's sons were sent to the dangerous frontlines to retrieve Tristan, an ill-fated mission that ended in their tragic deaths. During that dire time, Branden and Lorene's parents had conspicuously refrained from offering any support or intervention, leaving Rain with a profound sense of skepticism about their motivations.

"At this point in time, it is almost clear that Branden isn't in the capital," Lotto said. "The king wouldn't be able to make him move without leaving traces behind, but Joanis would. He had influence in three cities, two without counting Teria."

The other must be the one where Rain and the others met the first informant… it seemed that his only option was to check those again, but not before checking Teria first.

"All right, I will check those places," Rain declared.

"I heard that the path toward the East was blocked by a waterway that was suddenly created. Thanks to it, we can't send messages to your grandfather," Lotto said.

"That is a countermeasure to avoid future problems. I will pass any messages that you want," Rain said.

"The kingdom might end up suffering some rebellions if people began to starve," Lotto warned. "Some people will end up hating you and your family."

"We will deal with that when the time comes. Still, that is only a result of the actions of the king," Rain said. "No one will die of hunger, but they will have to suffer a bit until they decide to stop following that guy."

"That is what I wanted to hear," Lotto said and then nodded.

Once again, Rain left the storage room and then used the hole and closed it before Lotto could leave the place. Soon after, Rain stopped to take a break before using his magic to feel all the aura and vibrations in the city… after suffering one hell of a migraine, Rain eventually found Rhodes' presence close to the warehouse where he found the prisoners.