Chapter 396 The Plan to Infiltrate the Prison

’Azriel and Cielle, captains of the second division of holy knights... interesting. I believe Alicia prepared detailed information about the Church for me, regarding their most prominent members, just as she did with the demon kings. I need to review it.’

By the time Edwin finished his sentence, there was no trace left of the enthusiasm with which he had mentioned his idea a minute ago.

That was exactly why he had ended up turning to the demon king.

Ryan looked at him carefully before making a decision. He analyzed Edwin’s every gesture: the tension in his jaw, the exhaustion in his voice, and the way he had laid out his own limitations.

He didn’t seem to be lying about his son-in-law’s arrest. There were no false notes in his concern, nor did it seem like a trap set to lure him into a prison guarded by holy knights. Besides, Ryan didn’t have to just take his word for it.

It was something he could easily confirm with the spies he had left in Kallistia. A quick inquiry would be enough to verify if Edwin’s son-in-law was truly locked up in Calamander Tower and the conditions under which the arrest took place.

Nor was it a coincidence that they were having this conversation today.

If Ryan had decided to trust Edwin for this weapons distribution task, it was precisely because he had already investigated him more than once. He needed to verify that he wasn’t loyal to the church.

You didn’t hand a deal like that to a stranger without checking their track record first.

The fact that Edwin and his people traded with mercenaries and assassins was already proof enough of that. A church devotee would never have acted in such a manner.

Certainly, the Church has done vile and unquestionable things, but its followers still believe in it. Although many now oppose it, the truth is that the church in the service of the deity still has many nations as allies.

While Edwin waited in silence, Ryan went over the general scheme in his head once more to smooth out the rough edges that didn’t suit him.

’Edwin is proposing to start a riot in Calamander Tower on the day of the tournament. It really isn’t a bad plan.’

The date was ideal. With the church’s attention fixed on Geizan, the room to maneuver inside the prison would be much greater.

The only real problem was who appeared to be behind the hit.

’But currently I don’t want Edwin to lose the church’s trust,’ Ryan thought, ruling out the merchant putting his own people on the operation. ’Or, to put it another way, I don’t want him labeled as an enemy.’

He needed Edwin operating unhindered in Kallistia, free of suspicion, to move the weaponry without the holy knights coming down on him before he even started.

For Edwin to stay clean, the disaster at Calamander Tower had to come from somewhere else. And that was where a piece he already had on hand slotted right into place.

’The fact that William is here changes things. I wanted to prevent him from participating in the battle to rescue his sister, and this is a good opportunity to assign his little group a mission and keep them busy.’

In a single move, he could keep William away from where he didn’t want him and, at the same time, fulfill Edwin’s request.

Ryan continued weaving the details together in silence, checking how each part held up the next without leaving any loose ends.

’I mean, what I have in mind will only work because William is here. I can send the two criminals, just as Edwin had imagined. If they go in pretending to be William’s prisoners, I can have William maintain his role as a double agent a little longer.’

No one would doubt a delivery made by him. On the contrary, bringing two dangerous pieces straight to Calamander Tower would reinforce his position in the eyes of the church.

Of course, once inside, the heavy lifting would fall to the fake prisoners. Because of this, he couldn’t choose just anyone.

’For that to work, the two people I choose for this criminal role must be strong enough. They must be able to take on several S-ranks even without weapons. And of course, they must seem like criminals both in their attitude and in their track record.’

With Azriel or Vice-captain Cielle patrolling the hallways of Calamander Tower prison, sending just anyone would be like sending them to the slaughterhouse. Furthermore, it wasn’t enough for them to know how to fight; a self-sufficient, credible cover story was also needed.

’I need their reputation to precede them, so that no one is surprised when they cause an uproar, starting a riot that allows the prisoners to escape.’

Ryan understood that this mission did not require the subtlety or delicacy of a skilled spy; there was no need to play an actor’s role, and even so, the actions of that pair of fake criminals would speak for themselves.

If two feared figures broke their chains and turned the tower upside down, everyone would only see what they expected to see.

’The fact that Edwin’s son-in-law disappears in the midst of those problems won’t be attributed to William or Edwin,’ Ryan concluded. ’Of course, William being in that nation will help ensure the rest of the criminals don’t escape.’

Measured chaos from beginning to end.

In a matter of seconds, Ryan began to see his plan taking shape.

It protected Edwin’s position with the church, kept William away from the battle for his sister, prolonged his role as a double agent, and closed the deal in Kallistia.

A smile formed on his face.

The people they sent had to be human so the church wouldn’t try to execute them immediately. He didn’t need to look too hard to fill the two vacant spots for the riot; the ideal candidates to raise a fuss of that caliber were already in his mind.

’And I know exactly who the right people for this mission are.’

With everything resolved in his head, Ryan focused his attention back on Edwin, who was still waiting in silence with a tense expression.

"Alright, Edwin, I agree to rescue your son-in-law," Ryan said calmly.

"Just leave it in my hands."