The Princess And The Lord-Chapter 1403: A Mad Man

Their hearts pounded as they stared at the door now sealed shut, realizing how much trouble they’d have been in if they hadn’t made it out in time. Serena’s face turned ashen, but Lory and the others had already begun to collect themselves barely affected by what happened.

"Cover your face—especially you, Lory," Stephan warned as he pulled a black mask over his own, leaving nothing identifiable, not even for the most advanced facial recognition systems.

Lory didn’t need an explanation to grasp the gravity of their situation. Without a word, she summoned a full-face mask, then place on her face to conceal her identity completely. Fargo followed suit a moment later.

They all knew the stakes—if word got out that the Archknights of Harlands had infiltrated the private headquarters of the world’s most respected organization, it would spark a global uproar.

They heard the thunder of numerous boots storming toward them. Serena gulped anxiously, while the others remained calm, each doing a quick stretch to loosen up.

"You guys ready?" Stephan asked, far too calmly for the chaos about to unfold.

"I was born ready!" Fargo declared, flashing a wide grin like he was about to walk a red carpet instead of into danger.

Stephan blinked at him, his voice dripping with disgust. "...You’re not even a little embarrassed saying that?"

"No way," Fargo replied, unbothered. "I say it proudly."

Lory rolled her eyes at fargo shenanigans. Lory then stepped beside serena then putting her hand convincingly on Serena’s shoulder. "Don’t worry, I will keep you safe"

Stephan nodded, then turned to Fargo. "I go left, you go right."

"And I’ll take whatever’s in the middle," Lory chimed in with a smirk.

Not long after the guards flooded in, weapons drawn and eyes burning with intent. Stephan moved like a shadow, sliding left to intercept the first wave. Fargo dashed right, slamming into the nearest guard with the force of a battering ram. Lory stood her ground, shielding Serena, her daggers gleaming under the glitering light.

It only took a few seconds for Fargo and Stephan to eliminate the guards. Without wasting time, they continued running through the corridor and climbed the stairs. But as they reached the upper floor, the enemy was already waiting for them — dozens of paladin wearing fancy white uniform appear before them looking proud and arrogant.

"You think yo can get out of here, Rats?!" The paladin scoffed.

"You are not going anywhere!" the other Paladin take out his sword soon the sord engulf by radiant white light.

In Fargo and Stephan’s opinion, upon closer inspection, the sword looked more like a glowing neon stick. It didn’t emit the overwhelming pressure like the Seven Gods’ Sword or warmth like the Trinity Staff.

Serena shrank back, trembling at the sight of dozens of ordinary guards and a group of Paladin has waiting for them. Though she had no doubt about Lory and the Archknights’ abilities, she still wondered if they could really get away unscathed.

On the other hand, Lory and the others showed not the slightest hint of fear—if anything, they seemed a little excited. That was about it. They exchanged a tacit look with faint smiles hidden behind their masks.

"Have fun, guys," Lory chuckled.

Fargo drew a blade from his waist and charged toward the Paladin, with Stephan close behind. With a single powerful strike, they shattered the Paladin’s formation, sending the soldiers scattering in all directions, desperately trying to dodge the ferocious assault.

Meanwhile, Lory erected a protective shield around Serena, then swiftly pulled a hidden knife and hurled it at a guard. Without hesitation, she lunged forward, daggers in hand. Spinning through the air, she struck with deadly grace, slicing through the ranks in a single sweeping motion. Blood splattered into the air as the guards fell around her one by one.

The Paladins looked impressive—radiant armor, glowing shields, and flashy light bolts—but in truth, they were barely stronger than B-class hunters. Their attacks, while dramatic, lacked real power. The light bolts fizzled harmlessly, and their shining shields shattered under the force of Fargo and Stephan’s assault.

Fargo frowned, unimpressed. For all the hype surrounding the so-called Paladins, this was disappointingly easy. Honestly, he’d been hoping for a bit more of a challenge.

"Why are they so weak?" Fargo ask Stephan in low voice.

"Who knows?" Stephan had no time to worry about it cause more and more paladin came at their direction, thought he had no worry to take them down but what worry him if the enemy knew their identity through their Gift and most of all they knew about Lory.

It was his mistakes that caused Lory to search for him, though most of it is Fargo and Fredhardt’s fault, but he still took a big part in it. Therefore, he must make sure Lory’s identity remains hidden at all costs.

Funny how Stephan blame everyone but not Lory who actually at fault in this whole situation, then again he always spoiled that little girl since day one and after reunited with her again, one could imagine how much Stephan would spoil Lory.

They ran through the hall but were intercepted once again by members of the Paladin Order. A barrage of attacks lit up the room with a blinding flash as the floor, walls, and surrounding objects shattered under the impact.

Lory Fargo and the others avoided using their full powers to maintain their anonymity, relying only on basic spells like body enhancement to increase their speed.

Fargo and Stephan slashed at the roots with their weapons, while Lory cut the coils binding her legs and then sliced through the vines entangling Serena. She hoisted Serena into her arms and leapt to avoid the spreading mass of vines now covering the floor.

Stephan and Fargo hurled fire bombs at the creeping plants as they jumped into the air. Explosions echoed through the hall, one after another, eventually bringing down the massive pillars that lined the room.

Lory and the others were about to use the chaos as a chance to slip away when suddenly, a massive tree trunk burst through the floor, blocking the exit.

They were forced to halt in their tracks just as the sound of slow, monotonous applause echoed through the room. As the smoke began to clear, a tall, muscular man with dark skin and piercing black eyes emerged from behind the dust. His uniform was different from the other Paladins’, indicating he held a higher rank.

Behind him stood a thin, pale man with messy, bright orange hair.

Unlike the man before him, his uniform was messy and dirty if it had never been washed for weeks. The man had little care about his appearance only his dark grey eyes fixated on Fargo with a disturbing mix of excitement and bloodlust, the man licked his lips as if he was aroused. No explanation was needed—anyone could see the man was clearly unhinged.

Lory give Fargo a pitty look ’I think he likes you’

Fargo’s mouth twitched—he didn’t like men, okay? And if he ever were to like someone because he got hit or something, it would be with someone like Lory’s husband, Zhao Li Xin! But of course, he would never say that out loud, knowing that Lory would give him a good beating.

The man spoke in Dolza language, saying, "Hello, I’m Ellias Khan, second-in-command of the Constellation, and this is my co-worker, Simon Ross. May I know who our guests are?"

"Do you always stop your guests from leaving?" Stephan asked, his voice tight with irritation.

Ellias shrugged, a cold, predatory grin spreading across his face. "Only when they want to leave without a word, that’s rude, don’t you think?"

All of a sudden, Simon stepped forward and seized Ellias by the sleeve. His voice was eerily cheerful. "Elly, I want that big one. He looks strong. It’ll be fun to play with him for a while."

A chill ran down Fargo’s spine as Simon’s eyes gleamed with a cruel light, locking onto him like a predator sighting prey.

Ellias didn’t even flinch. He simply gave a casual nod, as if he was already used to it. "Fine. But don’t kill him, okay? Cause I still havea few questions for him."

Simon let out a creepy grin. "Okay, I’ll make sure he will not be dead, but I can crack a few bones, right? It’s not fun if it’s not." he whines like a child.

"Sure~" Eliias tilted his head and smiled kindly like a gentle parent.

"Hey! What makes you think I’m easy to kill?" Fargo snapped, clearly offended by their low opinion of him. Did he look that weak or something?

"Really? Do you promise you won’t die too quickly?" he asked, his voice low and hushed, almost reverent—like he was savoring the moment. His face, shrouded in a heavy gloom just seconds before, suddenly lit up with an unnatural delight. Then came the laugh—sharp, jagged, and wrong. It echoed off the walls like something torn from a nightmare.

"You see," he continued, eyes gleaming with feverish excitement, "the last ones... they didn’t last. They screamed, they begged, but it was over so fast. One moment they were squirming, giving me hope... and the next they were limp. Silent. Just lying there like broken toys. It was pathetic. Disappointing."

He leaned in slightly, his breath cold and sour, as if he fed on fear itself. "I didn’t even get to enjoy it. No challenge, no thrill. Just... dead weight. It’s been so dull lately, and I’m so very tired of boring people," he sounded dejected.

His grin widened, stretching unnaturally. "But you... I think you might be different. I hope you scream louder. Run faster. Last longer. Give me something to remember. Because I’ve been so bored all this while... and I really, really want to have fun."

The corner of Fargo’s mouth twitched into a dry, almost pained smile. Why did this always happen to him? Out of all the Archknights he was somehow the designated magnet for creeps and weirdos. It was like the universe had a twisted sense of humor: ’Hey, let’s send the pervert to Fargo. He looks like he could use some character development.’

He slowly turned to Lory, deadpan. "Hey, wanna take over? Y’know, for a change?"

Lory shot back without a second’s hesitation. "No way dude. Besides, look at him—I wouldn’t dream of stealing this special moment from you."

Fargo let out a long, suffering sigh. "Lucky me."

"Yup," Lory muttered, her voice wobbling slightly as she noticed Simon staring at Fargo without blinking. "So, so lucky..."