Chapter 482 – Risky Plan.

‘It would be nice to know just how much time I have…’

Roland was at an impasse. Before him lay two paths he could take. It seemed like the guards were finally fed up with his stepmother’s antics. She had probably been bothering them for at least two days and refusing to take no for an answer. The sun was starting to set, and it was possible she had been shouting at them since early morning. It was commendable that she would do this to save her son, but these people didn’t care; they just wanted to be left alone.

In this situation, he was seen as nothing more than an outsider. His identity was probably being researched, as the guards had seen them all enter through the main gate. He had some power thanks to his Institute emblem, but he couldn’t do anything too drastic without probable cause. The big question remained: how much time did Robert truly have? The timeline was muddied, and he had no idea if his older brother was fine. Luckily, there was a way for him to find out, and then he would decide whether to push or retreat.

‘They didn’t notice it, the improved camouflage runes are working as intended…’

While the guards focused on him, pointing their spears, he used his refined runic cubes for a secret mission. A few special ones were equipped with an altered invisibility spell that allowed them to go unnoticed. This estate had its own protective magical barrier, and there was probably at least one mage on the premises.

Inside the Institute, he had spent days not only researching magic needed for the runic prosthesis but also delving deeper into spells that could be added to his arsenal. With Arion’s help, he had access to a vast quantity of tier 3 runes he had never seen before. With the help of the debugging skill and his current knowledge, he was confident that no mage close to tier 4 could compete with his technology. However, it was still better to keep his floating devices at a distance while he scanned the area for Robert.

His brother, along with Lucille De Vere, had visited his home before. While he had been a much worse runesmith back then, he had still managed to keep both their mana patterns. With the help of his mapping device, he just needed to find them, and with his enhanced scanning range, it shouldn’t take long.

‘There she is… Lucille.’

The first person that appeared was the woman his brother had an affair with. She was hidden away in one of the large mansion rooms. Close to her was a group of guards and even a tier 3 knight. Her health was good and she was not harmed. His sensors had been upgraded to the point of him being able to identify someone’s whole status from even his current location.

‘She did say that she took the advancement for the rune mage class…’

This woman had a strong affinity for rune magic when they first met. Before their long period of silence, she had informed him about pursuing this class. Her level was relatively low, likely because she spent most of her time studying at the Institute. She would periodically undertake quests in the nearby dungeon – the same one where he had been attacked by the knight trio. Given her status as a count’s daughter, she probably had ample assistance to level up more quickly but didn’t seem to fully utilize it to gain more power.

‘No status effects spotted, they are just probably guarding her so she won’t run away. Now where are you, Robert…’

He continued with his scan of the area, trying to figure out where his brother was being held. Roland noted several key points of interest. The first was a large storage building near the mansion, which seemed to be in use by several guards and house staff. Roland suspected this might be a holding area for various goods involving food and a connection to the stable.

The second location was a more fortified structure, positioned towards the back of the estate grounds. This building was surrounded by additional defenses, including magical wards and a higher concentration of guards. Just like in Albrook, this place had a nearby barracks with many trained knights and an open training ground. It was a great place to have a dungeon in as even if someone managed to run away, they would just encounter a swarm of soldiers to stop them.

‘That might be where they’re keeping him… but he could also be somewhere offsite or underground, not a problem though.’

The fortified structure seemed the most likely place where Robert might be held. Roland continued his search, spreading his scan area as much as he could while the guards here were getting closer. Luckily, Francine was there to constantly shout in their direction. Her status as a noble’s second wife and proxy was still there, so they couldn’t get too violent. Thanks to the scene she was making, he was able to move his concealed drones without them being spotted until his target appeared.

‘So you are there Robert, now let’s see…’

Slightly underground, near the barracks and the training area was a hidden underground dungeon. To not waste time, he used the signal-amplifying capabilities of his drones to use his identification skill. Then he was able to see his status and how far his brother had gotten in the years they were separated. The first time they met he was only level fifty-six but now, he was actually close to getting his first tier 3 class.

‘He managed to get a class I’ve never heard about.’

At first, Roland was quite happy, his brother was still alive and he was progressing well through his level. However, soon after his smile faded as something was brought to his attention. Robert’s health points were rather low, at just a quarter and they were slowly ticking down. To make things worse there was a whole list of debuffs and status effects that he was under.

‘Poisoned, paralyzed, second and third degree burns, broken fingers, lacerations…’

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It was quite something, he wasn’t sure how to react to this information. One thing was clear, his brother wasn’t alone at this moment and his health going down could mean only one thing, he was being tortured. Roland’s heart sank as he took in the reality of the situation. The sight of his brother’s suffering stirred something within him and he knew that something needed to be done. His previous plan of retreating to recess the situation was thrown out of the window as time was running out.

“Sir, I will not ask again,”

One of the guards said, finally stepping forward and brandishing his spear more threateningly. It was hovering a few centimeters away from his face but he didn’t care. His mind raced with ideas of how he could handle this situation without getting himself and the people here killed.