9: prison

That night, a graceful figure knocked on Arthur's door.

Anna skillfully sank into Arthur's embrace, whispering in his ear, "I have limited time; my mistress hasn't been sleeping well lately."

As she spoke, Arthur's hands began to roam restlessly.

In his previous life, he had been a 'workhorse' for thirty years, never even holding a woman's hand, but in this life, he finally experienced the taste of a tender embrace.

He lifted her slender body by the waist, and with a flick of his boot, the carved wooden door closed.

After a passionate 'battle,' Anna sat up contentedly to dress.

Moonlight cast a silver edge on her sweat-slicked shoulders and neck.

Arthur's fingertips caressed the delicate skin of her back, and he asked in a lazy tone, sated with pleasure, "In such a hurry to leave?"

"I told you..." Anna's hair fell forward as she tightened her corset, "The Lady isn't sleeping well, and I don't want her to wake up and not find me."

"I need you to do me a favor."

Anna paused, turning to look at the young master.

Her loose long hair cascaded down, and her eyes sparkled in the candlelight. "Tell me, what do you want me to do?"

Arthur pinched a gold coin from a velvet pouch on the bedside table, twirling it between his fingers with a rustling sound.

"Black Mane recently had cubs; help me find out which one is the most outstanding."

"My young master..." Anna suddenly crept closer like a feline, her warm breath caressing Arthur's knuckles. "Asking about Dire Wolves can earn you a whipping."

"I trust you'll find a way." Arthur jingled the gold coin. "If it's not enough, tell me."

The maid smiled sweetly, took the gold coin from his hand with her teeth, and tucked it into her bosom.

"It's a pity, Young Master, if you weren't going to Qingfeng Valley, we could play longer," she said.

Then she leaned down and kissed Arthur's chest, her slender hand moving downwards.

"Also," Arthur added, "find me a Beast Tamer, preferably one who doesn't harbor resentment towards me."

Anna softly hummed in agreement; when her hand touched XX, Arthur couldn't help but let out a soft groan.

"Didn't you say you had limited time?" Arthur asked.

Anna swept her sweat-dampened hair back, slithering into the covers like a snake, her hips outlining an enticing curve beneath the bedding.

She chuckled, "Don't worry, this won't take long..."

---

A young man's body was indeed full of vigor; last night's intense battle had not left Arthur feeling tired.

He woke up early, washed and dressed with Vanka's assistance, and at the same time reviewed the day's intelligence:

Blue Intelligence (Enhanced): Qingfeng Valley thief Airo will attempt to escape from the Dock Prison at 23:34 tonight.

White Intelligence: Richard Glamorgan is plotting with two disgruntled Beast Tamers.

White Intelligence: John Hoffman went missing this morning.

White Intelligence: A batch of supplies needed for a temple inauguration ceremony will be plundered by mountain bandits outside the city.

The new information in the intelligence reports made Arthur fall into deep thought.

Yesterday, his mother had just mentioned catching a thief from Qingfeng Valley, and today, an enhanced entry appeared in the intelligence.

It seems that important information collected daily can enhance the daily intelligence reports.

Among the four pieces of intelligence, the most crucial were the blue intelligence and the one involving Richard.

Given Richard's vindictive nature, the humiliation he suffered yesterday would surely lead to an opportune moment for revenge.

Arthur had anticipated this, but he hadn't expected him to conspire with the Beast Tamers.

The target of this conspiracy was most likely himself.

However, there was too little information at present; further investigation was necessary.

Thinking this, Arthur gathered his thoughts and instructed Vanka, "Go find Anna and have her investigate what the Second Young Master and the Beast Tamers are plotting."

"Also, have the stableman prepare a horse; I'm going out. Once you're done, stay in the room and practice reading; memorize what I taught you yesterday as quickly as possible."

Vanka nodded obediently and quickly walked out.

This young girl had long been subservient, swift in her actions and observant, but like most commoners in Amn, she was illiterate.

Since he planned to keep her by his side, literacy was an essential skill; otherwise, many tasks couldn't be assigned to her.

So Arthur took the time yesterday to teach her to read, and the young girl was eager to learn, even grateful for him teaching her.

After breakfast, Vanka had completed her errands. Arthur rode his horse out of the castle, heading directly for the Dock Prison.

The thief named Airo in the intelligence report came from Qingfeng Valley, so she must be a person from Qingfeng Valley.

If he could extract some information from her, it would be of great help to him as he was about to go to that 'dead land.'

Wolf Den City's prison was located at the docks, originally a riverside fortress used to defend against river pirates. After the pirates were cleared out, it was converted into a place to detain serious criminals.

Everyone incarcerated here possessed unique skills, a gathering of the exceptionally capable, which was why Arthur wanted to recruit someone from here.

The Warden managing this place was a landless knight who had fought alongside his father in his early years, rising from a farmer to a knight through military achievements, making him half a noble.

This man was almost blindly loyal to Earl William, which was why the Earl put him in charge of the prison.

Upon hearing Arthur's intentions, the Warden didn't make much difficulty; clearly, Arthur's uncle had already made arrangements.

The prison was dim and damp, filled with the smell of rust and mildew.

The prisoners behind the iron bars were drawn by the torchlight, flocking to the bars like moths, their strange cries and whistles rising and falling.

Some banged on the bars, and some even took off their pants to 'perform' on the spot.

The accompanying jailer constantly struck the outstretched hands with a stick, shouting at the prisoners, trying to make them behave.

The Warden deliberately stayed by Arthur's side, saying with considerable worry, "Be careful, Young Master, that new woman isn't quite right."

"Hmm?" Arthur questioned.

"We locked her up with the female prisoners, and the next day, the other female prisoners started demanding to change cells."

"After investigating, we found that all those female prisoners had been taught a lesson by that woman, and they were terrified of her. One of them even said she practiced witchcraft."

At this point, the Warden spat on the ground, likely to ward off bad luck.

"Such things are not uncommon. The rule in this place is whoever has the hardest fist is the boss," he continued. "So when a newcomer arrives, they either get beaten down or they beat everyone else down. But witchcraft, damn it, that's not common."

"You really believe she practices witchcraft?" Arthur asked.

"Initially, of course not. But after changing cells three times, I could only think in that direction."

"I even called in a priest from the Mother Earth Church, and they didn't find anything."

Perhaps she's a spellcaster, Arthur thought to himself.

In the Amn Empire, except for divine magic, practicing magic required permission from the Masked Mages' Guild; otherwise, it was a death sentence.

Therefore, the residents here were more ignorant and prejudiced against magic than people in other kingdoms on Faerûn.

Most residents regarded magic as witchcraft and an ominous sign.

After walking a bit further, the jailer suddenly stopped.

Arthur noticed that the deeper they went, the quieter the prisoners became.

A jailer opened a cell door, and the Warden took a torch from the wall, quickly stepping forward: "You wait outside."

The two jailers, relieved, hastily retreated.

"Stay close to me, Young Master; the solitary cells are just ahead," the Warden whispered as a reminder.