Chapter 160: Set in stone. The king’s expression hardened with decisiveness as he processed the situation. "Let’s go and deal with them," he declared, his voice carrying the confidence of someone accustomed to resolving the threat before him. They moved forward while still concealed within the spell that King Aldric had conjured earlier, their party approaching the well unseen. Once they were positioned directly above the opening, the king raised his hand and cast another magical spell. "Aerial Grace," The king muttered silently, as the spell activated. Noah felt the familiar sensation of wind magic as they all began floating in the air. Hovering above the floor as if they were truly capable of flight. Noah looked with amazement at the effortless display of such an advanced wind manipulation technique. He could sense the precise control required to levitate multiple people simultaneously while maintaining their concealment spell. His smile reflected both admiration and anticipation. Someday, he would achieve similar mastery of wind magic. He wanted to ask at what rank such techniques became possible, but he restrained himself from speaking. They were in enemy territory where even whispered conversations could compromise their mission. They descended slowly into the well, the king’s wind magic allowing perfect control of their movement speed. The stone walls passed by silently as they approached the water level where the extremist guards were stationed. As they drew closer, Noah began hearing voices echoing from below. The two guards were engaged in casual conversation, their relaxed tone suggesting they felt completely secure in their hidden position. "That bread is really good," one guard was saying with obvious satisfaction. "Richard really brought some good stuff. He’s one of the few somewhat likeable humans." The demons were naturally speaking in their demon tongue, but Noah was able to understand it through the system’s translation. Noah’s eyes widened with shock as he realised the extremists were discussing his magical bread. The items Baron Richard had extorted from his shop were being distributed among demon extremists as part of their operational supplies. ... The king turned towards Lola and asked softly, "Do you understand what they are saying?" Before Lola could respond, Noah was the one to answer his question. "They are saying that the bread the baron had gotten them is really good, and that he is one of the few humans that are somewhat likeable." The king raised an eyebrow but nodded with understanding. The fact that Noah could speak the demon tongue was another mystery surrounding the young merchant, but it made logical sense given his circumstances. After all, having a master-level demon mage as a companion while being unable to communicate in her native language would be impractical. How else could they coordinate their business operations and develop their obvious partnership? Arriving at the water level, Noah and the others could finally see the extremist guards positioned within the well’s depths. Unlike the low-level extremists who usually attacked the kingdom’s walls with barely any intelligence or coordination, the ones in front of him were actually developed mentally and physically. These were powerful demons rather than mindless raiders. The first guard stood roughly six feet tall with well-maintained armour. His horns were filed to sharp points, and his red eyes were alert despite the calm hour. He was clearly someone trained in surveillance techniques. The scars running across his arms suggested that he had extensive combat experience. The second guard appeared equally competent, his equipment clean and functional rather than crude or improvised. Both demons carried themselves with confidence. Noah recognised that their equipment was a blend of human and demonic craftsmanship. As he had visited both kingdoms, he had seen how each kingdom had their own touches to equipment. And the equipment that Noah spotted on both demons meant that Richard wasn’t only cooperating with them on the low, no. He was also arming them with items from inside Esta, which was even more cruel. Using human equipment to kill humans, Richard was truly a cruel man. "They are at the adept rank for a reason," Noah whispered, noting the obvious intelligence in their positioning. The guards continued their casual conversation, completely unaware of the concealed observers floating above them. Their relaxed but vigilant bodies confirmed they felt secure in their hidden position. "Richard’s connections have been useful," the first guard was saying as he bit into another piece of Noah’s magical bread. "The healing properties are genuine, not like the fake potions most humans try to trade. Those barely give us any benefits." "Agreed, though I still don’t trust humans in general. Richard gets respect because he delivers what he promises," replied his companion. King Aldric’s expression hardened as he listened to Noah’s translation of the casual discussion of treason and collaboration. These demons were treating Baron Richard as a reliable business partner rather than a reluctant victim of extremist pressure. With that coming out, the king had already issued a verdict internally. Richard’s execution for treason was set in stone, and no amount of begging could get him out of that. Without warning, the king raised his hand and cast another spell. The water around the two guards suddenly formed into a massive bubble of air that completely enclosed their position. The magical barrier materialised instantly, trapping both extremists within a sphere of breathable atmosphere while cutting them off from the outside world before they could realise they were ambushed. The water pressed against the bubble’s surface like a transparent wall, creating a perfect prison. Both guards immediately realised something was catastrophically wrong. Their relaxed conversation died as they found themselves trapped within an impossible magical bubble of wind and water that had appeared without warning. "What in the—" the first guard began, his hand immediately moving toward a communication crystal attached to his belt. "Alert spell!" shouted the second guard, also reaching for his emergency signalling crystal. Both demons activated their crystals simultaneously, expecting to send warning signals to their commander deeper in the underground facility. The crystals flared with energy as they attempted to transmit emergency alerts. But to their horror...nothing happened.