The situation was absurd. This couldn't be happening...

  Captain Huile, a veteran of dozens of border skirmishes, looked despairingly at his remaining soldiers. He had managed to sneak in nearly one thousand Templars and soldiers. An absolute overkill for barely five hundred of Howthorn's militia, even though their first company was the real deal. They were the elite soldiers of Saftia and Huile couldn't comprehend what they were doing in a backwater city like this. The city Lord, Sion Howthorns, had appeared out of nowhere which infuriated Huile's lord to no end. Baron Tvarek Tamal wanted this city. While Huile had no idea why, he wasn't in any position to question his lord. Years of undermining Howthorn's authority and power, with his Lord's goal on the horizon, abruptly came to an end and no one knew why. What was worse, some cataclysm had struck the local Temple's structure and the appearance of an excommunicated Cardinal in the area was alarming.

  If Felix Xanah was helping Baron Howthorns, it might spell disaster for the plans of Baron Tamal. When the elites left the city with some foreign noble, a topic worthy of investigation later, he knew he couldn't let the Cardinal's forces arrive. However, he was too late to issue the order when a worst-case scenario unfolded. Joining the Cardinal, one hundred Paladins and warriors arrived who could tip the power balance back to their side. He changed his plans and his spies began to stir unrest. They attacked key structures and harassed the city from within. When Baron Tamal's orders arrived to kidnap Benjamin Alabaster and Elene Howthorns, Huile knew he needed to act fast. Before the elites returned. He decided to attack immediately.

  But the elite soldiers returned in the middle of the operation and they were much better than he had imagined. The teams sent to capture Alabaster and Lady Howthorns had been killed or captured. He had to lay new plans but he knew he was battling against time. While the soldiers he sent on the mission only knew about each other, and he made sure to convince them that he had left the city, it was only a matter of time before someone figured out what was going on. There was no more time for hesitation. He decided, without consulting anyone, that ignoring the elusive merchant and focusing on kidnapping the Baroness was the right choice. That's why he personally led the attack on the Baron's manor. Admittedly, they did not have enough information about the Baroness. She was of average height, rather slim, and had black hair to her shoulders. He cursed that vague description many times. But they proceeded anyway. Hopefully, there would only be one black-haired woman wearing expensive clothes in the entire mansion.

  "What?" Huile asked in a hushed voice. As if he were afraid that the monster who single-handedly butchered or captured most of his men could hear him.

  "I said that maniac was asking where his maid was, Sir." The trembling soldier reported with an equally hushed tone.

  Even though said maniac had left the city so fast that even the two remaining assassins said it shouldn't be possible to run that fast, everyone was afraid he could hear them. Even without that man interfering, Huile's chances of getting out of the city were closing to zero. The remaining Howthorns' soldiers and Cardinal's Paladins were combing the city. Building by building and they were going to find their hideout eventually.

  "Maid?! We kidnapped a Maid?!" He growled in despair and pulled the hair on the side of his head. "Bring that woman to me!"

  "We can't open the door, Sir." The man said with a pale face and a worried voice. "The door was enchanted to prevent anyone from blasting it open and it even silences the sound inside. The walls are so thick it's impossible to breach them!"

  "What the hell is going on?!" Huile laughed, sensing his mental breakdown incoming. "Who's that man? The one who’s asked about his maid?"

  "We believe that's the foreign noble, Sir..." The pale soldier answered while trembling. "We are fucked, Sir..."

  The doors to the hideout exploded and, once their ears stopped ringing, they heard an ominous voice that promised damnation and eternal suffering with its tone alone.

  "If a single hair has fallen from Catherine's head, you will learn what suffering really means..." A giant in black, gold, and crimson armour entered the room with a large silver and white lynx at his side. Behind him were at least two dozen elite soldiers, but they simply stood there. Surrounding the entire building. Huile couldn't see the man's face under his helm but once his gaze stopped at him, he felt dread like never before. "Where is my Maid?!"

  ???

  A pure, distilled wrath was flowing through Arthur's veins. Normally, such fury would lead to an uncontrollable rage. Possibly, that's how the Berserkers felt when they unleashed their signature skill. But for anyone else that state would be extremely dangerous. Especially for anyone on Arthur's level. He retained clarity of his mind only thanks to the blessing of Verka. Someone dared to take away the woman he loved. If she were hurt in any way, Saftia would burn. Many times he had been amused when he heard about his Emperor's protective behaviour. He was surprised and terrified when he heard that his Lord fought a God to protect one of his wives. That he killed one of the Eternals...

  Back then it was unbelievable.

  Right now, Arthur understood Emperor Theon Avalon perfectly. He was ready to fight the Gods themselves only to bring Catherine back. These annoying bandits had no idea what he was asking them but he decided to leave them for Sion. The Baron was going to learn who dared to raise their hand at his woman and Arthur was going to retaliate. It seemed like Sion recognised his portion of the fault that Cate was kidnapped. But, deep down, Arthur knew that Sion at least tried. Five of his most powerful soldiers died to protect Catherine so it wasn't like Sion neglected the protection of his guests. Whoever kidnapped her knew how to trick or disable the tracking spell he put on her. Hopefully, Shade was with her...

  "Lord Ives!" Amos' panting voice came from around the corner and soon the guard Captain came out, running. "We sealed the entire city. No one can get in or out. It turned out that most of the Adventurers were outside the walls, returning from cleaning the Gnoll's remnants when someone blew up the gates. They reported that no one has left the city since."

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "Thank you, Amos." Arthur stiffly nodded. "So she is still somewhere in the city."

  "Yes, Sir!" Amos saluted from a safe distance. "But it will take days to check every single home, Sir..."

  "We don't have days. Keep the city sealed," Arthur said as an idea started forming in his head. "I think I know someone who will help us."

  Without waiting for Amos to say anything, he focused on the radar and immediately found what he was looking for. He hoped that he was right. He left the city at full speed supported by all his movement skills. He passed the line of Adventurers who tried to stop him but he simply jumped over their heads and disappeared between the scarce trees. He found the lynx lying on a thick tree branch. She was looking at him with alarm and fear but according to their deal, she wasn't running away.

  "Please, help me!" Arthur almost begged the monster. He felt stupid about it, but she was intelligent enough to talk with Shade.

  The feline gracefully jumped from the branch and sat in front of him. She was still afraid, but looked at him with surprise.

  "Meow." She said but he shook his head.

  "I'm sorry. I can't understand you. But you understand me, right?" He asked with irrational hope.

  "Meow." The lynx confirmed, but after a second, she nodded like a person.

  "I need to find, Catherine. She was kidnapped and I have no idea where she is. Do you know her?"

  "Meow." This time, the lynx nodded as she meowed.

  "Can you help me find her?"

  "Meow myah, nyaaa..." The lynx started explaining something but soon she looked at him and shook her head in denial.

  He clenched his fists and closed his eyes in anger. It was a stupid gamble... He felt a soft paw on his hand. As he opened his eyes he noticed the lynx patiently waiting. Then she used the same paw and pointed under his feet.

  "Myow?"

  "You ask about Shade?"

  "Meow." She nodded.

  "I don't know where he is. I believe that he is with Cate but I can't contact him."

  She sniffed the air and began jogging towards the city. The lynx looked at him with a questioning gaze when he didn’t move, still standing behind.

  "Meow?"

  "Right... Lead the way." He smiled with regained hope and stayed close to her.

  She was fast but not fast enough, which suggested that she was at a lower level than he thought. Before he realised that he had never appraised the monster, a truly astonishing thought, they reached the Adventurer's blockade. They looked nervously at him, but he didn't have time to waste.

  "Lord Ives?!" A muscular man asked with a shock in his voice.

  "Yes." He confirmed as he looked at the slightly familiar face but couldn't find the matching name. "We met at the guild I believe..."

  "The Association Office, Sir. My name is Cassam Sif."

  "Ah, yes. I remember now. I'm in a hurry, so if you could..."

  "Sir! Someone left the city and we couldn't stop them!" The man interrupted him with a desperate tone.

  "That would be me. I had to find my friend here and, as I said, I'm in a hurry." He pointed at the lynx.

  "I... Right. Right! Move aside people!" The man shouted as he read from Arthur's expression that his patience had run out. "It's a nobles' affair!"

  That last sentence made everyone essentially jump away from his path. He resumed his jog, slower this time to not leave the lynx behind. The silver and white feline kept at his side and was very nervous, but she followed the scent. On his way, Arthur gathered every soldier they stumbled upon. He even bumped into Amos who quickly organised the crowd into a functioning brigade. Soon, they entered a labyrinth of back alleys but with the lynx leading the way, they followed the trail without a misstep. They stopped behind a well-maintained house and the lynx sat on her hind legs as she looked at Arthur.

  "Meow." She pointed with her right paw at the doors.

  "Surround this building, Captain Amos." He ordered with his voice dripping with rage. "No one can flee."

  "Yes, Sir!" Amos knew that the discussion was pointless. Especially since his lord ordered him to follow Lord Ives' orders.

  The soldiers encircled the building in a moment and Arthur drew his sword. He walked forward, with the white lynx trailing close behind him. At this moment, he was the avatar of wrath. The very ground trembled under his steps and dense mana gathered around him. He pulled back his fist and with a single strike, he essentially removed the reinforced doors from existence. It sounded like an explosion and the soldiers exchanged looks full of disbelief and awe. But Amos knew better. That man was unstoppable when angry. That man had achieved the pinnacle of power. That was the power of someone who had reached level one hundred.

  Arthur, even if he was aware of what the people around him were thinking about him, would have ignored it as he entered the building. The few remaining enemies were looking at him with shock and fear. One of them reached for his sword so Arthur kicked the nearby chair. The furniture slid towards the man with a whine of abused wood and hit his legs so hard that they folded in the opposite direction. The man started screaming in pain but the Inquisitor ignored him. Before anyone could react, Arthur had already grabbed one of the men in his iron grip and he effortlessly lifted him above the ground by his collar.

  "Where is Catherine?"

  "I... I don't know who you're talking about!" Arthur's eyes flashed with mana so bright that they illuminated the dimly lit room for a split second.

  "Huile Dyk, Captain of the guards of the City of Tamarin. Don't test my patience. If you won't tell me where the woman you kidnapped from Sion's manor is in this instant, I will destroy your Lord, ruin his city, and extinguish his line. Then, if I decide that I'm not satisfied, I will turn everyone you have ever known into slaves and order them to sweep the streets of Howthorns until the day they die. If, in your stupidity, you have hurt Catherine, I will have no more mercy."

  "Basement..." Huile felt the cold certainty that every single word that man said was an absolute truth. He was beyond panic. "She's in the basement!"

  Thank you all for reading.

  I wish you all a great day and as always I wait for your comments.

  A big thanks to and who edited the chapter!