Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 1272: The Hidden Truth

The five adventurers led by Ruth stood before the cave. The massive boulder sealed its mouth but it was crudely placed.

Ruth placed her hand against the stone, feeling the faint pulse of her Marker Rune. She knew he was inside. He was probably wounded, wary, and waiting to get better.

"Enkrid," she called...

"It’s us. The Dawnblades. We’re not here to hunt you."

There was silence at first...

They waited for him to speak, but for a few minutes, there was only the rustle of leaves and the distant cry of a bird. They didn’t rush the man as he was definitely under a lot of stress.

Then, faintly, a voice answered from within.

"...Why are you here?"

Cielo stepped forward and spoke with a concerned tone...

"We saw the bounty. We know what the guild is saying. But we don’t believe you’re the villain they claim."

Jericho added...

"If we wanted the gold, we wouldn’t be standing here talking. We’d have broken through already. We’re here because we know you’re not that bad. You’re not coin to be traded."

Inside, Enkrid’s grip tightened on his sword.

He had been hiding for days, his body was already aching from the poison that had nearly claimed his life. The maid’s betrayal still burned in his mind... her smile, the cup of wine, the sudden agony. He had acted in desperation, and now the nobles had twisted the truth into a crime.

"Why... why would you help me?" he asked in a confused tone.

He was certainly acquainted with this group of adventurers, but there was no need for them to help him.

Ruth then glanced at the others, then spoke calmly...

"Because we’ve seen your desire before. You want to be an honorable knight, not a fugitive. And because we know the world isn’t as simple as the guild makes it. Sometimes, the ones hunted are the ones worth saving."

For a long moment, there was silence.

Then, the sound of steel scraping against stone echoed faintly from within.

Enkrid was lowering his weapon.

"...If you’re truly here to help," he said at last, "then break the gate. I can’t move it alone... just yet."

Relief flickered across Ruth’s face.

She guessed that Enkrid’s adrenaline was on a surge when he used the rock to block his path... Now that he had rested, he must have gotten a lot weaker.

She nodded to Jericho, who stepped forward, planting his hands against the boulder.

Cecilia and Cielo joined him... Soon, their muscles were straining as they pushed.

Well, they were careful not to use their Arcane Spells...

They had to rely on their own Power Strands and items.

However, Ruth still secretly took a piece of paper out of her pouch and slapped it on the rock...

Slowly, the stone shifted, grinding against the earth.

Crack... Crack...

"Again," Jericho grunted.

With a final heave, the boulder rolled aside, revealing the dark mouth of the cave.

Thud!

The air that spilled out was damp and heavy, carrying the scent of blood and smoke.

Enkrid emerged cautiously... At this point, his cloak was torn, and he looked really pale.

A bandage wrapped around his side, stained with blood...

Then, his eyes looked around to confirm there weren’t any city guards to arrest him... Well, he was still wary, but no longer hostile.

"You really came," he murmured.

Ruth stepped closer and nodded.

"We told you... We’re not here to claim gold. We’re here to make sure you survive."

Enkrid’s shoulders sagged as the tension was finally draining from him. After a long time of hiding, he allowed himself to breathe freely.

Then, even without asking, the tired young squire spoke up...

"You don’t understand," he said quietly. "She tried to poison me. The maid. I killed her because I had no choice. But the nobles... they twisted it. Now I’m the criminal."

The Dawnblades exchanged glances. They could already understand the situation from those words.

"Yep... That explains the bounty," Ruth said. "Ten gold coins alive... they don’t want justice. They want to control you for some reason... Do you have any idea why they wanted to target you?"

Enkrid lowered his gaze and shook his head... "I only wanted to be a knight. Now I’m hunted like a beast."

Ruth placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then let us help you. You’re not alone anymore."

Surrounded by the Dawnblades, Enkrid realized that perhaps his path to knighthood would not be walked alone.

"Still, there must be something they wanted to take from you." Cielo muttered. He could probably just use his Psychic Arts to see through Enkrid’s situation, but for now, he had to restrain himself.

Once Enkrid had calmed down, the Dawnblades gave him food and water. He ate slowly, and soon, his strength returned, and his mind began to clear.

As he continued thinking about how he got targeted by the nobles, he realized that Ruth was right. There had to be a reason he was being bullied.

No squire would be hunted with such a bounty unless something deeper was at play. This wasn’t random bullying.

Enkrid leaned back against the cave wall, as fragments of memory surfaced. He recalled Sir Halden’s words before leaving for the northern border... a border that should have been safe, considering Halden’s strength.

"No way... The resistance?" Enkrid muttered under his breath.

The Dawnblades glanced at him, curious.

Now that he thought about it, Halden had often hinted at his dissatisfaction with the kingdom’s rules. He had spoken of how nobles treated knights as disposable units, pawns to be sacrificed for their ambitions.

Enkrid had never understood the weight of those words until now.

Could it be connected? Was Halden’s death not a simple border skirmish, but something orchestrated? The thought alarmed him.

Still, he shook his head. Perhaps he was overthinking. However, he still shared the idea with Ruth and the others.

After hearing this, the Dawnblades exchanged glances.

"Don’t dwell on it too much. If Halden was involved in something bigger, it’s dangerous to speak of it openly. For now, focus on surviving." Cielo explained.

Cecilia added, "Speculation can lead to paranoia. We need facts before we act."

Still, the idea lingered. Enkrid could not shake the feeling that his master’s death and his own framing were connected...

But while he continued to worry over the thought, he failed to notice the amused expressions on the faces of the five adventurers.