Sealed in Steel [ Tank Litrpg ]

But Elian didn't immediately put the invisibility ring on his finger. Up ahead, he noticed the pavement push up into a mound, the bricks disintegrating into fine sand that smoothly formed into a golem. After observing the many golems roaming around for the past days, Elian deduced that Priestess Khalamundi had buried her magic underground throughout the hills, to be activated when needed. She'd then return them to their spot when their job was done, fixing the road as if it was never disturbed.

Elian slowed as the golem ambled past him. It turned to face his way, its head splitting down the middle to reveal its plate-sized eye.

Will it notice the invisibility ring? Elian wondered, feeling the coolness of the metal band in his fist—something a suspicious person would have.

The giant eye blinked. The golem faced forward again and passed him by without stopping.

Elian still hadn't figured out what the golems should be looking for. Priestess Khalamundi seriously didn't expect a thief to be walking around with a piece of the stolen armor, did she? Perhaps, they were searching for specific individuals in disguise. Could also be looking for clones of Thalman.

"I'll know more once I talk to Borlen," muttered Elian.

He reached the level of Vigor school. There were a few people there, probably students of Vigor Hill leaving early. A couple of hours to go before the end of classes.

He headed left, to the line of trees bordering the tier. Making sure no one was looking at him, he slipped on the ring as he hid behind a tree trunk, emerging on the other side invisible. He rushed to the spot where Nelisha had climbed over the low fence and did the same.

That's a lot of people, Elian thought, looking down at the streets of the tier below. The way to the fort was painted blue. Noises of the commotion reached him.

The blue robes were no longer allowed to reach the gates like they did earlier. Patrol golems formed a wall and slowly pushed the people away. The pilgrims threw rocks and all kinds of things at the golems but couldn't do anything to stop the advance. Dozens of guards armed with clubs followed behind the golems, ready to disperse the crowds once their lines had been broken. It seemed that the disturbance would be handled quickly.

Sitting on the slope, Elian hurried shimmying leftward to the back of the fort. He let himself slide down a few feet at a time, using Viney to brake. He didn't have much time before the distraction was over.

And then a roof a block away erupted in flames.

Who did that? Elian craned his neck. He wanted more distraction but not this.

Some blue robes over there. Other people too. They yelled and fled as the fire spread to the next house and then to the next. He couldn't tell who might've caused it. He quickened his diagonal descent as bells rang. From his vantage point, he saw guards spilling out of their barracks. They probably didn't know yet what was wrong.

This meant the fort was as empty of guards as could be, barring some posted by the jail.

Elian pushed off the slope and landed on the roof of a building constructed into the hill. He climbed down its side with the help of Viney hardened into hooks on his hand, and dropped down safely onto neatly trimmed grass.

He was inside the fort.

Stowing the hooks of Barkskin at the back of his pants—leaving them for guards to find would raise questions—he raced to the building that Thorren found out was the jail.

Please let Borlen be here. If he wasn't, Elian would have no choice but to abort the mission because Jadewell's ring didn't have enough Energy for him to search the entire fort. Worse if Borlen was instead held on Temple Hill.

Elian pressed himself on the wall of the boxy building and tiptoed to the front. He passed by long narrow windows running across the top of the wall, wide enough to let light and air pass but too small for anyone to squeeze through. That was unless they could cut through the metal bars. This was the jail.

But he couldn't celebrate just yet. He stopped walking upon hearing voices.

"What do you reckon is happening over there?" One of the guards in front of the jail must've meant the incessant ringing.

Elian scanned his surroundings. No one within view. He deactivated the ring of invisibility as he crouched and listened, trying to gauge how many guards were posted. Beating them up was out of the question even if he didn't have the Elder Giant's Curse. Unconscious guards would just reinforce the idea that the arrested blue robes were criminals.

"It's the supporters of Tharguras again," another guard replied. "Been out there the whole day. I wish they'd get tired already and just wait for things to get sorted out."

"I know it's them," said the first guard. "Alarm bells didn't ring earlier. Why now? And why was everyone called to the front?"

"I bet the blue robes are trying to climb over the gates." That was a third voice. "Something crazy, for sure."

Elian waited a few more minutes as the guards placed their bets on the cause of the alarm. He confirmed there were only three of them. He needed to get them away from the door. Since making noise wouldn't work given the loud tolling bell, he went for something visual to catch their attention. He gathered Aether the farthest he could that was within view of the guards. He made his construct bright red and rolled it over the grass, heading to the back of the barracks.

"Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"Not sure. I'm going to take a look."

That was Elian's cue to dispel his Aether construct. He didn't want to have an actual thing to worry about. Then he moved closer to the front and peeked around the corner.

One guard moved to where he had projected his Aether construct. Another guard was looking at the first. The third guard sat by the doorway, whittling at a small piece of wood with his knife.

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Elian turned on the spell shard ring's power and moved on the balls of his feet toward the doorway, timing each step with the sound of the bells. Soon, he was next to the third guard, who had extended his legs across the entrance and propped his legs on the grates of the open metal door as he leaned back. Elian was about to get on his knees to crawl under the guard's legs when the guard suddenly jumped to his feet.

Elian froze, wondering if the guard could sense him.

No? The guard strode forward. Elian rolled right to avoid a collision.

"Look over there!" The guard pointed at the sky. "Rising smoke! Those crazed blue robes started a damn fire!"

"That's explains the bells," said another guard. "Isn't that the way to the Spitting Pork? They better not be burning down my favorite tavern or I'll—"

Elian didn't waste time listening to what the guard would do. He rushed into the jail, hopped down a short staircase, and reached a path that forked into two. Both ways led to the rows of cells. The steady hum of murmurings told him the arrested blue robes were here, and they were many. There were hints of singing and prayer.

Taking a peek down the left and right paths, he saw no guards. He turned off his invisibility ring and gambled on the right. Not only was he saving the ring's energy, but he also didn't want to spook the blue robes with suddenly appearing. And there was another concern—since these guys were protecting Tharguras by getting arrested, they certainly wouldn't want to be broken out. That wasn't Elian's intention, of course. But it was better not to give them any ideas of calling for the guards.

"Borlen, are you in there?" Elian checked the first cell.

It was dim, the only illumination coming from the lantern orbs lining the corridor and the light from the narrow windows at the back of the cells. The huddled forms stopped their prayer. One of them came forward.

"Uh, I'm looking for Borlen Bluebeard," Elian said.

"Down there, almost to the end."

Elian called for Borlen when he neared the end of the corridor. There were fewer people in each cell here. They came to the bars, curious at their surprise visitor. Elian kept his posture straight and walked with purpose. He didn't want them to know he wasn't supposed to be there.

"Brother Elian?"

It was Borlen's voice. Elian rushed over before Borlen could say more. "I came to visit," Elian said. "Uh, I managed to talk with the guards. I played cards with some of them before and—"

"My place is here," Borlen said. "Nothing you say can change my mind. How are the others? I told Casimir to step up as the leader in my absence. Poor lad. He must be overwhelmed and full of questions by the turn of things. Anyhow, this is—"

"Everyone is full of questions," Elian said, keeping his tone level. Technically, this wasn't his business. But he'd like to think he was friends with Borlen's group and that he had the right to care about them. "You and I both know that you didn't have a part in…" At a loss for words, Elian gestured at all the people in the cell. "Why did you admit to a crime you didn't commit? What's at stake here?"

"Duty and honor," Borlen said.

"What's that supposed to mean? To cover for Tharguras?"

Borlen looked at the floor before nodding. "Yes."

"No way Penitent Tharguras did it." Elian noticed the other blue robes listening though staying a few feet away. Elian stepped closer to the bars and continued in a softer voice, "Tharguras was framed. And you're getting sucked into this mess too. You don't seriously think Tharguras would do it, do you?"

"Whether our Champion Penitent is guilty or isn't," Borlen said, "we are ready to put our freedoms on the line so he can continue the Penitent Path. He carries our penance for all the wrongs we have done. Our sacrifice is for our own benefit in the end."

"That's nonsense. You should be out there working to expose the real culprit. How can you do that if you're here?"

Borlen wordlessly shook his head, his eyes returning to the floor.

Are they seriously thinking that Tharguras could've done it? The one who tricked them must've set up one hell of a ruse. It was useless trying to convince Borlen or the other blue robes to fight for their innocence.

Elian balled his fist and pulled back his arm, ready to punch the prison bars in frustration. Why was everything always a mess? Everything! From the moment he got yanked from Earth to reviving into his second life, up to now.

Why can't anything go according to how I wanted it? He extended his arm into a punch.

But he stopped before his knuckles connected with the metal. For one, he wouldn't get the cathartic release of frustration by hitting something because the Elder Giant's Curse would just nullify the impact. The other reason he stopped was because of a realization.

Nothing was going the way he wanted it. But Borlen told him what he expected to hear.

It shouldn't be.

"Calm your heart, brother Elian," Borlen said. "I know that saying those words won't have an actual effect, but I implore you to—"

"Why are you telling me this?" Elian interjected.

"Anger doesn't—"

"Not that. Not about calming down. Why did you tell me that you're covering for Tharguras? I mean, you shouldn't have revealed that. Who told you to do this? You couldn't have awoken one day with this idea already in your head. Was it Priest Thalman?"

Borlen gave one nod as he looked up at Elian. "That is so. He informed us of what the investigations of the priests have unearthed and provided a way to save our Champion Penitent."

Absolute bullshit! Elian cursed in English in his head. But he guarded the words that'd come out of his mouth. Between Thalman and him, Borlen would trust Thalman more. Elian was a newcomer whom they barely knew. Thalman had been friends with Borlen over the years and gave them much help.

Even if Elian told these blue robes about his suspicion that Thalman was Cursed, they wouldn't believe him. Instead, he'd be the bad guy for slandering the priest. Better not antagonize the blue robes.

"I sincerely believe that Penitent Tharguras didn't do it," Elian said. "Now, I understand that's immaterial. You want to get him out now. But we should prioritize catching the real culprit. The one who came forward has a piece of the armor, right? We can start from there. Who was this guy? Where is he?"

"I don't know his identity. All I know is that he's held at the temple for interrogation."

"The temple? Who do you know can help us? We need to talk to the priests about this."

"Priest Thalman," said Borlen.

"Thalman?" Elian pondered how he'd say they couldn't trust that guy. "Do you mean that I'll ask him for help? Are there other priests we can—"

"Priest Thalman left me a message for you," Borlen said.

"Huh?"

"He tasked me to share it with you when you visit me in jail, as you are doing now."

"He predicted I'd do this?" Elian frowned. That explained why Borlen wasn't surprised by his appearance. The mystery deepens. Was Thalman trying to rope him in too? "What's the message?"

"The good priests says, 'I will answer the questions you have. Come meet me and Priest Ihadir today where I reside.' That is all," said Borlen. "I hope you meet with him. On our part, we stay here so our Champion Penitent walks free."

Where I reside? That should be the Forbidden Temple.