As the number of guard posts encountered continued to increase, Annan's heart sank deeper and deeper.

If the Princess truly was not in the tower, but instead hidden deep within the imperial palace currently in sight, then Ashe stood almost no chance of making it over. There were simply too many guards along the way, making it impossible to break through without triggering an alarm. Moreover, if her instinct served her right, they had already passed at least two Sacred Realm sorcerers.

Even with full awareness that Nabistin had Sacred Realm sorcerers as common as dogs and Legends everywhere, the actual concentration of high-ranking sorcerers proved far denser than expected.

The Purple Moth was beginning to regret letting Ashe proceed according to the original plan. Still, given the circumstances at the time, splitting into two groups had undoubtedly been the best choice. If the Princess was inside the tower, Ashe could complete the mission directly. If the Princess was with them, she could notify Ashe to come over and finish the job.

However, the tight security around this place carried both a good and a bad side. The good news was that whoever was inside was definitely someone important, most likely the new Empress. The...