The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 204: At the wall

Chapter 204: At the wall

"There is no way they left the gate unmanned."

Hex stood on a branch near the crown of a hundred-meter-tall tree. The height offered a good vantage point to scout the area ahead.

To avoid detection, he chose a tree that stood at a distance of at least a hundred meters from the wall. The downside of this was he couldn’t rely on his senses to scout for sentries.

There were plenty of bushes and trees leading up to the wall, providing cover for his movement but Hex didn’t think the royals would leave the gate unattended.

He even believed that the wall stretching over hundreds of meters had checkpoints and hidden guards.

The first part of his journey was finally completed. He reached the gate but now lacked information or help on how to proceed. It was almost dusk but no matter how much he racked his brains, he couldn’t think of a way to enter the district undetected.

"Scaling the wall can be scratched off the list. Even without superior senses, they will discover me."

The high and wide walls lacked cover. Except for some vines creeping all over them, nothing else grew on it.

He consulted the map but nothing on there helped with his current challenge. It wasn’t strange. If someone else could enter the Temple district, the secret of the royals would be exposed sooner.

As night approached, he decided to use the darkness as a cover to move. He considered the worst case and wouldn’t get close to fifty meters of the wall. He doubted that someone with a sense to cover more than fifty meters would be willing to act like a sentry.

...

’Nothing. There is nothing here.’

Hex spent hours walking parallel to the wall, hoping to detect something he could use. But he didn’t find anything. He traversed hundreds of meters without rest but he didn’t notice any holes, fractures, or streams leading in or out of the Temple district.

After walking a whole night, he finally ended up toward the southernmost corner of the wall, where the Temple district and the noble district met. He only dared to venture so far out thanks to the information provided by the old steward.

’It seems he spoke the truth. The royals have cleared the area close to the wall. No threats exist this close to their base.’

Weary from not having slept properly for some time and his long track through the dense grass, he slumped against a small tree.

’Sigh. I am this close yet the last hurdle seems unsurmountable. If I don’t find a way in, I will just return.’

His reasoning was simple. In a day or two the royals would notice their two Refined Knights missing. Chances were, they would lead a scouting party. They would either track him or erase their presence.

At that point, it would be better to storm the gates and search for clues slowly.

"If only the gate through the market district remained accessible."

As soon as he mumbled that, he froze. He slowly lifted his head and gazed at the wall in front of him. This wall didn’t lead into the Temple district. No, this one led into the district where nobles and officials lived.

’There is one more gate leading into the Temple district. But...is it possible?’

Hex never considered entering the noble’s district alone. He believed it to be the place with the highest degree of danger and decided to enter only when they arrived with a full army. But this was before learning about the plans of the royals.

’If they can’t tolerate dangers close to them in the central area, would they ignore the ones in the noble district?’

The idea sprouting in his head seemed reckless and dumb yet he couldn’t uproot it. His weariness disappeared and his eyes shone as he stared at the gray, filled-wit-vines wall in front of him.

’I can kill two birds with one maybe.’

Although he remained seated, his mind was made up. He would enter. And if he was lucky, he might see the palace with the basement on his path to the gate.

Hex promised himself not to stray from the wall of the Temple district, even after entering the noble district. Based on his encounters in the central area, he believed the royals left some of the dangers around to act as an obstacle and guard of the districts. Only the area close to their base should be safe. Relative safe.

Unlike the wall around the Temple district, this part of the wall was densely overgrown with weeds and vines.

Hex didn’t tarry and started to climb up the wall. His pace was slow as he scaled the steep wall. As an experienced mountaineer, a wall posed little challenge but Hex remained on alert for guards.

To his luck, he didn’t sense or see anyone when he reached the top of the wall. The first thing he did after reaching the top was look toward the Temple district.

Darkness reigned everywhere. Only the faded golden dome of the Temple remained visible.

’Should I just go over?’ Hex contemplated. Maybe he would remain safe. There was no one near. ’I can leave the noble district for some other time.’

As he thought that, his gaze turned toward the district below him. The darkness prevented him from getting a good view. But just as he wanted to look away, he caught something from the corner of his eyes.

"Fuck!"

But his eyes didn’t betray him. On the other side, he saw a dim torch burn. At such a distance it was difficult to see but the shadows dancing in its glimmer looked a lot like humans. As his eyes adjusted more to the darkness, he detected more such shadows.

’They travel from and to the Temple district.’

Hex thanked his stars he didn’t enter the Temple district directly. Looking below, he finally saw traces of guards sticking close to the wall.

Only when he moved about a hundred meters away from the Temple district, did he stop seeing guards close to the wall. Taking a deep breath, he started to descend.