Chapter 57
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Chapter 57: You Can Never Escape Hillenbrand Town!
Isabella still wore the anti-magic restraints and the thin dress provided by Lolth. Standing on the north side of the town, her dress and hair were damp, with small cuts from twigs and pebbles. The only thing that looked clean was the magic bag hanging from her waist, imbued with numerous magical spells.
But her disheveled appearance wasn’t what stood out most. It was her cold, proud face, now unable to hide the despair and confusion that had taken root within her. Her sharp, ice-blue eyes—once so full of spark and determination—had lost their edge and brightness.
In the past few hours, she had tried repeatedly to escape through the southern forests, but each attempt ended in failure. Every time she neared the boundary of the southern mountains, her consciousness would fade, and she would find herself inexplicably back at the entrance. Each fruitless return left a slight ache in her soul, but still, she couldn’t admit that something was wrong with her.
‘There must be something strange in the southern mountains and forests!’
She refused to accept that it was simply her own fault. ‘That succubus is highly skilled with Space Magic Arrays. She must have predicted that I would try to escape and set one up in the southern mountains to trap me!’
Though Isabella couldn’t fully explain why she kept losing consciousness, she clung to this theory, gritting her teeth and pushing forward. She couldn’t give up now.
Determined, she decided to try a different route. Since the southern mountains had proven unyielding, why not try the water route instead?
With that thought, she jumped into the Larech River.
As a Grand Knight, Isabella was naturally skilled at swimming. The Schwarzwald family’s territory in the snowy mountains had many rivers, fast-flowing with waterfalls and hidden currents due to the steep terrain. In some places, even fish were slammed against rocks by the rapids and perished. Being the eldest daughter of the Schwarzwald family, she had started practicing swimming in these challenging waters at a young age, using the harsh environment to build her strength and reflexes.
But… the water route still wasn’t passable.
When she came to her senses, she found herself back on the riverbank. No matter which direction she swam or how deeply she dived, it was all the same—she couldn’t escape.
After that, she tried moving west along the riverbank, east through the mountains and forests, and north across the plains. Every time, the outcome was the same. She lost consciousness and found herself returned to the starting point.
As a Grand Knight, she was already exhausted from each attempt. Her clearly traumatized soul was also reminding her that something was affecting her deeply—something she couldn’t control.
She gazed at the town under the night sky. The black spire in the northeast corner seemed to mock her, bringing the image of the succubus’s playful, composed expression into her mind. Then, the mocking words of Moon Elf Princess Tina echoed in her ears.
“Your soul has long been as corrupted as mine.”
“I’ve told you before, it’s you yourself who walked back…”
The “fact” that Isabella didn’t want to admit now lay before her, undeniable.
This couldn’t be a spatial array. No caster could set up so many flawless spatial arrays with such secrecy, ones that could activate automatically. To achieve this, it would require the collaboration of several Sages and Great Sages from the Tower in the Clouds of Cloud City.
Even though she wasn’t a caster, Isabella was very aware of this.
To produce such an effect, it would likely require the cooperation of multiple Sages and Great Sages from Cloud City’s Tower. If the interrogator of the Demon Army possessed such strength and magical skills, the Holy Alliance wouldn’t have been able to block the Demon Army for two years. The Demon Army could easily have teleported soldiers behind the defense lines.
After ruling out this possibility, Isabella sadly realized the truth.
She might only be able to walk back by herself.
Just like the elf had said, the idea of resistance and self-consciousness was probably something the succubus had intentionally allowed her to keep, for her own cruel amusement.
‘It’s really… so evil!’
A chill colder than any winter she had experienced in the snowy mountains back home washed over her. Unknowingly, the soul that had been tampered with from the start was doomed to never escape.
Her schemes, plans, resistance, and efforts—everything—must have seemed like a source of endless amusement to the succubus.
Despite being a Legendary Knight, her futile efforts now seemed meaningless, as she was being manipulated from the start.
‘Is this what a real succubus is like?’
No wonder, in every book, whenever the Abyssal Demon is mentioned, the succubus is always considered the most terrifying and troublesome existence.
“Can’t escape…” Isabella sighed.
Dejectedly, Isabella realized that returning to the torture tower seemed to be her only option now. However, she was not like Tina. Even though she had given up on running away, she had not abandoned her resolve or fallen into despair.
“Even if my self-awareness has been deliberately retained, what does it matter…” she muttered. “I just can’t escape, but I will never surrender!”
She clenched her fists, her voice firm as she continued, “That succubus will not make me fall willingly! It’s impossible to make me truly submit. You can only manipulate my soul and body with magic, turning me into a mindless puppet!”
By now, the sky was beginning to lighten, signaling the end of the long night. Isabella knew her attempt to escape had likely already been discovered. This act of defiance, paired with her determination to resist, would surely provoke the succubus into using cruel punishments to torture her and break her will.
But even so, Isabella resolved not to succumb or beg for mercy.
‘Perhaps I can provoke her enough to make her kill me voluntarily,’ she thought, her mind racing. The image of herself at death’s door, spitting at the succubus and enraging her into making a fatal mistake, played in her head. Her determination grew stronger.
“Defending honor with death. Not a bad idea…” she whispered. “In that case, I’ll at least defend the bare minimum of what it means to be a knight. Father, you will understand me, won’t you?”
With this thought, she began walking toward the torture tower.
When she reached the steps leading to the tower’s entrance, she placed the magic bag at her side and sat down on the bottom step. Isabella knew that whatever awaited her next would bring inevitable suffering and hardship.
Her only regret was that she hadn’t been able to help the innocent people of Hillenbrand Town. As a knight, she felt a deep sense of guilt for failing to save those who would soon endure more pain.
And so, Isabella sat quietly, watching as the sky grew brighter, welcoming the sunrise that heralded a new day.
The door to the Interrogation Department creaked open.
