Filed to story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Salvador slammed his hand on the table. “Outrageous!”
The former retainers of Goldencrest Palace had been his loyal supporters when he was the crown prince, and many now held important positions in his administration. Sophie thought he would demand their names, but instead, he refrained-likely out of consideration for their past loyalty.
After a tense pause, Salvador issued his orders coldly. “Take the Capital Guard and the Garrison Unit to raid all these gentlemen’s retreats. Go at night. Detain everyone present and bring them to the Capital Guard headquarters to be jailed for two days. As for the Sandorian spies, hand them over to the Supreme Court.”
The Capital Guard headquarters’ prison was as sparse as they came, and they didn’t usually imprison people there. It wasn’t that they didn’t arrest anyone. Minor offenders were usually fined or given a few lashes, while those committing serious crimes were sent to the authorities to face proper sentencing. “Your Majesty, if there are court officials present, should they also be detained?” Sophie asked. Salvador’s expression darkened. “Naturally, they are to be detained as well.”
Sophie understood that Salvador intended to teach these officials a lesson, though not publicly-he didn’t want word of their indiscretions spreading to the authorities. Locking them up in the Capital Guard headquarter’s prison was meant to serve as a discreet warning while protecting their reputations. More importantly, the raid’s true objective was to capture the Sandorian spies and subject them to a rigorous interrogation.
“And make sure no one warns them in advance,” Salvador added.
It was time to discipline a few people and restore proper order.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Sophie replied respectfully.
As she left to carry out the orders, her thoughts turned to Gerald.
Truth be told, Gerald had reprimanded her not long ago, and she was still annoyed by it. Yet, she couldn’t overlook the fact that he was Sigmund’s tutor at one point and carried the distinguished title of a royal tutor. If the old man got caught in such a place and thrown into the Capital Guard headquarter’s prison, he would likely die of shame.
His embarrassment was one thing, but it was Sigmund’s reputation that was truly on the line. Fortunately, ever since surveillance began late last year, Gerald hadn’t visited often. If memory served correctly, he had gone three days ago, which meant he likely wouldn’t return in the next couple of days. She decided to proceed with the raid that very evening. As for the Marquis of Glandale, Salvador hadn’t given explicit instructions to apprehend him, so it was clear he intended to handle the matter personally. That was out of her hands.
Sophie returned to the Capital Guard Headquarters to mobilize the troops.
The locations of the five gentlemen’s retreats had already been thoroughly investigated. Each establishment employed around ten enforcers and housed over twenty courtesans. The 15 Sandorian spies were scattered across the five retreats.
While their exact martial prowess remained uncertain, their light, nimble footsteps suggested they were well-trained in Lightfoot Skill.
Violet had been training the Capital Guard and Garrison Unit for quite some time now. After those intensive lessons, their skills improved considerably. As for Max and Michael, their martial prowess had surged ahead as well.
Still, Sophie decided to be cautious. She called for Violet, Claire, and Mabel to join her, to prevent the spies from using their Lightfoot Skill to flee. A citywide search would cause too much commotion.
They had more than enough hands for the job. Each team was assigned 50 men, with Claire and Mabel leading their respective squads, while Garissa and Violet took command of the one heading to the retreat on the northern side of the city.
This particular gentlemen’s retreat had the best business and was Gerald’s frequent destination. It also housed a larger number of Sandorian spies-four of them. It was essential to capture them all in one swoop.
Sophie was dressed in her official attire, while Violet was disguised in men’s clothing. They led the charge with 50 capital guards at their back, bursting through the door with a loud crash.
The enforcers inside barely had time to react. One of them, clearly startled, stepped forward and roared, “Who dares to barge here? You think this is your playground?”
Before he could finish, Violet was already on him. A few quick punches left him and his buddies sprawled on the floor, their teeth scattered on the ground.
The place immediately descended into chaos. Sophie left 20 guards to secure the three exits while she led the rest inside. As they moved further in, a figure caught her eye.
Her heart skipped a beat. She recognized him-the man Gerald always brought with him, who remained outside while Gerald entertained himself.
The man looked to be in his forties, with a sharp, almost delicate appearance. Though unarmed, a long whip hung from his waist.
When Sophie and her group stormed in, he instinctively turned to retreat deeper into the building. Sophie quickly stepped forward, grabbing his shoulder and yanking him back.
To her surprise, he broke free and spun around, pulling out the whip and striking at her without hesitation. After just a few moves, the man was subdued, tied up with rope, and tossed toward the entrance, where the guards from the Capital Guard took over.
The rest of the people tried to flee in panic, but the area was already tightly secured. Every exit was guarded, making escape impossible.
The Sandorian spies, however, were determined to fight. They were skilled and vicious, but compared to someone like Michael, they fell short. Naturally, they were no match for Sophie and Violet, who quickly took them down without much trouble.
As for the guests and courtesans enjoying themselves, they were all rounded up as well. Among them were a few officials who wished they could hide their faces behind their sleeves. They recognized Sophie, and at that moment, they felt like dying would be less humiliating.
Sophie pushed open the door to a private room on the second floor. Behind the screen, she found Gerald and two courtesans trying to hide.
She didn’t let anyone else enter the room, instead saying coldly, “Should I call people in to drag you out, or will you come out on your own?”
Inside, heavy breathing could be heard-panicked and unsteady.
Perhaps Gerald had never experienced such chaos in his entire life.
No matter how big the problem, he had always been able to handle it with ease.
But this? This was beyond his control.
The thought of dying here was mortifying enough, but the idea of his body being found in such a place was even worse-especially since, on the eve of the New Year, he had sternly scolded Sophie before leaving the palace.
“Come out!” Sophie shouted again, her voice sharp and commanding.
Two barefoot courtesans stepped out. The room was warm, heated by silver charcoal. Carpets cover the floor, making it easy to walk barefoot.
“Will you leave on your own, or must I escort you?” Sophie asked calmly.
The two courtesans hurried out, leaving Gerald behind the screen, trembling faintly.
Sophie grabbed the embroidered tablecloth from the tabletop and moved behind the screen, draping it over Gerald. Then, she seized his arm and said, “Let’s go!”
With the tablecloth obscuring his face, Gerald stumbled as Sophie led him down the stairs. Though his head was lowered, he kept it high enough to see the path.
He was confused. Sophie couldn’t have seen him, as he had hidden behind the screen beforehand and hadn’t made any contact with her. But it seemed as though Sophie knew who he was, and she allowed him some dignity. As she pulled him downstairs, she didn’t use much force. Instead, she was careful to support him as he stumbled.
Gerald was bundled into a carriage, separate from the others, who were all being dragged away.
His mind raced, looking for any means of escape. If he revealed his true identity, perhaps he could strike a deal with Sophie. Surely, with enough incentive, she would let him go.
But he couldn’t be sure that Sophie knew who he was. With his disguise, most people wouldn’t recognize him.
Though it was night, the scene caused quite a stir. Many people gathered along the way to watch as the procession moved along. Several officials were shoved into a carriage, while the others who had been caught had cloths wrapped around their faces.
From the way the cloths were torn, it was clear they had been ripped from tablecloths and used to cover their faces.
The Sandorian spies were escorted separately, heading for the Supreme Court. Sophie had already made arrangements with Matthew to have them transferred to Randall’s custody for questioning, with further decisions to be made afterward.
The rest of those detained were locked away in the Capital Guard headquarters’ prison.
The prison was simple just four walls with an entrance so low one had to bend down to get in. It hadn’t been used in a long time and hadn’t been cleaned. As soon as they entered, a musty smell hit their noses. After the stench, there was a bone-chilling cold. The walls were cracked, with small holes letting in the wind.
All the so-called guests looked terrified. This was a fear beyond the usual dread. It was a fear that outstripped even the cold embrace of death.