"Regina? We know her. She was the one who led us here."

After those words, the young Awakeners began to chatter among themselves.

"That person we saw yesterday and today, her name was Regina, right? She explained to us about the Awakeners' arena and asked if we were interested."

"Ah, the one who did the final check before the fight began? Yes, that was her name."

"She seemed kind when inviting us to the arena, but today, she was a bit scary. Looking back, she probably didn't need to be nice anymore, knowing what this place was…"

The speaker was Jack, the curly-haired boy who had almost fought Yuder. As Jack spoke, Reneve's face stiffened rapidly, while his friends shook their heads, offering a different perspective.

"That's not it. She didn't suddenly become scary today; we've felt something odd about her since yesterday. Don't you remember worrying if it was really okay for us to fight here?"

"Right. Jack, you were too excited about earning money to listen properly. I felt different. She kept telling us frightening things, making me wonder if this place wasn't meant for kids like us."

"I felt the same! When I hesitated to sign the application, she whispered in my ear that if I was scared, I should just leave... I signed it impulsively, but now I regret not walking away."

"Really? I just thought she went on about how dangerous it could be, but also how much money we could make..."

Jack mumbled, looking bewildered.

Yuder gleaned new information from the disjointed conversation about Regina, who had been nervous about missing colleagues while doing the last checks before the fight.

Her stern attitude towards the boys and the mention that she could not go further to check on her absent colleagues suggested a harsh demeanor. However, now knowing that Regina was actually Cyril, Yuder's perception of these details shifted.

After hearing this, Yuder turned to Reneve. She looked back at him with a complex gaze, demanding the truth.

"Tell me everything. What happened to Cyril? All of it."

"Understood."

Yuder succinctly narrated the facts he had gathered and surmised from Nukijo and the surroundings.

Regina, as an Awakener with the power of invisibility, had been tasked by Nukijo to deal with Awakeners trying to escape the arena. She did whatever Nukijo asked, aiming for a promotion and the permission to descend to the third underground level.

He also shared that Nukijo seemed reluctant to let Reneve and Regina meet, possibly fearing they might join forces and escape.

After hearing everything, Reneve was speechless for a long time.

Although she had been imprisoned for a long while, she was not foolish. She quickly grasped how Nukijo had manipulated them and the resulting situation they were in. The news of her long-lost friend's survival brought no joy, only a realization she couldn't celebrate.

Reneve remained silent thereafter, lost in deep despair and shock, no longer processing the words spoken to her.

In the midst of the chaos, the Awakeners who were tidying up the scene discovered the entrance to a secret passage that Nukijo was about to enter and cleared the debris blocking the way. The passage, gaping darkly, was a mess with dozens of footprints left in haste by the departing VIPs. Having confirmed this, Kishiar commanded everyone to enter the passage.

Finally, in front of the Awakeners filled with the hope of escape, he twisted the magic tool to reveal his true face completely.

“Ah, the face...?”

“At last, I can properly introduce myself with my real face.”

Stunned by his astonishing appearance, the Awakeners couldn’t hide their overwhelming emotions even as they feared upon hearing him introduce himself as the Commander of the Cavalry, Kishiar.

“Ah...!”

“It's because everyone contributed their strength that we could come this far without anyone getting hurt. Trust me and follow, I will do my best until the end.”

“Of course.”

The Awakeners responded energetically. However, even as they ascended the secret passage, Reneve silently kept to the back, maintaining his quiet.

Yuder glanced at her before speaking softly to Kishiar.

“What do you plan to do with those captured here?”

“Well... I plan to stick to the original plan.”

According to the original plan, Nukijo and his remnants should be immediately arrested and pay the price according to the law. They had been involved in illegal human trafficking and had sacrificed many in the fighting pits, so they deserved no less than the death penalty.

Even those who merely followed Nukijo but did not participate in the pit fights should be investigated for their crimes and duly punished. Only by administering proper justice could they justify going after others operating illegal fighting rings beyond Nukijo.

However, the case of Cyregina was more complicated. Even if she didn’t follow Nukijo by her own will, the crimes she committed were clear.

‘According to other Awakeners, even while working under Nukijo, she seemed to have tried to do what she could for others... But if that’s true, it leaves a bitter taste.’

As a Commander, Yuder knew that not everyone could be saved according to the situation. That’s what he had learned during his long tenure as Commander Yudrain Aile. If a crime was committed, it was right to pay the price.

But he felt uneasy knowing that Nukijo was the root cause.

‘If that guy had lived, we could have squeezed out evidence and testimony about this matter and sorted out the disputes more clearly.’

Judging a case based only on circumstances was extremely tricky. It was even more so when it came to meting out punishment for crimes. Without clear evidence, Cyregina was likely to face a harsh sentence. While Yuder pondered this, Kishiar seemed to read his thoughts and spoke.

“Are you concerned?”

“Yes.”

Yuder answered honestly.

“It is indeed a complex matter. But there’s always a way.”

“Do you have something in mind?”

Responding to Yuder’s question, Kishiar spoke in a gentle voice.

“Before apprehending those who have sinned, there’s a law that allows for leniency through negotiation if someone from the inside turns in favor of justice and assists the investigation. Like that person earlier who killed Nukijo and begged for his life.”

“...”

“Hasn’t Cyregina still got one more chance to prove that she truly didn’t follow Nukijo willingly and could, given the right circumstances, prove loyal to His Majesty the Emperor and be able to help others?”

Upon hearing those words, Yuder suddenly realized exactly where they were.

This was the secret passage through which the VIPs had escaped. If the Cavalry had surrounded the area as planned, those exiting would be immediately captured for investigation and punishment.

In this process, the subordinates of Nukijo, including Cyregina, would be faced with two choices.

They could remain loyal to Nukijo until the end, protect the VIPs, and thereby confirm their guilt.

Or they could defect, cooperate with the Cavalry, and pass on information, thereby securing a chance for a reduced sentence.

"...We should ascend as quickly as possible."