Linasien fell silent, staring blankly at the manacles on Lin's wrists. It took her a moment to stammer a response.

“Y-you were captured too?”

“Yep. Just as you see.”

While Linasien struggled to process the situation, Lin activated two Cosmos skills: Detect Presence and Trap Detection. Taking his time to scan the room, he found no surveillance devices or magical wards. Even though she’d been deposed, imprisoning a former imperial heir and a hero of the Demon Front with minimal guard presence spoke to the Shieldbearer’s overconfidence. Lin couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What’s so funny? Don’t you understand what’s going on?”

“Calm down, Lina. Getting worked up will only make you feel worse.”

“How can I calm down here?!”