I'm Trapped Inside a Prince as the Most Powerful Entity-Chapter 56: Inside the Spider’s Web

The scene shifts, going back a short while,

Billy didn’t hesitate, stepping into the darkness. Bryan and Malkor, still bewildered but trusting Billy’s lead, quickly followed him down the earthen ramp.

The passage was long and winding, lit by occasional, dim magical lights set into the rough-hewn stone walls. After several minutes of descent, the passage opened into a much larger, wider corridor.

And this corridor was nothing like the crude, bloody tunnels of the Crestport hideout.

This place was enormous, a vast underground complex. The main corridor they now stood in was wide enough for a carriage to pass through, its ceiling high and arched, carved from solid rock.

Torches burned brightly in sconces along the walls, illuminating the passage clearly. What surprised Bryan and Malkor the most, however, was who they saw walking around.

There were numerous soldiers patrolling the corridor, but they weren’t wearing the usual rough, mismatched gear of Syndicate thugs. These soldiers wore the distinctive bright red uniforms and gleaming golden armor of the Roland Kingdom’s Royal Army! They moved with military discipline, their weapons polished, their expressions serious.

Interspersed among these Roland soldiers were several individuals dressed in the dark, flowing robes of mages, their faces often hidden by deep hoods. They too seemed to be patrolling or heading towards specific destinations within the base.

Even more unsettling, Bryan noticed groups of ordinary-looking people – men and women dressed in simple, sometimes ragged, commoner clothes – moving through the corridors.

They were sweeping floors, carrying supplies, or performing other menial tasks under the watchful eyes of the Roland soldiers. But around each of these commoners’ necks was a thick, black metal collar. And embedded in the center of each collar was a small, dull crystal that pulsed with a faint, ugly light. Slaves.

Bryan stared at the collared workers, a frown creasing his face. He recognized some of the clothing styles; these people weren’t from the Roland Kingdom. "So," Bryan muttered, more to himself than to Billy, "these are the ones you kidnap from other lands? The ones you bring here as slaves to do your dirty work?"

Billy, who was walking just ahead, glanced back at Bryan, his expression cold and dismissive. "I hold no sympathy for them," Billy stated flatly. "They are mostly citizens of enemy kingdoms. Their fate is their own concern, not mine. What happens to them causes me no sadness, and certainly no regret."

Bryan, who was not a citizen of the Roland Kingdom himself, felt a twinge of unease, even a little disgust, at Billy’s callous words. He had always known the Syndicate was ruthless, but seeing this institutionalized slavery, seeing Roland Kingdom soldiers openly patrolling the Syndicate’s main headquarters, was deeply unsettling.

He was particularly surprised and confused to see the Roland soldiers here. The Spider Syndicate was supposed to be a criminal organization, operating in the shadows, enemies of all kingdoms. Why were royal soldiers from a powerful nation like Roland acting as guards within their secret base?

Before Bryan could voice his confusion or ask Billy about the presence of the Roland soldiers, Billy seemed to read his mind. "There are some things, Bryan," Billy said quietly, not looking back, "that it is better for you not to know. Some questions that are better left unasked, especially here."

Bryan frowned again. "So I should just ignore what I see?" he asked, a hint of frustration in his voice.

Billy simply nodd.

The three of them – Billy leading, Bryan and Malkor following – continued walking deeper into the main corridor. As they passed a side passage, they overheard a conversation between two soldiers dressed in the Roland Kingdom’s red and gold armor. The soldiers were speaking in low tones, but their words carried in the echoing corridor.

"Did you hear?" the first soldier said. "The order came down. We have to stop wearing our kingdom’s uniforms when we’re on duty down here. Starting tomorrow."

The second soldier nodded. "Yeah, I heard. But do you know why? It’s not just about blending in anymore."

The first soldier looked surprised. "No? What’s the reason then?"

Bryan, Billy, and Malkor, though still walking, slowed their pace slightly, listening intently to the soldiers’ conversation.

The second soldier leaned in closer to the first. "Word is," he whispered, "there’s a spy. Either already inside the base, or expected to arrive very soon. Someone important, someone dangerous. Command is worried about our uniforms giving away the... connection."

The first soldier’s eyes widened. "A spy? Here? In the main headquarters? Why haven’t we caught them yet?"

The second soldier shrugged. "Don’t know. Maybe they’re too good. Or maybe command is waiting for them to lead them to someone else." He chuckled darkly. "But when they do catch this spy... I can only imagine how bad things will be for them."

Billy, Bryan, and Malkor walked past the two gossiping soldiers, pretending not to have heard anything. Malkor didn’t seem to pay much attention to the overheard conversation, too preoccupied with his own fear.

Bryan, however, felt a renewed surge of anxiety. A spy? Here? His earlier deal with Sir Karlos suddenly felt like a very, very bad idea. Karlos had wanted to know who the ultimate leader of the Spider Syndicate was.

Bryan had agreed to try and find out, in exchange for a large sum of money. He had been greedy. Now, with talk of spies and increased security, that greed felt like a noose tightening around his neck. He deeply regretted making that deal. He just wanted to survive.

Before Bryan could dwell further on his worries, another soldier in Roland Kingdom uniform stepped out from a guard post ahead, blocking their path. This soldier looked sterner, more alert than the gossiping ones.

He held up a hand. "Halt," the soldier commanded, his eyes scrutinizing the three of them, lingering on Bryan and Malkor who looked rougher and less composed than Billy. "You cannot proceed further without authorization."

The soldier was looking them up and down, clearly suspicious, when Billy stepped forward smoothly. Without a word, Billy reached into his tunic and pulled out a small, intricately carved seal made of dark, polished wood. He held it out for the soldier to see. The soldier leaned closer, his eyes examining the complex symbols etched into the seal.

The moment the soldier saw the seal, his entire demeanor changed. The suspicion vanished from his eyes, replaced by instant recognition and respect.

He understood that this seal identified Billy as someone from an outside branch of the Syndicate, but someone holding a position of significant authority, someone with clearance to be here. The soldier immediately straightened up and bowed his head low.

"Forgive me, sir!" the soldier said, his voice suddenly respectful, all traces of his earlier authoritative tone gone. He was now addressing Billy as if Billy were his superior officer. "I did not realize. How may I be of service to you, sir?"

Billy, clearly used to this kind of deference when displaying his seal, didn’t waste any time. "We need to speak with one of the Head Operatives immediately," Billy stated, his voice cold and commanding. "Arrange a meeting. Now. It’s urgent."

The soldier listened to Billy’s order, then bowed his head again. "Of course, sir. Right away." He gestured towards a closed door in the side of the corridor. "If you would please wait in this receiving room, sir, I will inform the Head Operatives of your arrival immediately."

Bryan watched this exchange with growing surprise. Billy, the young agent, clearly held a much higher rank and more influence within the Syndicate than Bryan had realized. And they were going to meet directly with one of the "Heads"? Bryan had only ever dealt with regional captains like Oliver.

A small, nervous thrill went through him. Maybe his deal with Karlos wasn’t so bad after all. If he could get close to the top command, maybe he could find out who the ultimate leader was. The thought was both terrifying and enticing.

The three of them – Billy, Bryan, and Malkor – entered the receiving room the soldier had indicated. It was a small, plainly furnished chamber with a few uncomfortable-looking wooden benches along the walls. They sat down to wait.

After only a few moments, the door opened again, and a servant entered. He was a middle-aged man, dressed in simple, clean servant’s livery. He bowed politely. "Masters," the servant said, his voice quiet and subservient. "May I offer you any refreshments while you wait? Some water, perhaps?"

Bryan and Malkor both looked at the servant and then quickly looked away, a flicker of discomfort crossing their faces. They recognized him. Not personally, but they recognized his features, his accent. This servant was clearly from their own former kingdom, perhaps even from Crestport City itself.

He was one of the "slaves" they had seen in the corridors, wearing that same oppressive black collar with the dull crystal. It was unsettling to be served by someone who could have been their neighbor, now reduced to this. Neither Bryan nor Malkor said anything.

Billy, however, showed no such discomfort. He didn’t even glance at the servant properly. "We don’t need anything," Billy snapped, his voice cold and dismissive. "Get out. And don’t bother us again unless you wish to remain... alive."

Fear flashed in the servant’s eyes. He bowed his head very low, quickly and silently backing out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

A few more tense minutes passed in silence. Then, the door opened again, and the same Roland soldier who had initially stopped them entered. He bowed to Billy. "Sirs," the soldier said, "The Head Operative will see you now. Please, follow me."

The three of them stood up. Bryan started to follow Billy and the soldier, with Malkor trailing behind. But as they reached the doorway, Bryan suddenly stopped. He turned to Malkor. "Your authority isn’t high enough to meet with a Head Operative directly," Bryan said, his voice firm. "You will wait here in this room. We will be back shortly."

Malkor looked relieved, clearly not wanting to get any closer to the Syndicate’s high command than he already was. He nodded quickly and retreated back to one of the benches.

Bryan then looked at Billy. Bryan had been feeling increasingly nervous about meeting one of the top leaders. But with Billy beside him, Billy who seemed so confident and respected here, Bryan’s nervousness lessened slightly. He took a deep breath and nodded to Billy. They followed the soldier out of the receiving room and down another, more richly decorated corridor.

The soldier led them to a pair of large, imposing doors made of dark, polished wood, much grander than any they had seen so far in the base. Two more heavily armed guards in Roland Kingdom armor stood sentinel here, their faces impassive. The soldier escorting them spoke briefly to these guards, who then pulled the heavy doors open.

Billy and Bryan stepped inside. They found themselves in a very luxurious, spacious office. The lighting was soft, coming from glowing magical crystals set into the ceiling. Rich tapestries adorned the walls, and expensive-looking furniture was artfully arranged. In the center of the room, behind a large, ornate desk made of dark, polished wood, sat a single figure. freewēbnoveℓ.com

The person was dressed entirely in black, form-fitting clothing that seemed to absorb the light. Their face was completely hidden behind a stark white mask, shaped like the stylized, emotionless face of a rabbit. The mask was unnervingly blank. Several strange, intricate-looking devices and scrolls lay neatly arranged on the desk in front of the masked figure.

Billy immediately walked forward a few steps into the room and bowed deeply from the waist, his head lowered respectfully. Bryan, seeing Billy’s deep bow, quickly did the same, his own heart pounding with a mixture of fear and anticipation.

Billy had met with one of the Spider Syndicate’s "Heads" before, on a previous high-stakes mission. He knew some of their protocols, understood a little of their terrifying power and authority, things Bryan was only now beginning to glimpse.

"Head Master Twenty-Two," Billy said, his voice clear and respectful, addressing the masked figure by their codename. "I have an urgent report. A message sent by Captain Oliver, from the Crestport branch."

The masked figure, Master Twenty-Two, remained perfectly still. The white rabbit mask revealed no expression. For a long moment, there was only silence in the room. Then, a voice came from behind the mask. It was impossible to tell if it was male or female, old or young. The voice was digitally altered, flat and metallic, devoid of any emotion.

"Oliver..." the metallic voice said slowly. "I was expecting Oliver himself to report. Not you, Billy. And certainly not so soon. His last transmission indicated all was proceeding according to plan in Crestport." The masked head tilted slightly. "Speak. What is this urgent report?"