C28 CHAPTER28

As Devon made his way back to the Devil Clan, his mind was consumed with one thought: he needed to escape this place as soon as possible. Upon returning to his chambers, he quickly freshened up and instructed Sia to leave him undisturbed for the remainder of the day. Her surprise at his request was evident, yet she refrained from questioning him.

Next, Devon summoned Hector for a private conversation.

“Master, you called for me,” Hector stated, materializing before him.

“Yes, Hector, I did. How are you faring?” inquired Devon.

“I am faring quite well, thank you, Master Devon,” Hector replied, bowing respectfully as was his custom.

“I have something to discuss with you. Please, take a seat,” Devon directed, gesturing to the room's sole couch.

Hector complied and sat down. “What is it you wish to discuss, Master?” he queried.

“I’m curious about your thoughts on the humans. What's your take on them?” Devon probed.

After a moment's hesitation, Hector responded, “I... I am not fond of them, Third Prince. But that's beside the point, isn't it? The crucial thing is that they assist you in reaching your goal, correct?”

Devon gave a slow nod of affirmation. “Yes, that's right.”

“Precisely, Master. During your discussions with them, I noticed that despite their impertinence and obstinacy, they seem willing to collaborate with you to achieve your objective,” Hector confided in a hushed tone.

“And what are you suggesting?” Devon pressed.

“I’m suggesting that you should indeed collaborate with them, as they will undoubtedly be of assistance. However, you must also monitor them closely and discreetly. These humans are unpredictable and cannot be fully trusted,” Hector advised.

Devon found Hector's insights to be quite astute and nodded in agreement.

“It’s time for me to meet with them now so we can pick up where we left off,” Devon declared.

“Understood, Master,” Hector acknowledged. “Where shall the meeting take place?”

“My study will serve perfectly. It’s spacious enough, and we’ll have access to all the necessary materials,” Devon explained.

“I concur, Master. Shall I inform them?” Hector offered.

Devon paused to consider. “If they all begin to emerge from their rooms and head toward my study, it will certainly attract the attention of the maids and stewards, and my father will be informed. Instead, I need you to gather them in one room and then transport them directly to the library,” he instructed.

Hector's jaw dropped slightly. "You're asking me to wield magic, Third Prince?" he inquired.

"Yes," Devon replied, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"Your wish is my command, Master," Hector responded before exiting the room.

*****

The study, brimming with books, was spacious enough to comfortably accommodate thirty people without the slightest jostle. Sarah and the others took their positions at the front of the room and began organizing. Once Devon's desk was cleared, they spread out the map and poured over it intently.

Devon gazed at the map for an extended period but couldn't make heads or tails of it. A natural introvert with a penchant for the indoors, he rarely ventured out to the Devil Capital. The city's vastness overwhelmed him, and as he studied the map, he couldn't visualize any of the landmarks. Alone, he found solace in satellite maps, which brought the Devil Capital to life before his eyes. Ironically, many residents of the Capital, including his own brothers, struggled to interpret these satellite maps.

Yet, his familiarity with the satellite imagery was of no help now. To Devon, the Devil Capital's map was enigmatic and formidable, yet it appeared to him as nothing more than a jumble of indistinguishable squares and lines, akin to a treasure map scrawled by a toddler.

"Third Prince, is something the matter?" Lucas inquired.

"Not exactly... it's just that this map is proving to be quite a challenge to decipher," Devon confessed.

"Hmm, I believe I'm beginning to understand it," Seymour mused, his long fingernails tracing the map's surface.

"Indeed? What have you discerned?" Sarah asked, her voice tinged with hope.

"As far as I can tell, the map is segmented into three distinct regions: the noble, the business, and the civilian. Each is meticulously separated by towering, formidable walls," Seymour detailed.

"Ah, now I'm following you, Seymour. We're in the noble region at this moment, correct?" Lucas probed, his interest piqued.

"Yes, we're in the noble region, but let's not forget this is the domain of the Devil Clan, not the Devil Capital," Sarah corrected, and Devon couldn't hide his astonishment at her insight.

"Your knowledge is impressive," he complimented her.

"I'm doing my best to make sense of the map, and I've just realized exactly where we are," Sarah explained.

"Got it," Devon replied, refocusing on the map.

Yet Sarah wasn't being entirely truthful with the Third Prince. She hadn't simply 'figured' it out on the spot; the entire map was etched in her mind. Back when she and her late husband were preparing to go to war against the Devil Clan, they did more than just memorize the layout of the Devil Clan's territory; they had committed to memory every detail of the Devil Capital's map. She chose to deceive the Third Prince simply because she didn't want him to suspect her knowledge.

Devon turned to her and inquired, "When you pinpointed our location, did you happen to identify any escape routes for us?"

Sarah blinked repeatedly, taken aback by his question.