As soon as everyone emerged from the prison, they were hit head-on by a brutal scene at the entrance.
Directly in front of them, two men with stripped clothing were hanging upside down from a crooked-neck tree.
The wind swayed them back and forth.
Lady Melo, evidently seasoned and knowledgeable, remained unfazed, acting as if she hadn’t noticed. Behind her, Siber’s pupils shrunk for a fleeting moment, her scream nearly reaching her throat, but she forcefully suppressed it, maintaining her aloof persona.
As for the third woman present, Amisha, she too showed little reaction; having grown up in the junkyard, she had witnessed all manner of lowly deeds. Nevertheless, the disgust in her gaze was unmistakable.
Angel, like the other males present, showed little emotion—merely glanced at the Knight’s armor discarded beneath the tree, then quietly contacted Dox.
"Were those two at the entrance your doing?"
Soon, Dox responded: "You saw them? How do they look? Do you feel a sense of artistic inspiration?"
Even through the brief message, Angel sensed Dox’s pride.
Angel: "Artistry? All I see is vulgarity blown by the wind."
Pausing briefly, Angel continued: "You hung them upside down from the tree, mimicking the Princess?"
Dox: "Although that Princess has some twisted methods, I must admit, they carry a certain unconventional artistic flair. When I came from the castle, I saw two people at the prison entrance, and my hands itched, so I..."
Angel terminated the conversation, knowing it was Dox’s handiwork was sufficient—any further content would likely be lacking in substance.
"Lady Melo, did the Princess do this?" A cool voice softly asked.
The speaker was Siber, maintaining her etiquette, cocking her head to inquire of Lady Melo, while simultaneously shielding the offensive sight from view.
Lady Melo was uncertain how to answer; while on the fourth level of the prison she heard fellow inmates speak of the Princess’s character—capable of striking even at her subordinates. But whether these two were her doing, she didn’t know.
At this moment, Angel chimed in: "You can consider it the Princess’s work; so, if you plan to follow me to the Princess Castle, you might witness more scenes like this—potentially more gruesome. At least, those hung on the tree are merely passed out, not dead."
Of course, they weren’t far from death, evident from their swollen, blood-red faces.
"So, do you still plan to follow?"
Angel posed the question as if offering them a choice, though in reality, they had none; only Lady Melo had the power to decide. Angel wouldn’t purposely lead them away—only Lady Melo, once her strength was restored, could extract them from the Princess Castle.
Lady Melo didn’t hesitate much, nodding: "Let’s go together, bring Golos and Bruiser back."
To Lady Melo, gruesome scenes were nothing compared to the methods Black Wizards employ to select Talented Ones. If the castle indeed harbors more savage tableaux, it might as well let these Talented Ones taste some earthly truth.
Angel paused briefly, then nodded: "Let’s go."
While Angel offered the choice, privately he hoped Lady Melo would first lead them away. However, it seemed Lady Melo misunderstood his intentions.
The reason Angel wished not to take them along rooted in Dox’s explicit words; the two naked, suspended men imitate the Princess’s methods. Prior to this, Dox also mentioned to Angel how Bruiser and Golos were hung upside down in the Princess’s chambers.
Though they are both male and their exposure isn’t as humiliating, being seen in such plight by future colleagues would be awkward—Angel empathized as he imagined the scenario. If they survived, they’d likely avoid this group for years to come.
Since Lady Melo failed to grasp his point, Angel resigned to leading them to the castle.
Just as Dox had noted, they barely encountered anyone along the way.
Only as they neared the castle did they observe an increase in people—guards perused the vicinity, while servants managed various attractions in the amusement park.
Despite the environment making typical concealment futile, cloaked by Angel’s Illusion Technique, they strode boldly into the castle.
Entering through the main gate—conveniently left ajar—a group clad in black puff skirts, donning white headscarves, resembling nuns emerged, carrying plates.
As Angel and the party passed them, they could distinctly see each bore carved scars across their faces, appearing menacingly grotesque.
These must be the castle maids Dox spoke of—the Princess had "artistically" altered every maid’s visage resulting in such appearance.
What lay concealed within the maids’ plates remained unknown initially, as silver covers hid the contents.
But as one maid stumbled momentarily—though she didn’t topple—the lid fell away, revealing human foot severed within.
The maid hastily replaced the cover and departed with lowered head, following her peers.
Meanwhile, Angel and company brushed past, entering deeper into the castle.
"Serving human feet on plates... is the Princess a cannibal?" As the ladies hesitated, the cluster of men began shivering discussions.
"I can’t say if she’s a cannibal, but if you don’t shut up, discovery is inevitable." A cold voice from Siber cut through.
The trio of men, realizing the inappropriateness of the moment, immediately silenced.
Nonetheless, they underestimated Angel’s Illusion Technique; besides blocking perception and recognition, it also obscured sound. Whether they whispered or sang openly, no outsiders would notice.
Angel didn’t bother to explain—quiet suited him just fine.
Through an unremarkable corridor, they arrived in the hall on the first floor, where a rich aroma of cream hit them.
The sweet scent stirred an instant hunger in everyone.
The scent emanated from behind a draped fissure to their left.
Unconsciously, all eyes turned to the curtain simultaneously as it parted, and a head-bowed maid emerged, pushing a cart from behind it.
Although the maid hung her head low, Angel saw her surrounded by an intensely tangled sense of sorrow.
As for the cause, it was probably the "thing" on the cart.
On the cart, it wasn’t the imagined creamy dessert, but a dead body. This dead person wore the same attire as the maid; she was likely a servant of the castle when alive. A giant axe was embedded in her forehead, piercing through her skull. Whitish brain matter seeped through the cracks, covering the front half of the cart with viscous material.
You rarely see such a scene. Even the Talented Ones stared blankly as the maid slowly pushed the cart away.