Using the bit of magical enhancement I had, I broke the chain lock apart and took a leap towards Edwards. Using the edge of the cuffs, I took a big thrust at his face, forming a massive wound and taking out one of his eyes. The guards still in shock instantly raised their weapons, while the warden seemed to have frozen, his shock evident on his face. 

To my surprise, Edwards still managed to barely stand. It was the first time I had heard a sound that painful out of his mouth.

"What are you waiting for! Catch that dog! Don't let him escape!"

The guards both propelled their spears towards me. Ducking, I dodged backwards. 

Unfortunately, the warden had recovered from his daze and was just about to strike me. Yet, before he could, a firm hand stopped the warden's arm from moving. The man standing behind the warden was a guard. At least he looked like one, though in reality, that face clearly belonged to a certain knight of Evyne.

The bloodlust directed towards the warden in that knight's face was no joke. His grab tightened, and it seemed like he was about to rip out the warden's arm. Their mana clashed, though because of the weakened state of the Evynian knight, his grip loosened and the warden jumped away.

Seeing their confrontation, the inmates made quite a mess down in the yard. They started trampling at doors and ganging up on the stationed security. Meanwhile, I was thinking about how to get out of here. 

Edwards was already gone. He had retreated with the two guards standing beside him a few minutes ago, probably heading to his personal ride. Though it was an unfortunate turnout, I didn't really have time to be glum about his escape because I managed to get away too.

'Well, at least for now,'

Just as I was about to head back inside to wherever I could find some weapon, another guard approached from behind. Raising my elbow, I sidestepped and pumped it at his stomach, making him fall in agony.

Suddenly, a shout resounded from where the knight and warden fought. A shiny object flew towards me, catching it, I instantly realized what it was for. Looking at the eyes of the knight, I felt a wave of bafflement. His gaze had shown clear trust.

'How can you still trust me? You even seemed like you wanted to murder me yesterday.'

What he had just given me was the key to the armory. I knew what he wanted. The order came as soon as I realized what he had thrown.

"Get our people to the armory and escape! I will be right behind you!" The knight exclaimed as he and the warden exchanged blows.

'What an idiot,' is all I could think of, though I decided to do as he commanded as it was the most likely way for me to survive. 

Dashing towards the edge of the platform on which the director used to give his speeches, I jumped down and landed on my knee, right between the crowd of the night's comrades.

All of them first looked at me surprised, then with a mix of resentment and expectation.

"So, you decided to switch back, aye?" A man in his forties said. He looked down at me, apparently wanting to show his dominance over me. I stared right back at him but never returned his provocation.

"Your chief told me to lead you to the armory. He entrusted me with the keys. Everyone that wants to can follow me." I shouted as I stood up. The faces greeting me were mostly judgmental, although many seemed determined too.

I opened the door to the building and gestured the prisoners to go inside. The atmosphere was tense, everyone eyeing each other warily. I knew I had to act fast to maintain some semblance of control.

"Listen up! I'm not your enemy here. If you want to get out alive, follow my lead. We need to stick together if we're going to make it out of here in one piece."

I could see skepticism in their eyes, but the urgency of the situation seemed to override their doubts. They reluctantly went inside and followed my lead.

The hallways were mostly empty. Occasionally small groups of guards appeared but were either taken care of quickly or forced to flee. The knight's group was the main combatant part of our small army. Their strength was deserving of fear but practical in clearing our path. However, I could still see that a few people were falling behind, especially the ones carrying the elder, or the injured.

'Maybe resting inside the armory would be a good idea,' I thought, but quickly waved that idea away.

'These people aren't my responsibility, don't forget that Jacob!'

As we arrived I pulled out the key and hoped for it to fit, and to my relief, it did. Joyful cheering could be heard as the news of our success resounded throughout the hallway.

Inside the armory, the air was thick with the smell of metal and weapons. It was a huge storage room, full of all the essentials guards would need. The knight had given me the key that would boost my chances, and I wasn't about to waste it.

"Grab whatever you can use, don't linger too much! We have to move on before the 'Fanggruppe' arrives." Holdrum, a older man part of our soldiers entourage, ordered.

'Though the concern is justified, the lack of personnel may mean that there might be enough time to relax. Something significant could've happened for the troops to be relocated. It was pretty empty to be fair,' I considered. Yet, there still was the other possibility.

'Or they're just simply preparing a trap,' I continued, reckoning whether it would be a logical way of acting for Edwards and his men. 

Meanwhile, another member of the knight's soldiers, called Serkam, looked at me as if he wanted to choke me while his comrade Holdrum tried to calm him down. A smile formed on my face.

'Well, they can decide. I will just slip through as I've already had planned.'

Ignoring them, I took a moment to find something suitable for myself, a sword that felt balanced in my hands. At least that was my goal. However, the only thing I found was trashy equipment, like old daggers, or worn-out spears. 

After some time went by, I found a decent short sword, that would be sufficient for at least a few weeks. And even when it was plain in the eyes of others, it still was special in my opinion.

Having this type of weapon felt way better than I thought. Its blade looked like the epitome of beauty, and how the hilt was crafted, felt amazingly robust, making it easy to hold on to. 

Taking a few test swings, I felt that it fit. The frontal slash felt especially clean, as I sliced the air like butter. Happily resheathing it, I strapped its belt on my wrist. A few laughs of random people seemed to be directed towards me. Wanting to leave before I was completely in bothered by those fools, I noticed the group of soldiers coming towards me. It was pretty clear as to why they would move here.

'This is going to be excrutiatingly bothersome,' with this last thought I prepared for the scolding of mindless adults.