From the moment I was chosen by the holy relic

Eileen didn't participate in the commotion in the hotel lobby, but her ears were always attentive to the conversations around her. She overheard a group of tomb raiders whispering about the treasure hidden in an ancient tomb, and an old hunter describing the giant ice wolf he encountered in the snowy mountains. There were also ordinary merchants discussing the latest tax rates and commodity prices in the royal city.

One day, a traveling performer entered the hotel with a well-trained monkey and began to perform impromptu. His monkey, wearing a small red hat, could even do somersaults and perform simple magic tricks, which made the onlookers laugh.

Another day, an elven merchant took out a short sword that gleamed coldly from his suitcase and shouted, "This sword is no ordinary item. It is forged from moonsilver and can cut through iron like mud!" Soon, people came forward to inquire about the price, and the merchant took the opportunity to raise the price even higher.

Another time, Eileen was quietly drinking when she suddenly heard a quarrel. Looking up, she saw the adventurer's party in the corner arguing over the loot. A dwarf was roaring, brandishing his large axe: "Whose key is this? I found it first!"

"But without my magical barrier, you would have been torn to shreds by the gargoyles long ago!" a female mage coldly replied.

The commotion attracted the attention of many people in the hall, but a waiter quickly stepped forward to calm the two apart. Eileen shook her head and turned her gaze back to her glass; she was already used to conflicts between these adventurers.

On the fifth day, Eileen sat in the corner of the hotel as usual, taking a sip of a glass of warm mead. She ordered a grilled steak and a piece of hard bread, eating silently, seemingly indifferent to everything around her. However, just as she bent down to cut a piece of steak, the whispers from the next table inadvertently reached her ears.

"...Eric...the Knight..."

The familiar name made Eileen stop what she was doing, but she didn't look up immediately. Instead, she pretended to be indifferent and continued cutting the steak on her plate, but her ears were perked up, listening to every word of the conversation at the other table.

"My uncle is the chief guard in the palace. He knows everything that's important!" a blond young man said smugly, his voice filled with obvious boasting. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his tone full of pride.

"Really?" The two girls sitting across from him widened their eyes, their faces full of curiosity. "Has your uncle said anything exciting lately?"

The blond young man puffed out his chest with satisfaction, lowered his voice, as if sharing some incredible secret: "Of course there is. A few days ago, a knight named Eric was imprisoned in the dungeon by the king, and I heard he's going to be beheaded in a few days."

Eileen's hand trembled slightly, the knife and fork making a soft sound against the plate, but she quickly relaxed and forced herself to continue cutting the steak with calm movements, trying her best to hide her inner turmoil.

"Beheading? What crime did the knight commit?" a girl asked, her tone filled with surprise.

The blond young man smiled smugly and lowered his voice mysteriously: "Committing murder and deceiving the king, offending the king, anyone can die."

"I never would have guessed that knights could commit crimes," another girl remarked.

The blond young man curled his lip and sneered, "What's so great about knights? They're just border watchdogs. My uncle's word is worth more than their lives." After saying that, he and the two girls laughed at the same time, and then changed the subject.

"Murder and deceiving the king?" Eileen calmly pondered to herself. "Eric doesn't seem like the type to do such things. At most, he might make a foolish mistake. How could he possibly anger the king?"

Her first thought was that she definitely wouldn't get her half of the reward, so she might as well just leave, since it had nothing to do with her anyway. But then she found that her mind was in turmoil.

Eileen put down her knife and fork, her gaze falling on the wine glass on the table, her expression becoming complicated. "Save him?" she asked herself. "Why? I owe him nothing, what does his life or death have to do with me?"

She analyzed the situation rationally and concluded that she should not save the person; there was no need for her to take such a risk.

But just as she was about to leave, Eric's smiling face appeared in her mind. He always talked to her in a somewhat naive tone, always trying to ease her wariness of unfamiliar environments. He always treated her as a friend, while she... had never really had a friend.

"Friend..." Eileen shook her head with a wry smile, "I don't need something like that." But a voice inside her retorted, "But now, you have one."

She agonized over the entire morning, her thoughts tug-of-war between "saving" and "not saving." Finally, she took a deep breath, pulled a coin from her small pocket, and thought to herself with a self-deprecating smile, "Perhaps I'll let fate decide."

First throw, heads up, go for the save.

The second throw, headfirst, still a rescue attempt.

Eileen stared at the patterns on the coin for a long time, then finally sighed and put the coin away. "Fine, I'll save him, but this guy will have to pay me a lot of money," she muttered to herself, a helpless smile on her lips.

That night, under the cover of darkness, she quietly approached the castle, observing the changing of the guards. The castle was majestic, brightly lit, and from a distance, it resembled a colossal beast isolated from the world. The guards, armed with spears, patrolled in orderly steps, the walls were covered with archers, and even several tamed magical eagles circled high in the sky—all of this made Eileen feel increasingly pressured.

What troubled her even more was that in a secluded corner outside the castle, she discovered several magic stones engraved with runes. Eileen touched one lightly and immediately felt a suppressive force that blocked her magic. Her heart sank: "There really is an isolation barrier; magic cannot be used inside."

Back at the hotel, Eileen sipped a glass of strong wine while meticulously devising a rescue plan at her desk. She went over each step repeatedly, considering various possible contingencies, until the early hours of the morning, when she finally finalized a comprehensive plan.

As the night wind swept across Nosteria Castle on the second day, Eileen stood before the castle gates, wearing a coarse cloth cloak, her head bowed, her face hidden in shadow, only her eyes revealing a sharp glint. She spoke in hushed tones to the guards at the castle gates, lying that she was Eric's wife and hoped to see her husband.

"You can't go in. That's a hardened prison with strict rules," the guard said coldly, his sharp eyes scanning her up and down.

"I'm not here to cause trouble, I just want to see my husband one last time," Eileen pleaded softly, her voice filled with sorrow. Her hand stealthily reached into the basket, pulled out a small bag of gold coins, and handed the heavy bag to the guard. "I promise I won't cause any trouble."

The guard's expression froze for a moment, the gold coin pouch in his hand making a crisp sound, his hesitation overcome by selfishness. He turned and walked away, returning a moment later, and simply ordered, "Hand over the items for inspection. No contraband allowed."

Eileen nodded and handed over the basket. The guard checked it over, and after confirming it was correct, gestured for her to follow. They entered the castle gates, and Eileen silently memorized every path and every detail; everything here might soon become the key to her and Eric's escape.