《I Screwed the Novel's Plot》
Chapter 1 Ch. 1: Prologue
--Bang!!
A loud sound rang out amidst the crowd. An instant silence was created when they witnessed the scene before it was cracked by a woman''s deafening scream.
"Someone was hit by a car!"
"Oh no! Somebody, please call 911!"
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I saw a lot of people start to huddle with my blurry sight. My ears didn''t seem to function properly because my hearing began to fade away. I was hit by a car when I walked home from my part-time job.
''Ah, looks like I''m dying.''
The corners of my mouth tugged. Somehow, it was funny. Why did I think of them when I was dying? Yea, them. Those who had been mean to me.
At first, I didn''t acknowledge it but as time went by and I grew up, I realized it. The terrible things that they hadmitted to me.
Actually, I didn''t think it was an awful thing. It was just that they always treated me coldly. No matter what I did for them to receive my presence, they would always turn their backs on me. They didn''t give a fuck about my existence.
Let alone behaved toward me nicely, I wasn''t even allowed to sit on the couch or eat at the table like them. They would separate a meal and let me eat alone in my room.
Sometimes, I would cry whilst eating my food. Just, what did I do wrong for them to handle me like this? Wasn''t that too much? Their cold manners continued.
When my age hit six, finally, they invited me for a conversation. They told me that my parents had a car ident that took their lives. My aunty cried and med me while reciting the same words over and over.
''Why were you the only survivor and not my sister?!''
Turned out my aunty adored my mother so much and the fact that I resembled my mother made my aunty could never ept my mother''s death.
The tragedy happened when I was a baby. Since the orphanage had gone extinct my rtives had to take care of me and then my uncle and aunt brought me in because other families were not willing to take care of me.
Also, they notified me to leave the house when I reached 16. Because that was the legal age to start a job. As I was fully aware of my situation, I had no choice but to heed their order. Plus, they warned me to not talk to them unless it was school rted.
Even though they behaved coldly, they still sent me to school and provided me meals thrice a day and an allowance even though it was below average, I was still grateful. But, what I truly appreciated was, they didn''t abuse or torture me like the scenes in soap operas. They just shut me up.
After they instructed me, I made a lot of ns for my future. I studied hard and harder in the hopes that I could get a schrship. A few yearster, my hard studies bore fruit. I had always been included in many academicpetitions.
At first, I was only aiming for the schrship, but who would know if I could win a mary prize from thepetition? I saved the money and when I reached 16, I got out of the house and bought a cheap apartment.
A year had passed since I left that house. Although I had a full schrship in college, it didn''t mean that they would cover my living expenses. Also, thepetition wasn''t a daily event where I could get the prize money from it every day. I still had to work as a part-timer.
My workce was just 200 m from my apartment so I walked every day. And looked like today was thest day I strode down this road, huh? My eyes felt heavy and I had a hard time breathing. For more chapters, please visit
''Is my time closing by?''
Maybe, deep down in my heart, I didn''t truly hate them. If I were born again I wish I could be the child of a filthy rich family so I wouldn''t have to work for my living expenses and I didn''t have to study days and nights until my nose bled just to secure my schrship.
I wanted to travel around the world without worrying about running out of money. I craved to know what it was like to have loving parents. Furthermore, I wished to be happy and... I missed them. With that, everything went dark and I fell unconscious.
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There was so much noise, it woke me up. The fact that my consciousness remained it seemed like I wasn''t dead just yet. I tried to open my eyes but when I opened them I could barely see anything. Everything blurred in my eyes.
--Thump --Thump --Thump.
My heart skipped a beat. I tried to move my body but... I couldn''t. My body felt so heavy. An ufortable feeling began to wash my mind. Come to think of it... I also couldn''t hear clearly. The sounds I heard were like buzzing bees and no matter how hard I tried to calm my chaotic mind it was futile.
--Thump --Thump --Thump.
''Am I... Am I crippled?''
''What... What will happen to me if I''m crippled?''
''What about my studies? My college?''
--p!
What the--someone just pped my butt! The smack was so damn hard I could even feel a sharp pain in my butt. I was pretty sure that my ass had turned into a tomato.
--p!
My butt''s skin felt like it was burning. It strung a lot. Stop it! You hurt me! Please!! I shouted loudly but what I heard next was a baby moan.
''Why is there a baby in my hospital room?''
--p!
Damn it! I just¡ couldn''t bear the pain anymore! I know it was disgusting, but, dammit!! I cried!! Just what kind of treatment required being pped on the butt! This doctor must be a quack! Again, I heard a baby crying along with mine. Only then I just realized¡
''Where is my voice?''
''Why is there only the sound of a baby crying?''
"THE SECOND PRINCE IS BORN!!"
Chapter 2 Ch. 2: My New Life [1]
*** SOL 544 -- 26th November
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I thought this was just a dream and I naively believed that everything would return to normal when I woke up. But, it remained the same. My vision was still blurred and all that entered my ears were buzzing sounds.
No matter how hard I tried to calm my head, it was just¡ no use. My rationale refused to ept what happened and all that came out of my mouth was a baby crying loudly.
"Is there something wrong?"
"We-we don''t know. The Prince keeps crying."
"Give him to me."
I felt like my body was being lifted and handed over to someone else. A warm sensation swept over my body as I was being held.
Heartbeats entered my ears. Strangely, my anger started to dissipate after listening to it. I no longer shouted like crazy and somehow felt cathartic.
Something like a round shape was ced on my lips and liquid started flying into my mouth. I gulped it down, and now I couldn''t stop sucking on it.
I didn''t know what it was but my hunger lessened when I drank it. Likewise, I continued to sip it until my eyes felt heavy and drowsiness enveloped my body. Then, my memory ended there.
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*** SOL 545 -- 10th February
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I finally epted my new life as an infant. Well, it was not as bad as I thought. I just had to cry when I was hungry or asked them to change my pants when they were wet with my pee or you-know-what. Since I had nothing to do I spent most of my time sleeping throughout the day.
Over time, I was able to move my head to the left or right while lying on my back. I could also flex both my hands and feet. Even though they were just simple moves, somehow I was quite happy. The fact that there were improvements meant I wouldn''t be living as an infant forever. Everything seemed fine so far, but... now...
''I''m. Fucked. Up.''
I didn''t know how many days had passed but my eyesight improved. I didn''t mean to dislike or I was ungrateful for it, it was just... too... much...
I was stupefied by the object that was settled at the entrance of my mouth. It was breast! A freaking nipple! I hastily turned my head away from it! For God''s sake! It was even the first time I had ever seen ''real'' breasts with my own two eyes!
"What''s wrong my dear?"
The woman pushed her nipple into my mouth again. I tried to dodge it by jerking my head and squirming. No! No! NO! Get that away from me! It scared me!
"Weren''t you hungry? You cried before."
Please, stop shoving your nipple at me! I did cry but I was no longer hungry, so please move your nipple away!
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She kept on poking her nipple which I kept rejecting. But somehow, I was amazed by this woman''s patience. Yes, the woman who had been holding me since morning, since I refused to drink her milk. Suddenly, she stroked my face and spoke in a sad tone.
"What''s wrong? Why won''t you drink my milk?"
Well, it hadn''t been half a day yet, but here I felt like dying. Thanks to that I declined to be breastfed and now I was starving. I had no energy to wriggle my body, I felt lifeless.
The dizziness began to devour my sight. This damn vulnerable body. Just¨Clet''s change our mindset. I did ept my life in this infant''s body but¨C
''What''s next? What''s my goal? I need a purpose to move on with my life.'' For more chapters, please visit
Honestly, I didn''t know why God transferred my soul to this infant. Well, there might be a reason or¨Cdid God fulfill my dying wish and give me a second chance? If this was my other opportunity, shouldn''t I be enjoying my life this time?
''That''s right! To hell with studying To hell with work! I will do whatever I want to do this time! I will live freely and be happy!''
I hurriedly gobbled the nipple that was not far away from me. Sobs entered my ears as I drank her milk. I looked up and saw the woman who was breastfeeding me crying.
''Why is she crying?''
Not only that, but now she was hugging me tightly. What was wrong with¨Cshe kissed my forehead.
"Please, don''t do that again."
Her tears fell on my cheek. She kissed my forehead once again.
"You scared me."
''I''m sorry ma''am, although I can hear your voice, I don''t understand thenguage you speak.''
Could she be sad because I refused to drink her milk? Or was it something else? I raised my right hand and touched the woman''s cheeks then wiped her tears. I didn''t know what made her unhappy, but please don''t cry.
Upon feeling my stroke the woman shrieked even louder. Err, did I do something wrong? Did I identally poke her eyes with my finger?
She breathed a sigh of relief and not long after both of the corners of her lips lifted, she smiled. For some reason, her smile looked so bright. She held my hand and kissed it.
"Are you worried because your mother is crying?"
And our eyes met. Come to think of it, this was my first time seeing her properly. She looked like a woman who came out of a painting.
Her pale wless white skinbined with her beautiful wavy blonde hair. She had beautiful cyan colored-eyed with thick and long eyshes that surrounded them.
A V-shaped face, a bridged nose, and plumped peachy lips. Overall, her beauty was ethereal. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
"Oh, my dear Damian, I love you."
Then she pecked my cheek.
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*** SOL 545, 6th March
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Life was like an onion. You peel it off oneyer at a time and sometimes you weep. But for me instead of weeping, I got headaches! God! Just... when the hell would all of these nonsensical things stop?!
Started from being transported into an infant''s body, and now--every time my eyes improved I saw new truths unfold just like peeling an onion.
Now that I could see quite far, only then did I notice a lot of strange things. Like, why was the beautiful woman dressed in a fancy gown?
And why were the women beside her wearing maid costumes? Oh, there were also people clothed in armor. Well, they had indeed reminded me of those cosyers.
Wrinkles appeared on my forehead. But, why were they cosying the whole day long? My eyes swept across the room and my heart beat rapidly.
Goosebumps flooded my body. What was with the architecture of this room? It was not like the design of this room was ugly, actually, it was the opposite.
The roomyout gave off a strong royalty castle vibe. It was luxurious and majestic! Wait--this wasn''t the time to be amazed by the construction of the room.
I should have realized when I saw that ethereal beautiful woman at that time, that out-worldly beauty was not something that originally came from my previous world. Urg, my head!
I closed my eyes tightly. Let''s just sleep. Let''s not think about this. These manifestations were not something that my logic could digest.
''I don''t give a damn about this ludicrous event anymore!''
Chapter 3 Ch. 3: Mana Core [1]
*** SOL 547 -- 10th May
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My eyes moved fast as they scrutinized every single line written in the book. My hand automatically flipped to the next page whenever I met the end of the line. Only then did it stop moving as the next page was a nk sheet.
I closed and put the book away. I took out a deep breath whilst massaging my temples for a few seconds before moving on to the next book.
By the way, I learned how to write and read thenguage of this world. It was due to my curiosity and I had no choice but to learn it at a fast rate. It took me 3 months to master them at the age of 3.
In just a short time the tutor branded me a genius. Honestly, I wasn''t a genius. I only had a good memory. Well, whatever, it didn''t matter. Most importantly, I got what I wanted: the ability to read.
As I had read many books in my library to find the answer and these were what I found. Gaia was the name of the continent where I was born. The ce I lived was called the Chrono Empire. Also, there was no God here.
In fact, I was not thrown into the past but transmigrated to a novel I read many years ago and was destined to be killed by my half-brother, the main character of this novel at the age of 12. Damn, I thought God pitied me and gave me the second chance to live a happy life, but I didn''t think that was the case.
The good news was, the fact that the novel hadn''t started, I could take the advantage of it to get stronger. Since I knew a few events that would ur in this world and hopefully I could avoid my death g. Also, I wouldn''t let my life be dictated by a mere novel.
The bad news was, I hadn''t finished reading the novel because I had been so busy preparing for my exams. Until I died, I forgot to continue reading it. Even though I survived my death g, I didn''t know what the future held for me.
Okay, moved on.
Just like any kind of fantasy world, in this world, you could also use magic; which piqued my interest. So, in order to casted a magic one must form a Mana Core to gain ess to Mana Pool inside their bodies. Simply put, Mana Core was like a battery whereas Mana Pool was a generator.
Mana was pure energy that was present all over the world. There were various methods to use or manipte mana, but the most known were two methods.
The first method was called ENHANCEMENT, which was to run or circte the Mana throughout your body to increase physical abilities; this method gave you superpowers.
The second method was called CONJURING, which was to use the Mana to manifest the Elemental''s power.
Elementals were natural forces that reside within Mana Pool. There were 5 elements: water, earth, wind, fire, and lightning. These Elementals were usually based on genes.
For example, the father had an Earth Elemental while the mother had a Water Elemental. When the baby was born between them the baby had a chance of having either Earth Elemental or Water Elemental or even both.
Sometimes there were rare cases where the baby inherited the Elemental genes from their ancestors. People born with Elementals are called Elementals Bearers. For more chapters, please visit
But there were also people who had absolutely no Elemental in their Mana Pool at all. Modesty, they weren''t born as Elementalist. Even if people weren''t born with Elementals within them, they still could use mana with the enchantment method. Meant, they were born to be ''Warriors''.
Could a person possibly be born with 5 Elementals? The answer was yes, they could. But, it was like a 0.000001% chance of being born with 5 Elementals.
If someone born with 3 Elementals was considered amazingly lucky then how did you call someone who was born with 5 Elementals?
Super Ultra Mega Lucky Quint Elementals Bearer?
Also, the time to form a Mana Core was from early adolescence tote teens. ording to this book, to unlock your Mana Pool was to form Mana Core through meditation. It was easy to sense Mana but forming a Mana Core was another story. One took days to three months.
"Hmm... Should I give it a try?"
''Somehow it excited me! What would I be?''
An Elementalist or a Swordsman? Personally, I wanted to be an Elementalist, the thought of shooting fire with bare hands looked very cool. But if by any chance I didn''t have an Elemental then that was fine, being a Swordsman sounds fun too.
The book suggested that I meditate in a quiet ce and need an open space like a training ground or something. I looked at my surroundings.
"Well, this library is quiterge and quiet. Looks fit to the requirements, right?"
I ced the book away and changed my position into a meditation pose. I closed my eyes and took many deep breaths until I reached a state of deep rxation. Clearing my mind, I tried to concentrate. Afterward, my body felt light and my consciousness started to fade.
When I opened my eyes, what I found wasplete darkness. It was so dark that I couldn''t see or hear any sound. This ce was totally silent.
''I see, so this was what it feels to be in the subconscious mind. How terrifying. I feel like being thrown into the abyss of eternal darkness.''
I rolled my feet, my footsteps echoed in the darkness.
''I wonder, does this space have an end?''
I walked, walked, walked, walked, and I halted my step. Yo, I had been wandering for half an hour, yet, I achieved nothing. Only then did the corner of my eyes catch a light orb.
''It''s Mana.''
At first, it was an orb, two orbs, another appeared and now I felt like standing in a milky way, there were so many orbs. It seemed I managed to sense Mana. Now the next step was forming Mana Core.
Chapter 4 Ch. 4: Mana Core [2]
I tried to concentrate on moving the orbs. But, instead of changing positions, the orbs in front of me just swayed and didn''t roll as I wanted to.
Well, it was not as easy as I previously thought. I focused once more and pushed them again. One by one the orbs started to gather.
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I didn''t know how many times had passed, but I felt dizzy. Sweats were all over my body and I was gasping for air. I gave my legs up and chose to lie on the ground while catching my breath. My energy was drained a lot and I was hungry.
Maybe it was still too much for the three-year-old me to handle Mana. I looked up and the ? of orbs had formed. The corners of my mouth tugged. Well, it was not bad for the first attempt at controlling Mana, right?
After replenishing some of my stamina, I decided to call it a day. On the next day, I did the same and ended it until my stamina pumped out. This cycle repeated for a whole week and today, I finally managed to form a Mana Core.
My mouth fell open when I saw that the little orbs had now turned into an enormous ball of light. The orb floated in front of me which reminded me of the sun but was white. It gave me a warm and cozy vibe.
The light was gentle and didn''t hurt my eyes at all. I raised my hand and reached for the light. The moment my fingers came into contact with it, my eyes were forced to shut as a blinding burst of light swept across the space.
I blinked a few times to adjust the light before opening my eyes fully. The sh began to dissipate and new scenery entered my vision. The space was turned into a heavenly fantasy theme.
My eyes scanned the surroundings. I couldn''t see pretty well as mist covered the space. Many hand size light orbs danced around the space which reminded me of fireflies. I turned and saw a beautiful clear giganticke framed by bluegrass. It wasn''t just the grass that framed theke but the entire grass was painted blue.
I rolled my feet and stopped beside theke. I bent my body and a wavy white-haired boy with azure eyes was seen. His slender white hands followed my movement when I touched the water.
Yes, he was me; Damian Atreilight.
I red at my reflection with an indifferent gaze. Somehow I couldn''t get used to my new appearance. Only then, something shining in the middle of theke caught my attention right after I straightened my back.
My eyes squinted, I hardly saw it because of the fog and how far it was, but I seemed to catch a glimpse of it. They were flowers. Flowers that emitted different colors. One had a bright red co--
"--Ian!!"
My ears were ringing. Damn. I wouldn''t wonder if I went deaf after hearing the scream. Suddenly, a familiar sweet scent prated my nostrils and someone hugged me tightly. My brow furrowed.
"Mom?"
Why was my mother here--wait, did Ie back? She let go of me and looked at me worriedly.
"Damian! Are you okay?!"
Her immacte hair was nowhere to be found, which was in stark contrast to hers, even her eyes were wet with tears. My heart skipped a bit and anger was raging in my heart. What happened to her?!
"Mom calmed down--"
I halted my words the moment I saw many knights surrounding us and debris lying everywhere. What in the world--what was going on here?! Did someone drop a bomb or something?
"A-are we under attack?!"
"No. We aren''t, Your Highness."
I darted at the voice and found a man, who I assumed was the Captain of the Guard. Somehow his voice was too calmpared to the chaotic situation here.
"Exin."
"The person who caused the explosion was none other than Your Highness himself."
''Huh?''
''What kind of joke was that?''
''Me?'' For more chapters, please visit
''How?''
I was bbergasted.
Now I didn''t know which dumbfounded me, my mother who hugged me once more and cried even louder like attending my funeral, or what the Guard Captain just said.
I sighed in defeat. Hugged in front of so many people--damn. Guess, I should calm my mother down first. I patted her back.
"Mom, it''s okay. I''m fine."
Instead of letting go of me, she embraced me tighter. I could feel my cheeks burning hot for some reason. Let''s just--ignored her!
"Continue."
"Ah, yes. The explosion was due to a Mana st."
"Mana st?"
"That''s right. Mana st usually urs upon unlocking Mana Pool."
''Did I just blow up my library?''
Now I understand what it meant that must be done in an open space. Damn it.
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Yesterday''s ident spread like a wildfire. Manypliments poured in since I became the first person to unlock a Mana Pool at the age of 3. Now, people were calling me a genius once again, which I didn''t give a shit about.
Differing from the other people who endlessly praised me, my mother kept nagging me. Somehow it always amazed me how she never ran out of words for the nag, her words flowed naturally like a waterfall.
Only after I said that I was hungry with my pitiful expression did she finally stop. I couldn''t believe she fell so easily with my poor acting skills.
But still, I apologized to her. My apology was sincere, I was being honest here. Truthfully, it was the first time I ever saw her look like that. To think that she was reduced to that state... I felt awful for making her worry.
Uh, did I introduce my mother? Well, my mother was a blonde-haired and cyan-eyed woman, yes, that ethereal beauty. She was the Empress of the Chrono Empire.
"Are you nervous?"
"A little."
By the way, since I unlocked my Mana Pool two days ago, today my mother summoned an Elementals Appraisal to check whether I had Elemental or not.
I heard my mother was a Single Elementals Bearer while the Emperor--whom I never met before, was a Triple Elementals Bearer.
At the very least, shouldn''t I have one elemental at the minimum, right? But I dare not to expect any higher than that because I didn''t want my wish to turn into disappointment.
"Please ced your hand on top of the crystal ball, Your Highness."
I did as he told me. Afterward, the ball shone. The five white pearls inside the crystal ball changed color and they floated in unison.
"Th-This¡"
I was astonished. Not only me, but everyone in the room was just as shocked as I was. The room was shrouded in silence.
"Hi-His Highness the Second Prince has 5 Elementals!!"
To think that I was the Super Ultra Mega Lucky Quint Elementals Bearer... damn.
Chapter 5 Ch. 5: Training [1]
*** SOL 550
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Time flew really fast. I didn''t even realize it and I was six years old now. As you already knew, I became the Second Prince of this Empire.
To think it was an Empire and not a Kingdom, how lucky I was. Now that I was born with a diamond spoon, I just wanted to live a free and happy life.
I was quite happy that I wasn''t the firstborn. It meant that I didn''t have to be the Crown Prince and ascend the Throne.
''Who wants to be a Monarch in this gigantic nation anyway?''
Even thinking about it gave me a headache let alone ruling it. I didn''t want to be tied to one ce, I wanted to travel around the world!
To hell with politics and schemes to sit on the Throne. Enjoying all the riches and luxuries was something I shouldn''t miss. It was a must! I had absolutely no interest in those troublesome and tiring things.
"Everything is all done, Your Highness."
The maids stepped back. I looked at the mirror in front of me. Wavy white-haired, pale white skin with azure eyes stared back at me. Whenever I looked at my reflection, it somehow reminded me of a big white wolf with blue eyes.
Maybe if I covered myself in the snow the maids would never find me. I hurriedly dismissed the thought because I would definitely be scolded by my mother once I was found.
"Your Highness, it is the time."
I nodded.
"Lead the way."
I followed the head butler and my maids followed behind us.
Today''s schedule was Weapon Arts, and we were heading to the training ground.
"Your Highness."
"Speak."
"Unfortunately, Her Majesty was unable to attend Your Highness'' training today. Her Majesty had a tight schedule regarding managing the Imperial Household."
"I see."
Usually, once a week my mother woulde and watch my training. It was not like I was disappointed, she was the mother of this Empire after all. It was understandable if she was busy.
"But Her Majesty promised to make up for today''s absence. You are scheduled to join the afternoon tea tomorrow."
"I understand."
Arriving at the training ground. I saw a blonde-haired man around his mid-fiftieth standing in the middle of the field. It seemed my instructor had arrived.
The butlers and maids moved to the side as I walked closer to the man. I stopped in front of him and bowed lightly. The man nodded and lifted his pocket watch.
"You''re 10 secondste."
I could feel one corner of my mouth twitch. Here came his pettiness!
''For goodness'' sake, it was only 10 seconds!'' For more chapters, please visit
"Run 50ps."
Damn.
It wasn''t my fault, it was the maids who always put way too much effort to dress me up which I thought was useless. I turned and started running.
Gideon Aeneas.
He was the Commander of the Third Corps and the Duke of the Aeneas Family. Protector of the Western Border and he was a Sword Master. Well, that man was none other but the Empress'' father, my grandfather.
He had taken part in many wars even since he was young. To be a high-ranking officer in his fifties was quite understandable. He was indeed a man of caliber.
House of Aeneas had many contributions to the Imperial Family in the military field. The Aeneas Family was also famous for bringing many talented individuals into knighthood.
Because of this background, I was put into special training--trained by the Duke himself; since my Elementals were discovered.
So why was he here and not managing his fiefdom?
The Empress had an older brother who I believe he was my uncle now. And so, he let the Young Duke manage the fief. But there were times when Gideon would return to his territory. Like when the monster''s breeding season came to help in subjugating monsters or urgent matters regarding his fiefdom, etc. But he would eventually return to Agatha to train me.
The reason why the Aeneas Family was known as the Protector of the Western Border was not that they were protecting the border from rebellions or bandits but from monsters.
The Western Border was directly facing one of the 5 Forbidden Regions called the Forest of T¨¦ras. The Forest of T¨¦ras has been renowned for its dangerousness and mysteriousness.
Dangerous because it was full of monsters. Mysterious because it was still not fully investigated. Hundreds of years ago, the Emperor deployed the Imperial Army and gave them orders to conquer the Kingdom of Yovanny, which was located in the Egon Region; the Western side of the Chrono Empire. But unfortunately, the Army received a big blow upon crossing this forest.
Unable to ept the loss of many Knights and Elementalists even before the war started, soon, the mission was canceled and the Imperial Army withdrew from the forest.
To avoid embarrassment, the Emperor changed the order, not to conquer the Yovanny Kingdom but to investigate the forest. Which I found very funny.
Later, information about the forest was revealed to the public. The forest was divided into 2 sections, the inner and outer zone. The outer zone was said to be less dangerous where normal to strong monsters spawn.
However, the inner zone was on another whole level, it was said to be extremely dangerous. Powerful monsters and many unknown creatures live there.
Since the innermost zone hadn''t been fully investigated, there was not much information about the forest. After the tragedy, the forest was ssified as one of the forbidden regions. But there was an interesting rumor going around that a dragon lived there.
The Emperor then decided to build arge stone wall along T¨¦ras'' Forest and 4 fortresses. Because many Knights and Elementalists were stationed there to prevent monsters from entering the Empire, now the Egon Region was known as the Military Center of the Chrono Empire.
I stopped running and stood in front of Gideon.
"Done?"
"I am."
He looked at me with interested eyes as if I was an interesting creature.
"Let''s see how much you improved. I will be your opponent."
The Duke raised his hand and a knight brought us two wooden swords. I received the sword and the Duke stepped back a few meters away. I inhaled and exhaled a few times to replenish some of my Manas, oh please, I just finished my running.
"Do you still need some more time?"
"No, I''m fine."
"Since you''re on your way to the 3rd Circle. I''ll lower my rank to the 3rd Circle. En garde!"
Chapter 6 Ch. 6: Training [2]
The Duke stood in a fool''s stance, and it really made me want to scoff at him. Fool''s stance may appear foolish and full of openings, but in reality, it was exactly the opposite.
To think that he was standing in a fool''s stance meant only one thing; the Duke provoked me. When someone stood in that stance, never ever foolishly charged at them, you could die.
Allowed me to make an example. Here, I made a simple cut and--fuck. I quickly evaded as he thrust his sword directed at my throat. Damn. His speed was not a joke.
"Smart moves."
I didn''t know if he was praising me or just mocking me. I gripped my sword tighter and stood in long point guard.
"Make sure to cover your sword with mana."
I hastily channeled my mana into the sword at the Duke''s warning. He raised his sword and so did I. The moment our swords collided; our swords bound.
I could feel heavy pressure on the sword as he tried to control the bound. No matter how much I poured my mana into the sword, I couldn''t win the bound. The longer bound took, I felt my hands be numb and more number. This exined just how big our power gap was.
I tilted my wrist to turn the sword''s surface from edge to t and parried his sword away. I immediately distanced myself. I nced down and saw my hands trembling due to the impact.
"Where do you think you''re looking!"
And with that, I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder and I kissed the ground. My sword was thrown away when I fell. It was just a split second, and now I was lying on the ground.
? "If you''re on the battlefield, you will surely die."
I sat and looked up only to find Gideon staring at me with his mad eyes. Well, I had to admit that I made a mistake there.
"Stand. Pick up your sword."
I did as he told and channeled my mana to my Earth Elemental. A magic circle was formed on the ground under my sword. The earth beneath my fallen sword soared up and sent the sword flying toward me. I caught the sword skillfully and Gideon could be heard muttering.
"Cheeky bastard."
"Pardon?"
He clucked his tongue and turned his back, walking away from me. So, why didn''t I use my Elemental? The answer was obvious, I was currently practicing Weapon Art, so using Elemental was not allowed.
"En garde!"
I poured mana into my sword. Gideon was standing a few meters away facing me and we were both in long point guard stances.
He stepped forward to thrust and I responded by parrying. As his sword bounced, he instantly recovered and made a cut towards me. I hastened my movement and parried his attack.
--Bang!
Every time my sword deflected his attack, his sword woulde back at me at rapid speed. Not only faster but more powerful.
--Bang! --Bang! --Bang!
His attack power increased every moment our swords shed. I kept getting pushed while parrying his attack. Well, it was because I wanted his sword to stay away from my face.
--Bang! --Bang! --Bang!
Somehow it was really annoying. My hands be numb once more. Just how to distance myself from this madman? Come on! Think!Wait--
''I guess there is a way, it''s quite risky, but I think it''s worth trying.''
I saw his swording and as usual, I parried the sword but before his sword could strike me, instead of being ready to deflect his sword, this time I thrust my sword aimed at his wrist that was holding the sword, and the result...
I kissed the ground again. I heaved a deep sigh as I sat. I could vividly feel the sting of pain in my shoulders. That was why I called the move a little risky.
"Stand up. Pick up your sword."
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--Bang! For more chapters, please visit
I was thrown to the ground, again and again. I had lost count of it. My breath became rough because I ran out of stamina and mana. Now I wonder, did he really want to see my improvement, or did he just want to beat me ck and blue? I forced myself to stand--
"Let''s call it a day."
I straightened my back and met his cyan eyes. He looked at me like I was an interesting creature once again, which was disturbing.
"Also, I''m going back to my fief. There''s something that needs to be done and I will be back, probably in a month."
"I understand. Thank you for today''s lesson."
Ah, damn. I said it wrong. I should have said, ''Thank you for beating me ck and blue.''
The Duke nodded.
"Your assignment for a month is Bow, try to increase your Bow''s uracy."
"I understand."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
With that, Gideon left the training ground. After making sure that he was no longer to be seen, I plopped my body to the ground. Damn. My body hurt a lot!
"Your Highness! Please stand up!"
"Your Highness, you should not be lying on the ground!"
"Your Highness, please be mindful of your actions!"
''Urg. Just why are they so noisy?''
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The cup scattered the moment itnded on the floor. A ck-haired woman stood angrily.
"Why is that little shit always making a fuss in the Imperial Pce?!"
Her chest jerked up and down, she was in her uncontroble anger. Her golden eyes shone brightly with pure rage.
"So what if he is a genius or a prodigy?! My son is the eldest!"
"But still, the Emperor hasn''t announced who will be the Crown Prince."
Upon hearing it, the woman became even more furious and threw the refreshment tes to the ground.
"Just when will he stop humiliating me like this?!"
The man in front of her remained silent. She closed her eyes and exhaled a deep breath before sitting down on the couch. After collecting herself, she looked at the man again.
"Just keep watch over him. I will throw the bait, and when there''s a chance..."
The woman leaned her back on the couch.
"Completely dispose of him."
"I understand."
Unbeknownst to them, a boy who had a simr appearance to the woman stood in front of the closed door outside the room. He had listened to everything.
He stared at the door with his cold and indifferent eyes before moving his feet and walking away.
Chapter 7 Ch. 7: Useless Magic [1]
A rosy color dyed the sky as the sun''s rays peeked through the horizon. Gideon and his aide walked in a long corridor. Huge and tall white marble pirs lined both sides of the corridors.
They were on their way to the Supreme Blink Sphere''s room, however, both of them halted their steps. A white-haired man wearing luxurious clothes walked along with his knight and aide towards them.
"I greet the Emperor of the Chrono Empire."
The white-haired man nodded.
"I heard you are going back to your fief."
"I am."
"Mind having a little chat before your departure?"
The Emperor pointed at the garden on the side with his head.
"Of course not."
With that, they walked down the stairs to the garden. Various kinds of flowers bloomed beautifully, which testified to the gardeners'' efforts.
They stopped in front of a giant water fountain in the middle of the garden. The Emperor''s magenta eyes stared at their reflections in the water below.
"Is there any movement of Yovanny''s soldiers near the border?"
"As of now, there isn''t any movement on thend. But, I heard their ships continued to roam the Northwest of the Chrono sea."
"I know it''s nearly impossible to cross the Forest of T¨¦ras, but it never hurts to be extra vignt. Especially, in a situation that might escte to war."
"I agree."
It started when the Yovanny Kingdom sent a letter ofint to stop illegal fishing inside their sea territory. The Empire sent a reply, exining that the Northwest sea was Chronos to begin with, so there was no illegal fishing since it was exactly inside the Empire''s territory.
Ignoring theints, the Emperor ordered the fisherman to continue fishing without worry. In response to the Empire''s action, the Yovanny Kingdom sent ships to patrol near the Northwest of Chrono''s sea and the Empire took the same action. The Emperor exhaled a deep sigh.
"I know our rtionship with the Yovanny Kingdom has never been good because we were in the Cold War for hundreds of years but to think they are tantly showing hostility towards us now--"
The Emperor paused, he turned to the side and met Gideon''s cyan eyes. He smiled gleefully.
"--I guess, it''s time to clean up my ancestor''s mess."
The Dukeughed heartily upon hearing his son-inw''s words.
"It is. Hahaha!"
Many people said that the Yovanny Kingdom had the samend size as the Chrono Empire but in fact, the Chrono Empire was bigger than Yovanny.
Therefore, Yovanny envied Chrono which held the title ''Empire'' despite having the samend size. With this, the two of them wage war for hundreds of years. The Yovanny wanted to take the Empire''s title, while the Chrono Empire wanted to seize its kingdom.
Maybe Yovanny could create its own Empire but, how about de facto and de jure? Especially, when Yovanny and Chrono were on the same continent and Chrono had been spreading their influence on the continent for the past hundreds of years.
"By the way... how is he?"
Gideon stoppedughing and nced at the Emperor.
"He? Ah, you mean that puny bunny."
"Pardon?"
The Emperor was dumbfounded. For more chapters, please visit
"He''s doing good. He''s shown a lot of improvement. Yesterday I had a sparring session with him and surprisingly, he was able tond a few scratches on me."
The Duke proudly showed the scratches under his gloves to the Emperor. The white-haired man was sweat-dropping when he saw the blemishes. It looked as if they were made by a cat.
"However, he is very different from children his age. Hecked emotion and words. You should meet him once."
The blonde man said as he put his gloves back on. The Emperor stared back at the water below.
"I really wanted to meet him but, as for now, I will refrain from any action to meet my son or the first wife''s son. Because that could lead to a misunderstanding that I adored one of them and caused a rift in the Imperial Court."
"Guess that''s the best for now."
Gideon eventually nodded, he fully understands how difficult it was to harmonize the Imperial Court.
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"Your Highness, it''s time for you to wake up."
I blinked to adjust the lights entering my eyes before sitting up on the bed. I stretched my body and somehow I felt so refreshed today. Thanks to the Super Potion, my wounds had healed. My bruises were nowhere to be found as if they never existed in the first ce.
There are 3 kinds of medicines: Potion, Super Potion, and Elixir. Potion treated minor wounds such as cuts, scrapes, scratches, and punctured skin.
Actually, just using the Potion could heal my bruises. But, since I had a privileged life as a Prince they gave me a Super Potion instead, and I like it.
Super Potion treated light internal injuries and minor wounds. Created by Alchemists and Herbalists. It was said that the Super Potion was quite pricey. One bottle of Super Potion was equal to 5 bottles of Potion.
Were you heavily injured and had your limbs chopped off? No need to worry! The Elixir existed to treat heavy internal injuries and wounds, for example losing a limb.
I didn''t say it could grow back your limbs like axolotl. But it could reattach a severed limb''s back, as long as your cut limb wasn''t crushed, and wasn''t a head. Amazing, right?
If Super Potion was called pricey, a bottle of Elixir cost a fortune. Just like Super Potion, Elixir was also made from mixed herbs and Alchemy. What made it expensive was the herbs were imported from the Elven Kingdom.
Not only that, but Elixir was also a handmade product. They couldn''t be mass-produced like Potion and Super Potion due to the high failure rate. Only high-ranking Alchemists and Herbalists were allowed to make Elixirs.
Unlike Potion and Super Potion which could be purchased anywhere, Elixir was not freely avable; they were only sold in the official Arcanist Tower, be it the main or the branches Tower. However, upon using these medicines, please note that you would not instantly heal, it would still take time.
Getting down on my feet, I headed to the basin that was on the table. Washed my face there, then a maid gave me a towel. I received it and my eyes caught a table full of dishes.
Ah, being born with a diamond spoon was really something else. I didn''t need to work my ass out for the sake of food. I just need to follow the schedule and I could enjoy the luxurious life of a Prince.
I walked to the table where my breakfast had been prepared. Just look at it, the food on the table was enough to feed 10 people. Sitting my butt down, the butler took each dish and ate them. He always did that to make sure that the meals were not poisoned.
"You may eat them now, Your Highness."
I picked up my cutlery and started eating them solemnly.
Fedel--my head butler''s name, he was a man in histe sixties but somehow he looked younger than his age even his hair still had ck-haired in a few parts.
His greyish eyes were kinda scary in my opinion, they were cold and reminiscent of wolf''s eyes. His body was well-built but not that kind of bulky one, but it fitted him well.
I was pretty sure that he was one of the Empress'' people. I nced at my surroundings. Not only him, I believed everyone here was. Well, it did secure my security but somehow being watched wasn''t nice at all.
Chapter 8 Ch. 8: Useless Magic [2]
I felt like a bird trapped in a golden cage. Even if I live a life of luxury, bathing in wealth, I was imprisoned. Just asked any bird, of course, this was just a touch of sarcasm.
I wasn''t really asking you to question a bird because people would question your sanity. They preferred the fast sky over the golden cage and so did I. I also craved freedom rather than this kind of confinement.
I wanted to escape their eyes and be alone or roam freely in the za. Now that I mentioned the za, I wondered what Agatha; the capital city of Chrono was like because I never set foot outside the Aeon Castle before. Not only the za, but I also wished to go to Ardeen, the Elven Kingdom, and the Dwarf Kingdom, Hephaestus!
''Are they really beautiful? Do they really have pointy ears? Do they really have unusually small stature? Do they really have bulky muscles? Ah, I can''t wait to leave this castle and travel around the world.''
"Today''s schedule is attending Count Andreas'' training at the training ground."
I nodded whilst drinking my milk. Chislon Andreas was the Count of Andreas'' Family in the Malthe Region. The previous Count passed away due to a carriage ident.
As the only son, he inherited the Count title three years ago in histe twenties. There was aw in the Chrono Empire that you must prove your worth as the sessor within 5 years before inheriting your father''s title.
If there was no improvement in the estate, the Empire would seize the property. Even though he was young, he had proven himself his true worth in managing the estate. I heard the economy of his estate increased by 5%st year.
Not only did he excel as an entrepreneur, but he was also a Tier 6 Elementalist. He was the youngest head of the Arcanist Tower. That was why he became my Economic and Elementalist tutor. There were 10 Tiers upon mastered Elementals and above Tier 10 they are called transcends.
Wiped my mouth with a napkin, and headed to the bathroom. You know, it took me almost a year to convince them that I could shower myself.
Also, at first, I wanted to change my clothes alone but, after seeing how many essories had to be put, I immediately changed my mind and let the maids do their job. There was no way I would do bothersome things.
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Heading to the training ground. Oh, it looked like my tutor had arrived. A tall figure stood in the center of the training ground. His long braided blonde hair shone under the sun. Fair and wless skin with beautiful deep green eyes that would remind you of lush woods.
With just one nce you could tell that he was the flower of society. The man smiled and lightly bent his back. I must say that he was the most handsome man that I had ever met.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
"Greetings, Count Andreas."
As we both straightened our backs, our eyes met.
"Are you ready for today''s training, Your Highness?"
"I am."
He smiled kindly and made a thinking pose. Even though he had the appearance of an angel, please don''t be fooled. The fact that he was able to secure a seat in the Arcanist Tower in the Elementalist Division, proved that he was not someone you could mess up with. For more chapters, please visit
But since he was personally chosen by my mother, I guess I could trust him. Not to mention that his position would rise, and be one of the 4 Elders in Arcanist Tower in the near future.
"Hmm... As Your Highness had a full understanding of controlling Mana, how about¡ Elementals Fusing?"
"Elementals Fusing?"
My brow furrowed. Wasn''t it too early for me, who was six years old, to learn it? Even though I showed a lot of improvement in controlling mana each day in the past three years, I never thought that I would learn it at this young age.
Wouldn''t that burden my Mana Core? I read that Elementals Fusing required a lot of Mana and focus because you had to cast two Elementals or more at the same time. However, the Count chuckled.
"There''s no need to worry, Young Highness. What we were going to learn was simple Elementals Fusing. It wouldn''t exhaust your Mana Core."
I stared at him for a few seconds.
''Don''t tell me, he can read minds?''
His smile widened.
"I can not read other people''s minds, Your Highness."
''No. No. No. I firmly believed that you can.''
"There are so many things we can make from fusing our Elementals. For example--"
A magic circle was formed on the ground near the Count. A handful of water soared out of the magic circle and danced on top of his palm. He extracted the water from the earth. The dancing water above his palm dissipated and turned into a thick vapor.
There were two methods for using Elementals, they were Conjuring and Maniption. Conjuring was casting Elemental''s magic, for example, you cast Fireball out of thin air. Maniption was manipting existing elementals (medium).
For example, just like Count Andreas did, he summoned water from the earth. However, Conjuring required more mana than Maniption, because one had to cast Elemental out of thin air without a medium.
"So, tell me, what do you think of this magic?"
"It''s useless."
What was the point of learning to make a vapor? I thought we were going to create something cool. Chislon chuckled at my blunt answer.
"Yeah, maybe this magic is useless. But, did you know that even useless magic like this can be lifesaver magic in life-and-death situations?"
''Well, now that''s interesting.''
Chapter 9 Ch. 9: Afternoon Tea [1]
"Thank you for today''s lesson, Count Andreas."
Damian lowered his head and Chislon nodded. The fastest record in learning Elementals Fusing for the first time was 6 hours, yet Damian broke the record with just three and a half hours. As expected of a genius and prodigy.
Damian Atreilight, the second Prince of the Chrono Empire.
He was known as a genius and prodigy of the Empire. Most people would change because they were swayed by their fame.
However, it had been three years since Chislon had be Damian''s tutor. Yet, Damian showed no change in his demeanor, he was cold and indifferent as usual.
Sometimes Chislon wondered, was Prince Damian bothered by the title? Because he really didn''t act like a typical six-year-old child. Hecked expression and words.
Damian was talented and a fast learner. What Chislon didn''t understand was, why he looked so desperate as if he was racing against time. Chislon thought that the Prince was still young, way too young.
''It''s alright to slow down a bit.''
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"Your Highness, have you ever set your feet out of Aeon Castle before?"
"No, I haven''t."
I couldn''t help but frown. Well, I was not even allowed to leave my Pce let alone leave the Castle. But I could go in and out of the Empress'' Pce as much as I liked. Why was he asking?
"May I give you a little advice, Your Highness?"
"...sure."
"There''s no need for you to rush. It''s okay to slow down a bit."
What the--Ah, it seemed that he had mistaken me as someone who wanted to set many records, to prove to myself that I deserved my title while in reality, it was the opposite. To be honest, I didn''t give a damn about the title they gave me.
The reason why I wanted to get stronger was simple. Apart from avoiding my death g, it was to survive in the long run in this mad world. In a world where monsters spawned and many absurd events urred, getting stronger was not an option, but a must.
"There''s an amusement park at Agora in the Njord Region. Since our next ss is next week, how about using that time to go on vacation to rx a bit?"
I blinked my eyes a few times to digest what in the world he just said. Now I didn''t know, was it me or him who wanted to go on vacation?
But then again, I thought it was an opportunity to see the world beyond these thick walls rather than read it through a book. Ohe on, I need some real experience.
"Could we really visit Agora? I mean, are you confident in convincing Her Majesty the Empress?"
"Agora is the Economic Center of the Empire. We could use this as our ''alibi'' to visit Agora in the name of an educational trip. So, what do you think?"
Hmm, aside from Ardeen and Hephaestus, there was also a ce that I wanted to visit.
"Actually, I had a ce in mind."
"Oh? Well, as long as it''s not in the Egon or Evimer¨ªa Region, I think it''s fine."
"No. It''s in Agatha."
"It''ll make things easier then."
''Easier? Are you sure?''
I couldn''t help butugh inside. For more chapters, please visit
"It''s... the Arcanist Tower."
I could vividly see how startled he was.
"P-Pardon?"
"The Arcanist Tower."
The corner of his smiling lips wriggled.
Damn. I wanted to roll on the ground andugh out loud right now. Just looked at his face. Pft, ahaha...
Built under the orders of the second Emperor. The Arcanist Tower was a ce where the most talented Alchemist, Herbalist, and Elementalist gathered in one ce.
In the past 400 years, the Tower had be the most influential institution in the Empire. Many products created by Arcanist Tower were known throughout the continent.
Thanks to them, the Empire was ahead in terms of weaponry, medicine, and technology. That was one of many reasons Chrono had to solidify the Empire''s title.
Arcanist Tower was not a ce that anyone could visit. But, if one of the Head Division invited me, it might lead to another story. I saw Chislon trying to open his mouth but before he could say his protest, he was cut off.
"Your Highness, it is time for your appointment with Her Majesty."
Hearing Fedel''s voice from behind, I turned to him.
''Ah, that''s right. The afternoon tea.''
"I understand."
Gave my attention back to the Count, I lightly bowed.
"Count Andreas, it seems I have to go. I wish you luck in convincing Her Majesty. Have a nice day."
"B-But--"
Chislon sighed in defeat.
"I understand. Have a nice day too, Your Highness."
With that, I left the training ground along with Fedel and the maids. Somehow, it was hrious to see how his serene angelic looking expression crumbled. Guess, he didn''t expect me to say that.
Since the Arcanist Tower was directly under the Emperor''smand, the target to convince was not the Empress anymore but the Emperor himself. Hehe, I wondered what Chislon would do.
Well, I was pretty close to the Count but not really that close. I liked him because he was different from my other tutors. His lessons were easy to understand and easy to implement especially in Elementals'' lesson. Overall, he was my favorite tutor.
"I received information that another guest will be joining the afternoon tea as well."
''Guests? All of a sudden?''
"Who are they?"
"Her Highness the Consort and the First Prince."
I abruptly stopped my step. Holy sh--the first wife! No. I didn''t have a problem meeting with her, the problem was her son! The First Prince! My half-brother! The main character of this world, the one who would kill this body! Fuck. I was not prepared for this!
I massaged my temples. I could feel my head throbbing in pain. The headache had gueri my rationality. Damn it. Was this an instant karma I got because I teased Count Andreas too much? I exhaled a deep long sigh.
''That''s why you shouldn''t make fun of older people.''
Damn.
Chapter 10 Ch. 10: Afternoon Tea [2]
In the end, I chose to go back to my chamber and took a quick bath. After I changed my clothes, I dismissed Fedel and the maids.
Leaned on the couch and lightly massaged my temples. I inhaled and exhaled slowly to clear my head. I grabbed the water goblet on the table and drank it.
''Guess, I have calmed myself down.''
Now that I had regained my rationally, I just realized how stupid I was. I meant, it was not like he was going to kill me the moment he saw me, right? From what I read, he wasn''t the type of person who would kill people without reason.
Just like any other hero in every fantasy novel, he was someone who held onto justice. He was a kind-hearted person and of course, handsome--in short, he was a Gary Stu.
Yet, what I didn''t understand was, why did he kill his half-brother? For someone who walked down the righteous path, wasn''t it a little bit too much?
I didn''t know the details because the author never exined how I died or how he killed me. But from this single line, I was so sure that the First Prince was the one who murdered me.
[...Alexander was the one responsible for Damian''s death.]
Come to think of it, what was my role in the novel? Was I the viin? Or was I just an insignificant extra? If I was a viin, then it would be understandable if he killed me.
But, what did a 12-year-old Damian had done to bebeled as a viin that needed to be killed? If I was just an extra then why wasn''t the First Prince banished from the Empire? I mean, killing an Imperial Family member counted as treason, didn''t it? Or was it a plot hole?
A light knocked on the door made me nce at the source.
"Your Highness, it''s the time."
Fedel''s voice could be heard outside my chamber, I put the water goblet back on the table. I heaved out a long sigh before I rose and headed to the door.
''Regardless of what role I have in the novel, be it an extra or a viin, I don''t care. Because I am the main character of my life.''
"Are you ready, Your Highness?"
"I am."
"Please, this way."
After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at the Blink Sphere''s room. The guards'' room immediately opened the door. I entered the room, followed by Fedel and the maids. A blue sphere the size of a globe framed with a golden baroque pattern floated in the middle of the room.
Blink Sphere--a product invented by the Arcanist Tower. It was a sort of device that would teleport us from one ce to another. Every pce in Aeon Castle had one device at the minimum, so it enabled you to move around faster. Not only in the castle, but every big city in Chrono''s Empire had these devices.
There were over hundreds of Blink Spheres ced within the Castle and each of them was connected. Although they were linking together, you couldn''t teleport outside or inside the Castle using Blink Sphere from other cities or vice versa, because each ce had one server called Supreme Blink Sphere. Simplicity, the devices worked like a Local Area Network.
Not only served as a server, but Supreme Blink Sphere was also a teleport device. Just like Blink Sphere that connected to each other, Supreme Blink Sphere had the same concept.
Overall, I loved this device, because I didn''t have to waste my time by walking or riding a carriage to reach other Pce in the Castle. Even though the setting here was Middle Ages, somehow technology here had surpassed the Modern Ages.
They were indeed amazing, however, they still had ws. Blink Sphere limited up to ten people for each transfer. So if there was an ident that required everyone to be evacuated immediately, these devices couldn''t help pretty much.
Fedel moved closer to the Blink Sphere and activated it. The room shook and the ground glowed, emitting golden light. Not long after, the vibrations stopped and the light died down; which meant that we had arrived at our destination.
The Guards opened the door and we stepped outside. An exquisite scenery greeted us, yea, we definitely transferred into the Imperial Garden. A soft breeze passed past us and a strong rosy scent entered my nostrils. Well, this was the first time I set foot here.
"Your Highness, over there."
I nced at the ce where Fedel pointed and found the Empress. She was sitting under the wisteria trees. A round table and chairs had been prepared for the afternoon tea. I could see the maids and butlers arranging the refreshments on the table. As I arrived before her, I bowed lightly.
"I greet the Empress of the Chrono Empire."
"Oh my, such formality. You may rise." For more chapters, please visit
I straightened my back and met her tranquil face, she smiled graciously. She was undeniably beautiful as always.
"You can call me mother, Ian."
''How dare I? In front of so many people.''
"Come."
She wide opened her hands which made me taken aback. She definitely didn''t ask me to hug her here, did she?
"You''re not going to hug me?"
Damn.
"I--I''m an adult now! I''m six years old!"
''Arg! Damned this brain! Why won''t it give me a more reasonable excuse!''
I did pray of having an affectionate mother, but now that the previous me had lived more than a decade, it somehow hurt my conscience.
"No matter how much you have grown, be it 30 years old, 50 years old, or even 70 years old, I will always be your mother and you will always be my son."
''Urg. Herees her inarguable nag.''
Heaved a deep sigh. Guess, I had no choice. With my heavy heart, I hugged her and she embraced me.
My cheeks burned because of the embarrassment and decided to bury my face in her neck. I didn''t know how many minutes passed, but finally, she released me. She looked me in the eyes and said whilst chuckling.
"So, what''s up with your face?"
"Mom!"
I couldn''t help but cover my face with both of my hands as she teased me. Oh, mom, please stop! I might die because of the embarrassment. She ignored my circumstances andughed happily.
"Don''t be shy. Let me take a good look at you."
Eventually, I lowered my hands and met her cyan eyes. Her smile never left her lips. She stroked my head and caressed my cheeks.
"I see you have grown a lot."
Well, I was indeed taller than my peers. She hugged me once more and then whispered in my ear.
"You have grown into such a fine man. I''m so proud of you!"
''Somebody! Please stop my mom! I can''t take this embarrassment anymore!''
"Pardon me, Your Majesty, Her Highness the Consort has arrived."
Ah, finally! My torture hade to an end! The Empress did release me, but... there was something strange. My mother, her smile vanished and her face was devoid of any expression. This was the first time I saw her cold side. Was there something that I didn''t know?
I eventually turned my head and found two people walking toward us. Both of them had ck hair and coincidence or not, the boy''s golden eyes met with mine. He stared at me with his cold and indifferent eyes--yes.
''He is the First Prince of the Chrono Empire. The main character of this world.''
Chapter 11 Ch. 11: The First Prince [1]
"I greet the Empress of the Chrono Empire."
"You may rise."
After making sure the first wife and her son straightened their backs. I bent my back lightly, it was my turn to greet them.
"I greet Her Highness the Consort and the First Prince."
She opened her folding fan and ced it to cover her mouth. She lowered her eyes and looked at me.
"Oh my, Prince Damian. You''ve grown so much."
I knew she was taller than me since I was only six years old but the way she looked at me; I didn''t quite like it. It felt like she was looking down on me and, sorry not sorry, but I wasn''t stupid enough to miss her golden eyes that burned with hatred. Was this the reason why my mother had a change in mood as if she was putting a thick wall around her?
"I hope you can get along with your brother; Alexander, Prince Damian."
I nced to the side and met another pair, a set of golden eyes. Oh well, as expected of the main character of the novel, he was indeed handsome. As if God put way too much handsomeness when created him.
Different from his mother, this boy looked at me with cold and indifferent eyes. Even his expressionless face made me unable to read what was in his mind. But, whatever¨C
''I''m not interested in bing an oracle who''s able to read minds anyway. But, by the way, what''s up with these twisted people? What are their intentions to butt in my afternoon tea with my mother? Of course, they''re here not just to chit-chat, right?''
I thought I only had to be wary of the main character because of the plot, but it seemed I should put his mother on the list too.
Hopefully, this wasn''t something--where the main character turned out to be a viin and I had to be a hero to save this world--like a novel.
I didn''t want it and why would I risk my life for the sake of a stupid ''title'' called ''hero''? I wasn''t a masochist and I treasured my life. I would dly let someone else do it.
"I heard you love to read books."
The First Prince took something out from his jacket.
"So I bought a book for you, hope you like it."
"Thank you."
I received the book.
"Damian also has something for you."
I turned to my mother as our eyes met, and she smiled. I didn''t know if attending an afternoon tea was required to exchange gifts. But, thanks to my mom, the matter had been taken care of.
"As Prince Alexander excels in swordsmanship, Damian would like to give you a sword in return."
''Wait. What? A Sword?''
Although I was grateful that she had taken care of the gift matter. But, why did it have to be a sword? I mean, here I was training to get stronger to avoid being killed by him, and here my mother gave him a sword.
''Mom, please, that''s just ridiculous.''
I expressed my concern through eye contact but she just smiled and stroked my head. It seemed she didn''t get what I tried to convey.
"Lady Sancus, please bring the gift for Prince Alexander."
"As you wish."
With that, the Empress''dy-in-waiting excused herself. For more chapters, please visit
"Please have a seat."
As each of us sat, the maids started pouring tea. The Empress and the first wife had a light conversation while Alexander and I enjoyed our tea. But something was bugging me, the Atreilight Imperial Family was infamous for their white hair, yet the First Prince was ck-haired.
ck-haired with golden eyes, he took after her mother so much.
Cameron Desdemona--well, I believed she was Cameron Atreilight now. The first wife of Dariush Atreilight; the Emperor. They were wedded before Dariush sat on the throne.
Desdemona''s Family had been at the center of the political scene. When Dariush was crowned as the Crown Prince, the Councils pushed him to marry the youngdy of Desdemona, and the pressure worsened when the Emperor was sickly bedridden.
Dariush knew exactly what Duke Desdemona aimed for, he wanted to take control of the Empire. But Dariush was not stupid enough to let Duke Desdemona get what he wanted and not idiot enough to throw away such influential backing from a Duke.
And so, Dariush epted the council''s rmendation and wedded Cameron Desdemona. Unbeknownst to them, Dariush schemed behind their back. He sought help from Duke Aeneas to repress Duke Desdemona''s influence.
Dariush expressed his worries about the Empire''s future as the power that Duke Desdemona held within the Imperial Court kept growing. At first, Duke Aeneas refused because he didn''t want to get involved in politics, but after a very long talk, Duke Aeneas agreed.
When the Emperor passed away, Dariush ascended the throne and, at the coronation, he finally dropped the bomb; Dariush announced and appointed Theresa, the youngdy of the Aeneas Family as the Empress instead of Cameron. Of course, this caused a very, very big ruckus and chaotic situation as Duke Desdemona felt betrayed.
Many councils opposed and demanded the Emperor change his mind for months, but as the Emperor''s orders were absolute, in the end, they could only grit their teeth. Not to mention that their opponent was the center of the military scene, and surely they were not foolish enough to wage war with the most powerful military on the continent.
"Your Majesty, I have brought the gift for Prince Alexander as you have instructed."
"Present it to the Prince."
Lady Sancus brought a rectangr box and presented it before Alexander. Cameron''s Lady in waiting received the gift.
"I sincerely appreciate your kindness, Your Majesty."
Alexander bowed lightly.
"There''s no need to thank me."
I couldn''t help but look at my mother once again. This time I put a lot more unsettled expression on my face in hopes she would understand and change the gift. But, she just smiled. Urg.
''You know mom, it''s not funny if he used that sword to y me.''
In the end, I gave up and drank my tea.
''I''ll just talk to her once the afternoon tea ends.''
Because I realized how bad I was when it came to expressing emotions.
"I heard that His Majesty the Emperor has finished the preparation for the war."
The Empress froze and hurriedly put down her teacup. Instead of answering, she looked at me before switching to Alexander. I wonder what was wrong with her?
"Prince Alexander, would you take a walk with Damian?"
"As you wish."
Alexander got down on his feet and waited for me. I nced at my mother.
''What? Alone with him? Mom, please, why are you--sigh. There''s nothing really scary rather than you being alone with the person that fated to murder you.''
Chapter 12 Ch. 12: The First Prince [2]
I got up and bowed lightly before following Alexander. I nced back, and after making sure that I was distant enough from my mother, I asked him a question.
"So, there will be a war?"
The boy in front of me stopped and sighed before turning to face me.
"The reason why Her Majesty dismissed us is because she doesn''t want you to know about it. So, stop asking."
"It''s the Yovanny Kingdom, isn''t it?"
"I told you to stop."
He turned his back on me and continued walking ahead. I made a thinking pose as I followed him. If it orded to the novel''s plot, then the opponent was the Yovanny Kingdom.
But I didn''t know when the war would start, all I knew was that it would end when Alexander turned 17 years old. If the first wife said the preparation was done, then it was only a matter of time.
"How old are you?"
"Eight."
''What? Don''t tell me the war willst for 9 years?! You gotta be kidding! How can I enjoy my traveling if there''s a war!''
I massaged my temples at the sudden headache I felt.
''Is there a way to stop the war?''
"--how it feels?"
"Feels what?"
Damn. I was so busy with my thoughts, I almost missed his words.
"Being a Quint Elementals Bearer?"
He stopped in front of the giant water fountain and sat on it. He stared at the sky and looked far away.
''ording to the novel, he''s a Triple Elementals Bearer. Is jealousy one of many reasons why he murdered me?''
But, whatever, I needed to make sure that I didn''t offend him with my answer. I walked and sat beside him.
"It''s nice because bing an Elementalist is one of my dreams."
"I see."
"I heard you''re quite talented with the sword, what ranks are you?"
I hope he didn''t find it suspicious. I nned to gather as much information as I could.
"I''m 3rd Circle and 2nd Tier."
I nodded. If the rank for Elementalist called Tier, Warrior called Circle. Just like Tier on Elementalist, Circle also had 10 ranks and above them called transcend. I thought he was higher than that, but wait--
''What if he''s faking it? Should I believe it?''
I massaged my temples again. I mean--how did he manage to kill me if his ranks were lower than mine? Damn. I never thought that gathering information would be this difficult.
"What about you? What ranks are you?"
"I''m 2nd Circle and 3rd Tier."
"Pftt."
His chuckle made me frown. He nced at me and spoke with his yful smile intact.
"Stop lying. I know you''re on your way to 3rd Circle and 4th Tier."
I didn''t know what amazed me. His on-spot truth or his handsome face. Even his handsome face surpassed Count Andreas! If my birth in this world was a sin in his eyes then, his face was a sin to me.
''We have the same breed, yet he''s more handsome than me, it''s unfair!''
Alright, I had to admit that I was jealous. But this jealousy wouldn''t be enough for me to kill him. No worry was needed, I was a perfectly sane person.
"I knew you were suspicious of me, but you can trust me."
"Pardon?"
I really wanted to scoff at him, but refrained myself from doing so.
What did he say? Trust him? Yea, that was definitely the murder''s cheesy line. They wanted you to trust them, so they could backstab us more easily.
Just asked every person in this world, if one knew the person who would kill them, would they trust that person? The answer was obvious.
However, he didn''t answer and just chuckled. With that our conversation ended.
A soft breeze passed us and rosy scents filled my nostrils once again. Unlike my imagination, somehow I feltfortable around him.
Even in this silence, I didn''t feel awkward at all. As if I had known him for such a long time. I wondered why I had such a feeling. For more chapters, please visit
I saw my mother and the first wife, they still had a conversation. I was curious about what they were talking about.
I heaved a deep sigh. I had been living here for 6 years, yet, I remained clueless about what was truly going on in and outside the Castle.
Thanks to my mother, butlers, maids, and guards, my movement had always been limited. I wasn''t allowed to go outside my Pce, except to go to the Empress'' Pce.
Forget about running away, I couldn''t even escape their eyes. They were everywhere!
"It reminds me of the past."
I frowned at his monologue.
"What past?"
He stared at me for a few seconds before turning and staring at the sky again.
"Nevermind."
Just what was up with this boy, did he meet with someone in this ce? But whatever, that was not my concern.
"By the way, have you ever been to the Njord Region?"
I was almost distracted. I needed to gather more information.
"Njord Region? Yea, I have."
"How did you get the approval from your mother?"
"What approvals?"
He looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Approval for leaving the Castle."
However, he burst intoughter as if he were watching aedy show.
"Neither my mother nor your mother will allow us to leave Aeon Castle. Haven''t you been aware of our status?"
"Then, how did you manage to go out?"
He wiped his tears.
"What a stupid question. Of course, I sneaked out."
I couldn''t help but frown.
"Is that even possible?"
"You may not know, but there are plenty of secret passages, even your Pce has them too."
Of course, a secret passageway! Why hadn''t I thought of it before? In this gigantic Castle, there was no way it didn''t have a secret passage. Never expected that I would find such useful information from him. Also, he was more talkative than I anticipated.
But, did the secret passage exist in my Pce? Wait--How did he know about the secret passage that existed in my Pce? If that was the truth, wouldn''t that mean he had used it to sneak into my pce?! Holy crap! No wonder he knew I was lying about my ranks!
I really wanted to ask about the exact location of the secret passage, but as my eyes caught a maid approaching us, I shut my mouth. She arrived before us and bowed.
"Her Majesty requests both of Your Highness'' presence."
"I understand."
With that, she left.
God dammit. Even though I felt at ease around him, my head couldn''t stop having negative thoughts! He rose from his seat and looked at me.
"It''s kindate but nice to meet you, Damian."
"My pleasure."
I stood and followed him.
"Why are you asking about the Njord Region? Are you going there?"
"Yes, I''m nning on going there along with Count Andreas."
Suddenly, he halted his step and turned to me.
"Count Andreas?"
"He''s my Economic and Elementalist tutor."
However, his expression turned cold.
"No matter what happens, never set your feet out of the castle."
''Just, what is wrong with him? Why is everybody preventing me from going outside? Is there a zombie apocalypse or something?''
Chapter 13 Ch. 13: Secret Passageways [1]
I stared at my reflection in my teacup. I didn''t get it all. If he intended to kill me, wouldn''t it be better to let me go outside? So, why did he suggest staying inside the Castle?
I couldn''t help and sighed. I wasn''t a psychopathic murderer, so there was no way I would know the way he thought. Also, the secret passage piqued my interest.
"What''s with the long sigh?"
I nced to the side and found my mother smiling at me. For your information, the first wife and Alexander had left. We continued the afternoon tea with both of us.
Not to mention that we could only meet once a week, so we spent some more time together. Plus, I didn''t have any schedule left for today.
"Mom, why did you give him a sword?"
I almost forgot to ask about it!
"Was that the reason why looked at me with a jealous face?"
"What? No. I''m not jealous."
Howe I was jealous? I was concerned, it was apletely different matter.
"Then, why did you give me such an expression?"
"Because you gave him a sword."
"It means that you are jealous."
What kind of misunderstanding was this?
"No. I''m not."
"Yes, you are."
"Mom--"
I shut my mouth when I saw she rested her index finger on her lips. It wasn''t a good sign if I kept denying it.
"There''s no need to worry, I also have prepared a gift for you, Ian."
''Mom, why are you like this? No. I don''t want a gift. But, wait¨C''
"Actually--"
I hurriedly cut in before she could order herdy-in-waiting. After I got her attention, I continued.
"Instead of a gift, could you grant me a wish?"
"As long as it is within my power, I will grant anything you want."
"Then, Count Andreas will tell you the details."
"Count Andreas?"
"That''s right."
Requesting an audience with the Emperor was not an easy task. The Emperor wasn''t just some random guy who we could talk to as we pleased. Also, I worried the Count wouldn''t make it.
Even if he did make it, it still took time; estimated around a month or two. I couldn''t possibly wait that long! My heart burned with passion for adventure! And so, I attempted to deduct that time through my mother. I would have my mother speak directly to the Emperor.
"Alright."
She turned to herdy-in-waiting.
"Lady Sancus, please send the gift to the Prince''s Pce."
"As you wish."
Wait. Why was that? Was she going to revoke my wish?
"I believe I have changed the gift with a wish, haven''t I?"
She smiled.
"Why pick one, if you can have both?"
I jumped from my seat and hugged her.
"Hehe, mom is the best!" For more chapters, please visit
Wait¨CWhat in the world did I do? I tried to flee from her but she was faster. She embraced me tightly. Urg. I could feel my cheeks burning. I buried my face deeply to hide my embarrassment.
Unlike others, I couldn''t maintain my emotions well when I was around her. Maybe because she was the first one who showed and gave me love which made me more open to her.
"Pardon me, Your Majesty. It''s time for the meeting."
"I understand."
And finally, she released me. She smiled and patted my head.
"Guess it''s time for us to part. We''ll meet again next week."
I nodded. I lied if I wasn''t sad. As I was growing up, our quality time was reduced almost every year.
"Don''t skip your meal, don''t stay upte, take care of your health, and don''t push yourself too hard, okay?"
I couldn''t help but chuckle.
"You too, mom."
"Of course."
I gave her my best smile to reassure her before distancing myself and bowed lightly
"I wish you have a good day."
"Thank you."
I got up and Fedel came to my side.
"Your Highness, this way."
He guided me and I followed him.
"Since there''s no schedule left, is there a ce you would like to visit?"
Hmm. In movies, a secret passage mostly appeared in the library. You know, like--lifted a book, and then, boom, a secret passage appeared! So, I should choose the library.
"I want to go to my library."
"I understand."
I nced at my mother for thest time and saw her waving her hand. I smiled and waved my hand back to her before entering the Blink Sphere room.
With that, I returned to my Pce--my library to be exact. I dismissed Fedel, butlers, and maids and finally, I was all alone. For your information, my library was renovated.
''Now, it''s time to start my ''secret passage'' hunt!''
.
.
.
''Secret passage hunts my ass.''
Laid down on the couch, I stared nkly at the ceiling.
''Damn. I''m tired.''
It had been five days since I started looking for a secret passage in my library. I lifted every single book in this library, tried to move every bookshelf, the tables, the chairs, the couches, rotated the statues, the standing chandeliers, checked every flooring, and looked for a hidden switch, but all of them were futile. No matter how hard I searched for them, I couldn''t find them.
''Ah, so frustrating.''
I massaged my temples, and I could feel my head throbbing in pain. I wouldn''t wonder if my head exploded in the next few seconds. Well, it was worthy of its name, it wouldn''t be named ''secret'' if it was easy to find, right? But what if... There was no secret passage in this library.
Sighed. What a waste of time. I sat and scanned my surroundings. I had checked every corner of the room, yet I found nothing. Also, I didn''t find anything suspicious here.
Sighed. I was such a fool to believe in movies. Also, I should have asked him when I got the chance. Now I didn''t know when I could meet him again. I nced at the door as light knocks were heard followed by Fedel''s voice.
"Your Highness, it''s time for dinner."
"I understand."
Sighed. Damn. Just, how many times did I sigh today?
Chapter 14 Ch. 14: Secret Passageways [2]
I got up and opened the door. Fedel and the maids bowed when I appeared behind the door. As always, Fedel guided me to the front and I followed suit. Arriving at my chamber, I took a quick bath.
"Is the food not to your liking?"
"Ah? No. It''s not like that. It''s just..."
I looked at the meal on my te. Remained untouched. Sighed. I put my cutlery down.
"...I don''t have any appetite."
Rose from my seat, I walked towards the bed and threw myself on it.
"Then would you like some light snacks?"
"No. I''ll just sleep."
"I understand."
That was why you shouldn''t get your hopes soared up to the sky.
"Your Highness, you still haven''t opened Her Majesty''s gift."
I was too busy looking for that damn secret passageway. I even forgot about my mother''s gift, what an ungrateful child.
"Bring the gift to me."
"I understand."
Fedel came back with a small box in his hand but since I was toozy to get up, I told him to put the box on my bed. However, right after he put the box down, a sh filled the room and thunder was heard followed by heavy rain and wind. He rolled his feet to the window.
"It''s a thunderstorm."
"I see."
''Just look at it, even the sky is mourning for me. Nah, I''m just being pathetic here, don''t mind me.''
Fedel closed every window and drew the curtains. He excused himself and then left.
"Goddammit!"
I had never felt this kind of disappointment before. I felt like... I wanted to utter profanity endlessly and cried in the corner of the room. Sighed.
''Let''s forget about that damn secret passageway!''
I reached the gift without changing my position and opened the box. It was a bracelet, framed with gold and it had two blue beads. This thing wasn''t just an ordinary bracelet.
This bracelet was called Telesphere, amunication device. Not only amunication device, Telesphere also served as magical storage.
Each Telesphere had a code. This code enabled you to make calls or video calls; it had the same concept as a phone number.
I thought the way to use it was no different from using a phone in modern times and you could channel your mana into the other bead if you wanted to ess the magical storage.
The Arcanist Tower wasn''t named after their building that looked like a tower. But it was named after the Tower that stood in the middle of their estate, at the top of the turret floated a round mana boulder that emitted blue light.
Every Arcanist Tower had this giant pir, maybe they used them as a transmitter or something, which reminded me of a BTS Tower concept.
And that was the reason why we didn''t need to channel our mana to make a call. But that didn''t mean it was free, you needed to pay its monthly subscription if you didn''t want your Telesphere to end up deactivated.
But even if your Telesphere ended up deactivated, you still could use the magical sphere. It was just that you couldn''t make a call like there was no signal.
I pressed one of the beads and a mini translucent screen popped out and showed my contacts list. I was sweat-dropping the moment I saw it.
Right now I only had one contact with a cringe name, ''Beloved Mother''. But in the end, I couldn''t help but chuckle.
''Thanks, mom, you really brightened up my mood!''
However, a frown formed on my forehead when I saw the swaying curtain. It didn''t actually sway, it was just a slight move. But I couldn''t even tell if it was really moving or not. I believed Fedel had closed every window and there was no wind here.
I put my bracelet on and then got up. I decided to watch it up close. As I walked towards it, a soft breeze passed by and the curtain was indeed moved a bit. I drew the curtain and found nothing.
''It''s just a wall.''
I channeled my mana to my Wind Elemental. A magic circle formed on the wall and I pressed it with the wind. Like I previously thought, the wind didn''t bounce back but instead, it seeped through the wall. For more chapters, please visit
If you looked at the wall with naked eyes nothing seemed wrong. But when you touched the surface of the wall, it had a fine horizontal crack. So, what he said was true. There was indeed a secret passage. I turned and browsed my room intently.
''But, where''s the switch?''
.
.
.
"Your Highness, it''s time for you to wake up."
I blinked my eyes a few times to adjust the light before opening them. After fully collecting my soul, I got up and washed my face.
Heading towards the table, I ate my breakfast solemnly. Finished my meal, I took a bath and let the maids dress me. But, instead of going to the door, I strode towards my bed and tossed myself there.
"Your Highness?"
"Fedel, can I skip my training today?"
Grandpa was away so there was no one to teach me. I nced at Fedel.
"Are you perhaps not feeling well today?"
"It seems that way."
"Should I call a doctor, then?"
I abruptly sat.
''No! What are you doing?! My lying would be blown up.''
"N-no! I''m alright. I think I just need to get some rest."
Fedel didn''t answer and just stared at me.
"Also, please don''t tell my mother about this."
"Your Highness--"
I hurriedly cut him.
"Please."
Of course, I didn''t forget to put my pleading expression to make everything more dramatic.
"Her Majesty must be really busy. I don''t want to make her worry."
In the end, Fedel could only sigh in defeat, and Iughed wickedly inside.
"Then, I''ll be waiting outside. If you need anything please ring the bell."
"Alright."
After making sure he left, I got up and started looking for a hidden switch. I lifted every book, tried to rotate every statue, standing chandelier, chair, couch, table, and many more. Everything I did was nothing less than what I did back in the library, and of course, it ended exactly the same.
I skimmed the room. Just, what did I miss? I rolled my feet and stood in front of the ''wall''. Should I just destroy this wall? But, if I did that then I would be screwed.
Right at this point, I believed that my brain had stopped working. I couldn''t think of any other way. I felt so helpless. Only then I spotted a decorative hanging dagger near the ''wall''. I guess I had no choice but to use brute force.
I grabbed the dagger and unsheathed it. However, as I readily channeled my mana to it, I was dumbfounded. The dagger''s appearance really caught me off guard. The de was so thin that it almost matched the paper. I frowned.
''Is this even a dagger? Who''s gonna use this dagger? It looks as if the dagger would break from a single swing. Wait--is it perhaps?''
I hurriedly inserted the dagger inside the crack and... nothing happened. I massaged my temple.
''How many times does my hope shatter like this? Alright, whatever. Do as you please. I give up. I''ll just wait for Count Andreas.''
I turned around, and before I could make a step, a falling metal was heard. I rolled my eyes boredly and nced at the sound. Only then, what greeted me was something unexpected. A passage with stairs leading downward had appeared.
Chapter 15 Ch. 15: A Naive Boy [1]
I stepped forward to see what was down below but it was way too dark and I couldn''t see anything. Also, going there right away was foolish. At the very least, I should be prepared just in case something unexpectedes up.
Twirling myself, I made a thinking pose whilst scanning my chamber. Since I had no money¨Cwait, I thought I had valuable things for me to sell.
''That''s right. Those gemstones on my essories.''
I strode towards the closet and put many essories into the magical sphere. With these, I could solve my financial problem, and next¨C
''I need food.''
What if Alexander deceived me? What if the truth was, it was not a secret passage, but a prison, which would lock me inside it forever? Well, this was merely my spection.
''I can''t survive by eating essories, so I need food.''
I drew the curtain to hide the passage entrance and walked to the door. When I poked my head out of my chamber, the maids and butlers were seenically turning their heads toward me. I got out and hurriedly closed the door behind me.
''They don''t see the secret passage''s entrance, do they?''
"Your Highness, if you don''t feel well, you should not leave your bed."
I turned to the voice and found the one I had been looking for.
"Fedel, can you put many light snacks or refreshments into my magical sphere?"
I handed my Telesphere and he received it.
"Your Highness, where did you get this?"
"It''s Her Majesty''s gift."
"I see. Then, how many do you need?"
"Snacks for a whole day?"
However, he stared at me for a few seconds.
"Why do you need that many snacks?"
"So when I want to eat a snack, I don''t have to call the maids."
I had sprouted a lot of nonsense and now it just came out naturally. I should stop doing that bad habit. But, Fedel didn''t seem convinced enough by my lie. He kept eyeing me which made me ufortable for some reason.
"I understand."
Fedel gave my Telesphere to the maid beside him. The maid bowed and excused herself.
"I will inform you when it''s ready. For now, please go back to your chamber and rest."
"Okay."
With that, I went back to my room with a light heart and all I had to do was wait. I marched to the couch andid myself there. I gazed at the ceiling above.
Fedel, the head butler. Even though he had served me for 5 years, I couldn''t really get used to him. It was not like I didn''t trust him, it was because he always gave me an I-am-a-dangerous-man vibe.
Also, he didn''t appear in the novel, so I knew nothing about him. Tired of waiting, I decided to take a nap. Also, searching for the key to open the secret passage entrance really exhausted me.
''Let''s replenish some energy.''
.
.
.
Knocks on the door woke me up.
"Your Highness?"
"Coming!"
I massaged my temples and sat to gather my soul. After my dizziness faded, I got up and opened the door. Fedel stood not too far away from me. For more chapters, please visit
"I havepleted your order. However..."
I waited for him to resume his words, yet, he just stood there and tantly stared at me. And to my surprise, he didn''t say anything for 15 seconds straight which made me anxious for some reason. As I couldn''t take it anymore, I encourage myself to open my mouth.
"What is it?"
"Your Highness, you''re not nning on doing something dangerous, right?"
I blinked a few times.
''Don''t panic and let''s act naturally.''
"What do you mean? How can I do something dangerous when I''m all alone and staying inside?"
"Thest time Your Highness ''all alone and staying inside'' was, you blew up the whole library."
"..."
I shut my mouth because I couldn''t refute it. But, it made me wonder, though. Was he really worried or he just mocked me? Honestly speaking, I had no idea about the Mana st''s part, which was, yeah, it admitted it was my fault. I should have finished the book before starting to meditate. My bad.
"I won''t do something dangerous. I promise."
''I only want to visit the city and then go back. Nothing sounds so dangerous about it, right?''
Of course, I spat the rest inwardly. Although I made a vow, Fedel didn''t seem to trust me.
''Just what the hell must I do to convince him?''
Sighed. With this, I realized that I shouldn''t stop and must pursue perfecting my bluffing skill.
"Alright."
Jeez. Finally, He held out my Telesphere but the moment I was about to grab it, Fedel took his hand out. I red at him with a displeased expression.
"You must keep your promise, Your Highness."
I sighed in annoyance.
"Fine."
Fedel finally gave my Telesphere back. I channeled my Mana and checked the content inside. After making sure I got the food, I whirled my back and opened the door.
"Also, I''ll skip my lunch. Thank you, Fedel."
"You''re wee."
I went inside and closed the door. Now, I had things to sell and food to eat. What about water? Nah, I could extract water from the earth.
''Thest is... I need a weapon.''
What if after being locked inside the passage
Alexander popped out and tried to kill me there? With that in mind, I needed a weapon to defend myself. Of course, this was just a continuation of my spection but it never hurt to be extra vignt, right?
''When you''re gonna explore an unknown ce, it''s better to be prepared rather than sorry. It''s not funny if you died because of your stupidity. But, there was a problem.''
I didn''t have a real sword because my mother wouldn''t allow me. I sighed. Even when practicing, up until now I only used wooden swords. I narrowed my eyes and inspected my room thoroughly to search for something useful and--oh!
I walked toward the hanging sword and took it. I unsheathed it and just like I expected, the edges were dull. Sheathed it back, and I put it in my magical sphere. It was better to have one rather than nothing. With that, all of my preparation waspleted.
I rolled my feet towards the secret passage and drew the curtain. I gazed at my room for thest time.
''Mom, I promise, I''lle back before sunset.''
Not to forget to take the dagger (key) that was lying on the ground and I stepped my feet down the stairs.
¨CThump!
I turned my back and saw the entrance door unexpectedly closed. Upon seeing it, I had mixed feelings. My spection wouldn''t veer into reality, right?
Chapter 16 Ch. 16: A Naive Boy [2]
"..."
I climbed up the stairs and when I was a few steps away from the entrance, the door slid open. Oh, I see. So it looked like a sensory door from the inside, but you needed a key to open it from the outside.
Likewise, I exhaled a relieved sigh. I thought that I would be imprisoned here. Someone in my previous world once said, ''Words are prayers'' that was why you shouldn''t talk rubbish.
I whirled and proceeded to descend the stairs. I could also hear how the passage entrance closed by itself. As it got darker, I took the torch that hung on the wall and lit it.
The more I went down, the more humid it was. Just as I came down thest stairs, the passage was filled with puddles. Perhaps, due to the thunderstormst night.
After a long march for half an hour, finally I saw a dead end. Without wasting much more time I approached the wall and afterward, the door slid open.
Overall, I didn''t find any difficulty while passing this passage, except for the moss which made this ce a bit slippery. I turned off the fire and put the torch away.
I stepped out and the entrance passage behind me closed. A deep, lush forest entered my vision, a woody scent filled my nostrils and birds chirped beautifully.
Somehow this atmosphere made me feel cathartic, I felt like all of my burdens just disappeared into thin air. But it was really surprising, I couldn''t believe I was outside right now.
''Also, no sign of a zombie apocalypse here. For now, let''s head to the city.''
However, I abruptly halted my step and pped my forehead. Damn. I forgot to bring a map.
.
.
.
I marked the tree bark with my sword and wiped my sweat. I had no idea how much time had passed, but I couldn''t find any footpath. Even if I had the map, I didn''t know where my position was.
I nced at my Telesphere and sighed. At least the Arcanist Tower should have put a digital map on this bracelet, so it could be more useful in a situation like this.
Maybe it would be better if I just go back, I couldn''t take the risk of prolonging wandering around in an unknown ce like this. Not to mention the sun was getting low, and I had to get back before dinner.
Fedel should have not known that I sneaked out. Since I have the key to open the secret passage, I coulde back here whenever I want. With that, I decided to return.
However, when I turned, I saw a man estimated to be in histe twenties. He had tan skin colorbined with tinum blonde-haired and dark brown-eyed. All around, his appearance looked like amoner. The moment our eyes locked, he smiled at me.
"The weather is so nice today, don''t you agree?"
I didn''t answer and just stared at him. He eventuallyughed awkwardly and resumed his steps. I spun toward him right after he passed me. But the man just strode leisurely and didn''t even bother to look back at me. Before he drove any further away, I encouraged myself.
"Excuse me."
"Yes?"
He turned to me.
"Do you perhaps know where the city is?"
"The city?"
"Yes. I think I''m lost."
He nodded his head a few times as if understanding something.
"I see. You coulde with me. I''m also on my way to Agatha."
"Thank you."
With that, we strolled together into the forest. In silence, I caught him stealing nces at me many times. Curiosity filled his face and to tell you the truth I couldn''t stand it anymore. I sighed. Maybe he was an extrovert who couldn''t tolerate voicelessly.
"You are free to ask me if you have something in mind."
I could see how his toneically lit up.
"Are you perhaps... a noble?"
He couldn''t even hide his inquisitiveness but his expression suddenly turned down.
"Ah, I''m sorry if I was rude and made you ufortable."
I shook my head.
"No, I don''t mind. Also, I''m not a noble. Just a son of a merchant."
He nodded his head delightedly.
"So, what are you doing that made you lost in a forest like this?"
"I was chasing my cat." For more chapters, please visit
"Your cat?"
"Yeah, but I lost her."
"I''m sorry to hear that."
"No, it''s okay. I''ll just ask my mother to buy it again."
"It must be nice to have much-much money."
"It is."
Well, talking to him might not be a bad idea and I could improve my bluffing skill. As if remembering something important, veered to me with his worried expression.
"Ah! By the way, a lot of people have gone missingtely, so I suggested that you shouldn''t wander alone too much."
"Gone missing? Is it kidnapping? Is the culprit aimed at the nobles?"
He shrugged then shook his head.
"I don''t know about the details but, not only nobles, sometimes there aremoners. But mostly, nobles. Noble''s child."
Hmm... Was this why my mother forbade me from going outside? But from this conversation, it seemed that the criminal hadn''t been caught yet. Just what hell did the Patrol Soldiers do?
"How about you? What are you doing in this forest?"
"I''m collecting herbs."
"Herbs?"
He showed his wicker backpack which was full of grass¨Cin my eyes. Even after gathering that many herbs, he was somehow still so bright and energetic.
"Oh, how rude of me. By the way, you can call me Trickster. Nice to meet you!"
Trickster? Was that his nickname? He extended his hand towards me, but before I could reach it, he withdrew his hand.
"Ah, sorry. My hand is dirty."
He wiped his hand on his clothes.
"Actually, I don''t mind."
"No. No. No. How could I?"
Sighed. Alright. Whatever, do as you please.
"You can call me Ian. Nice to meet you too."
"Aren''t you... going to ask about my weird nickname?"
I whirled at him.
"No, it''s not my ce to judge."
"Whoa. You really build differently. Usually, people will frown when they hear my name."
A slight sadness was seen on his face, but it didn''tst long as he eventually smiled again. I looked at my surroundings. We walked for more than thirty minutes or so but I still couldn''t see the end of this forest or a footpath.
I peeked at Trickster, he still looked so happy; simply, it was because his smile never left his lips. I wondered what made him so happy.
"Is the city still far away?"
He turned to me and pointed up ahead.
"It''s about two hundred meters away. Are you perhaps tired? Should we rest?"
"No, I''m just asking. I''m okay."
"Tell me if you are tired."
I nodded and went back to focusing on my step.
"I heard tomorrow''s weather will be good as today. But, it''s too bad--"
I nced at him and our eyes met. What was too bad?
"You won''t be able to enjoy it!"
He swung a dagger, aimed at my throat.
Chapter 17 Ch. 17: A Naive Boy [3]
Damian Atreilight.
How could Fedel describe that little boy? Damian loved to read books and spent most of his time in the library. He was talented, especially as an Elementalist. You could see how much he enjoyed being taught by Chislon Andreas.
People said that hecked words and expressions. As for the words, Fedel couldn''t say anything about it. But when it came to expressions Damian was quite expressive.
Especially when expressed his displeasure. When he trained with his grandfather; Duke Aeneas, you could see how much he frowned. Maybe he didn''t have an enthusiasm for Weapon Art.
In his eyes, Damian looked like someone who had trust issues. He was a difficult person to approach. He didn''t trust people easily and always put a thick wall around him. Even with his mother, but not as much as others.
Fedel''s eyebrows furrowed, and not only him, the maids, and butlers, all of them had the same reaction. They turned at him in unison. It wasn''t rude or without reason, but they just realized something¨Csomething ''fatal'' had urred.
Fedel faced the door behind him. Damian''s presencepletely vanished inside the chamber, they couldn''t feel it at all. Fedel knocked on the door.
"Your Highness?"
However, there was no answer. He knocked once again.
"Your Highness?"
Remained no answer.
"Your Highness, I''ming in."
With that, Fedel opened the door and all that greeted him was just an empty room. Fedel checked the bathroom and closet, but Damian was nowhere to be found. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist tightly.
Five days ago. He should have realized when that brat started to act weird. Of course, he was scheming something behind Fedel''s back, just like when he blew up the library. Fedel got out of Damian''s chamber and met with other maids and butlers.
"The Prince is missing. Go and search for him. Also, ask the Guards to join in the search."
"We understand."
With that, all of them spread to start looking for Damian.
Fedel immediately rushed to the Blink Sphere room and headed towards the Empress Pce. Once arriving, without wasting any time Fedel ran as fast as he could.
The moment his eyes caught a maid, he grabbed the maid''s shoulders and forcibly turned her to face him. Of course, this action made the maid scream in shock.
"Where is Her Majesty?"
"Her¨CHer Majesty is in the drawing room."
Obtaining the information he needed, he instantly sprinted to the Drawing Room. Upon seeing Fedel, the Guards blocked him.
"Her Majesty has a meeting--"
Ignoring the Guard''s warning, Fedel broke through easily and barged in. As the door abruptly swung open, the three-person inside the room spun their heads at the sound. The Empress abruptly rose from her seat.
"Fedel, what is going on?"
"You! Stop right there!"
When the Guards were about to capture Fedel.
"Prince Damian has gone missing."
What came out of Fedel''s mouth froze everyone, especially the Empress. Herplexion turned pale and she was staggered. Herdy-in-waiting hurriedly bnced her.
"Ian--no. His Majesty¨Cplease tell His Majesty to dispatch a search team!"
"I--I understand."
Lady Sancus helped the Empress to sit on the couch before she immediately left the room. Eventually, the Empress tried her best to remain calm even though her hands were uncontrobly shaking and tears rolled down her cheeks. Theresa was beyond shocked right now. She nced at Fedel.
"Did Damian wear the telesphere that I gave to him?"
"Yes, The Prince did."
"Then we can track him--"
¨CPii ¨CPii ¨CPii. For more chapters, please visit
Theresa and Fedel turned to the noise. Chislon Andreas was looking at his telesphere. He raised his head and gazed at the Empress.
"I think I know where Prince Damian is."
.
.
.
A white-haired man in histe thirties sat on the tallest podium. His magenta eyes stared boredly at the paper in his hand.
"Tsk."
He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he ced down the paper on the table. He stared at every single head in the conference room. Dariush could vividly see how ufortable and awkward they were when he eyed them, one by one.
"Do you know how much money I pour into funding the investigation team?"
¨CTuk ¨CTuk ¨CTuk
Dariush tapped the table whilst patiently waiting for someone to answer him. However, no one in the room dared to speak, the only sound he could hear was just a ticking clock. Although the Emperor looked calm on the outside, please, you shouldn''t be fooled.
"Yet, what I got--"
Dariush took the paper and tossed it. The audience could see how the paper dramaticallynded on the floor.
"--just a piece of trash."
Again, a silence.
Dariush heaved a deep sigh. It felt like he was talking to a wall.
"Since there''s no one willing to answer, how about we start with the Investigation Team Leader?"
The Investigation Team Leader''splexion turned pale and his face was covered in sweat.
"It''s--it''s really hard for us, be--because they don''t leave any trace--"
"Trace?!!"
Dariush cut and mmed the table. He stood and shouted furiously.
"Do you think the culprit would stupidly enough to leave a trace?! That''s the same as you asking an assassin to leave their evidence at the crime scene! Are you nuts!?"
However, a sudden ruckus made all of them whirl their heads to the entrance. The door swung open revealing a woman that was restrained by the Guards.
"Your Majesty please dispatch a search team!"
Recognizing who the woman was, Dariush raised his hand and the Guards let her go.
"Lady Sancus, what is thismotion?"
Lady Sancus hurriedly bowed.
"Her Majesty requests for Your Majesty to dispatch a search team."
"Dispatch a search team? For what?"
"The Second Prince, Prince Damian has gone missing."
Dariush froze.
However, before he could make any response, another person entered the conference room. The appearance of the man who wore a full set of golden armor caught everyone''s attention. The armored man strode straight to the Emperor''s podium. He knelt before Dariush and presented an envelope.
"The Yovanny Kingdom has dered war."
The silent room now turned into a room full ofmotion.
"Sire, we wait for your order."
Chapter 18 Ch. 18: A Naive Boy [4]
Before the daggernded on my throat, I quickly evaded and jumped backward.
"Oh, wow. Nice reflex."
Trickster pped his hands happily. I should have run when he revealed his weird nickname, who would know that I would be tricked by a trickster named Trickster--just, damn.
I swept my surroundings and saw many people starting to appear behind and above the trees. They wore ck attire and a mask that covered their faces. To think that the sender sent more than twenty assassins, the felon really wanted me to die so badly.
I tried channeling my mana but canceled it anyway as the Mana here had been manipted. Looked like they nted a Mana Disruption device to mess up the Mana flow in this area.
I didn''t know who but, the culprit definitely knew that I was an Elementalist from the very beginning. I took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.
''I need to calm myself down so I can think more clearly.''
I nced at Trickster.
"To think you were lured and prepared a surprise for me, I''m ttered."
"Lure? Weren''t you the one who followed me willingly?"
Uh, yea, well. What he said was true.
''Ah, I guess, I have no talent for stalling time with words.''
===
"What do you think of this magic?"
"It''s useless."
''What is the point of learning to make a vapor?''
Count Andreas chuckled at my blunt answer.
"Yeah, maybe this magic is useless. But, do you know that even useless magic like this can be lifesaver magic in a life-and-death situation?"
''But, how? It''s just vapor.''
He stared into my eyes before he resumed his words.
"Let''s imagine that you are being chased by a bunch of assassins. Do you know how to escape their eyes?"
''Oh, I think I know where this conversation is going. If it''s a small amount it''s vapor. But, if it''s in arge amount then¨C''
"Create a fog?"
He smiled and nodded.
"Correct. The important thing is we could escape their eyes. What''s next?"
"Using a teleport magic paper?"
Count Chislon made a thinking pose as if judging my answer.
"Hmm... Do you think the assassins will let you do it? Not to mention that we need more than 10 seconds to activate the teleport magic paper."
"Of course, they won''t."
''Why is he asking something obvious?''
"How about we changed our perspective? Let''s say that you create the fog, then what will the assassins do?"
"They''ll rush in or throw their weapon into the fog to prevent me from using the teleport paper magic."
"Now that you know what they are going to do, then what will you do?"
"Defend myself with Earth Elemental?"
Chislon shook his head.
"Prince, when we''re outnumbered by assassins, it is best if we can stall as many times as we could while escaping, whilst waiting for the reinforcement to arrive. So, why bother to cast an elemental if we could paralyze them even before they could rush in or throw their weapon toward us?"
"How?"
''Is it even possible to paralyze many assassins all at once?''
"Then, I will give you a clue. Fog is a thick cloud of tiny water droplets. Even if it is just droplets, it is still water. Prince, do you know what Elemental bes more powerful whenbined with Water?"
"Lightning."
"Correct."
Count Andreas nodded in satisfaction.
"Since Your Highness is a Quint Elemental Bearer, you are capable of making many Elemental Fusions. But, what we are discussing right now would be in vain if the assassins use this item." For more chapters, please visit
He took something out of his jacket and a clear crystal point came to view.
"Mana Disruption Device."
Chislon nodded.
"That''s right. The maximum range of this device is 2 km and willst 30 minutes. This device will disable any magic devices that require Mana and also mess up the flow of Mana in the area."
It would be such a pain in the ass if the assassins used that damn device. Because I couldn''t use my Elemental, then it seemed I had to fight with my sword for 30 minutes or more. How bothersome.
But then again, I like how Count Andreas mentioned every possibility that might ur, so I wouldn''t be panicked when I faced something simr to this.
"But, Your Highness--"
Chislon''s expression became serious and red right into my eyes.
"--are you confident in fighting many assassins at once? Also, they must be well-trained assassins."
"Well, I''m confident that I''ll be dead in no time."
Chislon burst intoughter.
"I like how Your Highness knows your limitations."
He put the Mana Disruption Device back and took another item. This time he took out a small box, he opened it and a blue crystal point that I had never seen before came into view.
"This one is called Mana Stabilizer. This device can stabilize the flow of Mana. In other words, this item can counter the Mana Disruption Device for 5 seconds."
Not only I had never seen it, but I had never heard of it either. But to think it could counter Mana Disruption Device, even if it onlysted for 5 seconds, that item was still considered amazing.
"This device was invented by my team, it''s still a prototype. So it hasn''t been released in the market yet."
I couldn''t help but furrow my brows.
''Is that really alright for him to show me an unreleased item from the Arcanist Tower?''
Chislon closed the lid and put it back into his jacket then pped his hands.
"Alright, shall we begin our training then?"
To tell you the truth, I was interested in that item.
"If... If I can cast paralyzed fog in 5 seconds, could you give that device to me?"
Chislon looked at me for a few seconds before he nodded.
"Actually, I''m going to give you this as a present, but now that you want a deal, alright then, it''s a deal."
===
"Oh my, Prince. You''re surrounded. Kekeke."
Trickster smiled widely whilst juggling his dagger. The assassins began to unsheathe their weapons. He stopped his action and licked his dagger.
"Your Highness, do you have anyst words?"
"I do."
"Better say it then."
Tricksterughed madly. I secretly took something out of my pocket and clucked my tongue in annoyance. To think I would use the Elemental Fusion a week after I learned it in actualbat, how amusing¡
"Fuck you."
I could see how Trickster abruptly quitughing, he was stunned by my words.
"Fuck you."
He looked at me with bloody eyes and his hands trembled with anger.
"Kill him!"
The moment all of them jumped rushedly toward me, I hastily activated the Mana Stabilizer and the paralyzing fog spread throughout the forest in no time.
"How did he--Aargh!"
"Urgh!"
"Arghhh!"
Unbothered by their screams, I sprinted as fast as I could.
"Fuck you."
Chapter 19 Ch. 19: The Chase [1]
At first, Chislon didn''t understand why Theresa assigned Damian''s head butler to tag along with him. Wouldn''t it be better if she appointed someone who could fight?
He thought there were not many options she could take because this was an urgent matter and didn''t want to waste any more time, knowing that her son might be killed at any moment. However...
Chislon stole a nce ahead and Fedel could be seen jumping from one branch to another at a rapid speed. Even though he used his Wind Elemental to quicken his feet, he was unable to match his speed. It seemed Fedel wasn''t just a ''nobody'' as he previously thought.
Chislon looked at his telesphere. A red dot blinked 4 km away from him and wrinkles materialized on his forehead. Just how did the Prince end up in the middle of the Imperial Forest outside Aeon Castle? He spun his head toward the old man.
"How did you lose the Prince?"
"He disappeared inside his chamber."
"You''re not nting a watcher inside the Prince''s chamber?"
Fedel shook his head.
"Her Majesty doesn''t want the Prince to look like a prisoner, she wants to give him some privacy. But, who would know it backfired her."
"Are you sure this is not a kidnapping? There are a lot of kidnapping casestely."
"No. He asked me to prepare light snacks for the whole day."
"Whole day?"
Chislon scoffed.
"Looks like he nned his runaway earnestly."
"It''ll be better if it''s just a simple run away, but His Highness knows nothing about the political struggle."
At this point, Chislon was amazed.
"Her Majesty really did a great job of putting the Prince in the dark."
Fedel nodded in agreement.
However, they stopped talking and exchanged nces when their speed suddenly slowed down. Not that they wanted it due to being tired, they just realized that the Mana flow in this area had been manipted.
"Somebody nted a Mana Disruption Device."
"Seems that way."
"Let''s speed up."
Fedel elerated his feet once more and left Chislon behind.
"Hei. Wait!"
Chislon stared at Fedel''s back in disbelief. The Count couldn''t believe that the old man still could hasten up even after the mana in this area was disabled. He wished he could catch up to Fedel but this was the maximum speed he had.
Fedel frowned after he saw a fog up ahead. Even though yesterday was raining, the humidity here wasn''t enough to cause a fog. There was also a lot of grunting sound inside it.
The moment he entered the fog, he immediately hopped out of it andnded on a branch on his knees. It was only a split second, yet he felt his body being electrocuted. If he stayed in there for too long, he undoubtedly would be paralyzed.
"Are you okay?"
Fedel nced sideways and found Chislon.
"I''m fine. But, what is that?"
"The Prince made it."
Chislon leaped down on the ground.
"The Prince?"
Fedel frowned. He followed suit andnded beside the Count.
"Isn''t the Mana around here disabled?"
Chislon took out a blue crystal point and showed it to Fedel.
"I gave him this."
Chislon cracked the crystal and cast a Wind Elemental to dismiss the mist. Men wearing ck attire were lying on the ground whilst groaning, estimated around twelve. The Count peeked at his telesphere and saw how the blinking red dot slowly moved.
"It seems the Prince managed to escape. But--"
"You finished them off."
Fedel cut in and soared up to branches. He climbed higher to avoid the fog and left Chislon.
"Wait!" For more chapters, please visit
Fedel''s eyes were bloodshot and clenched his fist tightly whilst moving.
''Those Desdemona bastard!''
His men had seen suspicious movements inside the foresttely. Although Fedel had reported it and requested an order from Theresa to finish them off, yet, she refused. She said not to be provoked and just observe them.
Fedel knew the Empress didn''t want to make unnecessary bloodshed, but right now, he wasn''t sure if he could maintain his anger or not after he saw many assassins there.
''Those bastards really went all out to kill the Prince!''
Chislon sighed in defeat and massaged his temples lightly. He knew Fedel had the speed to catch up to Damian, but he shouldn''t act recklessly like that especially when they had no idea how many assassins were left.
However, his lips curled and formed a smile, something like a delighted blooming inside his heart. As expected of his talented pupil, he sessfully cast the paralyzing fog in one attempt in actualbat.
But it didn''tst long, Chislon''s smirk vanished as he returned his eyes to the assassins, and without wasting any more time, he unsheathed his sword.
"But first, let''s send them to hell."
.
.
.
Damian nced to the side and deflected the dagger that was flying toward him while running. Looked like the fog had failed to reach the assassins above the tree since many of them still threw daggers at him although he was inside the fog which meant they weren''t affected by the lightning, even now his body was tingling.
Elementalists weren''t immune to their own spell. When creating a spell (Conjuring) or doing a Maniption, ''Control'' yed a great role. As the Elemental was in control it wouldn''t hurt the caster but once released, then it was totally out of their control and might hurt allies or the caster itself.
But luckily, Elementalist had Elemental Resistance. Elemental Resistance was usually based on the Elementals within them. For example, if you had a Lightning Elemental it meant you had 25% resistance to lightning, etc. Not only that, but every Elemental also has its own strength and weakness.
Fire stronger against Wind and weak against Water.
Water stronger against Fire and weak against Lightning.
Lightning stronger against Water and weak against Earth.
Earth stronger against Lightning and weak against Wind.
Wind stronger against Earth and weak against Fire.
Those above could trigger Elemental Advantage and Elemental Disadvantage. In other words, if your Elemental was superior to your enemy, then you were at Elemental Advantage. If your enemy had a superior Elemental than you then, you were at Elemental Disadvantage. Simplicity, it had the same concept as Rock-Paper-Scissors.
When you were at Elemental Advantage, the damage you received was reduced by 25% and your attacks increased by 50%. When you were at Elemental Disadvantage, the damage you received was increased by 50%, and your attacks were reduced by 25%.
What made Damian still able to move was because of the Elemental Advantage and Elemental Resistance he had. As he was a Quint Elementals Bearer, he had bnce within him and when a certain Elemental inflicted damage on him, it triggered the Elemental Advantage which reduced the amount of damage he received by 25%. By adding the Lightning Resistance 25%, with this Damian only received 50% damage from his magic.
Even if he only received 50% damage, the damage was still damage. Also, Damian had no idea how long he had been sprinting, but he couldn''t wait to get out of the fog because the numbness began to feel more and more unbearable.
¨CBang!
Damian parried a dagger and continued running. His breath was rough, and his body was drenched with sweat. As expected of well-trained assassins, they didn''t even let him catch his breath. Albeit he was running inside the fog, their uracy was not a joke as if their dagger shadowed him.
He could feel how his legs weakened each time he took a step. He tried to move his leg but it didn''t listen to him. In the end, he lost his footing and fell. Damian bit his bottom lip and clutched the soil as hey on the ground. Why did it have to be his mom that he remembered at a time like this?
His heart ached just thinking about his mother. His eyes hurt and felt burned. He just acknowledged how naive he was. He thought that he only needed to solely focus on the First Prince and didn''t have to worry about any other possibilities, which turned out his spection was wholly wrong from the start!
Damian took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. After feeling calm, he took the sword and used it to assist him to get up. Sessfully stood, he saw his reflection on the sword.
''Regret would not change anything.''
Also, he promised that he would return to his mother and it would be best if he kept his word unless he wanted his mother to not trust him anymore. However, Damian abruptly turned and raised his weapon when he heard something sharp fly approaching him.
¨CBang!
The dagger fell to the ground as he deflected it. He swung his sword once again.
¨CBang!
The knife stabbed the earth below right after it diverted. However, another came in and cut his left arm.
"Urg!"
His weapon fell and Damiannded on the butt. He admitted that he was toote to lift his sword and the attack hit him. He clutched his arm and blood gushed out from the wound. It was a pretty deep cut.
"Ah, finally the cat stopped running."
Damian froze at the familiar voice.
He raised his head and Trickster was seen standing whilst licking a dagger in his hand.
Chapter 20 Ch. 20: The Chase [2]
Trickster stood a few meters away from him, then he walked to the side while juggling his dagger. Damian''s eyes followed every step he took.
"What''s with the serious look? You scared me. Kekeke."
Ignoring his trash talk, Damian wondered howe he wasn''t affected by the paralyzed fog at all? Trickster stopped everything he did and looked at the white-haired boy who was sitting on the ground whilst clutching his wound. When their eyes met, Trickster''s smile widened.
"Are you curious as to why I can still move freely in this fog?"
Trickster made a thinking pose and chuckled.
"But, since you''re going to die. I''ll tell you. Be grateful because I''m generous. Kekeke."
Damian''s expression darkened. Upon seeing the boy''s annoyed expression, hisughter grew louder.
"You are not the only one who has Lightning and Earth Elementals here."
"You''re a Double Elementals Bearer?"
"Correct."
Trickster pped happily.
"Oh, but there''s more."
He stopped and smirked.
"My Tier is higher than you, who''s only on an apprentice level, Your Highness."
Now Damian understood. Just like fighting an enemy in video games, even if you and your opponent had the same Elemental with both 50% Elementals damage reduction, Tier also yed its part.
The higher the Tier, the more damage you could inflict, and the more damage you received could be reduced. With this, we could easily decide who was going to be the winner.
"What I want to say is; that your surprise attack just tickled me."
Trickster grinned innocently and then shrugged.
"But, I can''t me my men because most of them are Warriors."
He readied his dagger.
"Now. Shall we finish this, then?"
Nevertheless, his smile suddenly evaporated the moment felt something that he shouldn''t and he could vividly see how the little boy snickered in enjoyment.
Trickster cursed inside and immediately ran towards Damian. But, a strong wind that unexpectedly blew, forced him to cover his face and nt his feet deep on the ground. The scenery became clear as the mist was swept by the wind.
Trickster gritted his teeth when heard how that little bitch chuckled happily while casting Wind Elemental to prevent him froming.
Annoyed, he created a spell and shot lightning from his hand at Damian but, before the bolt could strike the boy, an earth barrier emerged from the ground.
¨CTzz.
Trickster''s attack hit the wall and from the crack, a fireball appeared and ran after him. As the wind was still blowing, it grew bigger and faster, without thinking much Trickster instantly leaped backward to avoid it. Right after hended, he manipted the soil into a spear-shaped and pierced Damian''s earth shield.
¨CBoom!
However, when the barrier crumbled, the boy was nowhere to be seen. Trickster clucked his tongue in dissatisfaction. He just realized how stupid he was, he should have finished that little bitch instead of chatting with him. But, who would know the Mana Disruption Device would run out of time?
"Ah, dammit."
He massaged his temples and now the little cat was running away, once more. Trickster got up and started sprinting to chase after the cat.
.
.
. For more chapters, please visit
Thick red liquid dripped from the tip of the sword and Chislon swung the de to get rid of the blood that tarnished his weapon. He took out a handkerchief and used it to wipe its remnants, after making sure the sword was clean he sheathed it back.
"Now, it''s time to catch up to Fedel."
He peeked at his back before jumping and leaving the area.
Down below blood drenched the ground as assassins'' bodies separated from their heads. Chislon gazed at his telesphere and saw the blinking red dot still moving. He heaved a relieved sigh, at least he knew that the Prince was still alive out there. He quickened his feet and moved faster.
"Hm?"
Nheless, he couldn''t help but turn his head to the back when he spotted something. He frowned and returned his attention to the front again.
''Isn''t that an arm? But, whose arm?''
"Tsk."
Chislon clicked his tongue. He hoped that Fedel was all right.
Again.
Chislon discovered another piece of the human part, a leg lying on top of the branch he just passed. No, something wasn''t right, something weird was going on!
After many minutes passed, he was finally able to catch up to Fedel. As the old man stood on a tree branch with his back facing him, he immediatelynded not too far away.
"Fedel. Something''s not right."
Yet, what he heard was a spurting liquid followed by a headless body falling behind Fedel''s body into the fog. However, Chislon was stunned to death the moment he turned his body to face him.
His white shirt was dyed red, even his gloves were coated the same color! Not to mention that his face was also decorated with stains!
Just what exactly in the world had this man done? Was he perhaps rolling in the pool full of blood?
Chislon''s green eyes moved downward and found a human head being held by Fedel by its hair. Red fluid oozed out from its neck and it dirtied his shoes.
The Count scoffed in disbelief. Ah, he got it now, those scattered human parts in the forest were none other than this old man''s doing.
"What''s not right?"
Chislon shook his head and eventually smiled.
"No. There''s nothing."
Chislon sighed in relief, it seemed he worried for nothing. But, damn, did Damian know that his head butler was an assassin? Theresa was not joking when it came to her son''s safety.
She assigned an assassin disguised as a head butler to watch over him without making him look like a prisoner.
"By the way, Count Andreas, would you like to join?"
Chislon frowned and nced at Fedel.
"Join what?"
Fedel smiled and threw the head far away to the front. Chislon hastily moved before the sttered blood could get on his clothes. The flying head was promptly kicked to the side by an assassin.
"You should pay your condolences, not kick his head."
"Shut up you fucker!"
Chislon scanned the surroundings and five assassins were seen standing, scattered above the trees.
"I see. You havepany."
The Count walked to Fedel''s side and chuckled.
"Sounds fun. Count me in."
Chapter 21 Ch. 21: The Chase [3]
Chislon scanned the surroundings and five assassins could be seen standing, scattered above the trees.
"I see. You havepany."
The Count walked to Fedel''s side and smirked.
"Sounds fun. Count me in."
Fedel leaped over the trees to conceal himself and Chislon unsheathed his weapon.
"Since I don''t have much time, how about all of you go all at once?"
Enraged by Chislon''s taunting, they hopped from one branch to another toward him. However, the moment they floated in the air, unexpectedly one of them fell into the fog with his neck stabbed by a dagger. Chislon scoffed, he couldn''t believe they were easily provoked like that.
"Argh!"
He peeked at the knife came from and Fedel was seen between the leaves before he shifted sideways and disappeared once more.
But then again, somehow it scared him, he hadn''t even started yet the old man seeded in killing an enemy just a few seconds after the battle began.
Acknowledging their mistake, they jumped and dispersed among the trees. Honestly speaking, Chislon ridiculed them just to distract them so Fedel couldunch a surprise attack.
He wasn''t crazy enough to fight five of them all at once, especially when his ss was an Elementalist. But who would know they realized it so soon? Well, at least they used their little brains.
Even though he could wield a sword, that didn''t mean he was a swordsman and he only knew about the basics. Chislon swung his sword and deflected every dagger that drifted at him. Sensing a presence, the Count took a step back to spin his body and made a half-circle cut.
"Urg!"
The assassin stumbled when the tip of Chislon''s sword dug into his chest and blood sttered when a knife abruptly prated his neck before he could make any attempt to retreat. He plunged into the fog below.
¨CBang!
The Count soon veered to the sound, a pair of daggers collided midair and fell into the mist. Another flew but was diverted by one other knife. It seemed Fedel was exchanging blows with the assassins and their attack continued at an incredible speed.
¨CBang! ¨CBang! ¨CBang!
Fedel plummeted to a lower branch when many daggers rushed at his hiding spot all at once. He threw a knife at the thick leaves right after hended, afterward a man was seen falling with his body hitting every branch before being eaten by the mist. Fedel bounced sideways and drowned between the leaves.
''How scary.''
This was the first time Chislon ever saw how assassins fought each other, albeit amazed by the sight, he couldn''t let his guard down yet. He lifted his sword once again and parried every weapon that approached him.
¨CBang! ¨CBang!
Seeing many daggers rush at him, he leaped upwards and four knives jabbed his previous stepping branch. The attack didn''t stop, Chislon was forced to duck soon the moment hended as an assassin suddenly appeared and thrust his dagger at him. Feeling a surge of mana, Chislon shot a fireball.
"Argh!"
The assassin''s body mmed the tree trunk behind him and without wasting any time he stabbed the man in the heart. Nevertheless, unknownst to him, another assassin had stood behind Chislon with his hand swinging a dagger. Realizing that he left his back exposed, he pulled his sword out as fast as he could, but¨C
He stopped midway when blood unexpectedly sttered and dirtied his clothes and face. The man''s body in front of Chislon slumped down dramatically and Fedel was seen standing holding his weapon that was drenched in the red liquid. Chislon couldn''t help but heave a sigh of relief, he thought he was going to die and Fedel kicked the man''s body into the mist.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. Thank you." For more chapters, please visit
Both of them then shed their sword to remove the blood before sheathed their weapons back.
"Let''s go."
Chislon nodded in agreement. Fedel jumped and was followed suit by the Count, they began to move again. But deep down in his heart, he could onlyment the moment he saw his tarnished clothes.
Here Chislon was desperately trying so hard to prevent anything from dirtying his appearance, yet now blood was all over his body.
He felt very ufortable, he wanted to take a shower to cleanse himself right now. Nevertheless, Chislon could only sigh in defeat and took out his handkerchief to wipe the blood from his face.
With this, Chislon decided to invent an instant cleansing item without the need to take a bath when all of this was over.
.
.
.
"Haa¡ haa¡ haa¡"
My chest heaved up and down roughly. I leaned against a tree trunk to catch up some of my breath and wiped my sweat away from my face. I took the teleport paper magic out of my telesphere and channeled my mana to it.
However, I hastily crouched and rolled forward to distance myself. I spun and found a man that I avoided the most; Trickster came into view.
"Tsk."
He clucked his tongue and yanked his stuck dagger from the tree trunk, however, he halted before picking up something on the ground.
"Oh? You dropped this, Your Highness."
Trickster turned to me with his mischievous smile attached and showed me the thing he had picked up. I gritted my teeth the moment I saw my teleport magic paper in his hand.
''Dammit! How can I be so careless as to drop it?!''
We stared at each other for a few seconds before he chuckled and tore off the magic paper.
"Oh no, I identally tore it."
He put on a sad expression whilst tearing down the paper into small pieces and then tossed them into the air. Heughed madly at his own actions.
I had yed video games and met many kinds of viins, but this one was a rare breed. Trickster whirled his dagger.
"So. Are you ready to die, Prince?"
Since my only ticket to escape had been lost. It seemed I had no choice but to fight him one on one. I exhaled a long breath to calm myself and got up.
"I should be the one who''s asking--"
As we both stood, I red at him confidently.
"--are you ready to die?"
Chapter 22 Ch. 22: The Chase [4]
We stood whilst exchanging stares at each other. Our hair danced along the wind when a gentle breeze passed us. A strong woody scent could be smelled and light peeked through the leaves followed by birds that chirped happily.
This forest was indeed breathtaking-looking, but it was too bad because this ce would be either his or my grave. I heaved a long breath to ease my messed-up mind.
''I know exactly what situation I''m in. There is no way I would win against him. First, his Tier is higher than mine, and second, Ick experience in ''real''bat. I know I will surely die if there isn''t any reinforcement, but even if I die, at least I fight until myst breath and I won''t regret it.''
"You will die. Kekeke."
"I know."
I funneled my mana to my Elemental and shot three fireballs toward him. However, Trickster just stood there and looked at my attack with uninterested eyes before he yawned boredly. The moment my fire was ready to devour him, he smirked and an earth barrier emerged.
¨CBoom!
Itpletely blocked my attack. Not long after, I was forced to roll sideways when a bolt struck through my fires and rushed at me. Not letting me get up, a dagger flew in my direction and I raised my sword to parry it.
¨CBang!
I peeked upward and Trickster was seen running toward me, without wasting any more time, I instantly got myself up and covered my sword with mana.
¨CBang!
Our weapons collided and we continued to exchange blows.
¨CBang! ¨CBang! ¨CBang!
I gritted my teeth upon feeling his power. I was pushed every time our weapons shed, and my hand started to get numb. Simply, his strength was not a joke and in the end, I leaped backward to distance myself.
Nevertheless, he didn''t let me do as I pleased, he bounced at me and I immediately blocked his path with my Earth Elemental.
"Do you really think that you can win against me? Ha! In your dream!"
Trickster shouted as he cut through my earth barrier. I jumped backward and made another wall. However, the result was the same, he chopped them easily like slicing tofu. I created one once more whilst hopping and right after he sh it, I fired Wind Elemental and sent him flying.
Trickster rolled on the ground several times before he did an acrobatically backflips andnded on his feet. Guess, he didn''t see iting. He spat blood to the side whilst ring at me with eyes full of resentment.
"What a dirty trick, Prince."
Just looked at him. He seemed fine even after exchanging attacks, unlike me who looked like a fish that came out of the water; grasped for air.
"Hahaha!!"
Suddenly, heughed and lifted his hand. I immediately tilted my head to the left when he unexpectedly fired a bolt at me. I had no idea, but my feeling sent me a warning siren, telling me that I should start running, so I did, and what happened afterward was a nightmare.
¨CBoom! ¨CBoom! ¨CBoom!
The soil behind me exploded as he kept throwing his bolt nonstop and since he was so immersed in attacking me, I sneakily created an earth spear behind him. But before it could make a thrust, he stopped and spun. He raised his hand and punched my creation.
¨CBoom!
My earth-shaped spear crumbled and shattered to the ground. As his back faced me, I used this chance to deliver him a bolt, and again, a wall appeared and blocked my attack.
¨CBoom!
"Tsk."
I clucked my tongue in annoyance. The earth shield slid down and a jeering Trickster could be seen behind it.
"It must be fun to have five Elementals."
Ignoring his speech, I racked my brain; thinking about how to defeat him because half of my mana had decreased. But, let alone give me a brilliant idea, this brain wouldn''t even give me a simple idea. Honestly speaking, I hate this kind of helplessness.
"Here Ie!"
Trickster jumped at me and I coated my sword with mana. For more chapters, please visit
¨CBang!
Our weapons collided and we exchanged death res the moment our swords bound. Since I was fully aware that I couldn''t win the bond because his power was simply too much for me and thus, I decided to distance myself.
However, he tilted his wrist and drew away my weapon. Right after my body entirely opened to him, heughed and swung his foot at my stomach.
¨CWhack!
I felt a sharp pain in my waist and was sent flying. I hit the ground and rolled several times before eventually stopping. I abruptly sat and threw up a mouthful of blood.
"Cough! Cough!"
Before I could even raise myself, I was held up by my neck. My body shook violently when I lost my footing and couldn''t breathe in response. I frantically tried to remove his hand away from my neck but it was futile.
"It''s suffocating, isn''t it?"
Unable to take it anymore, I made an Elemental Fusion of water and earth elemental under his feet. Sensing that his footing was lost, I could see how his eyes widened in surprise and he fell dramatically into the mud.
¨CPlop!
Inded on my butt and coughed heavily when my lungs greedily devoured oxygen. I had no idea how deep it was because I made it while panicking but since I couldn''t see him anywhere, I thought it was a pretty deep pit. Ignoring my cough, I impatiently evaporated the water, and the earth was solidified once again.
I used my remaining strengths to get up on my feet. Even though my coughing had stopped, I was still breathing roughly. I looked at the ce where he was buried for a few more seconds but nothing happened.
''Is it over?''
I sighed in relief and turned. However...
"Aargh!"
I fell t on my stomach when a lightning bolt struck my right arm from behind. I tried to get up but someone pinned my head down to the ground. I peeked at my back and Trickster could be seen pinning my head down with his foot.
"Don''t ever think that this is over."
He lifted his foot and stepped on my head. It was so powerful, even my sight turnedpletely white every time he did that.
¨CWhack! ¨CWhack! ¨CWhack!
I didn''t know how many times he kept doing that but my body felt numb, my ears rang, and my consciousness started to fade away.
"What''s wrong? Come on. Stand up."
He kicked me in the waist and my body rolled several times as a result. He strode to me and hit my waist. Once again, my body tossed helplessly and I puked a mouthful of blood.
"Oh,e on, Prince. It''s not fun."
I forced myself to stand but my legs refused to listen and all I could do was drag myself with both hands to the nearest tree. Upon arriving, I leaned against the tree trunk.
My whole body trembled in pain and warm liquid run down my face and under my nose. I could also see how Trickster walked leisurely before he squatted next to me with my hazy eyes.
Somehow it was annoying, my vision was blurry and shaded yet, I could vividly glimpse his irritating smile. I didn''t want to see his damn smile in my dying time. It was disgusting. So disgusting, that I unconsciously spat on his face.
===
Trickster''s smiles vanished as he wiped my bloody saliva from his face and looked me in the eyes.
"You''re quite daring, aren''t you?"
I made an earth spear behind his back but before it could make a thrust, my mouth was oozing blood as Trickster''s dagger pierced through my heart.
===
Chapter 23 Ch. 23: A Deal [1]
===
Trickster''s smile vanished as he wiped the bloody saliva from his face and looked Damian in the eyes.
"You''re quite daring, aren''t you?"
An earth spear formed behind Trickster''s back but before it could make a thrust, Damian''s mouth was oozing out blood as the assassin''s dagger pierced through his heart.
===
My eyes widened.
''What¡ is that?''
I could see how Trickster''s smile disappeared as he cleaned my bloody saliva from his face and stared me in the eyes. Wrinkles appeared on my forehead right after I found a perfectly formed spear-shaped earth behind his back.
''What is¡ happening?''
"You''re quite daring, aren''t you?"
I turned to him and abruptly mmed down his dagger that rushed at my heart. I shut my eyes when warm liquid sttered on my face.
I slowly opened my eyelids and a horrendous scene showed before me. Trickster''s eyes were wide open and blood was pouring out from his mouth as my earth spearnced through his heart.
My mind went nk. I didn''t know what was happening right now. Did I just escape death? And what sight did I just see? Before I could think any further, I coughed a mouthful of blood.
I looked down when I felt a sharp pain in my upper abdomen and a dagger was nted there. It seemed I didn''t fully block his attack.
I crawled to the side and pulled the knife out of my stomach. The red liquid was seen leaking from my wound and I forced myself to get up with the help of the tree by my side. I wished to stay and rest but I couldn''t do that.
It would be nice if the reinforcements came, but what would happen if the assassins wereing instead of them? I didn''t think I could fight them in my current state. I clutched my wound whilst walking staggeringly.
"Cough, cough!"
I puked another mouthful of blood and reached out to the nearby tree. Well, I might be able to close my wound with my Water Elemental but right now, I ran out of mana.
Honestly speaking, that was usible but I would without a doubt end up fainting if I exhausted my Mana Core and I couldn''t take that risk.
Also, it was not funny if I woke myself up in the underworld or another world. I have to stay awake no matter what.
"Cough, cough!"
I couldn''t stop throwing up blood and my wounds kept bleeding. I felt dizzy, and my leg started to lose its strength. I had no idea, was it due to my blood loss or I was just dying?
However, a glimmer of hope lit up a bit of my spirit when I saw a marked tree bark with my blurred vision. I approached the tree with my wobbling feet and touched it.This was a sign that I engraved when entering the forest. I moved my limp legs to follow where they led me.
"Argh!"
I couldn''t help but groan in pain right after I fell on my stomach. I forced myself to get up but I ended up coughing heavily.
"Cough, cough!"
Rosy fluids were leaking from the corners of my mouth and I wiped them before trying to rise once again, but my bottoms refused to listen.
''Come on! Move!''
Yet, no matter how much I struggled, it was fruitless. Looked like they lost their power. Iid my head on the soil and breathed slowly to ease my mind. In the end, I gave up and decided to drag myself with both hands to keep moving.
¨CShrug ¨CShrug --Shrug
I didn''t know how many times had passed but my body was soaked with sweat and the forest was painted in pale-tinted orange as the sun prepared to set.
''Can I make it out of this wood before nightfall?''
Suddenly, I heard a male voice.
"Are you okay?"
A shadow cast upon me and I moved my head to look up. Nevertheless, my shaded eyes refused to give me a sight but judging from his familiar voice, I could tell he was someone I knew, albeit I failed to remember who he was. I plopped my head to the ground and heaved a sigh of relief.
''Am I safe now?''
"Didn''t I tell you to not get yourself out of the castle, did I?"
Ultimately, I was stunned to death after I fully memorized who the owner of the spokesperson was. My head abruptly perked up and finally, I caught a pair of golden eyes staring down at me. It was Alexander.
''Why must I meet my murderer at a time like this?!''
Before I could shout at him, my head unexpectedly felt heavy and my vision went ck.
.
.
.
Chislon and Fedel stopped and exchanged nces as they saw the view beneath. Debris of earth was scattered everywhere and there was even fire burning a tree and grass below! Just what in the world happened here? Both of them hopped down.
"It seems there was a fight here."
"Seems that way."
Chislon strolled to the burning tree, he summoned Water Elemental and used it to put down the tree and the grass. He was just d it rained yesterday so the fire didn''t spread any further.
"Count Andreas. Pleasee and take a look at this." For more chapters, please visit
Chislon turned to the voice and walked towards Fedel. However, he was horrified after Fedel moved sideways and revealed a gruesome spectacle before his eyes.
A man was skewered by an earth spear from behind and it seemed like his death wasn''t long since his blood was still dripping and soaking the forest floor.
"I also found these."
Fedel showed him a sword and a dagger with its de carved with Desdemona''s family crest.
"This sword was a decorative hanging sword, originally from the Prince''s chamber."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am. I remember because its hilt has a unique design and I assumed the Prince took this weapon before his runaway."
Chislon couldn''t help but massage his temple. That little brat was way too clever to prepare his running away n. He even took a freaking sword! Although its de was dull, he knew the danger so he left armed.
"And, as for the dagger. I think this was his."
Fedel eyed the spiked man. Diverse from those assassins'' weapons that they fought off, this one was different. This proved that this man was like a leader or something.
Chilson spun to the battle area behind him. The destruction scale couldn''t be said as simple fighting, Elementals were involved.
"Do you think the Prince...?"
Chislon nodded certainly.
"Looks like the Prince fought to defend himself. But..."
To be able to fend himself against a well-trained assassin was considered amazing for Damian''s level. But managed to kill a top-notch assassin¨CChislon eyebrows furrowed.
''Isn''t it a little bit too much?''
Even if he sessfully killed the assassin, Chislon thought that he wouldn''t get out of here unscratched. It was not that the Count underestimated his pupil''s skill, but it was because he knew exactly where Damian''s level was. He just knew him too well.
Chislon peeked at his telesphere and froze after realizing that the flickering red dot was nowhere to be found. A wave of headache filled his head. He immediately skimmed through the surroundings and found a trail of blood on the grass. He instantly veered to Fedel.
"Let''s go."
Feel nodded but before they could move, Chislon''s telesphere rang. He received a call from the Empress and immediately picked it up. Afterward, Chislon inhaled in relief and then turned to the man beside him.
"The Prince has been found and Her Majesty requests for us to return."
"Is the Prince safe?"
Chislon shook his head.
"I don''t know. But Her Majesty will exin the rest once we return to Castle."
Fedel nodded and nced at the corpse below.
"What about him?"
"We will retrieve the dagger. We can use it as solid evidence if Her Majesty wished to open up a Trial. As for this and the other corpses, the Imperial Dispatched Search Team will take care of them."
"I understand."
Chislon took out a teleport magic paper and channeled his mana to it. After waiting for ten seconds, a white magic circle formed under their feet and they disappeared into thin air.
The scenery changed as they were transported inside the Blink Sphere inside the Empress'' Pce. Without wasting any time they left the room and a maid greeted them.
"Her Majesty is waiting in her study room. I will be your guide."
The maid led them to the front. However, a boy caught Fedel and Chislon''s attention. He bent his back lightly the moment they passed him. Both of them couldn''t help but furrow their eyebrows. Arriving at a giant doot, the maid knocked on it.
"Your Majesty, Count Andreas, and head butler Fedel has arrived."
"Let them in."
She opened the door and the Empress could be seen sitting on a chair behind the desk. After it closed, both of them bowed.
"I greet the Empress of the Chrono Empire."
"You may rise."
Theresa took a deep breath.
"Thank you so much for your utmost help in finding the Prince. Prince Damian has been found and I promise to reward you handsomely."
Chislon shook his head.
"There''s no need to thank me. He''s my pupil and as his tutor, I''m also responsible for his safety. But, if I may ask, how is Prince Damian''s condition?"
Theresa exhaled a long sigh once more.
"He''s in a critical condition."
They could vividly hear how the Empress'' voice trembled; she tried her best to push back her tears. Fedel took a step forward and bent.
"Please forgive my rudeness. But may I ask why is the First Prince here?"
The Empress stayed silent for a few seconds before she dropped a bomb that made Fedel and Chislonpletely dumbfounded.
"Prince Alexander was the one who brought back Prince Damian."
Chapter 24 Ch. 24: A Deal [2]
I bent my back slightly when the head butler Fedel and Count Andreas passed me. It seemed both of them just finished their business with the Empress. I couldn''t help but scoff inwardly as they tantly ignored me.
''Well, what can I expect? I''m the son of a viiness, after all.''
I straightened my posture right after both of them disappeared behind the door. I nced sideways and a maid approached me. She bowed lightly.
"Her Majesty wishes to see you."
I nodded and followed her. Arriving at a giant mahogany door, she knocked and announced my presence.
"Your Majesty, the First Prince has arrived."
"Let him in."
She opened the door and I stepped inside. The Empress was sitting on the couch whilst enjoying her tea. The door behind me closed and I leaned forward to pay my respect.
"I greet the Empress of Chrono Empire."
"You may rise."
I rose and stood there, patiently waiting for the Empress'' order. She sipped her tea solemnly before slowly distancing the teacup from her lips and without even bothering to look at me, she ordered.
"Have a seat."
I rolled my feet and sat on the couch across from her. She was seen looking at her reflection in the tea and again,pletely ignoring me, she asked.
"Would you like some tea?"
I shook my head.
"No, I''m fine."
"Alright."
She drank her tea once more and ced it down on the table. She took out something covered in a handkerchief and put it in front of me.
"You can open it."
I did as she instructed and when the fabric lifted, a dagger with the Desdemona Family crest engraved on its de came into view.
Of course, I knew exactly what she meant; your mother was responsible for my son''s assassination that was what she tried to convey. I raised my head and her face was devoid of any expression.
"I will open up a Trial and that dagger will be the evidence. With that, I will get rid of Desdemona''s House on this continent and your entire family will be executed for treason."
She eyed me coldly.
"I don''t know your intention of saving my son, but I''m not someone who doesn''t know how to repay a kindness."
The Empress exhaled tiredly.
"I will get straight to the point. Please leave this Empire."
Silence enveloped us as we stared at each other. Since I didn''t open my mouth, she continued.
"I will provide anything you need, clothes, money, a ce to stay, everything. Including faking your death, so the soldier won''t look for you and you can live in peace."
It would be a nice proposal if I knew nothing about the future. But now that I knew the fate of this world, I couldn''t ept the offer, because it would be hard to protect that little brat if I got out of the castle. I breathed out a long sigh and gazed at her.
"If I may suggest, could we have a deal?"
However, she just smiled.
"I''m calling you here to give you a choice not to bargain."
"I promise. Your Majesty won''t regret it."
Judging from the Empress'' personality, she wouldn''t reject it as she was not someone who would turn her emotions into violence, and wasn''t fond of unnecessary bloodshed.
It was not like I used her personality as her weakness to ept my deal, but this was something that I must do to change the fate of this world.
''What was the point of turning back time if I can''t change it?''
"Speak."
"I would like to make an ''Elemental Oath'' with Your Majesty. In exchange, please don''t open up a Trial."
Her smile vanished and her expression turned even darker. The Empress stared right into my eyes.
"The First Prince of the Chrono Empire, Alexander Atreilight. Do you exactly know what you are talking about just now?"
"I do."
I answered bluntly. But, to think that the Empress called me by my title and full name, I thought she was mad right now. She red at me in disbelief before massaging her temple.
"I know you want to save your mother and your family. But please, don''t request an ''Elemental Oath'' so lightly. Prince Alexander, you are still young. You must treasure your life."
"Because if I didn''t say it, Your Majesty wouldn''t listen to me."
I could vividly see how she was perplexed.
''It must be nice to have a loving mother like her. I envy Damian.'' For more chapters, please visit
The Empress sighed as she dropped his head and looked at her hand. Actually, there was so much she needed to think about before opening up a Trial for Desdemona''s Family, especially, the Imperial Court.
The Imperial Court would be turned upside down if the entire family of Desdemona was executed since many council seats had been upied by Desdemona''s Family members and its vassals.
It was not an easy task to rece hundreds of councils with new people within such a short amount of time. Even if the Emperor did, what about their capabilities?
There would be instability in Malthe Region because the region lost its head. Not only that, dogfights would ur among nobles just to win the power left behind by Desdemona.
Simply put, executing the whole Desdemona Family wouldn''t solve the problem but the opposite. Not to mention that the Empress only had one problem and that was my mother.
Executing the entire Desdemona Family meant that she killed many innocent people which was against her personality. After a few minutes of silence, she raised her head and looked at me.
"All right. Let''s hear what you have in mind."
.
.
.
I got out of the Empress'' Office Room and strode towards the Blink Sphere Room whilst massaging my temples. That little brat, Damian. Howe an assassination happened in this timeline? I shouldn''t have told him about the secret passage in the first ce.
I couldn''t help and facepalm my face before sighing in frustration. But who would know that he found the secret passage and got out of his Pce without a single escort?!
I didn''t know what kind of bravery or idiocy he had. That little imp was the one who was at fault yet, why did I feel responsible for this ident?
Now I was wondering, was I turning back time or just being thrown into a parallel world? Also, this Damian was kinda weird, I remembered exactly how we met for the first time.
He was such a cute and lovely little brother while this one... He looked like a total stranger to me and he would frown instead of expressing what he had in mind.
I entered the Blink Sphere Room and chose my mother''s Pce as my next destination. Upon arriving, the guard opened the door and I got out of there. My eyes spotted a maid and I approached her.
"Where is my mom?"
The maid was startled the moment she turned to me as if seeing a ghost, but she eventually lowered her head.
"Her Highness is in her Study Room."
I nodded and rolled my feet. I could see how maids and guards widened their eyes right after they saw me. I ignored them and continued to march to the Study Room. Upon arriving, I opened the giant door in front of me without hesitation.
My mother nced and smiled when she saw me but her smile abruptly evaporated. She stood from her seat and shock decorated her face. Well, it was understandable since my clothes were covered in blood.
"What happened to you?"
She hastily walked toward me but halted midway when the thing that I threw on the floor stopped before her feet. Her expression shifted to cold after seeing the dagger that was lying on the floor; a knife with Desdemona''s Family crest engraved on its de. She lifted her head and looked me in the eyes.
"Where did you get that?"
I smiled. Just how long had she wanted to y innocent like this? I was not in the mood to joke around right now. That little brat nearly died because of her, which also nearly ruined my regression!
"Why don''t you ask yourself where you sent your men?"
We stared at each other for a few seconds before she opened her mouth.
"Everybody get out."
The maids left the room as shemanded and right after the door closed. I spat out a piece of my mind in a low tone. I was tired of all this shit.
"Mom, can we stop this?"
"Stop what?"
I was mad at her ignorance.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I''m not interested in the throne!"
"It is not your ce to say it."
I scoffed at her. It had always been like this. We just kept circling in this never-ending loop. I was sick of it.
"You know it too, right?
"Know what?"
"The throne is not mine to begin with and you know it too!"
"I will make you the Emperor no matter what."
This was just ridiculous. Even after I turned back time, my mother didn''t even change. Same and always obsessed with the throne.
Just how many misdeeds she had done to the Empress up until now? Just when she stopped all of this? Wasn''t she tired? She even got the ''viiness'' title within this castle because of her behavior.
Couldn''t we just forget about the throne and live a normal life like any other family? Like the Empress and that little imp? I exhaled a long sigh to calm myself. I tried my best to control my anger and looked right into her eyes.
"Mom. I''ll be honest here. I know the truth."
"What truth do you know?"
"That I--"
Chapter 25 Ch. 25: A Deal [3]
Alexander stared coldly at his mother.
"Mom. I''ll be honest here. I know the truth."
Not feeling threatened at all, Cameron red right back at her son''s eyes fearlessly.
"What truth do you know?"
"That I--"
Before Alexander could finish his words, he was cut off.
"The only truth you need to know IS, that the Emperor humiliated me and my family. That''s all."
"I see. So, you have no intention of backing away?"
"Our conversation is over. Please return to your Pce."
Unable to contain his anger any longer, Alexander shouted.
"Mom!"
She took a bell from the table and rang it. Alexander turned to the door when it abruptly opened and maids entered the office.
"The Prince is not feeling well. Please escort him to his Pce."
The boy scoffed in disbelief and looked at his mother in skepticism. Herdy-in-waiting walked toward him and bent her back lightly.
"Your Highness. Please, this way."
Getting his attention back to his mother, he recited hisst words.
"You should thank Her Majesty because she agreed to call off the Trials that would separate your head from your body."
With that, Alexander whirled and got out of the room. He clenched his fist hard, so hard that it turned pale and blood dripped from his palm. He was pissed off right now.
"Everybody get out."
The maids bowed before leaving and closed the door. Once again, Cameron was left alone in the room. She gritted her teeth and clenched both of her fists. Her eyes and heart burned with rage. She moved to the table beside her and threw whatever on top of it.
¨Cttered!
"Aaaaaaah!"
Cameron screamed in frustration and papers flew dramatically as she knelt. Sobs escaped her mouth and tears streamed down her face. Why did her son not understand at all?
Who did he think that she was doing all of this for? She had done everything for him! Her heart ached every time he asked her to stop, simply, her hands were way too dirty to stop now.
''It''s toote.''
.
.
.
After calming herself down, Cameron wiped her tears away from her face. She didn''t know how many times had passed since she began crying. Even her room had turned pitch ck and the only light was the rays of moonlight that fell upon her.
She peeked towards the light and a full moon was visible through the windows. Getting on her feet, she walked to the window and a soft breeze greeted her as she opened it. Cameron gazed at the faraway dark sky.
"I... have no regrets."
She brushed the tears from her cheeks.
"It''s not my fault. It''s your fault, Dariush."
Cameron strode to the standing candle and lit it. Her reflection could be seen in the mirror and she heaved a long sigh when she saw how swollen her eyes were.
She marched to the door and got out of her room. Realizing that herdy-in-waiting and maids readily followed her, Cameron immediately stopped them.
"I just want to visit my son. There''s no need to follow me."
"But Your Highness--"
"It won''t take that long."
"We understand."
With that, thedy-in-waiting and maids eventually gave up. After thinking so much she decided to visit Alexander tonight. She wanted to settle the problem with her son as soon as possible. She didn''t want this matter to drag on. Entering the Blink Sphere, she headed towards Alexander''s Pce.
She came out of the room the moment the guard opened the door. Since she knew every corner of this Pce, Cameron rolled her feet to Alexander''s chamber. Upon arriving, she knocked on the giant mahogany door.
Alexander sipped the wine from his ss whilst enjoying the night view from his balcony. His hair danced along the winds while his body bathed in the moonlight.
He loved the sensation of how the wine burned his throat and warmed up his body. He glimpsed at the door the moment knocks were heard.
"Alexander. This is mom."
The boy rolled his eyes boredly and clucked his tongue in annoyance. Ignoring the voice, he returned his attention to the fast dark sky that was present in front of him.
"Alex?"
Unbothered, he continued to take another gulp of wine.
"Alex, I''ming in." For more chapters, please visit
He could hear how the door opened and footsteps approached him. Just as Alexander was about to drink his wine, someone snatched the ss away from him. He twirled to the doer and an angry shout greeted him.
"Are you crazy?! You''re only eight years old and yet you dare to drink wine?!"
Alexander exhaled a long sigh and massaged his temples. Oh, please. His mental age was more than thirty.
"What is it that you want?"
"You''re drunk."
"No. I''m not."
Cameron eyed his golden eyes intently. as he tired of waiting because his mother didn''t say a word, Alexander sighed once more and moved his feet. However, he halted his step.
"''The Empress agreed to call off the Trial'', what do you mean by that?"
The corners of Alexander''s lips lifted. He smiled widely and turned to face his beloved mother.
"Hmm... I see. You''re curious, aren''t you?"
Cameron furrowed her eyebrows seeing how his son chuckled. He was definitely drunk.
"What kind of agreement did you make with her?"
"Well, I made an Elemental Oath with Her Majesty."
¨Ctter!
Cameron dropped the ss in her hand as her mind went nk. Her face was devoid of any expression due to how shocked she was and then she scoffed in disbelief. Afterward, she shouted angrily at her son.
"Have you gone mad?!"
Irritated, Alexander yelled back at her.
"It was your uncontroble madness that left me no choice!"
Cameron covered her face with both hands and sobs could be heard. Her tears started anew.
An Elemental Oath meant waging your Elementals on the line. If the oath was broken, the person who bet their Elementals would lose their elementals.
Losing an Elemental didn''t mean that their Elemental suddenly disappeared from their Mana Pool. But, the Elementals within Mana Pool would break themselves and lead to Elemental Poisoning.
Truthfully, there was nothing to be afraid of when making an Elemental Oath. Everyone could form as many Elemental Oaths as they wanted with whomever they liked.
The scary part was if you broke your oath because Elemental Poisoning was not something that you could take on lightly since there was no cure for it.
There were three phases of Elemental Poisoning. The first phase was your health deteriorated and you could feel as if your body was being burned.
In the second phase, you began to lose your sight and hearing, then you became paralyzed. In thest phase, your skin would rot day by day and only death awaits you.
However not many were willing to wait until they reached the third phase because most of themmitted suicide during the first and second phases. Simply put, Elemental Poisoning was worse than death.
Cameron put down her hands and looked at her son with her bloodshot eyes.
"What... What is the Oath content?"
Alexander''s smile widened and he bravely stared right back at his mother. Oh, he couldn''t wait to say this part.
"The Oath is, ''If my mother, Cameron Atreilight hurts even a strand of Damian Atreilight''s hair. I, Alexander Atreilight willing to lose my Elementals.''"
Anger colored Cameron''s face and her lips quivered while eyeing his son.
"This is a joke, right?"
Alexander giggled. How fun, he never felt this kind of satisfaction before. It was so exciting.
"Why don''t you order your men to kill Damian and let''s see what happens next? I dare you."
His mother didn''t say a word and just stupidly stood there; watching him. Hahaha. Just look at her, and see how her body trembled as she tried to tame her uncontroble anger.
He really wanted tough out loud right now and roll on the floor if he could. Ah, it seemed he was indeed drunk. Alexander strolled to the door entrance and opened it.
"If you don''t have anything to ask. Please leave."
However, Cameron shut her mouth tightly, she stood straight and unmoving as if glued.
"You won''t leave? Fine. You can have my chamber."
Alexander shrugged and left the room.
''She didn''t even realize that his son had just saved her neck.''
But, whatever. He didn''t needpliments from his mother anyway. He didn''t have a good rtionship with Cameron to begin with, just like in his past life.
It stayed the same and he was sick of it. He brushed his hair with his finger whilst walking in the corridor before halting his step.
''But, damn. Is it really okay to let the timeline flow like this? It started with that brat assassination and then I made an Elemental Oath. Those were something that never happened in my previous life. This is ridiculous. The story has changed.''
But at least, Alexander hoped that Damian would reflect upon this ident and the Elemental Oath part would stop his mother from hurting that little imp.
Let''s pray that his mother wasn''t crazy enough to ignore the Elemental Oath because he really did the Oath with Theresa.
Chapter 26 Ch. 26: Memories [1]
I blinked my eyelids a few times before gradually opening them. However, what greeted me was justplete darkness.
''So...Am I blind now?''
Unbothered to get up, I raised my right hand but surprisingly, I could see my hand and my eyebrows furrowed involuntarily.
Ah, It seemed I wasn''t blind. I just died. But, what killed me? Was it Alexander? Or because I lost too much blood? Hmm, how unfortunate, I really enjoyed the privilege I got as a Prince, though. There was also... my mother.
"Haaa..."
I sighed and covered my face when guilt crept through my mind. I felt so awful when I remembered that I couldn''t fulfill my promise to return to her.
Removing my hand, I stared into the darkness above. I bit my lower lip and tried my best to hold back my tears.
''It''s over now. I''m dead.''
Someone said that ''You will realize a person''s value after that one is gone.'' And now, I realized how stupid and how naive I was, instead of being reluctant to be pampered by my mother, I should have opened up to her.
I should have let her embrace me, let her caress my face, let her stroke my hair, let her kiss my forehead and cheeks. I should have done that because deep down in my heart, I yearned for them. It was just that my heart and mind didn''t sync.
What made me more frustrated was, I realized how I listened to my head rather than my feelings, which was stupidity. Somehow, even by now, I missed her nagging.
But, it was over, right? We would never be able to meet again and unknowingly, my tears slid down my face.
"Ah, shit."
I hurriedly wiped them off my face. I wondered how my mother would react when she received news that I had died.
''Will she be sad? Will she mourn over my death?''
The corners of my lips tugged involuntarily, what a silly question. Of course, she would without a doubt grieve and regret rapidly crawled into my heart.
''I''m sorry for making you sad. I''m sorry for making you cry. It''s my fault. I''m sorry, I''m so sorry, mom¡''
I exhaled a long deep breath to calm myself and after nkly gazing at the darkness above for quite some time, I frowned.
''But, where is this? Is this the underworld? Is this the afterlife? Is this heaven?''
Nah, I didn''t think this was heaven because paradise wouldn''t be this dark.
''I had no idea where this is but unlike Gaia, I can''t sense any mana here.''
A bright light suddenly radiated beside me and my head automatically turned toward it. Wrinkles formed on my forehead the moment a giant square light popped out of nowhere.
I sat and tried to reach for the light but I was blocked by something invisible. The light dimmed and a scene appeared, somehow reminding me of watching movies in the theater.
The screen revealed an architecture of a fortress, then it changed to a white-haired boy who held a woman''s hand. I smiled bitterly when I acknowledged who they were. That woman was none other than my mother and that boy--no, since I had died.
''I''m no longer Damian Atreilight.''
Honestly speaking, my heart burned with jealousy when I witnessed how happy they were. I wish I could be like that, too.
"Haa¡"
I sighed once again whilst massaging my nose bridge. After collecting myself, I returned to the screen once more. Damian and Theresa took a stroll whilst holding hands near the wall.
The boy looked around, his face tinged with curiosity as he saw many knights passing back and forth. While Damian was busy with his world, suddenly, someone pushed him.
Right after he fell on his butt, a loud sound rang out followed by debrisnding right in front of him and red liquid sttered on Damian''s face.
Screams filled the space, the peaceful fortress turned upside down and dust covered the surroundings. Realizing that his mother was not by his side, Damian immediately got up and searched for her in the fog of dirt.
"Mom!"
He stopped as he stepped on something wet, he looked down and a bright red color came into view. His heart skipped a beat when his azure eyes traced the source of the blood. There, he found a hand that wasn''t buried by debris; a familiar hand that he held a few seconds ago.
Damian''s mind went nk, not only his but I was too. The boy''s expression turned horrified after he regained his senses. He walked and knelt in front of his mother''s hand.
"N-No... Mom¡"
His trembling hands held Theresa''s lifeless hand. Tears rolled down his face.
"I-I will get you out of there, mom. Don''t worry."
As he was not in his right mind, Damian couldn''t cast his Elemental out and somehow it showed how shaken he was. After many failed attempts, he gave up and decided to move the debris with his tiny little hands.
"Mom, please wait."
However, a hand pulled him. He turned his head and found his grandfather, Gideon. He grabbed and shook the man''s body with tears running down his face uncontrobly.
"Grand--Grandpa... Mom--mom is buried. Please, please help her."
Instead of answering, Gideon just shook his head.
"No¡ no¡ mom¡"
Sobs escaped from Damian''s mouth and he fell to his knees. His wailing grew loud and louder. He knew what death was, but he refused to believe what the truth was.
Tears streamed down Gideon''s face and dropped to the ground as he saw his daughter''s hand. He knelt and embraced the boy, crying silently.
"Ha. Ha. Ha. AHAHAHA!"
I couldn''t help butugh like crazy and grit my teeth.
¨CWhack!
I punched the invisible ss in front of me.
''What kind of joke is this?''
Blood flowed down the ss. Even after I used all of my strength, the ss remained unscathed. The scene changed to a ck-robed man seen above the destroyed watchtower. The man spun around and walked away leisurely.
¨CWhack!
¨CWhack!
¨CWhack!
Tears gushed out of my eyes and I grit my teeth. Even after punching the invisible ss several times, it was futile.
"Haa¡ haa¡ haa¡"
My chest heaved up and down as I couldn''t vent my anger.
"Why won''t this fucking ss break?!"
¨CWhack!
Red liquid sttered and ran down the mirror.
¨CWhack!
"Please break! Please!"
¨CWhack!
"I have to go after that damn man!"
¨CWhack!
"He''s the one responsible for my mother''s death!"
¨CWhack! For more chapters, please visit
"I want revenge!"
¨CWhack!
"Please!"
¨CWhack!
"Please!"
¨CWhack!
"Please get me out of here!"
¨CWhack!
"Sob, sob."
I leaned my head on the ss and my tears showed no sign of stopping. As I felt desperate, I hit my head on the ss.
¨Cmmed!
"Why?"
¨Cmmed!
"Why?"
¨Cmmed!
"Why?"
¨Cmmed!
A warm liquid ran down my face. Unfazed by it, I hit my head even harder.
¨Cmmed!
"Why?"
¨Cmmed!
My head became damp with blood.
"Why?"
¨Cmmed!
"Why?"
¨Cmmed!
¨Cmmed!
¨Cmmed!
I banged my head several times while reciting the same words again, and again, and again. Blood sttered everywhere.
"Why won''t it break?!"
¨Cmmed!
As I used all my might and suddenly my vision went nk.
.
.
.
I blinked a few times when light entered my eyes. I was lying on the side facing the big white screen. I just realized that I was still in this ''afterlife'' or something.
"Ah..."
I could see the fingers on my hands twisted weirdly and covered with blood. It seemed I broke them while I punched the ss. I tried to move my body but--
"Aargh!"
As if electrocuted, my body shook violently. My body was engulfed in pain like being stabbed by hundreds of thousands of needles. My tears slid down my face.
''Just what the hell is this ce?! If I''m already dead, why not just send me to the other side?! Why show me that painful scene?! As if my death was not painful enough, so I have to suffer mentally now?! This is ridiculous.''
Sobs escaped my mouth.
"I don''t want to be here."
My tears flowed unstoppably and fell to the ground.
"I want to die."
¨Cmmed!
"I want to die."
¨Cmmed!
"I want to die."
¨Cmmed!
I hit my head as hard as I could and now my head became damp and sticky. Unbothered, I shouted out loud.
"I want to die!"
¨Cmmed!
And my memory ended there.
.
.
.
I opened my eyes and what weed me was still a pitch-dark room and a giant screen beside me. I gritted my teeth.
''Why?! Why am I still here?! I was supposed to be dead! Why?! Please... Someone... Please save me... I don''t want to be here.''
I tried to move my head but it wouldn''t move, not even in the slightest. I thought I had lost all of my power and I was paralyzed.
Bute to think of it, although my fingers were broken and my head was bleeding, I couldn''t feel any pain at all, ah, it seemed my whole body had just gone numb.
I nced at the white screen in front of me. As if it wanted me to watch it, the screen immediately yed a scene.
"Ha!"
I scoffed. This was so stupid. It felt like this room was created solely for me. If this was my punishment, then, why not show my life? Why show another Damian''s life to me?
''I don''t understand. I don''t understand a thing at all.''
Chapter 27 Ch. 27: Memories [2]
The scene changed. Damian''s sunken and swollen eyes watched how Theresa''s coffin was being lowered into the grave.
¨CTap!
A hand that suddenly plopped on top of his shoulder made him turn his head. A white-haired man with magenta eyes came into view, the Emperor. He clutched his son''s shoulder gently.
"Be strong."
Ignoring him, he returned to gaze at the coffin. After the coffin wasid to rest, one by one people started to leave, however, Damian remained unchanged. He couldn''t take his eyes off the grave. Dariush lightly patted his son''s back.
"It''s time to leave."
The white-haired boy shook his head at the voice.
"I will stay here for a while."
Dariush sighed in frustration and strode to the Prince''s head butler who was standing not too far away from them. He hurriedly bent his back the moment the Emperor stopped in front of him.
"Fedel, take care of the Prince."
"As you wish."
With that, Dariush left with his knight and aide. Many hours passed but Damian didn''t seem to have any intention to leave anytime soon and Fedel patiently waited behind him.
I couldn''t tell if those events were real or not, but the pain was real. Even now, my tears were flowing like a waterfall, it was out of my control.
¨CTopple!
The boy suddenly fell to his knees. Fedel rushed over and immediately helped him to stand, however, he was stoned.
"Your Highness, your nose¡"
Damian touched his nose and the bright red liquid stained his gloves.
"Ahh..."
And Damian''s body abruptly slumped as he fell unconscious but Fedel skillfully caught him before he touched the ground. Well, I couldn''t me that kid, though.
It was shocking and simply painful, way too painful. I even wanted to kill myself right now but this body wouldn''t let me do it. I was paralyzed.
I tried to close my eyes because I didn''t want to watch it anymore. But then again, the results always came unpredictably.
The space suddenly turned silent and when I opened my eyes, the sound yed again and the stopped scene resumed.
"Ha!"
I scoffed. I wanted tough out loud. I was mad.
''Just who the hell set me up here? Is it God? But is there a God? There''s no God in Gaia. But, am I even still in Gaia?''
I have no idea who it was, but I believed that that being wanted me to watch the whole scene, without missing it. Come to think of it, was she or he the same being that transmigrated my soul into Damian''s body? Just what was that being''s intention? In the end. I gave up and just let fate lead me.
Several days passed and Damian finally regained his consciousness. Somehow his appearance changed a lot, he lost weight. His eyes were sunken and his plump cheeks were nowhere to be found. He looked so thin, way too thin.
Even the light in his eyes dimmed as the happiness within him was erased. It was not easy to let go of someone dearest to you, I would be no different from him right now. Especially someone who had shown love to me.
Damian sat on the bed whilst massaging his temple before receiving medicine given by Fedel. He drank it and gave the goblet back to his head butler.
"Was there any news that I missed while I was unconscious?"
Fedel silently stared at the boy who was massaging his temple before finally opening his mouth.
"...the Coronation."
Damian stopped whatever he did and turned to Fedel. His eyebrows furrowed.
"What Coronation?"
"Her Highness the Consort will take over the Empress position."
"Ha!"
He scoffed in disbelief.
"It hasn''t even been a week yet, the Emperor will hold a coronation? Ridiculous. Where is his conscience?"
Anger was seen in his eyes. The white-haired boy went back to massaging his temple.
"Is there anything else?"
"The execution of the Aeneas Family will be held a week after the Coronation."
Damian and I were both stunned. What kind of crap was this again? The more I watched the scene, the more absurd it became.
"Wh--what do you mean by the execution of the Aeneas House? Grandpa will be executed?"
"Yes. The Duke and his entire family will be executed."
"H-how?!"
The Prince''s face was painted with confusion, the same as mine. No wonder I didn''t see Gideon at the funeral.
"Unfortunately, the Duke was med for Her Majesty''s death due to his negligence in inspecting to maintain the safety of the fortress."
"It was an ident! How is that even possible?!"
No. I saw a robed man above the destroyed watchtower, someone tried to frame the Duke. But... Who was it? Was it Cameron''s subordinate? Or was it someone else? However, Fedel exhaled slowly and looked the Prince right in the eyes.
"Prince, even verbally insulting the Imperial Family is a death sentence. Not to mention that Her Majesty has lost her life."
"But there''s no way Grandpa wants to hurt mom! His daughter!"
Fedel nodded in agreement.
"There is no parent in this world who is willing to hurt their own flesh and blood. But, Your Highness, you are a Prince and you live in a Castle where politics revolves around." For more chapters, please visit
He stared straight into Damian''s blue eyes.
"Politics is dirty and disgusting at the same time because your enemies will make the most of every opportunity avable and justify any means to crush the opponents to expand their power within the Imperial Court."
Ah, I think I caught a glimpse of the situation there. I didn''t know who ordered that man in ck. But if that was Desdemona, then they seed in using one stone to kill two birds. They killed the Empress and threw the fault at Duke Aeneas.
Cameron ascended to the Empress position and the eyesore Aeneas Family would be executed. With that, no one in the Empire could stop Desdemona''s Family to seize control of the Empire.
A situation that Dariush tried so much to prevent was now unfolding. Just like Fedel said, politics was simply dirty and disgusting.
"Fedel, could you request an audience for me with His Majesty?"
"I understand."
.
.
.
Damian stared at his reflection in the tea. Watched how the steams arose and danced on top of it beforepletely dissipating into thin air. His mind flew.
Seeing how the white-haired boy just stayed silent for five minutes straight. The man who sat across from him asked.
"Is the tea not to your liking? Should I rece it?"
The Prince raised his head and their eyes met. A man estimated around forty with the same hair color as he came into view, what made him different was his magenta eyes. They stared at each other for a few seconds and the boy shook his head.
"No. It''s alright."
Damian lifted the teacup and sipped the tea.
"So, what is it that you want to talk about?"
The Prince ced down the teacup and red tantly into the man''s eyes.
"It''s not even a week since my mother''s funeral, yet Your Majesty wants to hold a Coronation?"
Dariush sighed a deep breath.
"The Empress position cannot be left vacant for too long. It will affect the Imperial Household."
"Are you sure that was Your Majesty''s reason or because of the Councils'' pressure?"
It took seconds for Dariush to open his mouth.
"You will understand when you reigned this Empire."
The white-haired man lifted his teacup and drank his tea.
"Is there anything else?"
"The execution of the Aeneas Family."
The Emperor gazed Damian in the eyes.
"Your Majesty knows it too, it was an ident. Why must Duke Aeneas and his entire family have to be executed? Your Majesty won''t answer my question with ''You will understand when I reigned this Empire'' too, right?"
Dariush put down the teacup on the table and tapped on the armrest.
¨CTuk ¨CTuk ¨CTuk
Damian patiently waited for his answer.
"Well¡"
It seemed he faced difficulty as he tried to choose the right words to exin to his son.
"It was supposed to be like that but, Duke Desdemona saw this as an opportunity to get rid of the Aeneas Family once and for all, as they had always been an obstacle. He couldn''t expand his political influence within the Imperial Court for years because Duke Aeneas steadily kept his eyes on him."
The Emperor continued.
"Therefore, in the name of bringing justice for thete Empress, Duke Desdemona made a petition which was signed by 75% of the Imperial Councils members, requesting to establish an investigation team to investigate the ident. I have no choice but to grant it."
I could see how Dariush clutched his hand tightly. His eyes shone with anger.
"Investigations that normally take months, they finished it in less than a week with the result that Duke Aeneas was responsible for the ident due to his negligence in inspecting to maintain the safety of the fortress and caused thete Empress to lose her life."
The white-haired man sighed frustratedly.
"I rmended that Duke Aeneas strip down his title but again, the vote says otherwise. To put it simply, Duke Desdemona''s influence within the Imperial Court is too great."
"But... What if the real culprit was Duke Desdemona himself? Or maybe Her Highness the Consort? They made it like an ident and framed Duke Aeneas as we were at his fiefdom."
¨CTuk ¨CTuk ¨CTuk
Dariush tapped the armrest a few times and he stared at his son who sat across from him.
"Well, your guesses might be correct. However, we have no proof."
"That''s true, but--"
The Prince stopped talking as the cat got his tongue.
"But even if that is the truth, we can''t take action based on conjecture alone. Maybe I can use Duke Desdemona, but without proof, we can''t bring justice to light."
Eventually, Damian lowered his head, and tears were seen falling andnding on his hands. He raised his head and looked at his father with tears streaming down his face.
"Is there... Is there nothing we can do to save Grandpa?"
The man breathed out a long and tired sigh.
"I''m sorry."
Chapter 28 Ch. 28: Memories [3]
Fedel turned to the door after hearing it being opened. Damian came out of the Emperor''s Drawing Room and immediately bent his back when the Prince approached him.
"Can we visit the Imperial Garden before going back to my Pce?"
"Of course."
Fedel froze the moment he straightened his back, the boy''s eyes were slightly bloodshot and swollen.
"Your Highness, are you okay?"
The boy walked past the standing Fedel.
"Yeah."
He whirled and followed suit. They entered the Blink Sphere Room and headed to the Imperial Garden. As they teleported, Damian and Fedel got out and rolled their feet to the wisteria trees.
Surprisingly, there was almost nothing changed in the Imperial Garden, magnificent as always and somehow brought back my memories.
Damian gazed at the trees with his dull blue eyes. Honestly speaking, I pitied that boy. I mean--I didn''t know which Damian was it but, his mother died and his rtives would be executed.
A Prince who once had powerful backing now became a powerless Prince. It happened too fast, as fast as turning the palm of a hand.
Still, I was amazed at how he was able to keep himself sane at this point. But, he suddenly staggered and Fedel hastily helped him to bnce his footing.
"It''s quite chilly here. How about we head back to the Pce?"
Following Fedel''s advice, they decided to return. However, upon arriving at his Pce, a boy with ck-haired was seen standing facing his chamber''s door. Hearing footsteps that wereing closer, he spun around and Alexander came into view.
"Ah, Ian!"
He marched toward Damian. I couldn''t help but frown after seeing their interaction. To think that he called Damian by his pet name, I thought the two Princes in that world were pretty close. Fedel and Damian soon bowed.
"Jeez. What''s up with formality? I told you to drop it."
He beckoned with his hands.
"Forget it. I''m just d that you have regained consciousness. Also, my sincerest condolences for your loss and I''m sorry, I couldn''t attend the funeral because¨C you know my mother, right?"
However, Damian just stood there, ring at his half-brother with his indifferent and blunt blue eyes. Receiving a cold stare, Alexander was taken aback.
"Ian?"
"It was your mother, wasn''t it?"
His eyebrows furrowed.
"What do you mean?"
"The mastermind behind the ident that took my mother''s life."
Alexander heaved a long breath.
"I know our factions are enemies, especially since you all despite my mother. But Ian, using someone without proof is considered a crime."
Unable to refute Alexander''s words, Damian stormed straight into his chamber andpletely ignored him.
"Haa¡"
Alexander sighed once again and massaged his nose bridge. Now he instantly regretted what he had just said, it seemed his words hurt his little brother''s feelings.
"Prince Damian is not feeling well at the moment and a little sensitive thing might hurt his heart. I hope you can pardon his rudeness."
"I see."
He took out a book and a bag of cookies from his magical sphere, then gave them to Fedel.
"Please give these to Ian and convey my apologies to him. I hope he can cheer up sooner."
"As you wish."
As it was impossible to talk to Damian right now, he decided to return to his Pce.
"I''ll just go back to my Pce."
With that, Alexander withdrew and Fedel bent his back when he passed him. After making sure that the Prince was out of sight, he straightened his posture and stepped towards Damian''s chamber. He lightly knocked on the door.
"Your Highness, this is Fedel."
"Come in."
When he entered, he found Damian lying on his bed whilst gazing at the ceiling.
"Your Highness, Prince Alexander presented these gifts to you."
The white-haired boy turned to him as he ced them on the table.
"The first Prince said that he was sorry and hoped the gift could cheer you up."
However, Damian just remained silent and resumed what he did before. Ignored by the Prince, Fedel decided to leave.
"I will take my leave now."
.
.
.
The sunny sky had changed into a deep silent night. Chandeliers shone brightly inside Damian''s chamber.
"Haa¡"
He sighed tiredly. After a few hours of doing nothing, the boy finally got down on his feet and strode toward the table. He took the book and sat on the couch. He flipped open the cover and began to read it.
I had a hunch that the book was the same book that Alexander gave me since it had the same cover. But, I didn''t know what book it was because let alone read it, I hadn''t even touched that book ever since I dumped it on the bookshelf.
But something strange was going on. Every time Damian turned to the next page, his expression became more and more serious.
He closed the book then looked for papers and a pen, then he wrote something on the paper before proceeding to read it again.
This action repeatedly continued as if he was doing research. My forehead furrowed watching his action, just what kind of book was that?
Days passed and Damian was still immersed in doing his investigation. He grew thinner each day because he kept skipping most of his meals and didn''t even get proper sleep.
"Your Highness, you are invited to the Empress Cor--"
"I won''t attend it."
The Prince immediately cut in without even bothering to look at Fedel. He was busy writing on the paper, the same as always.
"I understand."
The moment Fedel readily left, he put down his pen and lifted his head to him.
"I''d like to visit my Grandpa."
Fedel turned around to face the Prince.
"As you wish." For more chapters, please visit
.
.
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The Guard opened the door and Damian stepped inside. A white tiny room came into view. He scanned the surroundings and eventually, he met with a pair of blue eyes. Gideon was a bit startled but immediately stood from his chair.
"Ian?"
Seeing the boy who ran toward him, he knelt and embraced him.
"Granpa!"
Sobs filled the room.
"There, there."
Gideon stroked Damian''s head to soothe him down and waited patiently for his grandson. After feeling satisfied crying on his grandfather''s shoulders, Damian eventually released him. He stared into the boy''s eyes and he wiped the tears away from his cheeks, then cupped his face.
"What happened to you? You look so thin. You even have a dark circle under your eyes."
Instead of answering, Damian hugged the Duke once again. Gideon said nothing and just patted his grandson''s back. Feeling better, the Prince released the Duke.
"Grandpa... There''s something that I wanted to tell you."
Gideon held Damian''s tiny hand with both of his hands.
"Sure. What is it?"
Smile carved on the man''s lips.
"I''m sorry."
"For what?"
"I cannot attend your execution."
Gideon nodded as if it wasn''t a matter to him. He caressed his grandson''s face.
"It''s okay. Execution is simply too cruel to watch anyway."
"But I promise--"
The Prince eyed right into his eyes.
"I will resurrect all of Aeneas'' Family and my mother."
"..."
And what came out of Damian''s mouth was truly unexpected andpletely stunned us. I could see how Gideon froze there, unmoving, he was beyond shocked. Not too long ago I praised him, but now¡
''So, he finally lost his mind, huh?''
I wouldn''t wonder though, his mother died in front of him, and his entire family would be executed. They were not something a six-year-old kid could handle.
"Haa¡"
Gideon heaved a deep sigh. He looked at the boy but before the Duke could say anything Damian withdrew his hand from his grasp.
"No."
The boy shook his head and took a step back. His tears started anew.
"Please don''t say anything. Please believe in me..."
"Ian--"
"NO!!"
Damian stormed out of the room and mmed the door behind him. His breath was rough as he leaned against the door.
"Your Highness, are you finished visiting the Duke?"
The boy darted at the guard beside him.
"Yes."
He straightened his back and rolled his feet to approach Fedel.
"Let''s go back to my chamber."
He bowed and followed Damian from behind.
"Ian! When a living being is dead, they will be gone forever! You will never get them back!"
Fedel turned to the voice and saw Gideon shouting behind the cell. He returned his attention to Damian, however, he deafen his hearing and was unaffected regardless of how loud the Duke shouted.
"Ian! You know what death means!"
"Your Highness, the Duke is calling for you."
"Ignore him."
I could vividly see Fedel''s concerned face starting from the prison through the Pce. As Damian opened his chamber''s door and finally he voiced his worries.
"Your Highness, you''re not nning on doing something dangerous, are you?"
The white-haired boy stopped midway.
"Everything will be okay... as it should be."
With that, Damian entered his room and the door shut. He marched to his closet and wore a ck robe. He brushed his bedroom and stuffed everything valuable into his magical sphere.
Not only that, but he also put his research papers that were scattered above the table, the book given by Alexander, weapons, and many more.
''Was it me or was he nning to run away?''
Damian walked toward the wall that I used to sneak out and opened it. I wanted to know where he was going but for some reason, my eyes felt heavy and my sight became blurry. I let my eyelid droop, then everything went ckout.
.
.
.
My eyes slightly opened right after the light bathed my visions. I blinked a few times before fully opening them. As my blurry sight became clear, something new served in front of me.
It was not the light from the giant screen orplete darkness that usually enveloped me, but something that I was familiar with. A ceiling. A familiar ceiling.
"Ah..."
I turned my head to the side and let my eyes skim the room. Somehow it felt so nostalgic, the room hadn''t changed. Even the furniture stayed the same just like thest time I left them. Dropping my head to the pillow, I closed my eyes and exhaled a relieved breath.
"I''m back."
Chapter 29 Ch. 29: A Loving Family [1]
I raised my left hand and a slender pale hand came into view. To my surprise, I was still alive as the second Prince of Chrono Empire, Damian Atreilight. I tried to sit on the edge of the bed but my body lost bnce and I fell to the floor.
I realized that my Mana Core waspletely empty. With the little strength I had, I forced myself to sit and started to gather Mana. After refilling some of my mana, I tried to get up but my body felt so heavy that I needed to grab something to help me stand.
Sessfully stood, I nearly hit my head on the floor as I took my first step but fortunately, I could bnce my footing. I think myst battle with that annoying guy really gave my body a great impact. I vividly remembered how I dragged myself to keep moving.
I sighed and took my second step, my third step, and my fourth step. Well, I was d. It seemed I had no problem with my legs. I could walk normally. I turned my head to the door as it suddenly opened. Upon seeing the person who entered my room I was stunned.
"Ian?"
My tears burst uncontrobly and I ran as fast as I could to her.
"Huaaa!"
She lowered herself and embraced me. She stroked my back.
"It''s okay, it''s okay. I know, it was so scary, right?"
Yes. It was so scary even though I knew it was a dream but it felt so real that I wanted to kill myself. Losing my mother was not something that ever crossed my mind. Not even in the slightest. It was a dreadful dream and I despised it.
"Everything is alright. It''s over now."
My sobbing grew louder upon hearing her gentle voice and I hugged her even tighter. She continued to pat my back. I didn''t know how many times had passed but finally, I could grip my emotions. My tears stopped running and my sobbing finally died down. I felt relieved and satisfied at the same time.
"Are you feeling better?"
I nodded at her question. She caressed my hair and looked me in the eyes as she cupped my face.
"Oh my, look at your puffy eyes."
"Mom!"
I couldn''t believe she still could tease me even after I cried for hours. However, she just chuckled. She embraced me once again and kissed my forehead then I hugged her back.
"I''m just d that you''re safe."
"I''m so sorry."
"It''s okay, it''s over now."
We released ourselves and exchanged stares for a moment. She caressed my face.
"Let''s head back to your bed."
I nodded in agreement.
"Can you walk?"
"Yes."
My mother smiled. She lent me her hand and I received it. After we stood, we walked toward my bed. I lowered my head and nced at our clutching hands then the corners of my lips involuntarily lifted.
I think this was the first time we walked while holding hands together. Somehow, it brought warmth to my heart. I sat on my bed and my mother covered my feet with a nket.
"First, you need to be checked."
My mother turned her back.
"Doctor, please."
And I just realized there were so many butlers and maids lining up in my room. I was so sure that no one was here when I woke up. Fedel bowed as our eyes met.
Ah, I missed that old man too. I owed him an apology because I lied to him. Then, a woman took a step forward and approached me.
"Please excuse my rudeness."
She took my hand and checked on my vein. I was startled a bit at the sudden surge of power entering my body. I assumed it was the infamous Blood Controlling. When you fully master the Water Elemental, you could control anything in liquid form, and blood was not an exception.
Since this world was based on Elemental and no God here, there was no such thing as a cleric, priest, priestess, or blessing from God that could be used as healing magic like any other fantasy or game.
The only healing magic here was water elemental. But as controlling the blood of a living being was considered dangerous, doctors must make an Elemental Oath, the oath content was that they would not use their power for evil purposes.
The woman let go of my hand and turned to face the Empress.
"I could say that His Highness the Prince''s health ispletely healed. However, His Highness still needs to take his medicines and only eat light meals for now."
"I see. Thank you so much, Doctor."
"It is my duty to serve the Imperial Family members."
With that, she left.
"Ian."
I turned to my mother as she drew my hair that covered my eyes to my ear. Her smile was so bright. For more chapters, please visit
"Would you like to eat something? A light meal perhaps?"
Now that I think about it, I could feel how my dried throat was and I was hungry. I nodded my head. She turned to Fedel who stood behind her.
"Fedel please prepare soup for the Prince."
"As you wish."
The head butler bowed before leaving the room. Not long after, he came back with a maid that pushed a trolley. Arriving before us, they instantly arranged a small table for me to eat on my bed.
Fedel ced a goblet and poured water. I lifted the goblet and drank it. However, I must stop drinking when they put an appetizer that didn''t look appetizing at all on my table.
"I will skip the appetizer."
They seemed a bit surprised but handled it immediately. The maid reced the appetizer with a bowl of soup. I turned to my mother who sat beside my bed.
"Mom, would you like some?"
She shook her head.
"No. But I''d like to feed you."
She said jokingly whilst chuckling. I took my soup spoon and offered it to her.
"Sure."
Honestly, I didn''t mind. But, the atmosphere in the room suddenly turned into a dead silence. I scanned the surroundings and all of them had the same surprised face, even my mother had it. I wonder if I said something wrong. However, my mother smiled gently and took the spoon from my hand.
"It is my pleasure to be able to feed you."
Somehow I was so surprised. I didn''t know if only feeding me could bring joy to her, even her smile never left her lips as she fed me. She looked so happy and so was I. My mother pped as I finished the whole soup fed by her.
"Please continue to eat well, you lost so much weight!"
"I will."
Wiped my mouth with a napkin and a maid changed my empty bowl into a te of pudding. I raised my dessert spoon and scoop a pudding then offered it to my mother. Again, my mother looked astonished. I was wondering why?
"You... want to feed me?"
"Yes."
She smiled and ate it.
"Thank you."
I couldn''t help but smile too. Somehow, I like this atmosphere and the feeling wasn''t as bad as I previously thought. I loved this more. My heart sparked with warmth and I felt... happy. I took another scoop and offered it again to my mother. However, she shook her head.
"I feel bad stealing my son''s pudding."
I looked at her.
"But I don''t mind."
"Well, I mind!"
Since she was so persistent. I had no choice but to eat the whole pudding. Finished my meal they gave me medicine and upon drinking it, I couldn''t help but stick my tongue out at the bitter taste. Urg, I hated it.
"Here, drink more."
Receiving the goblet from my mother I drank more water to wash away the nasty taste and then ced it down. The maid soon cleaned the tableware and removed the table.
"Ian."
Our eyes met as my mother looked me in the eyes and then clutched my hand. She softly smiled while stroking my hair. My heart skipped a beat for some reason, and an ufortable feeling chewed me bit by bit.
"Can we talk?"
And she dropped the bomb. Lo and behold, I knew this would happen--my judgment day. I droop my head and answer her with a low voice.
"Yes."
"Everybody, leave us alone."
I could hear many footsteps as they left the room. The sound faded away before it disappeared by a closing door and silence filled the room. Somehow, it made me suffocate. I didn''t like this kind of mood.
My mother heaved a long sigh and I felt so frightened at this point. Even though she was not expressing her feelings, I know that she was mad right now.
"What just happened is not okay. I think you know that too."
Yet, instead of shouting or ming my stupidity, she said something that made me realize my fault; that what I was doing was wrong. I wanted to cry right now, she could be mad at me, she could shout at me or maybe she could hit me because I was worthy of that kind of punishment. But, again, she just¡
I was such a fool to be blinded by my ego and waste every kindness that she had shown to me. I was a fool.
Chapter 30 Ch. 30: A Loving Family [2]
My mother stood and sat at the edge of my bed. She embraced me and let me lean on her. She clutched my hand while her other hand stroked my hair, then she talked in a shooting voice.
"The reason why I never let you out of your Pce is that; you know nothing about the power struggles within the Imperial Castle and I have no intention, not in the slightest, to tell you about it either."
Now I understand why I know nothing about what was truly going on inside the Imperial Castle, simply, my mother blocked all of any kind of information and left me clueless on purpose.
"What I mean is, you are just too young to know about it. That kind of world it''s just... too cruel. I wanted you to have a normal life as a kid. y as much as you like and learn the world through kindness, not by hatred."
She exhaled a long deep sigh.
"I was such a naive mother to think that I will be able to protect you from them by limiting your movement. But what I''m actually doing is just imprisoning my son in his Pce while he wants freedom. I''m so sorry."
I shook my head and turned to her.
"No. It was my fault."
However, she just smiled.
"It''s alright, my dear. Everyone is bound to make mistakes and our duty is to reflect on it, so we won''t fall into the same pit."
She caressed my hair.
"As it hase to this, I guess... I had no choice but to let you learn about the power struggle between Aeneas and Desdemona''s Family. Be prepared because your path will now be filled with rough roads. You will learn about this cruel world."
She embraced and kissed me on the forehead. All she wanted was just to protect me, yet what I was doing wasining about how she limited my movement and information without knowing the reason behind it.
Not only that, but I also realized how I treated her coldly all these years while she treated me with the utmost warmth and love she had.
But even so, she neverined about my cold attitude toward her. My mother released me and I looked her in the eyes.
"I will get stronger so I can protect you and Aeneas House from them. I promise."
"It is such a great relief to me to hear it from my beloved son. Thank you."
I shook my head.
"No, it''s should be me and--"
I remembered that I never say ''that'' word to her, but it was not toote to start anew, right?
"Mom, I love you."
However, my mother blinked her eyes several times and looked astonished at my sudden deration. Not long after she chuckled.
"What is that? So unlike Damian."
I couldn''t help but pout. She never had enough to tease me, did she? She opened her arms wide.
"Come, do you want to hug me?"
"Yes."
"I love you too, my dear."
And we hugged each other then she let go of me.
"You should rest."
I nodded andid my body on the bed. My mother drew the nket higher until it covered my chest. She kissed me on the forehead.
"We''ll meet again tomorrow. Good night."
"Good night."
With that, she left and I decided to not think of anything useless and just go straight to sleep.
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A day passed in a blink of an eye. As I took a spoon full of soup to my mouth, my eyes were forced to nce at someone who barged in the door.
"Your Grace--"
Fedel approached the Duke as he had interrupted my meal.
"I came here as his Grandfather, not as a Duke of Aeneas."
But Gideon didn''t seem to have any intention to stop. He continued his strode and sat across from me. I put down my cutlery and took a napkin to wipe my mouth before ordering maids to clean off the table.
After removing all of the tableware, a maid served us tea and refreshments. Fedel and the rest then left to give us some privacy.
He took the teacup and sipped it.
"I thought my foolish grandson would never wake up."
"Unfortunately, I''m woken up."
Gideon scoffed. He ced down his teacup then leaned on the couch.
"So, how does it feel to leave the Pce unattended? Is it fun?"
To think that the Duke mocked me right in the face, but as I was at fault I fully epted it with my open heart.
"It felt awful and I don''t want to experience it again. After the ident, I learned a lot. I realized that my action was foolish. I admitted my mistake and I will reflect on it to get better in the future." For more chapters, please visit
However, Gideon didn''t say a word and just stared at me with an indefinable expression. As silence enveloped us, somehow it made me feel ufortable.
"It seemed the assassin hit your head really hard, huh?"
"Pardon?"
I couldn''t help but frown at his words. Well, that annoying guy indeed stepped on my head so damn hard, enough to make my sight turn white. I clicked my tongue inside as I regret recalled that horrendous memory.
"It''s just... somehow you be easy to talk to."
I tilted my head.
"Is it bad?"
The Duke shook his head and smiled genuinely.
"It''s the opposite actually. A good thing. Also, I have something for you."
He took out something from the Magical Sphere and a rectangr box appeared on the table in front of me.
"Open it."
I did as he told and a longsword and its scabbard rested side by side inside the box came into view.
"Try it."
I took it out and surprisingly it fit so well in my grip. Also, the sword''s weight was considered pretty light for a longsword in my opinion.
"It''s a costume made, designed just for you."
"I see. No wonder it perfectly fits in my grip."
I examined the sword inch by inch and distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water could be seen on its de. I looked at the Duke.
"Damascus Steels?"
He just smirked.
"You have keen eyes."
Not only that, the sword''s fuller was carved with an elegant white etching pattern. I looked at the sword in my hand. Damascus steels were reputed to be tough, resistant to shattering, and capable of being honed to a sharp, resilient edge.
However,parable to its greatness, the process of making the Damascus Sword was ssified as the hardest among the hard because not every cksmith could forge such steel. Especially as excellent as this sword. But...
"I don''t think my mother will allow me to have this."
Gideon scoffed.
"Believe it or not. It was your mother who ordered it from the best cksmith in the Hephaestus Kingdom around a year ago."
My eyes widen and blink a few times involuntarily.
''The Hephaestus Kingdom?! Isn''t that the kingdom of dwarfs?! No wonder the sword was perfectly done! It was made by a dwarf!''
I wonder how much money my mother had poured to custom-made this sword.
"Do you remember that when I went back to my fiefdom before the ident?"
"Yes. I do "
"That''s because I need to retrieve this sword from the Hephaestus Kingdom. They don''t ept delivery because of the high risk that the sword might be stolen or switched on the way. That Damascus sword is worth a fortune."
"I see."
I ced the sword back in the box.
"All right, kid. I will go back."
Gideon rose from his seat and I stood then bowed to him. However, as I straightened my back, my view was blocked and warm wrapped around my body. The Duke hugged me tightly. He whispered into my ear.
"I''m just d that you''re safe. Please don''t do something reckless again."
I hugged him back.
"I won''t do anything stupid like thest time. I promise."
He let go of me and patted my shoulder then strode to the door. I bowed once again. After he left I rolled my feet and headed to the bookshelf.
Now that I met my Grandpa, I thought of the book that Alexander gave me. I was curious. Just what kind of book could drive someone to lose his sanity?
I scanned the book on the bookshelf one by one. Unbothered by the door that swung open, I continued my search.
"Fedel, do you know where the book that Alexander gave me is? I can''t seem to find it."
However, what answered my question made me stunned as an unfamiliar voice but familiar at the same time entered my ear.
"I see. So you have woken up."
I turned and found three men standing in the middle of the room. One is Fedel with an apologetic expression that colored his face. The second male had a stern expression, he was well-dressed and I assumed, he was a knight.
And thest person was someone that I never expected to visit me. He had the same white-haired as me. Now that I could see him clearly through my naked eyes, somehow I felt so annoyed when I saw that man.
No wonder I didn''t resemble my mother, I look exactly like this man; he was just like an adult version of me. What made us different was his piercing magenta eyes.
''That''s right. That man is none other but the Emperor of this Empire. Dariush Atreilight.''
Chapter 31 Ch. 31: Doubt [1]
I quickly recovered myself and lowered my body to make a bow.
"I greet the Emperor of the Chrono Empire."
"You may rise."
I straightened my back and met his magenta eyes.
"I will get to the point. You foolish son. I will leave my Knight here to prevent you from doing something stupid again."
With that, the Emperor walked to the door and left. Err... just, THAT? As he left us stupefied, we couldn''t help but exchange nces with each other before the Knight that was left by the Emperor broke the awkwardness with a couple of coughs. He approached me and bowed his head.
"I greet His Highness the Prince of the Chrono Empire. My name is Ulrich and I will be your temporary escort Knight assigned by His Majesty the Emperor."
"Sir Ulrich you may rise."
He straightened his back and a young man around histe twenties with baby blue-haired and light green eyes came into view. Just look at him, the Imperial Coat of Arms on his chest that gave away his identity without even being asked.
''He is an Imperial Knight that served directly under the Emperor.''
Damn. I wanted to curse right now. Was it really okay to have him as my escort Knight? Even though it was temporary, it was still too much in my opinion.
"I will be in your care, then."
"If you need anything, please feel free to call me."
I nodded and he left the room. I turned to Fedel. Let''s get back to business again.
"Fedel do you remember the book given by Alexander? I can''t find it. Could you look for it?"
"As you wish."
I rolled my feet to the couch and sat. Picking up my teacup, I sipped my tea whilst waiting for Fedel. Not long after, he handed me the book. I ced down my teacup and upon receiving it, I looked at my head butler.
"By the way, Fedel. I''m so sorry for the trouble I''ve caused."
He smiled.
"It''s alright, Your Highness. Doing things wrong and making mistakes isn''t a bad thing, it is simply part of the learning process."
"Thank you."
"You are wee. Then, I will excuse myself. Please call me if you need anything else."
I nodded and Fedel left the room. As I flipped the book, suddenly Fedel opened the door that he just closed a few seconds ago and approached me. I was confused seeing his strange behavior.
"Count Andreas hase to visit, Your Highness."
I sighed and put the book on the table. There were surely a lot of visitors today.
"Let him in. Also, the tea was cold. Please assign a maid to rece it."
"I understand."
Soon afterward, a handsome young man with blonde hair entered the room. His smile bloomed like a flower in the spring season. Somehow I wondered if his cheeks ever felt numb?
Upon arriving before me, Chislon bowed.
"I greet the Prince of the Chrono Empire."
"You may rise and please have a seat."
The Count sat across from me. Maids immediately arranged refreshments and poured tea for us then left the room. We enjoyed our tea before starting the conversation.
"It''s been a long time since we met, Your Highness."
I nodded in agreement.
"Yes. It''s been a long time, Count Andreas."
"I''m so d to hear that you finally regained your consciousness."
"Thank you." For more chapters, please visit
Chislon heaved a tired sigh.
"Your Highness, please be mindful of your actions from today onwards."
"I will."
As if memorized something important, the Count''s expression abruptly lit up.
"Oh! Also regarding--"
However, he didn''t continue his words. His serene-looking face was nowhere to be found, and even his smile also vanished. This was the first time I saw his expressionless face. I trailed his eyes and the Count could be seen gazing at the book on top of the table. He turned to me.
"Your Highness, where did you get that book?"
"Alexander gave it to me."
Chislon massaged his temples.
"Your Highness, you should not blindly receive random gifts especially, given by Desdemona''s Family members. For your information, that book was banned hundreds of years ago by the Empire."
I was dumbfounded at the sudden revtion. If this book was banned, howe Alexander could get his hands on this book?
"Why is the book banned?"
"It has controversial contents. I highly rmend for Your Highness to throw away that book."
¨CTuk ¨CTuk ¨CTuk
I tapped the book as I stared at it before switching my attention back to Chislon.
"Have you read this book?"
"Yes, I have. That''s why I rmend for Your Highness to throw it away."
I nced at the book once again. I couldn''t throw this book away. I hadn''t even read a single letter from the book. Just what kind of book was this? A controversial content that could shake someone''s sanity? I was curious.
"For now, I''ll just keep the book and I will decideter on, whether I should keep it or throw it away."
"Fair enough."
Chislon lifted his teacup and took another sip of the tea.
"Just make sure Her Majesty doesn''t know about it."
"As long as you don''t report it. I guess I''ll be fine."
The Count abruptly looked at me in disbelief.
"Oh, my goodness! Did Your Highness just doubt me?"
"Hmmm..."
I shrugged and drank my tea. A brief silence filled the room before finally Chislon opened his mouth. Of course, I didn''t miss his change of expression and tone.
"Your Highness, if you don''t mind, may I ask something?"
"Sure."
The handsome blonde young man stared right into my eyes.
"How did Your Highness manage to kill the assassin?"
"First, let me ask you something. How did you know I killed the assassin?"
"Her Majesty requested a custom-made Telesphere with a tracker nt inside it. Not long after Your Highness''s disappearance, we were able to track Your Highness and we followed after."
I see. It made a lot more sense now. I presumed that they found Trickster''s corpse but failed to find me as I was found and saved by Alexander.
But, why did he save me? No matter how much I think about it. It didn''t make sense at all. The one who fated to kill me was now saved my life. Somehow, I couldn''t seem toprehend the way he thinks.
Chapter 32 Ch. 32: Doubt [2]
Chislon stared at me as he waited for me to answer his question. All I know was that death was inevitable and yet, I did. After seeing my death I was able to dodge his attack. But, what was that sight? Why did I receive a sight a few seconds away from my death?
Was it deja vu? I never heard of deja vu ying your death scene as vivid as that. I was pretty sure it wasn''t deja vu. Also, I didn''t think seeing your own death was ssified as something normal here and it was not something that I could talk about freely as I, myself, wasn''t so sure about it either.
"It''s just a split second but he made a mistake and I took advantage of it."
"That''s right. When ites to fighting a far superior opponent. Ranks are not everything, because our mind ys a great role too."
He sipped his tea and then smiled.
"As it hase to this, I will change my teaching methods."
"Your teaching methods?"
Chislon nodded.
"For now on, I will be your sparring partner."
"Why is that?"
"Because you need more experience rather than a lecture to defeat your opponent. This method has been approved by Her Majesty. Your Highness doesn''t need to worry, I''ll be gentle."
I couldn''t help but sweat drop inwardly.
''''I''ll be gentle?'' Are you sure? Your eyes said otherwise, though. Is this what my mother meant when she said that my path will be rough? But what the Count said is true. I need more experience.''
I lightly bowed my head.
"I will be in your care then."
Chislon smiled
"Also, regarding your request three months ago--"
"Wait."
I immediately cut him.
"Pardon?"
"What do you mean three months ago?"
Chislon stared at me with his confusion.
"Err... Your Highness had been unconscious for the whole three months."
"What?!"
It was a good thing I didn''t abruptly rose from my seat because of how shocked I was. Crazy! That was literally crazy! Why did no one tell me about it? I couldn''t help but massage my temples.
"Your Highness, are you alright? Should I call a Doctor?"
I stopped massaging my temple and shook my head.
"No, no, no. It''s alright. I''m perfectly fine. Just... a little bit of shock."
I exhaled a long deep breath to calm myself down.
"So, is there something I missed during those times?"
Chislon made a thinking pose.
"Hmm, I don''t think there''s anything worth but... We''re at war and it''s been three months."
"Is it the Yovanny Kingdom?"
"That''s right."
''I see. Then, it''s really going ording to the novel. To think the war willst for 9 years. That''s insane. I don''t want to live in war! Is there nothing really I can do to stop the war? But then again, I am just a 6-year-old kid. Coming to the battlefield is the same as requesting to be sent to the other side. Guess, I can''t do anything about it and let fate flow naturally.''
I decided to brush it off.
"So, what is it that the Count wants to talk about?"
"Do you remember that Your Highness requested to visit the Arcanist Tower?"
"Yes."
I nodded. Surprisingly the Count really listened to me even though it was half a joke. I thought he wanted me to visit an amusement park located in Agora.
"I have discussed it with Her Majesty and she has sent the request to His Majesty. He replied that Your Highness could visit it."
Oh. Wow. Never thought that the heartless Emperor would approve my silly request.
"Then, when are we going to visit the Arcanist Tower?"
Chislon shook his head.
"We still need to wait for the entry permit to be signed by the Emperor."
"I see."
The Count rose from his seat.
"I took so much time from Your Highness. I will take my leave now."
He lightly bowed and I nodded my head. With that Chislon left my room. I leaned on the couch and focused my gaze on the book on the table. Just what kind of book was that? I took a bell at the table and rang it. Fedel entered the room and bowed lightly.
"Is there anything you need, Your Highness?"
"Could you request Alexander to visit me?"
Fedel looked surprised at my order. He stared at me for five seconds straight before opening his mouth.
"Please excuse my rudeness, but may I ask why Your Highness wants to meet the first Prince?" For more chapters, please visit
"I still haven''t conveyed my thanks to him."
"If Your Highness allowed me. I could convey Your Highness'' words to him."
I shook my head.
"No. I''d like to meet him in person."
"I see. Then I must do as per yourmand."
After that Fedel left. I stared at the book on the table. I heaved a long sigh before taking the book and opening it. Its title came into view.
"The Chronicle of the Chrono Empire."
The title didn''t look suspicious at all. Just like any normal book. I wonder what made this book banned from the Empire. My hand flipped the book and my eyes followed every single letter that was written in the book.
The more I read the book the deeper the frown on my forehead. My heart burned with hatred. I tried to calm my raging heart as I flipped to the next page but in the end, I rose from my seat and threw the book away. My chest moved up and down because of the anger that devoured me. That damned book! That damned book!
No wonder Chislon told me to throw away the book. Not only it had controversial content, but it also had some kind of ''promise'', and even every single paragraph contained manipting words. If I was not in my right mind, I would be swayed by the book. Now I understand why Damian lost his mind after reading that book.
If I could honestly say, you could even build a cult and use that book as a bible. It was just crazy! Even though I hadn''t finished reading that book, I could get a grip as to why that damned book was banned from the Empire.
"Oh, my."
I turned to the voice and a ck-haired boy with golden eyes could be seen.
"You invited me just to show how you threw the gift I gave to you?"
Instead of answering his mockery, I stared wildly at him. Without beating the bush around, I asked him a question.
"Where did you get that book?"
"Your Highness--"
"Fedel please leave us."
The old man looked stunned but in the end, he had no choice but to heed my order. He bowed and left the room.
"Where did you get that book? Do you even know that book was banned in the Empire?"
Alexander clicked his tongue in annoyance. He rolled his feet and sat on the couch.
"First, sit yourself down. There''s no use in having a conversation if you''re controlled by anger."
I sat down and breathed in and out slowly. After cooling my head a voice entered my ear. He started a light conversation.
"I saw a new face guarding your chamber''s door."
I looked at him as I lightly massaged my temple.
"He was sent by the Emperor to prevent me from doing something foolish again."
"If I were him, I would do the same thing, though. You''re a troublemaker."
I gave him a death re. Did he just insult me? Right in the face? When I readily opened my mouth, he cut me.
"But, Sir Ulrich and Fedel. What a weirdbination."
My eyebrows furrowed. I couldn''t seem to follow where this conversation led.
"What are you talking about?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"Nevermind. As for questions, I got that book from a merchant and I don''t know if that book was banned."
"Just that?"
"What are you expecting me to say?"
Before I could say anything else, he asked me a question. He really didn''t give me a chance to speak properly, huh?
"Let me ask you a question. What is your intention to call me here?"
I exhaled a deep long sigh.
"I wanted to say thank you."
I bowed my head.
"Thank you for saving my life."
I lifted my head and met his cold and indifferent golden eyes staring at me intensely.
"I did tell you, didn''t I?"
I waited for his next words.
"That you could trust me."
Quietness enveloped us as I didn''t know how to respond to his words. We stared at each other in silence. I mean--I know he saved my life but... Could I really trust him? The timeline flowed ording to the novel. Even the war that was raging right now was also ording to it.
The sight. I was wondering if that sight shows my death so I could prevent it and I could stay alive until I was killed by Alexander when I reach 12 just like the novel dictated. I was really confused by now.
''Is there no way to stop the flow of the novel''s plot?''
There was also the dream. I didn''t know if that dream was rted or not but in fact, Alexander gave us the same book. Also, I didn''t know if what he told me was the truth or a lie as it couldn''t be proved. But, I vividly memorized how Alexander gave the book when Damian was not mentally stable which made him lose his mind. My question was¨C
''Is it intentional? Or merely coincide?''
With these points in my hand, it was hard for me to trust him.
Chapter 33 Ch. 33: Quest [1]
Two months have passed since the Prince''s assassination. There were many changes in Damian. He became easy to talk to and willing to express his feelings through words rather than frowning like before.
The Prince smiled andughed a lot which brought a positive atmosphere to the Pce. He is more open up to people around him and has regained some of his previous weight. Overall, Fedel was really grateful for the positive changes in Damian.
Fedel and Ulrich stood side by side as their eyes fell on the training ground. Their faces were devoid of any expression. Right now, they were watching sparring between the Prince and Count Andreas.
¨CBoom!
Damian athletically did a backflip to avoid the ground that suddenly burst out. He quickly dashed as hended. The boy activated his Wind Elemental to quicken his feet.
¨CBoom!
Earth exploded a split second every time his feet left the ground. Suddenly, a fog covered half of the training ground; Damian hid inside the fog while his teacher stood a few meters outside from the fog. The corner of Chislon''s mouth tugged.
"It''s no use, Prince."
Just like the Count has said, he continued to shoot more Wind Bullets into the fog.
¨CBoom!
¨CBoom!
¨CBoom!
"Tsk."
Damian clicked his tongue in annoyance. He had created the fog to escape his teacher''s eyes, yet Chislon didn''t seem to have any problem with that, as his uracy was exactly the same as before he created the fog.
However.
¨CThrust!
Chislon immediately took a step back when earth spikes popped out under his previous foothold. The Count couldn''t help but smirk.
''You quick-witted brat.''
The Prince thought that he would escape the Count''s sights by creating fog. But he forgot that, when he created a fog to escape the opponent''s eyes, the fog would also limit his vision. What amazed Chislon was, soon after he realized that his n had failed, Damian instantly recovered it.
Since he couldn''t see properly in the fog, It seemed the Prince was channeling Mana into his feet to increase his sensitivity to locate Chislon''s position and then counter-attacked him by Earth Elemental.
¨CBoom!
¨CBoom!
¨CBoom!
Damian and the Count were now both running to evade each other''s attack aimed at their footing ground. Shortly, the white-haired boy jumped out of the fog and sent a big Fire Ball toward the Count.
As if had expected it, Chislon''s smile widened as he cast a Wind Elemental to counter the attack. Damian had no choice but to jump down and roll to the side to avoid the Fireball that was reflected back to him.
Nheless, Chislon was stoned. His smile abruptly vanished and his expression turned nk when a lightning bolt passed him a few centimeters away from his face. But he eventually smiled again.
He turned to his back and a small hole was formed on the ground. It seemed like the Prince sent a sneak attack before he jumped down to dodge the fire. Chislon thought that he had outsmarted his pupil yet reality said otherwise.
He intentionally sent a Fireball knowing his teacher would counter it with a Wind Elemental and shot a lightning bolt through the Fire Ball aimed at Chislon.
The Count walked toward the boy who was kneeling and panting heavily. He lent Damian a hand and helped him to stand.
"Thank you."
Ulrich peeked at the man that stood by his side.
"You know, whenever I see Prince Damian training, he never fails to amaze me."
"Because His Highness is simply too talented and intelligent."
Fedel answered without taking his eyes off the training ground. Lately, the Prince seems eager to train, not only learning as an Elementalist but also as a Swordsman too. For more chapters, please visit
? If previously he expressed his displeasure while training with the Duke, now the Prince was starting to enjoy learning swordsmanship.
"This Empire is lucky to have him."
"Indeed."
Fedel nodded his head in agreement. Suddenly, both of them turned and hurriedly lowered their heads as a blonde-haired woman apanied by her maids walked toward them. Once she arrived, they paid respect to the Empress in unison.
"I greet the Empress of the Chrono Empire."
"You may rise."
Ulrich and Fedel straightened their backs. Theresa swept through the surroundings and found Damian. He was standing while having a chat with his tutor in the middle of the training ground. Apparently, his son didn''t see her as he was facing his back. Without thinking much, she decided to approach them.
"Shall we continue?"
Chislon shook his head at the white-haired boy''s question. Just looked at him, and even though he was full of sweat, his azure eyes gleamed with excitement; it said that he wanted more.
"No, let''s call it a day."
Damian pouted his mouth.
"I understand."
Damian bent his back to make a light bow.
"Thank you for today''s lesson."
But before Chislon could make any response, he quickly bowed when he saw the Empress heading towards them. Couldn''tprehend his tutor''s behavior, he spun around and found his mother.
.
.
.
"Mom?"
I frowned when I saw my mom. What is she doing here? I clearly remembered that we had our tea yesterday. Is there something urgent? I walked up to her and slightly bowed.
"I greet Her Majesty, the Empress of the Chrono Empire."
"You may rise."
As I looked up, our eyes met and she smiled at me. She extended her hand to the side and a maid ced a towel on her palm. She took a few steps toward me and used it to gently wipe the sweat from my face.
"How is your training today?"
"Hmmm... Fun?"
She chuckled.
"I''m d to hear it."
Silence enveloped us. My mother was still wiping my sweat but somehow she looked anxious. Even though she didn''t express it, her eyes shed her deepest emotion.
Eventually, she stopped and handed the towel back to the maid. She exhaled a deep long sigh and looked me in the eyes.
See? She even heaved a long sigh. There''s indeed something bothering her. She took my right hand.
"His Majesty requests your presence."
The Emperor? Why? Was that what made her worried?
Chapter 34 Ch. 34: Quest [2]
After took a shower and changed my clothes, we headed to the dining room at the Emperor Pce. I was apanied by my mother, Fedel, and Sir Ulrich. We stopped at the giant mahogany door. My mother lowered herself to match my height.
"I can only take you here."
She grabbed my right hand and held it. She looked into my eyes and caressed my face.
"Remember what I said, you can decline if you don''t feel like doing it."
"I understand."
She straightened her back and stroked my head.
"I will return to my Pce. Sir Ulrich and Fedel will be waiting for you here."
My mother pointed to the side and Sir Ulrich along with Fedel standing side by side came into view. I returned my eyes to my mother and bowed.
"Thank you so much for walking with me here."
She nodded and sent me inside with a smile.
"Go."
The Guards opened the door and I stepped inside. I twirled my back and my mother could be seen waving her hand before the doorpletely closed.
"I see. You have arrived."
I was a bit startled when I heard a familiar voice. I turned around and found a ck-haired boy sitting on a chair. He eyed me with his cold and indifferent golden eyes; the same as always.
"Been a while."
He waved his hand. After what had happened, the dream, the book, and the plot. I had no idea how to respond or react. Also, I learned that the mastermind behind my assassination was his mother, yet, he saved me; her son. Simply put, all of his actions were unpredictable.
I did ask the reason why he saved me but instead of answering with a clear answer, he answered my question with a question: ''Do people need a reason when they do kindness?'' which left me speechless because I couldn''t refute it.
Not only his actions, but I also couldn''tprehend his way of thinking. If there were ck and white then he was gray. These uncertainties only made my wary of him keep increasing.
''Honestly, I don''t want to interact with him at this point. But what can I do? We live under the same roof.''
I lowered my head to him and I could hear how he clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Juste and sit here."
Strengthening my back, I strode and sat beside him. His eyes instantlynded on me and our eyes met, he scanned me thoroughly.
"You should eat more."
"I heard that a lot."
"Also, you can just decline if you don''t feel like doing it."
I looked at him with confusion; not him said the same thing as my mother. I tried to open my mouth but before I could say anything, the guard door announced Dariush''s presence.
"The Emperor of the Chrono Empire entering!"
The door swung open and revealed a white-haired man walking inside the dining room. Both of us immediately got down and bowed to pay respect. The man sat down.
"Have a seat."
We did as he told and his magenta eyes rolled to Alexander before switching to me.
"I''m sure both of your mothers have informed you about the quest that you will be taking?"
We nodded in unison and he continued.
"I will tell you the detailster, for now, let''s enjoy the luncheon. Bring the food."
With that maids and butlers soon arranged the food on the table and we ate in solemnity.
.
.
.
A maid ced a teacup and poured tea into it. Hot steam could be seen swaying on top of the tea before it dissipated into thin air. The luncheon had ended and now they served us tea. I nced at Dariush as his voice entered my ears.
"As you already know, our Empire is at war with the Yovanny Kingdom at the northwest sea."
He gazed at us and resumed.
"It''s not every day we see a stupid Kingdom that dares to challenge us in a war."
I was taken aback upon listening to his speech, I mean, was it really alright to use foulnguage in front of kids like us? But, it seemed he didn''t bother at all. For more chapters, please visit
"But, war is a war. And war is a bad thing. Although in some cases, a war might help achieve peace, that peacees at a price which is a loss of life and property."
I concurred and nodded involuntarily.
"With that, I decided to use this war as an example and I will send both of you to the northwest part of Chrono in the Egon Region."
I abruptly turned to him and coincidentally or not, our eyes met.
"You don''t need to worry, I have no intention of sending kids to the battlefield anyway. I''m not short of men''s power and--"
He turned to Alexander.
"--It''s sphemy--such a disgrace to our Empire."
I had no idea, or it was simply my feeling that the atmosphere in this room suddenly turned cold as they exchanged stares. But, he eventually continued.
"I have evacuated people within a 30 km radius of the war and built a refugee camp. And that is the ce where you will be visiting. Use your eyes and ears, are they happy with the war that is going on? And then ask yourself, is waging war something good to do?"
He swept our faces with his eyes.
"The reason behind why I send you there is simply, I hope you learn a lot there and when one of you reigns, you won''t foolishly wage war and be a tyrant. Always remember your people. But I never forced you to do it anyway. You are free to decline this quest."
He whirled and looked me in the eyes.
"Your answer?"
''I know it wasn''t that long after my assassination but I can not let fear take over me forever. I learned a lot after that ident. I know that my mother wishes me to decline this quest because of worries, but if I do that, I will never be able to ovee my trauma.''
I heaved a deep long sigh.
"I will participate in this quest."
''I have to move on.''
However, there was a slight silence in the room as he tantly stared at me for 5 seconds straight before he moved to Alexander.
"Your answer?"
"I will also participate."
The Emperor nodded.
"Well then, it''s settled. Your departure will be scheduled for next week. You can only take 2 people with you. Make sure to prepare yourself."
With that, he got up and we followed suit. His gaze fell on us for thest time as we made a bow before finally leaving the dining room. I straightened my back and found Alexander ring at me intently. I couldn''t help and asked him.
"What?"
"Why did you ept it?"
"Am I supposed to decline it?
"You should just focus on your recovery."
He massaged his temple.
"What do you mean? My health has recovered."
"Recovered? Your health?"
He looked at me and scoffed in disbelief.
"Just what do you think you can do with your stick-like figure?!"
''What the hell? Why is he shouting at me? Even my mother never does it.''
As anger glinted in my heart, I snapped at him.
"What is wrong with my figure? It''s not like the Emperor told me to fight some random guy."
"..."
Silence enveloped us as he shut his mouth. He just looked at me with his wild burning eyes. We exchanged stares for a minute straight before he finally opened his mouth.
"...right."
With that, he got out of the room and left me alone.
''Jeez. What is wrong with him?''
Chapter 35 Ch. 35: Quest [3]
The door closed with a loud thud and a ck-haired boy walked out of the room with long strides. Both of his hands clenched and his expression could be said that he was in a rage; he was angry.
Somehow, it confused Fedel and Ulrich. The Emperor had been left minutes ago, so, what made the first Prince furious? Was it Prince Damian?
Not long after, a white-haired boy came out of the room and walked toward his escort. Fedel and Ulrich bowed lightly when he approached them.
"Let''s go."
Damian started walking and was followed by his escort. Fedel asked as they walked.
"Your Highness, how was the luncheon going?"
"It was fine."
Fedel nodded. He was d to hear that. It seemed the Prince had nothing to do with Alexander''s fury. This time, Ulrich asked.
"Your Highness, what is your choice?"
"I epted it."
Damian turned the moment he stopped hearing footsteps and all he found were his escorts standing there, dumbfounded. Seeing their weird behavior Damian''s brows furrowed.
"What is it?"
Recovering from his shock, Ulrich immediately spoke.
"I believe that Her Majesty has said that Your Highness must not participate."
However, Damian shook his head.
"No, my mother said that I don''t have to participate if I don''t feel like doing it. But I want to do it, so I epted."
Ulrich shut his mouth. He involuntarily nced to his side and exchanged gazes with Fedel. It seemed the Prince was not sensitive enough to understand what the Empress was trying to convey. In the end, both of them could only heave a tired sigh.
¡
Alexander massaged his temple as he felt a surge of unbearable headaches.
"That little brat."
Of course, it was Damian, that little imp who had always been his source of headaches. Here he thought that his burden had been lifted because Sir Ulrich was now by his side, but it seemed that wasn''t the case.
Lately, Alexander was joyful because after what had happened everything went back to normal. The Emperor made a quest just like in his previous timeline but now his mirth was shattered, crushed by the reality he faced.
That damn brat! He chose to participate in the quest! He didn''t participate in his previous timeline! For goodness sake! Not to mention that he just regained consciousness two months ago! That boy was on the verge of death five months ago!
Did that brat forget about it? Alexander screamed inwardly, he was so frustrated. He had no idea how the way of that brat was thinking! Howe that little brat became someone who loved to jump into trouble in this timeline?!
''My health has recovered.''
Alexander scoffed in annoyance once he recalled Damian''s shameless words.
''Recovered my ass.''
He hadn''t even regained his plump cheeks back! And what was he going to do with his stick-like figure? That brat simply had absolutely no idea what was going to happen there!
Of course, no one in this world knew what would happen there, except him. But now he knew what event would ur, he had no choice but to babysit the damn imp.
Alexander stopped walking and leaned against the wall. He emitted a long breath to calm himself. No matter what happened, he couldn''t let Damian die.
''He is the ''key'' to changing the fate of this world. He should not die.''
.
.
.
Reddish colored the sky as the sun''s rays peeked shyly over the horizon. I inhaled a deep breath and wet dew scents could be smelled.
A refreshing fragrance that gave you peace as you sniffed it. I could vividly see my hot breath in the air as I exhaled. For more chapters, please visit
A week had passed since my luncheon with the Emperor. As scheduled, today was my departure. After giving us a light brief, the Emperor left. Simply, he was just way too busy to send us off.
Unexpectedly, warmth warped my body. I turned and my mother could be seen putting a fur cape on me and her gentle smile greeted me. Nevertheless, her smile weakened as she stared at me sadly before letting out a long sigh.
It was like her hundred of thousands of sighs already. Although she said, ''I respect your choice.'', every time she saw me, her expression would turn down and sigh in disappointment. I couldn''t help but hug her. Hopefully, I could ease her worries and she embraced me tightly.
"Mom, I will be fine. Don''t worry."
She let go of me and cupped my face with her hands.
"Promise me you won''t do anything dangerous."
"I promise you, here."
I stretched out my little finger. However, my mother just chuckled.
"Oh, I didn''t know Damian had such a lovely side."
I could feel how my lips quivered.
''Here I am trying to reassure her yet she''s teasing me.''
"Sure, let''s make a pinky promise!"
And our little fingers intertwined.
"Pardon me, Your Majesty, it''s time for the Prince''s departure."
We turned and found a knight who wore a full set of armor bowed lightly to us. He had spiky brown hair and dark blue eyes. Just from looking at his coat of arms, I could easily tell what rank he had.
''I don''t know who he is, but he''s one of many Imperial Knight Lieutenants.''
Knight Lieutenant was a fairly high-ranking officer. A Company head, a Company contained three to five toons and a total of 60 to 200 knights.
Although Company was just the smallest subdivision of an Infantry Battalion, it was still a usible aplishment. Not to mention that he was quite young, I assumed he was in his mid-twenties.
"I understand."
My mother hugged me once more. I embraced her and patted her back. Feeling satisfied, she let me go and then turned to Fedel and Sir Ulrich who were standing not too far away from us.
"Sir Ulrich, Fedel. I entrust my son to you. Please take care of my son."
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. We will do whatever it takes to protect the Prince."
"Thank you."
With that, I bid my mother farewell, and we headed to the Supreme Blink Sphere Room. Alexander with his two knights could be seen inside the room. He intentionally averted my gaze when our eyes met.
''I see, so he''s still angry at me. How childish of him.''
After we all entered the room, the Knight who escorted me looked at us one by one before bowing lightly.
"I''m sorry for thete introduction, my name is Sigmund. I''m the 47th Knight Lieutenant and I''ll be your escort. Our first destination is Axton City, located in the Marquis Gilmore estate. We will join the supply party there before continuing our journey toward the Refugee Camp. But, before that--"
Sigmund let out two dramatic coughs. He stepped forward and stopped before Ulrich then bowed lightly. I could vividly see how his eyes twinkled in excitement as he saw the Knight in front of him.
"--Sir Ulrich, it is such a great honor to meet you!"
Ulrich was perplexed. Not long after that, Alexander''s knights followed suit with Sigmund''s actions.
"Sir Ulrich it is such a great honor to meet you!"
"N-nice to meet you too."
I couldn''t help but sweat-dropped and exchanged nces with Fedel.
''What can I say? Serving right under the Emperor is one of the greatest dreams of all Knights.''
Suddenly, Alexander let out a loud irritated cough and the three of them immediately returned to their positions. After that, Sigmund activated the Supreme Blink Sphere, and we all teleported to Axton City, at Marquis Gilmore''s territory.
Chapter 36 Ch. 36: Quest [4]
As the luminous floor dimmed down and the vibrations stopped, we arrived at Axton city in Marquis Gilmore''s territory. The door swung open and two people came into view. Both of them bowed as we approached them.
"We greet the Princes of the Chrono Empire."
However, silence filled the space as neither of us said anything for half a minute. Only then did Sir Ulrich clear his throat to break the stillness. I could see Alexander turning to me but I hastily averted his eyes.
''Why is he looking at me? He''s the first Prince.''
"You may rise."
The two of them straightened their backs.
''Somehow I feel sorry for them, they''re just old people, how did Alexander let them bow for half a minute? How heartless of him.''
"It is such an honor to be able to meet the future sun of the Empire. Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Edgar Gilmore the Lord of this territory and this is my wife, Elli Gilmore."
"It''s a pleasure for us to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine."
Marquis Gilmore was a man in histe sixties. He had brown eyes and auburn hair. The Marquis smiled.
"If you don''t mind, we would like to invite you to breakfast."
"We loved to but unfortunately, we must turn down the offer as we are racing against time."
Edgar nodded his head in understanding.
"Hmm, it was indeed unfortunate. Then, we will escort you to your carriage."
"Thank you so much."
"My pleasure."
I was astonished. I didn''t know that Alexander was capable of speaking politely like that. Thest time we had a conversation, he shouted angrily at me and did body shaming just because I epted the quest given by the Emperor.
"Please, this way."
Afterward, the Marquis and the Marchioness guided us to the front. I nced sideways when we walked down the long corridors. A gorgeous garden came into view and butterflies were seen flying around the flowers.
Althoughparing it to the Imperial Garden was sphemous, in my eyes this garden was still beautiful. Not only the garden, but this mansion was also well maintained as it was devoid of any dust.
We stepped down the stairs and a luxurious white carriage framed in gold was seen. The Imperial Crest engraved on both sides of the carriage gave away the rider''s identity.
After bidding our farewell we boarded the carriage while the Knights rode on horses and left the mansion to continue our journey.
Upon entering the city, a bustling street was visible through the carriage windows. Cassias trees were lined up along the roadside and the ditches were filled with clean water, colorful fishes could be seen swimming at the bottom.
As expected of one of the most beautiful cities in the Chrono Empire, the vast amount of flowers that had been nted in the city and the picturesque street made Axton city a popr tourist destination, especially among the nobility. Although known as a tourist destination, the city was still fortified.
I could see how people were looking at the carriage in awestruck. Just like I predicted, the Imperial Crest undoubtedly caught the attention of the pedestrians.
I was d that the window was made from one-way ss, so people couldn''t see what was inside the carriage. However, that wasn''t the main problem here. The only major problem here was a ck-haired boy who sat across from me.
Even though the carriage was spacious, it somehow suffocated. I felt like the awkward atmosphere inside was choking me. But luckily, I brought books.
I turned away from the window and took out a book from my magical sphere. I flipped it open and started reading. Many times passed and we finally exited the city. We continued moving toward the Sverre ins to join the Supply Party there.
Truthfully, it took two weeks to travel from Agatha to the Refugee Camp via carriage or on horseback. As Supreme Blink Sphere had limited transfers, the Supply Party departed earlier than us. They marched eleven days ago and now we followed suit to catch up to them.
"Hey."
Ignoring the voice, I pretended not to hear it and continued reading the book.
"Hey!"
His voice grew louder and I ignored him once more. Why would I listen to him? My name was not ''Hey''.
"Ian."
Only then I closed the book and raised my head to look at him.
"What?"
He emitted a sigh and stared at me intently. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand.
"I''m sorry."
"For what?"
"For shouting and scolding you." For more chapters, please visit
I looked at his hand that was hovering in the air with my indifferent eyes. To be honest, it would be better if we just remained mute with each other.
But now that he apologized to me first, I didn''t think I could reject it. With my heavy heart, I took his hand and shook it.
"Me too, I''m sorry for shouting at you."
As our hands parted, his lips lifted gently while looking at me.
"So, we''re on good terms now?"
I cursed inwardly when I saw his damn smile.
''Don''t you dare smile at me! Your smile is a sin!''
"...yeah."
He crossed both his arms and legs. He leaned on the cushion and gazed at me.
"So, how are you feeling today?"
"Pretty good."
And he continued talking. Although I answered him with the very least amount of words in the hope that our conversation would end soon. But hope would always remain hope, I didn''t see the end of our dialogue as he kept babbling nonstop.
Many times passed by and his chatting became worse! My head was throbbing in pain and my ears hurt! I instantly questioned myself, was my choice to forgive him a good idea? Suddenly, the carriage stopped and someone knocked on the door.
"Your Highness, we have arrived."
''Ah, finally! Thanks, God! My torment is over! Even though there is no God here. I still want to say thank you.''
I opened the door and we got out of the carriage. However, the sight that was presented truly surprised me. Around two hundred Knights lined up and they gave us a sword salute.
"We greet the future sun of the Empire."
This time Alexander responded immediately and delivered an address. After finishing the small ceremony, he moved toward Sir Sigmund.
I had no idea what they were talking about because I was too far from them. I nced sideways and Sir Ulrich was swarmed by many Knights.
''He''s indeed popr among the Knights.''
I leaned against the carriage with Fedel by my side. I scanned the surroundings intently, it appeared that these Knights were from the 47th Company headed by Sir Sigmund.
And from the numerous wagons I saw,I assumed they were in charge of the consignment of provisions for the refugees. As there was nothing that caught my interest, I decided to go back inside the carriage, however, Fedel stopped me.
"Your Highness, Prince Alexander is waving his hand towards you."
I returned my eyes to Alexander and just as Fedel said, the boy swayed his hand up and down, gesturing for me to approach him. I clucked in resentment. Just why didn''t he leave me alone?
Unwillingly, I moved my feet perforce and Fedel trailed behind me. Arriving before them, Sir Sigmund bowed lightly and I nodded in response. Unexpectedly, they suddenly start walking. I couldn''t help but furrow my brows as I tagged along.
"Where are we going?"
"Seeing something interesting."
The wrinkles on my forehead deepened. Alexander''s answer couldn''t enlighten my confusion at all. And finally, we stopped in front of a wagon that was covered by a thick fabric.
Sir Sigmund flipped the cover and many big balls with runesengraved on them entered my eyes. My confusion grew upon seeing them. I had no idea what was so intriguing about seeing these balls.
"Pfft."
The boy beside me who suddenly giggled gave me goosebumps. He turned and smirked wholly at me.
"Your father loved to show off, I see."
"What do you mean by my father? The Emperor is also your father."
However, his smile abruptly evaporated and he turned away from me.
"...right."
Sensing the sudden shift of mood, I eventually asked to alter the atmosphere.
"What are they?"
"Elemental Shells."
My head was now in turmoil. Elemental Shells? Wait--Somehow that didn''t sound right to my ears. I swept my eyes to the wagons.
I thought that we were delivering provisions! Turned out that these hundreds of wagons were weaponry for the war! I scoffed in disbelief. Goddammit.
Chapter 37 Ch. 37: Quest [5]
"I thought all of these were provisions."
"Half of them are."
Alexander nced at me before turning to the Knight beside him.
"Thank you so much for granting my silly request, Sir Sigmund."
"It''s my pleasure."
With that, he bowed and left. After making sure Sir Sigmund was out of my sight, I moved my feet and faced Alexander who was leaning against the wagon.
"Why was there weaponry among the provisions? Is the Emperor nning to use the refugees as soldiers to participate in the war?"
However, Alexander gawked at me in stupefaction before cracking up augh. He shook his head and watched me as if I was a clown that behavedically.
"Remember what the Emperor said, ''The Empire isn''t short of men''s power.''"
Hisugh lessened and he wiped his tears.
"They''re just escorting us to the Refugee Camp. Once we get there, we will part with them and they will continue marching towards the Northwest Naval Base to deliver the Elemental Shells."
Alexander gestured his hand for me to follow him and he started walking. I shadowed him along with Fedel.
"They''re still going to march?"
He nodded.
"Sir Sigmund said it was worth two days of horseback to reach the Northwest Naval Base. After delivering the shells they will return to the Refugee Camp."
I could feel the energy within my body drop drastically just by hearing it. I would never be able to do that. It took 3 days to cross the Sverre in to reach the Refugee Camp.
Then, they needed to continue their journey for two more days to deliver the Elementals Shells to the Marines and resumed the match for another two days to return to the Refugee Camp.
''That''s just crazy.''
"What''s so special about those Elementals Shells?"
I had never seen or heard any of it. I assumed that was a new product created by the Arcanist Tower.
"I will show you when we arrive at the Refugee Camp."
Wait. For some reason, it confused me. Didn''t he say that the shells would be delivered to the Marines? Why did he say, ''when we arrived at the Refugee Camp''?
I clenched my head as it started to swirl in pain. Now that I think about it, apart from answering my question with a question or vague answer, the way he spoke was somehow uncanny. I couldn''tprehend his words at all.
Nevertheless, he halted his step and spun toward me. He made a thinking pose and eyed me from top to bottom several times. Annoyed by his rude manner, I snapped at him.
"What?"
He tilted his head.
"I believe that I have told you that you should eat more. Guess, you ignored my words."
I scoffed at him. He didn''t know how my mother sent me cookies almost every hour and stuffed my mouth with food every time we met.
Not only that, but I also noticed that Fedel had increased the proportion of my meal. Grandpa and Count Andreas were no different, they always brought food for me.
I ate all of it, yet they kept telling me that I should eat more. How ludicrous of them.
"Here."
He took my hand and ced a bag of cookies. He grabbed a cookie and ate it.
"See? There''s no poison in it."
I frowned at his attitude. Although he had said that I could trust him many times, his behavior and words always left me in doubt.
An hour had passed since our break after we joined the Supply Party at the entrance of the ins. Knights mounted their horses and we now officially entered the Sverre ins.
A vast meadow was presented, outlining the sky and the tnd that appeared through the windows. Colorful wildflowers that bloomed beautifully garnished the grasnd.
It hadn''t been a day and yet I felt like my back was being scorched. Perhaps it was due to my first trip, not to mention it was a long one. Unable to endure the pain, Iid my body on the couch and gazed at the carriage ceiling.
"Are you okay?"
"...yeah."
I answered without taking my eyes off the canopy above. For more chapters, please visit
"Just sleep. I''ll wake you up once our break for lunch is ready."
"Alright."
As time flew by, drowsiness devoured me little by little. I tried to urge myself to remain awake, but this sleepiness weighed down on me.
''He won''t kill me in my sleep, will he?''
And my eyelids gradually shut down.
...
I stared at the boy who was lying on the couch across from me and soft snoring could be heard. I clucked when I saw his skinny body. I should feed him more from now on.
I eyed him earnestly, somehow looking at his serene face brought back memories and my lips lifted involuntarily. Recalling how silly he was back then. I took out a nket from my magical sphere and put it on him before returning to my seat.
''Even now and then, I still think of you as my little brother.''
However, my smile dropped as horrified memories abruptly rushed into my head. I could vividly see how my trembling hands that were covered with blood filled my vision--No.
All of it was in the past now. I hurriedly closed my eyes to get rid of the memory. I exhaled and inhaled slowly to dispel the nightmare.
After fully collecting myself, I opened my eyes and wiped away the cold sweat from my face. Rather than drowning in the past, it would be better if I could make adequate ns for the ident that would ur in the Refugee Camp.
Foremost, I need to prevent that brat from jumping into danger because I was certain that he would undoubtedly hop into it when the ident unfolds. But how?
--Tuk --Tuk --Tuk
I tapped my finger on my knee. Should I knock him out and hide his body in the forest? Wait. I think that was a usible idea.
It was easy to turn him unconscious, but the first-world problem was how to separate Ian from Fedel and Sir Ulrich. It wouldn''t be an easy task to do.
Like hell, one was a professional assassin and the other was a Swordmaster. I wasn''t even confident about it. Not in my current ability.
But there was also another problem. I had no idea why that imp always looked at me warily. Even though I told him many times that he could trust me, it seemed he just dismissed my words like air.
Not only that, I even saved his ass yet he was still gazing at me with eyes full of distrust. I shook my head in disbelief. I wondered what made him feel that way.
Knocks on the door terminated my train of thought. I just realized that the carriage had stopped. I opened the door and Fedel came into view. He tantly red at me and switched to Damian. I quickly cut him before he could say anything.
"Ian just fell asleep a few minutes ago. He''s tired, let him sleep some more."
With that, I got on my feet to exit the carriage, however, Fedel just stood there unmoving. Bothered, I hissed at him.
"What do you want?"
Unexpectedly, he bowed his head to me.
"Thank you so much for saving Prince Damian''s life two months ago."
He straightened his back and stared at me with his ferocious eyes. Just looked at him, saw how Fedel brandished his fangs at me when that little brat wasn''t looking.
"Please pardon my rudeness, but may I know the reason why Your Highness saved Prince Damian?"
I stared back at him nonchntly.
"Her Majesty also told me about the Elemental Oath."
I clicked my tongue and twirled my body. I walked toward the other door and opened it.
"That''s none of your business."
I stepped down from the carriage and shut the door. Why did people keep asking me the reason why I saved him? Did that really matter?
I always cherished him whether in my previous timeline or this time around and it stayed the same. I always wanted to save him even then, I--
I stopped walking and clutched my head. I staggered a bit but quickly regained my footing.
"Your Highness, are you alright?"
I nced at the voice from the tail of my eyes and two Knights were seen. They were just my Knights. I breathed out a long sigh to ease my mind before resuming my stride.
"I''m fine."
Even though I had seen how the world crumbled, it didn''t frighten me a bit. The most dreadful memory was the fact that I failed to save him, the fact that I killed him with my own hands.
Chapter 38 Ch. 38: Refugee Camp [1]
Three days had passed since we entered the Sverre ins. Overall, we had no hassle upon crossing it, and now we finally reached the end of the grasnds as the terrain had changed into a woond area. Dense Pine trees covered the vicinity canopy and underbrush coated the tract.
Although we had traveled for hours in this forest and night had fallen, there was no sign of them stopping. I presumed we were not so far away from the Refugee Camp.
I peeked out through the window and I could see torches burning in the distance. I clucked my tongue at the scene, reminiscent of the bitter yore.
Orange hue filled the space and I gazed at thentern that was hung on the carriage ceiling, somehow it shook so much. I twirled my head when a moan entered my ears. A white-haired boy was sitting himself up whilst rubbing his eyes.
''See? He even wakes up because of how rough the road was.''
"You''re awake?"
He nced at me.
"...yeah."
"Here, catch."
I took out a bag of cookies from my magical sphere and threw it at him. The pouchnded on hisp and he looked at me.
"In the past three days, you keep giving me this. I was wondering, are you perhaps having unlimited cookies?"
"Pfft."
I couldn''t help but chuckle at his silly question. Even though I knew it was sarcasm, I still found it funny in my opinion, or maybe it was just my sense of humor. Subsequently silencing myugh, I shrugged my shoulders.
"Nah, just eat it."
"Thanks."
I nodded in response. He opened the pouch and withdrew a cookie. He ate it while looking outside the carriage. The corners of my mouth lifted and I turned to the window. Not long after, the carriage stopped and knocks were heard.
"Your Highness, we have arrived at the Refugee Camp."
My mind flew. I looked at my palms, for some reason they looked paler than usual.
"You''re noting?"
I spun my head and Damian was already outside the carriage.
"Coming."
I clenched my fists and took a deep breath to relieve my anguish.
''Let''s... change the fate.''
With that, I rose from my seat and got off from the carriage. However, my steps came to a halt as the familiar sight was presented before me, thousands of people gathered and lined up nearly at the entrance of the camp. I turned to the boy that stood beside me.
"Would you like to address them?"
"No, thanks."
I could feel how my lips quivered in annoyance. Damian was resolutely against it. I rolled my eyes in animosity. He had to learn how to address people, he was the heir to the throne. But whatever--
''I''ll let it slide this time.''
I stepped forward and people greeted us in unison. I gave a short speech and the ceremony ended without a hitch. They disbanded and made another line, waiting in queue for their dinner.
I swept my surroundings and finally, my eyes caught the person that I was expecting. Sir Sigmund and his subordinates were seen moving the provisions.
I dismissed my Knights and without wasting any time, I strode toward him. After a long and intense conversation, I bid him farewell as they must renew their journey.
I massaged my temple subconsciously before rubbing my face in frustration. There were so many things that needed to be done.
This time I moved to the Knights who wore the Coat of Arms of rank Imperial Knight Lieutenant but I stopped midway when the tail of my eyes captured a white-haired boy.
I twirled my body and when our eyes came across, I signaled him to approach me with my hand. I witnessed how discontented painted his face but still heeded my request anyway.
After making sure that brat came to me along with Fedel and Sir Ulrich, I turned and marched to the Knights. The Knights hastily bowed upon my arrival and without beating the bush I asked them a question.
"May I know who was in charge of the administration here?"
A Knight stepped forth and bent his back.
"My name is Wyatt of the 25th Knight Lieutenant and I''m in charge of the administration here."
"Could you show me the refugee data here?"
"As you wish."
He straightened his posture.
"This way, please."
And we followed him. My eyes nced around and somehow there was no change here. The Refugee Camp was built at the foot of the mountain.
Huge tents were aligned neatly, estimated at around 40 or so. After a few minutes of walking, we entered a tent that was guarded by two knights.
"Please have a seat."
Sir Wyatt went to his desk and started assembling the information I wanted. Damian sat beside me and as we waited, a page boy served us tea.
Sir Wyatt returned with a big book in his hands and put it on the table. I took the book and started to flip it. For more chapters, please visit
"Please give us the summary of the report."
"As you wish."
He started with a couple of coughs.
"There are two thousand refugees here and 48 tents. Each tent had a capacity of 100 people."
I turned over the pages, unbothered to look at him.
"How about the Knights stationed here?"
"There are five Companies stationed here, a thousand Knightsbined. But, as Sir Sigmund and his Company are still on a mission, for now, we only have eight hundred Knights. There are five hundred infantry, and three hundred archers."
I stared him in the eyes.
"There''s no Elementalist here?"
"There isn''t."
--Tuk --Tuk --Tuk
I tapped on the armrest. With this amount, we definitely outnumbered them yet, we were onught. They used a dirty trick to divert our army and in the end, more than three thousand people died. I clutched my head at the sudden storm of headaches.
''Maybe I can make adult men partake in the battle but I don''t think that is a decent strategy as they don''t have any experience in fighting and will surely be butchered in no time when confronted by the enemy.''
I emitted a long sigh.
''Can I change the fate of these many people?''
Although I had memories with me, I didn''t have the abilities I used to have. I did manage to relearn some of them, but it''s still not enough to defeat them with my current ranks.
I nced to the side and Damian stared at me apathetically. He was the only Elementalist here but I hastily rejected the idea that popped into my head.
''Goddammit, just look at his stick-like shape! He''s out of options and I can''t let him take part in this battle. Even if I can''t change the fate here, honestly speaking, it doesn''t matter, but losing that brat is another story.''
I switched my eyes back to the book in my hand.
''What''s different right now is that we have a brutal assassin and a Swordmaster here. I don''t know whether Fedel will help me or not, but Sir Ulrich without a doubt will help me. With a slight ray of hope, it''s enough for me to keep going with the n I have.''
I closed the book and put it back on the table. Seeing the abundance of digits written there made my head hurt even more. I leaned my back on the chair and crossed my hands whilst looking at Sir Wyatt.
"Do we have a doctor here? How many medications do we have? How about the weaponry? The armory? Do we have spares of them? If we have, how many of them? Also, how about the provision? How many days worth are they?"
Sir Wyatt opened and closed his mouth several times, he looked like a fish that came out of the water. I scanned the room and just realized that not only him who acted weird, everyone here does.
They looked at me in astonishment. I frowned at the event, I didn''t see any problem with my questions. Eventually, he cleared his throat and started talking.
"Yes. We have doctors stationed here, about two hundred. Our medication is worth a month. As for weaponry and armory, we don''t have that much. For provisions, they are two weeks worth."
"When is the provision''s next delivery?"
"Once Sir Sigmund returns, we will send another Company to the Capital. We take turns in retrieving the provisions."
I nodded at his answer. However, I eyed him intently.
''Truthfully, I don''t know how I should tell them about the raid. But, even if I told them about it, would they believe me? Maybe I could tell them in the Emperor''s name so they can obey my words but, lo-and-behold it will reach Dariush''s ears and I don''t want to get involved with that man.''
"Say, Sir Wyatt, what will you do if the Yovanny Kingdom sends men to attack this camp?"
However, he just smiled at my question.
"I understand Your Highness'' concern about the welfare of the people here. But please be at ease, those Yovannians will not dare to step into the Empire''s grounds."
I smiled back at him.
''See? There''s no point in telling them.''
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Can I take a look at the weaponry and the armory?"
"Sure, Your Highness. Please, this way."
We exited the tent and followed Sir Wyatt from behind.
"You know what--"
Damian''s voice made me nce at him and our eyes met.
"--you looked like someone who was preparing for a war."
My step abruptly stopped as I heard his statements. I was stoned. Even my mind went nk for a moment. But eventually, I smiled at the boy.
"It''s in your imagination."
With that, I turned around and resumed my stride. I couldn''t help but utter profanity inwardly.
''You quick-witted bastard!''
Chapter 39 Ch. 39: Refugee Camp [2]
After addressing the crowd, Alexander strode to Sir Sigmund. They were talking for quite a while, and a considerable amount of urgency decorated their faces. Sir Sigmund and his Company mounted their horses and bid Alex farewell.
He started moving again but abruptly stopped. He twirled his body and our eyes met, which made me curse inside.
''Shit. Am I caught red-handed eyeing him?''
Nheless, he waved his hand up and down. I clucked my tongue in irritation.
''What is it that he wants?''
I sighed and reluctantly rolled my feet toward him, followed by Fedel and Sir Ulrich. Before I could reach him, he spun and approached the Knights. I raised my eyebrow in wonder, I thought he was going to nag at me. Guess that wasn''t the issue.
"May I know who was in charge of the administration here?"
A knight stepped forward and introduced himself, we shadowed him and entered a tent. He gave Alex a big book and he began to read it.
As time passed by, hisplexion became more and more apparent, turning into anxiety as if he was bothered by something. Just looked at him, he even tapped his finger on the armrest and now he was clenching his forehead.
Suddenly, he twirled his head at me, ah, damn it, I was caught red-handed staring at him twice! We exchanged nces for a few seconds before he returned his attention to Sir Wyatt.
I could vividly see how his eyes flickered with confusion when he looked at me. Now I remembered, his odd behavior started when we arrived at the Refugee Camp before he descended the carriage, there, he looked like someone who tried to ovee some trauma in his life.
Also, I couldn''t help but furrow my brows at every question that he threw at Sir Wyatt. At first, there was nothing wrong with his question, however...
"Do we have a doctor here? How many medications do we have? How about the weaponry? The armory? Do we have spares of them? If we have, how many of them? Also, how about the Provision? How many worth days are they?"
I was baffled at how Alex bombarded Sir Wyatt with queries. Not only me, everyone inside the tent had the same reaction. But, what was his intention in asking all of those?
The Emperor clearly stated that we need to observe the refugees and not ask us to question the Knights about their weaponry or armory. Was he forgotten?
"Say, Sir Wyatt, what will you do if the Yovanny Kingdom sends men to attack this camp?"
My mind went nk. Wait. Where did this conversation lead? He didn''t think what I thought, did he? I stole a nce from the tail of my eyes to Fedel and Sir Ulrich, however, their expressions couldn''t help ease my distress at all. They now had the same serious face as Alexander.
After hearing Sir Wyatt''s response, the corner of his lips raised. However, it was totally in a different manner, not the gentle and soft smile that he usually gave me, but more of a mockery smirk. I could easily distinguish between them because he grinned too much at me.
''But then again, there''s nothing wrong with Alexander''s presumption, we''re at war and every possibility might ur. Sir Wyatt''s reply was somehow outrageous, no wonder Alex poked fun at him. Even if he didn''t say it out loud, I knew deep down Alex was angry. Let''s just hope that the Knight''s ignorance won''t develop into a disastrous experience.''
He decided to check on the weaponry and armory. We trailed Sir Wyatt once more. Alex walked to the front and I stared at his broad shoulders.
As expected of the main character of this world, even just looking at his back, you know that he was reliable--except for me, because I was destined to die at his hands.
''But, damn. His words keep bugging me and I''m not fond of how it feels.''
In the end, I encourage myself to ask.
"You know what--"
He turned and our eyes met.
"--you looked like someone who was preparing for a war."
He came to an abrupt halt as he heard my derations. His face was devoid of any expression but he eventually smiled. Alright, that was the first time he gave me a fake smile.
"In your imagination."
With that, he spun and resumed his step.
''You''re a hypocrite.''
. For more chapters, please visit
.
.
ck ink stained the paper as I scratched the sheet with my fountain pen. I was sitting on the grass on the mountain. I straightened my back and gazed far away.
Woody''s scent filled the space and breezes swayed my hair. I lowered my eyes and the blue ocean could be found under the sky.
However, I lifted my head as a shadow was cast upon me and a ck-haired boy with golden eyes stood behind me with his back bent toward me.
We stared at each for a few seconds before his eyes moved and peeked at the report on myp. Unexpectedly, he let out a scornful snicker.
"Heh, you listened pretty well, huh?"
Returning my attention to the paper and pen, I retorted as I stored them back inside my magical sphere.
"Of course, unlike certain someone."
"Pfft, ahaha."
Nevertheless, he justughed andid his body on thewn next to me. I looked at the gorgeous blue sea that was presented there. Surely, this ce was my favorite spot.
"Frankly, it''ll be useless, though."
"Was it because of the raid?"
"There won''t be any raid here."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
It had been three days since our arrival at the Refugee Camp. While I observed and surveyed here and there, he spent his time with the Knights about meeting and practicing defense or something. Luckily, Alexander managed to convince the higher-ups with the help of Sir Ulrich.
"By the way, where are Fedel and Sir Ulrich? You''re alone."
"I dismissed them."
Alexander hummed in response. As I memorized something, I turned to the boy that was lying.
"I thought you were going to show me about Elemental Shells."
He answered my question without bothering to open his eyes.
"It''s not an Elemental Shell, but an Elemental Cannon."
"What makes them different?"
"Elemental Shells contain the five elemental forms; they are ammunition for Elemental Cannon. While Elemental Cannon is a weapon developed by the Archanist Tower."
"So, when are you going to show them to me?"
He opened his eyelids and I could see how his golden pupil rolled slowly before fixating on my azure eyes.
"Tonight--"
There was no expression both in his eyes and face.
"--I''ll show you tonight."
Chapter 40 Ch. 40: Elemental Cannon [1]
After feeling satisfied, we decided to go down the mountain and agreed to meet up again at nightfall. Honestly speaking, every item created by the Arcanist Tower always piqued my interest.
For example, Mana Stabilizer. That item yed a great role in my escape from the assassins, without it I would surely die.
I tapped my foot on the ground impatiently. I had been waiting for more than an hour, yet there was no sign of Alexandering.
I clucked my tongue in annoyance. I should have asked for his Telesphere''s code so I could contact him. I took out my pocket watch and eyed it.
''It''s ten o''clock at night.''
I yawned.
''I can''t believe he lied to me.''
Once again, my mouth let out a yawn. Since I couldn''t fight my drowsiness anymore, I chose to crawl onto the bed and pulled up my nket.
''I''ll just sleep.''
However...
"--Ian."
A could faintly hear a voice. I opened my eyelids but they felt heavy so I closed them once more. But--
"Damian, if you don''t wake up, I''ll throw you a bucket of water."
I lifted my head and squinted my eyes to get a better view of the person who stood beside my bed. As seconds passed, that figure became visible.
"Oh? It''s just Alexander--"
I rolled to the side and my back was facing him.
"--what are you doing here?"
"I should be the one asking you, why are you sleeping? Didn''t we agree to see the Elemental Cannon?"
''Ah, yeah, that''s right. Ipletely forgot about it.''
I sat and rubbed my eyes. Alexander strode towards the tent entrance.
"If you''re not ready within 5 minutes, I will leave you."
With that, he got out of the tent. I exhaled a long sigh and unwillingly moved my ass to prepare. Fedel helped me put on a fur coat. He stepped backward and then bowed at me.
"Please have a safe trip."
I furrowed my brows and looked at him in disbelief.
''Did he just bid me farewell? Shouldn''t youe with me? Fedel let me be alone with Alexander? The wonder of the world just happened! What is that? Normally, he would be vehemently against me being alone with Alexander, and now he let it slide so easily tonight? What is wrong with him?''
"Is something troubling you, Your Highness?"
Nevertheless, I shook my head and marched to the exit. Now I just realized, Fedel didn''t say nor ask me anything when I waited for Alexander which was so unlike him.
Did something happen to him? Also, I don''t see Sir Ulrich anywhere. Again, another person behaved weirdly. I wonder where he did go?
Why did he leave without saying a word to me? Why was everyone acting so strange today? I couldn''t help but massage my temples.
''But luckily, I brought a sword with me, so I think I should be fine.''
"Let''s go."
Alexander spun and started to move as he saw me approach him, but I immediately stopped him.
"Wait."
He twirled and gazed at me.
"What?"
"Here."
I gave him my Telesphere and he raised one of his eyebrows in question.
"Give me your Tele-code."
Alex blinked his eyes a few times dramatically. He tilted his head and emitted a yful smirk.
"I see. So you want to enhance our rtionship?"
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Of course, I could only say my foulness inside because I still value my life.
"Nah, just write it down."
"How cold."
He eventually shrugged and returned my Telesphere.
"Thanks."
He nodded and we began to move. Everything seemed fine so far but my step came to a full stop as I stood at the exit of the campsite. My forehead frowned.
''Isn''t this the direction of my favorite spot where he and I spent the afternoon together? Why brought me here?''
"Are youing or not?"
Alexander expelled my thoughts.
"I thought you were going to show me the Elemental Cannon?"
"I am."
"Towards the mountain?"
"Yes."
I was taken aback.
"Shouldn''t it be in the camp''s weaponry? Or could it be that you hid them in the mountain?"
"Are you crazy? Are you using me of stealing?"
He clucked his tongue in annoyance and spun his body.
"Such a waste of time, whether youe or not. I don''t care."
Then, he began to walk to the mountain. I sighed.
''Now, he''s angry.''
"Coming."
With that, we exited the Refugee Camp and began to hike the mountain located behind the campsite. I could hardly be able to see due to how dark here, the only light was thentern that was held by Alexander.
Howling owls added creepiness to the atmosphere. I didn''t think it was a wise choice to climb a mountain at night like this especially alone with the one that was fated to murder you. I just realized that I made a grave mistake.
A few minutes passed and we arrived at my favorite spot. He ced down thentern and took out something from his magical sphere.
"Are you angry? I''m... sorry."
A long sigh was heard. He turned to me.
"Listen Ian--no, mark my words: even though our factions are enemies, I won''t kill you. So, terminate your distrust in me."
I was stunned at the unexpected deration. To be honest, I had no idea how to respond as it was too sudden and it seemed he also knew that I always doubted him.
"Just--forget about it. Here."
Alex handed me a binocr and jumped on the tree branch. He sat and put the item in front of his eyes. I followed after him and many ships could be seen through the binocrs.
"The Marine just sent one fleet, I see."
One fleet included 50 to 70 Galleons. Galleon was a long, shallow warship powered by abination of sails and oars. Sharpened heavy ram made from metal was nted at their bow, it attempted to ramrger warships at speed and either cripple their hulls or even keel the enemy''s ship over directly. Galleon was armed by 30 Cannons and crewed up to 150 marines or archers, in addition to the rowing crews.
"Do you see a galleon with a red g? That galleon is a gship and the one who stood on the deck is Sir Ethan. He''s a Commodore."
I eyed every galleon and finally found the one that he talked about. A man wearing fancy armor came into view. Sir Ethan had a conversation with someone there, I think he was giving orders. I moved to the vanguard galleon ahead. Suddenly the ship emitted a bright glow and something simr to a light beam fired toward the enemy''s warship.
--Boom!
Unbeknownst to me, I had been standing on the branch with my eyes widened and my mouth gaped open.
"What the hell is that?!"
The ship that was shot by the light beam was crushed and split into two parts. I nced sideways and Alexander looked at me with bored and disinterested eyes.
"That was Elemental Cannon. The things that you want to see."
Chapter 41 Ch. 41: Elemental Cannon [2]
The dark night sea glimmered with rays of light as Chrono Vanguard galleons continued to fire the Elemental Cannons. One by one Yovannians'' warships exploded and broke into two parts.
The enemy Marines'' crews were seen swimming toward the wreckage of their ship, however, before they could even reach it, they were shot by arrows and fell to the sea.
Chrono''s attack didn''t stop with just Elemental Cannons, the second wave of the attack was a hail of arrows, which were fired by hundreds of Archers above the vanguard galleon deck.
In the end, Yovannians Marines drowned in the ocean. Chrono Vanguard rammed the remnants of the battleship as they moved at full speed, sending thempletely sinking to the bottom of the sea.
I put away the binocrs from my eyes and turned my head sideways. No matter how hard I thought about it, that was not a war in my eyes, it was a goddamn massacre!
I grabbed my head and cold sweat wet my trembling hands. Although chilling breezes filled the space, I was sweating.
I wiped the sweat away from my face with my shaking hands. Seeing the war unfold with my own eyes was entirely different from watching it in movies.
An immense amount of blood sttered everywhere and witnessing how their eyes, necks, heads, and bodies were pierced by arrows made me dizzy and I wanted to throw up.
''I realized, I''m just a ''nobody'' in this world. Now I understand what ''A frog in a well'' means. I failed to see how vast the sky and how deep the ocean is. Also, here I am, foolishly saying that I want to stop this so-called ''war'', how outrageous am I?''
I clutched my chest as my breathing became rough for some reason.
"Are you okay?"
I nced to the side and my eyes locked with Alex''s golden eyes.
"I''m fine."
He gave me a bottle of water and without thinking much, I drank it.
"First time is always the hardest, you''ll get used to it."
"Cough, cough."
I couldn''t help but cough heavily when the liquid entered the wrong hole.
"Jeez. Calm down."
He patted my back.
''''Used to it?'' Used to what? Seeing people being butchered? Seeing how their bodies exploded into pieces?''
I twirled my head to Alexander and he looked perfectly fine, he wasn''t trembling or sweating like me. As if the gruesome scene presented before his eyes meant nothing to him; he didn''t faze by it at all.
His mentality was indeed something else. Now that I think about it, wasn''t he sent to conquer the Yovanny Kingdom at a young age, was he?
"Feel better?"
"Yeah."
After calming myself down, I drank the water once more and returned the bottle to Alexander. He eyed me intently to make sure that I was okay before he turned to resume his previous activity; watching the war.
I looked at the binocrs on myp. I exhaled a long deep sigh and put them on again to see how the battle would unravel.
Nothing was different, Chrono''s vanguard was still shooting Elemental Cannon, arrows rained down as the second wave attacked and they rammed the remnants of Yovannians warships to make them sink to the bottom of the sea.
Although they started with the same number of galleons, in less than two hours, the enemy ships were annihted, and now Chrono''s fleet under Sir Ethan''smands advanced at full speed toward the Yovanny Kingdom coastal waters.
Yovannians Knights at the beach panicked as their morale plummeted down to the ground. Instead of regrouping, they were running and scattered everywhere; they were trying to save their own lives.
I wouldn''t me them though, it was absolute madness. When they just used normal cannon, the enemy used aser beam! It looked like they were fighting off a cmity rather than a war, they simply had no chance to win this battle.
''Poor Yovannians.''
Once the fleet arrived at the coastline, the vanguard galleon bombarded the beach with Elemental Cannons. However, I hurriedly removed the binocrs from my eyes and nced sideways.
Alexander was grinning and his legs swayed merrily as he saw the war through the binocrs. I couldn''t believe he looked so happy to see such a horrifying sight like watching aedy show. Nheless, my brows furrowed when a thought crossed my mind.
"I have a question."
"What is it?"
He put down his binocrs and looked at me.
"It''s been five months since the war started. Why didn''t the Empire use the Elemental Cannon from the beginning?"
"That''s because the Elemental Cannon was still under development. When the Yovanny Kingdom dered war on us, the Arcanist Tower rushed toplete the weapon in the past five months. Now that they had sessfully finished it, they immediately put them to a test in actual battle."
I shut my mouth tightly. I cursed every foul word I could think of inside. Wouldn''t that mean that the Emperor and the Arcanist Tower agreed to prolong the war just to use the Yovanny Kingdom as a guinea pig? I grabbed my head at the sudden headache. So, in the past five months, the Empire was toying with them?
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"Are you okay?"
I waved my other hand.
"Don''t worry, I''m fine."
Alexander nodded in response and continued observing the war. However, he uttered words that made me abruptly turn to him with a deeply wrinkled nt on my forehead.
"The Yovanny Kingdom surrenders."
I hurriedly put the binocrs on and cavalry lined up at the top of the hill, there were so many of them, probably a Corps or Army. Each of them waved a white g. Seeing the sight, the fleet stopped their attacks and swirled the galleons as they were withdrawing.
"Forfeiting from this battle?"
"No. From this war."
"How could you be so sure?"
I clearly remembered that the war would officially end once Alexander reached the age of 17.
"The King of Yovanny Kingdom, King Loewy is there."
"Which one?"
"The one who wears fancy golden armor."
I scanned the forefront army and finally found the one Alex talked about. But, it didn''t make sense, though. If the King of Yovanny dered that he was relinquishing, howe the war continued for another nine years?
--Tap!
I looked downward and Alexander was seen standing below whilst staring at me.
"It''s gettingte. Let''s go back."
"Alright."
I jumped and gave the binocrs back to him. He received them and stored them back in his magical sphere. But, damn, I feel tired and massaged my temples involuntarily. There were so many bizarre things happening today, starting from Fedel, Sir Ulrich, the war, and many more.
"By the way, Alex--"
I turned to him but what I saw was he swung his hand at me and my vision went dark.
...
Before the boy fell to the ground, Alexander skillfully caught him.
--Tap!
Fedelnded perfectly on the ground and Ulrich appeared behind a tree.
"How is the enemy?"
Alexander asked the old man without bothering to look at him.
"They moved exactly as Your Highness predicted."
"I see."
He rolled his feet and leaned Damian''s body against a tree. He took out a nket and covered the boy''s body with it.
"The preparation?"
Ulrich stepped forward.
"The Knights currently standby at their position."
The ck-haired boy nodded in response. A magic circle was formed and the earth around Damian emerged, creating a dome that entirely devoured the boy''s body. Fedel expressed his concern.
"Is it okay to leave His Highness like this?"
"I know you are worried about him, but don''t worry, he''ll be fine. What''s important right now is; we must end the war before he regains consciousness."
"I understand."
With that, the three of them descended the mountain.
Chapter 42 Ch. 42: Changing The Fate [1]
===
Fedel stood from afar while looking at the white-haired boy who was asking almost every refugee in the tent. Although he had offered himself to help, Damian rejected him right away and said that he had to heed the Emperor''s order.
But he was wondering, did Dariush give his sons different tasks? Because both of them share varied activities. One surveyed the refugees while the other one was entangled with knights'' businesses.
Fedel''s greyish pupil peeked through the corners of his eyes when he sensed a familiar presence approaching him. He turned and bowed toward the figure. He straightened his back and faced the ck-haired boy before him.
"Can we talk?"
Fedel nced at Damian inside the tent, he still queried the refugees then returned his attention to Alexander.
"As you wish."
They walked beside a giant tent with the least passerby.
"I''ll get straight to the point. Yovannians will raid this camp tonight."
Without beating the bush Alexander spat out his piece of thoughts. He immediately raised his hand when Fedel tried to open his mouth.
"As to who or where I got this information, it''s ssified. But I can say that this information is trustworthy and I put my life on the line for it."
"Then, what does Your Highness mean by telling me this?"
"Sir Ulrich and I agreed to kick Damian out of this battle. How about you?"
"Is that even possible?"
Seeing Damian''s personality, even if Fedel discussed it with him, that boy would certainly be against it.
"I will knock him out and hide his body in the mountain."
Fedel instinctively massaged his temple at the sudden eruption of dizziness.
"Your Highness, I don''t think that is a wise idea."
"Then, do you have any other ns? Talking to him is not an option."
What Alexander said was true, talking to him was not an option. Fedel took a deep breath. It seemed he had no other choice but to concede with him.
"Alright. I agree."
"A few hours before the attack, I would take him to the mountain and then knock him out."
Alexander paused for a moment and continued.
"While I''m going to the mountain with him, could you scout the enemy? Also, I want you to participate in this battle."
However, Fedel''s expression turned abysmal cold. He tantly stared at the golden eyes in front of him, fearlessly.
"I think Your Highness has mistaken something. I''m just a butler."
In contrast to his expression, the Prince shed a bright and sweet smile. Upon seeing it, Fedel was taken aback and an ufortable feeling washed over him.
"Do you know? A long time ago in the Egon Region, there was once a man who was feared by the enemies."
Fedel raised one of his eyebrows as Alexander suddenly changed the subject. Feared by the enemies? Who was it? He had lived there for more than a half-century but never heard of such a story.
"I don''t know."
The boy''s smile widened.
"It is said that he is capable of killing enemies before they can even blink. He was so fast that no one had ever seen his face on the battlefield. Thete Emperor was fond of him and wanted to make him his escort Knight--"
"Your Highness--"
Fedel immediately cut in, he knew where the conversation led. But, Alexander was unfazed by the old man''s interruption.
"However, he declined it because he had sworn his loyalty to his Lord--"
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Ignoring his words, Alexander continued his bbering.
"But I believe that his name was Fedelliam or something and he was--"
"I will heed Your orders!"
Only then the boy stopped his ttering.
"--oh?"
He pped and exuded a meaningful smile and he tilted his head.
"As expected of Damian''s head butler, you are indeed reliable!"
Instead of a meaningful smile, in his eyes, it was nothing more than a mocking grin. Fedel could feel his lips quiver in annoyance when he saw it.
Also, the story that Alexander spoke about was none other than his past! He did that on purpose! He indirectly shouted, ''I know your identity.'' out loud right to his face! Fedel let out a few coughs to alter the mood and immediately asked when a thought crossed his mind.
"If I take part in the battle, who would attend His Highness on the mountain?"
"Although I decided to leave him alone in the mountain, his safety is still our top priority."
Alexander took out a palm-sized greenish-ck ball and a small pouch from his magical sphere.
"Faellusion seed."
"That''s right. I n to nt this seed at the mountain entrance."
Fedel couldn''t help but frown, Faellusions were flowers that originated from Ardeen, the Elven Kingdom. It was a flower that emitted an illusion that made humans who entered the specific range circle endlessly in the area where it was nted.
Usually, the flowers were nted along the Elven territory to prevent trespassers as it only affects humans. To activate the Faellusion, the seed must be buried and channeled our mana to it.
After receiving a sufficient amount of mana, the flower would instantly grow and bloom. Once the bud blossomed, it would turn invisible and that was where the illusion began.
To stop the illusion was quite easy as you just need to pluck the flower from the ground. However, to see the flower, Faery Dust was needed.
Faery Dust was a dried and ground Faellusion flower. The way to use it was by rubbing the dust on your eyes and you could easily see the flower and be freed from the illusion.
Fedel nced at the pouch on Alexander''s palm, he assumed it was Faery Dust. He raised his gaze and met the boy''s golden eyes.
"Your Highness, you''re thoroughly prepared, aren''t you?"
Alexander chuckled.
"Of course, because I want everything going ording to my n."
Just¨Chow did Alexander get his hands on them? Fedel also remembered that he gave Damian a banned book. Where the hell did he get all of them? Those items were not something that an eight-year-old could afford!
Not only those items, but Fedel was also curious about who Alexander''s informant was. Howe he knew that there would be a raid here while the Emperor knew nothing about it?
Furthermore, the only one who knew his identity was Aeneas Family, and yet this kid--once again, knew. Fedel looked at the boy who was smiling at him.
''There something amiss about him.''
The boy who stood before him was not just an ordinary boy.
''He''s dangerous.''
===
Alexander looked at how the greenish-ck flower dissipated into thin air andpletely disappeared from his vision, with that, he activated the Faellusion flower. Ulrich stepped forward.
"Your Highness, it''s the time."
"Alright."
The boy turned and started to move.
''Let''s change the fate of this ce.''
Chapter 43 Ch. 43: Changing The Fate [2]
Darkness enveloped the space as ck clouds covered the moon. The lively noise of the day vanished, and changed into dead silence at night, the only sound that could be heard was owls and crickets singing together in the melody.
Rather than feeling frightened, their song was like a hymn to the knights. It had been five months here and they got used to it somehow.
The refugee camp was a wooden fort in the shape of a square and in each corner stood a watch tower. A watchman who stood inside shuddered at the chilly wind that caressed his body. He took out the booze from his magical sphere and drank it to warm up his body.
"Hm?"
He stopped drinking as he caught a glimpse of a shadow. He bent his back forward and squinted his eyes to scan the outside of the fort thoroughly, but what he found were wobbling trees.
"Maybe just my imagination."
He straightened his back and lifted his bottle to resume drinking the booze, but suddenly his body fell to the ground below and an arrow was nted in his heart.
Another watchman nced right after he heard a loud thud and what followed, he was knocked down with his head skewered by an arrow.
--Thud!
--Thud!
--Thud!
Gradually the watchmen and guards at the Refugee Camp were killed. Shortly after, shadowy figures jumped down the wooden fort and scattered throughout the camp.
ck-clothed men could be seen tip-toeing beside the giant tent. Their heads vigorously turned to every side; to ensure that no one witnessed their arrival.
However, the one at the lead was stoned and plummeted to the ground when an arrow prated his neck. The person behind him was stunned and hastily turned away to escape; he realized that the enemy had noticed their intrusion, and before he could move his feet, an arrow ran through his nape.
His mouth gouged out blood and he toppled over to the ground. Men in ck crept stealthily and opened the tent lid but what greeted him was a sword that stabbed his heart. The person behind him widened his eyes, blood dripped from his neck, and his head fell followed by its body.
Ulrich sighed when the head hit his shoes and stopped rolling. He raised his head and looked at the old man who stood not too far away from him.
"Isn''t that too excessive?"
"Which part?"
"Never mind."
Ulrich shook his head at Fedel''s brutality then pulled out his sword and sheathed it back.
"For now let''s hide their body."
Ulrich dragged the intruder''s body inside the tent but, when Fedel entered, the refugees gasped in unison. Ulrich hurriedly stepped and used his body to hide the head that was held by Fedel.
He put his index finger in front of his mouth towards them and the noise died down. Ulrich sighed and twirled his head to Fedel with a somber tone.
"Please do it moderately next time."
Honestly, Fedel didn''t know how to respond, he had fought in many wars since a young age serving his Lord, Duke Aeneas, and what he performed was out of nature. But he answered anyway.
"...alright."
With that, they resumed their activities, they ced the corpses in the corner of the tent and covered them with fabric. Ulrich took out his handkerchief and wiped the blood from his hand, but he halted and stared at his hand nkly.
"But... I''m worried about His Highness the First Prince."
Fedel greyish rolled and looked at the man beside him. Ulrich sighed and continued.
"I just hope he''s okay."
.
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.
A man wearing ck attire looked at the torches that illuminated the darkness of the fort. He had sent around a hundred men to infiltrate the camp forty minutes ago but he received no reply as if themunication between them had been cut off.
Also, the air within the Refugee Camp that was unusually calm made him more agitated. Did the enemy notice it? He turned to a man beside him.
"Any reports?"
The man shook his head.
"Send the second batch--"
He couldn''t resume his words as he and his other subordinates instantly drew their weapon to parried arrows that rained on them.
"Urg!"
"Argh!"
"Urk!"
It happened too suddenly and inevitably, some of his men were hurt and died in the ambush. Once the firing stopped, they promptly regrouped. They busily moved their eyes and swept the surroundings to locate the enemies but all they found were swaying trees.
"Ha! Hiding in the woods! You coward! Show yourself, you bastard!"
Alexander stood on the branch with his arm raised high. Unfazed by the leader''s ridicule, his golden eyes looked at them coldly. He swung his raised hand forward and a hail of arrows stormed the army below once more.
"Urrggh!"
"Huaa!!"
"Aaaargh!!"
Alexander''s face was devoid of any expression. He didn''t even blink an eye when arrows mercilessly spiked their bodies. Blood sttered and drenched the soil but Alexander remained indifferent as if the scene that was revealed before his eyes and their screams meant nothing to him.
"Show yourself your son of a bitch!"
Their leader shouted furiously once again after the firing stopped. Alexander clucked his tongue in annoyance when felt his ears ringing.
Even without him yelling like that, he and the knights would eventuallye out because they ran out of arrows. Although they had limited resources of arrows, now that a quarter of them were dead, it was worth it.
Alexander didn''t know exactly how many of them left but estimated to be around five hundred or so, at least he managed to close the gap between their troops. Perhaps, it was time for him to finish them off and Alexander jumped out of the branch.
--Thud!
All of their eyes turned to the sound and due to how dark the forest was they had no idea what it was, but it looked like someone knelt on the ground as hended. The person then stood up and a silhouette of a boy came into view.
However, what made them wary of him was not his boyish shape, but the golden eyes that shone brightly in the dark which reminded them of a predator eyeing its prey.
As the clouds that coated the moon lifted and they could dramatically see how the rays of moonlight moved slowly, bit by bit revealing him entirely.
Despite his eyes that emitted an intimidating re and domineering presence, the boy''s lips curved into an elegant smile.
All of them rolled their eyes when they heard numerous movements in the woods and one by one people wearing Chronians'' armor appeared behind the trees and above the branches.
The leader returned his attention to the ck-haired boy.
"Who are you?"
He asked in a hateful manner, yet, the boy in front of him just chuckled.
"I''m the one who will take your life."
Chapter 44 Ch. 44: Changing The Fate [3]
===
Alexander''s right palm cupped his face while his elbow rested on the table. He looked at the paper in his left hand and let out a long sigh while leaning back on the chair.
His golden eyes swept across the faces of the people sitting with him at the round table. There were five people, four Knight Lieutenants, and Ulrich.
"Alright. Let''s start this meeting."
Thanks to Sir Ulrich''s help. They seeded to make them listen to him.
"As I stated before,there will be a raid tonight. Their troops are estimated to be around eight hundred."
Alexander stopped talking and turned to the Knight Lieutenant who raised his hand. He nodded in agreement and the knight opened his mouth.
"Pardon me Your Highness, but what is the enemy aimed for by attacking us?"
Clearly speaking, he also had no idea what their ulterior motives were. From what he remembered, they seemed to prefer killing the refugees over fighting the knights.
"To ughter our people, perhaps?"
Alexander twirled his head to the owner of another voice.
"Your Highness, if that''s the case, wouldn''t it be better if we vacated this camp?"
"Evacuating two thousand people at once is not easy. Even if we evacuate them, where will they be moved to? To the mountain and let them sleep in the wild? Not to mention that the enemy must be noticed if we make such a bold move."
Only then did they shut their mouths. Moving the refugees was possible, but Alexander had no intention of doing so, because given how quick-witted that little brat was, he without a doubt grasped our current situation instantly.
Alexander didn''t want Damian to know, he nned to put him in the dark until the raid ended. This time Ulrich spoke his mind.
"So we really had no choice but to turn this camp into a battlefield?"
Alexander shook his head.
"I have no intention of turning this camp into a battlefield."
"I believe Your Highness has a n in mind."
He turned to Sir Wyatt.
"Of course, I have."
What was the point of holding a meeting if he didn''t have any strategy? What a stupid question. As no one queried him, Alexander continued.
"The n is to let the enemy infiltrate this camp."
However, the five people inside the tent shared the same expression, they were dumbfounded after hearing his n. Each of them couldn''t help but exchange nces with each other.
Didn''t he say that he didn''t want to turn the camp into a battlefield, yet he wanted them to let the enemy in? Did he possibly lose his mind?
Of course, Alexander let out a forced smile when saw their outrageous attitude. He hadn''t finished conveying his idea yet, how dare they judge him?
Then again, he was just an eight-year-old boy, and sometimes they didn''t take his words seriously. But whatever, Alexander recited the rest of the n.
"The enemy won''tnd a surprise attack on our camp, they will likely send a group to infiltrate this camp."
At least that was what the enemy did back then.
"What is Your Highness'' purpose to let them infiltrate our camp?"
Alexander nced at Ulrich.
"When they send us their men, the rest of the forces must be somewhere hiding in the forest and we will ambush them there."
Ulrich nodded his head, and now he could fully understand what Alexander''s n was. Since they couldn''t move the refugees and the enemy was after them, he decided to make this camp a and use the refugees to lure small fishes while we were out there setting a to capture bigger fishes.
Somehow it amazed Ulrich, the Prince, just an eight-year-old but he coulde out with an impressive strategy. He resumed his words.
"If it''s the idea, then we need to divide our troops."
"Yes. I n to divide them into two squads. The 1st squad is to defend this camp, and the 2nd Squad is to join in the ambush."
Alexander swiped the paper forward.
"The 1st Squad will consist of 100 archers and 200 infantry. The 2nd Squad will contain 200 archers and 300 infantry."
He put another piece of paper in front of Wyatt. For more chapters, please visit
"This is a list of weapons that will be distributed among the troops. Please prepare them right away after the meeting ends and I want everything ready before nightfall."
Wyatt looked at the paper and nodded.
"I understand."
"Then, I--"
Knowing what Ulrich would say, Alexander hastily cut him off.
"No. Sir Ulrich and you-know-who will be staying here."
"B-but Your Highness, your safety--"
"I''ll be fine. These four reliable Knight Lieutenants will be with me."
Ulrich sighed in defeat at the Prince''s firm answer.
"I will heed your orders."
Since the meeting took so much time, he decided to wrap it up.
"The strategy is, I will station the troops in the woods, and once they send their men to infiltrate our camp, please take care of them stealthy so the enemy will not notice and that will give us time to close all exits and prepare an ambush for their main army. Also, for the 2nd squad, please don''t use torches. I want our eyes to adjust to the darkness. But, leave the camp torches lit so the enemy doesn''t find it strange."
"We understand."
With that, the meeting officially ended.
===
"I''m the one who will take your life."
The leader in front of him spat on the ground.
"Ha. You stupid braggart! Do you think a little brat like you can stand a chance against me?!"
Unfazed by his insults, Alexander responded with a smile.
"Try me."
As they exchanged death res, Wyatt''s scream broke the silence.
"CHARGE!!"
"Waaahhh!"
The troop''s roar echoed throughout the forest as they passed him and rushed toward the enemy.
--Bang! --Bang! --Bang!
The moring of shing swords and the shrieking sound of pain filled the space. Somehow Alexander felt nostalgic for this kind of atmosphere, and he liked how the thick scent of blood wafted into his nostrils, the smell he longed for.
"Hahaha."
The boy chuckled and dashed to the leader of the ck-attired men. The man swung his sword at him, and a split second before his cutnded on him, suddenly a sword appeared in Alexander''s grip. He channeled his mana onto it and a loud bang was heard the moment their de collided.
"Urg."
The man''s foothold was pushed back when their sword bound. The sparks of shing metal were seen. He couldn''t help but curse inside.
''He''s just a child yet, howe he has this much power?''
Seeing how fear was creeping across the man''s face, Alexander''s smile widened.
"Why? Are you scared? When did your confidence go?"
He twisted his wrist and parried the sword away, he hastily jumped back to distance himself.
"Shut up!"
"Hahaha!"
Alexanderughed like a madman as he ran, his heart fluttered, and he enjoyed every bit of this mood.
Chapter 45 Ch. 45: Changing The Fate [4]
"Shut up!"
"Hahaha!"
Alexanderughed like a madman as he ran, his heart fluttered, and he enjoyed every bit of this mood. Sessfully closing the gap, he swung his sword and the man deflected his de.
When his weapon bounced due to the impact, he recovered it quickly andunched another sh. The man blocked the cut and stepped back to distance himself, however, the kid''s attack didn''t stop and kepting at a rapid speed.
--Bang! --Bang! --Bang!
He could feel how his wrists became numb and numbered every time he frantically fended off, yet the brat in front of him seemed greatly relished. He could see how his smile bloomed sinisterly and somehow scared him a bit.
"A mere 5th Circle dare to act arrogantly in front of me!"
He had no idea how many times had passed when he started this game of holding off attacks, but he knew for sure that his hand couldn''t take it anymore and howe this little brat didn''t look tired at all? Even by now, sweat had covered his face and fear painted hisplexion.
--Bang! --Bang! --Bang!
When he parried Alexander''sst attack, his steps stumbled and ended up rolling on the ground a few times. However, instead of standing in a fighting stance, he turned around and started running. Alexander raised one of his eyebrows, he was astonished but immediately moved his leg to catch up with him.
"Stop him!"
"Tsk."
He clucked his tongue when he saw two soldiers dash at both his side. Since they were a few meters away from him, he hastily created a half circle while running.
Suddenly, the two of them fell to the ground with clean cuts imprinted on their throats even before they could get close to Alexander. Unbothered by them, he continued to pursue the so-called leader.
"Where do you think you''re going?!"
When the distance between them decreased, Alexander sent a sh. Watching how the soldiers died weirdly before they made contact with him, he quickly ducked down and just as he had previously thought, the tree in front of him unexpectedly sliced in half and knocked over the ground.
--Boom!
A vibrate could be felt but no one cared as they were busy exchanging blows. Sweat drenched his body and he could feel how it dripped down his back rapidly. Not only did that brat possess such a monstrous power, but he also used a weird sword style!
''Just what kind of technique can cut without even touching? It''s simply terrifying!''
The man kicked the tree trunk in front of him and leaped past Alexander through the air. Seeing an opening, without wasting any time he thrust at Alexander''s back right after hended, but the soil soared up and ate his de.
The earth barrier cracked as he pulled his weapon and unbeknownst to him, three fireballs shot out through the hole. Unable to avert the attacks, the fireballs struck his body and sent the man flying.
His body rolled on the ground repeatedly and eventually stopped when his body hit a tree trunk.
"Urk!"
He coughed a mouthful of blood as he forced his body to stand up with the help of this sword. Alexander jumped and stood at the top of the earth wall that he previously made.
The boy let out a satisfied smile and his gold eyes shone brightly when he looked down at him, it was a tant mockery stared. However¡
"My lord! We were surrounded! Please run!"
Six soldiers ran toward the man and lined up to cover the man''s body.
"Tsk."
Alexander clicked his tongue. Definitely that those maggots had ruined his fun. Just, why did those small flies always get in the way?
He jumped down and they immediately rushed toward him. He sighed in annoyance, oh please, he didn''t have time for them. He just wanted to end this battle as soon as possible before that imp woke up.
Alexander channeled mana into his weapon and started to run. The sword shook and a faint magic circle was carved on its de and then swung it. A subtle sh of light swept across, followed by a strong wind passed through them.
The six of them abruptly stopped running and blood spurted from their neck. One by one their heads fell and rolled to the ground.
--Boom! --Boom! --Boom! For more chapters, please visit
The troops who were fighting stopped their activities as their footing was lost due to the tremendous vibration on the earth. They turned to the sounds, many trees were cut off, and saw how they were dramatically knocked over to the soil.
--Tap! --Tap! --Tap!
And when all of the tremors stopped, a ck-haired boy could be seen running away from the battlefield. Wyatt, who recovered from his shock, immediately shout.
"Your Highness!"
Not bothering to look at him, Alexander shouted back at him.
"I will leave them to you!"
"Wha--? I, I understand!"
He turned his attention back to the warzone and yelled.
"FINISH THEM OFF!"
"Waahh!!"
With that, the moring of shing metal was heard once more. Alexander hopped onto a tree branch and used his Wind Elemental to quicken his feet.
His eyes were busy scanning the surroundings to search for a man in ck. Alexander didn''t know how far he had gone but the cry of the battle was now changed into a dead silent night. As the corner of his eyes caught a glimpse, he instantly swung his sword and a grunt reached his ears.
He elerated his legs once more and the one he was looking for was seen staggered as he ran whilst clutching his wound on the back. He jumped down andunched another attack aimed at his leg. The man groaned and kissed the soil.
"I thought your arrogance was up to your skills, turns out it''s just yapping."
He pushed himself to get up with the aid of this weapon. He stumbled as he turned to face Alexander and this time, raised his sword.
"Shall we finish this?"
"Alright."
The boy''s smiled at the man courageously. They kicked the ground and rushed toward each other, both of them swung their swords, and a loud bang rang out when their des collided.
As the man had run out of stamina, Alexander could easily throw away his weapon and immediately stabbed his abdomen.
The sword pierced through his body and gouged out so much blood both from his mouth and the wounds. Alexander grabbed the man''s hand and twisted his sword which was still nted on his abdomen several times.
"Argh!"
Somehow his wailing sounded like a song in his ears. Feeling satisfied, Alexander pushed his body and it fell helplessly.
The man gazed nkly at the stars that scattered in the dark sky. He turned his eyes and red at Alexander with eyes full of resentment.
His chest heaved up and down because he was having trouble breathing. They exchanged nces for a few seconds before the man suddenly burst outughing.
"HAHAHA!!"
Alexander couldn''t help but frown, wondering where the man got the balls tough.
"Do you think you can stop the raid just because you killed me?"
It should have been like that, but, upon listening to this man''sst words, why did he suddenly feel uneasy?Was there something he missed? What made the man keepughing like crazy?
"Hahaha!! You fool! You followed me here is foolishness!"
However...
"NO!!"
Alexander''s scream echoed throughout the forest.
Chapter 46 Ch. 46: Screwed [1]
"Hahaha!! You fool! You followed me here is foolishness!"
However...
"NO!!"
Alexander''s scream echoed throughout the forest as he reflexively swung his sword right after the man''s hand that unexpectedly raised toward the sky.
"Arghh!! Arghh!! My hand!"
The man wailed whilst holding his hand. Although he managed to chop off his arm, he couldn''t stop the thing that he fired.
Alexander looked up at the sky and a bright red color illuminated the darkness. In the end, what he feared the most unfolded before his eyes.
"Arrggh! Argh! Aaaahahahah!!"
He lowered his head only to find the dying manughing boisterously. Alexander''s teeth chattered and the hand that held the weapon shook violently.
Couldn''t contain his anger any longer, he stabbed the man''s throat and the space shifted into dead silence as hisughter dispersed. His body slumped lifelessly and thick red liquid drenched the soil.
He pulled out his sword and shed it to remove the blood from its de. He stared up once again and the rosy re still radiated in the dark sky.
He clucked his tongue in annoyance and turned to start running. He nced at his Telesphere and immediately called out Ulrich. Not long after, the young man on the other side answered.
// Your Highness? //
"Sir Ulrich! The n had failed! Please--"
// Kyaaa!!! //
// Uwaaaa!! //
Before Alexander could convey his word, he was cut off by multiple screams.
"Sir Ulrich! What is happening there?!"
// Your Highness, we''re-- //
--Tuut! --Tuut! --Tuut!
Alexander clenched his fist tightly, he leaped to the nearest branch, and quickened his feet with Wind Elemental. It seemed the enemy hadunched an attack on the Refugee Camp.
Damn that man, he lured him so they couldmence an ambush without him interfering. At first, Alexander thought that the foe would surrender once he killed the leader, but he was naive and they were persistent with their n.
After hopping from one branch to another for quite some time, he eventually felt numerous presences appearing up ahead. Sensing something rushed toward him, he peeked upward and gleaming lights were seen.
He jumped down and five arrows jabbed his previous stepping branch. Didn''t let Alexander rest, another came and Alexander easily diverted them. Realizing that their attack was useless they decided to charge at him.
--Tap! --Tap! --Tap!
ck-attired men sprinted in his direction and Alexander''s golden eyes gazed at them indifferently. He channeled his mana into his weapon and the sword in his hand emitted a faint light before it trembled violently followed by a magic circle engraved on his de. When the distance between them decreased, he cut through the air.
A gust blew past them and strangely one by one they started to fall to the ground with their bodies sliced in half. The survivors halted their steps upon witnessing a gruesome scene and theirplexion turned pale.
They hadn''t reached up to him yet and half of them suddenly died like that, their heads went nk; they couldn''tprehend what had just urred. Wasting no more time, Alexander started another attack, and what happened afterward was no different from the previous.
With that, he annihted the opponents before him. A fishy smell mixed with a woody scent as blood soaked the soil. For more chapters, please visit
Honestly speaking, it didn''t matter how many of them came after him, what worried him was the well-being of the people in the camp because his n had gone awry.
The enemy''s actual troops were more than eight hundred and it seemed like they didn''t use the entire army to attack the Refugee Camp in his previous life which wrecked his entire strategy.
''I must hurry!''
The moment Alexander readily moved, a pping was heard.
--p! --p! --p!
He turned and instantly leaped when something at an incredible speed flickered toward him.
--Boom!
The ground exploded and dust covered the surrounding area. Alexandernded on his knees and narrowed his eyes at the falling debris around the shattered earth.
A silhouette of arge man straightening his back came into view, somehow his figure was resembling that of a bear or a gori.
"ck-haired boy with golden eyes. I heard the first Prince of this Empire was just a useless bastard, but who would know that the brat was able to perform a long-lost technique, Elemental Sword."
When the dirt dispersed, a huge muscr man entered his view. Completely ignoring him, Alexander eyed the man from head to toe. tinum blonde hairbined with reddish eyes and suntanned skin.
He wore a turtle-neck sleeveless shirt, tactical pants, shoes, and gloves in ck colors. He tilted his head to both sides and cracking sounds were heard, he punched his palm several times while looking at Alexander with eyes full of interest.
"Entertain me, kid!"
The Prince''s pupils were wide open as the big guy suddenly appeared before him.
--Boom!
A mini crater was formed on the forest floor as Alexandernded a few meters away from him. If he was a split secondte, he without a doubt would be a pulp.
Even though his body wasrge, it didn''t affect his speed at all. Alexander jumped and the earth beneath him blew up once more. This action repeated for some time.
"Stop hopping like a bug and fight me, you scoundrel!"
He couldn''t help but frown.
''Just who is this guy?''
This gori-like-man didn''t show up at the raid in the past and he had never met him even when he hunted the remnants of Yovannians back then, he simply had no idea.
If he was this strong, there was no way Alexander would forget about him because he always memorized worthy foes. Also, the mask he wore made it difficult to recognize his face.
Alexander funneled his mana into the sword and patiently waited. The moment the guy in ck-attired shot toward him, he bounced backward and sent numerous shes in the air.
As the man punched the soil, his attack sessfully hit him and dust spread into the space. However, right after the dirt that filled the scenery was dismissed, the sight presented before him made Alexander dazed.
In contrast to those who instantly sliced after receiving his blow, the man stood straight and his body was still intact. Albeit the blood spurted out from cuts that covered his body, he didn''t seem bothered by the wounds and did not let out a single shriek of pain.
However, what happened next made Alexander widen his eyes and he was beyond shocked. Smokes rose from the man''s wounds and he could see how they slowly closed. The man jeered as his body was nowpletely healed, devoid of any single scratch.
''What in the world is he?''
Chapter 47 Ch. 47: Screwed [2]
"Hahaha!!"
The man dashed whileughing wickedly. This time, instead of punching the ground, he followed Alexander when he jumped.
As both of them floated in the air, he swung his fist. Knowing that his attack was inevitable, Alexander covered his face with both arms and enhanced them with mana.
--Whack!
The boy''s body flung onto the forest floor and a loud thud sound was heard followed by dust spreading in the space. Debris was falling around Alexander who tried to get up with the aid of his sword, however...
"Cough! Cough!"
He halted midway and threw up a mouthful of blood. Even though he coated his entire body with mana, it didn''t help much as the impact of the punch hurt the hell out of him.
It seemed he had broken ribs and internal organs injured. The mannded perfectly on the ground and looked at him indifferently.
Seeing his ability to heal in an instant, somehow reminded him of ''them'', albeit it wasn''t exactly the same as their skill, but it was somehow quite simr. Alexander eyed him as he straightened his back.
"You''re... from that society, aren''t you?"
"So you knew about us?"
''Wait--What?''
Alexander was perplexed, it was just a wild guess but unexpectedly he was a member of that organization! He couldn''t help but frown, however, their regeneration abilities were somewhat different.
The one he fought in his previous timeline was more advanced than the man before him, or maybe this man was a prototype of their technology?
But now everything became apparent and it exined why his n waspletely ruined and the reason why there were so many troops in the woods. In fact, the soldiers were not Yovannians, but people of the shady organization.
There were only two ways for Yovannians to step foot in the Chrono Empire: the first was by sea but since many ships were patrolling, there was no way they would not get caught while escorting a thousand soldiers.
The second was bynd, it was impossible to cross the Forest of T¨¨ras because it counted as suicide, and turned out, shitty people had joined hands with another rotten bastard. Alexander clenched his fist, how dare they wreaked havoc in this Empire!
Still, Alexander couldn''tprehend why they lent them a hand; there was no way they would be willing to help if there was nothing in return and all they wanted was ''those items''. When Dariush sent him to Yovanny''s Kingdom in his previous life, he found nothing valuable there, or maybe Loewy had given them ''the stuff''?''
"Hehehe."
Alexander came back to his senses as the man chuckled.
"That''s good. Now, I have a reason to kill you."
He let out a scornfulugh and he darted to him. Alexander summoned four earth-spiked walls rowing beside him and let one of them glide toward the man. Once it loomed, he hastily smashed it without stopping his step.
--Boom!
The barrier crumbled down and ashes danced around. Alexander''s golden eyes watched how his bleeding knuckles gave off faint smoke and his wounds slowly healed. He sent another wall and the man immediately lifted his arm once more, then punched it.
--Boom!
He ran past the fog of dirt and Alexander smirked upon delivering the remaining barriers.
--Boom!
The first thorny earthen wall shattered, Alexander took out a bottle of green liquid and poured it onto his de. Once his ears caught footsteps that wereing closer, he quickly funneled his mana into the sword and both of them swung their weapons.
--Boom!
Right after the second earth broke down, his fist was greeted by the boy''s thrust attack. For more chapters, please visit
--Sliced!
Although Alexander could only make a single cut on his palm, it didn''t matter to him as it wasn''t what he aimed for. Also, his body was as hard as steel and not to mention that his Ranks were higher than him. Blood dripped from the wound and they red at each other intently.
However, the moment Alexander saw the vapor that came out from the scar, he drew his sword away but before he could distance himself, a hand grabbed his neck and lifted his body.
"Urk!"
Regardless he was choked, Alexander remained unchanged and stared coldly at him. However, suddenly the man froze and let go of his neck when he felt a wave of unbearable pain in his hand.
"Aaarrghh!!"
A wailing echoed throughout the forest as he clutched his wrist. Alexandernded perfectly on the ground and used this opportunity to manipte the earth under his feet to soar upwards.
Once it passed his height, Alexander jumped down behind him and shed his back. Blood oozed from the injury and he hurriedly backed away.
"Aaarrgghh!!
The man twirled and red at him with his bloodshot eyes.
"What the hell did you do to me?!"
He shouted furiously while clenching his palm. Alexander lowered sight and his lips tugged when he saw his hand had turned ck like charcoal.
"You--you¡ª!! Aarrghh!!"
He groaned once again and Alexander''s smile boarded, somehow the man''s weep sounded like a symphony in his ears.
It was a good thing that he prepared beforehand in case he met with people from that crazy society. But he never expected to meet one of them this early.
But whatever, he truly enjoyed his roar ofmenting¡ªor not. His golden eyes were forced to widen when the man suddenly appeared in front of him and pinned Alexander on the ground by his neck.
¡ªBang!
"You lowly bastard!"
The red liquid flowed around Alexander''s head.
"Cough, cough!"
He emitted a cough as the man clenched him tighter.
¡ªBoom!
Unexpectedly, a huge wall hit the man''s body and sent him rolling several times. Alexander instantly got up and hopped to the nearest tree branch.
He stroked his head whilst gasping for air and blood was visible on his palm. He was d that the floor was soil, it would lead to another story if it was stone.
"Haa¡ Haa¡ Haa¡"
He just realized how reckless he was, and although he seeded in injecting poison to mess up his regeneration, he shouldn''t be overjoyed as the battle hadn''t ended yet. Alexander nced and the man was seen straightening his posture.
The man spat bloody saliva on the ground while looking at him. Somehow it was terrifying, even the toxin didn''t affect his speed and strength. Also, Alexander had no idea when this fight would end, because his mana was running low.
He breathed out a long sigh and both of them channeled their mana. They prepared themselves for theirst fight.
Chapter 48 Ch. 48: Screwed [3]
Breezes swept through the area and the buzzing leaves filled the surrounding area. The man stood on guard stance and soon brass knuckles appeared on his hands. Alexander couldn''t help but smirk, albeit his body was muscr, surprisingly he wasn''t a muscle-head.
He noticed something suspicious with his enemy''s de and decided to use a weapon to confront him. Since Elemental Sword didn''t work against him, Alexander decided to pour his mana onto his feet to match his speed.
Not long after, the two flickered and left their previous footing with swaying dust.
--Bang!
They suddenly materialized on the ground with their weapons collided and metallic sparks created around their shing weapons. The man used both of his weapons to block Alexander''s attack and shoved his de away.
"Urg!"
Alexander stumbled a few steps backward and of course, going against him in terms of power was not a wise choice. He hastily stabilized his feet and swung his sword diagonally aimed at his head.
--Bang!
The man stopped his strike with just one hand and Alexander gritted his teeth when saw his attack being shut off effortlessly. He immediately drew his sword the moment the corner of his eyes saw a flying fist.
--Bang!
Alexander was forced to pull his sword a split second right after he stopped his attack as another fist came.
--Bang!
And the man flung his punch at Alexander without warning.
--Bang! --Bang! --Bang!
They exchanged blows at an incredible velocity and the only thing visible in the darkness was their weapons which spat out flickering fire dust and scraping metal. However, as Alexander was about to block his attack, unexpectedly the man raised his knee and kicked him in the waist.
"Urk!"
He puked out a red liquid before his body shot away.
--Bang!
Eventually, he stopped once his back hit a tree trunk.
"Cough!"
He vomited another handful of blood. Regardless of how hurt his body was, Alexander forced his body to roll sideways.
--Bang!
A hole was created in the tree trunk just after his punchnded and Alexander hopped onto a nearby branch.
"Haa... Haa... Haa..."
He gasped heavily as he eyed him from above. The man jerked his hand off the tree and spun toward him, his red eyes furiously ring at him. He hurriedly stood on a left-hanging guard stance as his brain signaled a dangerous siren.
"Haa... Haa... Haa..."
Alexander''s stamina and mana ran low, even his vision started to blur. His body hurt a lot and it was only a matter of time before his manapletely dried out. The man disappeared, he blinked before him andunched his attack.
--Bang!
Alexander seeded in blocking his attack, however, as he was toote to draw his sword, his other hand grabbed him by the neck.
"Urk!"
The man pushed forward and pinned his body on the tree trunk. Alexander let go of his sword and used the remaining power to remove his clenching hand away. The man raised his arm and swung his fist.
''Am I going to die?''
But before itnded, a woman''s voice was heard.
"Stop."
His fist stopped just a few millimeters away from Alexander''s head.
"Huh?!"
He snorted angrily and turned to the source. After discovering who it was, he returned to the boy that he had strangled. Ignoring her words, he raised his arm once again but halted midway.
"Let him go."
He stared at the golden eyes before him with his death re and suffocated him more powerfully.
"Cough! Cough!"
Alexander panted heavily when his lungs could no longer ess oxygen.
"Don''t make me repeat."
"Tsk." For more chapters, please visit
He clucked his tongue in annoyance and released his clutch. Alexander slumped to the branch and suddenly his stomach was kicked.
"Urk!"
--Thud!
The boy''s body fell t on the ground.
"Cough! Cough!"
Alexander threw up a mouthful of blood. He looked upward and his shaded vision caught a woman''s figure. Her long red hair danced with the wind, and even though he couldn''t see her face due to being shaded by the leaves, he knew who she was. He clutched the soil tightly and gritted his teeth.
''That woman! It''s her!''
The man on the branch vanished and reappeared beside the woman.
"That brat knew about us."
"That''s because you showed yourself, right?"
He bit his tongue as he couldn''t refute it, but still opened his mouth.
"That''s because he used the long-lost technique! Elemental Sword!"
"Hm?"
She turned to Alexander whilst humming in curiosity and their eyes locked each other. She emitted a smile while looking at him interestingly.
"That''s why sis, we must kill him."
She shook her head.
"Nah, we''vepleted our mission. We''re going back."
"But--"
"The Emperor won''t stay still if one of his heirs died and--"
Her red eyes nced down and his ckened area had now reached the elbow.
"We need to treat your wounds as soon as possible, and it seems his reinforcement ising."
A faint cry of soldiers could be heard and in the end, he gave up.
"Alright."
She nodded and nced at the boy who was lying.
"We''ll meet again, Prince."
She spoke with a yful tone and winked at Alexander. With that, the two of them disappeared into thin air. He couldn''t help but flop his head on the forest floor and breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Haaa..."
Alexander rolled sideways and now he faced the night sky and somehow, the stars looked so bright today. But damn--
''I thought I was going to die!''
Although he trained days and nights, he couldn''t even defeat their prototype.
"Tsk."
He clucked his tongue in annoyance. It seemed he needed to reevaluate his training once all of this shit was over. He took out Elixir and Tonic from his magical sphere and drank the medicine.
He was just d that the amount of mana to open it was considerably low and after a few minutes of waiting, his aching body started to diminish bit by bit. He got on his feet and drank his Tonic to replenish some of his energy. However...
"Your Highness!"
Alexander turned to the voice, Wyatt and the soldiers were seen moving toward him. However, he couldn''t help but frown once they arrived before him.
''What the hell are they doing here?''
"We greet the future Sun of the Empire!"
They gave Alexander a sword salute and Wyatt took a step closer, then bent his back lightly.
"Your Highness, it is such an honor to be able to fight under your wings! Upon seeing Your Highness'' great chivalrousness, we feel at ease because the Empire''s future is without a doubt, certainly bright!"
At this point, he was perplexed and ended up dropping his bottle in his hand.
''Just what in the world got into him?''
Chapter 49 Ch. 49: Is Fate Unchangeable? [1]
After defeating the Yovannian army, Wyatt and the rest of the knights marched to follow Alexander who pursued the enemy leader.
Luckily, the moon shone brightly tonight, so they didn''t have any problem with their eyesight and ultimately, they managed to spot the one they were looking for.
However, their steps all came to a halt the moment they witnessed the scenery before them. Corpses were strewn on the ground with their body parts butchered. A woody scent mixed with a fishy smell filled the space as their blood soaked the soil beneath.
Wyatt returned his gaze to Alexander who was standing whilst drinking a Tonic and eventually nodded his head several times in satisfaction. As expected of the future Sun of the Empire, he only needed a bottle of Tonic after ying this many troops alone. Wyatt rolled his feet and stood in front of the soldiers.
"Listen, Knights! Engrave this magnificent view before you. This is His Highness the first Prince''s heroism! He fearlessly ughtered this many enemies only by himself to protect the people!"
"Whoa!!"
"He is the Young Lion of Our Empire!"
"Whoa!!
With that, they resumed their steps and approached him.
"Your Highness!"
Alexander turned to the voice, Wyatt and the soldiers were seen moving toward him. However, he couldn''t help but frown once they arrived before him.
''What the hell are they doing here?''
"We greet the future Sun of the Empire!"
They gave Alexander a sword salute and Wyatt took a step closer, then bent his back lightly.
"Your Highness, it is such an honor to be able to fight under your wings! Upon seeing Your Highness'' great chivalrousness, we feel at ease because the Empire''s future is without a doubt, certainly bright!"
At this point, he was perplexed and ended up dropping his bottle in his hand. His stomach churned and wanted to puke for some reason.
"Your Highness, we have returned and are waiting for your next order!"
''Just what in the world got into him?''
Alexander immediately massaged his nose bridge to alleviate his rage while beckoning them to stop their action.
''This is not the time to be angry. They must be just worried. That''s all.''
After collecting himself, he opened his mouth.
"Sir Wyatt, we need to talk."
"As you wish."
After they moved a bit far away from the soldiers, Alexander spoke in a low tone.
"Did Sir Ulrich contact you somehow?"
He shook his head.
"I''m afraid not."
Alexander sighed a long deep breath.
"Sir Wyatt, the n has failed."
He was stunned, and surprise decorated his face. Alexander''s n waspletely shattered, thanks to that damn cunning woman. She was one of many strategists in that shitty society. Even in his previous life, that woman was such a pain in the ass, then he continued.
"The enemy forces exceeded more than a thousand and we must return to the Camp as soon as possible. But please, don''t make them panic because our morale is quite high."
He nodded firmly and they strode back to the Knights. As soon as they arrived, Wyatt stood before them and gave a light speech.
"We have sessfully eliminated the enemy in this forest and now we have to go back to ourrades in the camp in case they need our help. Do you understand?!"
"Whoaa!!"
The knights roared whilst raising their swords.
"Now, CHARGE!!"
"Whoaa!!"
They turned around and started to run toward the Refugee Camp. Alexander approached the old man.
"Sir Wyatt, thank you so much." For more chapters, please visit
"It''s my pleasure."
He bowed and Alexander nodded in response. He straightened his back and looked at the boy with sparkling eyes.
"Your Highness, you are indeed a man with caliber! Your Highness even seems fine after ying so many enemies!"
Alexander deafened his ears as he didn''t want to hear his babbling anymore and clucked his tongue inwardly.
''Can''t he stop this? It''s started getting on my nerves.''
Ignoring his words, he hurriedly changed the subject.
"Sir Wyatt, could you piggyback me?"
"Pardon?"
He looked perplexed.
"You know, I nearly died a few minutes ago. Can I ride your back?"
Although his internal injuries began to heal little by little, and half of his stamina was refilled, his mana core was still empty. However, the man before him suddenly burst intoughter.
"Hahaha!! I didn''t expect that Your Highness is capable of making such a funny joke."
Alexander shut his mouth tightly and facepalmed himself.
''Did he really think that was a joke? Yea, whatever.''
He needed to replenish his Mana Core because this battle wasn''t over yet and with Wyatt carrying him, he could refill mana while moving, albeit it was just a little.
"Give me your back."
Wyatt turned and crouched before him.
"It is such an honor--"
"Yes, yes."
Alexander rode his back and soon after Wyatt started running.
...
The smell of burning began to fill their nostrils, they looked up and a hue of orange illuminated the night sky.
"Your Highness... That''s..."
"Put me down."
Wyatt lowered himself. Alexander gritted his teeth and jumped down.
"Sir Wyatt, I''ll go ahead."
He put Wind Elemental at his feet and leaped onto a nearby branch.
"Your Highness, please wait!"
Alexander hopped from one to another at an incredible speed. Luckily, ? of his mana had recovered and since he had no time to waste, he moved as fast as he could.
The closer he got to the Refugee Camp, the hotter the atmosphere he could feel and he eventually halted his step. Alexander was stoned by the sight that he was seeing right now.
The Refugee Camp was engulfed in mes. The rasping colliding swords and the soldiers'' moring could be heard vividly from outside.
¨CBam!
Alexander punched the tree trunk next to him and leaves fell around him. Blood slid down from his mouth as he bit his lip tightly.
''After everything that I have done, is changing fate something impossible to do?''
His chest heaved up and down and his eyes burned with rage. He jumped down and ran towards the burning camp. It seemed the Knights had entered because he didn''t see them anywhere.
However, right after he arrived at the entrance of the camp, he was stunned as if the lightning had struck down on him. His fury dissipated into thin air and even the congration that happened before his eyes suddenly meant nothing to him.
There, his golden eyes interlocked with a pair of blue eyes that red at him furiously. A white-haired boy stood amidst the battlefield.
''Fuck.''
Chapter 50 Ch. 50: Is Fate Unchangeable? [2]
"Urg."
I woke up with a sharp pain in my nape. I tried to open my eyes, but what I found was pitch darkness.
My heart was ready to jump out when I thought that I returned to that damned ce, luckily it didn''t happen as I could feel mana swarming around.
"Haaa..."
I could only breathe a sigh of relief.
"But where is this? It''s so dark here."
I raised my arm above and my fingers touched something cold.
"Is that earth?"
I channeled mana to my Elemental, but as soon as the dome that surrounded me slid down, I was dumbfounded. The sound of shing weapons and the moring of the knights greeted my ears.
It was without a doubt... war.
I gritted my teeth and my hands shook violently. Now I remembered why I ended up passing out. It was Alexander! It was that bastard! Now everything started to make sense!
The reason why he got angry at the luncheon--
Wait.
No--It didn''t make sense at all. How in the world did he know about the impending attack even before we got here?
No wonder he didn''t do the task the Emperor gave us and kept himself busy with the Knights! Turns out the raid was true! I couldn''t help but furrow in confusion.
''How did he know? Is he someone who knows the future?''
However, I hastily shook my head.
''Now is not the time to dwell on unreasonable events.''
But still...
"Ha!"
I snorted in disbelief.
''That bastard!''
I looked down and found a nket that my eyes were familiar with. My hands clutched it tightly, so tight that my knuckles went white. I vividly recalled what he said to me.
''Just what do you think you can do with your stick-like figure?!''
''Stick-life figure, huh.''
I got up on my feet while holding the nket.
''There won''t be any raid here.''
''''Won''t?'' It happened, you bastard.''
I threw the fabric away to the ground out of rage.
"Goddammit Alexander!"
I shouted as loud as I could.
"Am I really such a useless person in your eyes?! To the point that knocked me out and left me on the mountain?!"
My chest heaved up and down as I vent my anger and with that, I channeled my mana to my feet and began running down the mountain.
Luckily, tonight was a full moon so I had no problems with my eyesight. After many minutes of sprinting, I finally arrived at the entrance of the mountain foot and I elerated my pace.
--Tap --Tap --Tap
Yet...
I stopped running and a frown manifested on my forehead. I had been running for more than fifteen minutes or so, but I was nowhere near the camp! For more chapters, please visit
Frankly speaking, with only five minutes on foot, I should have arrived at the Refugee Camp but here I was, still in the forest!
''I''ve been here many times in thest two days, and there''s no way I''ve forgotten about the route!''
I swept the surroundings thoroughly, and to my surprise, nothing seemed off or bizarre. The scenery before me remained the same in my eyes, just like the first time I got here.
But, what took me so long? Why did it feel like I was circling endlessly? As if someone put me in an illusion--no.
Wait.
I think there was an item that could emit a hallucination and make you lost in the woods. If I wasn''t mistaken, there was a flower named Faellusion.
"Ha! Ahaha!"
Started with a scoff, then I continued tough. I gritted my teeth in hatred, to think that he nted a Faellusion just to prevent me froming down the mountain, he really did anything at his disposal to ditch me, huh?
''I''m ttered, my dear brother!''
Lucky me, I knew how to escape here without Faery Dust, and since he did this with all his heart, shouldn''t I give him a surprise in return?
It was written in the novel that: [The way to fight illusion is to fight it with reality.]
In order to break out from the illusion, I needed to see the reality within this mirage. I was just d that the novel was written from a God perspective--I mean, a third viewpoint and so, I knew everything that Alexander didn''t.
I funneled mana to my Elemental and a magic circle formed on the grass.
--Szzz
Water began to emerge from the ground and flooded the mountain entrance. I controlled it until the water became steady and calm.
Now I could clearly see how the big tree in front of me was painted as a footpath on the water.
''It''s time to look for the flower.''
I hastily swept my eyes to every corner and finally, I caught a glimpse of a red flower shaped like a lily--just like the book described it. I rolled my feet and put my hand on the flower.
Although right now it seemed like I was holding nothing, the reflection below said otherwise. It was printed that I grasped a flower and instantly jerked it.
The scenery before me faded as the illusion dissipated and the water seeped back into the soil. I turned my gaze to the palm of my hand, and a withered red lily was seen.
''This is indeed a Faellusion.''
I clenched the flower in my hand with all the hatred I got, then threw it on the ground.
"Alexander you bastard!"
But I eventually picked up the flower and put it in my magical sphere. There was no way I would toss such a valuable item.
Now that I think about it, this was the first time that the novel helped me out. However...
Just where the hell did he get the flower? It originated from the Elven Kingdom! Not to mention that Ardeen was a picky trader!
''The uncanniness of Alexander is endless!''
"Haa..."
I sighed and massaged my nose bridge.
''I''ll put everything aside. For now, there is something more important than that; the lives of the people in the Refugee Camp!''
And without wasting any time, I descended from the mountain and made my way to the camp through the back gate.
Nevertheless, my steps came to a halt, and the rage that I tried so hard to subside, was now starting anew.
He was stoned the moment our eyes met as if he had just witnessed a corpseing back to life. Shock, confusion, and panic covered his damned handsome face.
It seemed he really enjoyed my present (presence), huh.
''Surprise! You motherfucker!''
Chapter 51 Ch. 51: Is Fate Unchangeable? [3]
I clenched my fist and a sword manifested on my palm as I took it out from the magical sphere. Ignoring the ck-haired boy who had yet to recover from his shock, I ran to the right side where the refugee section was located.
"Aargh!"
"Whoaa!!"
"Urg!"
The moring of the soldiers and shing weapons filled the surroundings. Orange hue dyed the area as me became their source of light.
I witnessed how their necks were stabbed by swords, how their blood sttered and drenched the soil, how their eyes were pierced by arrows, how their limbs were cut off, and how their lifeless bodies one by one fell to the ground while I was running.
Although my stomach churned, I tried my best to calm it down. I had to keep my eyes wide open, so I could get used to all of these kinds of sights.
--Bang!
I deflected an arrow that approached me as I sprinted and titled my head sideways when another came in.
However, my steps came to an abrupt halt when someone grabbed my forearm. I turned to the culprit and a pair of golden eyes that burned with hatred red at me. He shouted furiously.
"Where do you think you''re going?!"
"Don''t touch me!"
I jerked my arm out from his grip and began to run again, however, before I could make any move, his hand yanked my shoulder and I was forced to face him.
"This is not a yground for a kid like you!"
I pped his hand away and snapped back at him.
"Am I really that useless in your eyes?!"
"..."
He didn''t reply and just stared deadly at me with his chest heaving up and down.
''To be honest, I don''t understand why he''s mad at me, aren''t I the one who should be angry instead of him?''
His eyes moved and suddenly shoved me to the side.
--Bang!
He parried an arrow that came from my back. However...
"Alex!"
I pushed him and my hand reflexively went for a thrust.
--St!
My eyes were widening when red liquid sshed right on my face and I drew my sword that was nted on someone''s neck. I staggered backward as he fell on the ground and his blood soaked the soil.
''Ahh... I murdered... a man...''
Even though I killed Trickster, it was not directly like this. Somehow, this one left a bitter and unpleasant aftertaste in my heart. I had no idea what happened but I could feel my body swaying left and right.
"--snap out of it!"
I was startled when I regained consciousness. I lifted my head and Alexander''s back was facing me.
--Bang!
--Bang!
He parried every arrow that shot toward us.
"Argh!"
I nced sideways and a soldier was seen falling with his neck pierced by a dagger. I swept my surroundings but what I found were knights battling everywhere.
"Listen Ian--"
Alex turned and grabbed my shoulders, he looked at me with his wild eyes.
"--I know you want to help the people here, but this is not the time! You''re--"
"Shut up!"
I smashed his hands off and he stopped speaking. We red at each other fiercely, fearlessly. He lifted his sword without removing his eyes from mine.
--Bang!
An arrow stabbed the earth below as he diverted it.
"Answer me, Alex. Am I such a burden--"
"Yes. You''re a dead weight in my eyes!!"
He cut me in an instant.
"Ha!"
I couldn''t help but scoff at his bluntness.
"I hate you."
With that, I whirled my back and started running.
"Ian!" For more chapters, please visit
Ignoring his shouting, I elerate my pace.
"Die!!"
Noticing that an enemy dashed at me, I swung my sword.
--Bang!
Our swords collided and I shoved his weapon away. The moment his sword was thrown, I immediately stabbed his neck which was visible between the gaps in the armor.
Blood poured from his wound after I pulled my sword out, and he slumped to the ground. I nced up and an arrow rushed at me at a rapid speed.
My eyes widened and I hurriedly lifted my weapon. Although, I realized that it was toote, I--
--Bang!
A knife flew in and averted the arrow that almost struck my body. My brows furrowed and I scanned the area once more.
''That was the second time I saw the same dagger. Is someone secretly watching me? But, who?''
However, I quickly rolled forward when multiple arrows charged at me at the same time, I immediately got myself up and began sprinting again.
ck smoke was seen rising high in the air and the atmosphere grew hot and hotter as I approached the refugee section.
Once I arrived, I was greeted by the congration as most of the tents were set on fire. Luckily, there weren''t many enemies here.
There, I could see people--who I assumed were doctors trying to help extinguish the me with Water Elemental.
Still, it was pointless since fire arrows kept raining down; they were shot from outside the refugee camp.
I didn''t know the situation because I joined the battle in the middle, but it seemed wecked men''s power since they didn''t mind sending any knights to stop the enemy''s archers outside.
In order to put down the fire, first, we have to stop the fire arrows froming here. But, is there a way to stop them without eliminating their archers?
No--
''There''s a way to stop them.''
"Haaa..."
I took a deep breath to prepare myself. However, unexpectedly someone snatched my forearm and dragged me away. I looked up to see who it was and the ck-haired boy came into view.
''What a coincidence.''
I nted my feet on the ground and we suddenly stopped moving. He turned to me, his eyes still zing in rage somehow.
I tried to open my mouth but he cut me right away.
"Yes. You are useless, you are a burden and you are a dead weight. Satisfied?"
My lips quivered upon listening to his harsh and blunt words. I tried my best not to be provoked.
"Now let''s get the fuck out of here."
He tried to pull me once again, but I refused to move. He spun towards me and opened his mouth, however, I cut him.
"Ian--!"
"Alex, do you want me to trust you?"
He shut his mouth and his brows furrowed, confusion dyed his face.
"What are you--"
"Protect me."
"What?"
As he was perplexed, I removed his hand gently.
"You hear me well."
Even though this section had fewer enemies, I couldn''t leave myself unattended since the magic I was trying to cast required tremendous focus and time.
I nced at where the fire arrows wereing from and ran to the center of the refugee section.
"Ian wait!"
Without me looking back, I knew Alexander followed me and once I arrived, I started to intonate my incantation inwardly.
¨CBang!
¨CBang!
My ears caught how Alex deflected every arrow that came toward us, somehow it reassured me that he was protecting me.
After a few minutes of chanting, I could vividly feel a liquid slide down from my nostril and my senses started to fade away bit by bit.
I heard Alexander''s voice, albeit it was faint and barely audible, but I could tell that he was growling in anger.
"Ian. Stop. Right. Now."
Ignoring hisint, I continue to recite inside.
"Goddammit, Damian! Stop it!"
Chapter 52 Ch. 52: Is Fate Unchangeable? [4]
"I hate you."
Damian turned around and ran.
"Ian!"
But before he could follow him, the enemy rushed toward Alexander.
¨CBang!
The boy deflected the sword away and sent a diagonal sh to his throat. Blood spurted out and he fell to the ground. Sensing a presence behind him, Alexander spun and made a thrust.
"Urg!"
His sword prated the man''s heart and he died while standing.
He peeked out the corner of his eyes when another wasing in, however, the soldier suddenly slumped down after a dagger pierced his neck.
A ck figurended behind Alexander and walked leisurely to the corpse he had just killed. He pulled out the dagger and red liquid was seen dripping from it. Fedel turned to the boy whilst swinging his knife to get rid of the blood.
"Mind telling me, how did he manage to descend the mountain?"
"You should have seen my face the moment I saw him."
Alexander said sarcastically. He drew his sword which was stuck in a standing corpse and it stumbled over the soil.
"Must be an amusing sight."
"I''ll bet."
While they were chit-chatting, three soldiers came and surrounded them.
"Need a hand?"
"Nah, you better watch that brat."
"Alright. Good luck."
Fedel leaped up and disappeared. Alexander swept his surroundings as they were circling him with their sword pointing at him.
Honestly speaking, it would be over in a split second if he had more mana to cast out the Elemental Sword, but unfortunately, his mana remained low.
''Great. So, I''m a full-fledged swordsman now?''
"Whoaa!!"
The three of them rushed in unison, Alexander kicked a man''s chest on his left side and sent him stumbling backward. He twisted his body and hastily lifted his sword to defend against two attacks that came at him.
¨CBang!
Their des collided. Sensing the soldier he kicked dashed at him, Alexander shoved their weapon away and spun around tond a stab on the man''s neck.
"Urg!"
Alexander drew his sword and hopped backward as the two remaining men shed vertically at him. The moment he floated in the air, a dagger appeared in his left hand and he immediately threw it forward.
"Argh!"
One of them plummeted to the ground soon after the knife shot by Alexander jabbed his forehead. In anger that hisrades died, he promptly made a diagonal cut; aimed at the boy''s neck right after hended
¨CBang!
Alexander effortlessly blocked the attack and as their de bound, he sneakily took out a dagger, then stabbed the opponent''s abdomen.
"Argh!"
The man in front of him growled in pain but before he could make any attempt to retreat, Alexander sliced his throat. Blood sttered and he fell below.
"Haa..." For more chapters, please visit
Alexander sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair.
''How troublesome.''
He turned in the direction Damian had gone and started running.
...
Fedelnded behind a tent and matched his pace with Damian. He could see how the boy stopped a sword that wasing at him skillfully.
He pushed the de away and fearlessly thrust his sword into the man''s neck. Fedel nodded his head in satisfaction. Looked like the kitty had evolved into a lion--or not.
Fedel couldn''t help but massage his temples. Damian was now seen to be immersed in watching the corpse he just killed rather than minding his surroundings.
It seemed Damian had turned into a cat instead of a lion! However, upon seeing an arrow that flew toward the boy, he quickly threw his dagger to deflect it.
¨CBang!
Soon, he hid his body behind the tent when Damian scanned the area, looking for him. But then again, his reaction after killing a man improved somehow, unlike the first one, and Fedel believed that he would get used to it. That brat just needed some experience.
He peeked out and saw Damian rolled forward to dodge arrows that rained on him. He began to sprint once again and Fedel shadowed him. Not long after, Alexander came into view and approached the boy.
He yanked Damian''s forearm and dragged him away. They seemed like arguing about something but unexpectedly, Alexander willingly followed Damian from behind and they headed to the center of the refugee section.
¨CBang! ¨CBang!
Alexander parried every arrow that shot toward them. To be honest, he didn''t know what Damian meant by protecting him, however, he knew that this brat must be plotting something.
Since the imp didn''t want to leave and persistently wished to help the refugees, Alexander decided to give him a chance and proceed with his n, although he had no idea what it was.
¨CBang!
Alexander diverted a fire arrow that rushed to them. Besides, the reward he would get after protecting this brat was kinda tempting to his ears. It was not a bad proposal.
However, after a few minutes had passed, he instantly regretted his decision. Down below, he saw golden runes inscribed on the ground emitting faint light beneath his feet, it moving slowly and Alexander couldn''t help but frown.
Before you cast an Elemental, it was not simply just channeled your mana into it, but you must do an incantation.The incantation that you recited would be written on the magic circle so the Elemental could be manifest through it.
And seeing how huge the magic circle was and not to mention that it continued to spread throughout the refugee section, Alexander instantly froze.
''Just how huge is the magic circle that this brat intends to make? Enough to cover the entire refugee section? Are you kidding me?''
Alexander nced at Damian and he was stunned the moment he saw how blood was flowing out from his nostrils. In an instant, the animosity within his heart red up.
''He''s not going to do what I''m thinking, is he?''
Alexander clenched his fist tightly while he watched Damian. His chest heaved up and down as he was trying his best to suppress his fury.
"Ian. Stop. Right. Now."
Glimpsing how the magic circle didn''t stop expanding, it didn''t help Alexander alleviate his rage at all. In the end, he grabbed Damian''s shoulders, then shook them.
"Goddammit, Damian! Stop it!"
However, the boy just stood with nk eyes and his face devoid of any expression. No matter how hard he jerked his body, Damian remained the same, he didn''t respond.
Alexander hastily nced down when the magic circle beneath him shone brightly. Suddenly, the ground trembled violently.
The moring soldiers and shing weapons began to subside and changed into a thunderous roar of the earth that reverberated throughout the sky.
--Drrrtttt!
Alexander looked upward when a giant shadow cast upon him and his eyes involuntarily widened after witnessing the scene that was unfolding, he was beyond shock.
Not only him, but every single person who was present in the Refugee Camp, be it allies or foes, they stopped all of their activities and stared up at the night sky above.
People shared the same expression, their eyes wide open and their mouths agape; they were dumbfounded by the scene that unraveled before their eyes.
Chapter 53 Ch. 53: Rallying [1]
--Drrrrtt!!
The people in the Refugee Camp looked upward when shadows descended upon them. The earthquake that shook the soil violently didn''t hinder them from witnessing the sight.
The ground outside the wooden fort emerged, creating a thick wall that surrounded half of the Refugee Camp. The fire arrows had now stopped raining because the barrier prevented them from entering.
--Boom!
A deafening sound marked the end of the soaring earth, and so did the earthquake. Dead silence was created and the only sound that could be heard was the crackling wood that was eaten by the fire.
"Cough, cough!"
Alexander instantly turned to the voice and ran after he saw Damian throwing up a handful of blood as he coughed.
"Ian--"
However, he shoved him away and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Protect me, dammit!"
Alexander yanked his shoulder and forced Damian to face him, he stared right into his azure eyes.
"Stop this in an instant!"
"I''m not done yet!"
Damian tried to remove the hand that clutched his left shoulder, yet it was futile.
"Who cares if you''re done or not! You''ll end up damaging your Mana Core!"
"Even if I die, I don''t care!"
Alexander''s eyes grew wild and violent like those of a ferocious beast, however, Damian stared back at them fearlessly. Damaging Mana Core was not a simple matter because it could cause Mana Poisoning.
Since the Core was damaged, it caused thepartment to continuously absorb Mana, and as the container that used to store Mana was broken, it would flood your body with Mana and result in excruciating pain.
Although both Elemental Poisoning and Mana Poisoning had no cure at all, people who injured their Mana Core still had a chance to continue living, albeit you couldn''t use your Mana anymore.
Thanks to the Arcanist Tower, they created an item that could absorb the excess Mana in your body and reduce the pain. However, the patient must continue to be monitored, because this condition was very risky enough to cause instant death.
"Ian--!"
Damian hurriedly cut him.
"Isn''t it worth it, if only one life is lost in exchange for saving thousands of lives?"
Alexander shut his mouth tightly; he couldn''t refute it.
"Tell me, Alex, what''s your reason for fighting in this battle?"
Even though he didn''t know what Alexander had done or what he had been through during the past three days with the knights, Damian knew; he is trying his best to save the lives of the people here.
As his feral golden eyes began to soften, Damian continued.
"Don''t you and I have the same goal?"
And eventually, the grip on his shoulder loosened and Alexander withdrew his hand.
"Alright."
Damian couldn''t help but smirk.
"Then protect me, you bastard."
"But you better stop when it bes unbearable or else--"
Alexander narrowed his eyes as he saw the boy before him.
"--I''ll report you to Her Majesty."
Damian was bewildered and the smirk on his lips perished in an instant, he stared at Alexander in disbelief.
"What?! H-how dare you to drag my mother into this?!"
"Then you better know your limit, you bastard."
Damian''s eyes followed Alexander''s back when walked past him.
"Are you threatening me now?" For more chapters, please visit
He spun around with his smile intact as he faced his little brother.
"Let''s see if it''s just a mere bluff or not."
Damian''s expression crumbled and immediately gave his back to Alexander. He could feel a chill down his spine, he couldn''t imagine what would happen to him once his mother found out what he was doing right now.
"Fine! Protect me with your life on the line!"
Alexander chuckled at the boy''s rumbling.
"Fair enough."
With that, Damian decided to begin to recite his incantation, and Alexander enhanced his sensitivity.
"Whooa!!"
"Let''s--talist!!"
"Stop--!!"
"Kill the--!!"
The sound of the moring soldiers and shing weapons prated Alexander''s ears. Looked like the halted battle had begun once again.
Alexander readied his weapon and stood on guard stance the moment he felt movements on the ground. However, he couldn''t help but squirt his eyes when he saw a hoard of enemiesing in his direction.
"Kill the Elementalist!!"
''What the hell?''
Alexander''s eyebrows frowned. At first, he thought that he heard it wrong, but after they came closer, they did intend to kill Damian!
It was not without reason, the enemy aimed to destroy this camp and killed as many refugees as possible.
Now that the fire arrows had stoppeding here and refugees were protected by Sir Ulrich, their chance to demolish this ce was ruined, and now they were looking for someone to me.
"Ian, I think we should get out of here."
Alexander sounded impatient, however, there was no response. He peeked over his shoulder and Damian was seen standing, motionless. It seemed he was chanting again.
''Dammit Damian, I don''t think I can fight hundreds of them with my low mana.''
Now Alexander could feel how his head was spinning in pain. He racked his brain on how to kill them without using mana.
''As expected of a person loved by his ancestor, He even granted his ridiculous wish and now I have to wag my life to protect him.''
Alexander turned sideways and found Fedel, he hurriedly sent a plea through eye contact but the old man shook his head, he refused to reveal his identity.
Alexander returned his eyes to the enemies ahead and clucked his tongue in annoyance.
"Tsk. Good grief."
Although they were confronted by allies on the way here, some of them managed toe toward him, and since he didn''t want them to get any closer to Damian, he decided to take a step forward and started running.
However...
Alexander startled midway and immediately hopped backward next to Damian when a shivering and dreadful atmosphere jabbed his backbones; the air made him anxious somehow.
''What a thick Killing Intent.''
Killing Intent was a murderous aura that radiates from a person/beings when they want to eliminate people/beings. People who have been through bloody battles have far greater Killing Intent than ordinary people.
Experts might be able to disguise their Killing Intent and deliberately release it as a form of mental attack. However, it only worked on those who were weaker than themselves, meaning that enemies stronger than the user were immune to its effects.
Soon, a shadow figure entered his vision in a sh, hended between us, and a blindingly blue light in the shape of a crescent moon shone on the air as it cut through toward the enemies vertically in a blink of an eye.
"Aargh!!"
"Urgh!!"
The wailing of pain echoed in the space and blood rained on the ground. Alexander couldn''t help but smirk at the familiar sight before him.
Although his body trembled due to the fear, his heart throbbed in excitement. It was one of many beautiful spectacles he missed from the past.
''Aura de.''
Chapter 54 Ch. 54: Rallying [2]
Aside from Elementals, there was another force called Aura; a power that originated from our souls. Despite the fact that most living beings have souls, not many could use them.
However, in the past, a Swordsman managed to wield the power of Aura and due to how formidable he was on the battlefield, people named him a Sword Master.
As time passed by, to be able to exert Aura was now a mandatory requirement to attaining the highest title of Swordsman, a Sword Master.
It was never easy to manifest Aura, a lot harder than bing an Elementalist since it requires high feats of harmony between willpower, mental strength, and Mana.
Commensurate with the difficulty level to be able to utilize Aura, users of this power were granted other abilities such as increased awareness, speed, and strength.
Although it seemed no different from the Enhancement method, coating yourself with Aura was much stronger than covering your body with Mana.
Overall, Aura can be used for offense and defense. Nevertheless, that was only for a certain period of time, and unlike Mana which could be filled whenever we wanted, Aura could only be replenished on its own. Its power supply would be refreshed after a long rest.
Human parts were strewn on the ground with red and thick liquid painted on the soil. Wails of pain filled the space when they realized that their limbs were gone; hands, fingers, legs. Blood flowed from their severed organs and wounds.
The enemy''s faces paled after they saw how the iplete corpses of theirradesy beside their feet. It was only one swing, yet the attack managed to decapitate dozens of soldiers in a split second.
They raised their heads and a baby-blue-haired man came into view. The eerie atmosphere around him brought horror to their bodies; from head to toe, they couldn''t stop trembling and they had no idea why.
"Sir Ulrich?"
Alexander furrowed his eyebrows.
''Why is he here? Shouldn''t he be protecting the refugees?''
Hearing the boy''s confused tone, Ulrich turned his head and peered over his shoulder without moving his body, he answered.
"Your Highness, rest assured. Sir Wyatt and the other Knight Lieutenants exchanged me to protect the refugees."
Alexander nodded. As long as the refugees were protected, that was enough for him.
"I understand."
Not long after, the rattling armors were heard and Chrono Knights approached them. They encircled Alexander and Damian to prevent the enemy froming closer.
Ulrich returned his gaze to the front and the enemy drew their weapons. His light green eyes followed how they moved step by step and ultimately surrounded him, leaving him with no room to escape.
His face was devoid of any expression as he stared at them indifferently. Soon, the de in Ulrich''s grasp shone brightly in the darkness; he funneled his Aura into it.
Without wasting any time, the man dashed forward and swung his sword. Several crescent moons in blue light formed in the air the moment he shed his weapon left and right vertically.
Sensing the enemy behind him getting nigher, Ulrich spun his body, and before they couldnd their attack, he drew a cut through the air; his sword was followed by a beautiful glowing blue arc.
Though they didn''t receive Ulrich''s blow, they were sliced in half and their blood sttered on him. When facing Aura Wielder, not only must you pay attention to his sword, but you must watch out for its Aura range too.
Aura de and Elemental Sword might look simr, but they were totally different. Contrary to the Elemental Sword which contained the power of Elementals, Aura was a void and formless force.
The Elemental Sword may win in terms of range but when it came to prowess, Aura de was more powerful.
--Gulp
A knight before Alexander swallowed his saliva while witnessing how Ulrich butchered the soldiers mercilessly. Every time he made a cut, dozens of soldiers fell with their limbs severed, and their blood raining down the floor.
This was the first time they saw the greatness of the so-called Knight who served directly under the King on the battlefield; it was indeed unequivocally a marvelous sight.
Groans from the dying men filled the space and corpses started piling up on the ground. Although Ulrich was bathed with blood, he seemed still fully vigorous as he passionately charged at the enemies around him without stopping. For more chapters, please visit
Normally, when seeing one versus many, the one man would end in no time, however, this one was different. In his eyes, it looked more like a massacre rather than a war. Ulrich ughtered the enemy effortlessly like chopping tofu.
''If Sir Ulrich, who is a King''s Escort Knight, is this strong, then how strong is an Imperial Pdin?''
Just thinking about it made the Knight grimace in horror.
''Imagine, when you are just an ordinary knight and then you encounter someone like Sir Ulrich¡''
He shivered and immediately shook his head. For the first time in his life, he had never been this happy that he was part of the Empire.
"Haa¡"
Alexander breathed out a sigh of relief. He thought that he would really die this time. He lifted his head and watched how Ulrich danced with his de.
All of his steps were beneficial and his attack struck the enemy effectively. He didn''t make any unnecessary moves, everything was on point and Alexander loved how Ulrich just sliced off the enemy that got in his way.
Even after watching him perform Aura de many times in the past, he never disappointed him. His sword style was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in the Empire.
Alexander''s golden eyes rolled when he glimpsed Fedel hopping into the enemy rearguard among the shadows; he was infiltrating.
One by one the soldiers slumped down with their necks spurting blood without being able to put up a fight. Seeing a man next to him abruptly sink, he shouted.
"Wh-what happened to¨C!"
But before he finished his words, Fedel slit his throat while moving, and he dropped down. As numerous soldiers suddenly fell with blood spewing from their necks without knowing the cause, panic broke out and their formation began to alter.
No wonder that old man rejected his request, and it turned out that he aimed to distort their rear defenses. Well, it was understandable, he was an assassin after all.
¨CDrop!
Alexander was startled when something fell on his head. He involuntarily looked at the sky and¡
¨CDrop!
Itnded on his forehead once, twice, and drizzle poured down from the clouds hanging above. Soon, the rain became heavy and soaked his body, Alexander murmured.
"It''s¡ raining."
Now he understands what that brat nned. He intended to stop the fire so the chance of refugees burned into crisps lessened.
The battle was halted once more. They were confused, they couldn''tprehend why it was suddenly raining. Ulrich stretched out his hands and watched how the water filled and mixed with blood in his palm.
The earthy scent filled the atmosphere as it drenched the soil and washed away the blood. Fedel hid behind a tent while studying the area and little by little the mes started to diminish.
''Prince Damian¡''
Only.
"Cough, cough!"
Damian suddenly knelt and used his hands to support his body, preventing his body from kissing the dirt.
"Cough, cough!"
Blood spurted out from his mouth as he coughed.
Chapter 55 Ch. 55: Rallying [3]
"Cough, cough!"
Alexander was startled and turned only to find his little brother was on all four. He hastily crouched next to him and supported his body.
"Are you okay?"
However, Damian was unable to answer as he continued coughing heavily. He vomited a lot of blood but was soon washed away by the rain.
Only.
"The Elementalist is exhausted! This is our chance!"
"Charge!!"
Alexander''s eyes rolled toward the voice in disbelief, even after half of their troops had died in vain, they showed no intention of withdrawing. Crazy.
Seeing Damian''s condition, their morale suddenly soared and waves of attacks began to unfold once more. The enemy dashed and marched forward.
"Tsk."
Ulrich clucked his tongue in annoyance, it seemed only after he annihted them all would they finally realize that all of their struggles were fruitless.
Without thinking much he channeled his Aura into the sword and ran onward, a blue arc was drawn in the air as he swung his weapon followed by the fallen enemy corpses.
Fedel stealthy hopped into the enemy''s rear and in the blink of an eye, bodies copsed with their blood gushing out everywhere, but the rain rinsed their traces away.
shing metal and battle cries filled the space; they sang along with the downpouring water.
"Cough, cough!"
Alexander gritted his teeth. Even after he told him to not push himself, this brat never listened to him. Now just look at him, he couldn''t stop spewing blood!
The mes of rage flickered in his heart and it kept growing, bigger and much bigger. Nheless, Alexander couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows.
Did Damian summon the rain? He had never heard of such a thing. Also, he didn''t see any magic circle anywhere and how could he¨Cwait, this wasn''t the time to be curious about it.
"I told you not to¨C"
"Shut up! You make my head¨Ccough, dizzy."
Damian hurriedly cut him off, he didn''t want to listen to his nagging or reproaches, then he spat the bloody saliva to the side. Ugh, he hated how the metallic taste filled his mouth.
"I''m sorry. A¨Care you okay?"
"Does someone who keeps throwing up blood look okay to you?!"
Alexander said no more at the boy''s growl. Damian cursed inwardly in frustration. Why did the main character''s IQ suddenly drop? Of course, he wasn''t all right! He was tired and his whole body somehow felt tingling.
''Is it due to Mana Core Exhaustion?''
Because his Mana waspletely depleted right now and he massaged his head in unbearable vertigo, his hair subconsciously drew backward.
However, Alexander was stunned the moment Damian lifted his head and revealed his entire face without bangs. Hisplexion paled as if trying to match that porcin and his lips were blue.
Alexander promptly snatched his hand that was resting on the forehead and coldness ran through his palm after their skin touched. Damian pulled back his hand.
"Don''t touch me."
Yet, Alexander didn''t answer and just clenched his fist. There was without a doubt that this imp had symptoms of Mana Core Exhaustion, and the fact that he stayed under the rain made it even worse.
Alexander stood and studied the surroundings. The fire had been extinguished, just as Damian had nned.
¨CBang! ¨CBang! ¨CBang!
The Knights constantly repelled arrows that approached them. Ulrich was still fighting in the frontline and so was Fedel at the rear.
Alexander gazed down below and his eyes were locked with a pair of blue eyes. The boy''s whole body was drenched in water and he shivered.
He couldn''t help but facepalm his head and a sigh ofment escaped his mouth. At this point, the brat sitting in front of him was nothing less than a soaked little puppy.
Alexander was afraid that the whelp might die in the next few seconds. Although his coughing had stopped, it couldn''t alleviate his worries about the damn imp!
He wanted to take him somewhere where he could warm his body and let him rest, but he did not see the end of this war.
''Should I¡ do it?''
Damian risked his life to stop the fire arrows and extinguished the mes. Shouldn''t he also put his life on the line too?
''What''s different is that I''m doing this for him, not for the refugees.''
Alexander stretched out his hand and his sword appeared in his grasp. Thanks to Sir Ulrich and Fedel, they were able to stall the enemy and gave him time to recover some of his Mana.
* * *
"Tsk."
I clucked my tongue whilst massaging my temples. Maybe my sights were a bit blurry but I saw how Alexander took out his weapon from his Magical Sphere.
"What are you going to do with your sword?"
"Hmm¡ to put an end to this war?" For more chapters, please visit
His yful tone pierced my ears.
"Ha. Funny."
I could only sneer at his words. I was angry! If he knew that war would break out here, then why didn''t he evacuate the refugees?!
If he knew how to stop this war, he should have done it from the start! Why did he let this camp burn in the first ce? Why? Just¡ why?!
''Was all of this part of the novel''s plot as well? Do people here have to die just to show off the greatness of the main character?''
When he said he wanted to end this war, I knew he was capable of doing it.
''No matter how powerful or formidable the enemies he fights, he will not die and will eventually be victorious because the plot says so!''
However, it was different for an extra like me or the people here. They were living, they were breathing, and their hearts were beating! They were alive! Just like me!
During my near-death experience, I learned a very important lesson from my grandfather¨CGideon, ''When living beings die; they die, and there is no such thing asing back to life.''
''This is not a game where after you die, you can revive at yourst checkpoints and I''m not even confident whether I''ll be reincarnated again or not.''
Hence, as soon as I heard the sound of war waging, the first thing that came to my mind was the lives of the refugees, as they were undoubtedly the first target.
Since they and I were in the same boat, without much thought I rushed to save them. To hell with the plot, I wouldn''t let them die like cannon fodder as the novel dictated.
Also, it was a pleasant experience to be able to talk to them while I was carrying out the tasks the Emperor gave me.
''They are nice people and I would like to converse with them again.''
Now that my burden had been lifted, it was up to Alexander.
¨CDrop ¨CDrop
Rain bathed me. Even though it was cold, I let it cool my fury and sighed after I collected myself.
"Fine. Just don''t die. I have a bunch of questions for you."
Yet, he just chuckled.
"Are you worried about me?"
I raised my head and I had never felt this relieved that my vision was hazing, otherwise, I would meet with his sinful smile. But on second thought, where the hell did his confidencee from?
Receiving no reply from me, he spoke once more. However, it waspletely beyond my expectations.
"You did a good job, Damian."
My eyebrow furrowed. What was that? Out of the blue? Despite this, he didn''t stop and continued.
"Thank you."
I shut my mouth tightly. It¡ would be best if he treated me the way he always did, like enmity, grudge, or whatever it was called.
''What''s with the sudden change?''
Alexander, you gave me mixed feelings.
* * *
Silent.
Damian looked away without saying anything. Well, it was understandable. He wanted the little imp to trust him, yet, what he did was scold him. He just realized how shameless he was.
But he was going to put everything aside because right now, he had important things to do; he had to end this war so Damian and everyone else could rest.
"Hey, you!"
A knight turned and Alexander beckoned him toe. He approached them and bent his back.
"Your Highness, how may I help you?"
"Watch this brat."
"Pardon?"
Damian abruptly twirled his head and his shaded eyes caught Alexander pointing at him. This damn bastard! Did he just call him a brat?!
He tried to open his mouth but chose not to. Damian clutched his head at the sudden surge of headache. He could feel the Knight ncing at him before answering Alexander.
"As you wish."
"Thank you."
"At your service."
After that, Alexander spun his body toward the enemy ahead and channeled his mana into the sword. Soon, a faint light emanated from his de.
He didn''t know if this was enough to stop the war, but he hoped that hisst attack would seed in inflicting heavy damage on the enemy; enough to drive them out of this camp.
Chapter 56 Ch. 56: Rallying [4]
The sword in Alexander''s grip gave off a faint light and Magic Circle was drawn on its de. Despite it trembling violently in his hand, he didn''t stop funneling his Mana into it and continued to recite his incantation.
Damian rubbed his eyes to get a better look at what Alexander was up to, but he gave up halfway because his sight wasn''t improving. But he caught the sword within Alexander''s grasp, emitting light.
''Aura de?''
Damian shook his head.
''No. it isn''t.''
Aura de''s light was bright blue while Alexander''s light was too bleak. Also, Aura de could only be attained by Warriors, that was why if you had an Elemental within you, it was impossible to wield Aura.
Damian didn''t know the reason because the novel never exined or maybe the author wanted a bnced world or something. But the only thing he knew; this was the sole reason why Chrono created such a skill.
''Is that really an Elemental Sword?''
He couldn''t help but furrow his eyebrows. Alexander didn''t have such skills when he was reading novels, and the reason why Elemental Sword became a long lost technique was because Chrono didn''t let anyone learn it.
''So why does he have it now? Where did he learn it? There''s something wrong with this world. It feels like the world and the novel aren''t aligned. Why Alexander¨C''
Damian clutched his head and groaned.
"Ugh."
"Your Highness, are you all right?"
The knight used a shield as an umbre to cover Damian from the rain, asked.
"I''m¨Ccough!"
Blood jumped out andnded on his palm.
"Cough, cough!"
Red liquid oozed from the corner of Damian''s mouth. Hearing his little brother coughing back, Alexander clucked his tongue.
"Tsk."
He must hurry.
The ground beneath his feet emerged and once it passed the heights of the knights who surrounded them, Alexander immediately swung his sword.
The wide and thin white light that imitated the wings of an eagle flew toward the enemy. It was so fast as if the attack seemed to cut dimensions.
Sensing a sudden wave of something dangerous approaching, Ulrich immediately gave the order as loud as he could.
"Get down!!"
Ulrich, Fedel, and allies, even some enemies, all hastily ducked. In a split second, a faint light passed through the battlefield. He had no idea what it was but, once past it, Ulrich couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
He raised his head and confusion colored his face. Not only him, but everyone else who was crouching had the same expression as him. The soldiers who failed to squat, stood motionless as if time had stopped in front of them.
Only.
¨CSsh!
Something fell below and their eyes widened.
¨CSsh! ¨CSsh! ¨CSsh!
Many heads dropped and rolled on the ground. Starting with blooding out of a clean cut on the neck, then the head slowly sliding down and falling. Soon, their bodies slumped into the mud right after.
"Wh¨Cwhat is happening?!"
Both allies and foes expressed their confusion. Ulrich hastily turned his head and Alexander was seen standing on an earth pir.
¨Cnk!
The sword from his graspnded on the floor and he fell to his knees.
"Cough, cough!"
He coughed heavily with blood spurting out of his mouth. Suddenly, he lost his bnce and fell.
"His Highness is falling!!"
"Catch him!!"
Three knights dashed toward the tower and caught his body deftly.
¨CBruk!
"Wha¨Cwhat happened to Alexander? Is, is he okay? He didn''t die, did he?"
Hearing themotion nearby, Damian couldn''t help but ask; hoping someone would exin what happened as his eyes were clouded. Fortunately, the Knight beside him answered his curiosity.
"Don''t worry, Your Highness, Prince Alexander is all right, he is just exhausted."
Damian exhaled a relieved sigh.
"How was the war?"
"The war¨C"
***
The soldiers stretched their eyes wide upon seeing theirrades'' heads and bodies plummet to the mud. Horror struck their face and subconsciously they took a few steps back.
Even though they tried to win over the situation, however, it didn''t work out. Initially, all seemed well, they managed to set fire to the camp as nned and enter the enemy base without difficulty.
However, when they put their n into action to kill the refugees, things started to go awry. To their surprise, the refugees were protected by a freaking Sword Master!
There were only 50 Sword Masters in the Chrono Empire, and what the hell was he doing at the Refugees Camp?! Naturally, there was no way their soldiers would be able to prate their defenses.
And out of the blue, an earth barrier appeared and stopped the fire arrows which were their only hope of crushing the enemy. Of course, they had to find the one who shattered their only hope.
They managed to find the Elementalist by following the Magic Circle, but just when they were about to attack them, the Sword Master who had previously been guarding the refugees now appeared before their eyes!
The weirdness didn''t stop and heavy rain suddenly poured and extinguished the mes! They continued to fight, but s, the promised reinforcements did not appear.
As if facing a Sword Master wasn''t difficult enough, now they had to witness another terrifying power. A head rolled over and stopped beside his feet. The corpse''s eyes opened and eventually¡
¨CSsh!
Hended on his ass. One by one many heads and bodies dropped into the mud; it was a gruesome and dreadful sight. His breath suddenly became rough and his body trembled, the fear of ending up like them crept into his heart.
He turned and crawled to get away. Since the aplishment of this mission was nowhere to be seen, they decided to withdraw.
"Re¨CRetreat!!"
"Fall back!!"
"Fall back!!"
With that, they began running towards the entrance. Ulrich stood and watched the scene in bewilderment.
"Haa¡"
Atst, finally, they retreated. However, a voice made him whirl to the source and a Knight was seen lowering his head.
"Sir Ulrich, should we pursue them?"
He shook his head firmly.
"No. Let them be, let''s just treat the injured knights."
"I understand. I willply with your order, Sir."
Only.
"Aarrgghh!!"
"Waaa!!"
Screams that echoed made all their heads veer around and they started to sprint toward the sound. Nevertheless, what greeted them was truly unexpected.
There, in the Refugee Camp Square, they saw Sir Sigmund swinging his sword left and right violently on horseback.
Blood sttered and colored the mud as his sword mercilessly took the enemy''sst breath. Sigmund raised his bloody weapon in the air and shouted.
"Show no mercy!!"
"Whoaa!!"
Sigmund Company''s morale soared. They bound the enemy with no room for escape.
"Aarrghh!!"
"Urgh!!"
Undisturbed by the wails of their enemies, they zealously continued to y them; they killed enemies who tried to escape from the battlefield and Ulrich could only frown.
''What is Sir Sigmund doing here?''
He heard that the consignment would take four days to return, but they arrived much sooner than expected. Now that he thought about it, he saw Alexander talking with him before his departure.
''Did Prince Alexander really n the whole thing?''
Nheless, the battle was not over.
The cavalry scattered across the battlefield and let their horses hit any enemies that got in their way. The enemy''s bodies flew and rolled helplessly; as they werete to get up¨C
"Arrghh!"
¨Cgroans of pain filled the space as their limbs were crushed by the horse that passed them. The cavalryman brandished his weapon left and right while riding.
Blood sttered everywhere and dyed the mud a bright red color. In the end, only a man was left, and the cavalry surrounded and circled him.
¨CGallops ¨CGallops ¨CGallops
"Pl¨Cplease! Don''t kill me!"
Sigmund stared nonchntly at the enemy that had fallen on his butt. His legs shook like a newborn deer and Sigmund dismounted from his horse.
"N¨Cno!! Don''t!!"
The man in front of him crawled as he saw red fluid dripping from Sigmund''s sword in his grip, but before he could move any further, Sigmund grabbed his hair.
"No!! Please!! Please!!"
He tried to shake off the hand but to no avail and wasting no time, Sigmund swung his sword.
¨CStt!
Viscous red liquid jumped and stained his armor. The man''s body fell t with blood pouring out of his severed neck.
¨CSsh!
Sigmund threw the head he was holding onto the mud. Since thest enemy had been killed, the battle was now officially over and silence was created.
The rain had stopped and the curtain of darkness was gradually but steadily being lifted. A rosy hue colors the sky as the sun shyly peeked over the horizon.
Sigmund''s deep blue eyes swept around and countless bodies scattered and filled the area; they were covered in mud.
"Sir Sigmund."
He spun and Ulrich could be seen walking toward him and he immediately bent his back.
"Sir Ulrich."
However, Sigmund hurriedly raised his head when he remembered something important and asked right away.
"Sir Ulrich, how are the refugees?"
"The refugees are safe."
He exhaled a sigh of relief and began his next question.
"May I know Prince Alexander''s whereabouts?"
"He''s in the refugee section."
"Thank you so much, Sir Ulrich. I will take my leave."
Ulrich nodded. Sigmund bowed once again and mounted his horse.
"Hiya!"
With that, he drove towards the refugee section. Ulrich''s light green eyes followed and watched him until his silhouette disappeared.
''So, that''s true. It was Prince Alexander all along.''
Chapter 57 Ch. 57: New Ending [1]
¨CChirp ¨CChirp ¨CChirp
The birds were singing happily after the rain stopped. Alexander lifted his head as sunrays descended upon thend. The sun spread its warmth while slowly crawling higher above the horizon.
A shimmering arc of living light formed in the sky, banded bright in an ethereal brilliant hue. A rainbow, a bridge to heaven appeared; a gift of beauty in pure delight.
Alexander scanned the surroundings. Countless bodies were strewn on the ground, they were bathed in the maroon mud. His golden eyes started rolling again and an exmation escaped his mouth.
"Ah¡"
Sir Wyatt and the rest of the Knight Lieutenants along with the refugees entered his vision, they had gathered not too far from him. The man bent his back and smiled at him, beckoning that the refugees were safe.
Alexander nodded his head and answered with a smile. However, the corners of his lips dropped when he turned around. Scattered bodies filled his sight once more and he clenched his fists.
Just like Dariush said, war was never a good thing. Although it helped to attain peace, that peace came with a price. And the one who helped him achieve peace here was¡
Alexander lowered his head and a white-haired boy who was sitting was seen.
"Can you stand?"
"Yes."
He took his hands and helped him. Damian''s head almost hit the ground but luckily Alexander skillfully caught him.
"Careful."
"Thank you."
He stared into the blue eyes present before him and subconsciously ced his hand on Damian''s head.
"I should be the one thanking you."
The boy was startled and immediately looked away. It seemed he was still angry but he was d Damian didn''t shove his hand away.
"Your Highness!! Your Highness!!"
Alexander withdrew his hand. Fedel was seen running this way and soon he arrived with his ragged breath.
"Haa¡ haa¡"
Anxious painted his face vividly, he hastily grabbed Damian''s shoulders and eyed every inch of his body. He was trying to make sure that the one he served was okay.
"Your Highness! Are you all right?!"
Fedel sounded worried, almost close to that fear. Alexander believed that the old man had the most tearful voice in Gaia.
"Fedel?"
Damian couldn''t help but frown upon listening to Fedel''s tone. He even asked right away to make sure it REALLY was his head butler; because he sounded so out of character.
Fedel took Damian''s hands and held them.
"Yes, Your Highness, Fedel is here."
At this point, Alexander''s stomach churned; he wanted to puke but restrained himself from doing so. That old man had to stop his talentless acting, it started to look cringey and he was afraid his eyeballs would run out from their sockets if he kept watching him any longer.
Just look at Damian and the two Knights standing beside him, they wore the same crooked expressions. They were beyond surprised to witness Fedel''s absurd behavior.
"Oh, Fedel. I''m sorry my eyes are¨C"
"Your Highness!"
"Ian!"
They shouted in unison the moment Damian lost his bnce and fell into Fedel''s hands, he was unconscious. Alexander instantly crouched down before him.
"Calm down. Let me check him."
Fedel spoke tly.
"Didn''t you change your tone too fast?"
Alexander soon bit his lower lip. It slipped off his tongue!
"..."
The old man looked at him indifferently, he could even feel his eyes piercing through his spine. Damn it! Alexander immediately turned away to escape Fedel''s gaze. He didn''t mean to say it out loud!
And in the next second, Alexander could feel his back burning as Fedel stared at him with a zing death re. Nheless, Fedel sighed and immediately examined the boy''s body and exhaled a sigh of relief.
"His Highness fainted due to Mana Core Exhaustion. He should be fine after a long rest."
The Knights breathed a sigh of relief and Alexander shamelessly returned his sight to Damian.
"Ahem. Ahem."
He cleared his throat. He took out a tent and nket, then gave them to the Knight next to him
"For the time being, please build this tent so my brother can rest morefortably."
"I understand."
He returned his eyes to Fedel.
"I will leave Damian in your care."
"I understand."
With that, they went to find a more suitable ce to rest.
Alexander involuntarily clutched his head, somehow he felt a little dizzy. Not without reason, hisst attack required more Mana than he had originally thought.
''I want to rest, but there are so many things to do.''
? "Your Highness!"
He raised his head and a brown-haired man on horseback was approaching.
¨CGallops ¨CGallops ¨CGallops
The horse neighed when Sigmund pulled the lead rope and they stopped before the Prince. He dismounted and immediately knelt.
Alexander''s forehead frowned. He was perplexed after watching the knight''s strange demeanor.
''Why were there so many people acting weird today? And What is he kneeling for?''
"Your Highness, I''m so sorry! I waste!"
===
"Hmm~ Hmm~"
¨CBrush ¨CBrush ¨CBrush
Sigmund wasbing his horse''s mane whilst humming, and unexpectedly a voice interrupted his action.
"You have a beautiful horse."
He turned and saw Alexander walking toward him, he hastily bowed.
"Your Highness."
The boy scanned hispany behind him.
"You''re departing soon?"
"Yes."
Silence.
The Prince next to him didn''t say anything and just nkly stared at his subordinates. Sigmund patiently waited and finally¡
"Sir Sigmund, could you return a little sooner?"
He spun his head and locked with his golden eyes.
"May I know the reason?"
Yet, Alexander shook his head.
"I''m sorry I couldn''t tell you, but you will know once you get back here."
Sigmund''s brows furrowed. He racked his brain to think of every possibility.
''What kind of scenario required me to be back here so soon?''
After a brief pause, Sigmund asked what had just crossed his mind.
"Is it rted to the safety of the refugees?"
"..."
Nheless, the Prince in front of him remained silent.
"Your Highness?"
He tried once again and eventually Alexander heaved a long deep breath.
"It appears so."
"Then, wouldn''t it be best if we didn''t go to the Naval Base at all?"
"No. Please deliver the shells as scheduled."
First, Alexander didn''t want the story to change greatly, Sigmund needed to send the Elemental Shells so the Yovanny Kingdom would announce their surrender, just like in his previous timeline.
Secondly, he didn''t want the enemy to notice, so they could carry out his n. Because, in order to catch a fish, he needed to secretly set ups so the fish didn''t get away.
"I know this sounds more like a demand rather than a request. But I hope you will consider it."
"If it is regarding the refugee''s welfare, then I should not hesitate."
Alexander smiled.
"Thank you."
"It is my pleasure."
===
Originally, he wanted Sigmund to join because theycked men''s power, but that didn''t matter anymore. They had won this battle and more importantly, the refugees were now safe.
"It''s all right, Sir Sigmund. You don''t need to be sorry. It wasn''t your fault. You may rise."
"Thank you."
Sigmund got on his feet and took out a cloth-wrapped bundle that he strapped across his back. Alexander couldn''t help but frown upon seeing the package; the fabric oozed red liquid and it was dripping.
He loosened the tie and unwrapped it. As if struck by lightning, Alexander was stunned. A human head presented before his eyes.
"Although I''mte, my Company and I managed to take down the fire arrows archery outside the camp."
"You¡ did?"
Alexander was surprised.
"Yes. We arrived not long after the Earth Barrier appeared and we immediately confronted them. I took their Leader''s head as my proof to you."
The boy tried to open his mouth, but someone was faster.
"Not only that, Your Highness. Sir Sigmund also wiped out the remnants of the enemy troops."
Both of them turned to the voice and a light blue-haired man came into view.
"Is that true?"
Ulrich nodded undoubtedly with a smile.
"Yes. I saw everything."
Alexander returned his gaze to the man in front of him.
"Thank you so much for your help, Sir Sigmund."
"It is my pleasure, Your Highness."
Warmth flickered in his heart.
Alexander''s mind flew, he clearly remembered how he failed to save the lives of the refugees here and cowardly left them.
Whereas before this camp was razed to the ground and refugees were ughtered, this time with the help of Damian, Ulrich, Fedel, Wyatt, Sigmund, and the others, they created a new ending.
Unknowingly the corners of his lips tugged, now that he mentioned his lovely little brother, it seemed they were back to square again; Damian hated him once more.
"Haaa¡"
Alexander exhaled a deep long sigh and massaged his nose bridge when his headache returned to his head.
''There is so much to talk about with Damian.''
He was just d that the little imp fainted so he could be more focused on the postwar, and he would deal with him once he regained consciousness.
Alexander turned to Ulrich, he tried to open his mouth but something went wrong. Suddenly, his body felt light and his vision darkened.
"Your Highness!"
"Your Highness!"
Chapter 58 Ch. 58: New Ending [2]
The eyelids that were hiding hidden gems slowly lifted, revealing a pair of beautiful golden eyes beneath.
As soon as he saw that dazzling light, Alexander shut his eyes and raised his hand to block it.
His brow furrowed when he touched something wet. Alexander removed it from his forehead and opened his eyes to see what it was.
Nheless, he abruptly sat up after a wet towel in his grasp came into view, and hastily clutched his head the moment a wave of dizziness swept over him; he felt lightheaded.
''That''s right¡ the war¨Cno, Damian¡''
"You''re awake?"
Alexander turned to the voice and an old man was seen lifting the tent''s curtains.
"...yeah."
Fedel walked towards a table and poured some water into the goblet, he then gave it to Alexander.
"Thanks."
He received the ss and drank it. However, he stopped drinking when he saw a white-haired boy who was lying on the bed across from him.
Fedel traced his golden eyes and theynded on Damian.
''He is still unconscious¡''
Not without reason, that little imp cast two magic that required an enormous amount of mana which resulted in exhausting his Mana Core.
After witnessing his capabilities, that damn brat would reach Transcend''s Tier in the future doubtlessly. He put down the cup and stared at his reflection in the water.
"How long have I been unconscious?''
"A day."
Alexander heaved a long sigh.
''I wasted so much more time than I originally thought.''
He immediately put down the goblet on the table and lifted the nket, but before could put his toe down, Fedel moved next to his bed; blocking his feet from touching the ground.
Alexander raised one of his eyebrows and he looked at him with what''s-the-meaning-of-this eyes.
"If you''re trying to get out of bed, forget it. Because I won''t allow it."
"Ha!"
The boy scoffed and in the next second, his calm eyes went feral.
"How dare you, a mere butler dare to get in my way?"
"The sun will be setting soon, for now, I suggest you get more rest."
Alexander sneered at Fedel''s words.
"What sweet words you say. I clearly remember that you were always wary of me, why change?"
Silence filled the atmosphere after reciting his mockery. However, the old man just stood unmoving as if rooted and his ck eyes gazed coldly at him.
To be honest, the only thing that made them work together was that they had the same goal, which was to kick Damian out of this war. Although the n was ruined, they managed to protect him.
Now that they had won, Alexander thought that they had no reason to get entangled in each other''s business. The deal ended when the war was over.
After a long pause, Fedel finally spoke.
"Unlike your mother, you mean no harm to my master."
Alexander didn''t answer and just stared at the man in front of him indifferently. Of course, he never intended to hurt the little imp, be it in the previous or the current timeline.
Just because he was born from the viiness'' womb, it didn''t mean he was evil either. But, what came out of Fedel''s mouth next was beyond his imagination.
"I trust you."
Alexander turned his head away. He didn''t know how to react at this point, it was out of every scenario he had previously reckoned. In the end, he clucked his tongue andid his body back on the bed.
"Fine. But in exchange, provide me with some information."
"Fair enough."
Fedel pulled a chair and sat down.
"You can begin with your queries."
Alexander looked at the tent''s ceiling above.
"I need information about the people here."
¨CFlip ¨CFlip ¨CFlip
He turned to the sound and Fedel could be seen skimming through some papers.
"What''s that?"
"A copy of postwar data."
''What the hell. If he had the data why not just give it to me? It''s not like I can''t read.''
Alexander sat and extended his hand.
"Give that to me."
"Just lie down, I''ll read them for you."
Unbothered to look at him, Fedel continued browsing the papers in his hand and Alexander rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Oh, my. Damian must be lucky to have you. Do you always read him a storybook too?"
"Prince Damian could read books by himself at the age of three."
Alexander furrowed his brows, it was just sarcasm, why did he bother answering? And what was that? Did he just brag about his younger brother?
''Urg, whatever.''
In the end, he gave up andid his back on the bed once more.
"From 1,000 Knights and 200 doctors. We lost 402 people; 223 infantry, 88 archers, 57 cavalries, and 34 doctors. The approximate survivors are 798 people; 277 infantry, 62 archers, 143 cavalries, and 166 doctors, excluding the refugees."
Alexander''s mind flew.
''So we lost about 30% of the Knights.''
"Does the data include their name or family?"
"It does."
"That''s great. They will be rewarded for their merits."
Fedel nodded in agreement and Alexandernded another question.
"How about the refugees?"
"It''s a miracle. It''s zero death."
Alexander subconsciously sat with astonishment adorning hisplexion and he looked into Fedel''s grayish eyes.
"Is it¡ true?"
"Yes. It is."
"Ah¡"
An exmation escaped from his mouth, he never felt this kind of relief before, and warmth ignited in his heart.
"Although there are around 87 heavily injured and 524 refugees with minor injuries. The doctors worked fast and hard, you don''t need to worry; they are fine now."
"I''m d to hear that."
Alexander leaned his back on the headboard.
"By the way, who was in charge while I was unconscious?"
"It''s Sir Ulrich."
Ho, no wonder the report was so detailed. Turned out it was administered by a professional.
"Uhh."
Alexander moaned as he stretched his arms. He felt so refreshed today, perhaps it was due to his burden just lifted.
Also, if it was handled by Sir Ulrich then everything should be fine. He could continue to rest and get his ass to work tomorrow.
Being stuck in a child''s body really limited his stamina. He had even fainted after using a little bit of Elemental Sword''s true power.
''Ah, I can''t wait to grow up so damn soon.''
"Also, for your information, Sir Ulrich has reported the situation to His Majesty."
Alexander turned to the old man beside him.
''Actually, it''s too soon, but¡''
"Did you find out who was responsible for the attack?"
"Yes, as you had expected, it is the Yovanny Kingdom."
Fedel took something out of his pocket and handed it to him. His golden eyes eyed it intently.
The emblem in his hand was engraved with twin roses, a sword in the center, and a crown on top of the flowers.
And of course, it''s unquestionably the national g of the Yovannians, albeit it went the way it did in the previous timeline.
But now he found out that the shitty society was involved, Alexander felt uncertain. Something wasn''t right¡
"Do all enemy corpses have this emblem?"
Fedel nodded.
"All of them? Even the corpses in the forest?"
"Yes."
See? It was weird. Didn''t half of them belong to that shitty organization, but suddenly all of them were Yovannians soldiers? It didn''t make any sense at all.
Alexander knew something was strange and bugging him at the same time, but he had no idea what it was. He immediately massaged his temples as waves of headache swirled through his head.
As he thought, he had no talent for thinking, and the only thing he was good at was butchering people''s heads.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I''m all right. Just feel dizzy."
"Then you should rest more."
"It seems so."
Fedel rose from his chair.
"If you''ll excuse me, I need to prepare your dinner."
"Sure. Thanks for the information."
"You''re wee."
With that, he left and silence descended within the tent once again. He turned to the side and Damian who was lying on the bed came into view.
Alexander got on his feet and walked toward his bed. Damian''s delicate face was seen and hisplexion was peaceful, way too peaceful.
It flicked his conscience and his heart started to skip a bit. Alexander took his hand and held it. His little brother''s serene expression reminded him of the past¡
He wore the same expression when died in his arms and when heid him in the coffin. Somehow, it brought back his bitter yore.
"You''re not¡ dead, are you?"
***
I blinked my eyelids a few times before fully opening them. However, all I found wasplete darkness. Unknowingly, my heart started racing and my breathing became rough.
I quickly raised my left hand and the moment it entered my sight, I clucked my tongue in annoyance.
"Tsk."
I sat and my eyes scanned the surroundings. Suddenly, a giant bright square light announced its presence before me. In the end, I couldn''t help but massage my temples.
''Not this damned ce again!''
Chapter 59 Ch. 59: Memories [4]
Suddenly, a giant bright square light announced its presence before me. I couldn''t help but massage my temples.
''Not this damned ce again!''
No¨C
''Calm down.''
With that in mind, I closed my eyes and breathed in and out slowly, steadily. After calming myself down, I opened my eyelids and took a deep breath.
Somehow I preferred Alexander''s earth dome rather than this ce.
''But whatever, all I have to do is watch some scenes, right?''
But, wait¨Cwhat happened to my body outside? Thest thing I remembered was¡ I heard Fedel''s ridiculous voice and¨Cuh, did I faint?
Well, It seemed that way.
''Will I be up for another three months this time?''
Nheless, I shook my head. It would be best if I finished all this nonsense and returned to Gaia. Without beating around the bush, I shouted.
"I''m ready, now y the damn movie!"
As if heeded my words, the screen swirled and showed andscape of a city. However, upon seeing it my eyes stretched wide, it was the most beautiful city I had ever seen!
The beauty of the city was unparalleled! This one was far more gorgeous and morous than Axton City!
If my guess was right, then this city was without a doubt, Agatha; the Capital City of the Chrono Empire. I was sure because the description in the novel fitted this city perfectly.
[Agatha was also known as the ''White City''. It was due to having uniform white walls; all houses were built with white-colored walls, and contrasting blue doors. It was a picturesque city with many water features and running water.
In the za, there was a gigantic water fountain, and in the center of it stood the golden statue of a man. This statue was made by a renowned artist, it was said to be a statue of the founder of the Empire; Chrono.]
But before I could enjoy it anymore, the screen changed to a ck-robed boy walking around the bustling street, and subconsciously, my brows furrowed.
Now that I thought about it, this was like a continuation of my previous dream. Thest thing I remembered was Damian running away from the Pce, and now it seemed he had reached Agatha.
He was seen skimming through the area and entering a store. He sold his jewelry, then looked for an inn. After that, he visited many mercenary agencies every day.
His actions were repeated day after day and if I counted correctly, then he had been looking for information for almost a week.
But I assumed Damian didn''t get the information he wanted because he kept sighing, and his face was painted in disappointment every time he got out of each mercenary''s agency.
The Mercenary Agency was an independent organization. Filled with professional soldiers, they provided information and received quests such as joining the war regardless of their political interests, aiding monsters'' subjugation, escorting merchants, bodyguarding, etc.
Damian kicked a stone on the ground and heaved a long sigh. I pitied him somehow, he looked tired, and his figure was now turned stick-like.
Only.
¨CBoom!
A loud explosion roared across the city and the ground shook violently. The screams of the citizens filled the space.
Damian hurriedly reached out to the nearest wall and leaned his body against it. His blue eyes swept around and people were seen doing the same action, some plummeted to the floor.
¨CBoom!
The explosions continued and crumbs of debris fell on them. However, the corner of his eye caught ck smoke rising in the air. He traced it and Aeon Castle came into view.
"Ah¡"
His eyes widened upon seeing it and unbeknownst to him, he started to run.
¨CTap ¨CTap ¨CTap
Realizing something, his brows furrowed. Nheless, his speed slowed down and he finally came to a stop. Damian stood nkly as if rooted and his mind drifted.
¨CRattle ¨CRattle ¨CRattle
The tter of armor roused him from his reverie. Damian lowered his ck hood to hide his face then moved to the side.
"Hurry up!"
"Move! Move!"
The Knights ran towards the Castle gate. Damian looked at them indifferently as they dashed past him. He turned and started walking away.
"Kyaaa!!"
"Honey! Hurry up!"
"Mommy!!"
Unlike the chaotic situation where people were running and screaming all over the ce, Damian rolled his feet in a leisurely manner.
He stopped at the inn''s entrance when he saw the lounge was empty. His blue eyes darted left and right but he found no one.
It looked like they had all run outside, and without much thought, Damian walked in and up the stairs, but¡
¨CBoom!
He stopped and clutched his hand on the railing as the building shook. Dust fell on him and once the shaking stopped he continued on his way.
He returned to his room at the inn and immediately threw himself onto the bed. He stared at the ceiling above with a face devoid of any expression.
¨CBoom!
Dirt flew all around the room, yet Damian was unbothered, he lifted his nket and used it to cover him.
Ignoring the explosions that continued to blow, Damian decided not to think about anything. He closed his eyelids and went straight to sleep.
Nevertheless, I couldn''t help but frown.
''What the hell is going on?''
There were many things that I couldn''tprehend, who and how could theyunch an attack directly at the heart of the Empire?
''Whoever it is, they''re quite daring in my opinion.''
Also, I started to question the title of ''The strongest military on the continent.'' at this point. Howe the Castle''s security was easily breached like that?
Now that I talked about the military, wasn''t this day the execution of the Aeneas Family? Wait¨Cwere they¡ linked?
If they were connected then it would be understandable as to why the Castle''s defense was prated! Because some of the Knights knew the interior of Aeon Castle.
But¡ who? Were they Aeneas Knights? Or was it another variable?
.
.
.
The next morning Damian checked out of the inn. Since he didn''t get the information he needed in this city, I assume he was trying to move to another one.
He went to the za and sat by the fountain. But he did something strange, even after hours had passed and the sun was already over his head, he still patiently waited.
''Is he waiting for someone?''
Not long after, a knight appeared and he ced some papers on the notice board in the za. As soon as the knight left, people started to flock.
Damian got up and walked over to join them. Luckily, he was small so he could slide through without difficulty. His eyes immediately skimmed over each letter in the announcement.
''Hmm, I see. Albeit he acted like feigned ignorance, deep down in his heart, he still cared for the Imperial Family, huh?''
[Yesterday, a force under themand of Gideon Aeneas stormed into the Castle to thwart his family''s execution. He managed to escape with his family and kidnapped the Second Prince, Damian Atreilight.]
The boy''s forehead wrinkled when they named his runaway as kidnapping. Still, his lips tugged and his expression lit up, it looked like he was quite delighted that his Grandfather and his family didn''t end up under the guillotine.
[As the crimes of Gideon Aeneas could no longer be tolerated. With this, the Empire announced that he was now the most wanted person on the continent.
Whoever tried to hide him would be considered against the Empire and would suffer the same fate as him.
Anyone who reports the whereabouts of Gideon or Prince Damian will be handsomely rewarded.
Following this matter, every entry to or exit from cities throughout the Empire''s territory would be thoroughly inspected.]
Nheless, Damian was bewildered as he read thest sentence. He could see Gideon and his portrait disyed below the notice.
Also, if every entrance and exit needed to be checked, then this was hisst chance to get out of this city.
Wasting no more time, he quickly slipped out of the crowd. Damian immediately sped up his feet as he saw the knights starting to pile up on the square.
''It seems Dariush intends to tighten the security.''
Damian pulled down his hood and quickly rolled his feet toward Agatha''s entrance. His blue eyes busily turned to every side to ensure that no one noticed his presence.
However, he stopped his steps after seeing people lining up at the city''s entrance; the Knights had begun their inspection.
"Tsk."
He clucked his tongue in annoyance and turned around. But, as if struck by lightning, Damian froze. He was beyond surprised when a ck-haired boy with golden eyes entered his view.
"Dammit."
He cursed in a low tone and hastily gave his back to Alexander on the horse. But before he could take a step, a familiar voice pierced his ears.
"Halt."
¨CThump ¨CThump ¨CThump
And for some reason, his heart skipped a beat. Ignoring the voice he resumed his stride, however¡
"Yes, you. The ck-robed boy."
Chapter 60 Ch. 60: Memories [5]
"Halt."
And for some reason, Damian''s heart skipped a beat. Ignoring the voice, he continued on his way, however¡
"Yes, you. The ck-robed boy."
Damian stopped and deep down I knew; without a doubt, the boy must have recited every profane word he could think of.
''Hehehe.''
Somehow I found it amusing. Literally, I saw no difference between him and me. Or¡ was that just my feeling?
Damian spun and faced Alexander.
"Lift your hood."
"..."
Damian remained silent and just stood there as if he was nted.
"How dare you disrespect the Prince¡ª"
Alexander raised his hand and the Knight next to him immediately stepped back, he kept his mouth shut.
"Lift your hood."
Alexander asked one more time. His golden eyes watched how the boy''s pale and thin hand stretched out, and¨C
¨CFwoosh!
In a split second, fog covered the area. However, before Damian could take a step, a gust of wind blew and he closed his eyes; he was forced to cover his face and pin his feet to the ground.
The wind stopped and the surrounding suddenly turned dead silent. His eyelids slowly opened and the fog he cast was nowhere to be seen.
He lifted his head and Alexander along with everyone present there were stunned. Their eyes stretched wide and mouths gaped open.
"...Ian?"
Alexander broke the stillness and this time, it was Damian who was startled. He ced his hand over his head and then he noticed that his hood fell off.
Wasting no time, Damian channeled his mana into his feet and ran as fast as he could.
"Ian! Wait! Where are you going?!"
Alexander kicked his horse and after his little brother.
¨CGallops ¨CGallops ¨CGallops
However, suddenly the earth soared. Realizing that it was toote to evade, his horse stumbled.
¨CNeigh!
The horse plummeted to the ground. Alexander rolled athletically andnded perfectly on the floor.
"Your Highness¨C"
Knights dashed toward him but he hastily cut with a shout.
"What the hell are you doing?! Pursue Damian!"
"We¨Cwe understand!"
¨CPiii ¨CPiii ¨CPiii
Whistle echoed around the space and Damian clicked his tongue in annoyance. He cast another fog and sprinted toward the residential area.
"Where is he?!"
"We¨Cwe lost him."
Damian hid his body and peeked at them from an alley. He clutched his heart as he panted heavily.
"Search the whole city!"
"Yes, Sir!"
¨CRattle ¨CRattle ¨CRattle
Soon, the ttering sound faded away. Damian leaned his head against the wall and exhaled a sigh of relief. Unknowingly, his eyes caught the city wall.
Since it was impossible to get through the entrance, I thought the only way to get out of Agatha was to jump off the wall.
After catching his breath, Damian began moving again but with stealthily and more caution. When he reached thest house, he could see a staircase leading up the wall across him.
His blue eyes vigorously looked left and right. As he didn''t see anyone on the street, he immediately ran and went upstairs. Arriving at the top, Damian moved closer to the parapet and looked down to see how high it was, but¨C
¨CRattle ¨CRattle ¨CRattle
He turned toward the sound and the Knights surrounded him from both sides, giving him no room to escape.
¨CTap ¨CTap ¨CTap
Footsteps were heard and a ck-haired boy climbed up the wall via the stairs he had taken earlier. His golden eyes stared at him intently, and as soon as he arrived Alexander spat out his thoughts.
"Enough with the game of hide and seek."
''Looks like Damian fell into Alexander''s trap.''
Regardless, Damian looked at him indifferently. Alexander nced down when a bright light shone below and a magic circle was created beneath his feet.
"Ian what''s the meaning of¨C"
Alexander was unable to continue his words, and his eyes opened wide when Damian answered him with action.
"Aarrggh!!"
"Urgh!!"
"Arrggh!!"
The Knights that surrounded them were swept away by a strong wind and a loud crash followed as they allnded on the ground.
Alexander dashed towards the parapet and looked down only to see his knights unmoving with blood flowing from their bodies. He immediately turned to his little brother with burning eyes.
"Have you gone mad?!"
Alexander clutched his head in frustration and sighed sharply. He tried his best to suppress the anger that was raging within him.
"I¡ I will turn a blind eye to this and won''t tell this to His Majesty either, but please, Damian, promise me that you will willingly follow me back to the Pce."
"..."
Damian just stood there with an expressionless face. After a brief silence, Damian opened his mouth.
"I won''t."
"Just... What are you going to do out there?! You have no idea how dangerous¨C"
Alexander shut his mouth when a sword appeared in Damian''s grip.
"¨CIan¨C"
"If you want to stop me, try with your sword."
"Ian¨C"
"Save your words. I don''t need them."
Alexander clenched his fists and his breathing became rough. People who saw him could tell that he was trying so hard to tame the beast that ran amok in his heart.
"Haa¡"
After a few seconds passed, Alexander loosened his fist and let out a long and deep breath as he managed to quell his anger.
"Ian¨C"
His words cut short and his eyes widened when something incredible fast passed a few millimeters away from his face, something wet sliding down his cheeks.
He raised his hand to touch what it was and red liquid stained his fingers. Alexander could only sigh once again. He raised his head and looked at the boy standing not too far from him.
Lament painted his air as he spoke in a low tone.
"Ian¡ I don''t want to fight you."
"Then let me go."
Alexander shook his head.
"I can''t."
"Then stop me."
Damian extended his arms and a fireball rushed toward Alexander through a magic circle on his palm.
A split second before it struck him, a sword appeared in Alexander''s grasp and he swung it.
¨Csh!
The fireball was cut into two pieces horizontally and both of them slipped through Alexander''s sides.
¨CBoom!
It exploded as they hit the wall floor behind Alexander.
Chapter 61 Ch. 61: Memories [6]
Silence filled the atmosphere, they stared deep into each other''s eyes with faces devoid of any expression. Their hair fluttered; danced along with the wind.
After a long pause, Damian opened his mouth.
"You can charge at me if you like."
"..."
However, Alexander did not answer and just stared at him.
"Then I''ll go first."
Damian ran and raised his sword at Alexander.
¨CBang!
Alexander easily blocked his attack and their swords bound. Damian''s lips tugged up.
"Why brother? You alwayse at me when we spar. Why are you hesitating now?"
"..."
Sparks of metal were created as their des ground against each other. Alexander twisted his wrist to change the surface of the de and pushed Damian''s weapon away.
"Urg!"
He groaned as he stumbled backward a few times. Alexander dashed and wielded his sword. Seeing the de approach him, Damian immediately brandished his weapon.
¨CBang!
Their de collided and bounced off. They quickly recovered and then swung their swords once again.
¨CBang! ¨CBang! ¨CBang!
This action repeated itself and flickering fires appeared every time their des shed. In contrast to Alexander who was expressionless and rxed, Damian was filled with anxiety and panic.
¨CBang!
And when their swords kicked away each other, Damian hastily hopped backward. Yet, Alexander just stood there and peeked at the boy''s hand holding the weapon; his hand trembling.
Damian raised his other hand and five fireballs darted at Alexander from the magic circle on his palm.
His golden eyes watched how all of them flew at him uninterestedly. When they entered his range, Alexander lifted his sword. He cut, shed, sliced, chopped, and severed the fireballs effortlessly.
¨CBoom! ¨CBoom! ¨CBoom!
"Tsk."
Damian clucked his tongue in annoyance when his attacks failed to leave a scratch on his brother''s skin. They exchanged stares for quite some time.
''From the looks of it, I can grasp that Alexander is far more superior to Damian in that world.''
Even after exchanging blows, Alexander still looked energetic and perfectly fine. Contrary to his brother, Damian was short of breath.
And just by looking at his expression, it seemed the white-haired boy was racking his brains on how to beat Alexander right now.
I couldn''t help but facepalm, I mean¨Cif he knew that he had no chance to win against Alexander, then why challenge him in the first ce?
As Damian remained motionless, Alexander decided to rush forward. Seeing he ran to him, Damian formed a magic circle on his extended hand and three bolts shot out.
Alexander zigzagged to avoid the lightning bullets.
¨CBoom! ¨CBoom! ¨CBoom!
Three mini holes were created as theynded on the wall.
Damian''s expression hardened as their distance continued to decrease. He shot another bolt but Alexander easily dodged it by tilting his head.
The moment he arrived in front of his little brother, Alexander swung his sword, and Damian immediately raised his weapon.
¨CBang!
Their des collided and bound, however, this time Damian was pushed.
Realizing that his sword edge was moving closer to his neck, Damian twisted his wrist to change the surface of the de to the t.
He raised his other hand and pushed the center of the sword to add more strength. Alexander''s golden eyes stretched wide upon seeing Damian doing a half-swording.
Blood dripped from his hand and Alexander immediately shoved his weapon away.
"It seems you really have gone mad!"
¨Cnk!
His sword spun on the floor as it fell and Damian stumbled backward. He raised his head and a fist flung entered his view.
¨CWhack!
Damian''s face threw sideways and his body fell near the parapet. A hand clutched his cor and forced him to face the doer.
His blue eyes locked with a pair of golden eyes. Nevertheless, he hastily shut his eyelids when another fist came.
"..."
However, after a few seconds passed, the anticipated punch nevernded. Damian slowly opened his eyes and Alexander''s fist hovered a few centimeters away from his face.
Alexander''s fist shook and grief vividly dyed his face. He pulled the boy''s cor and hugged him tightly.
"Please don''t leave."
Alexander''s shaken voice pierced his ears, yet Damian remained silent and he continued.
"You are the only one I have in the Pce¡ you know how I hate my mother¡ and I don''t want to sit on the throne too."
Damian drooped his head.
"I''m sorry."
Now that I think about it, did Alexander in that universe kill Damian as the novel dictates too? Seeing how he loved his little brother dearly, it was almost impossible for Alexander to murder Damian in my opinion.
¨CRattle ¨CRattle ¨CRattle
The ttering of armor was heard and Alexander let go of Damian.
"Haa¡ it seemed I couldn''t stop you."
Alexander gazed at the pair of blue gems present before him.
"Promise me that you will call me from time to time and if you ever need anything just say it to me. Remember?"
The corners of Damian''s lips lifted.
"Yes, I¨C"
However, he was unable to continue and his eyes widened once he saw a crossbow bolt approach, aiming at Alexander''s back.
Without thinking much, Damian immediately shoved him away.
"Ian what are¨C"
¨CThwack!
Alexander''s golden eyes wide opened when he saw blood sttered in the air; a bolt pierced through Damian''s left shoulder.
The boy''s body flung backward as the bolt was way too powerful to control and Damian''s mind went nk when he realized that his feet had left the ground.
"No!!!"
He saw how Alexander extended his hand as he tried reaching out to him behind the parapet, yet it was toote, he had fallen too far from him.
"Ian!!!"
When Alexander was ready to jump, Knights pulled and dragged him away from the parapet.
"What are you doing?! Let me go!! Let me go!! Ian!!!"
Alexander''s voice faded as he fell and somehow his vision darkened, it seemed the bolt contained poison too.
A few seconds before he lost consciousness, someone wearing a ck robe caught him, and the screen cked out.
Chapter 62 Ch. 62: Memories [7]
I blinked my eyes a few times and wrinkles appeared on my forehead.
"What the hell just happened?"
Since we shared the same age, I didn''t think Damian would die; he and I were destined to die at the age of 12. But I wasn''t sure either because I had no idea if that world was aligned with the novel or not.
Soon, the screen shed and a new scene was yed, showing an interior of a¡ cave? Err¡ an underground? Or whatever it was.
The room was not entirely made of stone, some have wooden parts, such as ceilings and doors. Well, the only thing missing there were windows.
Also, to my surprise, the room was filled with furniture such as desks, chairs, and even a bed! In my opinion, it almost looked like a hideout.
Damian opened his eyes and an orange hue filled the room as candles were the only source of light. He swept the surroundings and a woman came into view.
"I see, you''re awake."
A woman sitting with her back facing the boy.
Her long red hair was tied in a high ponytail. Damian tried to lift his back but immediately grabbed his bandaged left shoulder.
"Argh!"
I didn''t know how long Damian was unconscious, but if he was ''merely'' speared by a bolt, it should have been healed by using Super Potion, yet, Damian remained wounded.
"Haa¡"
¨CFlop!
A sound of a thick book being forced shut was heard. She rose and turned around; revealing herself entirely, I assumed her age was early twenty.
She wore a tight slit mini dress that showed off her hourss features, even her boob''s shapes and sizes were printed vividly. Her ruby eyes gazed at Damian disinterestedly.
"You should refrain from moving."
Upon seeing her, I was bewildered. My mouth opened and closed several times mimicking a fish that came out of the water; I was speechless. Not because I saw her coquettish appearance, but because I knew who she was!
That woman! She was a drop-dead cunning sly woman! However, I could only furrow my brows.
''Isn''t she the strategist of that shady organization? Why did she save Damian?''
I clearly remember how she ruined Alexander''s ns so many times to the point that I started to pity him, he should look for a strategist instead of burning his head.
I was afraid that Alexander might damage his brain someday.
I wouldn''t lie, though, albeit Alexander was a Gary Stu, he was so terrible at scheming. No wonder his strategy was easily seen through by her.
Her red eyes shifted to the bracelet on her wrist. At first, I thought it was Telesphere, s, it wasn''t. As expected of a mysterious society, they even had their ownmunication devices.
"He''s awake."
After conveying that one line, she hung up and returned her attention to the white haired-boy who was lying on the bed. Their eyes interlocked and Damian bombarded her with questions.
"Who are you? What happened to me? And¡ where is this ce?"
She rolled her feet and sat next to his bed. She folded both of her legs and arms, however, the boy immediately threw his face away.
She tilted her head in confusion when she saw his action. Damian gripped his nket tightly and extended his hand, offering his nket to her.
"Please cover yourself."
Pfftt, hahaha! I couldn''t help butugh out loud. I bet that brat had never seen a woman who showed so much skin before! But I hurriedly shut myself up, now I had no idea whose past I was talking about.
"Hahaha!!"
Sheughed merrily while clutching her stomach.
"You are the first person who said such a thing to me! Oh, my! A Prince is indeed different!"
She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and dly received the nket, she used it to cover her legs.
"It''s fine, you can turn now."
Damian did as she said and strangely, the way she looked at him changed. Her eyes twinkled, glimmering with interest. Her tinted lips lifted; turned into a beautiful seductive arch.
"You know¡ I''m willing to wait for you if you don''t change your demeanor."
She winked at him and Damian''s expression turned murky after seeing her behavior.
"No, thank you. Just answered my questions, please."
''Even though her beauty and alluring body could melt a male''s heart at one nce, I must say, she isn''t my type.''
She blinked her eyes a few times; she was shocked by the things she just heard.
"Did I¡ just get rejected?"
She wore a surprised expression. Whoever saw her, everybody knew she was faking it.
"Hmm¡ winning over a Prince''s heart is surely hard. But I won''t give up¨C"
"Please just answer my questions."
She pouted when he cut her off. Leaning herself on the chair, she started with a sigh and spoke.
"Haa¡ my name is Annelise, I was the one who saved you. You were hit by a crossbow bolt, remember? And we''re still in Agatha."
The wrinkle on my forehead deepened, there was a cave on Agatha? I never heard of nor saw it on the map. Perhaps¡ a hidden cave?
Damian caressed his temple.
"Ah, yes. I do remember that. A bolt aimed at my brother, I pushed him and¨C"
He shook his head and asked another query.
"How long have I been unconscious?"
"Three days."
"I see. Thank you for saving my life."
"You''re wee."
"..."
"..."
Since no one said anything, Anne uttered her curiosity.
"But I don''t understand, though. I heard his family was responsible for murdering your mother. Why did you save him?"
Damian turned and stared at the ceiling above him.
"That''s true. But, even if the culprit is indeed his family, it doesn''t mean that he is the one who killed my mother. We''ve spent so much time together, I know him inside and out. I trust him."
"Pfftt."
He spun his head whilst frowning after hearing her snicker. Receiving Damian''s suspicious gaze, Anne waved both of her hands.
"Ah, no. It''s just¡ I found your bond with your brother is very sweet, that''s all."
"..."
¨CClick!
Both of their head twirled to the door that swung open and two men wearing masks that covered their entire faces entered. Anne bent her back forward and whispered.
"Hey, let me tell you something interesting."
Damian faced her and their eyes met, she smiled at him.
"The one who tried to kill your brother is one of them."
"What?"
He frowned and confusion painted the boy''s air. Unbothered to answer his question, she just chuckled and rose. She put the nket back on to cover Damian''s body and exited the room.
One of the men sat on the chair and the other stood behind him. Silence descended as no one in that room was willing to voice out their thoughts.
Thanks to the pattern on the mask, I could recognize the seated man. Although I didn''t know what his name was, he was without a doubt the so-called ''God of War''.
I remembered where Alexander''s Corps was crushed by this masked man many times and as for the other one I had no idea.
To put it simply, my knowledge of this world wascking because I hadn''t finished reading the novel.
But, judging from their appearance, somehow they were quite familiar in my eyes. After a brief silence, the seated man asked.
"How are you feeling?"
I couldn''t tell who he was due to the mask that altered his voice. Nevertheless, Damian furrowed his brows.
"Who are you?"
"Haa¡"
The man sighed. He lifted his hand and took off his mask. The moment his face was revealed, my mind went nk.
Sweats surged from my pores to the point that I was drenched in them. I clutched my head at the unbearable vertigo that washed over me. My stomach churned and I wanted to throw up.
I was beyond shocked!
A man around his mid-fifties with blonde hair and blue eyes was seen.
"Grandpa?"
The man behind the mask was Gideon Aeneas! The so-called ''God of War'' was Gideon Aeneas! The one who mercilessly ughtered Alexander''s Corps was Gideon Aeneas! It was none other than his grandfather!
"And¡"
Damian switched to the man behind Gideon. He removed the mask and an old man with grayish eyes came into view.
"Your Highness, it''s nice to see you again."
"Fedel?"
I raised my hand and let my head fall into my palm with a sigh. I could feel the energy draining from my body; they vanished into thin air.
''What a madness.''
Every time I was sent here, I was always presented with new crazy revtions. If the previous were the death of my mother and Aeneas'' Family execution, this time it was even crazier.
I witnessed that my family was a member of the dark organization that Alexander; the main character of the novel, was trying so hard to defeat!
''If my guess is correct, that world is aligned with the novel. But there''s something bothering me¡''
My head hurt a lot and I couldn''t help but massaged my temples.
''Is my role in the novel¡ a viin?''
Chapter 63 Ch. 63: Seeking The Truth [1]
My eyes opened wide as I abruptly sat up. Sweat soaked my body and I was panting.
"Haa¡ haa¡ haa¡"
"Ian?"
I turned my head to the side and felt some sort of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. A blonde-haired man with blue eyes appeared. My brows furrowed involuntarily.
"Grand¨C"
However, before I could finish my words, Gideon hugged me.
Luckily, my eyes caught the interior of this ce, and fortunately, this was inside a tent and not something like a cave or underground.
"Grandpa?"
He released me and cupped my face, he looked at me intently.
"Tell me, are you hurt somewhere?"
I tried to feel whether there was something wrong with my body, but I couldn''t find any and I shook my head.
"Umm¡ no?"
"Haa¡"
Gideon let out a sigh of relief and released me, then sat back down on the chair next to my bed.
"Your Highness, please."
Fedel approached and offered me a goblet. I received the ss and without much thought, I drank it.
"Fedel, call a doctor here, please."
"As you wish."
I returned the cup to Fedel and he ced it on the table before exiting the tent. I leaned my back on the headboard and started a light conversation.
"Grandfather, why are you here?"
"After Sir Ulrich''s message reached the Capital, His Majesty immediately assigned me and Sir Rudr to bring the Princes back."
My eyes widened.
"Sir Rudr? Count Caelum? A Marshal? Come here?"
"Yes."
I couldn''t help but scoff inside and massaged the bridge of my nose.
Although Gideon was a Commander, he was my Grandpa, so it would still make sense for him to go get me.
"His Majesty sent you here without your Corps or a Field Army, right?"
"Of course not, His Majesty doesn''t want his citizens to panic."
I nodded in agreement and breathed out deeply, I was just relieved. Without a doubt, a chaotic situation would ensue if Dariush dispatched Sir Rudr and his Field Army here.
If a Corps contained 20,000 to 50,000 or more soldiers, then a Field Armybined two or more Corps! Just imagine what the citizens would think if they saw hundreds of thousands of knights marching here!
''People will start to think that Dariush wants to erase some Kingdoms off the map.''
I knew he was worried, but still, I thought sending a Commander and a Marshal to fetch his sons was way too much in my eyes.
''Now that I think about it, is that one of Dariush''s hobbies?''
He assigned Sir Ulrich, who was originally his Knight Escort as my temporary Knight Escort. Now, he ordered a Commander and a freaking Marshal just to pick up his sons.
''He''s crazy, isn''t he? I mean¨Cyea, I know, he loved his sons but, can''t he just do things in moderation?''
Before I could think further, Gideon''s voice interrupted my thoughts.
"I heard about your heroic story."
I turned to him with a frown.
"What story?"
"That you risked your life to protect the refugees."
The wrinkles on my forehead deepened.
"I don''t think exhausting my Mana Core counts as risking my life."
"Regardless¨C"
His hand reached out and stroked my head.
"¨Cyou did a great job, Damian."
I gripped my nket. To be honest, I didn''t know how to react, the only one who always praised me was my mother.
Something warm swirling in my heart, just like Alexander said his gratitude to me. Even in my previous life, no one had everplimented me as purely and sincerely as they had.
I felt weird. Nheless, I drooped my head and answered with a low tone, barely inaudibly.
"Thank you."
Gideon smiled and patted my shoulder. I asked him other questions to change my mood.
"When did you get here?"
"Today, at dawn."
Gideon withdrew his hand from my shoulder.
"Do you perhaps know how long I have been unconscious?"
"Three days."
"I see."
I nodded. Soon, Fedel''s voice filled the room and we turned to the tent entrance.
"Your Grace. I have brought a doctor."
"You maye in."
The fabric lifted and Fedel entered with the doctor. She walked toward me and bowed.
"I greet the future sun of the Empire."
"You may rise."
"Thank you."
She straightened her back and switched to Gideon to make another greeting. After the pleasantries ended, the doctor started to examine me.
It didn''t take long for her to let go of my hand and exin the results of her analysis to Gideon.
"His Highness'' conditions appear excellent."
"I''m delighted. Thank you, Doctor."
"It is my pleasure."
With that, he left and Gideon got up from his chair.
"Tomorrow we will leave at dawn, you better rest more before then."
"I understand."
I saw how Gideon walked to the entrance. However, he stopped in front of the curtain.
"Ah, I almost forgot."
He turned his head towards me.
"Please call your mother as soon as possible for the sake of my ears."
I titled my head in question.
"Ears?"
Unbothered to answer, he exited the room.
"It seems Her Majesty has been pestering His Grace with Tele-calls."
Fedel helped in answering the question.
"Ah, I see."
I nodded my head several times. It was understandable, though. Just letting me be here already gave her endless anxiety, and now she received the news about the attack¨CI hope she didn''t faint.
"Your Highness, would you like a light meal?"
"Yes, please."
After being in a stupor for three days, I was without a doubt starving.
"If you''ll excuse me, I need to prepare your light meal."
"Ah, sure."
Fedel left the tent and now I was all alone. However, the thoughts about the dream kicked in and my mind drifted. I immediately put my feet down and¨C
¨CThud!
I kissed the ground. Dammit.
"Tsk."
I clucked my tongue in annoyance, I forgot to recharge my Mana Core, and wasting no more time I hurriedly replenished some of my Mana.
Done with refilling some Mana, I strode to a desk and pulled a chair to sit in. I took out my stationery from the Magical Sphere and started mapping the information I got from the dream.
First, the world that other Damian lived in was doubtlessly aligned with the novel.
Second, that Damian and I shared the same age.
Third, as my mother was still alive, and Gideon hadn''t joined that shady organization, the event that urred in that realm; I believed to be the future here.
''And what I have to do is, prevent that ck-robed man from destroying the castle watchtower at Gideon''s fiefdom.''
Because that was the turning point of the fate that chained me. I must destroy it if I want to break free from the damned plot that dictated my life.
But things were bugging me.
Even though I knew the two worlds were in sync with the novel, unlike there, I didn''t have that kind of brotherhood with Alexander.
''Is it because I was a transmigrator?''
Well, that might be true, but, seeing that and this Alexander, both of them have pr personalities. The one that best matched the novel''s description was Alexander in that realm, not this one.
Thest was the war with the Yovanny Kingdom.
The novel started when Alexander returned to the Chrono Empire at the age of 17 as a ''War Hero'' afterpleting the order that Dariush gave him to exterminate the remaining Yovannians.
Yet, what I didn''t understand was, the Yovanny Kingdom had surrendered from the war and I witnessed it with my own two eyes. Then, why did Dariush behest such a mission for Alexander? Did the Yovanny Kingdom do something that angered¨C
Ah, I see. It seemed I caught a glimpse of it.
''It''s the raid, isn''t it?''
Now everything started to make sense. However, I stopped writing.
''What if¡''
My mind went nk, I was baffled at the scenario that just yed in my head. I put my fountain pen down and massaged my temples.
If that was the truth then it was pure madness, I dare not imagine.
"Crazy."
I breathed out a long sigh to calm my turmoil head. With that, I picked up my pen and began to write again.
Thest one was Alexander.
The first thing he did once arrived here was check the Knights, weaponry, provisions, and everything that rted to war.
In other words, he knew about the raid that would happen here, yet, that damned bastard said there wouldn''t be any raid and freaking ditched me in the¨CI sighed.
''Let''s not mix feelings into this, I need to think straight.''
The question was, how did he get that information? Where? Or perhaps, from whom? I believe Dariush also had no idea about it.
Nheless, my forehead frowned.
''What if¡ Alexander is a transmigrator like me?''
Since I was transmigrated here, it was a usibility.
But¨C
¨CTuk ¨CTuk ¨CTuk
I tapped my index finger on the desk.
It didn''t exin how he got the information about the surprise attack. I clearly remembered that the novel I read was Volume 1 and there was no such thing as a prequel to that novel.
In the end, I could only clutch my head in frustration. My head hurts so much from thinking about so many things. I thought it would be best if I confronted Alexander.
Besides these questions, I also had a bone to pick with that asshole anyway. I nced at the pocket watch lying on the table. It was 2pm.
I put my pen down and switched my attention to the Telesphere on my wrist when I recalled that I had his Tele-code.
''Let''s settle things with him.''
Chapter 64 Ch. 64: Seeking The Truth [2]
Originally, I wanted to call that bastard but after seeing contact with the name ''Beloved Mother'', I immediately called it.
¨CTuu¨C
// Ian!! //
I was surprised at how fast my mother picked up my calls. A beautiful woman with wavy blonde hair and a pair of round blue eyes appeared on the screen.
The corners of my mouth tugged the moment I saw her face. A warmth sparked in my heart. Now that I thought about it, nine days have passed since thest time I met her.
"Yes, mom. I''m here."
Suddenly, she covered her face with her hands and sobs escaped her mouth.
Deep down, I wanted to hug her to ease her worry and sadness, but I couldn''t.
"Mom, please don''t hide your face, I wanted to see you; I miss you."
Soon, the sniffing sound died down and she lowered her hands.
// Ah, you''re right. My son wants to see me, how foolish of me. //
She took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears away. After my mother calmed down, she smiled gently at me and I smiled back at her; cathartic washed over me.
"Mom¨C"
// Ian, you don''t know how worried I was when the news Sir Ulrich sent arrived at the Capital! //
"Mom¨C"
// Even hearing the Camp was almost burnt to the ground made my heart ache. Later, I found out that you are unconscious, I can''t think straight! //
"Mom¨C"
// It''s my fault! I shouldn''t have let you go¨C //
As I realized that it was futile to talk to her, I chose to shut my mouth.
For some reason, my ears started ringing. Now I understand how Gideon felt when he received a call from my mother.
Nevertheless, I just smiled and patiently waited for her to finish her rumbling.
''She''s just worried, that''s all.''
After a long and deep talk, my conversation with my mother came to an end.
// Goodbye. //
"Goodbye.
I looked at my contacts but my expression turned grim when I saw ''Dearly Brother'', and a secondhand embarrassment kicked in.
I never bothered to check my contacts list since he gave me his Tele-code, and now regret it.
''Just¨Cwhy are people so into cringey names?''
I quickly added ''Not So'' in front of ''Dearly Brother'', and called him.
¨CTuut ¨CTuut ¨CTuut
I tapped my finger on the desk impatiently.
¨CTuk ¨CTuk ¨CTuk
After a long wait, finally, the person on the other side picked up my call and I hurriedly cut in.
"Where are you?"
There was a brief silence before he opened his mouth.
// You''re awake? Uh, I''m in the mountains, why? //
"The usual spot?"
// Yes. //
"Alright, I have something important to tell you. Don''t you dare run away!"
// Ian, what the hell is w¨C //
I hastily hung up and put my stationery back into my Magical Sphere. After washing my face, wiping my body with a wet towel, and changing clothes, I immediately stormed out of the tents.
Of course, I didn''t forget to wear a hood, just in case I ran into Gideon or Fedel on the way. I darted my eyes left and right to make sure that I didn''t bump into them, and walked casually to avoid suspicion.
To my surprise, half of the giant tent had been reconstructed, there were no corpses from thest battle. It seemed they worked really hard at doing the cleaning job. The sight reminded me of the first time I came here.
However, I halted my steps.
"¨Cyea, I heard that too. At first, Prince Alexander wanted to end it himself, but unfortunately, something happened."
I followed the voice and found two knights chatting.
"Still, it was all thanks to Prince Alexander, so we had advance notice and prepared beforehand, otherwise we would all be razed to the ground."
"I concur. It''s not every day we witness the chivalry of our future Sun."
''So Alexander did try to stop them but he failed and the enemy started attacking the camp.''
I couldn''t help but massage my temples.
''If you make a strategy, at least make another in case the first n fails.''
"Prince Damian also yed a great role in saving the refugees. Because without a doubt we would be burned to a crisp."
My forehead creases.
"That''s right. Aah¡ looks like our future will definitely be bright."
"Sure is."
Ignoring theirst conversation, I continued on my way, I exited the camp then hiked the mountains. Once my eyes caught a ck-haired boy lying on the grass and I quickened my feet.
He opened his eyes and eyed me when my shadow fell upon him.
"Let me guess. You sneaked out."
"Shut up."
I took my hood off andy on thewn next to him. I stretched my arms and feet whilst shouting.
"Aah, what a hassle!"
I turned sideways and our eyes met. Alexander looked at me as if I was some strange creature.
"What?"
I snapped at him.
"Tsk."
He clicked his tongue and switched his vision to the sky above.
"So what ''important'' thing did you want to talk about?"
I sat down and started to rack my brains over where to start.
"The thing I want to talk about is¨C"
¨CGrowl
I was stunned and shut my mouth. Alexander twirled his head and raised one of his eyebrows after hearing my rumbling stomach.
"What? That you''re hungry?"
"N-no! I¨C"
¨CGrowl
"But your stomach says otherwise."
I threw my face to the side and I could feel my cheeks burning.
''Ah, dammit. I should have waited for Fedel!''
¨CThud!
I was startled when something fell on myp. My eyes moved to see what it was and a familiar pouch came into view.
I returned my gaze to Alexander and our sight locked once more.
"You should be grateful cookies have a long lifespan."
"...thank you."
I took out a cookie and shamelessly ate it. Deep inside I was weeping due to the unbearable embarrassment.
¨CCrunch ¨CCrunch ¨CCrunch
And for some reason, the sound of me grinding the cookie felt so damn loud today! I wanted to cry! I was so ashamed to the point that I wanted to dig my own grave!
I peeked at Alexander as he didn''t say anything. He was lying with his eyes closed; his expression was so peaceful.
"Ahem. Ahem."
I cleared my throat after finishing the cookies and opened a light dialogue to shift the atmosphere.
"So... how are the refugees?"
"They''re fine. No casualties thanks to you."
He answered without bothering to open his eyes and not even moving an inch of his body. However, I shook my head.
"No, it''s thanks to you. I heard you tried to stop them."
His eyelids lifted and revealed a pair of astonishing golden jewels.
"Yes, but I failed and they still managed tounch an attack on the camp."
Previously, I thought he did nothing to prevent the enemy from attacking this ce, but I was wrong.
I was too quick to judge without knowing the whole truth, which was stupidity.
"But, in the end, we defeated those bastards together, right?"
The corners of Alexander''s lips tugged and changed into a beautiful arch. Tsk, now I regret saying something nice that made him smile.
But whatever, I got the answer I needed. Alexander knew about the raid. Now, let''s move on to another question. But before I could open my mouth, he turned to me and asked.
"I''m curious. How did you summon the rain? Also, I didn''t see your magic circle anywhere."
"Ah, that."
Hmmm¡ how should I exin it to him?
"I made my Magic Circle in the sky and created clouds."
He frowned and looked at me in disbelief.
"Sky?? Clouds??"
"I mean¨Cfog! I create a fog! As the congration caused thick smoke, those dust particles seeding my fog¨Cit''s like¡ uhh, giving the vapors something to stick to, and they ultimately got bigger,rger, and that''s how I summoned the rain."
"..."
Alexander''s face was full of question marks and eventually shrugged.
"...whatever."
"..."
Somehow my hand felt itchy and I wanted to punch him in the face!
Here I was racking my brain on how to enlighten him with the most simple exnation; instead of saying carbon monoxide and nucleation, yet, he said, ''whatever''?
This goddamn bastard needed to be choked to death!
"By the way. Who is behind this attack?"
"It''s the Yovanny Kingdom."
"Is there tangible proof that it truly is them?"
"Here."
Alexander took out something from the Magical Sphere and handed me something. I received it and the Yovannian national coat of arms was seen.
"Did the corpses have this emblem? Like¡ all of them?"
"Yes. Everyone has it."
"Hmmm, no matter how much I think about it, it''s weird. Don''t you think so?"
Alexander just stared at me with a face devoid of any expression. There was a brief pause before he sat and answered.
"Yes, I do."
I couldn''t help but chuckle inside. To think he was sitting his ass down, then this conversation had piqued his interest.
''Let''s dig even more.''
Chapter 65 Ch. 65: Seeking The Truth [3]
I switched my attention to the sea far away.
"Yea, that''s what I thought too! They had surrendered, yet, out of the blue, they attacked us."
"Out of revenge, perhaps?"
"..."
My mood turned dark upon listening to his response. I wanted to facepalm my head.
''That''s not what I meant! You stupid bastard!''
I massage my nose bridge to relieve my anguish.
''Calm down. Calm down.''
And I exined in more detail.
"What I mean is, how did they get here? You know it''s impossible to cross the T¨¨ras forest and nearly impossible to cross the sea, right? Then why do they have such arge number of troops?"
Silent. Alexander didn''t answer, but I decided to add a little gasoline to the fire.
"But there might be a chance if some group helped them."
Soon, my body felt like burning, it seemed Alexander eyed me intently. I ignored it and continued whilst gazing up ahead.
"s, I didn''t know since I joined the war at thest minute."
¨CChirp ¨CChirp ¨CChirp
Quietness descended as he just remained silent. The only sounds that could be heard were birds singing happily, and the leaves dancing along the wind.
Ultimately, my patient bore fruit.
"Yes, there is."
I turned to him with a confused expression; of course, I was faking it. I already expected their involvement.
"How are you so sure about it?"
"I fought them."
"Ah, I see. So that''s the reason why you failed to stop them."
"Yes."
If I sum this up, then, Alexander tried to stop the enemy from approaching the camp, but he failed because he ran into another group which he originally thought was the Yovannian soldiers.
Unbeknownst to him, the ''real'' Yovannian army hadunched attacks on the camp. Or maybe that dark organization was the one who lured Alexander out of the camp to reduce the number of Knights.
And the one who was capable of doing all of these without a doubt, Annelise. If it was her, then she seeded in making Alexander dance to her melody. That damn sly woman!
''Although I know what their intention is based on the answers I got from Alexander, I still don''t know what benefits they will gain from setting up such a scenario?''
Whenever this organization appeared in novels, chaos would ensue. Due to the fact that they kept wreaking havoc here and there, the Empire announced that the organization was the enemy of this continent.
Furthermore, Dariush established a special force to hunt down this society and appointed Alexander as the head of this operation.
However, the organization''s goal and headquarters remained a mystery. As I stated before, albeit I read the novel, I only read half of it; my knowledge was limited.
For now, I would put them aside because lo and behold, I definitely would find the answer to each of my questions.
''Just like how I wondered how to stop the war between Chrono and Yovanny five months ago, now I know what I have to do to stop the war in the easiest way.''
Only.
"Is that the important thing you wanted to say?"
I turned to the boy next to me as he stopped my train of thought. Ah, now that he helped me recall, I should grant him my piece of mind.
"I want to ask you, why are you ditching me from the war? Give me the truth."
Yet, he just looked at me with an expressionless face and I stared back at those golden gems fearlessly.
"Let''s¡ exchange the truths."
I raised one eyebrow; I couldn''tprehend what he was trying to say and he exined it in a more detailed way.
"I will answer your questions truthfully and you will do the same. How?"
To be honest, I was worried about what he would ask me, but I needed the truth.
"Fair enough."
"The reason why I kicked you out of the war is that you were too young and youcked experience. I vividly remember how you almost fainted just by watching the naval battle."
Well, what he said was true. As I was about to open my mouth, he didn''t stop.
"And your stick-like figure¨C"
My brows furrowed upon listening.
"¨Chave you ever looked at yourself in the mirror? I mean¨Cyour stick-like figure¨Cyou know, it makes me worry that you might be blown away by the wind and I doubt whether you can lift a sword or not with your tiny little hands. Also¨C"
"Please stop, that''s enough!"
I immediately cut him out. I threw my face sideways whilst massaging my forehead and beckoned my other hand for him to stop.
What the actual fuck?! Was he telling the truth or was he just making fun of me? I knew the truth could taste bitter sometimes, but this damn bastard had no conscience!
"Haa¡"
Nheless, I took a deep breath to quell my zing rage.
"Alright, it''s my turn."
"Sure, sure, go ahead."
I twirled my head to him, and he opened his mouth.
"How did you escape from the illusion?"
An evil thought suddenly crossed my mind, my heart abruptly jumped in joyousness, and unbeknownst to me, my lips formed a curve.
Man, I thought he was going to ask something that would jeopardize my secret, guess I worried for naught.
"Are you sure you won''t change the question?"
I looked at him earnestly and he answered with a stern face.
"I won''t."
My smile widened.
"I escaped the illusion by uprooting the flower."
"..."
I could see how his expression darkened and the air around him turned murky. He must have felt robbed in broad daylight.
''Take that, you bastard!''
However, he immediately recovered.
"N-no, that''s¨Cforget it. My question is how did you find the Faellusion flower in the illusion? Do you perhaps have the Faery Dust?"
He sounded panicked which garnished my happiness. It seemed he just realized that he had made a mistake.
"That''s three questions."
"Alright, let''s change it into three."
"You''re mad¨C"
I shook my head firmly.
"¨Cno."
"Ian¨C"
"No."
"Please!"
"No. And, let''s go back. The sun is about to set."
Silent. He just stared at me with his foul expression and I gazed back at him with my cheerful face. After a brief pause, he sighed sharply.
"Fine."
In the end, he gave up and we decided to go down the mountain. His dark aura was still swirling around; he was in a bad mood, and differing from him, I felt so delighted.
Oh my, just look at those gorgeous wildflowers! Howe I didn''t recognize it when I hiked here? Why did I miss such a picturesque scene? Ah, the world was indeed beau¨C
However, my step came to an abrupt halt and my ecstatic feeling perished when I saw Gideon standing at the exit gate of the camp with both hands nted on his hips.
His expression imitated that of a feral beast. Subconsciously, I paled and my body grew cold for some reason.
Snickers pricked my ear, and Alexander stood by me. I turned to look at him, but there was something weird, his atmosphere was so damn bright and his previous gloomy mood was nowhere to be found.
He smiled contentedly and spoke yfully as he took a step forward.
"He''s all yours."
I was stunned.
"Alex wait!"
But he tantly ignored me and just waved his hand in the air while leisurely walking away.
"Alex, you traitor!"
And that evening I was scolded by my grandfather.
.
.
.
The day passed and we gathered at dawn in the Refugee Camp Square. I saw how the knights packed supplies, inspected horses, carriages, and many more.
"So how was your night?"
Alexander positioned himself beside me and I immediately kicked him in the shin.
"Arg¡ªwhat''s that for?"
Ignoring his groaning, I gave my back to him.
"It''s your fault."
"Why was it my fault when you were the one who sneaked out?"
I bit my tongue as I could refute his words.
''Now that I think about it, wasn''t I being too salty? Or perhaps¡ I don''t know, whatsoever.''
I sighed and turned to him.
"Sorry."
I was startled when he put his hand on my head.
"Why so serious? I''m just kidding. I like it, tough."
My brows furrowed. I couldn''t help but send him my crooked face and answered him while removing his hand from my head, gently.
"What do you mean ''like''? Do you like me kicking your shin? Are you a masochist?"
"..."
"...?"
However, he just looked at me with a dark expression and we growled at each other.
"What?"
"What?"
"Pfftt."
We involuntarily snapped at the sound.
"What?!"
"Eh?"
Sir Ulrich was bewildered andughed awkwardly whilst swaying his arms left and right.
"Uh, please pardon my rudeness."
He bowed and straightened his back.
"It''s just¡ It seems both of Your Highness'' looked morefortable with each otherpared to our first departure."
Hmm, now that Sir Ulrich mentioned it, I remembered how Alex didn''t even bother looking at me because he was angry.
However, Sir Ulrich''s words bothered me somehow.
''Am I... starting to feelfortable around him?''
Chapter 66 Ch. 66: Returning [1]
Fortunately, my head butler came and shifted our mood.
"Your Highness, it is time."
"I understand."
Suddenly, Fedel stepped aside and two men in their fifties came into view; walking toward us. One was Gideon and the other I assumed to be Sir Rudr.
They bowed upon arrival and Alexander dly answered.
"You may rise."
They straightened their backs and one of them took a step forward. He was a muscr man with shoulder-length brown hair in a ragged style and brown eyes.
"I greet the future Sun of the Empire. I''m sorry for thete introduction, my name is Rudr Caelum. I''m the 4th Marshal."
Alexander and I leaned our backs lightly in unison. As well as being a Marshal, he was also a Count from the Egon Region.
"Nice to meet you, Sir Rudr."
"I heard about the Princes'' glorious story; I''m pleased to hear them. It is such a great relief to me to know that the Empire will be with you. I''d like to escort you back to Aeon Castle, s, His Majesty stationed me here. I wish you a safe journey, Your Highness."
Rudr bent his back forward once again. Ah, I see. He was here to guard this camp and Gideon would be our escort. Well, at least Dariush made a wise choice.
"Thank you."
With that, we ended our conversation, and just as we were about to get in the carriage, however¨C
"Your Highness, please wait!!"
All heads turned to the voice. Knights along with the refugees could be seen constantly crowding the square. Not long after, they were lined up neatly and Sir Sigmund moved forth and bowed.
"Your Highness, Prince Alexander and Prince Damian. On behalf of the knights and refugees,I stand here to express our gratitude."
The young man stepped back. He unsheathed his weapon and held it vertically in front of his face. Soon, the knights shadowed his actions.
¨Cnk!
The rasping de sounds filled the space when they gave us a sword salute. The knights and refugees shouted in unison.
"We will never forget Your Highness'' noble sacrifices!! We wish you a safe journey!!"
We were amazed and eventually, an arc drew on our lips. I never expected such a grand farewell but, somehow it felt warmth in my heart. I wonder why?
Alexander and I bowed simultaneously.
"Thank you."
Soon, we boarded the carriage and Fedel closed the door. I saw how they waved continuously through the windows even after our convoy had moved far away.
I peeked at Alexander stealthily from the corners of my eyes. He did the same action as me; watching the refugees. But, there was something¡ odd.
Tranquility framed his face, his smile never left his lips, and his eyes gazed at them gently. He looked overwhelmingly cathartic as if the burden on his shoulders just lifted.
Now that I thought about it, didn''t he resemble someone who was trying to suppress his trauma when we got here? And now he¡ªwait. I clutched my head from the sudden headache.
''It¡ linked.''
My heart raced and my sweat oozed from my pores.
''He''s not¨C''
"Are you okay?"
I raised my head and Alexander was seen staring at me. I wiped the sweat off my temples.
"Ah, yeah. I''m fine¨Cor not."
I decided toy on the couch and returned my sight to him, only to find he was eyeing me like I was a strange creature.
"Tell me, Alex, is there really no God here?"
He leaned on the sofa, then folded both his arms and legs.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just curious."
Yet, he just shrugged.
"You know the answer."
"Tsk."
I clucked my tongue in annoyance and turned my head to the ceiling above.
''Again, he answered my question with vague words.''
If there was no God here then who transmigrated me here? What was that being''s intention to bring me here?
Also, if my soul was ced in this boy''s body, then, where did the original Damian''s soul go? It wouldn''t suddenly vanish, right?
''See? There are so many things to unravel. Especially the book Alex gave me.''
I read half of it and now, I was wondering, albeit it had controversial content, somehow the book was so convincing and tempting!
''Or, has the author manipted me through the book? I don''t know.''
If the book held the truth, then the Empire must be hiding something.
Honestly, I didn''t want to entangle myself withplicated things like these. I just want to live happily with my mother and enjoy the privilege I got as a Prince.
''Right now, there are three missions that I need toplete.''
First, defuse the conflict between the Chrono Kingdom and the Yovanny Kingdom. I thought it was a necessary step because the war would one day get in my way.
''I want to travel the world, remember? If there is a war then it will be very annoying.''
Second, preventing the ident that took my mother''s life.
''If I thwarted it, then my mother will stay alive. Gideon, Fedel, and I won''t join that dark organization.''
Third, I need to get stronger than Alexander. Although our friendship got better and I didn''t be a viin, that didn''t eliminate the possibility of him killing me.
''After all, the human heart is mysterious. Maybe he''s kind on the surface, but deep within, I don''t know.''
And for other problems regarding the novel''s plot like hunting that crazymunity or society or whatever, I didn''t give a fuck. It was Alexander''s problem, not mine.
I nced sideways and Alexander was seen sleeping whilst leaning against the window frame.
''What a rare sight.''
He must have racked his brain and muscle in the past couple of days. I got up and took out a nket to cover his body.
"Thanks."
I was startled upon hearing his voice. I thought he had fallen asleep! But, whatever.
"Yea."
Getting back to my couch, I gazed at him.
''Alexander Atreilight, he''s a strange man. His actions were mysterious and his words were full of secrets.''
Iy down once again and closed my eyes as drowsiness weighed me. Thinking so many thoughts without a doubt exhausted my brain.
.
.
.
Chapter 67 Ch. 67: Returning [2]
Three days had passed since our journey. The rough trail now changed into a smoother granite pavement. I peered outside through the window and the high walls of Axton City came into view.
"By the way."
I turned and Damian looked at me anxiously.
"Do you¨Cerr, have cash with you?"
I raised one of my brows.
"I do. Why?"
"Umm, can you lend it to me? I¡ I will pay you back after we arrive at the castle."
"What for?"
"I want to buy my mother a souvenir."
I couldn''t help but smirk, somehow he never changed; always loved Theresa dearly. Well, it was understandable if he was broke, his Pce''s budget was managed by Fedel.
"Alright, how much do you need?"
He tilted his head.
"How much does a Rose Brooch cost?"
I shrugged.
"I don''t know. I never buy women''s stuff."
Rose Brooches were the most souvenirs often taken home by happy tourists of Axton city. I took out a pouch of gold and stretched my hand.
"Here."
He received it with both hands while bowing.
"Thank you."
The white-haired boy peeked inside the pouch and abruptly looked at me with widened eyes.
"Where did you get so much money?"
He continued to gawk at the gold in the bag in amazement. There were around eight hundred gold coins or so in that pouch.
But why was he acting like it was his first time seeing such arge number, or was he?
"I asked my mother for my allowance."
Of course, that was a lie. Noble children''s budgets were usually managed by their head butler or nanny before they came of age.
Truthfully, they could buy anything with no money, because their shopping receipts would be sent to their mansion/pce, and the manager would cut the budget to pay for it.
After they turned 18, they would eventually run their own budget, and their family would give them an aide to assist them in managing the money.
"We''re Princes, but why am I dirt poor and you''re dirt rich? It''s not fair!"
Damian red at me with tant jealousy.
"You can have it all if you''d like and you don''t have to pay it back."
"Really?!"
His azure jewels were twinkling with excitement and I was amazed by how quickly he changed expressions.
"Yeah."
"Hehehe, thanks."
He put the pouch in his Magical Sphere merrily. I never thought he would be so happy with that little amount of money.
When you turn back time, you must use everything at your disposal, for example establishing a business or doing investments to earn more money.
Of course, I did it under a pseudonym, I couldn''t let the Imperial Family or Desdemona''s Family find out about my activity outside the Castle.
''And that''s how I make tons of money.''
If he loved money so much, then I could give him any number he wanted from now on.
Damian knelt on the couch and knocked on the small rectangr window above the sofa.
¨CTuk ¨CTuk ¨CTuk
The ss slid open and Fedel''s grayish eyes came into view.
"Is something troubling you, Your Highness?"
"Fedel, can we stop at a souvenir store once we arrive at Axton city? I want to buy some souvenirs."
Somehow his voice sounded ecstatic and I felt so nostalgic when I heard it.
"I understand, I will notify you once we arrive."
"Thank you."
"My pleasure."
Soon, the carriage stopped, and Fedel''s voice was heard from outside.
"Your Highness, we have arrived."
The door opened and knights could be seen lining up left and right to secure our safety. We stepped out and they immediately surrounded us.
Both sides were guarded by two knights, Gideon in the front, then Fedel and Sir Ulrich in the rear. Instead of security, I felt like a prisoner. How ufortable.
''Honestly, I can roam around the city as much as I like, whenever I want and people won''t even bother me. However, this time is a little different.''
White hair has always been the Atreilight trait''s descendant, and when this little brat tugged his head out for the first time in public, of course without a doubt he would stand out.
Indistinct chatter filled the space as people looked on in awestruck. It must have been a great event for them as they got to see a Prince before his social debut.
The Mercenary Agency tag up ahead caught my attention.
"Hei, Ian."
He turned to me with a questioning face.
"Did you see a building with the Corbenik name sign?"
His eyes moved to the front.
"I did, why?"
I took an emblem out and gave it to him.
"Here."
"What is this?"
Damian studied it carefully, then he nced at the emblem and the sign alternately as he noticed they shared the same logo.
"In case you need money someday, just show them this and they''ll give you money."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
His brows furrowed.
"But it''s a Mercenary Agency."
"Correct."
Yet, he remained silent whilst staring at me. After a brief pause, he opened his mouth and I realized that I made a grave mistake.
"Do you perhaps¡ own it? That Corbenik Mercenary Agency?"
"Are you out of mind? I will end up under the guillotine or gallows if I raise an army behind Dariush''s back."
Although I quickly denied it, he still looked at me suspiciously and I clicked my tongue inwardly.
''It''s because I adored him too much, I forgot that boy has such an extraordinary brain Damn it.''
Luckily, he didn''t bring it up any further and we entered the souvenir store. Anxiety and nervousness colored the faces of the staff when they received us.
All in all, everything went smoothly, and there was no hassle. The owner served us with utmost care and politeness.
Damian was assisted by Fedel in selecting souvenirs and while waiting for the little imp, I decided to read a book to pass the time.
"Here."
I switched my sight to the voice and a tiny little ck box reached out from Damian''s hand to me.
"What''s that?"
"Don''t you need a souvenir for your mother too?"
I turned my attention back to the book I was reading earlier.
"I don''t need it."
However, Damian snatched the book away and ced the box in my palm.
"I''m done here. Let''s go back."
I opened it and a ck rose brooch came into view. Nevertheless, I closed it and put the box in my Magical Sphere.
With that, we returned to Aeon Castle via the Marquis Gilmore Supreme Blink Sphere.
Chapter 68 Ch. 68: Conference [1]
The light on the floor dimmed down and the door swung open, revealing Theresa and my mother who were standing not far from us. We approached them and bowed in unison.
"We greet Her Majesty the Empress of the Chrono Empire."
"You may rise."
"We greet Her Highness the Consort."
"You may rise."
Finished with the pleasantries, all of us straightened our backs and Theresa took a step forward.
"Wee back everyone."
Her blue eyes swept across our faces.
"Thank you so much for all you have done. I heard all of your noble deeds and His Majesty''s promise to reward you handsomely. Future activities regarding this matter will be notified and for the time being, you are dismissed. Please have a proper rest."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Theresa nodded and she turned to my mother.
"We will take our leave."
"I understand."
We bent our backs forward and one by one people started to leave; leaving only my mother, me, the maids, and the knights.
"Wee back my son."
Our eyes locked and she smiled gently at me. I threw away my face and walked past her. However, I paused my step once a thought kicked in and I turned around.
Sadness graced her face as our eyes met for the second time. Moving my feet, I stopped in front of her and took out something from my Magical Sphere.
"Here."
After she took the ck box from my palm and I immediately turned around to continue my way. However, my steps came to an abrupt halt when arms wrapped around me from behind.
A whisper pricked my ears.
"Thank you. I will treasure it for the rest of my life."
I sneered upon hearing it.
"It''s just a piece of iron, there''s no need for you to cherish it with your life."
"How could I not? This is the first gift my son ever gave me. Thank you."
I shut my mouth tightly when a kissnded on top of my head. Honestly speaking, I was way too old for this kind of treatment, but¡
''Why can''t I bring my hands to shove them away?''
.
.
.
The next day Damian and I were invited to attend breakfast with Dariush. As usual, I was the first to arrive at the dining hall of the Emperor Pce.
"His Highness the Second Prince entering."
I nced at the voice when the Guard outside announced Damian''s presence. The door opened and a white-haired boy with blue eyes came in and sat beside me.
"I greet¨C"
"Shut up."
I hurriedly cut it.
''How many times do I have to remind him that he can talk casually to me.''
"That''s rude."
I shrugged and leaned my back on the chair.
"I heard a conference will be held today."
Now that he spoke of it, a conference was also held in the past and as a result, Dariush decided not to forgive the Yovanny Kingdom for the massacre of the Refugee Camp and the war continued.
Since I changed the event, I had no idea if it would be the same as my previous timeline or not.
"Yes, I heard that too."
"Do you know how to attend it?"
I couldn''t help but furrow my brows and turned to Damian.
"Why do you want to attend it anyway?"
Yet, he let out a creepy smile that made me taken aback.
"Out of curiosity?"
I massage my temples upon hearing his answer.
"You can''t attend it merely because of your silly wonder. Not to mention this one is not an ordinary conference, high-ranking nobles from all over the region, influential military people, and even the Elders of the Arcanist Tower will be attending. Simply put, brats like us have no possibility of attending at all."
He tilted his head.
"No chance at all?"
"Not a chance."
"Like¡ nothing?"
"Yes."
In the end, his expression drooped and but¨C
"Can''t you do something about it?"
The wrinkles on my forehead deepened.
''Why did he ask me? I by no means, not the Emperor.''
However, before I could say anything, the Guard''s voice filled the space.
"His Majesty the Emperor entering."
The door wide opened and a white-haired man walked into the room and we hastily stood to pay respect.
"We greet His Majesty the Emperor of the Chrono Empire."
"You may rise."
We straightened our backs and patiently waited for his next order as he sat down.
"Have a seat."
We did as he told and his magenta eyesnded on us.
"It''s good to see my sons again."
"Thank you."
"Well, we will continue this conversationter, for now, let''s enjoy our meal. Bring the food."
The maids and butlers immediately arranged the food and we ate solemnly.
.
.
.
I lifted the teacup and the scent of Earl Gray tea shortly wafted into my nostrils. Without much thought, I sipped it and right after Dariush ced down his teacup, Damian and I followed suit.
To tell you the truth, the Imperial custom kinda sucks. For someone who had lived on the battlefield, I would rather live outside Aeon Castle than inside this ce.
"I have read Sir Ulrich''s report and I, personally, said thank you to both of you. It truly makes me very proud that my sons lived up to my expectations. It seems my wives have done a great job raising you both."
I had never seen him smile so genuinely like that, especially after I delivered Damian''s casket back to the Pce.
I vividly remember how his feral red eyes pierced me and how his killing intent almost choked me to death after he found out that I killed his son.
''It was a terrifying experience for a 14-year-old me.''
Dariush continued.
"Your mother and your noble sacrifice will be rewarded handsomely."
"Thank you."
"However, even though you''ve done a good deed, you still remember the task I gave you, right?"
Wait¨Cwhat? I didn''t remember him asking such questions back in the day. Howe he asked now? How could this be?
I could see Damian taking the sheets out from his Magical Sphere and giving them to Dariush. His reddish eyes skimmed through it and nodded.
Realizing that I gave him nothing, the white-haired man switched to me. Ah, damn, I fucked up.
"Where is yours, Prince Alexander?"
I racked my brain for an eptable reason to answer his question. However, in the end, my head refused to give me bright ideas. I could only wail inwardly when I thought about the punishment that awaits me.
Dariush patiently waited and before I could open my mouth, there was someone faster and we both turned toward the voice.
"Prince Alexander left his assignment papers to me. This is undoubtedly my mistake that I forget about it. I hope Your Majesty could pardon my forgetfulness."
Damian took out another document and ced it in front of him. Nevertheless, Dariush remained silent as he looked at me and Damian in turn.
¨CTuk ¨CTuk ¨CTuk
He tapped his fingers on the table and eyed us intently. The Emperor was by no means a fool, he must have noticed that his son who sat next to me was trying to save his brother.
After a long pause, Dariush answered.
"Fine, I''ll let it slide this time. But there''s no second chance."
"Thank you."
We bowed in gratitude and the Emperor nodded.
"Very well then, I''ll grant you anything you wish."
"Like¡ anything?"
The little imp''s face lit up; he was in a strange mood somehow.
"As long as it''s within my power, then why not?"
''Wait, don''t tell me¨C''
"We would like to attend the conference that will be held today."
I knew it!
"We?"
Wait. We?
Dariush raised one of his eyebrows.
"Yes. Alexander and I."
His magenta eyes rolled at me and I wanted to palm my face but restrain from doing so. If that little imp wanted to attend the conference so badly, why did he drag me into this?
''I''m not interested in listening to old men babbling about politics!''
Ahh. I could feel my head swirling in pain and the energy inside my body perished into thin air; leaving no speck at all.
''In terms of demolishing my patients and damaging my brain cells, this damn brat is number one without a doubt!''
Ah, my head!
"Haa¡"
I let out a deep long breath to quell my misery and spoke whilst staring back at those reddish gems.
"Yes, we would like to attend."
''In the end, I have to babysit him again.''
Quietness enveloped the room and we patiently waited. He tapped his finger against the table once again and after a brief pause, he replied.
"Alright."
Dariush rose from his seat and we shadowed him. He gazed at us.
"I will prepare special seats for you two."
"Thank you."
He strode toward the entrance and we immediately bowed.
"We wish you a nice day."
"Make sure toe before 10 am, don''t bete."
"We understand."
He nodded and left.
Chapter 69 Ch. 69: Conference [2]
¨CThud!
The door closed and I immediately turned to the troublemaker. I wanted to scold him but I couldn''t bring myself to open my mouth when I saw him.
Also, I had to restrain myself from raising my voice against him, we just fixed our rtionship. Not to mention that he helped me a few seconds ago.
''But this little brat.''
He was in a strange mood somehow. His eyes twinkled in excitement, even the atmosphere around him was so bright.
I was afraid my eyes would go blind if I stared at them too long.
"Does being able to attend the conference make you incredibly happy?"
His smile stretched wide. He should stop it, he sent chills down my spine for no reason.
"Of course, it does. When you''re one step closer to your goal, shouldn''t you be happy?"
"What goal?"
He made a thinking pose and after a short pause, he answered.
"Secret?"
My lips twitched.
''This bastard.''
I couldn''t help but palmed my face. If he had no intention of telling me, why made me wait? Such a waste of time. But, whatever.
"Thanks."
One of his brows lifted.
"About what?"
"The papers."
He nodded several times and got up from the chair, then he spoke.
"You gave me money so I should at least pay you in some way."
I followed him and we walked side by side toward the entrance.
"I see. But, why do you want to attend the conference so badly?"
The Guards opened the door and we stepped outside.
"It''s for my own benefit."
"What ben¨C"
"See ya."
"Hei!"
Damian ran towards Fedel and Sir Ulrich. The two of them bowed upon seeing me and I nodded in response. They spun and I saw them walking away silently.
''Howe the conference benefits him?''
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn''t figure it out.
''I mean¨Cwhat benefit does he derive from watching and listening to some old men debate?''
Or maybe¡ Did he start to get interested in politics and want to take a step closer to the political scene?
''Hmm¡ I guess so.''
Well, the throne was his anyway, and I would dly pave his path to it.
.
.
.
I arrived at the conference hall at the promised time.
"Your Highness."
I nced at the voice and a light green-haired man with sses bowed at me. He lifted his back and a pair of dark blue eyes came into view as looked at me gently. He smiled benignly.
"I will guide you to the balcony seat box."
"Alright."
"This way, please."
I followed him up the stairs. The only sounds I could hear were our footsteps because neither of us wanted to talk. Soon after, he stopped and positioned himself beside the door.
"His Highness the Second Prince is waiting inside."
"I see. Thank you."
"My pleasure."
The guard opened the door and I entered without much thought.
¨CThud!
The door behind me closed and the dim light inside the room greeted my sight.
"You arrived?"
I nced at the voice and a white-haired boy was seen, he was standing by the stone railing. I talked whilst approaching him.
"It''s rare to see youing before me."
"I''ll take that as apliment."
I stood next to him and we switched our eyes down to the conference hall.
A rectangr podium in the front and five rows of seats in a semi-circle ssroom style neatly lined up.
"That''s the amplifier device, right?"
I whirled my head to where Damian was pointing and a round white object came into view. The amplifier device was a tool that transferred our voice outside.
"Yes."
Unlike the noise below that could reach here, the sound in this room would not be heard anywhere. That was why each balcony had those things.
If we wanted to make an opinion, all we had to do was channel our mana into it, and our voices would echo throughout the room.
"Dame Illya the 3rd Marshal is entering!"
Dame Illya was the only woman in the Marshal ranks. She had beautiful tangerine hair with eye color simr to citrine gems. People named her ''Goddess of the Battlefield''.
"Sir Troy, the 4th Admiral is entering!"
The guard continued to announce their presence both from Knights and Marines starting from the lower to higher ranking officers in turns.
"Sir Keh, the 1st Field Marshal is entering!"
If a Marshal was a Field Army head that contained 100,000 to 150,000 knights, then a Field Marshal was an Army Group head; an Army Groupbined two or more Field Army.
The Field Marshal was right below the Grand Marshal who was none other but the Emperor himself.
"Sir Hervey, the 1st Fleet Admiral is entering!"
I clutched the stone fence with bitter memories. Seeing many high-ranking officers gathered here reminded me of thest battle with that shitty organization.
After the Guard finished announcing the Military people, he began to move to the noble faction.
"Count Andreas from the Malthe region is entering!"
A blonde-haired man came into the room. He lifted his head and his emerald eyes darted onto us. Chislon waved his hand before resuming his step.
''Isn''t that this brat''s Elementalist Teacher?''
Truthfully, every balcony was protected by a magical device to hide the existence inside and block the view from outside.
But the man seemed to be aware of his disciple''s appearance here. Well, as expected of a future Elder of the Arcanist Tower.
"Duke Desdemona from Malthe region is entering!"
ck-haired with a few strands of gray hair came into view, he walked leisurely towards his seat.
"That''s your grandfather, right?"
Damian''s voice prated my ears and I replied without taking my eyes off the old man.
"Yes."
Godwin Desdemona was a militant man who believed that the only way for an Empire to seed was to have unparalleled military power, rigid order, and a centralized government.
"His Majesty the Emperor is entering!"
The audience immediately stood up and bowed as Dariush walked toward his podium.
"We greet His Majesty the Emperor of the Chrono Empire."
The white-haired man sat on his dais.
"Have a seat."
People did as he ordered and Dariush made a short speech to open the conference.
"Didn''t you say that the Elders of Arcanist Tower would be attending? But I didn''t hear the Guard announce their appearance?"
I turned to him and our eyes met.
"I did."
"Then where are they?"
"Across from us."
I titled my head sideways; beckoning to the balcony seat box across the hall that faced ours.
"So why didn''t they join the people below?"
"That''s because they can not show their face to the public."
Damian''s forehead creased, his face full of question marks.
"Why is that?"
I turned around and strode to my seat at the back.
"Nevermind."
It almost slipped out of my mouth.
"What is that? Tell me."
I could hear his footsteps following me and we sat next to each other. I leaned against the chair and folded my arms and crossed my feet.
"Nah."
Damian looked at me in disbelief.
"So you''re ying secret now?"
I shrugged.
"You will find out without me telling you anyway."
"Aren''t you putting too much trust in me?"
"Is it bad?"
Complication dyed his face.
"It''s¡ good."
He answered in a low tone, barely audible. I stretched my hand and patted his head.
''Although I know he doesn''t fully trust me 100%, I''m still grateful.''
I withdrew my hand and spoke to alter the awkward atmosphere.
"Shall we watch the conference, then?"
"Yes."
It seemed the first topic had finished as Dariush''s aide read the decree.
"The fallen knight will be rewarded with one promotion and the family left behind will bepensated with five thousand gold coins and food rations every month for half a year."
The man returned to his position and people nodded in satisfaction upon hearing it.
"Alright, we will move on to the next issue."
The flipping sound filled the room; all of them turned the page to the next subject. Their eyes move to every letter that was written in the report.
When the noise died down, Dariush continued.
"I will open the discussion."
"Ahem."
Duke Desdemona cleared his throat before speaking.
"Your Majesty, the Yovanny Kingdom had announced their conceding defeat yet, how dare they attack one of our Refugee Camps in the Egon Region? Doesn''t this mean that they were toying with the truce we have given?"
Duchess Marlowe nodded and added.
"I concur with Duke Desdemona, Your Majesty. In my humble opinion, the Yovanny Kingdom is unforgivable. Fortunately, we could defend ourselves when the attack urred and there were no casualties among the refugees. But, If by any chance we fail to hold them, we might lose more than two thousand lives of our people."
"Your Majesty, we could use this chance to set an example for other Kingdoms and also to expand our territory once more."
And one by one, people expressed the same statement that the Empire must not pardon the Yovanny Kingdom.
Well, I thought it would be different since I made a change. It turned out that the result was still the same as my past timeline.
As it became one sound, Dariush nodded, and just as he was about to open his mouth to wrap things up a voice interrupted him.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty. But I have to disagree¨C"
I was stunned. My eyes widened and I hastily turned my head when I recognized the owner''s voice.
"¨CWe cannot send our army there, we have to stop the war."
"Damian¨Cwhat are you¡?"
And the conference hall turned upside down.
Chapter 70 Ch. 70: Conference [3]
"We cannot send our army there, we have to stop the war."
"Damian¨Cwhat are you¡?"
And the conference hall turned upside down.
"Isn''t that a kid''s voice?"
"A kid''s voice?"
"Howe there''s a kid here?"
¨CBang!
Duke Desdemona mmed the table and shouted furiously.
"Then can you exin why we have to stop the war when the tangible proof is speaking; pointing out that the Yovanny Kingdom is the culprit."
A voice echoed.
"That''s exactly what they want us to think."
"What do you mean by ''they''?"
"Our real enemy."
"And who are they?"
"As for now, I don''t know who they are. But we have to watch out for them, they are dangerous."
Duke Desdemona burst intoughter at Damian''s answer. Several nobles followed Godwin''s actions and snickered filling the room.
"You dare to say that we have to stop the war when you, yourself, are not sure about who is the real culprit either, huh?!"
"Haa¡"
Dariush let out a sigh and massaged his temples. If he had known Damian''s intention was just to cause a ruckus, he wouldn''t let him attend this conference.
In the end, he opened his mouth because he could no longer see his child being ridiculed right under his nose.
"Prince Damian, are you aware of what you just said?"
"I am."
And distinctive tters urred; creating amotion.
"Prince?"
"What is a Prince even doing in here?"
Dariush raised his hand and the chaos faded, shifting intoplete silence.
"Prince Damian, can you exin in a more specific way why we can''t continue our war with the Yovanny Kingdom?"
"With pleasure, Your Majesty."
Damian paused before continuing.
"As we already know, the Yovanny Kingdom has forfeited from the war. Then, why did they suddenly attack our Refugees Camp?"
Godwin immediately cut off.
"Of course, it''s to avenge their humiliation! What else?!"
"Duke Desdemona!"
And finally, the Emperor''s voice struck down like lightning; he lost his patience. Dariush gazed at his golden eyes coldly.
"Be quiet for a moment, will you?"
Godwin clutched his palm as they exchanged stares for a few seconds and the ambiance of the hall grew ufortable somehow.
"Cough, cough!"
Gideon let out two fake coughs to distort the mood and fortunately, Godwin was willing to back down before throwing his face sideways.
"You may continue, Prince Damian."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
And the white-haired boy''s lips quivered as Alexander eyed him intently. He had been trying to ignore it for the past few minutes but now, he couldn''t take it any further.
Irritated by the action, Damian spun his head and snapped at his brother.
"You''ll burn a hole in me if you keep gawking at me like that!"
"Tsk."
Alexander clucked his tongue in annoyance and turned away.
"Prince Damian?"
"Y-yes, Your Majesty, I will continue."
"Please."
And he picked up where he left off.
"Let''s say that the Yovanny Kingdom''s motive is revenge just like Duke Desdemona stated, but, no matter how much I think about it, it''s strange."
The audience patiently waited.
"What I''m trying to say is; if they really are seeking vengeance, shouldn''t they be hiding their identity? If only one wore the national coat of arms of the Yovanny Kingdom, then that would be much more convincing. But, why did all of them wear it, which indirectly shouted, ''We are from the Yovanny Kingdom! We were the ones who attacked the Refugee Camp!'' In my opinion, it doesn''t make sense at all."
A dead silence fell as the audience now drifted into their thoughts and Damian continued.
"And the oddity doesn''t end there. If they are indeed the Yovannian''s knights, then how on earth could two thousand men trespass into our territory? Due to it being impossible to traverse T¨¦ras forest I will skip it, but perhaps someone from the Marines could enlighten me?"
All eyes switched to Sir Hervey. He sighed and nced at the Emperor then Dariush nodded; beckoning him to answer the question.
"Your Highness, I sent two fleets every day to patrol our seas even before the war started. There''s no way an unknown ship could escape the surveince of hundreds of our galleons."
"Sir Hervey, are you sure about this?"
"Certainly, Your Highness."
"Very well, Sir Hervey. Thank you so much for the reply."
"My pleasure."
Damian''s blue eyes swept through the audience below.
"Then, I hope this exnation is enough to validate that the culprit is not the Yovanny Kingdom."
The thing Alexander learned from the past was, whenever that woman from that shitty organization got involved, she wouldn''t use any normal scheming; just like this.
To sum this up then, the Yovanian''s Knights never crossed our sea; their Kingdom never dispatched troops into our territory, it was that damn society who attacked the Refugee Camp while pretending to be them.
To the extent that they sparked a war between the two countries, it was unmistakable that the thing they were looking for had been confirmed to be in the Yovanny Kingdom.
As you could see, that was one of many crazy evil ns they pulled just to secure the item they were trying to collect, and what Alexander had to do was stop them.
''Like hell, I won''t let them obtain it.''
Unbeknownst to him, Alexander''s heart raced when a thought kicked in. He was wondering, did the past also roll like this?
If the answer was indeed like that, then, wouldn''t that mean he had massacred innocent people?
Alexander was dumbfounded by the revtion. He clenched his teeth and clutched his palm tightly.
''How dare they! How dare they make us kill innocent people!''
Not to mention he even got a title for ughtering them.
''War hero? War hero my ass!''
The beast in his heart was raging uncontrobly and his blood was boiling just thinking about it.
''Those bastards! I won''t forgive them! I will hunt them down this time! Just you see!''
Suddenly an audience with blonde hair and blue eyes raised his hand, it was without a doubt Gideon and he spoke.
"Your Highness, I have a question."
Damian answered delightfully.
"Please go ahead."
"Let''s say that we signed a treaty with the Yovanny Kingdom. What benefits will we gain from it?"
"Before establishing it, I rmend that His Majesty make some demands. For example, have them pay for the marypensation or have them send their troops when we request reinforcement."
Gideon leaned against the chair. Well, it would be nice to have support equal to the number of Chrono''s knights.
''Doesn''t that mean we can double the number of knights on the battlefield? How tempting.''
The corners of Gideon''s mouth tugged and nodded his head in satisfaction. However, Darius added.
"Truthfully, our Empire isn''t short of money."
Damian responded.
"Your Majesty, it doesn''t have to be money, maybe we could send our Ambassador there to find out any valuable resources they have and make them pay with it."
The white-haired man''s lips lifted, he somehow enjoyed it and began his queries once more.
"Very well. But, what if they disagree with our terms?"
"Then make them choose, be razed to the ground, or agree to our demands. How dare they toy with our mercy on them."
Alexander and the rest of the audience were astonished, they didn''t expect to hear such words from a 6-year-old boy.
Of course, that was just a mere bluff. Damian wished Dariush to stop the war no matter what. But, in his opinion, the Yovanny Kingdom would agree to anything the Empire asked of them.
They thought that they could finally match up with the Chrono Empire just because they fought for more than five months. Unbeknownst to them, Dariush had prepared a trump card.
Furthermore, once they saw the true might of the Empire, they realized they were nowhere near them, and immediately ran away with tails between their legs.
¨Cps ¨Cps ¨Cps
"Pfft. Hahaha!"
Yet, different from the other people who fell silent, the Emperorughed merrily while pping his hands.
Damian''s forehead furrowed upon witnessing his father''s weird behavior and he spun his head toward Alexander; their eyes met.
"Why is heughing?"
"He was amazed by your answer."
"I wonder, what''s so amazing about my answer?"
Alexander just shrugged. Let alone others, he was also surprised!
Dariush stoppedughing and said.
"Very well, my son. I will consider it."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
A voiceing from Duke Desdemona.
"I''m sorry to ditch the pleasure but can we talk about the identity of our ''real'' enemy?"
Damian facepalmed, then he eyed his brother. Receiving the lengthy stare, Alexander was taken aback.
"What?"
"Your grandfather is really annoying."
The white-haired boy let out a tired sigh.
''Why does the old man keep pushing me?''
"Well, he''s a militant man, what can I do about it? It''s his personality."
Alexander''s reply was not helpful at all and Damian massaged his temples.
As the Prince remained silent, Godwin called out to him once more.
"Your Highness, I''m asking."
"Since I have never met them, Prince Alexander will answer your question because he''s the only one fighting them."
Alexander looked at him in disbelief.
"Why did you drag me into this?"
"Just deal with him! Urg, my head!"
Of course, Damian was faking it. As his knowledge of the dark organization was limited, he was wondering if he could make Alexander spill the beans without tantly asking him.
Now that he stood in the presence of the Emperor and the Elders, Damian''s heart jumped with pleasure at what kind of information Alexander would share.
Chapter 71 Ch. 71: Conference [4]
Alexander heaved a long sigh and channeled his mana into the amplifier device.
"Greetings, I''m Alexander Atreilight, I will answer Duke Desdemona''s question."
Distinctive tter emerged.
"Isn''t that the name of the first Prince?"
"So both Princes are attending the conference?"
"What is His Majesty''s intention to have them enter the political scene at such a young age?"
"Ahem! Ahem!"
Godwin let out two coughs to disperse the turmoil. After the noise dimmed down he spoke.
"Please, Your Highness, continue."
Godwin''s voice was somehow softened and Alexander proceeded with his answer.
"Even though I fought one of them, just like Prince Damian said before, we had no idea who was behind the raid. But I remember him using some kind of ability to regenerate."
"Regeneration? What kind of regeneration?"
"When we inflicted damage on them, smoke would rise for the cut, and their wound would close by itself."
And the chaos within the hall couldn''t be epassed.
"Everyone please calm down!"
The Emperor''s aide immediately raised his voice and luckily the chaos was contained.
Dariush massaged his nose bridge as he skimmed through the report in his hand before throwing the paper on the table and leaning his back against the chair.
His expression turned murky.
"Prince Alexander, why is it not written in the report?"
"Because we aren''t confident about who they are¨C"
¨CBang!
Dariush mmed the table and snarled at him.
"That is such crucial information! Do you realize that we almost killed millions of innocent people because you did not put that information in the report?! Do you perhaps intend to keep that information to your grave?!"
"I''m sorry."
Whether it was in the past or this time around, Dariush would always be hostile toward him. But, it didn''t matter, somehow he was used to it.
"Father, please calm down."
Just like lightning that struck every single person present, they were stunned upon hearing Damian''s voice. Even the room turned into a dead silence and Alexander hastily turned to the boy next to him in disbelief.
''Whoa, he has such cojones to call the Emperor ''father'' in public!''
"What? Why are you looking at me like that? I''m trying to appease the Emperor."
Damian thought maybe he could assuage his anger if he touched upon his father''s sensibilities. Or¡ perhaps it was a mistake?
"Ahem!"
Dariush let out a fake cough and turned sideways with a slight blush on his cheeks, luckily it was so faint that barely anyone could see him.
Unfortunately, Gideon who was sitting in the forefront row saw this scene and sneered inside.
''You hypocritical bastard, acting so cold but as a father, you want to be called father too, don''t you?''
After calming his excited foreign heart, Dariush spoke.
"Alright, I''ll let it slide this time, but please bear it in mind to make sure you do not repeat the same mistake. Do you understand, Prince Alexander?"
? "I understand."
However, another voice echoed.
"Prince Alexander, Prince Damian, thank you so much for the information you have given to us. It was indeed valuable."
"You''re wee."
The voice continued.
"Your Highness'' if you would be so kind¡"
''Wait. Wha¨C''
Damian was bewildered, and Alexander responded.
"Yes. We understand."
With a heavy heart, Damian rose from the seat and followed Alexander exiting the room.
Here he thought that he would gain extra information, but out of his reckoning, the Elders kicked both of them.
"Why is he kicking us? I want to be there, though."
Damian expressed his disappointment as they walked side by side and Alexander shrugged.
"What else can we do? We''re just kids in their eyes."
"We''re kids, though."
There was a brief pause.
"...right."
"Actually, I wonder how you beat a regenerating man?"
Alexander shook his head.
"Truthfully, there are two people there."
His blue eyes stretched wide as he looked at him in disbelief.
"You fought two of them at once?!"
Alexander couldn''t help but facepalmed, just fighting one of them almost got him killed, let alone two of them.
If only he had regressed with his previous power, there might be a chance for him to kill that man, but s, he was only born with hisst memories intact.
"No. I only fought one and another showed up; a woman, then they withdrew. I never defeated him in the first ce; he was too strong for me anyway. In other words, you can say that I was spared by them."
"A woman?"
Damian tilted his head. Of course, he was acting.
"Yes, she has vermilion hair and eyes that mimic blood. She wears clothes that barely cover her body and if you happen to cross paths with her, run, she''s dangerous."
Damian nodded his head a few times, indicating that he understood.
''Well, that''s without a doubt, Annelise. I had expected her involvement, though. Nothing to be surprised about.''
But, to be honest, this regenerating thing was a new revtion to him. Because the only thing he recalled from the novel was that Alexander fought off Chimera which was created by that dark organization.
Chimeras used to be humans but they turned into monsters after ingesting some kind of drug.
The plot went like this; when the members of that society met a deadlock resolution upon confronting Alexander''s party, they would swallow the pill and transform themselves into monsters tounch a counterattack.
''But a man who regenerates¡ Does this organization intend to create super soldiers? Like in the movies?''
However, a voice interrupted his train of thought.
"By the way."
Damian turned to the boy next to him.
"What?"
"So, the reason why you want to attend the conference was to stop the war?"
"More or less, yes."
Suddenly Alexander halted his step and Damian did the same thing. Then¨C
¨Cps ¨Cps ¨Cps
A frown formed on Damian''s forehead and he looked at his brother as if he were some strange creature.
Currently, Alexander was in a bizarre mood and his smile was very bright; it made Damian''s eyes hurt a lot.
''What the hell.''
Unperturbed by Damian''s grim expression, Alexander continued pping merrily.
"As expected of the future Emperor, although others may not see it, somehow you just performed a noble deed; you prevented innocent people from being ughtered."
"I was simply rying the amiss I found. There''s no need to exaggerate¨C"
The wrinkles on Damian''s forehead deepened.
"¨Cand what do you mean by future Emperor? Aren''t you the firstborn?"
"Wait¨C"
The smile on Alexander''s lips evaporated.
"¨Cyou don''t want to be an Emperor?"
"Why would I? Wait. Don''t tell me you''re¨C"
And they looked at each other in disbelief before finally, both of them sighed and Alexander wailed.
"This is madness."
It turned out that neither of them wanted the throne.
.
.
.
Chapter 72 Ch. 72: Conference [5]
A voice echoed.
"Thanks to Prince Alexander and Prince Damian, we roughly figured out who is the mastermind behind the raid. We can confirm that they are not from the Yovanny Kingdom, and I advise Your Majesty to follow His Highness'' suggestion."
Dariush nodded.
"I understand."
He looked at the report on the table.
"The hypothesis given by Prince Damian is reasonable. The registered people who lived in our Empire are more than one hundred and fifty million people. Killing three thousand of our citizens may look too insignificant in my eyes."
The white-haired man returned his eyes to the audience.
"Of course, I don''t say the lives of the refugees are worthless, but if they seek revenge, shouldn''t they aim at something that could give us a heavy blow that makes us regret attacking them? As I stated before, three thousand lives are a minor number."
He continued.
"As for now, I will follow Prince Damian''s suggestion, and¡ if you have any objection, you can raise your hand."
Dariush scanned the faces of the nobles and military men, he patiently waited but after a few minutes passed, no one raised their hands.
"Very well, then I will appoint Duke Gustav to be the Empire Ambassador to go to the Yovanny Kingdom. You can choose anyone to apany you there but a maximum of 5 people."
The man around forty with lc hair and purple eyes stood and bowed. Duke Gustav was the head of the Njord region.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. It is my pleasure."
The Njord region was the trade center of the Empire, with years of experience handling both domestic and international trading.
''In that case, I don''t need to worry because Andarc Gustav knows what the best resources are that benefit the Empire the most.''
The Emperor stood and the audience followed after. Then he gave a light speech to close the conference.
Soon after the meeting ended without any hassle and even when all of the people left, Dariush remained seated on his dais with his aide standing beside him.
¨CTap ¨CTap ¨CTap
Footsteps echoed. Four people were seen descending the stairs and approaching Dariush. Each of them wore a robe that covered their face.
¨CClick!
One with a tall and slender figure activated something and ced the device on the table. A transparent dome imitating a giant bubble soap was created and devoured them, leaving only Dariush''s aide outside.
It was a silent magic device, only those who were inside the dome could hear their voice; outsiders had no chance of eavesdropping.
And without beating around the bush, a man who had the figure of a bear spoke to the Emperor.
"The felon behind the raid doubtlessly ''him''."
Dariush leaned against his chair.
"Is the ''he'' you are talking about referring to the culprit behind the Arcanist Tower incident?"
"Yes."
Soon, a high-pitched kid voice was heard and all eyesnded on her. She was sitting on top of the table whilst swinging her legs merrily.
"But hasn''t it been almost more than four hundred years since thest time we met him?"
This time a woman''s voice jumped into the conversation.
"It''s just he doesn''t know how to give up."
"Aww, I even forgot how he looked."
"Just look for his paintings, he won''t age anyway¨Clike us."
A man with a slender figure spoke.
"If what Prince Alexander said is true, then I can not fathom what sort of fate this continent will face."
A woman added.
"Yeah, especially after seeing him dispatch two thousand people so easily, it seems that bastard has gained quite a following."
A bear figure responded.
"Understandably, he has lived for more than four hundred years like us, just like we made many contributions to the Empire, he must have made a lot of contributions to developing his organization and his experiments."
A kid''s voice leaped in.
"It''s more of a cult rather than an organization in my eyes."
"Can''t agree more."
A slender man took a step forward and stopped in front of Dariush.
"Could you lend us some of your Knights?"
Dariush nodded.
"As this is a serious matter, then I will lend my Pdins to you."
"Thank you. Since it involves our personal circle, we will look into it, so you can concentrate on the treaty."
"I understand."
"We will contact you when we find something."
"I appreciate that."
The man took the device from the table and pressed it.
¨CClick!
The dome faded and disappeared, with that, the four of them exited the room.
.
.
.
Alexander arrived at his chamber. He took off his jacket and threw it on the couch. He loosened his tie while walking toward the balcony.
He opened the window door and make a call from his Telesphere.
¨CTuu¨C
A familiar cheerful voice pierced his ears.
// Yo. Boss! Do you miss me? //
"I have a mission for you."
// Hmm¡ lemme guess, it''s rted to that shitty organization that you hate the most, Boss?"
"Yes."
// So, where is the item located this time? //
"The Yovanny Kingdom."
There was a brief silence.
// Haa¡ out of the ce, why does it have to be the Yovanny Kingdom? Also, isn''t that Kingdom at war with the Empire? //
? "The war is over."
Alexander leaned against the stone fence.
// But still, the Emperor has yet to make an official statement. Also, it won''t be easy to escape Marine''s eyes. //
"If you''d like something new, try to cross the T¨¦ras forest."
// Boss¡ are you telling me and my squad to suicide? //
"Perhaps?"
// Aren''t you too cold-blooded, Boss? //
"Maybe?"
The man sighed.
// But I can take whoever I want on this operation, right? //
"Sure. Do as you please. I''m waiting for good news."
// Heh, then pay me two-fold my sry this month! //
"Decent enough."
// Hehehe, thanks, boss! I won''t let you down! //
"Sure and good luck."
With that, the call ended and Alexander''s eyes swept through the horizon.
"I won''t let you guys get what you want this time. Just wait and see."
Alexander straightened his back and walked into his room.
Chapter 73 Ch. 73: A Trip [1]
A month had passed since the Refugee Camp ident.
There weren''t many important events. But somehow, I seeded in convincing the Emperor to stop the war.
A week after the conference, the Yovanny Kingdom Ambassador came to discuss the peace treaty.
Dariush did ask about the national coat of arms thing and the answer came out as expectedly; it was fake.
The Ambassador of Yovanny Kingdom said that on the back of the emblem there were codes indicating who owns it so that when the owner died, albeit the knight''s face couldn''t be recognized, the coat of arms would.
And the emblems we found had no such thing as code, they were nk. With that, a few days after the Imperial and the Yovannian Ambassador left for the Yovanny Kingdom.
Likewise, we received news that the peace treaty would be signed after the Princess of Yovanny Kingdom arrived here.
Yes, the treaty would be sealed by the marriage between the two countries. In other words, Dariush would have a new Consort.
And here I was now, back in my old routine.
"Haa¡"
I couldn''t help but sigh in displeasure. Sometimes I miss my favorite spot on the mountain.
I loved how the pine woody scent wafted into my nostrils, I loved listening to the anthems of the birds, and even justying on thewn and gazing at the sky above; it already brought happiness to my life.
''I wonder when my next chance to go outside wille?''
But¡ this was not the time to dwell in sadness, right?
Although I had aplished one of my goals and was two steps away from my freedom of the plot, in my opinion, it was way too early for me to celebrate it.
My second objective was to prevent the ck-robed man from destroying the watchtower in Aeneas fiefdom, but I had no idea when that day woulde.
I just hope it was not too close so I could improve myself in some ways.
The bowstrings bent as I pulled the vanes and eyed the dartboard through the bow''s sight window. After calcting everything, I released the fletching and¨C
¨CThud!
The arrow hit the bullseye.
"Well done."
I nced sideways and Gideon was nodding his head several times. I know he was satisfied but he had to stop it, he looked like a woodpecker right now.
But whatever.
"Thank you."
I wiped my sweaty face with the back of my hand. It had been a month since I learned how to use a bow. Unlike the first day, now I could hit the bullseye without difficulty.
"Here."
He gave me another arrow and I received it without much thought.
"Channeled your mana into it."
"I understand."
I ced the bolt on the arrow rest and put the nock on the string. I gripped the handler tighter and pulled the fletching.
As I aimed the bullseye, I funneled my mana into the arrow as Gideon instructed and I let go of the vanes. The bolt flew, it managed to pierce through the dartboard and¨C
¨CBoom!
The tree behind the dartboard fell once the arrownded on its trunk.
''What the¨C''
I was surprised. I never thought it would be so powerful and I immediately spun to Gideon.
"Uh, I think I poured too much mana."
"It''s okay."
He patted my head.
"You did a good job, well done. And¡ let''s call it a day."
He withdrew his hand and I hastily bowed.
"Thank you for today''s lesson, Sir Gideon."
The man nodded and walked toward the exit; he was followed by his aide and knights.
I nced to the side and my people were seen approaching me, Sir Ulrich spoke.
"As expected, Your Highness never fails to amaze me."
Although I had no idea what he was talking about, I responded anyway.
"Thanks."
"Your Highness."
Fedel offered me a towel. I gave my bow to a maid before taking the towel from my head butler''s hands and rolled my feet whilst wiping my sweat to my Pce.
"So, what''s the next schedule?"
"The schedule has been cleared. Your Highness is free for today."
I nodded and gave the towel back to Fedel.
"Additionally, I have been informed that the afternoon tea with Her Majesty will be temporarily postponed until further notice."
I furrowed my forehead.
"Why is that?"
"Her Majesty has been quite busy at the moment. Especially in preparing for the new Pce, selecting tutors for the new Consort, and arranging banquets for the signing of the treaty."
With that being said, then I would be alone for quite some while.
"I see. It''s alright, she''s busy."
Soon, I arrived at my chamber. I took a shower and after that, as always, my maids helped me to put on my garments. Finished with their work, they returned to their respective posts.
And to pass my time reading books over tea in my library.
¨CClick!
The door opened and revealed Fedel. He approached me, then bowed upon arrival.
"Your Highness, Count Andreas hase to visit and is waiting in the drawing room."
I raised one of my brows. I clearly remembered that our next ss was tomorrow.
''Does he have something urgent to tell me?''
I closed the book and put it on the table.
"Alright."
Rising from the chair, I got out of the library and strode to the drawing room. Fedel opened the door for me and I entered.
Chislon immediately stood and bent his back forward after he saw me.
"I greet Your Highness the Second Prince."
I answered whilst walking.
"You may rise and have a seat."
Both of us sat and the maids ced refreshments and poured some tea. We enjoyed our tea before jumping into the conversation.
I put down the teacup and stared at Chislon. For some reason he looked brighter than usual, even his smile was so radiant¨Cit hurt my eyes.
"Your Highness, I bring good news!"
Hmm, no wonder he was in a strange mood.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. His Majesty has signed the entry permit to the Arcanist Tower."
Oh? Well, I had to admit that was a joyous announcement indeed.
"I see. Then, when is our departure?"
"Tomorrow at 8 am."
"Isn''t that too soon?"
Chislon shook his head.
"His Majesty has taken care of where Your Highness will be staying in, a restaurant, and literally¡ everything."
So, all I had to do was just bring some clothes, but I believe that was Fedel''s job, and it seemed there was nothing much for me to do.
Since my mother was the one who requested this outing, she must have known about this trip and I eventually nodded.
"Thank you so much for the information, but, doesn''t that mean I will be skipping your ss?"
Chislon chuckled.
"It''s alright to miss a ss or two, Your Highness."
He took out his pocket watch before returning his eyes to me.
"I''d like to talk more, but it seems I have to go."
I nodded and Chislon rose.
"Don''t get too excited, make sure to get proper rest tonight, Your Highness."
I chuckled.
"I will."
Then he bowed.
"I wish you a nice day, Your Highness. See you tomorrow."
"Thank you, Count Andreas. See you tomorrow."
With that, Chilson left.
.
.
.
A night passed by and the awaited day arrived.
My mother visited me early in the morning and you must have known what she did to me.
Yes, she hugged and kissed me non-stop as if sending her final goodbyes to my dead body in the casket before it was buried in the ground.
Fortunately, Lady Sancus prompted my mother of her abundance of work and finally, she released me, then returned to her Pce.
Soon after Chislon arrived, we headed toward the Supreme Blink Sphere. I was apanied by Fedel and Sir Ulrich. However, I caught three familiar figures inside the room.
I narrowed my eyes to get a better look and a boy with ck hair with golden eyes came into view; doubtlessly, it was Alexander.
''Is he going somewhere?''
Two knights were standing beside him. Well, I recognized them, they were the ones Alexander brought to the Refugee Camp.
"Err¡ actually¨C"
I turned to Chislon as he didn''t continue his words, he wore an anxious expression.
"What is it?"
"Umm, the Elders asked to put Prince Alexander on the guest list."
I halted my step and faced the blonde man next to me.
"Count Andreas, I can''t seem toprehend what your point is."
I demanded a clear answer.
"Her Majesty is indeed the one that requested to visit the Arcanist Tower, but, when the conference ended, the Elders decided to grant both Princes ess to the Arcanist Tower as a reward."
"Reward?"
My forehead furrowed.
"Yes. The Elders were impressed by both Princes in providing information and instructed Prince Alexander to tag along with us."
"Why didn''t you tell me this before?"
"I''m terribly sorry, Your Highness, the Elders informed me yesterdayte at night via Tele-calls."
In the end, I could only massage my temples. As it came to this, there was nothing I could do.
"No, it''s alright."
We continued our way and I could see Alexander smile jovially at me. Here I thought I would never see him again after the conference, but out of the blue, the Elders paired us again.
I sighed in disappointment.
''Looks like we are inseparable, huh?! Damn it.''
Chapter 74 Ch. 74: A Trip [2]
We arrived at the Supreme Blink Sphere room and we immediately bowed to pay for some respect.
Maybe I could ignore the courtesy when it was just the two of us, but right now there were too many eyes watching.
"I greet the First Prince of the Chrono Empire."
"You may rise."
After that, I ced myself next to the ck-haired boy. He turned to me and our sight met; his dazzling smile hurt my eyes.
"It''s been a while."
"Yes. It is."
"Ahem!"
Chislon cleared his throat to attract the attention of those in the room. Soon all eyes were on him and he smiled.
"Good day, gentlemen. As we all know, we will be visiting the Arcanist Tower. Unfortunately, the Elder only grants us entry to enter the branch''s tower located in Syna in the Njord region."
He swept our faces before continuing.
"But don''t be sad! We will visit the amusement parkter!"
An Amusement Park, huh? Well, I had never set my feet in such a ce, neither in my previous life nor in this moment.
However, suddenly a thought appeared. I wonder if the one who transmigrated me here chose a newborn''s body so I could recreate my childhood experience.
Since I was 6 years old, people wouldn''t find it suspect if I acted childish there, right? To hell, whether I died at 12 or not, as for now I just wanted to enjoy the arcades at the park to my heart''s content.
"¨Cbefore that¡"
My train of thought stopped when Chislon eyesnded on me.
"What is it?"
Yet, he just smiled and took something out.
"We must change Your Highness'' hair color."
Now that Count Andreas talked about it, I also didn''t like how the crowd looked at me as if I was some sort of clown back in Axton City.
Chislon handed me a bottle and I received it. The bottle contained a sparkling liquid inside. Oh, it was a hair-changing color potion.
"Your Highness, may I help you?"
Fedel offered a hand and I gave him the bottle. He took off his gloves and poured some liquid into his palm then stood behind me.
"Please excuse my rudeness."
And he began to rub my hair with it. Shortly after, he spoke.
"It''s finished, Your Highness."
"Thank you, Fedel."
"It''s my pleasure."
I stroked my hair and surprisingly it wasn''t wet or sticky, it was all dry just like before I used the item.
"Does anyone bring a mirror?"
"Here you are, Your Highness."
A big bright smile greeted me when the Count lent me a hand mirror. As expected from the one who cared so much about appearance, that was Chislon Andreas for you.
The thing that I remembered from the novel was, the author described him as narcissistic. So, it exined why he brought a mirror into his Magical Sphere.
When I said he was handsome, I didn''t lie. He was freaking handsome,pared to me, I was just dust on the road.
I lifted the mirror and a boy with light brown hair and blue eyes came into view. But my brows andshes were still white, though.
"You look like a rare crossbreed creature."
My lips quivered when I heard Alexander''s voice. I wanted to refute but damn, I couldn''t agree more.
"Shut up."
"Hehe."
Not that damn bastardughing at me. Tsk. But, whatever, at least this hair would make me less conspicuous.
"Thank you."
I returned the mirror to Chislon. He put it back and then pped his hands.
"Now everything is done. We will teleport to Duke Gustav''s fiefdom."
The Guard hastily closed the door and the floor shone as Chislon activated the Supreme Blink Sphere.
I closed my eyes when the light shed and the blindingly white color filled the room.
"We have arrived!"
Chislon words entered my ears and I slowly lifted my eyelids.
¨Cnk!
The door opened and we stepped outside. A woman with light taupe hair approached us and curtseyed.
"We greet the Princes of the Chrono Empire."
She was Seneca Gustav, the Duchess of the Gustav House of the Njord region. I heard Duke Gustav went to the Yovanny Kingdom as the Imperial Ambassador so it exined why she was weing us alone.
However, my forehead furrowed.
''Why did she say ''we'' when she was clearly alone?''
"You may rise."
She straightened her back and nced at the back then spoke.
"You should greet His Highness'' too."
A girl popped her head out from the back of Seneca''s dress and I was¡ astonished.
She had long lc hair, a pair of purple eyes, and fair skin color. I assumed she was around 5 years old and she took after her father so much.
If I was not mistaken, there was a line that talked about her in the novel.
[Doubtlessly, Leticia Gustav would be the most beautiful woman in the Empire. However, unfortunately, she suddenly disappeared without a trace when she was 5 years old and had never been found.]
Leticia was indeed beautiful, she even looked more like a doll than a human to my eyes. Her beauty was unparalleled.
But, I wonder what sort of fate she would face. Was it some jealous people who envied Duke Gustav?
I wish I could help her to escape the plot that the novel bestowed on her, but I had no idea what kind of destiny she had or when that fateful day came.
''I just hope she will be okay this time around.''
Leticia stepped out and curtseyed.
"I¡ I greet the Princes of the Chrono Empire."
"You may rise."
Our eyes connected as she straightened her back, but she immediately turned and hid behind her mother once again. The Duchess smiled benignly as she looked at us.
"We would like to invite Your Highness for tea."
"We loved to, but unfortunately, we must decline."
Well, Alexander pretty much took care of everything.
"It was indeed unfortunate. Then, I will guide Your Highness to the carriage."
"Thank you."
With that, we began to move. Duchess Gustav and Leticia walked side by side whilst holding hands in the forefront. Suddenly, the girl turned his head and our eyes met for the second time.
I peeked at Alexander from the corners of my eyes; in case Leticia was looking at him because you know how handsome that bastard was, but he was talking with Chilson.
I returned my sight forward and her purple iris was still locked at me. I couldn''t help but furrow my brows because it was starting to make me ufortable.
''Why is she gawking at me? Is there something wrong with my face?''
I know my appearance appeared averagepared to Alexander and Chislon, but she shouldn''t tantly show it in my opinion.
Or was it due to me imitating a rare crossbreed just like Alexander stated? And so, I encouraged myself and asked.
"Is there something on my face, Lady Leticia?"
"Ah!"
She was startled and bright pink tinted her cheeks.
"It''s just¡ Your Highness'' azure eyes are so beautiful."
Her voice struck us like lightning and we abruptly halted; we froze and dead silence was created.
My eyes widened at her next words that almost made me choke on blood!
"It reminds me of the summer sky; so bright and clear."
I blinked my eyes a few times, I was dumbfounded.
''What is she¨C''
Duchess Gustav immediately pinned the girl''s head down to force her to curtsey along with her and of course, that action made her cry.
"Ahh! Mom! It hurts!"
Ignoring Leticia''s wailing, Seneca pleaded; her voice trembled.
"Your Highness Prince Damian, please forgive my daughter''s rudeness!"
"Uh, it''s alright Duchess Gustav, you can lift your head."
Yet, she didn''t listen to me.
"It is due to my negligence that this Young Lady has no manners at all. If anyone serves to be punished it''s me, Your Highness!"
Tsk. As it got on my nerves, I spoke coldly to her.
"Duchess Gustav, lift your head, I won''t tell you a third time."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Only then did she release Leticia and straightened her back. I let out a sigh and looked straight into her eyes.
"Duchess, honestly speaking, I don''t mind. I''m just a little surprised because it''s the first time someone from the opposite gender ever praised me other than Her Majesty the Empress."
"I¡ I see."
I switched to Leticia, and traces of tears were printed on her cheeks. I smiled at her.
"Thank you for yourpliment, Lady Leticia. I''m fascinated by your words and you also have the most beautiful smile. Nobody in this world makes me happier than you do. You are breathtaking in so many ways. I consider myself fortunate to meet you."
At this point, I didn''t care if the people found it cringe, I simply returned herpliment. But err¡ why were her face and ears suddenly turned red like a tomato?
She twirled around then ran away; leaving us behind. I was stunned by her actions somehow. Uh, did she feel secondhand embarrassment because it over-cringes?
"Young Lady!"
Her Nanny and maids who stood in the back hurriedly chase after her. As I had no idea what was happening, I asked.
"Uh, did I¡ perhaps¡ say something wrong?"
However, people stared at me with indescribable expressions which made me even more confused.
Chapter 75 Ch. 75: The Arcanist Tower [1]
"I wish you a safe trip, Your Highness."
"Thank you."
With that, we shared a courtesy and boarded the carriage. As soon as the door closed, Alexander immediately put on a wicked expression and opened his mouth.
And whatever came out of that damned mouth I bet it wouldn''t be something pleasant.
"''You have the most beautiful smile.'', Oh my, I didn''t know that my little Damian was all grown up."
My lips trembled uncontrobly.
''What the hell is he spewing about?''
Unsatisfied with my reaction, he continued his bbering with his idiotic smirk intact.
"''Nobody in this world makes me happier than you do.'', Where did you learn such sweet ttery, oh, my dear brother?"
I always despise his smile but for the first time my hatred doubled and my hand felt itched; I wanted to punch him in the face!
However, an unexpected voice jumped in, it was Chislon.
"Even just standing by and doing nothing; His Highness sessfully made a girl fall head over heels for him. Prince Damian''s charisma is something else."
I was dumbfounded and looked at Chislon in disbelief; I felt betrayed!
''I can''t believe he teamed up with Alexander to bully me!''
My brows furrowed in confusion, since when did these two suddenly get so close?
"Oh! Oh! I totally concur with you, Count Andreas, it looks like it won''t be long before we receive a wedding invitation."
Tsk, at this point I didn''t give a damn about them. I took out a book and started to read, but Alexander asked something that caught me off guard.
"But Ian, how did you know her name was Leticia? Neither of them mentioned her name."
My hand that previously flipped the page came to a full stop. Ah, it seemed I made a mistake.
I lifted my head and his golden eyes fixed on me. We exchanged nces for a few seconds before returning my gaze to the book below and continuing to turn the pages again.
Even though my heart was pounding in panic, I spoke as calmly as I could.
"Is it strange for a Prince to know the name of a noble?"
"Hmm, it''s nothing strange actually, I''m just surprised you know someone who hasn''t debuted in the noble society."
I decided to ignore it because Alexander would definitely get suspicious of me if I kept making excuses. With that, I kept my mouth shut because I didn''t want my cover to be exposed.
But, what was even more annoying was that this damn handsome bastard didn''t know how to give up.
"Are you sure it''s not because you are into her?"
I raised my head and snapped at him.
"Are you crazy? This is even my first time meeting her!"
"Hmm."
Yet, he just hummed. However, suddenly his expression and way of speaking changed; there was no yful tone in it.
"Honestly speaking, she isn''t a bad partner, though, if you can marry her, then you will have two Dukes on your back."
¨CThud!
I closed the book and heaved a deep sigh as it flicked on my nerves. I was not fond of where this conversation led.
"I have no intention of using her to gain power and if I marry her it will be because I love her."
Marriage my ass, I wasn''t even sure if I was still alive or not. The only thing I had in mind was how not to be killed by you, dammit.
Not to mention that Duke Gustav had always been in a neutral faction for generations. If I were to marry Leticia, wouldn''t that mean I was dragging Andarc into the session war?
That wasn''t fair in my opinion.
Also, I didn''t think Leticia wanted to marry me either, seeing how she ran away after hearing mypliment proving that she was disgusted by me.
Nevertheless, Alexander let out a grin.
"So you do fall for her, huh?"
I eyed him expressionlessly. I was tired.
"Whatever."
I opened the book in my hands and began to read.
"Heh, you''re not fun."
Likewise, I still hear his voice pricking into my ears, even so, I brush it off like thin air.
"Ahem!"
Count Andreas cleared his throat to alter the atmosphere.
"Uh, the weather is really nice outside."
I nced at the window next to me and the picturesque city came into view.
Syna, the main port located in the southeast of the Chrono Empire in the Njord region, was of great importance for both domestic and international trade with the southern Kingdoms.
Boosted by its trade as well as its tourism because its prominent features had made Syna be one of the most prosperous cities in the Chrono Empire.
An outstanding trait of Syna was the windmills that lined up near the docks. Initially, Syna suffered from regr flooding due to being built on londs.
Fortunately, the issue was sorted after the Arcanist Tower invented windmills and used them to pump out excess water and help control the floods.
"Yes, it is."
Luckily, we rode a less fancy carriage to escape the attention. However, my brows furrowed upon seeing the overcrowded street and I turned to Chislon who was sitting next to me.
"Is the city overpopted, somehow?"
The Count chuckled and shook his head.
"That''s because a festival will be held tomorrow."
"A festival?"
"Yes. Theymemorate the day the windmills were built as a token of gratitude for never having another flood."
"I see. Now I understand why you rushed this trip."
Chislon smiled.
"I''ll take that as apliment."
So the schedule was, we were going to visit the Arcanist Tower today, and tomorrow we would spend the day just enjoying the festival. It was indeed a nice idea.
Shortly after the carriage stopped and Fedel''s voice was heard.
"Your Highness, we have arrived."
The door opened and we stepped outside. Alexander positioned himself beside me and asked, while Count Andreas spoke to the guards.
"Are you still mad at me?"
I turned to him and our eyes met.
"No, why would I? I''m just a little annoyed by the way you''re treating her like a political tool, that''s all."
Alexander patted my head.
"I see. I''m sorry."
"No, it''s okay. I''m fine now."
I removed his hand from my head.
"But, let me ask you something, do you like her?"
I couldn''t help but look at him in resentment. Not him brought this question again.
"Aren''t you too persistent?"
"I''m just curious you know and she¨C"
I patiently waited, yet he didn''t continue his words and I confronted him.
"She what?"
"Never mind."
The thing that came to mind was Alexander knew about Leticia''s disappearance. Not only that, I thought, he also knew about the future of this world.
But I had no idea what his ''real'' identity was.
"Let''s go."
Chislon''s voice interrupted my train of thought and we followed him.
"So?"
Tsk. I clicked my tongue inwardly. As expected of the protagonist of this world, his tenacity was boundless and so I responded anyway.
"I do like her¨C"
It was the truth. I indeed like her, she was my type. Still, somehow it hurt my conscience, I felt like a pedophile.
"¨Cbut love is something out of the picture for me. Well, at least for now."
As I had my hands full with my objectives, I would put everything aside.
"I see."
Only then did he stop bothering me.
¨CDrrrtt!
The gate wide opened and revealed a gigantic garden. I scanned the surroundings, it was filled with rare flowers and nts that you wouldn''t find easily in the Empire.
In the middle of the garden stood a huge tower and at the top of the turret hovered a mana boulder that radiated blue light while under the Tower''s feet, there was a big water fountain.
The Arcanist Tower was established in SOL 107. Divided into four Divisions: Alchemist, Elementalist, Herbalist, and Engineering.
I knew it seemed hard to believe, but the technology here almost surpassed the modern age. Maybe if they lived in my previous world without a doubt they would have won the Nobel Prizes.
"Will we be able to meet the Elders?"
I asked Chislon out of curiosity. Yet, he shook his head.
"The only one who can meet the Elders in person is His Majesty himself. No one in the Arcanist Tower ever met them, including me."
I wonder why they were so mysterious, even Alexander refused to talk about them. However, I found it a bit surprising and weird at the same time.
What I meant was, usually when an organization held such great power or influence, they would start a rebellion to overthrow their ruler and take the throne for themselves like most of the fantasy stories.
Nheless, even after standing tall for over 400 years, no sight of them trying a coup or anything rted to it. On the contrary, they kept making various contributions to the Empire.
''I don''t know what it is, but I think the Empire and the Arcanist Tower are hiding something.''
Chapter 76 Ch. 76: The Arcanist Tower [2]
A butler was seen standing in front of the mansion. He had brown hair with a few strands of gray decorating it and light-brown eyes.
He wore sses and his age was estimated to be around histe sixties. He bowed as soon as we arrived at the entrance.
"I greet the Princes of the Chrono Empire."
"You may rise."
The butler straightened his back and nced at Chislon, then smiled.
"Count Andreas, it''s been a while."
"Yes. It''s been a while, Joshua."
He returned his attention to us with his benign smile.
"Please, pardon myte introduction, my name is Joshua and I will be Your Highness'' guide."
Soon, he eyed Fedel, Sir Ulrich, and the two knights behind us.
"I sincerely apologize, but only the names listed on the entry permit will be allowed to enter."
Alexander and I twirled around, then Fedel spoke.
"Then, we will be waiting here."
And the rest of them nodded in agreement. As it settled, we faced the butler. Joshua bowed once again and somehow his smile never left his lips.
"Thank you so much for your understanding. This way please."
The door opened and stepped in. The first time that caught my attention was a huge golden statue of the Empire''s founder; Chrono Atreilight.
Its height was estimated at 15 meters and on either side, there were stairs leading to the second floor.
We stopped in front of it and Joshua said something that made me frown.
"Please pay your respects to the founder of this Empire."
Hah? What?
I saw the butler, Count Andreas, and even Alexander bowing to the statue! I was confused but followed them anyway.
I didn''t know if the Arcanist Tower had such a custom. In my opinion, it looked like they were worshiping God rather than paying respects.
Or perhaps it was just my feeling?
I once heard someone say, ''A great nation is a nation that knows its history; who does not forget its history.'' back in my previous world.
Maybe it was one of many ways for them to honor Chrono''s merit and to keep contributing to the Empire.
After that, we tailed Joshua up the stairs and approached a Blink Sphere.
"Is everyone ready?"
"Yes."
Shortly, Joshua activated it and we were teleported into something like an iron dome. He walked forward and stopped beside it and spoke.
"I officially wee Your Highness'' to the Arcanist Tower."
¨CDrtt!
Suddenly the iron wall slid down and revealed err¡ a jungle?
Joshua walked ahead and we shadowed him into the greenhouse. Several people nced at us but immediately returned to their work.
My eyes swept the surroundings while he exined things.
"As we all know, the Arcanist Tower was built in SOL 107 under the orders of the Second Emperor. Since the price of medicinal herbs keeps increasing every year, one of the Elders suggested building a greenhouse."
Greenhouse? I looked up and ss was seen above us. Ah, this was not a jungle but a very, very gigantic greenhouse.
"This is the Herbalist Division, many kinds of rare herbs are grown here, especially herbs that normally grow outside of the Empire. By building this greenhouse, we managed to reduce production costs by 30%."
I saw numerous herbalists checking the herbs and then writing the data they got on paper. Some were seen collecting herbs and many more.
"As for the herbs originated from the Empire, we usually acquire them from the Evimeria region. Because we support our economy to grow, of course."
Seeing the tall trees scattered all over the ce, I assumed that this greenhouse was not constructed overnight and so I asked.
"Was this greenhouse built along this branch?"
"Previously the greenhouse project started from the main tower at SOL 210, but after getting sufficient funds, at SOL 322 each branch has a greenhouse."
"I see."
I nodded my head in understanding. So it meant that this greenhouse had existed for more than a hundred years. No wonder this ce looked like an untouched forest.
After seeing enough we move to the next area. The iron dome slid down and a vast white hall came into view. We stepped out and I surveyed the area.
Rooms were neatly lined up. People in white robes were seen passing by and some were examining something in their respective rooms.
Few nced at us but got back to their activity. It seemed our existence meant nothing in their eyes.
Understandably, most of the people who work here were pursuing knowledge; they were not interested in politics just like the Tower itself.
"This is the Alchemist Division."
Joshua''s voice made us dart at him. Well, that rified why there were many kinds of rare mineral stones and science tools strewn about on their desks.
In my opinion, this trip was no different from visiting a scientific researchb in my previous life.
Afterward, we went to the Elementalist Division. However, this time we were transported into something different, arge empty white room.
The floor was made out of clear ss and below us, numerous rooms were visible. Mana stones worth a fortune were stored in a room, and Elementalist lined up tidily to retrieve them.
Each room had a magic circle printed on its room floor. Some Elementalists could be seen chanting, some wrote something on the paper, and more.
"Will they notice us?"
I asked Alexander who happened to be standing next to me.
"No, they won''t."
"I see."
Joshua said that they couldn''t be disturbed, especially when chanting a spell; they need to have great focus and that was why we could only look at them from above.
Having had enough, we switched to ourst destination; the Engineering Division. As the name suggests, we were taken to a room where Engineers were working on some metals.
I was not really into this division so there was nothing that caught my eye and soon, our trip ended.
To tell you the truth, I was a bit disappointed. Aside from their assets, I still couldn''tprehend what made the Arcanist Tower so secretive.
Chapter 77 Ch. 77: The Arcanist Tower [3]
Once the trip was over, I did ask Chislon and he said that we were indeed visiting their Research Department; as I had foreseen.
He also stated that there were at least 7 Departments in each Division and h h h, but still, they didn''t exin anything that made them so special.
There was something amiss about them.
After that, Chislon dropped us at the Imperial Resident and said that something came up, then left.
The mansion we would be staying in was much grander than expected but I didn''t have time to describe it as I had important things to do.
"So, why are you following me?"
Alexander asked when he realized that I had tailed him into his chamber.
Ignoring his question, I sat on the couch and expressed my unhappiness instead.
"I''m disappointed."
"What do you expect from them anyway?"
The reason why I followed him was that he doubtlessly knew about the future; he definitely knew a thing or two about the Arcanist Tower.
"I thought they would reveal what made them so mysterious."
"Pfft."
Yet, he just chuckled and I frowned at his behavior.
"Why are youughing?"
"Do you really expect them to say, ''Look! This is a new weapon that can blow a Kingdom!'' It''s just¨Cpfft, funny in my¨C"
However, he shut his mouth after seeing my expressionless face. He gawked elsewhere and continued.
"¨Calright, it''s not funny."
Regardless, I began again.
"What I mean is, howe only the Emperor can meet the Elders? Why can''t anyone visit the Tower? Other than their assets, I don''t see anything worth stealing."
Alexander shrugged and took off his jacket. He ced it on the top rail of the couch and replied.
"If they don''t show it to us, it means they don''t want us to know."
"We are the sons of the Emperor, are we not trusted enough?"
He tilted his head.
"Maybe something rted to ''responsibility''?"
Somehow Alexander never changed, always answering my question in ambiguous words.
"Stop responding with a vague answer."
He pulled off his necktie and threw it onto the sofa. Alexander sighed and turned to me, but before he could open his mouth, I cut him.
"You know¨C"
I spoke in a somber tone. I also didn''t forget to wear a sad expression.
Even though I wasn''t so sure about my acting skills, I thought it was worth trying and hoped Alexandria would take pity on me.
"I''ve been waiting for this trip for months. I can''t go home disappointed, can I?"
Yet, there he was, just eyeing me and remaining silent.
''Don''t just stand there! Say something, dammit!''
Tsk, looked like I failed, huh? As expected, I shouldn''t rely on my shitty acting.
"Haa¡"
I sighed sharply in defeat. Since it was impossible to get him to talk, in the end, I gave up.
"Never mind. I''ll just go back to my room."
I got up from my seat and walked towards the door. I reached for the doorknob but a voice stopped me.
"It''s due to their vaults."
I couldn''t help but smirk. How amusing, I never thought that he would fall for my terrible acting. But, whatever. I quickly wiped my smile before turning around.
Alexander was seen removing his shirt and cing it over his jacket.
"Each Arcanist Tower has a vault where they store ''something'' there."
Nevertheless, my heart skipped a bit as I waited for his next words. His eyes rolled slowly andnded on me, his face was devoid of any expression.
"Something that can turn the world upside down."
My brows furrowed.
"What is that?"
Nevertheless, he just smiled benignly.
"There''s something in the world better off not knowing."
As I didn''t respond, he leaned against the back of the couch with both arms folded and continued.
"My advice is, we must not forget history, so we don''t fall into the same hole."
"I see."
But there''s something else bothering me. My forehead creased when I saw Alexander standing topless in front of me.
"Why are you naked?"
"Oh? I''m going to take a shower soon."
I nodded my head in understanding.
"By the way, you have a nice body."
I didn''t lie. He even had abs! As expected of the main character of this world, he had everything you would envy him for.
However, instead of saying ''thanks'', he was stunned; unmoving as if struck by lightning and the atmosphere grew awkward.
He quickly grabbed his shirt and put it back on. My brows furrowed at his action.
"Aren''t you going to take a shower?"
"Don''t say something weird!"
The wrinkles on my forehead deepen.
"What are you¨C"
I hastily shut my mouth. I was dumbfounded soon after Iprehend what he meant and instantly burst at him.
"No! You''re the one who makes it weird! I sincerelyplimented you!"
"No! Get the hell out!"
He threw a cushion at me, luckily I managed to dodge it by ducking. I immediately opened the door behind me and mmed it shut when I saw another cushion fly in.
I looked at the door in horror. Alexander must have gone mad! I had never been interested in the same gender! I was freaking straight!
Now that I thought about it, Alexander misinterpreted mypliment, and Leticia ran away after I praised her.
''Just¨Cwhat is wrong with people?''
Or maybe I had no talent forplimenting others in the first ce? But whatever.
Regardless, my smile bloomed as I got what I wanted and rolled my feet in enjoyment.
"Hehe."
Thanks to him, now I have three clues. Although all of them were vague, it was still worth it. At least I didn''t walk out of Alexander''s room empty-handed.
And so, the first was ''something'' stored in the Arcanist Towers'' vault.
Second, ''its'' existence would turn the world into chaos once it surfaced.
Third, it was rted to history and responsibility.
I halted my step.
''But what ''something'' was Alexander talking about? Is it a weapon? Or something else?''
Chapter 78 Ch. 78: A Lull [1]
A day passed in a blink of an eye and after taking a shower, Fedel helped me put on the hair-changing potion.
Simply, the color woulde off when exposed to water and that was why I had to reapply it.
"It''s done, Your Highness."
"Thank you, Fedel."
"My pleasure."
Soon, I got out of the room and coincidentally I met Alexander in the corridors. He was seen walking whilst massaging his bridge nose.
I hastened my pace and positioned myself next to him.
"Good morning?"
He turned to look at me and my steps stopped abruptly. I was shocked when I saw his face.
"My goodness, you look terrible."
There were dark circles under his eyes and at this point, he was no different from a panda or perhaps, a zombie?
"Oh yeah? And whose fault was it?!"
Alexander spoke sarcastically at me. I raised one of my brows in question.
"Why was it my fault?"
"Tsk."
He clucked his tongue in annoyance and exined in more detail.
"That''s because you said something weirdst night! I couldn''t sleep because I was afraid it would haunt my dreams!"
It seemed mypliment left a great impression on him. However, I shamelessly shrugged.
"Well, it''s not my fault. It''s just you who overthinks about it."
Alexander opened and closed his mouth several times. He tried to refute my words but eventually shut it.
"Haa¡"
He heaved a long deep breath and massaged his temples.
"Can we¡ change the topic please?"
"Sure."
We continued to walk toward the dining room with a light conversation. Food was already served on the table when we entered it and wasted no time, we dug in.
After breakfast, we decided to move to the backyard. We enjoyed the vista of the garden over tea under the warm sun. Well, it was 8 am or so.
I peeked at Alexander from the corner of my eyes whilst sipping my tea. He was drinking his lemon tea solemnly and smiled when he ced down his teacup.
Well, hisplexion improved somehow; unlike some zombie that I saw in the morning, which was good.
"Aah!"
He moaned as he leaned his back against the chair. He closed his eyes and let the sunlight bathe him.
In contrast with our journey to the Refugee Camp where he was so agitated back then, this time he looked so rxed in the past two days.
"We should hang out more."
I turned to him and his eyes were fixed on me. I put my teacup on the table and leaned on the backrest.
"Sounds good."
He chuckled.
"There is a vi in the Zale Penins owned by the Emperor. We should go there, it''s a good ce to watch the sunset."
"Is it?"
"Yeah."
I could tell how excitement filled Alexander''s voice. I wonder what made him so mirthful?
"Then we should set it as our next trip."
"Definitely."
I moved my eyes forward and gazed at the scenery that was presented before me. The gardeners were seen tending the flowers.
Although this ce was rarely visited by the Imperial Family, this mansion was maintained pretty well.
I loved how the rosy scent filled my nostrils and butterflies were flying around. It was a picturesque panorama.
Birds sang beautifully and the sound of tinkering water on the fountain was so soothing.
I closed my eyes and let the warm sun rays envelop me. I felt so cathartic, it was so peaceful and this tranquility made me not want to wake up.
However¨C
My eyelids lifted. Now that I thought about it, the atmosphere in the past two days was so peaceful, way too peaceful.
''This lull¡''
Somehow, it flicked in my conscience.
''I won''t¡ suddenly die, will I?''
I sighed and massaged my nose bridge to alleviate my anxiety.
''What the hell was I thinking?''
We were inside a city and furthermore, I didn''t recall any other war in the novel aside from fighting the dark organization.
But now that the war didn''t unfold as the plot dictated and Alexander didn''t go to the battlefield, what would happen in the future?
I nced sideways and Alexander was seen sleeping. I just hope my interruption in the plot wouldn''t cause a butterfly effect.
Soon, we switched to the drawing room as the sun crawled higher, and Alexander immediatelyy on the couch.
"I think you should move to your chamber."
He darted at me and asked.
"Are you going to your room?"
"No, I''ll be here."
I sat on the couch and took out a book.
"Then I''ll be here too."
I shrugged and began to read. With that, he closed his eyes.
An hourter Count Andreas came to pick us up to enjoy the festival. He suggested changing our clothes into the sons of a wealthy merchant¨Clike, so we could blend more easily.
While Fedel and the rest wore something like bodyguards. Shortly, we boarded the carriage and dropped at the City Square.
A sea of people was seen passing by withughter filling the space.
Lots of colorful decorations hung all over the ce and fireworks kept shouting at each other in the sky. The souvenirs and food stands were lined up neatly.
The smell of food wafted up my nostril, I didn''t know what it was but I bet it was something delicious.
"Please put this on, Your Highness."
I turned to the voice and Chislon handed me a brooch with a single gemstone. I took it from his hand and Alexander followed suit.
"What''s this?"
"That''s a tracking device. Just in case something unexpected happens."
"We understand."
With that, we pin it to our jackets. Chislon pped his hands and spoke gleefully.
"Now, let''s enjoy the festival!"
"Let''s go."
Alexander strode ahead and I nced to the back. Chislon and the rest nodded their heads, beckoning that it was okay.
I followed Alexander and they tailed us from behind; a few meters away¨Cin other words, they let us act freely for today.
Chapter 79 Ch. 79: A Lull [2]
Alexander guided me to a food booth and ordered something. He ced two silver coins on the table and took two food skewers from the vendor.
"Here."
Alexander offered me one and I received it. The food in my hand was white and had the shape of a tube; they stacked up horizontally and red sauce covered them.
"Try it."
I lifted my head and Alexander was seen eating it. I brought it to my lips and took a bite.
The sweet-spicy vor with a little bit of acidity filled my mouth; I thought it was the dressing while the white tube thing was savory and had a chewy texture.
Surprisingly, it matched altogether and¨C
"It''s delicious."
Alexander chuckled.
"I know, right?"
"Yea."
I nodded in agreement and took another bite.
"Let''s try something else."
We went to the second stall and literally, we just tried every food and drink we could find.
Honestly speaking, I really enjoyed this, and without me realizing it, I smiled a lot and evenughed.
.
.
.
We took a break by sitting next to each other on a bench while watching people passing by.
"It''s good."
Alexander''s voice pricked my ears and I responded whilst scooping ice cream into my mouth.
"What is it?"
"To see you smiling andughing."
I nced at him.
"Why is that?"
He said nothing and patted my head instead. Since he treated me with lots of food and drinks, I would let him pat my head as he pleased.
"Well¨C"
His golden eyes locked on me and I continued.
"¨CI also had a lot of fun today, thanks!"
My gratitude was sincere, to tell you the truth, I never had a chance to have a homie because I was so immersed in my study to keep my schrship, and was too busy with work to stay alive.
Simply, hanging out with friends or enjoying my youth was something out of the picture back in my previous life.
Alexander smiled and withdrew his hand.
"You''re wee."
I threw the empty cup into the garbage beside me and leaned against the st.
"So what now?"
My stomach was full and I didn''t think I could digest another one.
"Hmm¡"
Alexander hummed as he thought of an idea.
"Do you want to go to the amusement park?"
"Oh! Sounds good."
I couldn''t wait to go there. As it settled, soon we got up and strode toward Chislon.
However, my step came to a halt when I saw a store that caught my attention.
"Can we go in there first?"
Alexander nced in the direction I was pointing at and nodded.
"Sure."
We crossed the street and entered the shop. It was a souvenir store. The staff weed us and due to Fedel not being by my side, I had to pick the gift myself.
I didn''t know which one to choose and Alexander suggested buying something that reminded me of my mother.
Heeding his rmendation, I bought two nes, one with a blue gem and one with a gold gem; one for my mom and one for Cameron.
Luckily, I still had the gold Alexander gave me and paid in cash without a hassle.
"Here."
Alexander shook his head.
"No, thanks."
As expected, he refused the gift but I forced him anyway, and he epted it in the end. Hehe.
Afterward, we exited the store, and I peeked at the souvenir I just bought. Somehow I was quite satisfied with my pick. However¨C
¨CThud!
Someone bumped into me and Alexander promptly defended me.
"Watch your step, Young Lady!"
"Ah! I''m so sorry!"
A girl''s voice pierced my ears when the doer immediately apologized. Our eyes met as soon as I lifted my head and in an instant, I recognized her.
"Lady Leticia?"
"Ah!"
She was startled and her face turned red.
"I¨CI''m so sorry!"
And she hastily walked fast.
"It seems she''s sneaking out."
Alexander expressed his thoughts, well, I guess it pretty much exined why she wore a scarf that covered her entire face leaving only her eyes visible.
Nheless, I was stunned as I saw something familiar hanging on her dress. I quickly checked the ne I just bought but found nothing.
I looked at her dress again and the ne was indeed stuck on her dress.
"Lady Leticia! Wait!"
Her body was jolted upon hearing my voice and quickly ran whilst shouting.
"I''m so sorry! I won''tpliment you ever again! Please let me go!"
I couldn''t help but frown.
''What is she spewing about?''
And unbeknownst to me, my feet moved on their own and after her.
"Ian wait!"
I ignored his voice and continued to chase her. We yed a cat-and-mouse game in the sea of people.
"Please let me go! I just want to enjoy the festival!"
"No! You misunderstood something! Please,e back here!"
"No!!"
Leticia continued to yell and entered an alley. I followed her and to my surprise, she had a quick foot!
Although I channeled my mana to my feet, I still couldn''t catch up to her!
''Did she receive proper training?''
However, my steps came to a full stop when my eyes caught someone in a ck robe giving a book to a skinny beggar.
''The banned book!''
I turned around to where I spotted the man but he was nowhere to be seen, and all I could see was the beggar starting to read the banned book.
My brows furrowed upon witnessing the scene.
''What in the world did I just see? Did someone spread the book on purpose?''
No¨Cwait.
I shook my head. This was not the time, I had to find Leticia first.
I quickly rolled my legs and began running. I whirled left when I met a turn. Yet, the sight before me made me stretch my eyes.
Leticiay unconscious and was being carried on a shoulder by a man in ck.
''What the hell?''
A magic circle formed on the floor and shone brightly; it was teleportation magic that came from magic paper.
Luckily, the man''s back was facing me, and without wasting any time, I jumped and entered the magic circle.
In a split second, we were transported into the forest and suddenly liquid stted on my face. The man before me fell with a dagger piercing his nape.
"What in the--"
Something stung my neck and my vision went ck.
Chapter 80 Ch. 80: The Storm [1]
"Ian wait!"
Alexander tried to follow Damian but someone grabbed his upper arm. He stared at the doer and Chislon came into view.
"What are you doing?! Let me go!"
Alexander struggled to get his hands off but to no avail. The boy didn''t know, but for some reason, his heart skipped a beat, and waves of pain swirled through his head.
"Your Highness, please calm down."
The Count tried to ease Alexander''s anxiety. Chislon thought that it would be bad if both Princes separated from them.
"No! You don''t understand!"
His feral golden eyes stared at the blonde man before him, fearlessly.
That damn brat followed Leticia; the one that was fated to disappear from this world! How could he be at ease?!
They didn''t visit Syna in his previous timeline, nor had he kept up with any updates from the noble society back then. So he had no idea when the girl disappeared.
Just¨Cwhy did that imp like to jump into trouble?! It would be a disaster if that brat vanished along with her.
Also, he had used all the power given by ''him'' so there was no way for him to turn back time a second time. This was the only chance he had.
''No. Calm down. Calm down.''
He should not let anger affect him. He needed to think clearly and let out a long sigh.
"Alright."
With that, Chislon released his hand and spoke.
"We will look for Prince Damian together."
Alexander nodded and deep down, he could only hope that today wasn''t the day Leticia disappeared.
"Follow me."
Chislon led in the front and they followed suit. He peeked at the back and there were only his two knights while Fedel and Sir Ulrich were nowhere to be seen.
Looked like both of them instantly followed Damian. Knowing it Alexander''s agitation lessened a bit.
Also, luckily Chislon gave the brat a tracker, so finding him should not be a problem, right?
But even so, why couldn''t he quell his anxiety?
"By the way, who is the girl Prince Damian is chasing?"
"She''s Duke Gustav''s daughter, Lady Leticia."
"I see."
Chislon asked another question.
"But why is His Highness after her?"
Alexander shook his head.
"I don''t know. He called for her but she refused and they both ran like a cat and a mouse."
"I see."
Chislon nodded and soon entered the alley. They continued running andpletely stopped when they met two familiar figures standing with their backs to them.
Without beating the bush Alexander bombarded the men with queries.
"Where is Damian? Where is Leticia? Why are you all alone?"
Fedel was seen clenching a torn paper with anger as his fist shook uncontrobly.
Ulrich turned around and immediately spoke to Chislon,pletely ignoring Alexander.
"Could you locate Prince Damian''s whereabouts? I will exin everything on the way."
Chislon hastily checked his Telesphere. The red dot that previously entered the alley now had changed location. It was now flickering outside of Syna.
"His Highness is inside a forest outside the city estimated around 3 km."
Fedel spun around and spoke.
"Can you teleport us to the forest?"
Upon hearing Fedel''s cold tone, they could tell that the old man was trying hard to suppress his anger.
It was understandable, this was the second time he had lost the Prince.
Fedel despised himself for being ipetent.
"Yes, I can."
And wasting no more time, Chislon took out the teleport magic paper and tore it.
After waiting for ten seconds, the magic circle formed beneath and they transferred into a forest.
"Follow me."
They began to run with Count Andreas leading the way at the forefront and Alexander asked one more time.
"What happened to Damian?"
Ulrich exined.
"His Highness has been kidnapped along with Lady Leticia."
Shock vividly decorated their faces and the anger that Alexander had tried so hard to tame exploded like wildfire.
His golden eyes zed with rage and shouted at the man next to him.
"How could you lose them!!"
"I''m¡ sorry."
"Your Highness, please calm down."
Chislon promptly reminded the Prince, then he put the conversation back on track.
"Sir Ulrich, could you exin in detail?"
"Yes."
He continued.
"As soon as we arrived, we saw Lady Leticia unconscious and was carried on the shoulder by a ck-robed man. Apparently, Prince Damian who witnessed it immediately jumped into the magic circle that the man previously activated and they teleported."
"So, in other words, His Highness is alone with the culprit in the forest right now?"
Ulrich shook his head.
"A split second before they teleported, Fedel managed to send his dagger and in my opinion, that should have killed the culprit."
"If it''s like that, I just hope there''s no interference from unexpected variables so we can find Prince Damian and Lady Leticia without difficulty."
Truthfully, Chislon had heard about the unsolved kidnapping cases circting for years.
That was why he made the Princes wear the brooch he made. But who would have known the things that he tried so hard to prevent, unfolding before his eyes?
Chislon could onlyment inwardly. It seemed he made a grave mistake by bringing Prince Damian here.
"Let''s just¡ speed up."
Alexander''s weak voice was heard. All of them nodded and quickened their pace.
¨CTap!
Everyone halted as they were stunned by the scene presented before their eyes.
Red liquid soaked the ground and a daggery beside it; it was Fedel''s weapon. However, what surprised them was not that.
Chislon strode forward and picked up a brooch that was lying on the ground; it was the brooch he had given Damian.
His emerald eyes scanned the surroundings but found nothing. Neither the corpses of the culprit, Damian nor Leticia could be seen anywhere.
Chislon stared intently at the brooch in his palm.
Now Chislon understood why the kidnapping case was never solved; it turned out they were not ordinary kidnappers.
Theyprehended exactly what they were doing. They even knew that a tracker had been nted on this brooch and so, they removed it from Damian''s jacket.
Chislon looked at his Telesphere once again and scoffed.
But, did you know what was the funniest thing?
They even bothered to teleport outside the city to erase their trace or perhaps to confuse the pursuers.
Still, whatever their intentions, Chislon had to admit their cleverness.
Despite this, the corners of Chislon''s lips tugged. Unfortunately, they messed with the wrong person.
Chislon turned to a man with baby blue hair and gave him an order.
"Sir Ulrich please inform His Majesty that His Highness has been kidnapped and request a search team be dispatched as soon as possible."
"I understand."
Ulrich was a knight who served under Dariush, there should be a code to contact the Emperor directly without any hassle.
He switched to one of Alexander''s knights.
"You go to Duke Gustav''s mansion and inform the Duchess about Lady Leticia''s kidnapping. Ask Her Grace to send the Knights immediately. If the guards stop you, show them this and they will let you in."
Chislon handed him the Andreas Family insignia.
"I understand."
With that, he immediately dashed toward the forest entrance and Ulrich jumped into the conversation.
"I have informed His Majesty."
Chislon nodded.
"Alright."
He swept the group''s faces and began to exin the hypothesis he had deduced from the crime scene.
''I will make them pay. How dare they ruin my pupil''s vacation!''
.
.
.
¨CShattered!
The teacup in Seneca''s hand fell to the floor as she shot up from her seat.
"M¨Cmy daughter¡ has been¡ what?"
She looked at the knight that kneeled before her in horror and disbelief. Unbeknownst to her, tears slid down her face.
"Count Andreas requested for Her Grace to send a search team."
"I¡ I understand. I will dispatch the knight as soon as possible."
"Thank you so much."
With that, the Knight exited the room, and Seneca dropped herself to the floor.
"Leticia¡"
She covered her face with both hands and wailed echoed throughout the room. Her Lady in Waiting instantly move closer and hugged the Duchess.
"Ma''am, please calm down. The Young Lady will be okay."
.
.
.
"Sire, I received an urgent report from Sir Ulrich."
A light green-haired man with sses approached Dariush who was writing and stopped a few meters away from his desk.
Dariush responded without bothering to look at him.
"The content?"
"Prince Damian has been kidnapped."
The hand that was writing came to an abrupt halt. He put down his fountain pen and looked at the man before him. His aide resumed.
"He requested for Your Majesty to dispatch a search team."
Dariush rose from his seat and stepped to the window. He gazed into the faraway distance and clicked his tongue in annoyance.
First, his son sneaked out and was almost killed by assassins at Cameron''s behest.
Second, he sent him on a quest, and the damned ce he visited turned into a battlefield.
Third, he went on vacation and now, he got himself kidnapped.
Dariush massaged his nose bridge.
His very son, his VERY VERY son.
''Just¨Cwhy does it seem like¡ dangers are flocking into him?''
He didn''t understand.
"Say, Cedric, should I chain my son inside his Pce instead?"
"Pardon?"
The man was baffled. He couldn''tprehend what Dariush was talking about.
Chapter 81 Ch. 81: The Storm [2]
"Say, Cedric, should I chain my son inside his Pce instead?"
"Pardon?"
Cedric was baffled. He couldn''tprehend what the Emperor was talking about.
Dariush heaved a long deep sigh.
"Never mind."
"I¨CI understand."
"Did Theresa know about her son''s kidnapping?"
"Her Majesty did not."
There was a brief pause.
"Keep it quiet for the time being."
"I understand."
¨CTuk ¨CTuk ¨CTuk
The white-haired man tapped the window frame.
"When is the Yovanny Princessing?"
"Estimated around 4 to 5 days."
"Tsk."
Dariush clucked his tongue in annoyance. As expected, Damian always ran into trouble at the most inopportune times.
"How can I enjoy the banquet when my child is kidnapped?"
He spoke sarcastically and his aide remained silent. He let out a sharp breath and ordered.
"Dispatch the search team along with the Investigation Team. Also notify the Investigation Team to find Prince Damian before the Yovanny Princess'' arrival, otherwise¨C"
Dariush turned around and faced his aide.
"¨CI will demote them."
"I understand."
The man before him bowed and exited the room.
"Haa¡"
Dariush sighed and clutched his head. His son surely loved giving his father headaches. He shook his head and returned to his desk to continue the work he left off.
.
.
.
¨CSsh!
"Cough, cough!"
I coughed when the water got into my nose.
"See! I told you! He''s from the Imperial Family!"
"Ho. Looks like you caught a big fish!"
Many voices pierced my ears and I slowly lifted my eyelids.
¨CSsh!
They threw me another bucket of water.
"Cough, cough!"
I saw people wearing ck robes with my blurry sight and having my hair yanked backward by someone.
"Wake up! Dipshit!"
My eardrum rang because of his scream.
A man clucked his tongue and spoke sarcastically.
"Just put him in the cage already. I lost a man thanks to him."
And he exited the room followed by echoing footsteps.
"Get up!"
Since I couldn''t understand what was going on, I just did as he said and I was dragged.
There was a sound of metal crunching and he pushed me.
"Urg!"
I wailed when my head hit the hard floor and my body slumped to the ground. I tried to get up but my torso had lost its strength and my vision darkened.
.
.
.
I blinked my eyes a few times and clutched my head once a surge of headache swirled inside.
"You''re¡ awake¡?"
A weak mixed with relief tone pricked my ears. I removed my hand from my forehead and I saw a pair of purple jewels.
I immediately rose and sat after realizing that I was sleeping on her thighs. I had no idea¨Cwhatsoever, how I ended up there.
"Thank you?"
"You''re wee."
I nced at her and she brought her knees toward her chest. She hugged them and let her face sink between them.
His eyelids swelled up so much; it seemed she cried a lot when I was unconscious. Of course, it was out of fear, not because she thought I was dead.
Shifting my attention, I began to scan the surroundings. I was inside an iron cage along with Leticia and we were in some kind of cave or underground-like environment.
The room was filled with orange hues as torches were the only source of light and I couldn''t tell whether this was day or night.
And I could see two ck-robed men guarding this room. They were sitting while ying cards.
However, I was stunned when I saw another cage beside me. Differing from me, the cage next to me was full of children my age; approximately 20 to 30 children per cage, and there were 5 cages inside, excluding my cage.
A few kids tantly looked at me but immediately averted my eyes when I red back at them.
Judging from their appearance, I could tell that they weremoners, and some were from slums. It seemed the kidnappers ssified our origin.
Also, I couldn''t sense any mana here; it looked like they installed a Mana Disruption Device. I gazed at my wrist and my Telesphere was gone.
I tried to rummage through my pocket but found nothing. Well, doubtlessly, they took all of my valuable items. Even the brooch given by Chislon was also taken off.
Now that the tracking devices were removed from me, waiting to be rescued was not an option. I had to get out of here by myself.
But¡ how?
I couldn''t use my Mana, I didn''t have a weapon or ticket to run away unlike when I was being chased by assassins.
Now that I talked about it, I remembered Trickster said something about the kidnapping. Who would know if the words he spewed were the truth?
"Sniff, sniff."
I turned to the sound and tears ran down her face.
"Are you okay?"
"I''m okay!"
She answered curtly and gave her back to me. How old was she again? Ah, five. Well, in my opinion, she was mature enough.
What I meant was, she didn''t throw a tantrum or something like that.
I peeked once again and her body shook as she cried in silence. I had no idea how to ease her grief, if she was my mother I would hug her.
But she wasn''t my mother and I thought hugging her was something that I shouldn''t do to a stranger.
I had no experience dealing with women or having a girlfriend before. So, I didn''t know what to do with her.
"Sniff, sniff."
"Tsk."
I clucked my tongue in annoyance as it got on my nerves and let out a sharp breath. Well, I was neither a gentleman nor a jerk, but I couldn''t let her cry all alone, could I?
"Here."
I offered my hand to her and yet, she just stared at it. There was a brief pause, but she eventually held my hand.
I didn''t know if this could make her any better, but I just want to remind her that¡ she was not alone.
"Haa¡"
A yawning sound filled the room and I peered into the voice. One of the ck-robed men was seen stretching his body.
Another rose from his seat and hit his back several times.
"Damn! This is killing my back. Let''s go, our shift is over."
"Yeah."
He got up and they walked toward the door. At that moment, I started to count.
''One¡ two¡ three¨C''
Soon, footsteps echoed and two new ck-robed men entered the room.
''¨C201¡''
They swept the area and walked to the center. One of them ced a bottle on the table and sat on the chair, while the other one came closer to our cage.
He gazed at us and sneered.
"Heh, how cute."
I had no idea what the hell he was talking about, but whatever, it was not like I had a reason to care anyway. Afterward, he joined his partner and began ying cards.
"Your Highness¡"
I spun sideways and our eyes met. Well, it seemed she had felt better since I couldn''t find any trace of tears on her face.
"Thank you."
"You''re wee."
She said nothing and I continued racking my brain to escape from his damned ce.
A few hours passed and a man came in with an unconscious kid on his shoulder, then dumped him inside a cage.
"This is thest one."
"Huh? Why?"
One of the guards sounded surprised.
"Haa¡ you should see the situation outside. It''s pure chaos."
Another jumped into the conversation.
"Is it because we kidnapped someone from the Imperial Family?"
The man who brought a kid pointed at me.
"He''s not from the Imperial Family but a fucking Prince! The Second Prince!"
And all eyes darted at me, be it the guards or children in the cages. Several kids murmured and gazed at me interestingly.
"A¡ Prince?"
"He''s a Prince?"
"SHUT UP!!"
The man grabbed a bottle and threw it toward the iron cage. The bottle shattered into pieces.
"Kyaa!!"
Of course, that action made them scream in fear, and Leticia clenched my hand tightly. She was scared.
"What are you doing? That''s our liquor."
"Uh, sorry."
"Tsk. Good grief."
And the guards'' shoulders drooped as they were disheartened by theirrade''s action.
"Don''t worry. I''ll bring a new one."
With that, the man left but even after many hours passed, he never came back.
I nced to the side when something fell on my shoulder. Leticia was sleeping while leaning on me and soft snoring could be heard.
I tried to withdraw my hand but to no avail and I gave up.
Hour by hour passed and I patiently waited. Finally, a guard rose from his seat.
"Let''s go, our shift is over."
"Already?"
"Yeah, also, let''s look for that bastard! How dare he tricked us!"
Another mmed the table and got up.
"Damn it! I almost forgot about it! Now that you mention it! Let''s give him a lesson!"
"Let''s go!"
They strode toward the door and I began to count once again.
''One¡ two¡ three¨C''
My counting came to a stop when the next guards entered.
''¨C198¡''
Chapter 82 Ch. 82: The Storm [3]
Hours passed and footsteps echoed through the room. A ck-robed man came and brought a tray of food.
"Wow. Thank you!"
One of the guards spoke.
"This is not for you!"
"What? Then for whom?"
"The Priestess ordered us to treat him well."
He pointed at me with his chin.
I had no idea who ''the Priestess'' they talked about was, but it seemed to be a higher-up or something.
"Why does the Priestess have anything to do with him anyway?"
He shrugged and approached my cage.
"How should I know? I''m just following her orders. Also, can you open this?"
A guard stood up and took the key from the table. There was the sound of metal rattling and the door opened.
He stepped inside and ced the tray on the floor then spoke.
"You should be grateful that the Priestess wants to meet you, or else¨C"
He swung his hand in front of his neck, beckoning that my head would be chopped off.
Heughed as he straightened his back and stepped out of the cell. The guard locked my cage once again.
I nced at the tray and a bowl of warm soup with a baguette came into view.
"Excuse me, can I have a spoon? I can''t eat without cutlery."
¨CBang!
The one who brought the food kicked my cage and stared at me with his feral eyes. Ignoring him, I continued.
"I want a silver spoon."
"How dare you order me?!"
His voice echoed throughout the room, even Leticia abruptly woke up.
I stared back at him fearlessly, well, since I had the so-called Priestess''s backup, I assumed I would be fine.
And just like that, he stormed to the door in a rage. Soon after, he came back and threw the spoon inside my cage.
¨Cnk!
I couldn''t help but smirk when the spoonnded beside me.
''You dolt.''
I picked it up and put it in my pocket jacket.
"I thought you were going to use it?"
Leticia''s voice pricked my ears and I just smiled. She turned to the side to avert my face.
I shrugged at her behavior and cracked the baguette in half. Putting the rest back on the tray, I slid it toward Leticia.
"Eat."
"N-no! How could I? I¨Cit''s Your Highness¨C"
She was bewildered and I shook my head.
"Don''t worry, I have this."
I showed her my baguette and began to eat it.
"B-but¡"
"Tsk."
I clucked my tongue as it got annoying.
"If you don''t want to eat it, then I will throw it away."
My answer was final and after a moment of silence, she eventually responded.
"Thank you."
I nodded and darted my eyes forward to observe them more.
They seemed to be talking about something and the person who had thrown the spoon moved to one of the cages with the guard.
The guard opened the door and took out 10 children.
"Let''s meet your parents!"
I couldn''t help but scoff, of course, that was doubtlessly a lie. Why bother kidnapping them if they were going back to their parents?
But still, I had no idea who was behind all of this or what their intention was in kidnapping children. Then, he got out of the room with the kids.
Hours passed and I clutched my forehead as waves of pain swirled through my head. To tell you the truth, I already had my ticket to get out of here, but the n hurt my conscience¡ like¡ a lot.
The idea¡
I wasn''t sure if I was still human or not after setting up such a scenario in my head. But even so, I didn''t want to be trapped in here forever.
''I want to¡ stay alive¡''
I leaned my back against the wall and let out a sharp breath. I looked to the side and Leticia was seen hugging her knees.
"Lady Leticia."
She turned to me with blushing cheeks.
"Y-yes?"
"Can you do me a favor?"
"Ah, sure! What is it?"
I pointed to the guards.
"When they get out of the room, can you start counting?"
"Counting?"
She tilted her head.
"Yes. Counting to the rhythm of the ticking clock. Can you do it?"
"Yes."
She nodded confidently.
"Make sure you don''t fall asleep, remember?"
"I understand!"
Afterward, I closed my eyes to replenish some of my energy before Iunched my n to escape from this damned ce.
.
.
.
¨Cnk ¨Cnk ¨Cnk
"Knock~ knock~ knock~"
Crunching metal along with a yful woman''s voice pierced my ears. I blinked my eyelids a few times before fully opening them.
I nced sideways as my shoulder felt heavy and Leticia was seen sleeping leaning on me.
"Tsk."
I clucked my tongue. I told her to stay awake and now I saw her sleeping soundly. Good grief.
But what could I expect from a five-year-old kid? I was such a fool.
"Hello, Prince Damian."
I turned to the voice and was stunned by the sight presented.
I saw a woman with vermilion hair and eyes imitating blood with clothes barely covering her body; she was sitting on a chair in front of my cage.
My brows furrowed. Why was Annelise here? Wait¨Cwas she the Priestess they talked about?
Ah, I see. So the one behind this kidnapping was none other than the dark organization itself? Why was I not surprised?
They were the ones responsible for every chaos that happened on this continent. I should have at least foreseen their involvement.
She smiled and looked at me interestingly. I eyed her coldly and unbeknownst to me, I opened my mouth.
"Can you cover yourself with something? You disgust me."
Her smile vanished upon hearing my harshment.
I didn''t know, I suddenly felt disgusted swirling inside when I saw her. I wonder why I have such a feeling?
A guard yelled at me.
"How dare you to¨C!"
Annelise stretched out her hand and the guard shut his mouth. Nevertheless, she let out a pleased expression and smiled gleefully.
"You are the first person who said such a thing to me! Oh, my! A Prince is indeed different!"
¡but, why did I feel deja vu?
No.
It was not deja vu!
I panicked inwardly after realizing something.
Why the hell did I recreate a scene from the future? I felt so stupid but I swear it escaped from my mouth without me knowing!
I wanted to facepalm my head but that was not the time. And so, I snapped at her.
"What do you want?"
Instead of answering, she turned to the guards and told them to leave. Once they left the room, she continued.
"I just want to meet the one who ruined my n, that''s all."
I couldn''t help but frown. How did she know? Did she nt a spy in the Castle?
Her ruby eyes twinkled with excitement when she looked at me and spoke.
"But who knew I would meet such a cutie boy~"
"..."
However, despite my silence, she continued her babbling.
"Personally, I prefer you over your brother; that ck-haired boy."
I let out a tired sigh and spat out my thoughts.
"If you don''t have anything important to say then let me ask you, what are you going to do with these children?"
I pointed to the cage next to me with my head and she shook her head.
"I can''t tell my enemy our secret, can I? But, if you decide to join our ''society'', I will tell you everything~ You can marry me if you''d like too!"
My forehead creased when I felt someone clench my left arm tightly. I peeked at Leticia from the corner of my eyes but she was sleeping. Well, it looked like she was faking it.
Ignoring both of them, I asked Annelise one more time.
"Are you going to make them Super Soldiers? Like the one that my brother foughtst time?"
"Who knows."
"Or perhaps¡ Chimeras?"
Her smile vanished and gaze coldly at me.
"Oh, wow. Aren''t you quite knowledgeable about us?"
"So it''s Chimeras."
"..."
Annelise said no more and we exchanged stares for minutes. In the end, she sighed and rose from her seat.
"I have to admit that you have an extraordinary brain to shatter my strategy. But, even if the Empire refuses to wage war with the Yovanny Kingdom, it doesn''t matter, because I will make the Yovanny Kingdom wage war against the Empire."
"How?"
Was that even possible?
Yet, she just shrugged.
"Well, there is one way left."
Suddenly, the corners of her lips lifted.
"But, if you can spoil my ns a second time, I will reward you handsomely."
"What''s that?"
"I will return all the kidnapped children to you. It''s not a bad idea, right?"
It was indeed a tempting bet.
"Of course, that''s only if you can get out of here alive. But even if you get out of here, I''m afraid that¡ it''s already toote."
With that, she strode toward the door and before she left, Annelise sent me a goodbye kiss.
Chapter 83 Ch. 83: The Escape [1]
She strode toward the door and before she left, Annelise sent me a goodbye kiss. I had never been relieved that a flying kiss was invisible else, I would surely dodge it.
"Your Highness, please, don''t marry that hussy!"
Wrinkles manifested on my forehead. I nced at Leticia and she looked at me with pleading eyes.
Why would I want to marry Annelise anyway? She was the Empire''s enemy, also, she wasn''t my type.
Leticia continued.
"I-If Your Highness wants to get married, please marry me instead! I want to marry Your Highness too!"
I couldn''t help but massage my temples when pain swirled inside my head.
''What the hell is this? Have I just been proposed to by two different people on the same day?''
Crazy.
Just thinking about how to escape from here already gave me a headache and suddenly an unexpected variable appeared.
Annelise came and spewed that she had not given up on igniting a war between the two countries.
With that being said, whether I like it or not, I had to rack my head once again to think about what that crazy woman was nning.
I had to stop the war from unfolding for a second time! And as if those matters didn''t hurt my brain cells, I too had to deal with nonsense called love.
Please, my te was full!
But still, the bet was quite tempting in my opinion, although I didn''t know if the reward thing was a lie or truth.
"Haa¡"
I let out many deep breaths to alleviate my turmoil. I felt terrible for this six-year-old body, I just hoped my brain didn''t explode due to overload.
Soon, the guards returned and sat back in their chairs. Now that I saw them, I immediately asked Leticia.
"Do you remember the task I gave you?"
"Task? Oh, yes! It''s 197!"
She dropped her head and spoke in a low tone; she felt guilty.
"B-but, I''m so sorry, I fell asleep¡"
I extended my hand and patted her head.
"It''s okay."
At least, she did the job.
"Listen, Lady Leticia, once the guards leave the room, run towards the cage door and start counting. Do you understand?"
She lifted her head and answered confidently.
"Yes!"
"Good."
I smiled at her and she blushed. Well, I admire her spirit.
''And yes, I''m nning on my escape today.''
.
.
.
We waited for hours and eventually, our patient bore fruit. The guards rose from their seats and walked toward the entrance.
As soon as their silhouettes vanished, wasting no more time we rushed to the door cage and I shouted.
"Now!"
"One¡ two¡ three¨C"
ording to the data I collected, the shift change was about three minutes apart, and at that time I had to open the door.
I immediately took out a spoon and bent the handle, then I inserted it into the padlock''s keyhole.
Modern and medieval padlocks were different, especiallypared in size. Just like this one, I should at least open it without difficulty.
"What is the Prince doing?"
"You can''t open it, it''s useless."
I heard unfamiliar sounds, they seemed to being from the cage next to me; they were watching my action. Ignoring them, I went on with my business.
"90¡ 91¡ 92¡"
My heart skipped a beat as I heard Leticia''s count continue to grow. Well, it was not as easy as I previously thought.
"148¡ 149¡ 150¡"
Sweat started to form on my body and the moment I was about to give up¡
¨Cnk!
"Ah, it opened!"
Leticia''s voice woke me up from my amazement. I grabbed her hand and got out of the cage. We ran towards the door. However¨C
"Wait!! Please save me!!"
"Save me please!!"
"Don''t leave us!!"
I stopped in front of the entrance when my ears caught approaching footsteps.
"Follow me."
I led Leticia to hide behind the door and the roar of the children filled the surrounding.
The door burst open and two guards entered the room. They immediately yelled after hearing themotion.
"What the hell?"
"SHUT UP YOU PIECE OF SHIT!!"
As their backs faced me, I darted my eyes to look for a weapon. Luckily I found a piece of lumber and grabbed it.
I nced at Leticia and beckoned to her to remain silent, then she nodded in understanding.
I tiptoed over one of the guards and swung the lumber to his nape.
"Argh!"
He groaned and fell on the floor. The other turned his head but it was toote as the log was now in front of his face.
¨CThud!
He slumped to the ground beside his partner.
"Yaay!!"
"Yeah! That''s the Prince for you!"
The kid''s cheered and some were pping. I motioned for them to be quiet and I was just d that they were listening to me.
Because otherwise, their voices would attract other members toe here.
I dropped the wood and approached the unconscious men. I held one of their heads with both hands then twisted it.
¨CCrack!
Exmations sounded but no one dared to say a word. I switched to another and did the same action.
¨CCrack!
I killed two men without batting an eye and stared at the corpses coldly. Somehow, this time, it felt different¡
My body didn''t tremble and I didn''t even have feelings of guilt or anything rted to it.
But did you know what was crazier? It was my head screaming that they deserve it; they deserve to die and I granted it.
Was I¡ started to get used to it just like Alexander said to me back then?
Well, it seemed like that.
The next was, I rummaged through their bodies looking for something useful.
I found 2 swords and 2 daggers, unfortunately, no potions, but it didn''t matter, at least I had something to use to defend myself.
And so, I took a sword and put one dagger in my pocket. Since a sword was too heavy for Leticia, I offered her a dagger, but she refused whilst waving her hands left and right.
"I¨CI never use a weapon before."
I couldn''t always protect her, there must be a time when she had to defend herself.
Not to mention that we were in the enemy territory where danger lurked; waiting to strike us the moment we let our guard down.
And so, I said.
"I hate useless girls, so take this to defend yourself."
She wore aplicated expression and reluctantly took the dagger from my hand.
"I¨CI understand."
I wanted tough but restrained myself from doing so. What I meant was, she was so innocent, was it because she loved me that she just blindly believed me?
Love was surely something scary. However, her next words almost made me choke on blood.
"When I return home I will learn martial arts!"
I didn''t think that was a wise choice for a Lady to learn something like that, especially a noblewoman. But whatever, if she wanted to be one, so be it.
''That''s none of my business. It''s her dream.''
Afterward, I moved to the table, but¡ my heart started to race when I held the keys. I could see how my hand trembled as my eyes fell on the keys in my palm.
There were so many things going on in my head. I took a deep breath and after thinking about what would be best, I immediately put down the keys on the table.
Although it was hard for me to open my mouth, I eventually said it.
"Please, forgive me."
Originally, I wanted to secure my safety by using them as ''bait'', so the enemy could only focus on these kids. But somehow, it hurt my conscience as a human being.
Because, if I did that, what was the difference between me and this shady organization? Using children as tools, I just¡ couldn''t¡
I couldn''t sacrifice my people for my selfish survival!
Nevertheless, those who knew nothing about this cruel world shouted at me angrily; judging me that I was a heartless person.
"Your Highness! You can''t do this to us!!"
"Please let me escape with you!!"
"Don''t leave us here!!"
And so I responded.
"Please wait here, when I get out of here, I will send reinforcements to save all of you. I promise."
Their voices went wild but I ignored them and hastily took Leticia''s hand then dashed to the door.
"Your Highness? Are you alright?"
Leticia''s soft voice entered my ears. I nced at her and smiled. I was d that she didn''t ask me why I left them there.
"Yeah, I''m fine. Let''s go."
"Yes."
With that, we exited the room and climbed the stairs. A few minutes passed and as soon as we were a few more steps up the stairs, I tugged my head out to look at the situation.
Luckily, no one was around and we ran but instantly made a turn to the left when footsteps were heard. But, something unexpected happened.
¨CDrrrttt!
The ground shook violently.
"W-what is happening?"
Leticia sounded panicked.
"I don''t¨C"
"Kyaaa!!"
The floor beneath us cracked and we fell below.
Chapter 84 Ch. 84: The Escape [2]
Chilson swept the faces in front of him.
"While we wait for reinforcements to arrive, we will return to Syna."
Alexander''s brows furrowed and expressed his thoughts in a displeased tone.
"Why? Shouldn''t we just search this forest?"
Chislon shook his head.
"That''s what they''re aiming for."
The boy''s wrinkles deepened.
"I can''t seem to understand what your point is, Count Andreas."
"What I''m trying to say is that our opponents are using their little brains."
And he smiled and continued.
"First of all, Prince Damian not only has one tracker but two. One is this brooch and the other is his Telesphere."
"Trackers installed on the Telesphere? I never heard of that."
Fedel answered.
"It is a costume made, ordered by Her Majesty."
"Ah, I see."
Alexander nodded in understanding.
Chilson activated his Telesphere and a mini transparent screen floated in the air. Two red dots were seen flickering in the forest area and the Count exined.
"This is the location of the brooches. The culprit knew this thing had a tracking device, which is why they removed it. They were also aware that the pursuers woulde and ''purposely'' leave the evidence in the woods to distract them. While the truth is¨C"
He switched the screen to another map. This time a red dot flickered inside Syna.
"¨Cthe culprit never left the city in the first ce. Prince Damian and Lady Leticia are inside Syna¨Cor should I say¡ in their hideout."
Surprise dyed their faces as they were shocked by the revtion and Alexander opened his mouth.
"So they teleported here just to set up fake traces to confuse us?"
"More or less, yes."
After understanding everything, Alexander concurred and they teleported back to Syna.
.
.
.
Many knights wearing Gustav''s coat of arms could be seen scattered around Syna as Chislon and the party ran up the ridge; they chose the rooftop to move faster and avoid the crowds.
It seemed the Duchess had dispatched knights to look for her daughter. A few minutes passed and they entered the slum area.
Suddenly, Chislon spoke.
"Let''s get down first."
All of them jumped down and hid in an alley. Alexander immediately asked.
"Count Andreas, what is it?"
"Do you see a ck-robed man?"
They peeked behind a house and finally managed to spot the one Chislon talked about.
The man in ck could be seen walking while babbling something angrily.
"What the hell is wrong with this Telesphere?! The Magical Sphere won''t open and I can''t make calls!"
After passing two blocks, he entered a house.
"So, Damian is inside that house?"
Chislon shook his head.
"No, that man is wearing Prince Damian''s Telesphere."
"What? How dare he use my brother''s stuff?!"
Alexander sounded irritated and suggested.
"Shouldn''t we just kill him right now instead of watching him here?"
Chislon massaged his nose bridge. Prince Alexander had always been a collected person, why did he suddenly turn impatient and violent like this?
Was it rted to Prince Damian? Did he have a brotherplex or something?
The Count let out a sigh.
"Your Highness, please, calm down. I know you are worried about your brother''s well-being, but if you rush things, it won''t make anything better. They are highly intelligent kidnappers, there must be surveince around here and we can''t let them know that we''re after them."
There was a brief silence and Alexander eventually answered.
"I¡ understand. I''m¡ sorry."
Chislon smiled and patted the boy''s shoulder.
"It''s all right. And please have faith in Prince Damian. My pupil is a quick-witted boy, he will be fine and I guarantee that."
Alexander nodded and the Count withdrew his hand, then he skimmed the faces of the party.
"For now, we will split up and look for the watchmen around this area. If you find anything suspicious, don''t act on your own, please contact me first."
"We understand."
"And as for Prince Alexander¨C"
Chislon turned to the boy and their eyes met.
"¨Cplease stay with me."
"I understand."
Soon, they dispersed. Chislon and Alexander left the slum to meet Duke Gustav''s Knights Team Leader.
Chislon requested increased security around the slum and luckily, the knights agreed to cooperate.
Several hourster, the Imperial Knights and Investigation Team arrived at Syna.
The Imperial Knights watched over the city and the Investigation Team guarded the woods.
Chislon couldn''t help but smirk. With this, the enemy had no room to escape.
However, the citizens didn''t really like it when they saw many knights scattered here and there. It made them anxious and wonder if something had happened.
But, the situation was quickly resolved by saying that this was just an ordinary operation to reduce the crime rate so that citizens could enjoy the festival infort.
Although it didn''tpletely eliminate their nervousness, it at least reduced their tension a bit.
Afterward, Ulrich contacted Chislon to inform him that he saw the man wearing Damian''s Telesphereing out of the house.
He also notified Chislon that they had found the watchmen. Saying that, unlike the perpetrators, they wore clothes like normal citizens.
What made Ulrich and the rest recognize them was that they just stood or sat and did nothing for hours before they were switched by other watchmen.
Also, they reported that there were around four watchmen in the area, and wasting no more time, Chislon and Alexander returned to the slum.
Hours passed and the surrounding was now tinged with an orange hue as the sun prepared to set. Even so, they continued to wait and night ultimately fell.
Chislon took out his pocket watch and examined it. It had been 10 hours since Damian was kidnapped. It would be a lie if he wasn''t worried about him.
Although the blonde looked calm on the outside, deep within the storm of anxiety was raging inside.
It was just that he didn''t want to make any mistakes that could harm his pupil.
It was 8 pm. Chislon closed the watch and turned to the boy next to him.
"Your Highness, please return to the Imperial Resident and rest. You can leave everything here to me."
Yet, Alexander shook his head.
"No. I''ll be here."
Chislon could only sigh at the boy''s persistence.
"As you wish."
Hours passed and luckily, their patience paid off. A magic circle formed on the floor and shone brightly in the dark alley.
"Count Andreas."
Alexander''s voice pierced Chislon''s ears.
"Yes. I saw him."
A man wearing a ck robe carrying a boy on his shoulder appeared above the magic circle. He spat something angrily and entered the house.
Chislon''s brow furrowed. There were so many questions popping into his head.
Did that man also teleport into the woods? If the answer was yes, then howe he could escape the Investigation Team''s surveince?
And from the scene he had just witnessed, Chislon was sure about something and spoke.
"It seemed they nted a Mana Disruption Device in that house."
Alexander nodded in agreement.
"Yes. I believe so."
Because, if they could teleport, why not just teleport inside their hideout? Why outside the house? Then the answer was they simply couldn''t due to the device.
However, Alexander''s forehead creased, and immediately conveyed the thought that had just crossed his mind.
"But how can they keep hundreds of children in that small house?"
"Underground."
Chislon''s voice sounded firm without a slight doubt.
How clever, they dug a tunnel under the house in the slums to avoid the Empire''s eyes.
And that pretty much exined why the Mana Disruption Device didn''t affect the area here and answered how they stored the kids.
The Count continued.
"Seeing the man in and out of the house regrly, meant the hideout had only one way of essing it."
"So what are we going to do?"
Alexander turned to Chislon and their eyes met.
"When the manes out of the house, we will kidnap him."
Alexander chuckled.
"Heh, kidnapping a kidnapper, huh? Sounds interesting!"
Of course, the boy was delighted, he was waiting to beat the person who dared to kidnap his brother. Chislon could see how his golden eyes gleamed with excitement.
Soon, Chislon called the other through Telesphere and conveyed his n. They agreed and moved to their respective positions.
However, this time it didn''t take long enough, the man was seen leaving the house and walking leisurely in the dark alley.
The four immediately distracted the guards by bumping into them while spilling wine on their clothes to incite their anger.
And just like that, the watchmen poured out their anger. The moment theypletely took their eyes off the ck-robed man, Fedel jumped down behind him and smacked his nape.
The man''s body slumped and Fedel skillfully caught him before kissing the ground and leaped up toward the ridge.
It happened in the blink of an eye, even Chislon wasn''t sure what the hell Fedel had done to the kidnapper as he suddenly fainted.
"Crazy."
Chislon murmured in amazement. In terms of speed, doubtlessly the old man was the fastest in their group.
Soon, they moved some distance away and teleported to the inn they had previously booked to begin the interrogation.
Chapter 85 Ch. 85: Infiltrating [1]
The inn was quite spacious. It had a bedroom and a living room. There were five people inside; Alexander, Chislon, Ulrich, Fedel, and the kidnapper; while Alexander''s knights were guarding the door outside.
¨CThud!
Fedel threw the kidnapper''s body onto the cold floor and Chislon activated his Mana Disruption Device, in case the man tried something funny.
Fedel lowered the man''s hood and a brte head came into view. There were many scars on his face and his age was estimated to be in histe twenties.
Chislon couldn''t help but furrow his forehead, he had no idea how such a young man like him ended up being a kidnapper.
Fedel took off the man''s robe and rummaged through all his pockets. He found a sword, a dagger, amunication device, a badge, Damian''s Telesphere, and some cheap potions.
All in all, nothing of value.
¨Cp! ¨Cp! ¨Cp!
Fedel pped the man''s face to wake him up and after waiting a few seconds, his eyelids were seen wriggling.
Upon seeing it, Chislon ordered Fedel to take him to the bathroom and the man was dragged inside by the hair.
Chislon turned sideways when he noticed a boy standing next to him.
"Your Highness, could you please wait in the living room?"
"Why?"
Alexander blinked several times as he couldn''tprehend why Chislon wanted to kick him out.
Yet, he just smiled and gave him Damian''s Telesphere.
"Because I don''t think it''s an appropriate scene to see and I beg for Your Highness'' understanding."
''Ah, I see.''
Sometimes Alexander forgot that right now, he was in the body of an eight-year-old boy and the Count was treating him like one of them.
To be honest, he, himself, wanted to torture the culprit to death but, from this conversation, it didn''t seem like Chislon would go easy on him.
Nevertheless, the boy nodded his head and let the Count do the work since both of them had the same grudge, and with a light heart, Alexander walked out of the room.
¨CClick.
The door behind Chislon closed and he peered at Ulrich.
"Sir Ulrich, please guard the door."
"I understand."
Ulrich did as the Count ordered and stood at the door. Chislon just wanted to make sure his captors didn''t have a chance to escape.
After everything was settled, he walked into the bathroom and the young man was seen kneeling in front of a filled bathtub; his hands and feet were tied.
Chislon sat on a chair and crossed his legs. He activated the Silent Magic Device and immediately, a transparent dome covered the entire space.
As the preparations wereplete, Chislon began his queries.
"I''ll get straight to the point, what is your intention of kidnapping the children?"
The brown-haired man peeked at the sound from the corner of his eye. However, it was in vain because the Count was sitting in his blind spot.
"Answer me."
Several minutes passed and the kidnapper remained silent. Just as Chislon ran out of patience, he sent a signal to Fedel and¨C
-Ssh! -Ssh!
Water jumped out of the tub after the man''s head was forced to sink.
"Urp! Urp!"
He groaned the moment water entered his nose and mouth. Chislon watched the event with a face devoid of any expression.
"Pulled him."
Fedel yanked the man''s head.
"Cough, cough!"
He coughed incessantly as his lungs spewed water out.
"So? Have you decided to answer my question?"
After suppressing his cough, he answered.
"Go. To. Hell."
¨CCrack!
However, Chislon''s eyes widened when a blinding light filled the room. He shot up from his seat and shouted.
"Fedel stay away from him!"
The old man hastily leaped up andnded next to Chislon.
Wasting no more time, the blonde-haired man immediately encased the man''s entire body in a giant ball of ice and created a barrier of wind to block the impact.
¨CBoom!
The sound of an explosion filled the room and they could feel their ears ringing.
"Haa¡ Haa¡"
Several sharp shards of ice were seen hovering in the air; they were blocked by the invisible wind barrier.
Fedel nced sideways and he could see how rough the man''s breath was and how pale Chislon''s face was; he was beyond shock.
It was understandable because if he were a split second toote, the two of them would be turned into minced meat, doubtlessly.
Luckily, the Count was able to put control of everything, he could even cast an Elemental Fusion and conjure at the same time in mere seconds.
And that was exined why Chislon was able to be the Head of the Elementalist Division in the Arcanist Tower and Damian''s tutor, simply put, he was just too talented.
Chislon Andreas was not just anybody.
"Count, are you all right?"
"Ah? Yes, I''m fine."
His emerald eyes darted to Fedel and he eventually breathed in relief. Thanks to Fedel, he was able to recover from his shock.
They both gazed to the front and a giant ball of ice was now painted red and blood oozing out from it.
Chislon slowly melted it and thick red liquid mixed with chunks of flesh poured into every corner of the room.
"Tsk."
Chislon clucked his tongue in annoyance and could only curse inside.
''That damn bastard, who would have thought he would blow himself up. What a waste of time.''
And once all the blood sank into the drain, Chislon removed the wind barrier.
"Order someone to clean it up."
"I understand."
"In the end, we got nothing, huh?"
.
.
.
¨CClick!
I nced at the door the moment it swung open and three men entered the room. They were Chislon, Fedel, and Sir Ulrich.
I raised one of my brows in wonder.
"Oh, done already?"
I never thought it would go so smoothly, they were even out of there in less than fifteen minutes.
Nevertheless, Chislon shook his head.
"Unfortunately, we didn''t get any information."
My forehead creased.
"How could that be?"
"That man blew himself up."
It seemed the Count had set the Silent Magic Device since I didn''t hear any sounding from the bedroom.
"I see. Well, that was indeed unfortunate. So, what are we going to do now?"
Chislon sat on the couch across from me and Fedel put the loot on the table.
"I decided to infiltrate their hideout."
"How?"
"By pretending to be one of them."
I eyed the stuff on the table and returned my sight to him.
"There''s only one robe, though. Are you nning on moving alone?"
"Yes."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
"Then I will follow you."
Chislon shook his head.
"It''s too dangerous, I can''t let His Highnesse with me."
"No. It would be better than fighting alone."
"Your Highness¨C"
"After all, the kidnapper can''t return empty-handed right?"
Chislon wore aplicated expression, his must be racking his brain to prevent me from following him inside the kidnappers'' den.
"Your Highness¨C"
"Whatever you''re going to say, I will go with you and this is an order from me."
Chislon veered his vision to Fedel and Ulrich looking for allies to stop me, s, both of them nodded their head.
"His Highness will be a great help to you."
"I suggest Count Andreas take His Highness with you."
Chislon was dumbfounded upon hearing what came out of their mouth. He felt betrayed!
"Haa¡"
In the end, he sighed in defeat and I couldn''t help but sip my tea whileughing inwardly.
''Hehe.''
Well, his worry was reasonable, Fedel and Ulrich had seen me fighting back in the Refugee Camp while the Count had not.
"Alright. Your Highness maye along with me."
"Thank you."
"I will exin the n."
"Please."
"I will wear this ck robe and Your Highness will pretend to be a kidnapped child."
He continued.
"Once we''re inside, we''ll split up. I''ll look for the Mana Disruption Device and Your Highness will look for Prince Damian. Is that alright?"
I nodded my head since I didn''t see any problem.
"After I find the device, I will destroy it, and if Your Highness finds Prince Damian or when you need a hand, please contact me as soon as possible because I will immediately contact the Knights outside to rush inside after the Prince was found. Do you have any questions?"
I shook my head.
"Alright, then we''ll be moving soon."
Chislon got up from his seat and Fedel helped him get dressed, however¨C
"My goodness!"
All eyes were on Chislon who suddenly shouted.
"C¨Ccan we wash the robe first? It makes me feel nauseous somehow."
Chislon pinched his nose and stared at the robe in horror.
I responded with my smirk intact.
"I don''t think that''s a wise idea. We need to blend with them, right?"
Howe I forgot that he was someone who care about appearance so much¨Cthe narcissistic.
"How about perfume?"
"Umm, no."
Chislon let out a deep long sigh. His expression while wearing the robe looked no different from someone about to be executed under the guillotine.
After the preparation was done, when returned to the slum to infiltrate.
Chapter 86 Ch. 86: Infiltrating [2]
I was carried by Chislon on the shoulder; pretending to be unconscious and to tell you the truth, it was ufortable!
Also, the Count was right, the robe smelled so damn bad that I wouldn''t wonder if I suddenly fainted due to it.
"They ignored us."
He whispered. Maybe it was due to Chislon having the same height as the kidnapper, that was why the guards didn''t suspect anything.
But since I couldn''t see, I just responded anyway.
"Good."
Right now we had just been teleported to the slum area right in front of the house where that guy used to be in and out of regrly.
"I''m going in."
Chislon informed me and the sound of the door opening and closing could be heard.
"Umm¡ there''s nothing here."
"What do you mean?"
I wanted to open my eyes and look around, but I had to devote myself to my act, so I decided to remain motionless.
"Wait, wait. Let me figure out something."
Uncertainty and confusion filled Chislon''s voice.
"Oh, I know, I know."
¨CDrrttt!
The sound of gliding stone pricked my ears.
"There are stairs leading down."
Even though I couldn''t see, I was amazed by Chislon because he kept me updated on what was going on.
"I''m going down."
¨CTap ¨CTap ¨CTap
His footsteps resounded throughout the space and after a few minutes passed, Chislon murmured.
"Your Highness, there are five men guarding the entrance ahead."
He continued.
"I don''t know if I can get past them or not, but please be prepared to fight."
"I understand."
Chislon continued to stride and there was no sign of him stopping.
Soon, an unknown voice entered my ear.
"Wait."
The Count turned to the owner''s voice.
"Show me your badge."
I could imagine Chislon took out the badge and showed it to the gatekeeper.
A few minutester, he began to walk again and Count spoke.
"I managed to pass them and the mana around here has been disabled."
"Yes, I felt it too."
"Also, here¨C"
Suddenly, two unfamiliar voices jumped into our conversation.
"Yo, we finally met again!"
"Before you go into the dungeon to ce the brat, why don''t you follow us?"
Chislon''s steps stumbled, it seemed they forced him to follow them.
Soon, the sound of an opened and closed door was heard. And¨C
"You sonova¨C"
"Wait."
Chislon interrupted him and put me down on the floor. As they focused on the Count, I lifted my eyelids slowly.
Two men confronted him and they argued about something.
"How dare you trick us!"
"You promised to bring a new liquor, remember?"
Ah, I see. So the kidnapper was on the way to buy a new bottle of liquor when we kidnapped him.
One of them swung a fist at Chislon and he avoided it by tilting his head.
"Hei, help me!"
Hispanion now joined the battle and Chislon dodged their attacks effortlessly.
As they were fighting, I took out a dagger and threw it.
¨CStab!
"Argh!"
A man groaned and fell to the ground. The man next to him gasped after witnessing the scene before him.
Blood was seen oozing from his friend''s nape. He immediately spun backward and the moment he saw me¨C
¨CStab!
A sword prated his head from behind.
Chislon pulled his sword and the man slumped down to the floor. His emerald eyes shortlynded on me.
"Your Highness, what are you doing? You killed him."
"Aren''t you too?"
His lips quivered.
"That''s true but¨C"
"We can''t waste our time here. Let''s go to the dungeon."
The man said ''dungeon'' and ''that brat'', so I assumed it was where the kidnapped kids were kept.
"Before that, let''s hide their bodies first."
"Alright."
After taking care of their bodies, we exited the room and began to move once again.
Since we didn''t know where the way to the dungeon was, we ended up exploring the underground here and there.
I knew it was my fault for killing them, but even if we captured them alive it was not like they would spill the information about this dungeon.
My point was, what if they blew themselves up instead of opening their mouths? It would make things much worse.
Also, the size of their hideout was not a joke! If they intended to store the kids they kidnapped, a gigantic underground was not needed.
I reckoned that they used this ce for other purposes. But since we hadn''t entirely explored this ce, we had no idea what it was.
There weren''t many ck-robed men here and it seemed like they had their respective tasks as no one bothered us even though our intrusion had passed for hours.
As we still couldn''t find where the hell was the dungeon due to how vast this den was, sometimes we would stop in an empty room to rest and Chislon made a manual map in a book.
Finished with our break, we resumed our mission and after walking for a while Chislon said something to me.
"Your Highness, I saw 10 children following a ck-robed man willingly."
"Then I''ll join them so you can look for the imnted Mana Disruption Device easily."
"Your Highness, will you be okay with it?"
"Yes. Also, it must be a burden for you to carry me around."
"I understand."
When they turned to the right at the fork Chislon gged me down and I followed them. With that, we parted ways.
"Where are we going?"
I asked a brte boy next to me. He turned to me and answered.
"We''re going to meet our parents! How can you forget about it?"
I nodded my head.
"I see."
They were quite innocent to believe in the kidnapper''s words. Why bother to kidnap them if they were going to be returned to their parents?
But I had a hunch that they would be taken somewhere.
Soon, the guide stopped in front of a door and looked at us. He frowned and spoke.
"Huh? Why are there eleven of you? Did I count it wrong?"
There was a brief silence but he shrugged and opened the door for us.
"Please, head inside."
We entered and my nose was greeted by a thick herbal scent. The room itself was filled with many types of research devices simr to the ones I saw in the Arcanist Tower.
There are ten iron chairs neatly lined up. Each chair had a 2x2m space and was separated by a cubicle curtain on each side.
"I think I counted it wrong, so there are 11 of them."
"Oh? No problem, just bring an extra chair."
A man who sat behind a desk responded. He didn''t wear a ck-robed, but instead, a white robe like a doctor.
He was an old man with sses and his age was estimated around the seventies.
"I understand."
With that, the ck robe man left the room.
The old man stood and spoke.
"Please have a seat."
The kids started moving around and sitting on each chair, leaving me standing alone.
"Please wait a moment, my assistant will be right back."
Did he speak to me? But, whatever.
"Yes."
Shortly, his so-called assistant returned and brought a chair.
"Please have a seat."
I sat down and¨C
He tied my hand to the armrest with a rope.
"Wait¨C"
A hastily grabbed his hands.
"What''s the meaning of this?"
Yet, he remained silent and continued to tie my hands.
¨CClick! ¨CClick! ¨CClick!
Several clicking sounds filled the space followed by the children''s protest.
"W¨Cwhat is this?!"
"No!! Get me out of here!"
My eyes darted to them and their hands were bound by the thick metal that originated from the chair.
The doctor spoke louder while holding a shot.
"Don''t worry, it''s just that I will inject all of you with the serum to remove the virus from your body so that your parents won''t be infected by you."
"O¨Coh, I¨CI see."
"I¨CI understand."
I was baffled. What kind of bullshit was that? There was nothing like a disease spreading around the Empire!
But then again, I thought I was kind of lucky because I was only tied by ropes and not by irons.
¨CSrakkk!
Soon, the cubicle curtains slid closed and the doctor along with the ck-robed man entered one of the rooms.
Silence.
There was no voice or sound or anything for minutes and my heart skipped a beat in that lull.
However¨C
"Aaarrgghh!! AaarrRRGGHH!!"
I was stunned upon hearing a wail of kids had now changed into a roar of a beast and what made me more panic was that shriek!
I was familiar with that screeching!
It was the sound of a man who had turned into a Chimera!
Wait¨Cwas the one behind the kidnapping that happened the work of that shitty organization?!
The Chimera first appeared when I was 18. And right now they were developing it and using children as guinea pigs?!
How dare they!! This damn organization!!
I tried to get up but my hands were tied up to a chair.
Chapter 87 Ch. 87: Chimera [1]
I peeked at the room they had entered and silhouettes of three people behind the curtain came into view.
"Kiieeeekkk!!"
The beast''s screech continued to roar and the child''s voice followed.
"W-what is that sound?"
"Help!! There are monsters here!!"
"Huuaaa!!"
My eyes widened as the boy''s body structure changed and slowly grew in size. There was no doubt about it, they were indeed developing Chimera.
The Doctor''s voice pricked my ears.
"Hmmm¡ this one failed."
Soon, a loud thud was heard, and the curtain slide opened. The Doctor and his assistant exited the room but the kid was nowhere to be found.
Seeing a thin line in the floor, I assumed it had a switch that could directly dump the kids below and they moved to a new room.
The kid shouted the moment he saw them.
"No!! Don''te near me!! Aarrrghhh!!!"
Luckily only my hands were tied and not my feet. I hastily put my ankle on my thigh and pulled out the pocket knife I had hidden in my shoe.
Wasting no more time, I used it to cut the ropes and tucked it back into my shoe. I took the dagger out of my jacket and threw it at the Doctor, however¨C
¨CBang!
The sound of metal colliding was heard and the curtain was opened by a ck-robed man. A sword hung in his hand.
He snorted as his eyes fell on me.
"No wonder there''s an extra kid and turns out, it''s a rat."
The Doctor asked nonchntly.
"Can you take care of him?"
"It''s just a bug, it won''t take long."
"Alright."
It seemed that in their eyes, I was just an insignificant treat.
The Doctor was seen returning to his work. The ck-robed man walked out of the room and closed the curtain.
"No!! You''re a bad guy!! Don''te near me!!"
Also, I couldn''t believe that the shitty Doctor kept testing different kinds of serum for each kid.
"Since I''m bored, I''ll y with you for a while."
I exhaled a deep breath and took out the dual daggers I had hidden behind my back with both hands.
I tightened my grip on the handler and stood on guard.
He dashed toward me and raised his sword. He made a vertical cut and I blocked it.
¨CBang!
Our weapons shed and sparks of metal were created. I could see how my hands holding the weapons shook when our des bound.
I couldn''t help but clench my teeth, I bet this was going to be an annoying battle.
I was fully aware that the gap in our strengths was too wide and what was worse was that I couldn''t use mana to make up for my ws.
In other words, my strength was that of a normal eight-year-old child and I was undoubtedly at a disadvantage.
I know my decision was perilous but I just couldn''t turn a blind eye to this matter, especially since it happened right under my nose!
I couldn''t let the kids die! Not in that horrendous way!
As it was impossible to win the bound, I moved my feet to him but before my kick hit him, he jumped backward and spoke.
"Using your feet in a sword fight is sphemy."
Who gave a fuck about rules? As long as I could defeat him, I would justify all means.
I ran towards him and thrust my left dagger into him.
¨CBang!
He shoved my attack and I swung my right dagger in the gap. However, he took a step back and shed horizontally, diverting my dagger.
¨CBang!
I raised my left dagger once again and¨C
¨CBang!
He blocked my attack and this action continued for quite some time.
¨CBang! ¨CBang! ¨CBang!
I made a cut and as usual, he blocked it effortlessly.
I attempted another one but it stopped midway as my eyes stretched wide and my body was thrown backward; he kicked me in the stomach.
I rolled a few times before stopping. I got on my knees and clutched my abdomen from the intense pain. Churned surged inside and I puked up a mouthful of saliva.
"Urk! Cough, cough!"
"Thanks to you, I learned a new move."
Damn it. It hurt.
I wiped my mouth and immediately stood when I saw him running to me. He didn''t even let me catch a breath, huh?
He shed his sword and I deflected it with my right dagger.
I swung my other dagger but unexpectedly, he caught my hand and pulled my body forward.
He let go of my hand as I stumbled forward uncontrobly. He moved aside, then kicked my back.
¨CThud!
My body hit a table and I could feel warm liquid sliding down my face. I clutched my forehead and blood stained my palm.
At this point, I didn''t even know where the hell my weapons were.
''Urg, I hate being a kid.''
I got on my feet and my eye caught interesting stuff on the table. I snatched one of them and turned my body.
However, to my surprise, the ck-robed man was already standing in front of me.
"Urk!"
He grabbed my neck and pinned my body to the table.
"At first I wanted to kill you right away, but it wouldn''t be fun, right?"
He tightened his grip on my neck and I coughed as my oxygen ran low. But then again, I justughed.
"Come on beg, maybe I will change my mind and release you."
"Cough, hahah¨Ccough, cough! Ahaha!"
He raised one of his brows.
"It seems you''ve gone mad when you''re about to meet your death, huh?"
With what little breath I had, I grabbed his arm and answered.
"I¡"
I instantly swung the serum I got from the desk at him.
He tried to dodge but it was toote because my hand had grabbed his arm, and just like that, the serum embedded into his skin.
His eyes widened when he saw that the liquid in the syringe was empty¨Cmeaning the serum had prated his body.
He shoved my body away and as a result, I rolled several times on the floor.
"Ahaha¨Ccough, cough! Haha¡"
Despite the pain that I felt all over my body, I continued tough my heart out.
"Aargh!"
The man groaned. He dropped his sword and pulled out the injection from his arm.
"What¨Cwhat the hell are you doing?!"
He screamed whilst gripping his arm that was previously shot and ck veins began to emerge on his skin.
"Aarrghh!! Aarrghh!!"
His body jerked continuously. His arm twisted weirdly as its size increased.
¨CThud!
A long andrge arm covered in blood fell to the floor. It continued to wriggle and sharp ws shot out of its hooves imitating a beast.
"AarrGGGHH!!"
This time it was his leg that transformed.
"Rian, why are you so noisy?"
The Doctor tugged his head out from the curtain and his body jolted after witnessing the scene before him.
The man called Rian turned his head and in the next second, he grabbed the Doctor''s head with his new hand and lifted him.
It was so fast that my eyes couldn''t follow his speed. Also, it seemed the ck-robed man hadpletely lost his mind.
The Chimera¨Cnot only did it turn the user into a monster, but its speed and power doubled as well.
His hood fell, revealing light brown hair. His scleras turned ck and his irises turned red.
"Arrghh!! Aarrghhh!! Rian what are you doing?! Let me go this instant!!"
The old man screamed and his hands tried with all their might to shake off Rian''s vicious hands but to no avail.
And what happened next made me throw my face away.
¨CPop! ¨CStt!
Bones shattering sounded and the Doctor''s blood mixed with white flesh jumped out between his fingers and scattered on the ground.
While he was busy with the old man, I dashed forward and picked up the sword that was lying. Sensing somethinging at me, I immediately rolled my back to the side.
¨CThud!
I turned and the Doctor''s headless bodynded not too far from me.
I nced at Rian and my eyes stretched wide when I saw him shot toward me with his beast fist hovering in the air.
Wasting no time I leaped backward to dodge it.
¨CBoom!
A cracking floor was heard and without even bothering to look behind me I ran as fast as I could.
''This is insane!''
My heart skipped a beat when my ears caught how his loud footsteps were getting nigher.
I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye and his hand was outstretched¡ªready to grab me.
I ducked down and in a split second his hand was over my head.
Looking at the wall ahead, I swung my sword and shed his arm as I jumped to the side.
"Kiiekkk!!"
He shrieked in pain and I rushed to run the moment Inded.
¨CBoom!
His body hit the wall but he quickly recovered and continued to chase me.
''Damn it. How can I beat him? There''s no mana here!''
Chapter 88 Ch. 88: Chimera [2]
¨CBoom!
The sound of the floor breaking pierced my ears and I kept running.
To defeat a plete'' Chimera, you must destroy its crystallized heart.
Even if you cut off his head, it would only deprive the Chimera''s sight and not its life.
However, in this case, only his hands and leg were changed, and the rest were still human body parts.
So, I wasn''t sure whether his heart had crystallized or not because I couldn''t see it.
It was never easy to shatter its crystallized heart because it was hard as a diamond and a normal attack wouldn''t work; mana was required.
I just hope that the serum hadn''t modified his heart.
Well, if he still had a human''s heart it would be easy for me to kill him, however, the main problem here were his transformed hand and leg!
Because the destruction power was insane and the speed was no joke!
Also, its flesh was quite thick, although I shed it before, it only bled a little and didn''t deal any significant damage.
I peeked at him out of the corner of my eyes and he ran four-legged. It seemed I had to call him a beast since he wasn''t a human anymore.
I turned sideways when I met a corner and his body hit the wall.
¨CBoom!
I nced at the beast and he used his legs to jump forward and continued running to chase me.
Right now, we were just circling endlessly in this room, and to be honest, my stamina had dropped a lot.
''Well, what are you expecting from a normal eight-year-old kid''s stamina?''
Once again I met a corner but this time, instead of turning to the side, I leaped backward.
¨CBoom!
The moment the beast crashed against the wall, I made a vertical cut starting from his head down to his chest as I sank low. However¨C
¨CBang!
I flinched when my sword hit something hard.
"Kkkieeekkkk!!"
He wailed and immediately waved his ferocious hand whilst whirling to face me. I hopped up to dodge it.
"Tsk."
I clucked my tongue in annoyance.
''In the end, the thing I feared the most turned out to be true.''
And from the severed chest, I could see how his heart peeked out and shone red.
His heart had crystallized.
Just look at him, even after his upper body had been sliced in half and his blood didn''t stop oozing out, he was still moving vigorously.
I sprinted off once Inded, then we yed the game of cat-and-mouse one more time.
I couldn''t fight the monster in the one-on-one duel, it was tantamount to suicide. I peeped behind me and immediately ducked down.
-Whoosh!
His beastly hands slid past me and I leaped backward, but, against my calctions, he grabbed my ankles and mmed me onto the floor.
¨CWhack!
"Urk!"
Blood came out of my mouth and nose. His attack didn''t stop, he threw my body to a table across the room.
¨CWhack!
"Cough, cough!"
I spat out a mouthful of blood and my whole body tingled with pain. It seemed my ribs were broken.
I tried to get up but to no avail and my head started spinning. I lifted my head and I saw how the monster walking slowly like eyeing its prey with my blurry vision.
I began to drag myself with my arms to move somewhere else but damn, it looked like I didn''t even move an inch!
And¡
I ran out of time, the beast was already in front of me and he scooped up my body with his vicious hand.
"Aaarrgghh!!"
I groaned when its ws dug deep into my skin and tore through my flesh. Blood poured out from my wounds and I gritted my teeth in helplessness.
''Am I gonna die down here?''
No.
''I don''t want to die miserably like this! I have to save¡ Damian¡''
Like a little amber that ignited a fire, my morale rose to the sky, and fortunately, my hand which held the sword was out of his grip.
Wasting no more time, I swung it toward the blinking red heart with all the strength I had left.
¨CBang! ¨CBang! ¨CBang!
I had no idea what happened but my body suddenly fell to the ground followed by a loud crash on the floor.
"Cough, cough¡"
My mouth leaked out blood and my blurry sight caught the beast''s heart was no longer shining; it had turned ck like charcoal.
Ah¡ it seemed his heart hadn''t fully crystallized yet¡
¨CTuk!
A bottle rolled and hit my head. I took it to see what it was and to my surprise, it was a Super Potion! Without much thought, I opened the lid and drank it.
But something was strange¡ my eyelids felt heavy, my body became light and everything darkened.
.
.
.
My eyes abruptly opened and I immediately sat when a tremendous earthquake struck.
"What the hell is happening?!"
The ground shook violently and I crawled to the nearest table. Debris could be seen falling and the floor cracked here and there.
After a few minutes passed, the quake finally stopped and I crawled out of the table.
And I had never been this happy when Mana started swirling inside me. I couldn''t help but smirk.
I channeled my Mana to my Elemental and a wisp of fire was created above my palm.
"It seemed Chislon made it, huh."
As I remembered something, I quickly checked my body, and to my surprise, the wound had disappeared; leaving no marks at all.
"Haaa¡"
I breathed a sigh of relief andy down on the floor.
"I thought I was going to die."
I stared at the ceiling when my thoughts drifted. I had no idea know how long I was unconscious, but I immediately sat up whilst shouting.
"That''s right! Damian!"
I instantly rose the moment a white-haired brat popped into my head and took the sword lying next to me.
However, my step came to a halt, and I swept my eyes to the surroundings.
"This damn ce¡"
I gripped my sword tightly and my chest up and down; I couldn''t contain my anger anymore.
Without thinking much I swung my sword here and there to destroy every herb, every device, every paper, and everything I could find in thisb.
¨CShatter! ¨CShatter! ¨CShatter!
I didn''t know how manybs this underground have but this was just my way of assuaging my anger.
I raised my weapon once again but my Telesphere rang.
I sighed and looked who it was and Chislon''s name popped up on the mini screen.
// Your Highness, I seeded in destroying the device! //
"Well done. Also, can you explore this underground a bit more and look forbs?"
// Labs? //
"Yes. And if you find one, destroy it."
// I understand. Has Your Highness found Prince Damian? //
"No, I haven''t. But I found a clue where the dungeon is and I will head there right now."
// I understand. Please contact me when you find Prince Damian so I could request reinforcement. //
"I understand."
// Then, I will be on my way, please be careful."
"I will and you too."
With that our conversation ended and I ran over to the kids. I opened every cubicle and there were only six left, and they were unconscious.
I pressed the button and¨C
¨CClick! ¨CClick! ¨CClick!
Luckily it was the right button and all the irons that bound their hands were open.
I walked to one of them and gave him a light p in the face.
"Hey, hey, wake up!"
The boy''s eyelids were seen blinking several times before shoving me away and shutting his eyes tightly.
"Waaa!! Don''t go near me!! Get away!! Get away!!"
I restrained both of his arms as his hands kept pping my face and body.
"Calm down!"
Upon hearing my voice he gradually opened his eyes once again and piped down.
"O¨Coh?"
"Can you wake up the others?"
"Uh¡ y¨Cyes."
As he woke the kids, I moved to the cupboard and looked for anything useful. Fortunately, I found a ck-robed and an active Silent Magic Device on the desk.
Heh, no wonder none of them wereing here, it turned out this room had this thing. I deactivated it and put it in my pocket jacket, then went back to the children.
They immediately bowed their heads.
"Thank you so much for saving us!"
"Save your thanks once we get out of here, right now, I need your help."
"Wh¨Cwhat is it?"
"Listen, I''m looking for someone, he has white hair no, what I mean was brte hair but he has blue eyes."
Confusion dyed their faces.
"He''s with a girl with lc hair and purple eyes."
"Ah!"
A girl exmation.
"You mean the Prince and his lover!"
My lips quivered.
"''His lover?''"
The girl exined in a cheering tone.
"Yes. His Highness slept on his lover''s tight! So romantic! They also hold hands like ALL THE TIME¨C"
I immediately cut in. I didn''t have time to listen to that brat lovey-dovey.
"Alright! Alright! I understand, then can you show me where the dungeon is?"
They exchanged nces and anxiety painted their faces.But eventually, they nodded.
"We will guide you."
"Thanks?"
With that, I knelt, however, all of them immediately shouted.
"No! You don''t have to kneel! Please get up!"
I furrowed my brows, what the hell were they talking about? Why would I, a Prince, kneel before them?
"No, what I mean is, I will piggyback one of you to pretend to be the ck-robed man."
I lifted my hand holding a ck robe.
"I¨CI see."
After the preparations were finished, we headed out, and fortunately, no one was paying attention to us because they were in a chaotic situation.
After a few minutes of walking, we arrived at the dungeon. However, when we entered, we were presented with two corpses lying on the floor, but Damian and Leticia were nowhere to be found.
Chapter 89 Ch. 89: Chimera [3]
The door swung open and the kids gasped in surprise.
"!"
"What happened?"
Alexander whispered.
"The¨Cthe guards are dead!"
"Huh?"
Alexander took his head out of the cloak and there were indeed two ck-robed men''s corpses with twisted heads lying on the ground and immediately gave an order.
"Closed the door!"
"O¨Cokay!"
A boy instantly closed the door. Alexander knelt and the boy over his shoulder jumped down.
Alexander moved to examine the corpse. Their deaths were not long estimated at an hour or so.
"Why did youe back here? Aren''t you going back to your parents?"
One of the children in the cage asked and the girl answered.
"No! He lied! They want to turn us into monsters!"
"What?!"
"By the way, where is the Prince?"
"Ha! If you ask about him, he ran away with his lover and left us here! Yet, he dares to call himself the Prince of this nation?! Don''t make meugh!"
Of course, their conversation did not escape Alexander''s ears.
He knew it was childish to argue with some kids after considering his age, but he couldn''t let someone badmouth Damian, could he?
He got up and joined the conversation.
"Do you know that speaking ill about the Imperial Family is a death sentence?"
They lowered their heads in fear. Regardless, he began again and approached the opened cage.
"In my opinion, the Prince did the right thing by not letting you out of the cage."
Silence enveloped and Alexander continued.
"Because what are you going to do when you meet the ck-robed man outside? Do you have any weapons to defend yourself? Have you opened your Mana Pool? Have you formed your Mana Core? Can you use an Elemental?"
Alexander picked up a bent spoon and scoffed inwardly. This little imp. Impatient of waiting so he ran by himself, huh?
He nced at the cage next to him and resumed.
"But if you''re so eager to die, I''ll get you out of there and we''ll have a bet on who dies first. You or the Prince."
Lull remained as no one was willing to open their mouths and Alexander shrugged. He returned to the kids and spoke.
"I''m going to look for my younger brother. Lock this room from the inside. I will send someone here."
¨CClick!
With that, Alexander exited the room and the people inside the room were bbergasted.
"''Younger brother''? Doesn''t that mean¨C"
"He''s a Prince too!"
"What?!!"
.
.
.
"Waaaa!!"
Feeling Mana swirling inside me, I kicked the air and caught Leticia beforending.
¨CSsh!
Wended in some kind of puddle or something or whatever since it was so dark here and I couldn''t see anything, so I wasn''t sure either. But¨C
"Urk!"
A cough escaped from my mouth as I was hugged so tightly that I might die from suffocation.
"L¨CLady Leticia, if you would be so kind¡ I''m suffocating right now."
"O¨Coh? I¨CI''m sorry."
Eventually, she let go of me.
"Where is this ce?"
"I don''t know."
I funneled my Mana to my Elemental and created a wisp of fire above my palm, however, once the mes lit the area, we were stunned by the sight.
Dozens of children surrounded us. ck veins protruded from their skin, their sclerae were dyed ck, their irises had turned red and some of their bodies had turned into Chimeras.
"Kkkieekkk!!"
"Run!!"
I let the me fly above us, I snatched Leticia''s hand and ran as fast as we could.
"Kkieekkk!!"
"Kkiieekk!!"
Their screeching echoed throughout the space and doubtlessly they followed us.
"What happened to them?!"
"It''s Chimera! The ck-robed men turned the children into monsters!"
"Whaaaatt?!"
Feeling something approaching us, I let go of her hand and pushed her forward.
"Keep running."
"N¨Cno!"
I filled my weapon with mana, dashed over to it, and swung my sword.
"Kkkieekk!!"
I could feel how its blood sttered on my face.
¨CSsh! ¨CSsh! ¨CSsh!
A hoard of Chimera could be seen sprinting toward me.
Since they were iplete Chimeras, their hearts shouldn''t crystallize yet.
A magic circle formed on my outstretched left hand and I shot numerous wind bullets toward their hearts.
¨CBang! ¨CBang! ¨CBang!
ck blood spewed like fireworks from their bodies as my wind bullets ripped holes in their chests.
¨CSsh! ¨CSsh! ¨CSsh!
One by one they fell into the water and guilt started creeping up my heart.
''I''m so sorry¡ I''m so sorry¡''
I kept reciting the same words over and over again as I killed them. Even though they were no longer human¡
Deep inside I still found it hard to bear, especially after I saw their faces, but I had no choice, I had to kill them or they would kill us.
''I''m¡ so sorry¡''
"Kiieekkk!"
I looked up and a Chimera was seen jumping at me and I hopped to dodge.
¨CSsh!
After itnded, I raised my sword and shed my sword from its neck down to its chest.
"Kkiieekk!!"
One came from the left and I immediately kicked its body to pull my sword, then spun my body to the left.
I thrust my weapon into his heart and its body plummeted below.
¨CSsh!
"Kkiieekk!!"
I nced ahead and three Chimeras darted toward me. I withdrew my sword and drew an arc once they were a few centimeters away from me.
¨CSsh! ¨CSsh! ¨CSsh!
A shadow was cast upon me and I immediately jumped to evade it. I hastily embedded my sword in its heart and it fell.
¨CSsh!
As my sense sent me an rm from the left, I shot its chest with my wind bullet before it couldnd and ck blood rained down on me.
I continued to swing my sword and cut every Chimera that came my way. Sometimes I would send my wind bullets from my left arm if I was too preupied with my right side.
And it seemed this underground had been built for years because they kepting to me like there was no end to them.
Kept my Magic Circle active on my left arm and the fire above doubled my Mana consumption, also, both my Mana and stamina had decreased a lot.
I didn''t know how much longer I wouldst, but obviously not too long.
Chapter 90 Ch. 90: Chimera [4]
¨CSsh!
A Chimera slumped and I nced sideways to sh at the one that was leaping at me.
ck blood sttered everywhere and at this point, I was drenched in blood mixed with sweat.
"Kkiieekkk!!"
Two Chimeras were seen jumping from both sides and one rushed at me below. I pierced the one below and shot my wind bullet at the left side.
That was two¡
However, shock and panic filled my mind after I realized that I couldn''t draw my sword; it was stuck in its heart.
As I didn''t have enough time to pull it, I shot a wind bullet in a panic state and the oue was¡ it missed the target.
My eyes widened when a ferocious hand was inches away from me.
''Ah, I made a mistake¡''
¨CBoom!
I was astonished when a fireball struck the beast before it could reach me, sending it away. I nced back and Leticia was seen there, extending her hand.
"I''m sorry, I can''t leave Your Highness alone."
I couldn''t help but furrow my brows.
''She''s an Elementalist?''
Well, that exined why I couldn''t catch her back then, and how reluctant she was to take the dagger.
"Kkiieeekk!!"
Nevertheless, I returned my sight to the front and drew my sword to swing my sword once more.
But this time, Leticia supported me from the rear, and within half an hour, we exterminated the Chimeras in this area.
"Haa¡ haa¡"
As I catching my breath, I swept my eyes to the surroundings and the sea of corpses could be seen lying below.
Ignoring them, I turned and approached Leticia.
It would be best if we could keep moving because I didn''t know when the Chimera woulde here.
"Let''s go."
I offered my hand, but the moment her fingers touched mine, she was startled and immediately hid her hands behind her back.
"I''m fine. Let''s go."
She stepped forward but I blocked her way and stabbed my sword to the floor.
"Give me your hands."
She shook her head.
"Give me your hands."
Yet, she remained persistent. I couldn''t help but sigh tiredly; I didn''t have time for this, and so I spoke.
"I won''t marry you if you don''t show your hands."
"Will you marry me if I show my hands?"
I tried to snatch her forearm but she stepped backward.
I massaged my temples, this was getting annoying. Also, why was this girl obsessed with marrying me?
"I will give you the answer after you show me your hands."
She brought her trembling hands to me, I flipped them to see her palms and what greeted me made my eyes widen.
Burn wounds filled her palms.
I gazed at her but she threw her face sideways to avert my eyes.
"Who is your Elementalist tutor?"
She shook her head.
"I don''t have one."
Well, that exined why shecked ''control'' of her Elemental and turned her spell into a double-edged de.
However, my forehead creased, and didn''t that mean Leticia opened her Mana Pool and formed a Mana Core by herself?
''This girl is kinda crazy in my eyes.''
I channeled my Mana to my Elemental Water and let it bound her hands. Luckily, I learned a basic aid with my Water Elemental.
"Where did you learn about Elementalist?"
"I learned through books."
Just like I predicted. But, the fact that her parents had no idea about it, it seemed she often ran away from home and trained behind their backs.
"If you want to learn about Elemental, ask your father for a tutor. Don''t do self-taught. It''s dangerous, you might explode."
She tilted her head.
"But I never read that someone explodes due to self-taught."
Of course, it was a white lie. I was just trying to prevent you from doing something dangerous.
"So, do you believe the book or me?"
"I believe in Your Highness."
"Good."
As expected, her amount of trust in me was just ridiculous.
"Also, stop sneaking alone. I hate it, so udylike."
"B¨Cbut¡"
She sighed and eventually answered.
"I understand."
I couldn''t help but smile at her innocence, she was so pure that I, myself, was afraid that I might taint her.
After a few minutes, her burn wounds were healed; leaving no trace at all.
I let go of her hands and her eyes twinkled with amazement upon seeing her hands but she immediately lowered her head.
"Thank you and¡ I''m sorry¡ I''m¡ useless."
I patted her head.
"It''s not true, you did a great job in my opinion."
Well, it was the truth. Her support was always on time although she burned herself.
She lifted her head and stared at me.
"Then¡ does that mean Your Highness will marry me?"
Tsk. I clucked my tongue inwardly.
And why were we going back to this topic?
"How old are you?"
Although I knew the answer, I was just going to beat around the bush.
"I''m five years old."
"At youring-of-age ceremony, I will attend it, and if you say that you still love me, then I will marry you."
"That''s a promise, right?"
"Yes. I promise you, here."
I offered her my pinky finger. Her smile bloomed and bound our fingers.
"I only have to wait for thirteen years, right?"
"Yes."
Wasn''t she way too optimistic?
I didn''t even know if her heart would remain the same or had changed. But at least, it would make her realize her true feelings.
Not just some random puppy love.
"Well¨C"
A voice echoed throughout the space; a male voice. I quickly took my sword and hid Leticia behind my back.
"¨Cthis is the first time I''ve ever seen a couple having a date in the sewers."
¨CSsh ¨CSsh ¨CSsh
His steps came closer and my wisp of fire revealed his figure, it began from his lower body to his upper body and a ck-haired boy with golden eyes appeared behind the shadow.
My brows furrowed.
"Alex?"
The boy let out an annoying grin.
"So, did you miss me?"
Instead of longing, I want to punch him in the face.
Chapter 91 Ch. 91: The Bet [1]
"I greet Your Highness the First Prince."
Leticia curtseyed. Damian thought that it wasn''t necessary to greet him in a situation like this.
"You may raise Lady Leticia."
She straightened her back and smiled.
"I heard, you will soon be my sister-inw, is that true?"
"Y¨Cyes."
Rosy color dyed her cheeks as she blushed and Damian''s lips quivered with annoyance.
''This bastard! He didn''t feel like teasing me enough, so he teased Leticia.''
Annoyed, Damian immediately grabbed Leticia''s hand and walked forward.
"Let''s go."
"Ah, Ian is jealous."
He abruptly stops.
''For goodness sake, this bastard.''
The white-haired boy could feel how the urge to punch his brother in the face skyrocketed. He turned to him and¨C
"Here."
Alexander threw something at Damian. He let go of Leticia''s hand and caught it.
He opened his hand to see what it was and a bracelet with two blue beads came into view, it was his Telespere.
He checked its content and surprisingly nothing was missing, even the pouch of gold coins given by Alexander was still there!
Upon seeing it, he couldn''t help but bloom with a smile, and anger dissipated into thin air. He felt so happy today.
"Thanks."
He put the Telesphere back on his wrist and asked Alexander.
"Where did you get this? It was stolen by the kidnapper."
"I took it back."
"I see. Thanks."
"You''re wee. Also, let''s get moving and you could dismiss your wisp."
One of his white eyebrows raised.
"Why?"
"Your Mana is already low, I will rece you."
"I understand. Thanks again?"
Alexander shrugged and created a wisp of fire above them, then continued their way.
As they ran, Alexander activated his Telesphere to call Chislon, and shortly after, it connected.
// Your Highness, how may I help you? //
"I have found Damian and Lady Leticia."
// Then I will send a signal for the Knights and the others to rush over here. //
"Very well. Ah, also, can you track us? We''re looking for the quickest way out."
// I understand, I will contact Your Highness soon. //
"Alright. Thanks."
The call ended and Alexander turned to his brother.
"Reinforcement ising."
"I see. It''s good."
Only.
"Kiieeekkk!!"
Monsters shrieks were heard from behind and Alexander spoke.
"Let''s move faster."
Damian nodded and quickened our pace. As he remembered something, he immediately asked.
"By the way, how many days has it been since I was kidnapped?"
"It has been 30 hours, so 2 days and 1 night?"
"Then we should get moving because we don''t have much time."
"What is it?"
"I met that red woman, Annelise."
"What?! You met her?! When?!"
The moment Damian was ready to answer, a Chimera''s scream cut him.
"Kkiiieeekkk!!"
"Keep moving."
Alexander ordered and he dashed to the monster behind them. He raised his sword and swung it at its chest.
¨CSsh!
Blood sttered on his face and clothes. He lifted his sight and two Chimeras were seen running.
Alexander extended his left hand and shot two wind bullets and their chest exploded.
¨CSsh! ¨CSsh!
Seeing no more monstersing, Alexander began to run, and once he arrived next to Damian, he spoke.
"Continue."
Damian nodded and exined.
"She visited me and said that she hasn''t given up on igniting the war between the Empire and Yovanny."
"That bitc¨C"
"Ahem!"
Damian let out a fake cough to cut in and pointed his chin toward Leticia, implying that he should pay attention to the way he speaks in the presence of a small child.
Leticia tilted her head in confusion, regardless, Alexander began again.
"Did she think about¡"
"Yes. Her objective is likely that, but more importantly, we must ensure that we follow the same route as the convoy."
There was a brief silence and Alexander responded.
"The shortest route is they dock at the Northwest Naval Base and head south to Gilmore territory, estimated around 4 to 5 days to arrive at the Capital."
"Then we only have 2 to 3 days left before sheunches the attack."
Alexander gritted his teeth as he realized that too little time, he suggested.
"We could use the Supreme Blink Sphere in Duke Gustav''s mansion to teleport to Marquis Gilmore''s estate."
"To reach Northwest Naval Base we need 2 to 3 days on horseback. But it''s too early to give up, right? Let''s just hope that we''re not toote."
"Alright, then it settled."
"Kkiieekkk!!"
"Kkiieekkk!!"
The screeching of Chimeras from both sides pricked their ears. Alexander moved forward and said.
"I will take care of the front."
Damian nodded and responded.
"Then I will take care of the rear."
He turned to Leticia.
"Stay behind me and don''t use your power, do you understand?"
"But, I will be useless¨C"
"Just listen to me."
And with that, Damian ran to the rear.
The sea of Chimera was seen sprinting toward them at the forefront.
Alexander channeled his Mana to the sword and soon, Magic Circle followed by faint light emitted from the de.
His sword shook and wasting no more time, Alexander swung his de toward the Chimeras.
¨CWhoosh!
An arc of light was created in the air and passed through them at an incredible speed and in the next second, the monster stopped moving.
Soon, their body parts slid and fell until nothing was left.
¨CSsh! ¨CSsh! ¨CSsh!
''See? It ends in a split second if Mana is avable.''
Although a quarter of his Mana vanished just to unleash a single technique, it was worth it.
He turned to Damian and he was seen shooting the Chimera with his Wind Elemental.
Magic Circle spun on his extended arm and several wind bullets flew and pierced through their chest and fireworks of ck blood urred.
¨CSsh! ¨CSsh! ¨CSsh!
One by one they started falling into the water and their corpses were stepped on by the other Chimera.
Seeing that they wereing closer, Damian ready his sword, however, a shadow jumped toward him and said.
"Cover me from the rear."
Alexandernded in front of the Chimeras and drew a horizontal crescent of light.
"Kkiieekkk!!"
¨CSsh! ¨CSsh! ¨CSsh!
Dozens of Chimeras fell and a new wave of them surged from behind.
Alexander fearlessly rushed to them and swung his sword left and right.
Damian could only be mesmerized by Alexander''s actions before his eyes.
As expected of the main character of this world, each of his attacks dealt critical damage to the monster and all of his strikes were on target.
He didn''t make exaggerated and unnecessary movements like brandishing or spinning his sword as he saw in anime and movies.
''Well, that''s the difference between reality and fiction.''
Damian looked up as his blue eyes caught the two Chimeras leaping towards Alexander, and he immediately shot wind bullets at each one.
"Kkkkiieekkk!!
They shrieked and fell.
¨CSsh! ¨CSsh!
Another was seen rushing to Alexander''s blind spot and Damian shot its chest and ck blood sttered everywhere as it exploded.
¨CSsh!
And after half an hour, the fight was over.
Alexander wiped the sweat dripping down his chin with the back of his hand, then turned to Damian.
"Let''s go."
With that, they continued their way. Sometimes Chimera would show up but not as many as before and they take care of them without difficulty.
As they were running, Damian asked.
"By the way, who are we going to take? It can''t be just us, right?"
"Do you have someone in mind?"
"How about Sir Ulrich? Also, it would be better if we could bring a squad or a toon. I know it sounds excessive but we must prepare for the worst-case scenario."
"I agree. Then you don''t have to worry about it. I''ll take care of it."
"Alright, I''m counting on you."
Soon, Alexander called requesting twenty to forty cavalrymen to be ready at the entrance of Axton City and two additional horses in front of Marquis Gilmore''s mansion.
Damian had a hunch that Alexander was using his mercenaries. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to gather that many people in a matter of minutes.
"It''s done."
"Very well."
A few minutester, Alexander received a call from Chislon. Damian did ask about Ulrich''s whereabouts but he said that Ulrich had followed the Knights inside the dungeon.
Thus, they had no choice but to kick Ulrich out of their options. After that, the Count guided them to the nearest exit.
They followed him and several Knights were seen waiting for them. They instantly ran towards them.
"I greet¨C"
"Do you have a teleportation magic paper?"
Alexander cut in, as they were against time.
"Y-yes we have."
"Please teleport us to Duke Gustav''s mansion."
Afterward, they were transported into the mansion and rushed to the Supreme Blink Sphere.
"Please wait!"
Damian and Alexander turned their head to the voice and Leticia was seen running toward them.
"Deal with her."
Alexander decided to enter and wait inside the room.
Leticia stopped in front of Damian with her haggard breath.
"W¨Cwe will meet again, right?"
"Yes. Goodbye."
Damian spun around but she yanked his forearm andnded a kiss on his cheeks then ran away.
Damian''s azure eyes widened and his face turned red like a tomato.
"What did she¨C"
Chapter 92 Ch. 92: The Bet [2]
Damian remained nted on the ground even after Leticia''s silhouette was out of view; he was still stunned somehow.
''That girl¡''
Unbeknownst to him, he touched his cheek. His face and ears had turned red matching a tomato.
It was the first time in his life an opposite gender aside from his mother evernded him a kiss!
She was quite daring in his opinion. Not only that but she was also crazy!
Damian''s thoughts drifted to how the girl would grow a few yearster.
He just hoped that she would have a change in her demeanor.
Because if not, it would be a disaster¨Cfor him, of course.
With that, he turned and entered the room. However, upon stepping inside, a ck-haired boy with an annoying grin came into view.
Alexander was in such a weird mood.
Even just by looking at him, Damian knew what was inside that bastard''s head, and the moment the boy was ready to open his mouth, he cut in whilst approaching him.
"Listen, I have a very important thing to say."
Alexander''s smiley face turned serious.
"What is it?"
Damian put on aplicated expression like shouldering on how to save the whole world from destruction.
Seeing his brother remain silent, Alexander asked once more.
"What is it?"
"Uh, do you have cookies?"
"..."
Alexander''s air turned sour, honestly speaking, Damian wanted tough so badly but he managed to stay cool and added.
"I was starving down there!"
Alexander took out a bag of cookies and gave it to him.
"Hehe, thanks."
He tried to open his mouth but Damian quickly jumped in once again.
"Look, we don''t have much time! Let''s go."
Damian spoke impatiently and shoved a cookie into his mouth.
Upon seeing it, the ck-haired boy''s brows furrowed.
"What is wrong with you?"
"Let''s go. Let''s go."
He looked at Damian as if he was a strange creature and shook his head, then activated the Supreme Blink Sphere.
Damian couldn''t help butugh internally, he was so happy that he could prevent Alexander from spewing nonsense.
Shortly, the floor shone and in a sh, they were teleported to the Marquis Gilmore mansion.
They exited the room and the guards were bbergasted when saw the duo. Of course, that was because they came without notice.
"I¨CI greet Your¨C"
Ignoring them, they immediately ran toward the entrance.
"Your Highness!"
Soon, they arrived at the gate entrance, and Alexander ordered the gatekeeper to open the gate.
At first, they refused and said that they couldn''t open the gate without the Marquis'' order.
But everything was solved without hassle after Alexander sold out the Emperor''s name, and they eventually opened it.
"Boss!! Over here!!"
A man with dark gray hair could be seen waving to them.
"''Boss'', huh?"
Damian turned to Alexander and the ck-haired boy clucked his tongue in annoyance.
"I hired him, of course, he called me ''Boss''. Basically, I pay him."
"I see."
Damian gave a short reply and shrugged.
There was no need for a deep conversation as he knew exactly that Alexander was lying; he knew Alexander owned a Mercenary Agency.
They mounted the horse and Alexander asked the man while riding.
"How many people are avable?"
"There''s only 38 of them."
"It''s all right. How about the supply?"
"I bring a week''s worth."
"Good."
Right after we got out of the city, dozens of mercenaries riding horses followed us.
Upon seeing them, Damian quicken his speed and stopped next to Alexander, then he asked.
"Are those your men?"
"Yep."
Alexander nodded his head and Damian''s blue eyes swept the surroundings. Even by seeing their appearance, he could tell that they were not ordinary mercenaries.
Damian returned his eyes to Alexander.
This boy established a Mercenary Agency at such a young age, just¡ what was he trying to aplish?
''I''ll order Fedel to assign someone to investigate his Mercenary. This main character is kinda fishy in my eyes.''
.
.
.
A carriage was protected by cavaliers who wore heavy armor on both sides and could be seen existed a forest area.
The dense pine trees were changed into a vast meadow as they entered the Sverre ins.
Colorful wildflowers that bloomed beautifully garnished the grasnd.
A woman with peach hair and pink eyesy against the carriage window frame. She was the Princess of the Yovanny Kingdom.
She moved her sight to a maid who sat across from her and ask.
"How many days are left to reach the Capital?"
"It''s 2 days more, Your Highness."
"I see."
She returned to see what was outside the window and¨C
¨CSsh!
Her eyes stretched wide; she was stunned when the blood sttered on her window.
"Neeeiighh!!"
"Aarrghhh!!"
The Princess immediately got herself away from the window.
"W¨Cwhat is happening?!"
The shrieks of horses and wails of men pierced their ears. Soon, the carriage abruptly stopped and the Princess was thrown to the couch across from her.
"Kyaaa!!"
The carriage door swung open and Duke Gustav came into view.
"We''re under attack. No matter what. Please, never left the carriage."
After conveying these words, the Duke closed the door and 3 lines of soldiers circled the carriage.
They ced their shield in front of their body to prevent any attacks from prating the carriage.
Soon the second tide of arrows rained down at them. The Knights vigorously swung their swords left and right to deflect the arrows.
¨CBang! ¨CBang! ¨CBang!
"Who dares to ambush us?"
Duke Gustav waved his sword and block an arrow that darted at him.
¨CBang!
"I had no idea."
The knight next to him responded whilst diverting every attack that approach him.
¨CBang! ¨CBang! ¨CBang!
After the attack died down. His eyes immediately scanned the surroundings but to no avail as the weeds were too tall for him to spot the enemies.
Quietness descended and enveloped them; the Knights promptly stood on guard.
As the lull continued to drag on, anxiety started to fill the Knights heart.
Only.
"Kkiieeekkk!!!"
"Huuuaaa!!"
All heads turned to the voice at the rear and a strange creature was present. Half of its body had a monster appearance and the other half was a kid''s body
"Aarrgghh!! Aarrghh!!"
The monster''s ferocious hand was seen scratching the knight''s face.
The wailing stopped as the man turned motionless, blood oozed out from his destroyed face and drenched the soil.
The monster turned and their eyes widened as they watched the sight.
ck veins filled the kid''s skin, his sclera turned ck and his irises were red.
"Wh¨Cwhat in the world¡ is it¡?"
"Kkiiieeekkk!!"
The Chimera jumped and struck a knight. He nned his sharp ws and shed the man''s face. Blood sttered everywhere as his attack continued.
"Aaarrgghh!!"
Soon, a knight dashed to them and wasting no more time he cut the creature''s head.
ck blood gushed out from its neck and the Chimera plummeted to the ground.
"Treated him immediately!"
He ordered and two knights hastily brought the man''s body to the side.
As they were too immersed in seeing the victim, unbeknownst to them the Chimera had got on his feet and jumped to the man who chopped his head.
"Aarrghhh!!"
Their eyes turned to the voice and were stunned to their spines upon witnessing the scene present before us.
The headless monster was now pulling the man''s left arm and¨C
¨CStt!!
"Aarrgghhh!!"
Blood sshed the ground when the arm separated from the man''s body.
"Th¨Cthe monster still alive!!"
The knights were beyond shocked. Although its head had been severed, the monster was somehow still alive.
The Chimera threw the arm sideways and crawl elsewhere.
"The monster can''t see! This is our chance!"
The knights rushed in and waved their swords toward the Chimera.
"Kkiieekkk!!"
The monster shrieked upon receiving the blow and he went wild. He swung his ws left and right.
"Kiieekk!!"
One by one its limbs were cut off and after an intense fight, luckily someone managed to stab its crystallized heart, and the Chimera stopped moving.
"Haa¡ haa¡"
The knights were panting and some were wiping their sweat.
However, just as they thought that everything ended, reality hit them hard.
"Kiieekkk!!"
"Kkkieekk!!"
"Kkiieekk!!"
Dozens of Chimera jumped and surrounded them.
"Th¨Cthere are so many of them!!"
"Hhuuuaaa!!"
Even just defeating one of them took half an hour, let alone dozen of them. Terror crept in and their morale decreased.
"C¨Ccan we even defeat all of them?"
¨CStab!
"Kkiiekk!!"
And just like a drop of water in a desert, suddenly the monster plummeted to the ground with an arrow prated through its heart.
¨CStab! ¨CStab! ¨CStab!
"Kiieekkk!!"
And one after another slumped down.
"What is happening?"
The Knights moved to where the arrow came and several people on horseback were seen approaching them.
However, that wasn''t their main focus, but a young boy with white hair riding a horse with a bow in his hands in the forefront.
He was seen aiming from the bow''s window sight and soon released the fletching.
The arrow flew and pierced the Chimera''s heart.
"Kkiieekkk!!
And what followed was the monster dropped dead to the floor.
"I¨Cit''s His Highness, Prince Damian!"
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