In a cozy room filled with natural light streaming through the window, a white-haired man with piercing red eyes sat behind a polished desk, and beside him stood his aide, Erudian.
Arthur, the man behind the desk, activated a small device, and in an instant, a transparent dome materialized around him.
It was silent magic.
—Tap —Tap —Tap
Impatiently tapping his fingers on the desk, Arthur made a call and soon a voice of a man on the other side of the line greeted him.
// Hello? //
"Have you seen the video that I sent to you?"
Arthur asked, straight to the point.
// Yes, I have. //
"Considering that the breeding season had already passed, it was highly unlikely for the monsters to act in such a manner. So, I highly assumed that the cult is using the Sacred Orb."
Arthur concluded, his voice laced with concern.
The man on the other end agreed, acknowledging the possibility.
// Yes, there's a high chance that they're harnessing its power. //
"But still, the speed at which they were able to harness the power troubled me."
Arthur voiced his concern.
It usually took years of training and practice to master such abilities, but someone within the cult had managed to do so in just a year.
This indicated that the individual wielding the power was no ordinary person.
// Yes, I am aware of that too. That's why I sent Alenia there along with some Elementalists. //
Relief washed over Arthur upon hearing this, knowing that one of the Elders, Alenia, had been dispatched to the border.
"I understand. Thank you so much for the reinforcement."
With that, the call ended.
"Haa…"
Letting out a long sigh, Arthur deactivated the silent magic and the dome vanished into thin air.
Arthur turned towards his aide and asked.
"Is there anything urgent?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Duke Lancaster is here to make a report."
"Let him in."
Arthur instructed, his weariness momentarily forgotten in the face of duty.
"As you wish."
Erudian responded with a bow before leaving the room to fetch Duke Lancaster.
A short while later, Erudian returned, accompanied by Graham.
Standing before the Emperor's desk, Graham began his report.
However, before Graham could respond, urgent knocks suddenly resounded through the room, causing everyone's attention to shift towards the door.
The door soon swung open, revealing a young man with vibrant green hair and eyes, holding a small chest in his hands.
Closing the door behind him, Asher spoke with a sense of urgency.
"Please pardon my intrusion, but I have something urgent to report."
"Speak."
Arthur granted him permission, his curiosity piqued by the unexpected interruption.
"Your Majesty, I can't find the Princes anywhere."
Asher began, concern etched on his face.
Arthur's forehead creased in worry, and he immediately checked the location of his sons' Telespheres.
To his surprise, he discovered that his sons' locations were marked inside his own office.
Confusion clouded Arthur's face as he attempted to comprehend the situation.
"Wait, why is—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Arthur abruptly shut his mouth, realizing that his sons had orchestrated a plan.
Lifting his head, his gaze fixated on the chest in Asher's hands, sensing that it held the answers he sought.
"Yes, Your Majesty, Prince Nathaniel, and Prince Adrian sealed their Telespheres inside this chest. Moreover, when I found it, I discovered two squires tied to chairs without their attire. They explained that the Princes had asked them to come along but immediately knocked them out and stole their clothing."
Arthur brushed his face frustratedly and let out a resigned sigh.
As he had suspected, his mischievous sons had devised a plan to defy his orders.
With this revelation, Arthur could already guess their whereabouts.
"Is there anything else?"
Arthur asked and Asher continued.
"Yes, Your Majesty. It appears that Crown Prince Simone and Prince Péréz of the Aiden Knightdom, Prince Ralph of the Valfor Kingdom, Princess Sylvina of the Yvone Queendom, and Princess Rhea of the Zenith Theocracy are also missing. Their Telespheres indicate that their locations are within the Western Border."
Arthur's voice grew heavy with a mixture of disappointment and anger.
"Aren't they my sons' former classmates?"
"That's right, Your Majesty."
In a fit of frustration, Arthur's hand swept across his desk, knocking everything to the floor, causing ink spilled, staining the floor, and papers scattered in disarray.
Though his face remained stoic, the people in the room could sense the seething anger emanating from the Emperor.
Rising to his feet, Arthur's voice resonated with authority.
"Enough of this disrespect. Prepare a horse for me. I will retrieve my sons myself."
Arthur had reached his limit; he was determined to put an end to his sons' disobedience.
He would ensure that his wayward children would never dare to defy his words again.
"Yes, Sire!"
Soon the room buzzed with urgency, as they prepared to fulfill the Emperor's command.
Arthur's resolve solidified. He would not allow his sons' actions to go unpunished.
.
.
.
"Why are you guys here?!"
Adrian exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief as he stared at the five figures standing before him.
"Actually, we've been following you guys since you left the Imperial Seatbox."
In contrast to his emotion, Péréz spoke excitedly, prompting Adrian to facepalm in exasperation.
However, before Adrian could voice his protest, a knight approached them and shouted.
"What the hell are you guys doing here?! Don't just stand there! Where is your mentor?! Go find and assist him!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Wasting no more time, the group swiftly descended the stairs, determined to locate their mentors.
Fortunately, the knights and squires who had arrived with them were currently taking a well-deserved rest.
The recent reinforcement caused a change in the shift schedule, transitioning from two shifts to three.
This adjustment aimed to ensure that the knights had ample time to rest and recover, given the relentless onslaught of monster waves at the border.
Understanding the importance of being well-rested for the upcoming night shift, Adrian made the decision to take a moment to rest himself.
.
.
.
—Pii!
The sound of a piercing whistle cut through the air, jolting Adrian from his momentary rest and snapping open his eyes.
"You have five minutes to prepare before the shift changes!"
Mathias's voice boomed, prompting Adrian and the other squires to spring into action.
Adrian swiftly followed the movements of his fellow squires, mirroring their preparations for the upcoming shift change.
As the second whistle echoed, the knights and their squires ascended the stairs, ready to relieve the previous shift.
Arriving on the parapet, Galant retrieved his bow.
Drawing an arrow, the man channeled his Elemental power into it and released it.
The arrow soared through the air, finding its mark amidst the chaos of the battlefield.
Adrian's role was to ensure Galant's quiver remained well-stocked, continuously replenishing the arrows to ensure they never ran out.
While Adrian focused on his task, his gaze never strayed far from Nathaniel, he kept a watchful eye on his brother.
Nathaniel, like Adrian, was seen refilling his mentor's quiver, his golden eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of shitty organization's members.
According to the report from his subordinate, one of the stolen Sacred Orbs had the ability to control monsters on a large scale, similar to the ongoing situation.
Nathaniel was sure that the one responsible for this chaos was nearby, as the power had distance limitations.
Suddenly, a whizzing of movement caught Nathaniel's attention.
Reacting on instinct, he drew his dagger from his waist and swiftly swung it, meeting an incoming attack head-on.
—Bang!
The clash of metal reverberated through the air as his dagger collided with the assailant's weapon.
Nathaniel's gaze fell upon the fallen object—a dagger lying on the ground.
His mentor turned towards him, concern etched on his face.
"What is happening?"
But before Nathaniel could respond, he was once again forced to defend himself as more daggers lunged towards him.
—Bang! —Bang! —Bang!
One by one, Nathaniel deftly parried the attacks that came his way.
Glancing his head at the source of the attack, his golden eyes widened.
In the distance, he caught sight of a familiar robust figure with a bald head and a diagonal scar on his face, perched on a tree branch.
He was Hector, the man he had previously fought in the forest of the Refugee Camp.
Their eyes met, and a wry smirk spread across Hector's face.
Gritting his teeth and tightening his grip on his dagger, Nathaniel conjured a series of earth plates and leaped onto them, propelling himself towards Hector.
"Hei! That's dangerous! Come back!"
Ignoring his mentor's panicked shouts to return, Nathaniel pressed forward, passing over a sea of monsters below.
Upon seeing it, Hector's smile widened, and he flicked his hand.
Immediately, the monsters that were currently attacking the border all turned their attention to Nathaniel and rushed towards him.
Witnessing the scene unfold, Adrian hastily conjured a barrage of wind bullets, obliterating the monsters that threatened Nathaniel's path.
—Splat! —Splat! —Splat!
The monsters' heads exploded like gruesome fireworks, showering the surroundings with a grotesque display of green blood and chunks of flesh.
Adrain cast earth plates in the air to propel himself forward, chasing after his brother.
"Wait! Where are you going?"
Galant shouted in panic, but Adrian paid no heed.
"Let's follow Ian!"
Péréz exclaimed, rallying Ralph, Rhea, and Sylvina to join him.
They swiftly conjured an earth pillar and followed in Adrian's wake.
"What the hell?! Péréz, get back here!"
Simone, initially taken aback by the sudden turn of events, found himself reluctantly joining the chase.
Mathias, bewildered by the unexpected actions of the squires, couldn't help but curse under his breath.
"What the fuck is going on?!"
He growled exasperatedly, trying to make sense of the situation.
But before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, another knight's urgent shout caught his attention.
"His Majesty the Emperor is coming!"
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