"Your Highness!"
As we neared the Zestella castle, a dozen burly knights of the Zestella House bowed their heads and greeted Celeste with fervor.
"S-Stop that! We are currently on a school excursion!" Celeste, subjected to this royal welco, was visibly embarrassed, as expected.
"Princess, it's been a long ti since you've co to the castle. We are just delighted to see you."
A lean old man in armor arrived with a kind smile. I recognized him imdiately. It was August, a Commander of the Zestella Army and one of the strongest people in Sancta Vedelia. He had also taught swordsmanship to Celeste and Evan.
"Whatever…" Celeste muttered slightly embarrassed.
"Lord August," Professor Raven greeted politely.
"Jas, it's been awhile. The last I saw you here was during your academy days," August said. "I still rember you and Leora bickering on a daily basis." He added with a chuckle.
But Jas's expression clouded upon hearing the na of his ex-wife. Leora Ashborn was Jas' ex-wife and thus Alicia's mother. After Jas reportedly cheated on his wife twice, his wife snapped and divorced him. Since then, his relationship with his children, especially Alicia, had been cold or distant, except for Victor.
Upon noticing Professor Raven's gloomy expression, August understood his blunder and coughed lightly. "Well, students, please follow ."
"I can't believe he is that monster from the ga," John mumbled under his breath.
"Right," I nodded. He didn't look like one of the monsters, but well, don't judge a book by its cover, right?
Entering the castle, we were greeted by a lot of maids and butlers, but their presence was rely a formality. They would do nothing for us as we were here to fulfill a task—
defeating the mana beast assigned to us.
"Excuse ," I stepped aside from the group and approached a maid.
"Y-Yesh?!" The maid bit her tongue at my sudden approach. Soon her face flushed bright red, and she lowered her head in sha.
[]
'Can't bla anything except my face.'
[]
"I'm just looking for the restroom; can you point in the right direction?" I asked the maid, offering a friendly smile.
"Yes!" The maid nodded and led the way.
"Amael Falkrona." Professor Raven eyed for a mont before nodding and continuing with the rest of the group.
"What's your ga here?" John squinted at .
"Just exploring the palace a bit," I replied nonchalantly.
"You're not being honest, are you?"
"Nope," I admitted and followed the maid.
Instead of heading towards the southern wing like the others, I found myself being directed to the eastern wing. A quick query about the off-limits areas revealed that the northern wing hosted important VIP events, and the western wing, where the royal family resided, was rarely used by Prince Evan and Princess Celeste.
"Got it," I said with a nod.
Western Wing it is.
"We're here, sir—" Before she could finish, a swift strike to her neck put her to sleep. I caught her and propped her against the wall.
[]
"You know it," I smirked, continuing my solo exploration. I wanted to check out the Western Wing before my absence was noticed.
Passing a few busy nobles, I gradually found myself in a quieter part of the palace. When faced with a junction, I glanced left and decided, "Right."
Attempting to open the door, I found it locked. Ensuring no one was in sight, I employed Ruah and mana to force the door open. With a satisfying crack, the door yielded.
Ahead lay a long, dimly lit corridor. There was sothing intriguing about this place—no, I knew there were interesting things in this wing.
[]
"Yeah." I shrugged, sensing a mana fluctuation around , like an alarm signaling soone's intrusion. "That's why I need to find quickly—"
"Find what, young man?"
I grimaced, recognizing the voice behind . Sighing, I turned around. "Headmistress. Thank god, you are here."
lfina regarded sternly, awaiting an explanation.
"The maid who accompanied to the restroom suddenly fainted. None of the nobles would have helped , so I looked for a knight, and here you are, Headmistress. Please help the poor maid," I explained, exasperated.
"We will take good care of our maid, Amael. Now you can join your classmates who must be worried about you," she said, maintaining that stern gaze.
"If only it were true," I retorted and walked past her.
"Are you up to no good?" She asked suddenly.
I stopped, a bit confused by her sudden wariness.
lfina sighed, noting my perplexed expression. "Strange things have occurred these last days in Zestel. I don't need any more confusion, especially inside my palace. My granddaughter and the students of my academy are here."
"I am included among your students, right?" I raised a brow.
lfina chuckled and nodded. "Of course you are, but you can't expect to put you apart, you know that."
"I'm not here to harm your granddaughter or any of your students," I stated. "Everything I'm doing is for selfish reasons, but I don't need any reasons to harm them. If I really wanted, I would have wiped so faces off Sancta Vedelia but thankfully I've grown patient in the course of the last year."
"This isn't reassuring , boy," lfina's brows twitched.
I smiled as I left. "As long as they don't cross my way or my limits, I won't do anything. Relax, Headmistress."
This is annoying.
I didn't even have ti to get a proper look in that aisle. I just wanted to search for so clues about my father's and brother's deaths but she arrived as soon as I stepped inside.
I could also ask her directly if she knew sothing but I couldn't trust her words. I wanted to see with my own eyes. As for why I was looking for clues about my family in Zestel, it was because I feared that there might be so kind of connection between Celeste's death and my father's. I'm not saying that they died for the sa reason at all but maybe…there might be so leads. I honestly don't know.
But I was in the most important place of one of the great kingdoms of Sancta Vedelia. If I could find important information sowhere, it would definitely be inside the royal palaces.
Moreover sothing was bugging about Celeste's mother. She died but the circumstances of her death were sowhat not well explained in the Ga. The Ga told how she died but the reason seed a bit off.
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