Before Adrian was kidnapped, Ferdinand inford him that the Kearny Princess was estimated to arrive in 5 to 7 days.
Now that 30 hours have passed, they only have 3 to 5 days left.
'There's not much ti left…'
Nathaniel activated his Telesphere and quickly placed a call.
The mont the phone line connected, Nathaniel imdiately gave an order.
"I need a galley manned by 200 rcenaries, excluding the rowing crew, to sail on the Kearny Princess' convoy route."
Recognizing Nathaniel's urgent tone, the man on the other side nodded in agreent.
// Understood. //
"Also don't forget to stuff the Galley with supplies and a Blinking Sphere, I'll teleport from the Headquarters toward there."
// Understood. Is there anything else, B— //
Nathaniel abruptly ended the call and turned to his brother confidently.
"I've taken care of it."
"..."
However, he was taken aback when he saw his brother looking at him with an indescribable expression.
"Umm… is there anything wrong?"
Adrian returned his sight to the front.
"...nothing."
Nathaniel felt a twinge of unease crept in his chest, but he decided to brush it off.
Not long after, Duke Florance contacted him and shared the pinned location of their eting point.
Without wasting any ti, they hastened towards the destination.
Along the way, they encountered several Chiras but luckily, not as many as they had previously fought.
Upon sensing nurous presences approaching them around the corner, the boys readied their weapons.
—Splash —Splash —Splash
As the distance between them closed, Adrian summoned a Magic Circle and Nathaniel swung his sword.
—Bang!
The two tal blades t, a shower of sparks erupted from the collision.
It was only then that they realized their opponents were not Chiras, but the Knights of Florence.
"Sir Borus!"
The man who was confronting Nathaniel turned his head towards the sound of a voice and a girl with lilac hair ca into view.
Ignoring the Princes in front of him, he rushed toward her.
"Young Lady!"
Nathaniel withdrew his sword, while Adrian calmly dismissed his Circle with a wave of his hand.
The knight dropped to one knee before her, his armor clanking softly as he lowered his head in a show of utmost respect.
"Young Lady, your safety brings great relief."
After exchanging pleasantries, the knight hastily led them toward the nearest drainage system grate.
As they ran, Adrian glanced toward the girl next to him.
"Lady Leticia."
She turned to him and offered a gentle smile.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
"After we leave, please keep our conversation confidential and refrain from sharing any details with others including your father, Duke Florance."
Adrian spoke with a low and urgent tone.
Considering there were so many spies planted by that shitty organization, he couldn't afford to let the plan leak.
Leticia's worries and reluctance were palpable in the furrow of her brow and the downturn of her lips, struggling to find the courage to speak her mind.
"Lady Leticia?"
Adrian called her out once again.
"Your Highness, are you truly planning to go there?"
"Yes."
"But it's dangerous!"
Her voice filled with concern.
"I know."
Adrian said, his voice firm and unwavering.
Engaging in a short battle was better than fighting for years in warfare; Adrian didn't want that.
He simply wanted to finish what he started.
"But—"
"Please proceed ahead."
The knights interrupted as they were arriving at the entrance of the sewer grating.
Soon, they hastily helped them up the ladder to get out of the drainage system.
Leticia went first, followed by Adrian and Nathaniel.
As Adrian reached the end of the ladder, the bright light blinded him and he was forced to shut his eyes.
After a mont, he erged from the dark, damp drainage system into the bright sunlight.
Glancing to the side, Adrian and Nathaniel saw the Duke and Leticia embracing tightly, tears streaming down their faces.
"Let's go."
Adrian urged Nathaniel before running; they couldn't afford to waste any ti.
Luckily, they were busy with the family reunion, which made it easy for them to slip away from the crowd.
Falling in steps with his little brother, Nathaniel flashed a mischievous smirk and asked.
"Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye to her?"
Adrian looked at his brother with disgust and snapped.
"Shut up!"
Yet, the person next to him just laughed heartily, enjoying his discomfort.
Sensing a familiar presence, they turned to the side and saw a black-hooded man wearing a white mask approaching them.
"Your Highness, I have failed to protect you."
Fredinand's voice was muffled by the mask.
"That's right. You failed."
Adrian's icy tone chilled him to the bone.
If Leticia had not been kidnapped along with him, he had no idea of what would happen to him.
"I will gladly receive my punishnt."
After pausing for a mont, Adrian took a deep breath before responding.
"As this is your first ti failing the mission, I've granted you clency. But I expect better from you in the future."
The masked man nodded his head.
"I thank you so much for your forgiveness and will bear it in mind."
Adrian's expression softened slightly.
"Very well, but I won't be as lenient next ti."
"I understand."
"Good."
Returning his gaze forward, Adrian noticed a swarm of Knights flooding the city.
Well, it was understandable since the daughter of the head of this Region was kidnapped, the city was hastily locked down.
However, as a thought kicked in, Adrian couldn't help but ask.
"The Kraken? What happened to it?"
Nathaniel replied lightly.
"One of the Elders and the teachers from the Academy defeated it."
"I see."
Adrian nodded in understanding.
Nevertheless, he was curious about the safety of his classmates.
'I'll call them once I board the Galley.'
Nathaniel's voice jolted him out of his thoughts.
"This way."
Following Nathaniel's lead and turning left, they sprinted for ten minutes until they finally reached their destination—a towering building adorned with a bold sign that read 'Corbenik rcenary Agency'.
Wait—
Wasn't this the sa rcenary agency they had visited in Axton City?
'Ah, of course.'
Just like placing the final puzzle piece into its rightful place, everything fell into perfect sense.
Now he understood how Nathaniel was able to easily obtain the Kearny coat of arms.
Nathaniel never had the knowledge or need to search for a trustworthy rcenary, because he owned a rcenary Agency!
A damn Diamond-Rank rcenary!
Adrian was aware that he had utilized his knowledge as a Regressor to develop his Agency, but it still surprised him.
'Damn.'
Considering the number of Nathaniel's rcenary branches scattered across this continent, he couldn't fathom the extent of his brother's wealth.
He rembered how Nathaniel gave him a pouch of gold coins as if it were a re trinket of little value.
"Tsk."
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Adrian couldn't help but feel jealous.
He needed to invent sothing quickly to earn easy cash.
As a Transmigrator, it would be extrely embarrassing for him to end up penniless when reached adulthood.
Nonetheless, Adrian was curious about when Nathaniel started his business, as he was only 12 years old right now.
Once this all ended, Adrian would order Fredinand to investigate him
Entering the agency, the fancy lobby greeted them.
The marble floors shone under the natural lights, and the walls were adorned with expensive paintings.
It was clear that Nathaniel's business was doing well.
"Follow ."
Nathaniel said, leading the way up the stairs.
Upon taking in the opulence of the building, Adrian couldn't help but spat his mind.
"Nice building you have."
"Huh?"
Nathaniel abruptly halted, his face etched with panic.
So, the uneasiness he felt back in the drainage was proven true.
"W-what do you an? I don't understand."
Nathaniel stamred.
His heart raced, and he could feel sweat streaming down his back.
He clearly rembered not giving his subordinate a chance to call him 'Boss'.
'How could this little brat find out about it?'
Adrian raised an eyebrow in incredulity.
"What? Are you trying to lie to again?"
"N-No, I—"
Nathaniel opened and closed his mouth several tis before massaging his temples in frustration, then continued climbing the stairs.
"Let's talk about this later."
"Fine."
Adrian shrugged nonchalantly and followed suit.
Entering a room, five people wearing a flowing white robe were seen.
Ignoring them, they moved towards the center of the room.
Soon, Nathaniel nodded, signaling that they were ready.
Wasting no more ti, the Elentalists started to chant, their voices rising in unison.
The air around them began to crackle with energy, and runic language gradually ford on the ground beneath their feet.
The ground shook, and a brilliant light erupted, enveloping the entire room in its radiance.
The mont the light subsided, the group vanished; transported to a new location.
.
.
.
—Keow —Keow —Keow
The sound of seagulls flying mixed with the crashing waves against the hulls filled the surroundings, creating a naturally beautiful yet tranquil atmosphere.
Nurous people wearing armor stand on the deck, their eyes fixed upon the vast expanse of the sea.
The wind whips through their hair, carrying with it the scent of salt and adventure.
So lean against the railing, arms crossed, while others pace back and forth, restless with energy.
Suddenly, a blinding light burst forth, causing them to instinctively glance towards its source.
When the light dissipated, three figures erged: a teenager with black hair, a boy wearing a bandana, and a man in a black robe with a white mask.
As they stepped onto the galley, Adrian sensed nurous eyes fixated on them.
He swept his gaze around the area, taking in the sight of the many people gathered there.
They were dressed in armor and ard to the teeth, their appearance that of seasoned rcenaries.
The rcenaries soon nodded his head in acknowledgnt, and Nathaniel returned the gesture, their expressions serious and focused.
—Tap —Tap —Tap
The sound of footsteps echoed through the wooden planks, drawing their attention.
A man with maroon hair and erald eyes strode in, his confident gait exuding an air of friendliness.
Arriving before them, he gave Nathaniel a crisp salute, his lips curling into a playful smile.
"Welco aboard, Boss!"
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