"That was how the prince was kidnapped," Maera said quietly, her voice shaking. Her hands were clenched so tightly that her knuckles had gone white.
The room stayed silent. Everyone listened as she finished explaining what had happened. The more she spoke, the heavier the air beca.
When she stopped, Maera looked down, her whole body trembling. The sha, the anger, the helplessness—it all clawed at her chest.
She was a royal knight, sworn to protect the prince with her life. Yet she had failed. She couldn't even lift her head.
"What's the use of being a knight," she whispered under her breath, "if I can't even protect the person I swore to?"
Azhriel's cold voice cut through the silence. "You said… a magic circle made of abyssal energy appeared inside the forest. Right under the World Tree?"
He wasn't asking.
He was confirming sothing.
His eyes locked on hers, sharp and calm—too calm. The kind of calm that carried weight.
Sydelle was the first to notice that look, then Nyverra and Raymond followed. Their expressions shifted slightly, realizing what he ant.
"Yes—" Maera started to reply, but stopped mid-sentence. A horrifying thought flashed through her mind.
'No… it can't be.'
Her blood ran cold. Her pulse thudded in her ears.
If what he implied was true… then the magic circle couldn't have ford there by accident. Soone inside the palace must have helped them.
A traitor.
'If there's really a traitor in the royal castle, then… everyone in the capital is in danger. I have to report this to His Majesty imdiately. I've wasted enough ti already.'
Her jaw tightened as she forced herself to breathe.
Across from her, Azhriel leaned back slightly. His expression stayed unreadable, but his mind was already working.
'That should be enough to alert them,' he thought.
'The elves will panic and tighten their security. That'll buy so ti… but now cos the hard part.'
A faint chi echoed in his ears.
------------
[Ergency Quest]
(Chain Event)
Mission: Save the Third Prince before he dies.
Ti Limit: 7 hours.
Reward: Random Advanced-Ranked Skill.
Failure: May trigger chain events leading to a bad ending.
------------
"Haa…" Azhriel let out a long, tired sigh.
He hadn't even fully recovered from his fight with Kerip, and now the damn system wanted him to jump straight into another ss.
'Perfect. Just perfect,' he thought dryly.
Still, he couldn't ignore it.
The chain event warning wasn't a bluff. If the prince died, everything—the story, the world, maybe even his own fate—could spiral out of control.
He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think through the fatigue.
'The royal family must be in chaos right now. The king had already sent an search party, but that won't be enough, so he would also co. Seven hours… it's not much ti.'
His eyes sharpened, a faint glow of azure crossing them.
'Fine then. If this is how it has to be… I'll just handle it my way.'
He stood slowly, his mind already forming a plan.
'Let's do it like this,' he thought. 'Quick, clean, and quiet.'
"Maera," Azhriel said after a brief silence, his tone steady. "You ntioned that you and the prince were kidnapped three days ago, right?"
"Yes," she replied, her voice calm but still edged with guilt.
"Then it's about ti," Azhriel said, leaning back against the wall. "Soone from the royal family should be on their way here by now. Any idea who?"
As he spoke, he reached up and gathered his hair, tying it back into a loose man bun.
A few white strands fell near his eyes. He exhaled softly, muttering under his breath, "I should really cut them soon…"
Maera thought for a mont before answering. "If I had to guess… it would be His Highness, the First Prince. He and the Third Prince share a strong bond. If anyone's leading the search, it's him."
Azhriel nodded slowly. "Good. Then call him. Tell him everything you told us—leave nothing out."
Maera's hand faltered midair. For a mont, she hesitated. The sha of her failure weighed heavily, making her hesitate to face her superiors, especially the royal family.
Azhriel's sharp eyes flicked toward her, cold and unyielding. "The prince is in danger right now."
She looked up, startled by his tone.
"Do you really want your hesitation—and your guilt—to be the reason he dies?" he asked quietly. His voice wasn't angry, but it carried a weight that made her chest tighten.
Maera lowered her gaze. For a mont, she said nothing. Then, nodding slowly, she stood and walked to the corner of the room to make the call.
Azhriel watched her go, then sighed softly. He didn't an to be harsh, but there wasn't ti for comforting words.
Every minute counted.
The main cast, who had been quietly watching the exchange, finally approached him.
"So… are we really helping her?" Chloe asked, arms crossed, her tone curious more than doubtful.
Azhriel glanced at her with a faint smirk. "Why ask ? Even if I said no, you'd all go anyway."
Chloe grinned. "So that's a yes."
"Yes," Azhriel said, a devious smirk growing faintly as his icy eyes softened. "Besides, I have to get my money's worth sohow."
Raymond sighed, shaking his head with a small smile. "You really can't go five minutes without saying sothing like that, huh?"
Sydelle chuckled quietly, crossing her arms as she said. "Still, he's right. We're already involved now. Whether we like it or not."
"Then it's settled," Nyverra said simply. "We help her find the prince."
As Maera finished her call, the tension in the room eased slightly, though the air still felt heavy. Azhriel turned toward the window, his gaze sharp and distant.
'A royal rescue mission,' he thought. 'And only seven hours to pull it off.'
Maera quickly returned, her steps firm though her face was pale.
"The First Prince has already entered Mosseira," she said. "He's heading here with his guards. I told him everything I could, and he's asked to et us as soon as possible."
"Good," Azhriel said, his voice calm as always.
"That saves us the trouble of searching."
He crossed his arms and looked toward the window again, where the glow of Mosseira's golden street lamps flickered in the distance.
"Once he arrives, we'll head out imdiately. The longer we wait, the smaller our chances get."
Raymond leaned forward slightly, frowning. "You sound awfully calm for soone talking about a royal kidnapping."
"Calm minds make better plans," Azhriel replied. "And right now, plans are the only thing keeping us safe from this ss."
His words shut everyone up for a mont. There wasn't much to argue with.
Zephyriah, perched quietly on the armrest beside him, tilted her head. "Papa," she whispered softly, "are we going sowhere dangerous again?"
Azhriel glanced at her, his expression softening just a little. "Yes," he said honestly. "But I'll be careful."
Caelyn, sitting nearby with a cup of tea, sighed. "You sound like you say that every ti."
"And every ti, I co back. So it's fine." Azhriel said, his lips twitching in a faint smile.
"Yes, i can see how fine you are." At her words Azhriel raised an eyebrow as he couldn't understand but.
Before he could say another word, a faint knock echoed at the door.
Knock. Knock.
Maera instantly straightened, her hand instinctively brushing the hilt of her sword. The air grew tense again until a voice ca from the other side.
"This is Prince Karevan of the Elves. I was told I could find the Royal Knight Maera here."
The sound of his voice—steady, deep, and commanding—was enough to make Maera freeze. She rushed to open the door, bowing deeply as the tall elf stepped into the room.
His golden eyes scanned the group. His long pale hair frad his sharp, regal features, and his aura was heavy enough to make even Raymond straighten.
"Your Highness," Maera said, kneeling. "Forgive . I failed in my duty."
Karevan's expression softened faintly, though the worry behind his eyes didn't fade. "Raise your head, Maera. We shall leave this topic for after we find my brother."
Azhriel studied the prince quietly, his mind already at work.
'So this is the First Prince of the elves… definitely not an ordinary presence. His mana pressure is steady, precise, controlled. He's strong. Stronger than most people i have t.'
Karevan's gaze shifted toward Azhriel for a brief second, as if he'd felt the boy's eyes on him. There was no hostility in his stare, but there was curiosity.
"And you must be the one who bought my knight's freedom," the prince said.
Azhriel t his eyes without flinching. "Bought? No. I simply couldn't stand seeing a royal knight of the elves in a slave cage. Nothing more."
Karevan raised an eyebrow slightly. "A strange sense of morality for a human."
Azhriel gave a faint smile. "Call it good business senses."
That earned a small laugh from Chloe, though she quickly covered her mouth. Karevan didn't seem offended.
"We can talk about this later, however right now, we must go to our brother quickly." Karevan said.
"Huh, have you find him?" Azhriel asked.
"Yes, we had found the location, at least the traces." Karevan said.
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