“It’s a bustling town,” muttered the werebeast, ears flicking so slightly at every noise assaulting his inhuman senses. “Now, I know why he said to work here instead.”

  “Your identity card, please,” gestured the guard by the portal and the werebeast hovered his hood down while fumbling with his pocket.

  “Is there any way to reach the lord of the isnd’s residence?”

  The guard stared at him for a few seconds before sighing. He returned the card then gestured to the rgest building in town. “I suggest you go to the administrative office first. You might find him there. If not, you can ask the officials.”

  “So, I cannot meet him easily?”

  The guard sighed again. “Due to some incidents over the past years, we began following this protocol. Even if you’re a close acquaintance of the lord, you have to go through this process.”

  The werebeast nodded, not prying further. “I understand. Thank you.”

  After asking for directions, he was led inside the said building. Everyone’s busy doing their own work by the time Ryndell asked for a sudden appointment and he couldn’t help but fidget as he waited. Surely, Karel was swamped with work right now.

  “Ryndell!”

  Or not.

  Ryndell waited for Karel to stand before him and saluted. “How are you, sir?”

  Grinning widely, he asked, “Doing fine as usual. Have you decided to finally settle here?”

  The werebeast wearily smiled then asked for a private audience and Karel led him to the shared office. Kani was also surprised to see the werebeast. Ryndell, recognizing Kani, immediately saluted.

  Their guest sat down with a downcast expression. “I’ve told you before about the battle for the throne and it escated throughout the years. This time, I was forced to leave Weissdel with my people after seeing Rouwen’s state.”

  Astadvran was already in a precarious state st time he heard and right now, it’s on the brink of civil war.

  Kani frowned. “Did something happen to Guerrid?”

  Ryndell nodded grimly. “He lost his divine powers earlier this week and the crown prince’s faction did everything to assassinate him.”

  “Guerrid doesn’t want the throne.”

  Ryndell frowned. “Either way, he has the right to partake in the succession now. According to my information network, the faction opposing the current crown prince helped him, in the hopes that he would rely on them.”

  Kani clenched his fists as the silence ensued. He dropped his pen and sternly looked at the blond. “Go save Guerrid, Karel.”

  The Ramayan and the Werebeast looked at him in surprise.

  “Master, you…”

  “Save him at all costs. Go right now or you might be too te.”

  As Karel left, Kani turned to Ryndell. “Karel offered you something, right?”

  His eyes blinked rapidly in concentration, then cleared his throat. “To work here, yes. He said he had a tavern for me here.”

  Kani chuckled. “He’s always thinking ahead of us, huh? Let’s see, I know there’s still vacant establishments two blocks away from the central pza.” He rummaged through a drawer. “I’ll give you one.”

  As Ryndell finally settled in Mapiya Isnd, Karel arrived at Astadvran.

  The once bustling town was devoid of people, and seeing the thugs loitering around, anyone could tell that it’s been a dire situation. Good thing that the Gateway needed identification cards to pass through, and it possessed magic protecting it from destruction. Even his specialty magic at his current level would only be able to y a scratch on it.

  Karel hastened to the nearest transport company but found no horses, even on the stables they usually borrow from when they still resided in Norn had nothing.

  Now, Karel visibly frowned. Cogs and gears turned in his mind, scrambling on what to do as he ignored the rising bile in his throat.

  This situation reminded him of the Ramayan Civil War, and even then, that war was far worse than this. Still, his instincts started going awry and if he didn’t calm himself down, he’d spiral down to self-deprecation and lose his reason.

  Karel cursed softly, reeling himself back to reality then hid in a dark alleyway, drawing just a small portal to Guerrid’s castle instead.

  Once he appeared in front of the gates of the said fortress, the guards immediately allowed his entry upon recognizing him as a friend of the Astadvrani Prince.

  As the chamberin received him, Karel also noticed the ck of servants and people in the said fortress. He couldn’t help but ask what happened to them.

  “The loyal ones are the only ones left, sir.” The old chamberin replied. “The others left when the attempt on His Highness’s life seemed to be neverending. To be honest, the situation was rather grave.”

  Their heavy steps echoed in the hall and Karel subtly scanned the pce with his Navigation Magic. There might only be less than twenty people right now there, except for the few in the bowels of the said fortress.

  As they turned to the corner, Karel asked, “Tell me about the situation in Rouwen instead.”

  The Fortress stood at the northeastern boundary of Rouwen, near Norn. It stood alone and at least a hundred miles away from the capital city proper. From its position, anyone could see if there’s an attack on the fortress.

  “They are gathering forces, that much is true. At this point, we really are on the verge of war. They were also secretly sending in assassins to kill His Highness. However, ever since he lost his powers, we’ve been on full alert.”

  “Any more reports?”

  “While he lost his divine powers, Prince Guerrid is still formidable. Despite his current predicament, he still managed to kill at least seven assassins sent by the crown prince.”

  “Are you sure it’s the crown prince’s doing?”

  “No one held hostility towards Prince Guerrid like that of the crown prince.”

  “The queen?”

  “Ever since he was able to wield divine powers, the queen withdrew from the scene. Even if Prince Guerrid is willing to participate in the battle for the throne now, the queen wouldn’t kill her own son just like how she let the current crown prince do whatever he likes.”

  Anger now in his tone, Karel asked, “What’s the king doing then?”

  “He’s trying to pacify everyone but failed to do so.”

  They finally stood before a familiar door and the chamberin announced after knocking, “Your Highness, Sir Karel is here to see you.”

  “Karel?” asked the muffled voice.

  “Prince Guerrid?”

  “I’m sorry you have to see me like this, Karel.” The said prince walked out from the other room and Karel immediately noticed his changed appearance.

  His usual silver hair and golden eyes now raven locks with streaks of silver instead and amethyst eyes with tinges of gold.

  Karel approached him, holding him by the shoulders. “What happened to you?”

  The Astadvrani Prince sat down on the nearby chair and Karel had to kneel down before him, inspecting his hands to assess his condition. “My divine powers disappeared a week ago and my appearance reverted.”

  “This means…” He looked up to him in askance.

  “My younger brother became the crown prince because I have divine powers and I cannot serve as a royal as long as I possess it. I only have my title because I’m blood-reted to them. Now…” He sighed. “It just somehow disappeared.”

  “Can you serve as a royal again?”

  “I could but I don’t want to. But there are some of the nobility who want me to fight for the throne.”

  “And they also offered their daughters to be your bride. A typical behavior of the nobles.”

  Guerrid scowled. “I just want to stay away from them.”

  Karel channeled a fraction of his power to soothe the prince. “Do you have any idea as to why your powers suddenly disappeared?”

  “The Great Temple of Ena said that I might have done something that earned the ire of the Heavenly One and had withdrawn the divine powers as a punishment.”

  “Fucking nonsense!” Both Guerrid and the chamberin flinched upon hearing his angered voice. “That god of yours is no god if he’s that shitty!”

  Instead of getting angrier by his situation, Guerrid felt relieved hearing the blond’s words.

  As he reined his anger in, Karel asked, “What do you want to do now then?”

  “I want to leave.” He squeezed the hands holding onto him. “But, we all know I can’t.”

  “We’ll find ways, Guerrid. I promise you.”

  Questions arose when Prince Guerrid told the remaining people in the fortress to follow Karel’s instructions in fortifying their stronghold and he would be overseeing the interrogations with the captured spies and assassins.

  “You should rest, Guerrid. Leave this to me.”

  The chamberin and the prince’s lieutenants helped him, arranging everything for him to review. Guerrid was still there in his study most of the time to accompany Karel but rested some more due to the backsh of losing his divine powers.

  “I need information about the other royals,” remarked Karel as he faced one of the lieutenants.

  “Please ask away.”

  “Does his younger brother wield magic?”

  “No, but it has been an open secret that someone under him can.”

  “Do you know his underling’s identity?”

  The lieutenant shook his head.

  “And the princess?”

  “Little is known about her except for the fact that Prince Guerrid adores her. She’s turning twenty-six this year and still unmarried.”

  “But, can she be trusted at least?”

  “That…”

  “Sooner or ter she’ll participate in the battle for the throne. Knowing Guerrid’s character, I supposed his youngest sister was the same if she had kept herself away from dabbing into politics until now.”

  “I suppose that’s true.”

  Timely enough, Guerrid then walked inside his study then the lieutenant excused himself. In the end, the blond asked the Astadvrani Prince about his younger brother.

  When Kani still stayed in Weissdel, there had already been an underlying situation about the current crown prince. At first, everyone truly liked him. He advocated programs for the common people, participated in political endeavors and had always put his duty above everything else.

  That same year, Guerrid noticed something off about him. Inexplicable but there. They weren’t really close as siblings even then, also kept apart by their ranks and Guerrid only visited his youngest sister most of the time before performing his duties as a Padin. As they drifted apart, it became apparent what truly changed in his second brother.

  The next year after that, the crown prince’s behavior drastically changed. He’s stern, sure, but he stopped listening to other people. He heard them out but never really put into consideration whatever those concerns or advice were. This time, he finally shut his eyes and ears.

  The others noticed it as three years passed. Noting how he became distant, not socializing and yet he indulged himself in luxuries. He established his own salon where both young noble sons and daughters frequently went to, and scandals often came up due to encounters in the same establishment. Many engagements canceled due to undesirable behavior, young lords incurring debts impossible to pay and many more.

  “You thought something might have influenced your brother?” Karel asked, still going through the papers where the test investigations were written down.

  “Yes. It’s unusual.”

  “And you think it involved magic?”

  Guerrid stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before gncing at Karel now sitting on his rge chair. “Yes.”

  “This will be tough then.”

  Karel walked down the dungeons without holding onto a torch. His eyesight immediately adjusted as his nearly oval pupils turned to slits.

  Most of the assassins were killed by Guerrid, and the ones loyal to the perpetrator who were initially caught committed suicide while the subjugated ones were imprisoned after being knocked out.

  They eventually arrived at the farthest cell and noticed the silhouette of a man hunched on the cold ground and a pungent smell of blood lingered around alongside the rustic metal, piss and dung.

  “This is one of those people we managed to subdue.”

  When he stood before the said man Karel only saw fear in those eyes. “You are…”

  Smirking, he mused, “Recognizing me means you’re one of my kin.”

  “You’re not supposed to be here!”

  “Indeed. And do you know what awaits those who viote the ws?”

  “I…” He choked more seeing how those crimson eyes stared at his own, trembling ones.

  “Speak.”

  “I was only hired,” he said in desperation, the cuff on his hands jingling and Karel’s attention now drawn to it.

  He turned to the lieutenant. “Where did you get those cuffs?”

  “We confiscated them during some raids in Rouwen. Is there something wrong with them?”

  “These,” he pulled the cuffs alongside the assassin and felt how it slightly singed his skin, “are imitations of what we have in Ramaya and can be used to subdue immortals and those who wield magic. Tell me about those raids ter. We have a lot to discuss.”

  The lieutenant grimly nodded, realizing what Karel was. “And this person?”

  Karel looked at the Ramayan fiercely. “He’ll pay for the consequences of his actions.”