Chapter 230. Unleash the Dog (3)
In the morning, at Azureocean Castle, all the elders of the family had gathered outside the main palace to see Caron and his companions off.
It had been decided that they would travel to the capital by teleportation. They couldn't use the teleportation circle at the Imperial Palace, but thankfully, Azureocean Castle had an exceptional mage of its own.
That mage, of course, was Gratia.
"You're not seriously thinking of using me as a means of transportation, are you?" Gratia asked.
As Gratia grumbled, Caron clapped his hands as if struck by a brilliant idea. He suggested, "If you don't like the idea of teleporting, how about giving us a ride on your back? Showing up in the capital on a dragon would be legendary! You could even breathe fire once or twice if you get bored."
"Stop spouting nonsense!" Gratia snapped.
"What a shame," Caron said with a sigh.
Even a dragon, one of the greatest beings in the world, revered for mastery of magic, was little more than a convenient ride to Caron.
Scratching his head, Caron casually glanced over at Revelio and said, "If only you hadn't given them the coordinates, we could've just flown there on our dragon."
"It would've been rude to treat such a distinguished being that way," Revelio replied.
"You mages do know how to show respect," Gratia said, pleased. "Revelio, was it? I like you."
"It is an honor, mighty dragon," Revelio said with a polite bow.
Revelio had provided them with the coordinates of a safe location near the capital, sparing them the hassle of taking a train.
Caron, watching the surprisingly well-matched pair of Revelio and Gratia, spoke with a bored expression. "Mages respecting dragons? Please. Give them half a chance, and they'll snatch one up for research. You know, for biological experiments... or biological experiments... or, hey, more biological experiments."
"You think the whole world is like you?" Revelio retorted. "I'd sooner commit treason against my father than show disrespect to a dragon."
"Wow. What a proud thing to say," Caron muttered.
"It is something to be proud of," Revelio said, beaming. "Honestly, I'm thrilled. I'm personally escorting the very people who are going to overthrow the royal family. Isn't that the ultimate act of rebellion?"
The royal family's black sheep grinned like a man who had found true happiness. And truthfully, Revelio had already achieved his goal.
"Still, I ought to give Father a little parting gift before he goes," Revelio said lightly, though his face betrayed more complicated emotions.
Revelio was dangerously intelligent. He had to have already foreseen what would happen to his own standing if it came to light that the royal family had been plotting behind the scenes.
The moment any evidence linked the Crown Prince to the conspiracy...
Halo will bring the Crown Prince down, Caron thought. He was certain of it.
The position of Crown Prince would become vacant. And when that happened, it was only natural that a struggle for the Crown Prince's seat would break out.
In other words, it would be an opportunity for Revelio. Especially with the backing of both the Ducal Family of Leston and the Magic Tower, his chances looked more than promising.
That was why Caron said to Revelio in a low, meaningful voice, "This is a deal."
"I know," Revelio answered calmly with a nod. "There's no such thing as a free ;unch. I've changed my thinking a lot lately. I used to believe I'd just live however I wanted and die whenever it happened. But the more I thought about it... the more it felt unfair."
Revelio smiled as he met Caron's gaze, then added, "Some debts have to be paid. Don't you agree?"
No one in the world hated the royal family more than Revelio.
Caron let out a small sigh as he recalled Revelio's past. He murmured, "You'll handle it well enough."
"I'll live up to the Ducal Family of Leston's expectations. You don't have to worry," Revelio said.
"At this rate, anyone would think you've already claimed the throne," Caron replied.
Even if they succeeded in pulling down the current Crown Prince, it would be no more than crossing a single mountain. What came after would be entirely up to Halo's decision.
Caron slowly turned his head, and saw Halo approaching at a steady pace.
"Are you ready?" Halo asked.
"Yes, my lord," Caron answered, using the formal title since this was an official occasion.
Halo swept his gaze over Caron and the rest of his grandchildren. He said, "This mission will be the most complex and difficult task you have ever faced."
The situation was tangled up with everything imaginable—political intrigue, public opinion, and the ever-present threat of violence. It was a battlefield riddled with countless variables.
Solving such a complicated mess with only four people was, frankly, close to impossible.
But Halo trusted his grandchildren. More importantly, he trusted Caron, who would be leading them.
"If you judge that success is impossible, retreat without hesitation," Halo said. "Even if you fail, none of you will be blamed."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Don't worry about us."
"Good," Halo said. He gave each grandchild a firm pat on the shoulder, then turned to Caron and said, "Give my regards to my in-laws, will you? Ever since we lost contact with the capital, I've been wondering if they're still well."
"I will," Caron replied.
"That's enough, then," Halo said, stepping back.
He exchanged a glance with Gratia, who silently activated the magic circle.
Whoosh.
Then, a burst of intense light flared from the magic array. Moments later, a portal shimmering with azure light opened before them.
"Come back safely," Fayle said, his voice solemn.
"Return to us safely," Sara added, calling out with worry as she always did.
Caron smiled and pulled the two into a quick hug. He said, "Mother, don't worry. Grandfather will be fine. I'll contact him as soon as we arrive."
"You have to promise, alright?" Sara said, her voice trembling slightly.
The time for farewells ended there. Caron and his companions began walking slowly toward the magic circle.
Just before stepping onto the array, Caron turned back toward the gathered elders and bowed deeply, then said, "Then, we'll be off."
Following his lead, his cousins also bowed respectfully.
The elders responded by waving gently. This was the departure of the future pillars of the Ducal Family of Leston. So sending them off with hope rather than worry was the right thing to do.
And so, the modest departure ceremony came to a close. One by one, starting with Caron, they stepped into the magic circle.
Flash!
Brilliant light filled the world around them, and in the blink of an eye, the teleportation was complete.
Halo stood still, watching the now-empty magic circle with a faintly bitter smile on his face. Then turning to Zerath, who was standing nearby, he said, "Mobilize our forces in preparation for any contingency. Gather the troops stationed at the harbor and summon the knights we've deployed across the empire."
"Where shall the gathering point be?" Zerath asked.
Halo didn't truly believe his grandchildren would fail, but as the head of the house, it was his duty to prepare for every possibility.
"The Thebe Autonomous Territory," he answered.
The Ducal Family of Leston would brace itself for the coming storm. And if that storm threatened their future, they wouldn't hesitate to cut it down just as they had fifty years ago.
Halo gazed at the magic circle, and made a firm vow.
***
Meanwhile, in the Akin Forest, located about twenty minutes from the outskirts of the capital...
Whoosh!
A wave of blue light spread across the forest, where only the sounds of birds and insects had filled the air moments before.
From within that radiant light, five figures—a mix of men and women—emerged.
"Teleportation really is convenient," Leo said with a chuckle.
"Yes, but it devours magic stones like crazy. That's why we need to make good use of the dragon while we can," Caron replied.
"Caron, Gratia is the guardian dragon of our family, not our personal laborer..." Leo said.
Caron shrugged nonchalantly, then said, "If you're staying at Azureocean Castle, you have to earn your keep. No exceptions."
"That sounded like you were aiming it at me," Revelio said.
"Feeling guilty, are you? I wasn't talking about you specifically," Caron replied.
As they joked around, they walked forward. Their armor, proudly bearing the crest of the Ducal Family of Leston, gleamed under the filtered sunlight.
Although this was technically an unofficial mission, on the surface they were assigned to escort Prince Revelio, so there was no need to hide their identities.
"Let's go over the plan one more time," Caron said briskly as he walked. "I've said it before, but the three of you are the bait. The moment we step in, all eyes from the royal family will be on us. While that happens, I'll move in secret."
The abilities Caron absorbed from the doppelganger had been further strengthened after his encounter with Rael. The amount of mana consumed had decreased, and the duration of the ability had increased significantly. And because of that, his range of options had expanded considerably.
Through his clone, he would be able to slip past the watchers unnoticed, which would naturally broaden his scope of action.
"Where are we staying?" Hugo asked.
Where they would eat and sleep while staying in the capital was a critical matter. Given how unclear the situation in the capital was, there was no such thing as a truly safe zone.
"As I mentioned before, at my grandfather's place," Caron answered.
"Will he be alright?" Hugo asked, sounding concerned.
"I doubt the royal family would dare to touch him openly," Caron replied calmly. "The moment they laid a hand on him, it would give us the perfect justification to intervene."
Caron continued refining their plan as he answered.
Hugo already knew the plan well, but he'd asked deliberately; reviewing the plan one final time before a mission was standard procedure.
"We're entering the Imperial Palace with Prince Revelio. The Imperial Guards have agreed to cooperate, remember?" Caron said.
"Do you really think Sir Luke would betray the Order?" Hugo asked, frowning.
"That's not betrayal, it's duty," Caron said firmly. "Sir Luke is a man who upholds the true spirit of knighthood."
They were scheduled to receive support from the Imperial Guards stationed in the capital—specifically, from Luke and the guards loyal to him. Once they regrouped with the knights, the path to the palace would open.
"Everyone, keep this in mind," Caron said, his voice hardening. "If you spot anyone wielding dark mana, strike first, ask questions later."
There was no telling how far the Revanchists had spread their influence. Given the dense population in the capital, there was a high chance they had already orchestrated something vile.
Those monsters were more than capable of such atrocities. In fact, fifty years ago, the Malevolent Emperor had tried to sacrifice the citizens of the capital to summon a gate.
They likely weren't as well-prepared now as they had been back then, but it was better to prepare for every possibility.
"But Revelio," Caron said.
"Yeah?" Revelio replied.
"How did you come up with the idea to send Sir Mason back to the Imperial Palace first?" Caron asked.
Mason, who was Revelio's personal knight, had returned to the Imperial Palace even before Caron's Coming of Age Ceremony was complete. Apparently, Revelio had personally given him the order.
Scratching the side of his head with a finger, Revelio replied, "I was hoping Sir Mason could buy us some time. Even though he's currently unaffiliated, he was originally my father's personal knight. So, no matter how high up someone might be, even a royal, they can't easily push Sir Mason around."
In hindsight, it had been a brilliant move. That was because what the Ducal Family of Leston needed the most right now was time.
Caron lowered his voice slightly and asked, "How much do you trust Sir Mason?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Revelio answered firmly, "I'd entrust my life to him."
"To a knight?" Caron said, raising an eyebrow.
"If it weren't for Sir Mason, I would've been long dead," Revelio said bluntly.
"Then why did His Majesty entrust his personal knight to you?" Caron asked curiously.
Revelio simply shrugged and said, "I never really thought about it. Maybe he just wanted to pretend he was still a decent father."
"Hmm," Caron mused.
There were still far too many secrets buried within the royal family. Caron didn't know all the details, but surely there was a reason the Emperor had left Mason at Revelio's side.
Still, now wasn't the time to be chasing after answers. Their focus had to be on the mission ahead.
The order was to mobilize everything we could, Caron reminded himself.
They needed Sir Mason and the Magic Tower, as well as Luke and the Imperial Guards who were loyal to him. They had quite a few allies on their side this time.
Whatever schemes the royal family was plotting, things weren't going to go the way they wanted. Not if Caron and his companions had anything to say about it, anyway.
Marching forward with renewed determination, they once again reviewed their plans. Eventually, the outer walls of the capital appeared on the horizon.
"At a glance, everything seems fine," Caron muttered under his breath.
Leon, walking beside him, said, "You can't know anything until you see what's inside."
"Well said, Leon. Everyone, take a lesson from her attitude," Caron said, flashing a grin as he looked up at the towering walls.
"This'll be my third time visiting the capital," he muttered to himself.
The first time had been by invitation of the Emperor, the second had been at the Academy's request, and now, this third visit was completely different. The purpose alone set it apart from the others.
This time, he had full permission from the Ducal Family of Leston to wreak havoc if needed.
"First things first, I think we should deal with the newspapers that keep slandering our house." Caron's voice dripped with anticipation. He had every intention of tearing through the capital without holding back.
"Let's flip this place upside down," he added with a savage grin.
Upon hearing his words, the others instinctively shuddered. They saw the madness flickering in Caron's eyes.
"I'm getting way too excited. What should I do, Leo?" Caron asked.
"Just shut up and keep walking," Leo growled.
"This is a historic day. Applaud, everyone," Caron declared dramatically.
Like a rabid dog freed from its leash, he stood before the capital, practically drooling with anticipation.
The moment a true disaster descended upon the capital had finally arrived.