Chapter 17: Crimson Guards

Chapter 17: Crimson Guards Leonard knew that taking a low-profile approach would only invite more danger. Recent incidents had already proven that his palace wasn’t as tightly sealed as Spencer imagined. No matter how tightly Spencer tried to seal the palace with vigilance and force, cracks always formed. And they were always in unexpected places. Leonard was also too lazy to dabble in identifying who the moles were or how they were able to bypass the magical contract. ’They want to know my movement, right? Then I’ll just inform them in advance to save them the trouble.’ Leonard sneered inwardly. "Then Crown Prince, I’ll prepare our necessary belongings for the upcoming journey," Spencer suggested. He purposely feigned ignorance of the previous words uttered by Leonard. Spencer wasn’t willing to stay in the capital to conduct an investigation on House Lawson while letting the crown prince take such a huge risk. The investigation could be left for the Crimson Guards to complete. Unfortunately, his slyness in trying to reject the command was noticed by Leonard. "No, Spence. You have to remain in the capital." Leonard held a stern expression. "You’re an Eighth Circle Mage. That title alone is frightening enough no matter where you go." He continued. "But Crown Prince, your safety must be prioritized." Hesitation flashed across Spencer’s face. Despite trying his best to constantly protect Leonard, he still fails to guard against the evil doers within the palace. So how could he possibly be reassured to let the crown prince travel to Velastra without him being by his side? Knowing that Spencer’s brain kind of turned off when it was related to his safety, Leonard ultimately sighed. Even in his old world, he had a similar butler who revolved everything around him. The only pity was that the medical technology still couldn’t reverse his butler’s old age. ’Maybe it’s kind of an irony that this world has magic and could even do the impossible.’ Leonard thought to himself. Spencer claimed to be old, but his vigor couldn’t be disguised. Rather than being old, it was more accurate to claim Spencer to be a lively adult. He chuckled softly and explained, "If you really want me to be safe, then you must definitely remain in the capital, Spence. I’m no longer a regular prince, but a crown prince. My every action has many implications now." Nodding his head slowly, Spencer understood that his desire to accompany Leonard would only harm him. "I understand, Crown Prince. I’ll have Curtis and the other Crimson Guards to accompany you." Spencer said. He then went on to explain the Crimson Guards to Leonard. Back then, Leonard never held any concern or interest, so Spencer failed to find a proper time to divulge the Crimson Guards matter. But now that Leonard had shown him a great change, he realized it was the perfect opportunity to talk about the topic. Time went by, and soon, Leonard became enlightened about the Crimson Guards’ presence. Similar to how there was an evil organization called Umbra Vex that spread all across the world to sabotage, the Crimson Guards were also the same, albeit with a different motive. Instead of sabotaging, they were doing their best to ensure his safety. To summarize, it was more like a secret intelligence network controlled by Spencer to serve the crown prince. "So your assistant, Curtis, is actually a prominent member of the Crimson Guards?" "To be more accurate, Curtis is from the Crimson Ward Division." The Crimson Ward Division was known as "The Shield", and specialized in defensive formation and magical protection. Including the Ward Division, there were eight divisions in total. Each division has its own distinct function and discipline, contributing to a well-rounded defense and support structure tailored for Leonard. "This orb contained all the necessary information and personnel within the Crimson Guards." Spencer retrieved a glowing orb and explained. Leonard received the glowing orb with a perplexed look. ’Is this orb the equivalent of a USB?’ Leonard wondered silently. A USB, short for Universal Serial Bus, was mainly used to store and transfer data. Some important information contained in the USB would be encrypted. "Could anyone access this orb and retrieve the information contained in it?" Leonard inquired. "Of course, not." Spencer swiftly responded and put on a solemn expression. "The orb is highly encrypted and laced with many formations. Any unauthorized attempt to access it would be notified to me, along with the culprit’s details." "I see." Leonard nodded and twisted the orb around. "How do I access the information then? I don’t wish to accidentally trigger something and cause an unauthorized attempt to be made." "The Crown Prince is teasing this old servant." Spencer smiled awkwardly. "You can simply absorb the mana from the orb and receive the information. Absorbing is not condensing, so the Crown Prince will be fine." As a loyal servant, Spencer naturally wouldn’t implement any restrictions or conceal anything from Leonard. The orb was only locked against outsiders, but Leonard always had access to it. With that established, Leonard began to absorb some of the mana. The orb pulsed softly, sending a stream of threads like liquid light into Leonard’s palm. Almost immediately, his brain was overwhelmed with a load of information. However, there was no pain and he felt the information was being stored in a tight-lid section of his brain. At the same time, the orb no longer glowed vibrantly, a clear indication that all information contained in the orb had been absorbed. "The information is stored in a rune. To prevent an overload in the brain capacity, the Crown Prince can slowly retrieve the information whenever you wish." Spencer proceeded to explain the situation. "Got it." As Leonard became informed about the presence of the Crimson Guards, news also began to spread about his intention to travel to Velastra. House Draymoor "This fifth brother of mine is really daring. Killed my servant, accused me of being disrespectful to father, and now he dared to leave the capital?" The third prince, Rowan sneered upon receiving the news. House Viren "When did the fifth brother become such a frightening opponent?" The fourth prince, Sylas, frowned at the news relayed by a servant. The other houses were also dumbfounded by Leonard’s publicly informing the world of his venture.