Chapter 2: Investiture

Chapter 2: Investiture Shortly after Spencer agreed with Leonard, he signaled for the guards to drag the maid away. "I was wrong. Please forgive me, Prince Leonard." Bea cried and pleaded, but her screams fell on deaf ears. Not a single guard or servant in the palace offered an ounce of sympathy for her. Even those who were quite close to her felt disgusted, with some even expressing anger. After all, they were now implicated and would be investigated by the palace guards as well. Regardless if they were innocent or not, they were bound to be subjected to heavy interrogations. Facing such a crisis, how could anyone feel or express any sympathy for Bea? Back in the prince’s room, Leonard was being informed of the event by Spencer. At the same time, he got some understanding of the situation. Spencer was a trusted aide of Leonard, and there was no chance of the former betraying or harming him. In this world, where magic and many fantasy elements exist, a magic contract was formed between them. Leonard was the Master and Spencer was the servant. To simplify, Spencer would always be loyal to him. Despite the magic contract claiming Spencer to be a servant, the old Leonard never once treated Spencer as one. In fact, Leonard held great respect toward Spencer, granted that Spencer was his Mother’s servant given to him prior to her exile. "Anyway, Prince Leonard, we need to start getting you dressed up." Spencer urged him. "The investiture has already been delayed. Some people in the royal court are dissatisfied." "Some people?" Leonard was amused. "You mean my dear brothers are dissatisfied?" Spencer remained silent, but the silence was enough for an answer. Since the investiture was set in stone by the emperor’s edict, no courtiers would dare to openly express discontent. Only true royalties would dare to express their discontent at this juncture. And they would be none other than the princes who failed to attain the coveted crown prince title. "Has the people in the royal court learned of this incident by now?" Leonard asked. "Of course," Spencer nodded. "Such a big matter would definitely be spread, but it’s been suppressed already. Those in the royal court would feign ignorance of the incident." A poison attempt incident against Leonard right before the investiture was a huge scandal for the royal family. To speak of such a matter was equivalent to offending the royal family. Even if one despised Leonard and his appointment as crown prince, they needed to keep their mouths shut. "So what will happen to the maid?" Leonard asked and spread his arms. Spencer didn’t respond. Instead, he helped to dress Leonard up in the royal uniform and robe designated for a crown prince. The process should have been done by the maids, but given the incident, all maids were taken in for interrogations. Hence, Spencer as the trusted servant took on the role of dressing him up. Sometime later, Leonard was fully dressed. The royal robe weighed heavily on his shoulders, laden with jewels and ceremonial accessories. ’Are these really necessary?’ He pursed his lips. He was tempted to remove them—they hindered his every move. "Prince Leonard, this old servant won’t be accompanying you to the royal court. I lack the necessary title to attend." Spencer bowed his head slightly. Despite being an Eighth Class Mage—just one tier below the legendary Ninth, Spencer remained an untitled servant. His refusal to align with political factions had left him isolated but untouchable. Nevertheless, that didn’t mean people dared to be disrespectful to him. Other than Leonard, with whom Spencer behaved timidly and anxious, toward others, he was ruthless. There were many nicknames given to Spencer, with the most popular ones being: The Prince’s Blade, The Butcherer, and The Crimson Storm. Each nickname was backed by legendary feats. "Um, Spence, can I—" Before Leonard could finish his question, he was immediately cut off by Spencer. "Absolutely not, Prince Leonard!" Spencer shook his head. "This isn’t some ordinary ceremony party that you could skip. This is your investiture, one coveted by many. You are not allowed to be absent." "Eh?" "Prince Leonard, I know you must be filled with anxiety, but please trust this old servant. I will eliminate all harm that comes to you." Feeling his words weren’t convincing enough thanks to the poison incident, Spencer suddenly went on one of his knees. His right hand placed on his left chest and said, "This old servant will pave the path for you. Leave all the dirty things to me." ’What are you even talking about?’ Leonard nearly went on a meltdown. He was trying to ask about the procedure of the investiture because he had no memories of it. However, it seemed like Spencer misunderstood his intention and thought he was asking to skip the investiture ceremony. As much as he wanted to argue that wasn’t his intention, he knew doing so would only raise more suspicion. With a defeated expression, he exhaled softly. "Fine, tell me what I need to do then." Spencer sighed in relief, his posture relaxing. "Yes, Prince Leonard. Allow me to explain while we walk—time is of the essence." With that, they exited the room swiftly Their initial palace was a building assigned to Leonard and was quite far away from the royal palace. As the two continued to talk and exited the palace’s gate, the guards outside bowed their heads and greeted. "Greetings, Prince Leonard and Sir Reed." The nearby guards said respectfully. However, one guard kept his head raised, his gaze meeting Leonard’s directly—a grave breach of protocol. Leonard was unaware of it and raised a hand in acknowledgment. But before he could respond, Spencer’s expression turned icy. With a flick of his wrist, a pulse of magic erupted toward the guard who kept his gaze on Leonard. The guard was struck and crashed 10 meters toward a metal gate. The guard coughed up a mouthful of blood from the impact. "The next time you dare to slight the prince would be the day of your funeral," Spencer remarked coldly. "Please forgive us," the nearby guards quickly went on their knees and apologized. "That guard is a newly promoted from the training hall." "Then punish the one who promoted such an incompetent guard alongside." Spencer scoffed. "This guard obeyed Sir Reed’s command." A guard who was dressed more uniquely responded solemnly. It was clear his ranking was higher than the other guards. Ignoring the higher-ranking guard, Spencer turned to Leonard with a warm smile. "Please, board the carriage, Prince Leonard." His tone was mild and gentle, a far cry from his earlier display. Nodding, Leonard didn’t bother to comment on the action. Instead, he glanced at the luxurious carriage. ’So this is what passes for royal transportation? Looks like something out of a fantasy museum,’ Leonard mused as he glanced at the carriage and boarded it. He thought Spencer would board along, but it appeared that the latter held no intention. Instead, Spencer went to the front and assumed the role of a driver by taking hold of the horses’s reins. With a slight swing on the reins, the horse received the signal and began moving the carriage. Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Leonard was busy recollecting his thought process. ’The original Leonard has barely any interaction with his father. There’s no way that emperor father of his would suddenly have a change of heart and appoint him as the crown prince.’ Having dealt with a succession war against his numerous elder and junior brothers, Leonard wasn’t an ignorant fool. The old Leonard might have been cheering or panicking because he believed he gained his father’s approval. However, he knew precisely what being an emperor meant. It was the equivalent of being a president of a large conglomerate. A soft-hearted or naive person would never be able to sit on the president’s seat. Time quickly went by, and the carriage soon stopped its movement. "Prince Leonard, we have arrived." Spencer’s voice resounded. He then opened the carriage door and warned softly, "Prince Leonard, you must be careful when you enter. Every step and every word of yours could easily affect the investiture process." "I’m afraid it’s not going to be that easy," Leonard muttered. "Huh, can you repeat your words?" Spencer didn’t quite catch his words. "Nothing," Leonard raised his hand and brushed the matter aside. So far, it was still his speculation without much substance to back it up. "Alright, make sure to keep your head up, Prince Leonard. You’re going to become Crown Prince soon, so fear and cowardice must not be shown on the surface." Spencer’s repeated emphasis to persuade Leonard to be confident was surely a comical event. Had it been the previous Leonard, the latter would have fainted by now. After all, Leonard saw a grand majestic entrance being laid open for him to ascend as soon as he exited the carriage. There were numerous guards clad in sturdy armor that stood in an imposing manner. The atmosphere was quite oppressive, to say the least. Meanwhile, an attendant who had been waiting by the lower level, announced loudly once he spotted Leonard. "Prince Leonard has arrived. Begin the investiture ceremony!" In the blink of an eye, musical instruments consumed the venue, clearly welcoming Leonard’s presence. "Prince Leonard, I can only stay behind now." Spencer bowed his head and explained. "You are excused," Leonard responded, swung his sleeve, and took a large stride toward the venue.