Chapter 13: Race Against Time (1)
The door to the room suddenly opened wide. The maid, Adriana Bella, quickly stood in front of her, trying to protect her. But there was nothing she could do. Bella's body was pushed to the ground by a knight. Then a flashing sword was immediately drawn into the neck of Adriana's maid.
"Let him go! Why did Big Brother have to get his hands dirty by killing a servant?"
Adriana tried to speak calmly, but her whole body was shaking with fear. Her mind was full of possible events: What if the sword had cut Bella's neck? What if even he couldn't save her?
There were so many guesses in Adriana's head that her temples were throbbing.
"She won't die that easily! Get up and get out! She will stay here!" said Ferdinand, pointing at Bella, whose face went pale with fear.
Adriana sighed and stood up slowly and gracefully. Her body was still shaking a little, but by moving she wouldn't look so frightened. The message must have reached the palace because it was sent by magic. Just hold on a little longer! Soon!
Adriana assured herself that she would be saved. As she entered, another knight stood guard at her side. Ferdinand smiled happily.
"Lock the door to this room!" Ferdinand said to the knight who was pointing his sword at Bella's neck.
The sword in the knight's hand was sheathed again. Then he gave Bella a threatening look before following his master, who had left the room first. Adriana was also waiting at the door when she saw the room locked again.
"Take her to the empty room downstairs," Ferdinand said, taking a wide step first, leaving Adriana alone.
Adriana clenched her fists. To be treated like a prisoner in her own family's home wasn't unusual, but to be mistreated as a criminal with two knights guarding her was downright outrageous. Even Prince Algis had never given such an order.
The empty room below was located in the left wing of the house. The room was rarely used, only as a guest room for uninvited guests who came in at midnight.
Two other knights stood at the front of the room, looking alert as if a monster were about to pounce on them. When Ferdinand arrived, the two knights bowed, and then a servant opened the door from the inside after Adriana's half-brother knocked three times.
"Has she done something to upset you, my son?"
Adriana recalled the question in her memory with the same curiosity and concern that had been directed at her. But she couldn't find it. Her position in the family is not desirable.
"No, Daddy, she just stays in the room! Maybe she was already thinking!" Ferdinand replied.
His Majesty will be here soon, wait! Adriana said to herself again.
She raised her chin haughtily, remembered who she was now, and entered the room.
"She's here!" said Adriana and Ferdinand's father, looking at him disapprovingly. "I will tell you one more time, I want you to help me find the power stone! I can't let the knights in the residence die in vain."
"So... is it okay if I die?" Adriana quickly interrupted her father's conversation.
The old man remained silent, his eyebrows raised. "You won't die!" He replied.
That made Adriana want to cry.
***
"Cyril Liechtense, he was with the mercenaries before he passed the knight's test!" Fearish told Prince Algis.
The other knights took care of the bodies lying in the street, as well as the villains. I don't know who started it, but some of them were also digging makeshift holes to bury the bodies and animals that had died in the earlier skirmish.
"He's 18, right?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Fearish replied again, looking down.
Among the other knights, the man named Cyril was very easy to spot. His black hair stands out among the other blondes, and his reddish hair is evenly distributed among the knights. Sometimes Cyril looks down, other times he holds his waist, possibly tired.
"What about his sword skills?" asked Prince Algis next.
Fearish looked at Prince Algis disapprovingly but didn't say anything. "When sparring with the knights who passed the test with him, or with his seniors who entered a year earlier, his skills are superior. That's why he's always sparring with me!" Prince Algis explained.
Prince Algis could understand. Cyril's skills were great. It was probably due to his experience in the mercenary army. However, the man didn't have the manners of a noble knight. This was the meaning of Fearish's look earlier.
"How much longer are we going to take care of this?" asked Prince Algis, this time to Borneo.
Borneo bowed his head slightly and saluted before replying, "A little longer, Your Majesty. Several other knights have been looking for our frightened horses," he reported.
Prince Algis breathed a sigh of relief and began to massage his head. The image of his beloved Adriana in danger came back and made him feel uncomfortable. He wanted to get there faster, a race against time.
"If only we had a wizard who could warp. We could get there faster," muttered Prince Algis.
But magicians with that kind of power simply didn't exist in his kingdom. Rare even in the whole world. Because a lot of magic power to create warp is fantastic. If a person with a normal amount of magic power tried to do it, he would probably only lose his life.
The horses began to line up, and the knights took one for themselves. Borneo pulled the white horse that Algis had used and brought it quite close to its master. He looked a little worried but didn't want any help.
Prince Algis grabbed the horse's reins and pulled a little more to calm it down. But the smell of blood that was still in the air did not dissipate quickly. If Prince Algis didn't want to lose his horse, he had to get away from the battlefield.
"Is everything ready?" Prince Algis asked Captain Fearish.
The man's neck lengthened slightly as he watched each member. "Yes, Your Majesty," he exclaimed.
"Then let's go!" Prince Algis shouted.
He struck the horse's belly with the saddle. The beast raised its front paws and then galloped off. Fearish and Borneo quickly followed.
The battlefield was quickly left behind, along with the dust from the trampled ground.
I'll be right back, just wait a little longer! Prince Algis said to himself as if Adriana had heard him.
Three hours through the forest. His horse looked breathless, sure to fall soon. But Algis wanted to spur him on a little more.
"Your Majesty, WE SHOULD REST!" shouted Borneo from the side.
Prince Algis ignored him. Suddenly, the horse he was riding fell over. All he could think of was death. There are so many accidents like this that claim the lives of the riders. However, Algis' body felt no pain from the fall. He opened his eyes and floated, protected by magic.
"Your Highness, you are fine!" Borneo quickly jumped off the horse and ran over.
Prince Algis' floating body fell slowly. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears. Several knights dismounted and inspected Algis' horse.
"His leg is broken!" they shouted to one another.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone