"You… look just like your mother."
The statement took the prince off guard.
"Do you know her?" the boy asked, turning his head toward him expectantly.
While all these occurrences could be explained as mere coincidence or a matter of fate, a part of him hoped that this involved his mother—that perhaps the man was someone she had known.
Today just felt too good to be true. If the man had been someone who approached him because of his mother, that would have made sense.
Kindness can't be the answer to his generosity.
The man paused for a moment before simply shrugging his shoulders.
"Everybody knows the Queen Consort. Anyway, the disguise is on. Shall we try going outside?"
Cleus took his time thinking. He had never gone outside the palace walls before, but he knew that walking would take a long time, especially if they wanted to reach downtown.
The capital city of Dhara, Lyka, consisted of four forts: the First Fort, the Second Fort, the Third Fort, and the Fourth Fort. The forts were massive walls that divided the vast land of the capital. They had stood there since the empire was established.
Currently, they were in the First Fort, where the Imperial Family lived. It was the smallest of the four, and only the palaces of the Fermielis Family stood within it. The Black Palace, where Cleus lived, was one of them.
The Second Fort was where the nobility lived. It was where security started to get tighter. There was a park where nobles promenaded that the commoners wouldn't dare step into. Mansions were erected along its streets, and stores that only the wealthiest could afford to enter lined them. It was also the fort where the Academy was located, along with the headquarters of the Empire's knights and the Empire's Magic Tower.
Then there was the infamous Third Fort—the largest division. It was where business was bustling and where people from overseas would immediately go. Establishments of all sorts were located in that place. It was also where the majority of the commoners dwelled.
The Third Fort was the only probable place to eat out that came to mind when he heard Pieter's invitation. And though the First Fort was the smallest, its land area was still not to be reckoned with. That was why carriages were used even when simply visiting the other palaces, like earlier that morning when he had visited the Empress's palace to meet his sister.
"I appreciate the ring, but… I'm not walking several kilometers away just to eat dinner. I'll eat the stale bread. I'm used to it," the boy said, taking the plate from the table.
"Whoever said we were walking?"
The man walked toward Cleus. As he approached, he reached deep into his pocket and pulled out a small golden ball, fiddling with it in his hand until he stood beside the young prince.
"Would you like to see something really impressive?" the man asked, looking at Cleus with a smirk.
The boy simply stared at him. His eyes darted from the ball to Pieter's raised eyebrow.
Pieter held the ball close to his mouth and whispered, "Longtail Alley," before throwing it across the room.
Suddenly, sparks formed around the ball, and a beam of light shone through the kitchen, making Cleus raise both hands to cover his eyes. Within seconds, the light dimmed.
The boy slowly lowered his hands and bore witness to a strange phenomenon he never thought he would see.
A large, oval-shaped pool of shadow stood before them, blurry like the night sky outside the kitchen. It towered over Pieter and looked as though it led somewhere.
Cleus walked around to the back of the mysterious object, only to see nothing on the other side. The oval was nothing more than a thin layer of blurry black mist.
"While it is adorable to see your reaction, we really need to go before 'they' close."
Pieter walked toward the mysterious shape and, without hesitation, leaned forward. Only his head entered through, while the rest of his body remained in the kitchen.
"AAAHHH! WHAT IN THE GODDESSES' NAME?!" Cleus screamed, startled.
"Eh? What?" The man leaned back and turned his attention to the boy. He took a quick look at the child's face before bursting out laughing. "Haha! Did this give you a fright, Your Highness? You need not fret. I already checked, and it's not dangerous."
You're saying that it could be dangerous?!
"Can you kindly explain to me what that is?!" Cleus exclaimed, taking a few steps back.
Pieter took a quick glance at the shadowy matter in front of him before looking at the boy.
"Oh, this?" He pointed at it. "This is an artifact I found during my adventures. The ball earlier made what you could consider a door."
"A door?"
"Yes, a door."
"That looks nothing like a door…"
"Oh, but it's a special door. A door that takes me to places I have been. Now, let's go! We need to hurry," Pieter said, simply smiling as if what he had just said were not a big deal at all.
Before Cleus could process everything he had seen and heard, Pieter's open hand appeared in front of him.
"Your Highness, will you trust me enough to come with me?"
A question worth contemplating for many days, especially when this was the hand of a man he had just met. A man no different from a stranger.
A man so pushy that he had followed him back to the palace. So adamant about taking him away from this place.
His mind argued that he did not know the man well enough to follow him. His heart thumped with hesitation at every word the man spoke.
But the feeling of urgency crept through his body.
The urge to believe.
Must I take the hand of a mage I barely know?
The boy looked into the man's eyes. Pieter seemed so confident and sincere, yet thoughts of it all being a lie wouldn't stop popping into his head.
But then again…
The words this man had spoken, the ring he had given him, and now, an opportunity to leave.
While everything sounded too good to be true, having all of this given to him on one winter night was unbelievable.
But Cleus couldn't let go of this sliver of hope presented before him.
As cautious as he was, he was more desperate for freedom than anybody else.
The young prince took the man's hand and nodded.
The mage smiled and slowly pulled the boy in. Together, they entered the dark hole that led to a place the prince didn't even know existed.
The ground beneath him felt harder, bumpy even. A chilling breeze blew onto his face. A foul smell filled the air, one he found indescribable.
Suddenly, a piece of cloth was pressed against his nose and mouth.
I have been a fool to trust someone so fast! he thought, opening his eyes to see himself in a dark alleyway and Pieter's hand holding the cloth against his face.
"Hmph!" Cleus made a sound, attempting to pull Pieter's hand away from him.
"Wait, Your Highness! The smell from this place is awful. I'm sorry, but this is the only place I know that would be empty enough for us to travel through magic. It's not exactly a common sight, and it's something I can't display publicly," the man explained. "I will now let go. Please, keep holding the handkerchief and keep it pressed against your nose. I don't want you to lose your appetite before we get to eat."
A wave of relief washed through Cleus's body. For a brief moment, he had thought that he was really being kidnapped.
"Let us walk," Pieter said, smiling at him warmly.
He couldn't help but feel guilty for thinking that way when the man had simply wanted to help him out.
I guess I haven't really trusted this man at all.
However, the feeling of suspicion soon returned to his mind.
The musty smell never left his nose. The night sky stretched above his head, with only the moon to light their path. Wet, broken roads stretched between nearly dilapidated buildings and never-ending alleyways.
Where in the world did this man take me? This isn't the Third Fort.
He recalled his older sister's words about what the Third Fort was like. It was lively, with streetlights made from mana stones illuminating everyone's path. The smell of good food came from the bustling stalls of the capital's market. Music filled the air, and people danced happily in the streets.
However, there was nothing like that here.
My sister is not one to lie. Am I even still in Lyka? Could it be… this isn't even Dhara?!
"Hey, Mr. Bellevue."
"Call me Pieter."
"Where are we? I don't think this is the right place."
"This is the right place, Your Highness."
"I may not have been outside the palace walls, but I know that this isn't the Third Fort."
The man halted and looked at the boy, confusion showing on his face.
"Your Highness… You are right. This isn't the Third Fort."
Cleus couldn't help but stare at Pieter, one eyebrow raised and his mouth hanging open. His handkerchief almost slipped from his nose, but the unbearable smell brought him back to reality.
"What do you mean? Isn't the Third Fort the only place to eat?" the boy asked, his voice carrying a hint of worry.
"Well… I can happily tour you around the Third Fort. However, the place we are heading to for dinner is not in the Third Fort, so that tour has to wait."
Cleus took his time thinking hard about where he could be.
If this place isn't the Third Fort, and obviously—this isn't the Second Fort. That means that we could very well be in…
"Don't tell me… We are in—?"
"Yes, Your Highness. I suppose I should've made you more aware. We are in the Fourth Fort."
The boy wanted to take a deep breath to take things in. However, with the smell around him, he couldn't even do that.
"Haha… The Fourth Fort, of course~."
I think… I was a fool once again for following this man!
.
.
.
[The Fourth Fort, year 285]