Alex smirked, eyes narrowing just slightly, a glint of playful suspicion in his voice.
Is he digging into my cover? Or just being Lucian?
The thought made him chuckle inwardly he liked the idea of Luke poking around, but the tension under the surface was something he couldn't ignore.
"Luke," he said with a mock-serious tone, "you trying to steal my girl or sniff out my secrets?"
Then, with a grin spreading across his face, he added,
"Don't worry I'll send you the address, gift-wrapped… right before the wedding."
Alex caught the way Luke's eyes sparkled as he raised his hand, flashing the silver ring with a sly grin. That smug bastard…
"I'm engaged, Alex," Luke said, voice full of mischief.
Alex chuckled, nudging him playfully. "Hey, man just kidding! But be honest... who's got the better ring?"
Luke burst out laughing. "Mine, obviously!"
Alex smirked, folding his arms. Yeah, but does he have a fiancée who can drag him through hell and still look amazing doing it? "Sure. But you don't have a cool and crazy fiancée who can outfight demons and drag you into ridiculous adventures."
Luke rolled his eyes, still smiling. "We'll go on one. After the wedding. For now, I'm sticking to my novels."
Alex leaned back dramatically. "Ugh, as long as I don't catch you and your bride reading flashy trash together in public like two royal perverts."
They both laughed. Luke shook his head. "Get out of here, man. Before I make you read one with me."
Alex waved, walking out with Grandz by his side, leaving the prince chuckling alone among dusty shelves and ancient myths.
Outside the library, Grandz gave Alex a sidelong glance. "Alex... how are you so close with him?"
Alex shrugged, smiling like it was nothing. Accidents make the best stories sometimes. "We met by accident. Shopping near the port. Guy just wouldn't stop talking."
Alex and Grandz went into the inn room. Grandz lowered his voice, eyes darting to the windows. "Alex, I need to explain all the suspicions in the capital. Things are worse than you know."
"Grand, just give me the close suspicious people other than dead people Grim and Galahad," Alex said, already thinking about their next move.
"Terri Kalner! Prime Minister. He has close connections!" Grandz said, his voice tense.
Alex stood, the energy in him bristling. "Let's raid his house tonight!"
Ruby laughed from the corner. "It's better if you don't kill him!"
Alex nodded, smirking. "Ok then, gentleman."
That night, Alex, Ruby, and Grandz started moving toward the Prime Minister's mansion. The night air was cool, but it didn't calm his nerves. He could feel the faint hum of magic in the shadows, the anticipation curling around him like a living thing.
Grandz stopped in front of the palace. Alex took a deep breath, feeling the weight of responsibility pressing down. "Ruby, you know your drill, right?"
"Yep! No killing! Only knocking! You don't break the rules!" she said. Her eyes sparkled, excitement dancing across them. Alex had to suppress a grin. She loves this chaos as much as I do.
"Grandz, you're coming with me!" Alex said firmly. Ruby vanished in a blink, and a faint whisper of air lingered where she had been.
Alex and Grandz moved through the shadows around the mansion, their steps silent. The thrill of the hunt… it never gets old. They cornered the Prime Minister and brought him to his room at the inn.
They tied him down to a chair. Alex muttered an incantation, weaving ruin magic around the room to muffle any sound. Quiet… so quiet you could hear the weight of his own fear.
Alex leaned back against the wall, pulling out a comic and letting himself laugh, trying to mask the tension. Ruby was playing with Leo and Darcy, their presence a grounding reminder that this was more than just strategy it was family. Grandz stayed alert, watching the Prime Minister.
After an hour, the man stirred, eyes wide as he took in Ruby. "Princess! How are you doing! I am sorry! I know you're alive!"
Alex closed his comic and said, "Look! She is old man! I don't care! I have some questions!"
"Princess! Where is the Queen! I'm sorry I couldn't react on time! That crazy lady and Galahad are planning to kill you and the Prince!" the man cried.
Alex and Grandz exchanged a look, confusion mixing with tension. Rebecca walked forward, fury written on her face.
Slap…!
"Damn old man! You're late! You killed my mother for not reacting on time!" she shouted, striking him.
Alex pulled her back, hugging her, feeling the heat of her grief burn against his chest. She's so angry… and rightfully so. But she needs to breathe. She clung to him, crying, and Alex held her tighter, murmuring words only he could hear.
The Prime Minister and Grandz exchanged stunned glances. "Hey man, is that really our Princess? It's hard to believe what's happening."
Alex's glare was icy. "Stop before I kill you!"
He helped her lie down. "Sleep first! You've used a lot of mana," he said softly, brushing strands of hair from her face.
She nodded, curling into the blanket and drifting off, still holding onto him. Alex stayed for a moment, watching her chest rise and fall, thinking about how fragile yet fierce she was.
When she finally fell asleep, he sneaked out, placing a pillow in her arms and wrapping his jacket around her. He cast a barrier to block any sound. Safe. At least for now.
The Prime Minister stirred again, groaning, eyes widening in fury. "You brat! I'll kill you! How dare you lay your hands on the Princess!"
Alex's hand went to his sword, unsheathing it in a blink. The metal sang in the tense silence. "Say another useless thing," he growled, "and I'll make sure you never speak again."
Terri Kalner froze.
"Now," Alex said, voice steady, "tell me what the hell happened."
Kalner sighed, bitterly. "When the Queen started investigating the Blood Ritual sites… we traced them to underground slave stores. They were capturing villagers, innocent people, sacrificing them like animals."
Alex's jaw tightened. Animals… like they weren't human. How could anyone do that?
"She discovered it while visiting her mother's homeland. On the way back… Grim attacked. She came out of nowhere."
Alex slammed his hand against the wall. "And you didn't report this to the King?!"
"I couldn't," Kalner said. "The palace is crawling with spies. We don't know who's loyal anymore. Prince Lucian's been quietly removing infiltrators for months."
Alex paused. "Luke?"
"Yes. He's been working in the shadows. After I heard the Princess might be alive, I started searching quietly through the outer villages."
Alex nodded slowly. Every step they've taken, every risk… it all leads here. "Alright. Then here's the deal you stay here until our mission ends. No noise. No moves."
Kalner's face went pale. "But she's in danger! I can sense it her mana circles must be depleted!"
Alex gave a small laugh. "She's fine. Her mana flares when she's emotional. And remembering death… brings the worst out."
Kalner's face fell. "Wait… What do you mean 'death'? What happened to the Queen?! Who who killed her?!"
Alex took a slow sip of water, his blade resting at his side. It's better she doesn't know all the details… not yet.
"When I was training on Ocean Demon Island, a storm came dark, twisted, unnatural. I rushed back… but by the time I reached the palace, the Queen was already gone."
He told the Prime Minister everything about the ambush, the assassins, the betrayal, the final stand. Every detail weighed on him, but he spoke evenly, hiding the lingering ache.
Grandz broke the silence. "Then why… why didn't we find any bodies when we checked your place?"
Kalner blinked, then chuckled. "Oh, come on. I was recently married, you know. We had… a long night together."
Alex and Grandz exchanged blank stares.
Alex raised an eyebrow. "How many wives do you have, old man?"
Kalner smiled proudly. "Ten."
"Ten?!" Grandz nearly choked.
"They take care of me when I'm home. Keep me warm. Feed me. Support me," Kalner said dreamily. "I don't have gold. But I have love."
Alex was stunned. Love… in the middle of all this chaos. A strange, reckless kind of order.
"How… How did you convince them to marry you?" Alex asked.
Kalner leaned back, smiling like a sage. "Simple. I went to their families and said: 'I'll protect your daughter. If I die, a piece of my land goes to her. If I live, she lives free, as she wishes.' And they agreed."
Alex couldn't hold back a laugh. "So they actually liked you?"
Kalner chuckled. "I waited. I was patient. And no matter how strange it sounds, I loved each one. I cared for them. And my children? They're gems. More precious than any crown."
Alex stared for a moment then let out a rare, honest grin. "…You're weird, old man. But maybe not so useless after all."
The ropes snapped sharply as Alex cut the Prime Minister loose. Kalner groaned, brushing dust from his robe, eyes darting to the map sprawled across the bench.
"Grandz," Alex asked calmly, "how many opponents are we up against?"
Kalner circled the map, murmuring under his breath. "Two hundred knights… minimum. They're waiting for you."
Alex nodded. Two hundred… five of us… we can do this. "That many, huh? And we've got five."
Kalner raised an eyebrow. "Five? There's only three of us here. You're not planning on dragging the Princess into this, are you?"
Alex chuckled. "Me, Grandz, Ruby… and don't forget Leo and Darcy. You're not joining the raid, old man."
Kalner's mouth dropped open, but Grandz simply nodded. "Then we rest. Full sleep tonight we'll need every drop of strength."
He retired, leaving Alex to lie beside Ruby. She curled into him as if he were the only anchor in a chaotic world.
"Sleep tight, idiot," she mumbled, half-asleep.
Alex grinned, pulling the blanket over both. "Fool. You keep messing up my magic circles with your chaos."
Kalner froze in the doorway, jaw slack. "They're… close. Really close."
He muttered something about young love before curling up on the floor with his pillow and blanket.