Prince Kaelan nodded once, though his earlier enthusiasm had dimmed.
"There is something here," he said, offering no further detail.
They continued forward through the ruins.
After several minutes of navigating collapsed walls and vine-strangled courtyards, the trees parted to reveal a large stone podium enstard by towering pillars. Unlike the surrounding structures, these columns remained intact, their surfaces unmarred by time.
Atop each pillar stood an identical statue.
The creature depicted possessed the head of a man crowned in rigid stone, the muscular body of a lion, and a curved scorpion's tail poised in eternal threat. Moss clung to their forms, yet the craftsmanship remained disturbingly precise.
At the center of the podium yawned a staircase descending into darkness.
Around the entrance lay fractured slabs of stone scattered in unnatural patterns, as though a powerful explosion had once shattered a seal.
Before anyone could examine the architecture further, their attention locked onto three bodies sprawled near the stairway.
Royal soldiers.
Arceus inhaled sharply.
Prince Kaelan rushed forward.
"Your Highness…"
One of the fallen soldiers stirred weakly, pushing himself upright with trembling effort.
Prince Kaelan's expression hardened.
"What happened?"
The soldier bowed his head despite his injuries.
"Captain Harold… betrayed us."
His voice shook as he recounted the events. After discovering the sealed entrance to the underground labyrinth, Captain Harold had turned on his own squad, striking them down without warning.
"I feigned death," the soldier continued. "It saved my life."
He knelt, apologizing for failing to prevent the treachery.
Prince Kaelan's jaw tightened.
"Where is he now?"
"He descended below, Your Highness. He has not returned."
Anger flared visibly in Prince Kaelan's eyes.
"You two," he ordered, gesturing to the remaining soldiers, "guard the entrance. The rest will follow me."
He then turned toward his companions.
"Captain Harold is a fourth-star mage," Prince Kaelan said seriously. "You should remain here."
Lucian crossed his arms, unimpressed.
"I alone am sufficient—"
"He knows we are here," Prince Kaelan interrupted sharply. "A prepared mage is the most dangerous opponent. Even a stronger warrior cannot rush blindly into a prepared spell."
His gaze locked onto Lucian's.
"If harm comes to you under my watch, I could never face Lord Storm again."
The sincerity in his voice momentarily disarmed Lucian.
Still, pride refused retreat.
Lucian stepped toward the stairway.
"Then let these two soldiers bear witness," he said firmly. "I choose for myself. Either I enter, or I return to the Imperial City."
His eyes challenged Prince Kaelan directly.
"What will you decide?"
Prince Kaelan hesitated only briefly before nodding. "Come. Let's go, Brother."
Meanwhile, Arceus and his maids remained outside, as did Sienna Vale, who had little means of defending herself against a prepared mage in confined corridors.
A few moments after Prince Kaelan and Lucian's disappearance, a figure in black robes appeared silently near the stairway, materializing as though stitched from shadow.
The two remaining royal knights drew their swords instantly.
"Who are you..."
Arceus moved instinctively in front of Sienna.
The hooded man tossed a medallion toward the knight.
The engraved unicorn insignia gleamed faintly.
Recognition dawned.
The knight stepped aside without protest.
The robed figure vanished again, reappearing at the top of the stairs before descending and dissolving into darkness.
Arceus frowned but said nothing.
Instead, he focused inward, channeling Ether into the spatial ring adorning his finger. Two wooden boxes appeared in his hands.
Within one lay pistols.
Within the other, ammunition.
"Betty, Esme," Arceus said calmly, handing each a weapon. "Be prepared."
The maids obeyed with nervous determination, loading bullets as they had practiced.
Sienna glanced sideways.
"When did you acquire those?"
Arceus smiled faintly, running his fingers along the pistol's grip.
"A week ago," he replied. "I have returned to that store several times since. It becomes… enjoyable."
Sienna raised a brow. "Why? It's just an ungraded weapon."
"Even so," Arceus said lightly, "it has its charm."
Sienna's eyes narrowed, she thought inwardly this time, 'Is it the weapon or that woman?';
*
Meanwhile;
Below ground, Prince Kaelan conjured a steady sphere of flame that illuminated the passage.
Stone walls stretched forward in narrow confinement. The air was cool and stale, carrying the scent of age and forgotten secrets.
After several minutes of walking, they encountered branching tunnels.
Lucian frowned. "Which path?"
"We remain together," Prince Kaelan answered. "No separation."
Two hours passed, navigating winding corridors that twisted unpredictably. Frustration began to surface.
"Again?" Lucian muttered, striking the wall lightly. "How many dead ends?"
"There are too many tunnels," Prince Kaelan said cautiously. "They may interconnect."
"I am aware of that, Your Highness," Lucian snapped, irritation thinning his restraint.
Silence followed.
"Do you wish to turn back?" Prince Kaelan asked after a pause.
Lucian's reply came without hesitation. "Retreat does not suit me."
He chose another passage at random.
This corridor proved different.
Straight.
They advanced cautiously for nearly half an hour before faint sounds echoed ahead.
Metal clashed.
A hiss reverberated through stone.
They reached the chamber's entrance and halted.
Within, a massive serpent coiled around broken pillars, scales glistening beneath dim light. Opposite it stood a familiar figure locked in combat.
Prince Kaelan's eyes flickered.
"A guardian beast?"
A massive cobra coiled at the heart of the chamber, its scaled body thicker than a tree trunk and its hood flared wide in defiance. Scorch marks blackened the stone around it, evidence of the flames it had spat relentlessly.
Opposite the beast stood a middle-aged man clad in battered armor, breathing heavily yet refusing to retreat.
Captain Harold.
The serpent's body bore deep gashes, several scales shattered and bleeding dark fluid onto the cave floor. Despite its injuries, it guarded a massive chest positioned in one corner of the cavern, its coiled length shielding the treasure like a living barricade.
For three consecutive days, Harold had returned to this chamber.
Whenever the battle turned against him, he fled up the stairs to recover his Ether before descending again to continue the assault. Each time, the guardian beast weakened a little more. Each time, his confidence grew.
Today, he believed victory was finally within reach.
Then he saw them.
Prince Kaelan Phoenix stood at the cavern entrance, Lucian Storm beside him, and two four-star rank royal knights flanking them.
Harold's heart clenched violently.
He had assumed the soldiers he struck down were dead.
Suppressing the tremor rising in his chest, he forced his expression into one of strained relief.
"Your Highness," he called out, narrowly dodging a surge of flames. "The treasure lies behind this beast. Please, lend me your strength. Aron, Oswin, assist me."
The two royal knights glanced toward Prince Kaelan for instruction.
The prince's eyes lingered on Harold for a fraction longer than necessary before he gave a slight nod.
The knights entered the fray without hesitation.