"Where is he? Where is he? Where is the person sent by the World Government?"
Seki ran down the corridor, asking the guards around him in barely contained excitement.
"Your Highness, he's at the main gate of the royal palace!" a guard beside him answered at once.
These past few days, Seki had been waiting for the World Government's envoy. The moment he heard the report that someone from the World Government had arrived, he didn't hesitate at all and rushed over, eager to see the man in person.
Very soon, a young figure appeared in Seki's field of vision. Seki immediately ran up to him, but once he got a good look, he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
Standing before him was the same boy who had arrived at the kingdom's harbor a few days ago. Seeing how young the visitor was, Seki felt the World Government clearly didn't take his earlier report seriously at all.
"Your Highness, this is Rob Lucci!"
The guard commander at the gate, Gordon, often kept an eye on big events out at sea. As soon as he heard the name, he instantly remembered Lucci's legendary deeds.
"Rob Lucci?" Seki frowned and looked at Gordon in confusion. "What about that name?"
Seeing Seki's look, Gordon was a little speechless. This crown prince really didn't pay attention to the news at all. Gordon first stole a cautious glance at Lucci, worried that the prince's attitude might offend him. But when he saw no change whatsoever on Lucci's face, he relaxed slightly and started to explain the story of how Lucci had slaughtered all the soldiers of an entire kingdom when he was only thirteen.
The more Seki listened, the more shocked he became. He had never imagined that this boy standing right in front of him possessed such terrifying battle feats. But once he thought of Ronan's two bodyguards, Seki's heart settled a little. The more frightening Lucci sounded, the more he believed this man would be able to "take care of" those two for good.
"Lucci-sama, I've been looking forward to your arrival. The safety of our royal family members is all in your hands!"
Seki hurriedly stepped forward, fawning all over him, with no trace left of the disdainful attitude he had just had toward Lucci's youth.
He then started explaining how Beth and Alicia had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, how worried he was about his younger brother Ronan's safety, and how concerned he was for the other members of the royal family—at least on the surface, he looked extremely anxious about Ronan and the royal family's security.
Listening to Seki's high-sounding speech, Lucci's face remained expressionless, his eyes utterly calm. He had no interest in the dirty little power struggles within a royal family. The World Government had received a formal request from a member of an allied kingdom's royalty and dispatched him to investigate and "handle" any potential threats. That was all. Whether the story was true or not was irrelevant.
"Where are they?" Lucci asked. He had no intention of listening to Seki's nonsense any longer.
Seki immediately pointed toward a secluded part of the palace deep inside. "In his side hall. Gordon, take Lucci-sama there." Seki was afraid Lucci might get lost and hurriedly ordered Gordon to guide him.
Gordon could only feel helpless. Still, this was a prince's order. As the guard commander, he had no authority to refuse.
Lucci said nothing more. He turned around and, under Gordon's lead, started walking toward where Ronan was.
Inside the side hall.
Ronan still had no idea that the World Government had sent someone.
Before long, the sound of footsteps came from outside the room—light, fragmented steps, approaching rapidly.
Standing at Ronan's side, Alicia and Beth's fingers twitched almost imperceptibly where they rested on the hilts of their swords.
At almost the same instant, a cold, pure, oppressive presence was swiftly drawing near.
"Not someone from the palace."
Alicia and Beth understood that immediately. After all these years, they were very familiar with the people in the royal palace. This aura was completely unfamiliar.
The footsteps stopped outside the hall. In the next moment, the doors were pushed open without a sound.
A boy in a black suit appeared in the doorway. His cold gaze was almost tangible as it swept across the three people inside the hall, finally stopping on Ronan, who stood protected between the two blonde women.
Ronan also saw the figure in the doorway clearly.
"Lucci? It's actually him?"
Lucci looked almost the same as he would more than ten years later in Water Seven, only now he seemed a bit younger, a bit more boyish.
"What is he doing here?" Ronan was puzzled.
Right now, Lucci should still be a member of CP9. For him to show up at this time—could it be that the World Government had learned about his meeting with Dragon?
Just one meeting, and the World Government came knocking?
But Ronan's doubts were quickly answered.
"World Government directly-affiliated secret agency, CP9. Lucci."
The boy spoke, his voice as cold as his eyes. He didn't care in the slightest about revealing his identity in front of Ronan and the others. He was here under a World Government mandate; the CP9 name would only add pressure.
"Under orders to investigate the unidentified individuals who have appeared by Prince Ronan's side. I ask the two of you to cooperate with the investigation and state your identities and purpose."
Lucci's gaze shifted to Beth and Alicia as he spoke.
"Unidentified individuals?"
From Lucci's words, Ronan finally understood. Someone had clearly fed the World Government false information, causing them to send Lucci here.
Ronan easily guessed who had done it. The power Alicia had revealed had frightened certain members of the royal family. They could only turn to the World Government for help. As an allied kingdom, any formal request from their royalty would definitely bring an investigator.
But the one who had come was Lucci—the man the World Government claimed was CP9's strongest in eight hundred years. Ronan had never expected them to send him.
He couldn't tell whether the World Government was taking this request very seriously, or simply underestimating Beth and Alicia. After all, in Ronan's memory, Lucci at this time was only about sixteen.
Ronan felt a headache coming on. Lucci was not someone easy to deal with.
"Lucci-sama, they're my bodyguards. Their identities are clean, and their only purpose is to protect me. As far as I know, that doesn't violate any law of the World Government, does it?" Ronan explained immediately.
Lucci's brows twitched ever so slightly, as if he were the slightest bit surprised by Ronan's composure and response. An eight-year-old child, facing a sudden visit from CP9, could stay this calm?
But Lucci clearly did not accept Ronan's answer. Since he had come all the way here, he had no intention of returning empty-handed.
"Based on the King of Lulusia's request, the World Government has the authority to screen for any factors that may threaten the safety of the royal family and the allied kingdom. I must ask the two of you to come with me."
Lucci's tone remained icy.
"The King?"
Ronan obviously did not believe that his nominal father had personally requested this. The far more likely culprit was the crown prince. With such powerful bodyguards at his side, Ronan had already become a threat to him.
"And if I say no?"
Seeing Lucci's attitude, Ronan dropped all pretense.
"Then I will have to use force."
Lucci's eyes turned dangerous in an instant. A faint killing intent began to seep from his body, and the atmosphere in the hall grew tense in a heartbeat.
(End of Chapter)
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