Avoid 19-rated content

Chapter 132

After the council meeting, Hunter headed straight to the Archduke's mansion. However, upon arrival, what he saw was the sight of soldiers he had sent earlier standing in front of the main gate, unable to enter the Duke's mansion.

"Why are you all standing here like this?"

The aide looked at Hunter's and shouted. The leader of the soldiers stepped forward and explained,

"Even though we came under the orders of His Highness the Crown Prince, they won't let us in. A few hours ago, an intruder entered, and they are conducting a search. The Duke himself is not inside."

"It's been 6 hours since the Guild leader left, and 4 hours since you were sent here. During that time, Does it make sense to fail not only to locate Alexis Duke, let alone Prince Del!"

Hunter said in a subdued voice. Though his tone was calm, everyone present could sense Hunter's anger.

"Moreover, despite having a direct order from the Crown Prince, you refused the order. Should I personally accuse you of treason so you will move?" Hunter added.

"We apologize! It's the Duke's mansion, so we couldn't act recklessly..."

"It seems the gates and walls of this mansion are higher than the walls of the Royal Palace," he said, sarcastically mocking the Duke's high authority.

The soldiers, with pale faces, closed their mouths and bowed their heads. They had been entrusted to the Archduke for a few months, receiving instructions from him, but they were Hunter's specially trained troops. From commoners with no notable titles to high-ranking nobles, people from various classes had gathered solely out of loyalty to Hunter. These were the shadows operating in the dark, preparing for the day when Hunter would ascend to the throne.

Hunter didn't doubt their loyalty, but the power held by Duke Alexis in the Melian Empire was simply too great. Instead of scolding his people, Hunter stepped forward.

"Tell them I have arrived.

It was a matter of verifying with Hunter's own eyes whether the Archduke was in his mansion or not.

***

Andrea wondered if there might be a hidden training ground in the Duke's mansion. Andrea sighed inwardly as he watched knights. It seemed like they were patrolling the mansion in groups of about ten, and whenever they cleared one area and moved to another, a new group appeared, creating a cycle.

Over thirty knights had passed through this way. Even though I chose to run away without fighting at the last minute, I felt like I was going to lose consciousness at any moment because my whole body was so damaged

"Haha... Is it natural for them to charge in so recklessly?"

Andrea mumbled, squeezing into a small gap between the building's outer wall and a pillar. Fortunately, his black clothes didn't show much of his wounds, but being soaked in blood made the fabric heavier and unpleasant against his skin.

He had always been fully prepared before making a move. He gathered information about the target as much as possible, made multiple plans for any unforeseen circumstances, and tried to handle things as quietly as possible.

Charging in recklessly with just a few magical tools and weapons was not Andrea's style at all. However, this time... there was no time to plan and sit idly. Every moment he hesitated could be a life-or-death situation for Del.