Angel entered the main hall. The hall interior is dominated by ivory walls, several large pillars line up on each side with a member of elite troops standing in front of it. The floors are made of dark brown marble, a long red carpet lined from the door to the throne stage and a large paint of his uncle in golden frame placed behind the throne.
He walked to the middle of the hall and bowed to his uncle who sat with a perfect posture on the throne, his hands hold his armchair.
"Uncle, did you call me?"
His uncle is the current King of Asteria, King Gervis Eryes Reinheart. He began to reign ten years ago after Angel father's death.
King Gervis had slightly curly golden hair, brown eyes and serious face with thin beard adorning his chin. He wore the same uniform as him and Ilex, what distinguishes him is a golden badge on his collar surrounded by white diamonds signified he is a king, a white cape with the lion's head crest of Asteria threaded in gold hanging over on his left shoulder to his feet.
King Gervis looked at him with a formal expression.
"I have a mission for you. It had been a week since a fierce monster attacked Springwell City and the number of casualties is increasing every day. I have assigned a platoon of royal troops, but still haven't heard any news from them. Now, I order you to go there and help them to conquer that monster. "
"Remember! You must return immediately after completed your mission. The peace alliance meeting party will be held in ten days, I don't want you to be absent." he added with emphasis tone.
The peace alliance is an association of several kingdoms that have signed a peace agreement and formed diplomatic relationship since fifteen years ago, this alliance chaired by Kingdom of Asteria.
"I understand." he answered shortly, and then he bowed and left.
After Angel came out of the main hall, King Gervis glanced at his trusted spy who wore a black robe that stood behind the first pillar.
"Follow him. If he do something suspicious, report to me," he ordered.
The spy immediately nodded and walked out of the hall, following Angel.
'For the sake of this kingdom, I can't let my guard down, ' King Gervis thought.
Soon, some members of the elite troops entered the main hall and bowed to him.
"Your Majesty, we have returned."
King Gervis leaned forward and looked at them with a serious expression.
"How was it? Did you find him?"
They shook their heads and looked down with a regretful expression.
King Gervis leaned back on his chair as he sighed tiredly. It has been ten years since his brother's tragic death, but all the investigation he did was fruitless. In addition, his nephew, Angelus Raizel, hasn't been found yet.
He closed his eyes as he recalled how he had found his brother who died in a cave with a boy who has a similar face with his nephew. Even though his hair color changed, he still believed that the boy was his nephew at that time.
After the boy did not wake up for days and the doctor had given up on him, he sought out an expert magic user who lived in exile in a Eastern forest Asteria. But as soon as the magic user examined him, he was thrown away by the boy's strange power. The magic user said that the boy had the power of darkness that sealed inside him.
He could remember how confusion filled his head, since his nephew had never had strange powers and more than that, the Reinheart Family was a descendant of the Celestial Tribe. Their descendants will not and may not have the power of darkness. But before the magic user had a chance to say anything else, he melted before his eyes. King Gervis could only be silent in shock when he saw the magic user's skin, flesh and bone fall one by one in front of him and melt like candle in fire until it did not leave anything behind.
And what shocked him even more when he turned his head to the boy that he found had opened his eyes and looked at the magic user remnants with a piercing cold gaze. A gaze that his nephew never had, then the boy fainted again.
After that incident he was sure that the boy was not his nephew, but it was someone else who tried to disguise himself. He had tried to drive him out of the castle, but at that time he had just taken the throne. He has to stabilize his position, including taking the nobles and ministers trust. Many of them still believed that the boy was Angelus Raizel Reinheart, his late brother's son, Renart Ives Reinheart. If he kicked the boy out he was considered trying to eliminate the royal bloodline. Besides that he didn't have any evidence regarding the magic user's death, even his corpse didn't have any remains and there are no other witnesses besides him. After all who believed a seven-year-old boy could kill an expert magic user? So he has no choice but to took him as his nephew and let him live in the castle as the second prince of Asteria.
Even though he had moved his room to the back of castle, far away from the royal family's room and told Ilex to keep Ophelia away from him, but worries still seized him. So, when the boy reached twelve-year-old, he began sending him to the battlefield, hoping he would die there. But no... The boy always returned with victory, completing his duties until he became Kingdom of Asteria's sharpest sword.
Therefore rather than wasting him, King Gervis decided to make him as his war puppet. He did not hesitate to send him to the front lines without any help. Because either the boy is dead or alive, both are the same for him. But now his worries is back to seized his heart, since the competition to prove who is most suitable to be the crown prince would be held after the two princes reached the age of seventeen.
King Gervis opened his eyes and clenched his fists tightly.
'I will not let Asteria fall into his hand.'
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Glossary
The Kingdom of Asteria, the biggest kingdom that located in the middle of Andromeda Continent with Eternal Harmony City as its capital and Golden Light Castle as its main building. It's bordered by five other kingdoms namely Kingdom of Ophion to the North, Kingdom of Harmonia and Kingdom of Eirene to the East, Kingdom of Euphorion to the South and Kingdom of Zephyrus to the West. This kingdom ruled by Reinheart Family who specialized in sword fighting and have fast-moving bodies.
Golden Light Castle is Kingdom of Asteria's castle that has a rectangular shape with eight large round towers. Each tower is connected to sturdy wall made of citrine, making this castle glow golden. The interior is dominated by ivory yellow walls with gold ornaments and the floors are made of dark brown marble.
The Andromeda Continent is a biggest continent in Terra. The land is fertile and rich in natural resources, but it isn't an easy place to live. Monsters, bandits, carnivorous plants are roamed everywhere. This continent is divided into eight different kingdoms led by eight royal families who have different fighting specialties. Those who deserve to be the king are the strongest person in the family. Every royal family lived in a sturdy castle in the capital to protected their descendant, where the king himself acted as their kingdom protector.