"What's with the fuss?" asked Duke Colton.
"Oh, Duke Colton!" greeted Marquess Wynton who came along with him. He approached and whispered, "I heard Marquis Hadrian fainted during a visit to the Palace."
Duke Colton furrowed his brows in surprise. "Is he sick?"
"It seems so. He hasn't been doing well lately. Didn't Duke Colton's son help him the other day?"
Hearing himself being called out, Chas replied, "Yes, but Marquess Hadrian didn't pass out. To be honest, I thought it was just normal exhaustion."
"Hmmm. But if he faints this time, it means it's really bad," Duke Colton muttered.
"Looks like the hunting match this time will be easily won by Lord Chas, huh?"
Chas forced a laugh. No, he had absolutely no intention or desire to win in the hunting match that the palace was holding.
The three of them went to the hunting grounds accompanied by a palace knight, something that seemed odd because normally they would only be accompanied by an ordinary soldier.
Well, it's only natural that this happened, Chas thought. The Palace must be in a state of confusion at the moment because Rheannon has gone. They were on guard, not wanting anyone to see Rheannon first. Perhaps afraid that Rheannon would reveal the secrets of the Palace.
The hunting match was opened without the presence of the Princess. In the opening ceremony, nothing was said about her presence and they likely talked about Hadrian's sickness.
"Well, good thing she's not around," Chas muttered as the referee read out the hunting rules. This meant he didn't have to bother avoiding Luciell.
"As usual," continued the referee, "entrants are prohibited from approaching the south of the palace forest. And so are the rules for the hunting match in commemoration of Her Highness Princess Luciell's birthday this time. With this, the hunting match begins!"
Between him and his father, only Chas usually participated. Duke Colton chose to chat with other nobles, as well as to gather information from the rumors that were circulating.
But this time their roles were a little different. Chas was going to the south of the palace forest, the Tower of Shadows which Rheannon claimed was the place where she had been locked up all this time. Meanwhile Duke Colton will sneak away to Axelle's small castle to explain Rheannon's departure.
The second infiltration begins.
***
With Rheannon's help, who could only speak sparingly, Chas and his father were able to pinpoint the location of the Tower of Shadows, which had only been known as a fairy tale.
South of the palace forest, deep in the dense and dense trees. The light could barely penetrate the thick trees. The place is secluded like it's not part of the Palace grounds. Rheannon also said that once in a while there would be the sound of a wild animal growling.
"The place is that hard to find?" asked Duke Colton at the time.
Rheannon nodded. "Demons."
"It's a place ruled by demons?" he repeated. "Then… how about you and Prince Axelle…?"
Rheannon just smiled at that moment.
What did that smile mean? Chas thought as he made his way through the south of the palace forest. The deeper you go, the heavier your steps become.
At some point, Chas stopped in his tracks. The air is much different now. Heavy and piercing. Signs this place is really controlled by the demon.
Here he is.
Chas continued on his way, ignoring the unpleasant air that surrounded him. He kept walking until he finally realized that he had only been circling in one place. The illusion of the demons toying with him. They wouldn't let Chas get close to the Tower of Shadows that easily.
"Damn it!" Chas cursed along with the echo of the demons' laughter in the forest.
Not that Chas thought this would be easy. The ability he learned from his aunt, the late Lady Talisa Whitley, was simply to see, feel, and protect himself from the demon's little attacks. Chas wondered how the palace knights and Axelle got into this place safely.
"Should I bring an amulet or holy water?" Chas grumbled in disbelief.
The problem was Chas wasn't sure where he could get the amulet at the moment. He didn't even want to ask for holy water from the Palace or Temple Beulah. No matter what, he was reluctant, holy water was no longer holy now. In this prosperous land of the Rexton Kingdom, there are few temples whose sanctity has been guaranteed since King Rexton V overthrew the previous king. One of them is in the Holy City of Zion, but that place is very difficult to access.
Footsteps were heard as Chas was too busy thinking. He hurriedly hid behind the trees while watching the sound and looking for its origin.
A shadow is visible. Before long, Chas could see his figure clearly.
Silver hair, blue eyes, delicate appearance…
"Prince Axelle?"
The man jumped in surprise. He looked at Chas in disbelief. "You are…?"
"Chas Colton, Your Highness," Chas squeaked.
"Oh..."
They both stood up and stared at each other awkwardly.
***
"So..." Axelle sounded nervous and unsure.
That is, this man used to be the second candidate for the successor to the Rexton kingdom after his brother, the late Prince Hiero. Why is he behaving like this?
"Ehm. First, we should get out from here first," said Axelle. "Come on."
Chas had no choice but to follow Axelle. After all, it looked like he had just come from the Tower of Shadows–what else could he possibly be doing in this treacherous southern forest?
"Your Highness just came from the Tower of Shadows?" Chas asked.
Axelle suddenly stiffened. "How do you know?"
"I took Rheannon away last night. She told me a little bit about her confinement."
"Oh, for God's sake. I wonder where Rheannon has disappeared to. I've been so worried."
"Yeah, but great timing, right?" Chas said lightly. "Duke Colton should be in your castle by now, you two sitting down drinking tea and talking about Rheannon's condition. But you're here instead."
Axelle laughed in response. "Then how is Lady Rheannon doing now?"
"She's fine and safe in our townhouse."
"Good. I'm glad Rheannon is finally reunited with the family she still has."
Chas stopped in his tracks.
He doesn't understand.
Axelle's back seemed smaller than his. His height is slightly shorter. His whole body tends to be small and slender for a man's size, even more so for a prince. Chas bet that Axelle's grip would be weaker than his sister's.
Small, fragile, weak. But with all that Axelle saved Rheannon.
"Lord Chas?" said Axelle.
Maybe Chas had misjudged him all along. Axelle might not be that weak. It could be that this man actually has his own strength.
"There's a lot I want to talk to Your Highness about."
Axelle smiled gently. "Let's do it in my castle with some tea and sweets."
***
As Chas said, Duke Colton had arrived at the castle where Axelle lived. He was sitting in one of the banquet halls accompanied by Elias and was chatting lightly.
"Sorry to come without notice, Your Highness Prince Axelle," Duke Colton greeted. He glanced briefly at Chas. "I saw the Your Highness coming with my son."
"Yes." Axelle motioned for Duke Colton and Chas to sit down. He smiled at Elias then, asking him to come out. "By chance, we met in the south of the palace forest."
Duke Colton looked at his son, asking for an explanation.
"Tower of Shadows is not that easy to get into," said Chas. "It's hard to approach. As the fairy tales say, the place is really controlled by demons. They were playing a trick on me going to the Tower of Shadows. That's when I met Prince Axelle who seemed to have just come from there."
Axelle cleared his throat. "Actually I don't want to say this because I don't have any rights over the Palace, but please don't go near the south of the palace forest again in the future," he said. "That forest and the Tower of Shadows are not places to be trespassed into."
"Why is that? From what I can see, Your Highness and several palace knights can enter the place easily."
"A place ruled by demons is basically not to be approached – let alone entered. Like what happened to Lord Chas earlier, one can get lost, or even hallucinate to the point of not being able to return," explained Axelle. "That place could eat someone's soul. Like… asking for retribution for violating the demon's territory."
Axelle continued, "I was able to enter there myself because of the skills I learned during my education. As for the special knights… I'm not sure. But I have a guess."
"The Palace's knights are indeed trained to develop their divine power as necessary for urgent needs," Duke Colton said. "But I don't think their divine power is comparable to Your Highness to be able to penetrate demon-controlled territory."
"Is there anything else that could allow someone to enter the area? Carrying a talisman or something?" Chas asked.
"Yes..." Axelle answered doubtfully. "That person must be a demon controller or a contract binder."
"Your Highness said there's a contract binder at Rexton?"
Axelle looked away, and Chas knew why.
Binding a contract with a demon was strictly forbidden across the continent. Binding a contract with a demon meant selling a soul to them and ignoring God completely. Obviously this is a despicable act. Contract binders are usually killed immediately so that their souls reach Nirvana instead of being consumed by demons.
In the past, people would carelessly slander someone who was under a binding contract just out of petty grudges, just so they could die. The slander became a trend and finally a regulation was made if such slander was also prohibited and the perpetrators would also be severely punished.
Axelle's words just now have no proof. He could have been punished for slandering the knights of the palace.
But this is Axelle, Chas said to himself. A person like Axelle couldn't possibly slander carelessly.
"What makes the Your Highness think like that?" asked Duke Colton.
"Because I saw it," Axelle muttered. He fiddled with his fingers nervously. "I can see the demons following the contract binders."
"Isn't that impossible? Even the prelate of the Beulah Temple can't see it. Contract binding can only be detected by demon control to a certain degree."
"I know that sounds weird," Axelle said hastily. "That's why I often doubt my own eyesight. But that's the only thing that can explain my vision of them so far."
"Your Highness sure it's not a demon just possessing them?"
Axelle shook his head weakly.
Duke Colton looked at Axelle seriously. "Let's assume what the Your Highness' see is correct," he said. "Then, who else is the contract binder as far as you know?"
Chas noticed Axelle getting much more nervous. He even looked scared.
"Several other knights–all with special emblems that are not registered in the official records. Then… His Majesty the King and Princess Luciell."