The Refuge of Fate

Chapter 103 - Magic

There have been rumors that a secret room exists under the palace. It is where the Royal Family seeks refuge to save themselves in times of calamity.

Faust made his way to the steps that spiraled downwards and he sighed when he saw how deep it went that he could not see what lay beneath. Though he had been told he was taken there a few times when he was a newborn.

The entrance was located beneath the emperor's throne which moves with the assistance of the current king's mage alone. Faust looked back and saw the mage looking at him with a smile.

"Please proceed, Your Highness," he instructed and Faust nodded in response before taking the first step.

It was an urgent matter called forth by the emperor to discuss certain things before the festival is held tomorrow.

The second prince already has a clue what would be discussed though. Of course, it involved the young master and the incident that happened the day he arrived in the empire. The day it happened, Faust was shaken to the core and he instantly tried to know more about the details.

It wasn't because he was worried for Pier. Instead, it was the opposite. Faust was worried that Pier's goodwill would be revoked when he was wounded by Amelia.

He had never seen the young master get wounded. Even when he was trapped during the war in the Taron Kingdom, Faust had never seen Pier take a single hit from any of the enemies yet he still managed to decimate them and burn their bodies into crisp. What about now that he was intentionally attacked by their sole ice mage as well?

Faust understood the reason for this discussion because even he had a feeling that there was something going on with Pier. He was unintentionally nice and as much as he would like to ignore it, he was thinking Pier had plans to collaborate with the empire to eradicate the enemies on the north.

The Cresencia Empire is a powerful territory. They might have had a significant loss during the war thanks to the young master's intervention that resulted in them losing a great deal of power including the beast master, the sword master, the fairy, and the dragon but he also knew they were already prepared for the second round of the war right now after a year had passed.

It wouldn't be long before they declare war again and this time, they are coming much more prepared.

But Faust was also having a gut feeling that there was something else to be discussed in the secret meeting. Otherwise, why would it be held underground? It was the first underground meeting he had attended in almost eighteen years.

And that gut feeling was bad.

As he continued to descend the stairs, Faust's mind continued to drift back and forth to the upcoming meeting.

What was it? Why can't he point it out?

Meetings like these can usually be discussed without the need for the underground which is meant for the most serious matters such as war.

No, even when the war ensued between Belmaid and Cresencia, the underground room was never used. All meetings happened in the palace's regular meeting room with the other nobles.

Unless...?

'It couldn't be.' He shook his head because there was no way word would've gotten out.

There were only four people inside the conference room that time when Pier revealed who he really was. Only Asher, Elena, King Henry, and Him. Other than that, he might have told his cousin too but Faust knew that little dimwit wouldn't even bother blabbering his mouth to anyone else especially since he knew that spreading the word of what the young master really was would result in the darkness' curse being implied on him.