THE FORTUNIST

58. Rayton

“Albeny's international relations have greatly dwindled since the Tai Forest formation and cryfix origin.”

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When Feng Lemohn had told Anarella and Rayton that the other half of the cryfixes had been transported to the palace, Anarella had not believed him straight away. She had this thing against nobles. After leaving Feng behind to sneak his way into his own home, she had insisted on masterful eavesdropping.

But Feng had not been lying and Rayton found himself thinking about Leign's letter with more force. Leign had claimed that the Lord General had gotten drunk on power, keeping Idris Beckefort hostage in the palace and refusing to host the Bureau. Leign also feared that Xihan was planning something sinister because he had seen him and his wife going down some discreet passage. But that was all Leign knew.

Rayton has the urge to return to the palace and put all the farce to an abrupt end. He hopes Lay had somehow found Ciara Mulden and the drawing but even if Lay had not succeeded, Rayton is not expecting much from a little girl he met thirteen years ago. Ruling the kingdom without the royal cryfixes would certainly be less problematic than some sort of grand royal conspiracy.

After a definite confirmation, the duo found themselves racing time, bursting through exclusive portal after exclusive portal to reach the palace. Rayton feared that they might be too late. Xihan had just made it easier for the assassin to get his hands on the cryfixes— not that anything seemed particularly hard for that asshole.

They had finally arrived at the palace which had a seeming influx of both palace guards, city's watch officers, and soldiers.

"We just want to speak with the Royal Highness. He knows we are coming," Anarella brandished the Dropp Seal. At a point, she got tired of waving her arms and since they were already past the thickest, she and Rayton just knocked out anyone they saw.

"Where would Xihan hide the cryfixes. Can you just try for fortune's love if you can pull the trick you pulled in Dian?"

To listen for the cryfixes. Rayton closed his eyes and expanded his hearing senses while selectively kicking out sounds that were not relevant.

Rayton frowned.

"What's wrong?"

And what about you? The things you have done, won't you regret them? If I say them out loud so you can hear it from a stranger's lips…

Anarella shook him out of his concentration. She was looking annoyed and impatient that Rayton knew he had to appease her. "Throne room."

She raised a brow. "You know where that is?"

"Come on," he tried to reconcentrate his hearing but they were more guards to put down. These were the inner circle and Rayton did not want any of them to recognise him where Anarella was concerned. They finally reached the throne room and Anarella kicked the two big doors which swing back ajar.

The sight before Rayton had been priceless, and the conversation afterward even more so with the assassin calling himself Zen and the ninth cryfix.

They are six in the room— the assassin, Zen sitting on the throne. Lord General Xihan standing front of it. Lay and a girl whom Anarella seemed to recognise. In fact, everyone seemed to recognise at least one person.

"Why's he get to sit on the throne?" Anarella queries. Rayton notices the cryfixes on the assassin's laps, all there. Even Salem's Flower and the Sun's Chronicle.

"Me?" Zen has a normal almost musical sounding voice. "It's because I'm the one with the purest heart here."

"You dirty…!" Rayton pulls Anarella back.