Early morning, Cabel receive the report from his shadow knight about the incident that has happened in the borders of the Shield Forest and the Bahalkii Kingdom.

"So, there was something like this…?"

​​

"Yes, Guild Master, I heard from the knights that there was some spell laid underground and corpses as well…"

"Hmmm..."

Some of the nobles in high ranking positions have a gist of what was happening in the Levingstone Kingdom.

However, there is a lack of action from the nobles as the only missing people are commoners and the abduction has been happening from different locations and can't coincide with one another.

Cabel has also been investigating this matter and helping Duke Keene about the incidents.

He tossed the report back to his desk.

"Then where did Evelyn go?"

The shadow knight in front of him and who has the task to keep an eye on Evelyn answered.

"After she slipped from the temple, we lost her in the back alley, the Lady used teleportation magic… and we didn't know where the coordinates in the spell was. I apologize, Guild Master..."

Cabel sighs. Every time he took his eyes away from Evelyn, she vanished within a second.

At that moment, a shadow knight entered his office.

"You can go…" Cabel said to one of the shadow knights who tailed Evelyn.

Cabel looked up and saw that it was one of the shadow knights that was tasked on receiving a report from the other shadow knights at the Nights Guild.

"What are you doing here? Did something happen to the Guild?"

"No, Guild Master. We receive a report that one of the shadow knights inside the academy saw the entourage of the Emsworth Duchy."

"Well, isn't the report the other day said that the Duke will go to the St. Prisch Academy for something… so, what about it?"

"The Duke was said to be gravely injured…"

"What?!"

Cabel was shocked and stood up abruptly. While the shadow knight who was tasked on receiving the other report from their base continued to explain.

"It was said that the security within the back gate became strict and the guards didn't let the students near the south palace. It was suspicious so our spy tried to sniff around them and saw that the Duke were unconscious and gravely injured."

Cabel became quiet as he thought that the attack and the incident in the Shield Forest cannot be just a coincidence.

"It feels like someone is orchestrating this… to make sure that no one will think about the whereabouts of the Duke while the others are busy trying to unveil the connection of that Cabin and the missing residents."

Cabel mumbled to himself. He plopped down and sat again. Tapped his wooden table as he thought about what kind of disaster was lurking in the shadow and why is it that the Emsworth family seems to be the center of it all.

At that moment, the shadow knight who gave the report from the St. Prisch Academy continued again.

"Guild Master, the report also said that the Lady was there and was dressed in disguise…"

One of the few things that Cabel made sure is that his shadow knight will be aware of Evelyn's disguise and they will remember her just by her disguised chestnut eyes and hair locks.

It was one of the few things that Cabel drilled into the shadow knights head. He didn't want to risk being left again and with no clue on his hand.

"She came to her father's side rather than coming to the Shield Forest?"

Cabel understand why Evelyn left in a haste. He knit his brows and thought about the coincidence of the siblings receiving a report with different incidents.

'But how did she receive a report when she was there standing as a female knight of the Crown Prince?'

He didn't even see or feel a presence that someone gave her a report, she just slipped away from them and with the looks of Silvester, he also didn't know the reason why.

It means that no one knew where she was going or what she would be doing?

"Keep an eye on her and also the Duke's condition... " Cabel said to the shadow knight.

"About that… Guild Master…"

That pause that the shadow knight made just made Cabel feel that he was getting a deja vu.

"Don't tell me she was gone again?" Cabel asked.

"Yes, Guild Master… the report said that the Lady vanished after the morning came…"

Cabel leaned on his desk and supported his head using his left hand.

"I really need to be with her 24/7... "

His long lushes fluttered as he blinked a few times while he thought about where Evelyn must have gone to.

"Prepare the carriage… I'll be going out to fetch her…"

***

At the temple, Silvester was preparing to depart. It was still morning but Evelyn still hasn't come back.

Silvester doesn't know where his cousin might be however as Sir George told him about Evelyn's expression before she left, he knew that something must have happened. He just doesn't know what it is.

And it's making him anxious when he doesn't know what was happening around her. Silvester decided to ask sir George, his right hand man.

"Did she get back? What did her company say?"

"They still haven't got any news but they said that she's alright."

"And how did they know that?"

Silvester knit his brows and Sir George also did the same.

"I don't know… when I ask, they said something about they have a connection with her…"

Silvester became baffled.

'What connection? They didn't have much interaction with Evelyn when we were at the academy… so what are they saying?' Silvester thought.

Of course, he didn't know that Evelyn and the other's are her contracted Spirits and they pretty much knew when something was about to happen to Evelyn or if she was doing alright. And that's why they are firm about Evelyn being alright.

If something were to happen, they will be the one to know because of their connection and because they will feel the same pain as their contractor.

A knock came in the door and Silvester and Sir George became alert.

"Your highness, the Saint wants to talk to you before your departure…" The nun said behind the closed doors.

"Oh, please come in…"

Elise came with her white dress that again was a sign of her purity as a Saint of the Light Temple.

"How was your sleep, your highness…?" Elise asked at the start of their conversation.

Silvester pointed to the sofa in the guest room that he was staying. The minimalist design complimented the simplicity of Elise beauty. She was radiating like she was the Light herself.

"It was great… I haven't had a peaceful sleep, it must be because I was at the Temple of Light."

"I'm glad…"

Elise then glanced at Silvester guard that was sticking on the wall.

"I don't see that female knight…"

Silvester stopped and looked at Sir George who was calm.

"She's in the knights quarters… I told her to assist the knights and pack their stuff."

"Hmm… alright."

Elise didn't pursue it.

'She was just a knight… she's insignificant.' she thought.

Silvester smiled at her while Elise started to tell why she decided to visit so early in the morning.

One of the temple trainees to become a sister pour some tea. Silvester just watched the smoke coming from the newly poured hot tea.

Elise took the cup and looked at her reflection on the tea. She smiled like she just won. Silvester saw this and thought about what was going on in her head.

However, Elise decided to tell him what it is.

"By the way, did you know that the Emsworth Duchy seems to have a problem… there's been rumor going around right now."

Silvester stopped when he's about to reach his own cup of tea. He turned his head to Elise and saw that she had the hint of sadness to her face but her ocean eyes are definitely smiling.

At that time, a knock came in and Evelyn entered.

"The Emsworth seems to have had their residents missing for the past four years and now they saw sacrificial patterns on the outskirts of the Shield Forest."

"What?"

Silvester can't believe what she was saying, while Evelyn stopped at Sir George's side. Silvester and Evelyn locked eyes.

Elise turned her head and saw the female knight, Adelyn.

"Oh, there she is…" she smiled at her.

She was amused at Silvester's reaction. Evelyn snapped at her stupor when she saw the glee in Elise's eyes.

She gave her respect by slightly nodding her head. However, her eyes were holding her anger.

Evelyn remembered how Elise smiled when her brother just dashed out yesterday after he received a report. That time, she didn't have time to ask the elementals about the shocking news that made her brother stand up abruptly.

Silvester then asked Elise.

"What do you mean about sacrificial patterns?"

Elise silently looked at him.

"It's just like what I said, your highness… Sacrificing the people by using their life. An evil practice was happening in the Emsworth Duchy"

****

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