"Roger Alpheus?" Diana frowned.

Lucas nodded as a reply. "Before I could explain about how is it connected to the duke, let me explain the details first. I was a student of the former magician of the Black Tower, and he ordered me to seal someone from his world."

Claude narrowed his eyes. "A student, you say?"

"Yes, sire." Lucas nodded. "Do you still remember Nicholas Kleene?"

"I don't remember the name of a man who is dead," Claude said coldly, almost making Lucas scoff but he saved it with another nod.

"Yes, it's him. After the death of his family, Nicholas fell into darkness and became a dark magician who destroys time," Lucas said. Hopefully that the king and queen believe in this lie, he doesn't have time to explain the truth and it will only confuse them more. It's better this way. "And destroying time is one of the forbidden magic to cast."

"And Athanasia has the power of time..." Diana muttered, her hand slowly reaching to her mouth to cover it.

Claude stares at his wife in worry, he held her other hand to comfort her.

"Yes, your majesty." Lucas nodded. He sure nods a lot tonight. "I have actually sealed him weeks ago but someone suddenly took it."

"And the duke took it?" Claude assumed.

"No, your majesty. It was his son."

Lucas could see the anger in Claude's eyes, he's sure that the king is ready to destroy half of the country—rather, the whole country.

"Though, it was accidentally," Lucas added to stop Claude to utter a word or casting magic. "Sir Alpheus was sick and one of the magicians held him the bottle that Nicholas was in. Nicholas may have taken Sir Alpheus's body after he took the bottle home."

"I shall go to the duke's mansion," Claude said, standing up. Diana followed too. "If my daughter's there then I will come too."

Lucas also stood up. "I know that you two are worried sick about your daughter but if you go there, it might cause an uproar in the kingdom. You know how insidious the kingdom is when it comes to this. As king and queen, you make sure to keep the kingdom as it is, I will save the princess."

"How bold of you to order me like that," Claude growled, glaring at Lucas. The latter stood straight and faced the king. "I only wanted to do what's best, your majesty. I am not ordering you and you know that this is the right way to do."

Claude pursed his lips, looking for a flaw in Lucas's eyes but failed. He took a deep breath. "You promise me to take my daughter home and without a scratch."

"I promise, sire. I won't let Nicholas hurt her, even take a strand of her hair," Lucas promised, his voice became cold as the thought of Athanasia getting hurt appeared in his mind.

Diana patted Lucas's shoulder. "We will put our trust in you Lucas. Save our daughter."

"I will."

Lucas left the palace with the guards that he had called earlier. It's better to have the Obelia soldiers on his side to make everything easy. He knows he could take Nicholas on by himself but he needs the soldiers for easy access.

-

"W-What do we do?"

"Call the duke, of course!"

"What happened here??"

"It's the Obelian soldiers... with a magician?"

"What are they doing here?"

Lucas rolled his eyes, listening to the whispers around him. They sure made such a ruckus here, he should have gone with Felix. He hates it to be the center of attention.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Lucas stood straight, hearing the familiar voice coming towards them. "Sorry for the sudden visit Duke Alpheus."

"Lucas," Roger immediately recognized the boy. "What brings you here all of a sudden?"

"We're here for your son, Ijekiel," Lucas said. He stood bravely as he soon noticed the change of expression that the duke gave after mentioning his son's name.

"What do you need from my son?" Roger cautiously asked.

Despite bringing one of the strongest soldiers in the kingdom, the duke sure is brave to say that.

That's parents for you.

...

Lucas shook off the thought and sighed. "We're not looking for trouble Duke, it's just your son has accidentally taken a sealed bottle instead of medicine. And I'm here to take it back."

"And why the soldiers?"

"Because the person who is sealed in the bottle is someone very dangerous."

Roger blinked, the anger in his eyes turned to worries. "But Ijekiel just left earlier."

"You haven't noticed anything weird in him?" Lucas asked, sighing as he ran his hand through his hair.

"No... He's been in his room for almost a day after getting his medicine..." Roger replied.

Lucas clicked his tongue. "I was too late..."

"What?!" Roger exclaimed. "Then my son...!"

"Yes, there's no doubt..." Lucas muttered, nodding. He turned to face the soldiers behind him. "Go to these places, the central plaza, the main gate, and the marketplace, I'll go to the orphanage, call me if you see the duke's son!"

"Yes sir!" The soldiers nodded and scattered, heading to the place that Lucas told them. Those are the places that Nicholas uses every time he kidnaps Athanasia, though he might have taken her to a new place, Lucas just wanted to make sure.

"Lucas!" Roger called before Lucas could leave. "M-My son, is he going..."

"He's going to be fine, duke. I'm going to save him so don't worry," Lucas told him then left with a snap of a finger.

Lucas arrived in a small library store and rolled his eyes with a scoff. "You better owe me Whitey."

-

yey im backkkk