Standing beside the two carriages, Igor gazes at the departing backs. He sighed, "Your Excellency, was letting them accompany Caesar really the right decision?"

Beside him gazed Libertas at the departing backs. Similar, he sighed, "I don't know. But let's see it that way. If the are set to follow and decided to do something, could you change that?"

Igor didn't answer. However, Libertas didn't expect an answer to this. As such he continued to say, "Unlikely. Petro is at least at the Transcendence Stage, or else how would he trick my father? You are just at the Foundation. You, me, or anyone else won't be able to do anything to hinder him."

With each word spoken, Libertas' head lowered until he saw his shoe. Despairing at his weakness, he told, "We don't even know how to comprehend the law, to advance a stage or anything about the Imaginary World. If we are lucky we may advance but then what? Further comprehend the law, which we don't even know how to."

Libertas sighed, "Do you remember the teacher, Mallory? He said, we should advance our mind, broaden our horizon, and one day we will be enlightened about our law. Then, we will advance to the next stage. He assured, the Imaginary World will reflect our understanding, but he doesn't even know, which rules the Imaginary World follows. We don't know a single thing. Igor, tell me. Will we remain weak, hopeless as others decide our fate? Igor, show me. Will I see everyone I loved, leave me?"

In the end, Libertas clutched franticly at himself. The world hated him. It will nevertheless take once more everything from him. Why bother forming new relationships? What about the old relationships? Discard them! Why fret about them, regardless of anything, they won't hold for long.

It became hard to breath. The world faded, lost in colourful lustre. Wasn't this new world at the end as dull as his old? A rope tightened around the throat. The shivering slowed, gradually Libertas turned indifferent to the world, once again.

After a brief hesitation, Igor embraced Libertas tightly. Countless stares directed themselves at the two but none of them cared about that. Igor whispered gently, "Your Excellency, I promise, I won't leave you! Even if you are weak, please believe that I would protect you with my life. Please, just don't despair. I don't know what is currently happening with you but you can speak about everything with me. It may not be now, but I will always be there for you, and be ready to listen."

Silence. The caring words sounded dull and fake. After a while, Libertas forcefully pushed Igor away. Igor didn't oppose, and let it happen. Libertas then calmly spoke, "Let us go now!"

"Sirs, wait a moment!"

A guard rushed to them, blocking the path. Apathetic, Libertas asked, "What do you want?"

Stumped, the guard stammered, "Em, eh, ah! I need to inspect the carriages!"

Libertas pointed at a carriage passing by theirs, "Why don't you go inspect this?"

The guard laughed awkwardly, "Ahaha, yeah. I, ah! I will exactly do that now! But until I have inspected your carriages, you can't go, understood?"

Swiftly, the guard left to stop that innocent carriage. Seeing that the guard had left to check the passing carriage, Libertas called another guard, "Hey, you! Please inspect our carriages!"

"Alright, please wait a moment."

The unsuspecting guard who just left to inspect the passing carriage jumped out of it. Tired, he stretched himself. This was the most throughout inspection he had done in his whole life. He glanced in Libertas direction, only to be shocked.

He froze. The merchant approached him, asking him, "Are you done? Can I go now?"

The questions woke the guard up, he pushed the merchant away and rushed back to Libertas. Once more the merchant shouted at him, cursing, "Hey! What the fuck are you doing?! Hey, can I go now? Yes or no? Answer!"

Irritated, the guard shouted back, "No!"

The new guard who came to inspect the carriages, smilingly said to Libertas, "Everything was inspected. You are ready to-"

Suddenly, someone pushed him down to the ground while trying to forcefully shut his mouth. Seeing the one who did that, he shouted, "Bob!? What the hell are you doing?"

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Bob, the guard, sighed in relief. He then stood up as if nothing had happened. Patting his shoulders, he ignored his colleague at the ground. Composed, he said to Libertas, "I am sorry. My colleague was mistaken. We need to inspect the carriage once more."

A monkey with blood-like fur towered over Bob. It growled, "Shall I beat you up?"

Instantly, Bob stumbled back, falling on his fellow guard who in turn yelled once more, "Fuck! Bob! What the hell are you doing?!"

Hastily Bob stood up while shouting elated, "Young Master, you are finally here!"

Seeing his colleague continue laying stunned on the ground, he pulled his fellow guard as he scolded him, "Why didn't you stand up? Don't you respect the young master? Are courting death?"

Grimly the fellow guard replied, "Shut up!"

Ignoring the two guards, the young master elegantly walked to Libertas. His entourage closely following behind him. Smoothly, with a gentle smile on the face, the young master spoke, "Your Highness, nice to see you again. Could you show me the honour of inviting you to my humble abode?"

Libertas glanced at his group, then at the entourage of the young master. Several elite soldiers could be seen under them. He turned to his group, "Only me, right? Igor, lead the others, follow the route we set."

Igor worried voice sounded, "Your-"

However, the young master interrupted, "I am sorry to disappoint Your Highness but I would like to invite your ladies too."

Libertas frowned, unpleasant memories resurfaced. He hesitated, he was reluctant to drag innocents into this mess but could he change it through his actions. He opened his mouth to reply, "A-"

"Alright, we will come with you."

The succubi answered. Libertas nodded at them, they smiled sweetly back. The young master clapped his hands, smugly telling, "A wise choice, miladies. Now, if you can please follow me."

Libertas glanced one last time at Igor, seeing him clenching the fist. Libertas nodded at him before turning around, following the young master. Suddenly, a hairy hand stopped him moving on. He glanced back and saw the monkey-brothers. He brushed the hand from his shoulders, then spoke, "Leave. You won't be able to protect me."

"You will die."

"Everyone will one day die. No one lives forever."

"We haven't paid back our debt."

"Go, and protect Igor. This is enough."

The monkey-brother gazed deep into Libertas' eyes, hesitated, then left, "We will remember you. Live on, we haven't repaid our debt. Don't forget your noble soul."

Seeing them leave, Libertas lightly smiled mockingly at himself. Then he hurried up to follow the young master. They walked through the street, back to the marketplace, further into the core part of the city.

After taking turns after turns, they finally reached a grand mansion. It was surrounded by a wall with troops regularly marching around it. They entered, the entourage dispersed. Glancing around, there weren't any servants, only slaves with the blood mark on their forehead.

It was eerily quiet, the mood was dead instead of lively as if this was a graveyard. Every single slave wore black like they were mourning at a funeral. Did someone recently die? The young master led them into a room.

It was unusually simple. Four chairs, a table, and four cups of tea. The young master closed the door. Instantly, he demeanour changed. His straight back relaxed, lightly slumped. Lazily, like a thug, he walked to a chair, letting himself fall on top of it. With the swing of the hand, he drank a mouthful.

He loudly exhaled after he swung the cup back to the table. Then he complained to himself, "Ah, such a pain in the ass! It is pretty hard to always keep one's image, as the prince charming. Hehe, but at least, are all the girls naively walking into my bed."

Noticing that the others were still standing, he frowned, "Sit! Follow me or die! Your brother isn't here to protect you!"

Libertas looked one last time around, shrugged his shoulders, and sat on a chair. The succubi placed their hand under their chest as they seductive walked the table. Sitting down at a chair, their hands slipped into their own nether region. The young master laughed lecherously, "They understood the situation. What about you?"

Seeing Libertas with no intention to answer, the young master frowned. He took back his hand who was stretching to one of the succubi. Then he sighed annoyed, "Do you understand that you have offended me? I could kill you anytime I want. If you don't comply, I will kill you, understood? Do you now know what to do? Or do you prefer death?"

Unconcerned, Libertas asked back with nonchalant, "What should I do in your opinion?"

The young master froze, stunned for a moment at that unexpected reaction. Then he rowdily laughed out, "You even need to ask that? Are you stupid or what? Let me tell you. You should grovel at my feet, lick my boots, as you swear eternal fealty to me!"

Libertas glanced at the dirty boot of the young master. Following, he looked straight into the young master's eyes, and casually asked, "Don't you know my father? Is this a revolt?"

The young master smiled mockingly, "You really don't understand your circumstances. His Majesty doesn't even care a bit about you. You were the crown prince, but in the end, you remain as trash! Don't you think, I don't know His Majesty discarded you to the southern border. Doesn't this mean, he wants you dead? I will fulfil that wish!"

"Oh, congratulation then."

Seeing Libertas keeping his nonchalance to the bitter end, the young master frowned. The succubi threw concerned looks at Libertas. The vision of the three blurred. Libertas inquired about one last thing before he fell unconscious, "Well, did you drug the air while keeping the antidote in the tea?"

The succubi soon followed into the lands of darkness. The young master smirked, "Nope, only mine's."

In the end, Libertas didn't hear the answer but he didn't care much about that. He didn't even care much about that he may never ever see the light of the day again. There was a faint smile on his face. It was expressing his frail expectation for eternal peace.

Why again was he caring so much about living? There was no reason, but he should have had one. However, he had forgotten the reason. Nevertheless, it didn't matter now. He was tired…, let him sleep….