A week had swiftly passed since Edwin had been brought to Vlad's lair.

During this short period, Edwin had diligently practiced The Primal Breath technique that Vlad had taught him.

The exotic fruits provided by Vlad had filled Edwin's body with energy, making it easier for him to instinctively channel the nature chakra and heal his injuries through The Primal Breath.

Remarkably, within just a week, Edwin began to faintly sense the nature chakra in his surroundings and how it entered his body with each breath.

When Vlad discovered this newfound ability, his expression shifted from stern to pure astonishment. His eyebrows shot up, his eyes widened, and his jaw nearly hit the ground.

'I knew this boy had talent considering that he is someone who possesses a Royal Bloodline, but sensing nature chakra within a week is simply extraordinary! And this is when he isn’t even Blessed by Nature! Boy…He is going to be a monster when he grows up. A monster just like [that] guy.'

As he came to this realization, Vlad soon recovered his composed look and thought, ‘Looks like the experiment might be a success, after all!’

To Edwin, the nature chakra felt like a warm, soothing energy that flowed through his body and eased his injuries.

With this newfound awareness, Edwin's healing speed skyrocketed.

His bones, muscles, and tendons started to mend to the point that Edwin could get up and walk on his own.

Of course, this activity came with its share of pain, but it was a significant achievement for the determined young prince.

Throughout the past week, the changes reached far beyond the confines of the small lair.

As Edwin diligently honed his mastery of The Primal Breath to mend his injuries, the Royal Guards broadened their search to locate him.

Among them, John, the captain of the Royal Guards, embarked on a solo mission to consult an information broker working under a discreet freelance contract with the Royal Family.

The particular information broker he sought was named Sam. Sam was an individual who enjoyed life to its fullest, spending his wealth on indulgences and fleeting pleasures, seemingly with no regard for the future.

John held a certain critical view of Sam's lifestyle, believing that he was squandering his prime years rather than building a foundation for a stable life ahead. However, he couldn't deny that Sam was a trustworthy source capable of getting the job done.

John knocked on Sam's door four times, a prearranged signal to alert Sam of his arrival. The door swiftly swung open, and John was ushered inside.

"Thank goodness you're here, Captain John! I've been meaning to approach you for a while now. I have a favor to ask," Sam said with palpable relief in his voice.

Before John could respond, Sam interjected with an air of righteousness, "There are a few gang members down the alley. Could you please head that way and apprehend them? They're all delinquents who deserve to be locked up!"

An irritated twitch appeared on John's forehead as he retorted, "Quit trying to rope me into your mess! You've probably borrowed money again, and those guys are here to collect forcefully!"

Sam whistled innocently in response and continued, "Captain John, you wound me! Do you truly believe that a diligent and loyal citizen of the Brolia Empire like me would resort to such underhanded methods to evade my debts?"

John shot back instantly, "Exactly! You're exactly that kind of man!" He then adopted a more serious tone, saying, "Enough of your nonsense; I'm here for an important matter!"

Sam promptly interrupted him, wearing a self-assured smirk. "I know exactly why you're here. It's because the Seventh Prince Edwin is missing, isn't it?"

John's eyes narrowed in response to Sam's words, his voice growing cold. "How did you come by this information?"

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"That, my dear Captain, is a well-guarded trade secret," Sam replied with an impish grin. He continued, "I had anticipated you'd come seeking information on the prince, so I took the initiative and conducted my own investigation. What I do know is that two days ago, the prince deviated from his usual routine. He went for dumplings and then played some games with a group of children in the slums, a daily habit he'd maintained for about a month. My informer kept a close eye on him at all times."

Then, Sam's expression grew somber. "However, two days ago, my informer suddenly lost consciousness while the prince was still playing with those children in the slums. I approached and questioned those kids discreetly and discovered that the prince had left the park on the same time as well. So, it must be on the way to the palace that the prince was either abducted, or..."

John raised his hand to cut Sam off. "Say no more. His Highness must still be alive. We will find him."

"I hope you find him swiftly. Time is of the essence," Sam replied nonchalantly.

"Now, in return for this valuable information, could you do me a favor just this once?" Sam's tone shifted to one of pleading.

John contemplated the request for a while before finally nodding. "Since you've saved me quite a bit of time, I suppose I can do this favor for you. I'll dispatch a few Royal Guards to handle those troublemakers."

"Thank you! I knew I could rely on you!" Sam expressed his gratitude with genuine delight.

Over the course of that day and the next, the Royal Guards combed through the slum area of the capital, scouring every nook and cranny. They turned the entire place inside out, but frustratingly, there was still no sign of Edwin.

"Captain John, we've got nothing... No leads here," one of the Royal Guards reported, wearing a frustrated expression.

John's brow furrowed as he responded, "Let's expand our search to cover all the routes leading back to the Palace. There has to be some clue out there! Don't lose hope!"

Despite their extensive efforts, the Royal Guards couldn't find any leads on Edwin's whereabouts while scouring the routes back to the palace.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister initiated contact with the governors of nearby towns and villages, dispatching a message: "Maintain high alert within your territories and thoroughly inspect every passing carriage. Seize anything suspicious and detain its occupants until further instructions."

Although the governors were in the dark about the reasons behind these stringent orders, they surmised that something significant must have transpired in the capital to prompt such measures.

With a shared commitment to remaining in the Royal Family's good graces, they executed these orders with utmost diligence.

It had been almost six days since Edwin's disappearance.

On this day, John found himself on the shortest route back to the palace from the slums. This route seemed the most logical for the missing prince to have taken.

Thirsty from his arduous search, he reached for his earthen water bottle, only to realize it was empty.

Fortunately, the sound of a nearby river caught his attention, and he made his way there to quench his thirst.

After refilling his bottle and savoring a few sips of the cold, refreshing water, John couldn't help but feel a momentary relief.

Once he had sated his thirst, John was about to resume his search along the route, but he paused as his gaze was drawn to the flowing river.

John's memory clicked into place. This river led to the waterfall outside the capital, beneath which lay a lake.

With newfound inspiration, he headed for the Adventurer's Guild.

There, he met Evans, a close friend who led a formidable hunting party known as The Wolfpack Brotherhood.

"I need a favor from you, Evans," John said with utmost seriousness.

Evans responded with a hint of humor, "No time for a drink today, John?"

Getting straight to the point, John explained, "This matter is too urgent. I need your group’s help to guide my team through the forest beneath the cliff. We're searching for someone, and your expertise in traversing the forest will be invaluable."

Evans, confident and capable, readily agreed. He further added, "We're the best in the business, after all. I know that forest like the back of my hand."

“Good. Then gather all the members you currently can and lead my team to the forest,” John spoke seriously.

John's urgency didn't escape Evans, who muttered, "It must be a pretty big deal."

John nodded in agreement, and his expression grew even more serious. "And remember, keep this mission a secret."

Evans matched his seriousness. "You can trust us to do that."

Thus, at this very moment, numerous groups of people were making their way toward the lake formed beneath the cascading waterfall.

This was quite close to the location to the small lair where Edwin and Vlad were staying at.

Being ever watchful, Vlad had swiftly sensed their presence and conducted a discreet investigation.

A single glance was all it took for him to identify them—they were the Royal Guards of the Brolia Empire, accompanied by groups of hunters.

Noticing how the hunters and Royal Guards seemed indifferent to the various beasts that crossed their path, Vlad deduced that they must have come in search of Edwin.

With this newfound information, Vlad quietly returned to the small lair.

"Well," Vlad spoke with a hint of indifference, addressing Edwin, "it seems the soldiers from your palace are here to find you."

"Really? This means I finally reunite with my mother!" Edwin exclaimed with a smile.

Although his face showed happiness, deep down, Edwin wasn't entirely thrilled about returning to the palace.

As of now, he was thinking, 'It's good that I can meet my mother again. But I really need to be careful when I go back. There is someone who is after my life, and I have no idea who it can be. Fortunately, it's me they were after. If it was my mother, they were targeting...'

Unconsciously, Edwin's face hardened into one of icy cold look as he entertained these thoughts.

Vlad observed him quietly. He was slightly taken aback by the sudden coldness in Edwin's expression, and he couldn't help but think, 'Interesting. This young one can put on such a face too, huh.'

It was surprising to Vlad because over the past week, he had only seen Edwin in cheerful or playful states.

This was the first time he had witnessed Edwin’s cold expression, and Vlad found himself oddly satisfied by it.

"Make sure to keep quiet about my presence when you return," Vlad instructed with a tone of utmost seriousness.

Edwin, with a curious expression, inquired, "I can't even tell my mother? She'll ask so many questions about where I've been."

Vlad's response was as cold as ice, "I don't care. You must not breathe a word about me."

Edwin looked visibly disappointed and mumbled, "Okay."

Vlad raised his hand, and both he and Edwin began to levitate. They flew out of the lair and landed on a patch of green grass in the forest near the lake.

"I'll leave you here. The soldiers should find you soon," Vlad declared before swiftly departing from the area.

Once Vlad had departed, Edwin decided to lie down on the ground and feign sleep. He knew it would be troublesome if he encountered those guards while in a conscious state.

While resting on the patch of green grass, Edwin continued to practice the Primal Breath technique, hoping to inhale some nature chakra and train this technique more.

However, he soon felt disappointed as he could sense only a faint trace of nature chakra in his surroundings.

'That lair must have been special,' Edwin thought with a frown.

Nevertheless, he persisted in practicing the Primal Breath.

Vlad had told him that nature chakra existed throughout the world, albeit in varying concentrations. And training this nature chakra would have great benefits in the long run.

So, even here, by using the Primal Breath, Edwin could absorb a tiny amount of nature energy and circulate it within his body.

After all, something was better than nothing.