CHAPTER 72: SUSPICIONS

Everyone turned toward the source of the sound—and all stiffened a bit when they saw it was the Third Prince again.

Alice looked at Rudeous, unsure what to say.

"Sure, Prince. If you say he will reach safely, then nothing can happen to him," came Rudeous’s reply. One moment he was a responsible father; the next, his demeanor shifted in the face of power.

No one could blame him, though. It was the prince, after all. And if he said Logan would return safely, then he meant it—and he would see it through.

"Mom, don’t worry. I’ll be back before you even know it."

Logan knew how anxious his mother always was. He tried to console and convince her—because the royal palace and their home in Aerundal were far apart. Even by carriage, the journey would take a minimum of two days.

Alice stepped forward and hugged Logan.

"Come back soon, okay?"

"Sure, Mom."

Logan smiled, then turned toward his father.

"Dad, I’ll leave with the prince, then. Get back safely."

"Don’t worry. We will," Rudeous replied.

"You better come back soon, Logan. The later you return, the more extra hours you’ll be burning at night."

Ardyn added. He tried to look serious. He wanted Logan to get back soon. As he enjoyed watching the boy trying new techniques and never failing to amaze him now and then.

"Sure." Logan replied.

And then he turned to Morgan and Zephyr.

"Till next time, then."

"Sure."

Both replied in unison.

Logan walked toward Rowan, and together they descended the stairs and headed for the carriage waiting outside the main entrance of the tournament arena.

The carriage waiting outside was a scene worth watching. Its intricate decorations and polished exterior were striking. Rowan never liked traveling in such an extravagant, eye-catching way, but as a prince, he had to maintain protocol. Still, he felt slightly embarrassed bringing Logan along in something so flashy. Though Logan was just a kid, his presence still felt like that of mature person.

Everyone in the Smith family followed them to the outside and watched as the two boys entered the carriage. Before it departed, Logan leaned out and gave Alice a polite smile and a gentle wave. Alice smiled and waved back.

The carriage started moving, the horses letting out a sharp "neeeiiighhh!"

And just like that, the carriage began to roll forward, fading slowly into the distance.

One person, however, stared at the retreating carriage with visible concern in her eyes.

It was Mirena.

The more days passed, the more control she seemed to lose. And now, that concern was beginning to consume her. And Darius? He had already stopped dreaming about the position of patriach anymore.

"Let’s head back home," Rudeous finally said, breaking the silence.

Meanwhile, Zephyr and his father Alek Albrecht exited the tournament arena. As they walked outside, they caught a glimpse of Logan leaving with the prince.

"That boy is sure lucky," Alek muttered.

"He isn’t lucky. He’s strong. Very strong," Zephyr replied flatly.

"Strong? Please. If you had fought him, you could’ve easily won. But you were reckless and lost in the semifinals. Do you even realize how much shame you’ve brought upon House Albrecht?"

Alek’s voice was sharp with disappointment.

It was exactly why Zephyr didn’t want his father to come. This tournament had never been about what Zephyr wanted, it was just an opportunity for the Albrecht to build up influence over other noble families. But Zephyr was tired of being the chess piece.

He didn’t respond. Because logic never worked with a man who valued pride more than reason.

Another boy stepped out of the arena with a gloomy expression—Rovan—followed closely by his father Donald Yale and several family elders. None of them spoke. None met anyone’s eyes. The weight of failure hung heavily over them.

Donald, a marquess, had expected greatness. But his son hadn’t even reached the semifinals. And the loss came as a shock to Rovan as well. It was a huge blow to his pride.

They walked away as fast as they could. Soon, the arena was almost empty.

The Smith family was already seated in their carriage, about to depart, when a voice suddenly called out:

"Rudeous!"

Rudeous looked outside the carriage window and saw, it was none other than John William, the head judge from the Courtmage division.

He stepped out quickly and approached John in a few hurried strides.

"Relax, Rudeous. I just want to talk for a few minutes. Do you have time?" John asked.

"What do you mean by if I have time, Mr. William? Of course I have," Rudeous replied with a polite smile.

"Good. That son of yours—the younger one. Why haven’t we heard about him before? Did he go through some kind of special training you couldn’t disclose publicly?"

"Um... no, Mr. William. It’s nothing like that. Actually, there were some family matters, and due to the circumstances, I had to keep things within the family," Rudeous explained, careful not to reveal too much.

"I see," John nodded. "So you’re certain he didn’t receive any specialized training?"

"No, Mr. John. I assure you, he didn’t go through any special training," Rudeous replied. "It’s been three years since he started training under Ardyn Vex. I believe you’ve heard of him. That’s all. No hidden methods."

"And what kind of training did he undergo under Ardyn Vex?" John asked again, suspicion still lingering in his tone. Something about Logan didn’t sit right with him. Something... unusual.

"Magic casting. Combat with magic. Nothing out of the ordinary," Rudeous replied firmly.

He didn’t know why John was so persistent, but he made sure not to mention anything about Logan’s gravity training.

"Well, thank you. That’s all I needed to know. I’ll see you another time. Take care," John said, turning away.

Rudeous watched him walk off for a moment, then turned and climbed back into the carriage.

Soon after, their carriage began the long journey back to Aerundal.

Back inside the empty arena, a figure appeared beside John.

"Keep an eye on the Smith family," John said without looking. "Gather whatever information you can about the youngest son."

"Got it," the man replied.