NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21: Code Name, Cobra
After Gerald gave his greetings, his head remained low. Without being addressed, he didn't dare to lift his head up.
"Crown Prince, the culprit of the delay has arrived." Ignoring Gerald's presence, Curtis informed Leonard.
"A certified 3-star slave merchant huh." Leonard's voice resounded from inside the carriage. "A 3-star is very almighty. They can block off the path of a Crown Prince."
Almost immediately, Gerald's body trembled visibly. Leonard's tone wasn't low, and even if it was, the atmosphere was deadly silent.
Hence, everyone outside could hear the sarcastic remark from Leonard.
THUD!
Gerald's knees kissed the ground. He pleaded for mercy while explaining the circumstances. "This lowly slave merchant dares not block the Crown Prince's path. These slaves escaped from a secured cage that had just been inspected by a few mages in the Mage Association. I don't know how it malfunctioned all of a sudden."
"A few mages inspected the cage prior to the incident? Do you have any evidence to back up the claim?" Leonard didn't even need to respond when Curtis intervened and questioned.
There was no need for Leonard to speak any further toward a person like Gerald. It was beneath his status to have even talked with Gerald for a while.
Upon being interrogated, Gerald remained composed and retrieved a letter from his pocket.
"Here's the certificate evidence of the inspection, Sir." He handed the letter over to Curtis.
As Curtis received the letter, his expression frowned a bit. 'This is indeed the Mage Association Seal of Approval.'
Despite confirming the seal was authentic, Curtis still made a few verifications. Only when all the verification tests were completed did Curtis inform Leonard.
"Crown Prince, here's the letter," Curtis said and handed over the letter through a magic formation. The magic formation allowed convenient access without requiring the occupant to open the door and stay protected inside.
As the letter passed through the magic formation, inside the carriage, Leonard held the letter.
He opened it and read the content.
'An inspection from a week ago.' He frowned and realized the water might be a bit too deep.
"You want to take a look at it, Lady Mirelle?" Leonard shifted his attention to her.
"Sure," Mirelle nodded. After a few browsing, she commented, "The letter content is authentic and complies with the procedure. There's no foul play here."
To prove her point further, Mirelle manipulated the surrounding mana and chanted the Runic Tongue of Elarith language. Soon, the letter began to glow vibrantly and unveil a symbol that depicted two phoenixes in flight.
"Each Mage Association in different continents will use their unique emblems. The Valdoria Continent is two phoenixes in flight, which means the slave merchant had the inspection in this continent." Mirelle explained.
Nodding, Leonard learned about each continent's emblems and their symbolization from the library already. The two phoenixes in flight represented rebirth, balance, and multicultural harmony.
Needless to say, it was quite ironic when the current incident revolved around slavery content.
"If the slave merchant is speaking the truth, then it appears someone else intends to delay or halt my journey."
"That is most likely the case." Mirelle was quite baffled that the Crown Prince of Aldros would be meeting obstacles left and right. Their carriage had barely traveled much distance when they were forced to come to a halt.
Not even a small Baron would receive such obstruction.
Mirelle thought Leonard would wait hopelessly in the carriage. After all, the slaves were running amok and deemed unsafe to continue to travel.
But to her astonishment, Leonard suddenly declared. "Detain Slave Merchant Gerald and transfer all his remaining slaves to my palace's prison cell. I'll have Spencer investigate the incident and compile the report."
It wasn't just Mirelle being astonished, but even the capital guards and Gerald were stunned by the declaration.
Only Curtis remained expressionless. To him, the Crown Prince's words were the law. He only needed to adhere and follow through with whatever command Leonard gave.
"Didn't you hear the Crown Prince's words? Transfer all the remaining slave cages over here!" Curtis shouted at the dazed capital guards.
"But this isn't the protocol…" One of the capital guards tried to reason with Curtis.
Alas, Curtis simply harrumphed and waved his hand slightly. Soon, a few silhouettes hiding in the shadow emerged and apprehended the capital guard who had spoken out of turn.
While the other capital guards were baffled by the swift action, Curtis' voice resounded to them.
"The guard tried to disobey the Crown Prince's order. I have reason to believe the guard might have colluded with the slave merchant to harm the Crown Prince."
Almost immediately, the capital guards' faces turned ashen white. By this time, they seemed to have understood that this wasn't a simple case of escaping slaves. Instead, it involved a political movement that could potentially be aiming at Leonard's life.
They stared at their apprehended companion with a look of pity. Anyone who attempted to speak on his behalf would only end up being associated with the crime.
The capital guards enjoyed great authority, and even some nobles feared and respected them. However, toward the Crown Prince or any other prince, the capital guards were no different than an ant.
Sometime later, the rest of the slaves were transported over for inspection.
Curtis had the other Crimson Guards remain in the position to protect Leonard while he went to check the slaves. When he spotted their condition, he knew they had been malnourished and incapable of exerting much of their strength.
With a snap of a finger, more Crimson Guards from other corners emerged as they bowed in front of Curtis.
"Transport these slaves and the slave merchant to the palace prison cell. Make sure to separate the two and inform Sir Reed of the incident." Curtis commanded.
"Yes, Cobra." The Crimson Guards received the order and addressed Curtis by his code name, Cobra.
The Crimson Guards addressed each other in their code name, with only three individuals exempted from the rules.
"Curtis, aside from transferring them. Help the capital guards capture all the escaped slaves. I want to see for myself how capable they are." Leonard's voice resounded once again. He wanted to see the end of this particular incident.