Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening

Arrangements for Prince Osbourne's visit to the four other cities within the Crownlands had already been completed the day before. From the carriage he would ride, to the knights who would escort his entourage — everything was ready.

There was, however, a new addition that Caleb saw coming a mile away. Princess Celine had found out about the visit and Caleb's inclusion. Not wanting to be separated from Caleb, the princess did the only thing she could to get on board — she used her puppy-dog eyes on her parents, specifically her mother.

King Gray himself folded on the first innocent look his daughter gave him, leaving the queen as the only one who had some kind of resistance to her daughter's pleas. Even then, she failed miserably, folding under Celine's charms.

"Hah… We need to build some form of resistance against your daughter, Alexander." The queen had stated once their daughter left their room that night. "She is getting a lot better at having her way. Who knew she had this side to her?"

Queen Anastasia was not very happy about her own shortcomings, but it couldn't be helped. It was why she looked to her husband to take action. Unfortunately for her, her husband could only reveal a wry smile.

"Hah… We're doomed," The queen immediately realised as soon as she saw her husband's expression. "That girl will run circles around us for eternity. I'm sure she got this trait from you."

"Don't stress too much, woman," King Gray chuckled slightly. "Also, why am I being blamed for her shenanigans?" This was the part he didn't get.

Sure, due to Celine's disorder, there were a lot of things she couldn't do before. The princess had been the perfect girl who almost always stayed in her room. But now…

A moment later, King Gray's expression turned serene as he stared at the door. "Celine hasn't had the opportunity to step outside these walls. Let the girl explore the cities with her brother for once… I would choose this every day of the week."

"..."

The queen became silent as she fell into a bit of thought, knowing very well what her husband meant. 'At least there will be two capable men by her side.'

This thought brought a gentle smile to her serious face, an expression the king did not miss. He could tell what was going through the woman's mind. After all, he had similar thoughts.

***

As the prince's entourage made its way through the city streets, the people made way, watching and wondering what was happening. While word on the street was still about the upcoming Royal Assembly, the people were unclear on the details.

Naturally, new rumours still went around. However, no word about the moments of the nobles had been made public yet. The nobles were crafty in that regard. After all, they didn't want their movements to be known before it was made.

"Wow… there are so many people," Princess Celine's eyes sparkled with genuine interest as she took in the sight through the carriage windows.

Like an excited child going on her first picnic, Celine could not get enough of what she saw. Questions after questions were directed at the two men in the carriage with her. Her spirited nature brought smiles to their faces.

Caleb observed the princess with a warm smile, following her gestures as she pointed out various sights in the city. He sat across from the two siblings, his left leg crossed over the other, seemingly enjoying the ride.

He was dressed in his usual all-black outfit with a trench coat, this time with a shirt instead of a turtleneck; he had to look a bit formal, after all. While it looked like fabric to anyone else, it was actually the mimicking prowess of his body armour — Syncra.

The prince wore a finely tailored robe of creamy white, its fabric smooth and understated, yet carrying an air of quiet refinement. Subtle gold detailing traced along the cuffs and hem, forming simple, elegant patterns rather than lavish embroidery that blended with his neatly groomed golden locks.

Princess Celine, on the other hand, did not follow in her brother's footsteps or her own, for that matter. To the shock of her parents and many others in the Royal household, the princess had the royal tailor make a replica of Caleb's style of dressing, including a trench coat.

With her golden locks gathered into a side-braided ponytail, the princess carried an air of effortless grace. Although her mother wanted Celine to follow proper Royal etiquette, she didn't have the heart to tell her no, especially when she escaped her inspection and was with Caleb at the time before their departure.

"Look, that's Goddess Myrris's Temple," Celine gazed at the grand temple of the goddess with a gentle gaze.

Her words drew Caleb's attention, prompting him to look over as he recalled a certain someone he had kind of neglected since he returned to the capital. 'I should make time for her as well during this free period.'

Shifting his gaze to the princess, Caleb saw her close her eyes with hands clasped in a silent prayer. The princess was not ignorant of the blessing the goddess brought to their family. After all, it was through the goddess that they met Caleb.

"Brother," the princess turned to her brother after saying her prayer. "We should visit the temple too. I want to see the priestess and spend a bit of time praying."

"Naturally, sis," Osbourne replied with an affirmative nod, his gaze shifting to the temple. "However, it will have to be another time, just not today."

"Mhm."

The princess returned to her sightseeing experience, throwing questions left and right, leaving both men glancing helplessly at each other. Soon, the entourage was out of the city, gradually making its way towards the first city — Velbranth.

'Jess should have done most of the work already,' Caleb thought silently, looking forward to seeing his duchess. 'Hehe, it's been a while.'

***

Jess and Crusher had already left the castle ways in the early hours of dawn, long before the sun even rose from the horizon. Their mission was to stay in the shadows and investigate the movements of the nobles before the prince, princess and Caleb left the castle.

While there were the shadow guards — the king's eyes and ears — the catwoman's particular set of spying abilities was unmatched when Caleb was taken out of the equation. The plan was to report anything unusual to the shadow forces, and they would take it from there.

The two beastkins stuck to the shadows, mainly because that was the proposed plan. However, the core reason was their reputation. They might have been pardoned, but their presence might still alert the nobles, as the entire visitation was supposedly a surprise.

The city of Velbranth was as expansive as Lunaris itself. Serving as a hub where the wealthy gathered, the city was vibrant, its streets alive with bustling markets, ornate carriages, and finely dressed citizens moving about with practised grace.

Towering spires and lavish manors lined the main avenues, a testament to the prosperity that flowed through its heart. Naturally, there were also the adventurers who roamed the streets, their presence a significant part of the kingdom's culture.

"The nobles sure are undaunted," Crusher couldn't help but be surprised. "They know the king has his eyes on them, yet they are still putting plans in place to resist."

The catwoman had uncovered some interesting things around some of the target nobles who had arrived in the city. The compromised nobles were not planning to go down without a fight.

"That's what staying in power for a long time does to a person," Jess casually said, not entirely shocked by her discoveries. "Unfortunately for them, those plans will be thwarted before seeing the light of the next day."

Despite her words, the confidence some of the compromised nobles projected bothered her a bit. 'They are too relaxed for people who know they are walking into a trap. The hidden forces can't be everything.'

The nobles stayed in their manors, as if everything was fine. There was barely anything about their actions that showed desperation or fear. While it could be attributed to their upbringing as nobles never to show weakness, the catwoman found that unlikely.

Punishment for treason against the kingdom was nothing to scoff at. Their lives were on the line, and not just theirs, but their entire bloodline and status as nobles.

'Moreover, the hidden forces aren't even putting up a good show. It might fool a regular person, but a trained person would easily see through their disguise. It's like they aren't even trying.' Jess furrowed her brows as her domain sense picked up the movements of several powerful auras in the vicinity.

"Mm," Crusher nodded.

Unlike the catwoman, the tigerkin did not bother thinking too deeply about the machinations of the noble class. His confidence in Caleb's strength had risen ever since he began travelling with him.

In his eyes, all the nobles were doing was just putting up futile resistance. It would get them nowhere; only disappointment and despair awaited them.

"Come on, we have to check the other cities."