"Captain Garner, any news about the treasure?" he asked. "Anything about Brandon?"

Garner sighed before answering. "The Third Prince has not been able to locate it, and it appears that a new mission led by the Third and Second Princes will be launched shortly. The other Princes are busy with other missions or returning to their respective territories."

"Is the second brother still here?" Ryan asked, shocked. "I thought he went on a mission from the Tower."

"He'll go on the mission after this." Garner nodded. "He's been talking a lot with the Third Prince."

'An alliance between princes, perhaps?' Ryan frowned. 'This is getting more difficult,' he thought.

"When does the new mission start?" he asked.

"30 minutes... No, about 20 minutes."

"Okay. Wait for me here. I have to see my father," Ryan said, running out of the room.

'Luckily, Cecily is outside waiting for me. If she sees anything related to these guys, she'll stop them and buy us some time,' Ryan thought as he ran.

Through the corridors, he made his way to his father's office.

When he arrived, he prepared to tell the guards to notify his father, but then he heard a voice inside that made him stop.

"If that's all, then I'll be going, Father. Don't worry, I'll bring you the traitor and that treasure too, whatever it takes, tonight."

"All right, come back early. I've fortified the city, so make sure those damn bastards pay for wasting my time." The King's voice echoed over Brandon's, and he knocked on the door.

That same voice studied Ryan standing at the door, but didn't give it much thought before disappearing into thin air.

Brandon came out and looked at Ryan for a brief moment before smiling.

"Little brother, remember to go to bed early; studies are important," he said as he patted him on the back.

Ryan did not reveal any hatred in his gaze, but he did watch him until he disappeared into the corridors.

'Damn that smile, someday I'll wipe it off your face.' He swore to himself and stepped into the room without warning the guards. He had to hurry.

Even though his father already knew he was there, he had decided to ignore his presence. He immersed himself once again in reading the documents in front of him.

"Father, sorry to interrupt," Ryan said, daring to speak for the first time without his father speaking first.

He frowned and threw his pen on the table before looking at him. "What did I say about speaking before I give you permission?" he asked harshly.

"It's important," Ryan replied.

He could have said, 'But my brothers don't need to wait...'

Or he could have said, 'My status as a prince tells me I can do it. It was a law signed by my mother...'

But he knew that these discussions with his father would lead nowhere.

Despite living in the same house, the last time he had eaten with his father or been part of a family conversation was when he was six years old. Since then, he had almost always been ignored by him, so it would be pointless.

"More important than your studies?" he asked, throwing a document on the floor. "It says you decided not to enroll in some important subjects to focus on your Path, but even then, you're not putting effort into your studies. What do you have to say about that?"

Ryan looked at the document, which read: Signed by Professor Sara.

'Damn meddling traitor.' He gritted his teeth. 'It seems that making you suffer will be a priority now.'

Then he looked at his father. "I think that's nonsense, Father. You can ask Professor Sawyer, my current professor, or Professor Austin..."

"Nonsense," his father roared. "Do you think I don't know about your close friendship with Mr. Austin? And Sawyer, who the hell is that beach bum? Nobody knows him!"

The king's power bore down on Ryan's back, causing him to stagger forward slightly, but he braced himself to avoid falling and looked up.

"Father, I didn't come here to discuss nonsense. It's about the treasure that was stolen," he said quickly.

Immediately, his father became interested, though not in a good way. He withdrew his power and stared at him.

"Do you have something to say about that?" he asked mockingly.

"Yes." Ryan ignored the tone and simply focused on what was important. "I have certain contacts."

"Hm?" His father made a clear sound of mockery, but gestured for him to speak. "Go ahead. I'm all ears."

Even though his father was mocking him, Ryan was compelled to speak. He needed some help that only his father could provide, so he couldn't turn away.

He gritted his teeth to hold back his inner fury and spoke.

"You should know that I am a very good friend of Miss Larsen," he said.

When he mentioned that surname and, in particular, that lady (Cecily), the king's countenance softened noticeably, and he remembered her.

"That's right. Has she told you anything?" he asked, surprised.

Cecily's good reputation spread to every corner of his kingdom, and she was known for her unusual talent even on distant continents.

She was considered the most talented woman in the eastern part of the Kingdom, but at the young age of 20, she had reached the strength level of Brandon Kraham, who was 10 years older than her.

While this is heavily influenced by the fact that Brandon has embarked on an unexplored path, making learning and progressing more difficult, the reality is that reaching the Third Level, also known as Lord of Summoning in the Path of the Puppeteer, was something so astonishing that not even the world-famous figures of the City of Shadows have achieved it.

Even the King knows that one day, she will be one of the demigods of these lands.

Ryan knew this and was familiar with Cecily's power, so he would use her status to get what he needed.

"We have been working together recently, and you should know that she has a high level of accuracy when it comes to searching using the Inanimate Destiny."

"I know. What I didn't know was that you were working with her. No wonder you've been coming home so late lately," replied the King.

'Maybe he has something valuable,' he thought.

Ryan nodded. "In fact, I was talking to her today through letters, giving her information about the city and helping her with her mission; she told me she found some privileged information. Although she hasn't been able to track down the guy who stole the treasure, she has information about where she could find him with 90% accuracy. That's why I came here," he said.

The King stared at him, trying to study his words and weigh them. The 90% accuracy he mentioned was astonishing, so he was genuinely surprised. Not even Brandon could give him that much certainty on his first mission.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.