Second World Novel

A few minutes before the time the mass should start, the princess’s entourage arrived. A grand carriage came accompanied by eight bodyguards on steeds. The clergymen directed the crowd to give the entourage a passage.

The bodyguards came down from their steeds and helped keep the crowd away as the carriage rolled to the cathedral’s entrance.

One of the soldiers opened the carriage’s door and a draconian lady in a grandiose gown came out. The lady was Princess Aldryth. Even with a face full of scales, one could see her beauty. The crowd cheered after seeing her. She looked at the crowd with a kind smile and waved.

A high priest was waiting in front of the entrance. He came to the princess and ushered her to enter the cathedral. She thanked the high priest and entered with her eight bodyguards.

Only after she entered and took her seat in the chapel, the crowd was allowed entry. The mass started not long after everyone entered.

It was roughly an hour after the mass started when an alarm sounded, startling everyone in the mass.

The eight bodyguards immediately put themselves around the princess in a defensive formation.

An outworlder priest came to the princess and said, “Princess, please follow me to a safe room.”

“What happened?” The princess asked.

“We are not certain. It might be an intruder,” The priest said. “Until we ascertain the cause of the emergency, please take shelter inside our safe room. We can’t risk someone important like you getting harmed under our watch.”

“Princess, it is wise to be cautious. Let’s go to the safe room,” One of the bodyguards said.

Princess Aldryth nodded. “Please lead the way,” she said.

The nine followed the priest into a corridor next to the chapel. They came into a door covered with a rune diagram.

“This room is protected. There is no need to worry when you are inside,” the priest said.

When one of the bodyguards wanted to enter the room, the priest blocked him and said, “I’m sorry. Only the princess can enter.”

“That’s absurd!” The bodyguard exclaimed. “It’s our job to protect the princess. Where the princess goes, we go!”

“I’m afraid that is against regulation,” the priest insisted. “You can stay guard outside here. The room only has one entrance and exit. I guarantee the princess is safe while she is inside. With you guarding this door, she will be safer.”

“No!” The bodyguard insisted.

The priest looked at the princess, showing a face that expressed helplessness.

The princess said, “How about this, one of my bodyguards follow me inside. The rest wait outside.”

“This… You are making it difficult for me, princess,” the priest said.

“Your rule is also making it difficult for my bodyguards. If you want my bodyguards to give a compromise to follow your rule, you should do the same,” Aldryth said.

The priest was conflicted. Seeing that he was not likely to change the princess’ mind, he finally said, “Okay. One of your guards accompanies you…”

Princess Aldryth gave the priest a grateful smile. She then gestured to one of his bodyguards. That bodyguard followed her into the room.

The priest watched the two enter. He was uncertain what would happen next. One thing was for sure, he would have to leave this cathedral immediately. He lamented that his time in this faction was probably over. He would need the guild to compensate him fairly for this. This priest was none other than Easycome.

He glanced at the door to the safe room before leaving. He hoped Jack who was inside was all right.

*

Inside the safe room, Jack had changed back to himself and used his cloak of shadow’s ability to hide in a corner. He also used mana concealment in case the princess was a native who had mana sense. He watched the two draconians enter the room. One male and one female, it didn’t take a genius to know which one was the princess.

Jack was surprised that someone accompanied the princess. This was not according to plan, but he was not someone who panic when things veered from the original planning. However, something else surprised him even more. The bodyguard that accompanied the princess was an outworlder. He knew it from the blue dot on his radar.

He was pondering about the action to take. Easycome said this safe room was not only completely protected, but it was also soundproofed. No one outside will hear the noise from inside.

He wondered what he should do with this outworlder bodyguard. But since it was an outworlder, he had an easier time deciding. He would have an easier time overpowering an outworlder compared to a native. If things became worse, it was okay to kill the outworlder. The outworlder would only lose one level since this place was a safe zone. What he was more worried about was what the princess’ reaction would be if he roughed her bodyguard up.

He didn’t have the luxury to think about the issue for too long. The clergies in this cathedral would soon find out the emergency alarm was bogus. Someone would come and let the princess out. He would lose his chance then. So, he stepped out of the shadow.

Both the princess and her bodyguard were facing away from Jack since they entered, so they didn’t see Jack even when Jack came out of the shadow. Jack was planning to incapacitate the outworlder draconian when they were unaware of his presence, before explaining himself to the princess. However, this outworlder draconian swiveled abruptly before Jack carried out his plan. A flash of light followed his movement.𝑵𝑜𝐕𝑬𝓵𝞰𝓮xt.𝗰𝗈𝗆

Out of instinct, Jack pulled out his storm breaker. A loud clang sounded as his sword narrowly parried an attack. He noticed then what he had just parried was the blade of a long katana.

Jack was surprised he was found out so swiftly after coming out of hiding, but he was more shocked to know that the attack that almost hit him just now was filled with powerful mana manipulation.