38 CHAPTER 37

The Royal Palace, Eimorra, Trinitia

"If you'll excuse me your majesty, it seems like my work as one of the kingdom's officials started quite soon." I remarked.

"You need not to worry," the king replied. "The royal guards will take care of it."

After the king spoke of such prideful words, three men garbed in black hooded clothes streaked inside the room.

My heart was sprinting. My heartbeat sounded like one of Paganini's piece, but in my case, a drum was performing it. I hurriedly flung over my laurel crown, placing it on top of the encased box and handing it over to Lucius.

"Look over them," I told him while I swiftly unbutton my brocade and my suit. I rummaged through the suit's inner pockets and took out the two guns I prepared. I flung my clothes to Lucius.

Promptly, the moment the unwelcomed guests arrived in front of us I pointed one of my guns at the man on the center and decided to exterminate him first. Oh how magnificent it was when his body fell down the carpet, it felt like a rewarding prize brought by the sudden adrenaline drive. I could feel my lips smiling ear to ear.

"My job started quite early," I chuckled loudly. "Don't you agree your majesty?"

There was no reply. Only the astonished expressions in front of me screamed of terror, louder than screams I'd say.

I looked at the two frozen rats in front of me, they're both quivering in fear as they faced the heads of my guns.

"Let me tell the lot of you one thing, this is by far one of your worst ideas." I remarked. "The one you'll regret in your entire lives."

With two synchronized movements from my fingers, I blasted their heads with bullets, and the blood spectacularly blew out of their flesh, like the sparkling waters of a fountain.

After killing three out of 15, I swerved myself back to the throne, vis-à-vis to the surprised faces of my child and the royal family.

"You won't believe this, but I've been attacked by bandits and mercenaries on my way here," I lied. "I found it quite entertaining. Now if you'll excuse me your majesty, I have to clean the palace from infiltrating pests."

I sprinted outside the throne room, and there I was welcomed by four other black garbed hoodlums. The first one lunged at me with a knife directed to my chest. I grabbed that arm of his and pointed my gun to his chest. His sweat trickled down from his forehead, as we exchanged gazes, his eyes were of an untamed animal.

I pulled the gun's trigger and the bullet plunged through his chest and his body abruptly plummeted down the ground.

Hastily, I rose both of my arms and without hesitation, I ricocheted the bullets on their chests. The fourth one ran like a coward, but my bullet caught up with him. His body fell head first after my bullet pitched his heart from behind.

I leisurely waltzed through the bleeding marbled floor and gallantly waited for the others to pounce at me. But there was not attacker that greeted me, but rather an obscene spectacle of Jack beheading a man. His knife smoothly sliced through the man's neck. That was the eighth corpse that fell down the floor.

"Looks like I saved you again," Jack remarked flinging the head he just beheaded. "We're sharing the reward that's for sure."

"How did you know that the palace will be attacked?" I asked him while returning my guns to their holsters wrapped on my chest.

"Fenrir informed me," Jack averted his eyes toward a young man standing behind him. He was the splitting image of Lucius. The only difference was his hair was shorter and that he had green eyes. "He's the butler the Altairs sent me."

"It's an honor meeting you sir," Fenrir threw me a playful smile, which I find unsettling since it's like seeing Lucius smile at me for the first time. "I'm looking forward in lending you a hand in the future."

"Yes of course," I smiled back. "Now Jack, for the formalities for the audience."

I looked around and saw some palace guards approaching. Their bewildered eyes dawned on us.

"It's a pleasure meeting you Captain Adler." I greeted Jack.

"The pleasure is mine my lord," Jack bowed. "It was quite an honor to witness such skills in shooting."

"I'm quite flattered to hear them from you captain," I replied. "You yourself displayed remarkable skills too. Now, if you'll excuse me, his majesty is waiting for me."

"If you don't mind my lord, I'm also heading to where his majesty is."

"Yes of course."

Together we walked away from the eyes of the crowd and made our way to the throne room. Our shoes were all tainted with blood, and so are our clothes.

Jack had the most of blood scattered all over his clothes and some on his face.

"So what should I call you from now on?" Jack beckoned.

"Lord Claude Rijiel de Renegal." I remarked. "But Claude would be fine."

"Claude then," Jack smiled after he opened the door for me. "After you my lord."

"Thank you captain." I replied.

We received surprised gazes from within the room. Their eyes were all lingering on my clothes and with Jack.

"The matter had been taken care of your majesty." I remarked. "The hallways were covered in blood though, we apologize for that."

He was shocked. Just how it should be. And here I was expecting him not human.