Four out of ten

"High Angels. They're group of unknown people who have been lingering around for a while. They first robbed the Crown Prince's room and private study here in the Palace. Samael and Tadeas have been investigating this group for the past few weeks, but so far, we have no other lead on them." George explained.

Kian was shocked with this discovery, but he held back his comments and questions.

"We do have one discovery, and that is their relation to Professor Heins," Tadeas added, which then shocked not only Kian, but Ezio and Milera as well. Yves, on the other hand, was not shocked.

Tadeas activated a Projector, and it showed images of evidences.

"Ten years ago, we tried to capture him for ordering certain bandits to kidnap or take all ten of you. He was definitely going to conduct experiments on all ten of you, but failed as you children have escaped," Tadeas explained. "Unfortunately, Heins have also disappeared."

"The Emperor had ordered a search for him. We searched for him for years, but he could not be found. However, just when we were going to give up, 'Black Heart' appeared." George added and activated a Projector to show images.

It showed victims of the Black Heart. Tadeas and George all turned to Yves for his explanation, and Yves could only sigh. The three were confused for a moment until Yves began to speak.

"Black Heart is some sort of side-effect taken from continuously taking in a drug. We have yet to find out what this is, but I like to call it Neura," Yves explained. "The unfortunate thing is that, one will never identify if one had consumed Neura unless Black Heart is triggered… Unless you want to cut down their skin and find out their blood color, but that shouldn't be a solution as not all can be addicts. Publicly searching for a Neura consumer would trigger the addicts as well."

'And that could lead to unfortunate thing,' Yves thought to himself.

"What we assume is that Neura is created by Heins himself, and the High Angels are supporting and hiding him," Yves continued. He never revealed to anyone on Earth that he made Neura and that the recipe to it was simply stolen from him.

Yves sighs again as he met the eyes of the Emperor

"I heard this wasn't the first time you encountered a Neura addict. Why on earth did you not tell me earlier, Your Majesty?"

Kian, Milera, and Ezio eyed at him shocked.

'How can this little jerk be so rude!' they thought to themselves, but the Emperor laughs.

"Well, who would've thought you knew so much about this case? I thought you were just a wandering genius who didn't care about the society's problems, as Sam had always stated. I wouldn't dare to bother the Empire's Genius and Sole Heir of Grimestone."

Yves rolled his eyes, but later flinched as the other three voiced their shocked.

"HAH?!" Ezio was loud enough.

"Empire's Genius?!" Kian felt and sounded utterly offended by the title given to Yves. He's the Empire's Imperial Crowned Prince, yet he doesn't have that title?!

"Heir?!" Milera, on the other hand, was shocked at the fact that Yves had parents.

"Oh, right. He didn't reveal himself to the world until recently," the Emperor stated as he smiles again. "Sam actually adopted him and supported his talent throughout the years. He's also the founder and the man behind VOID, our treasure."

The three blinked as they stared at Yves. Yves can only avoid their gaze.

'Uh-huh, they are definitely upset,' Yves thought to himself, until he glances back to them again.

Somehow, his chest tightened as he saw the sad emotion that flashed through their eyes for a moment.

Why?

"A rare plant from the Treasury called Scarlet Flower was stolen," the Emperor joins in, and all eyes turned back to him.

"Mother's favorite flower? Why?" Kian asks, and his father nodded.

"According to Yves over here, he concluded that that plant is the main ingredient for making Neura, as it contains magical elements that boosts up a potion's effectiveness no matter what it is," the Emperor could not help but sigh at his own carelessness. "I should've guarded your mother's favorite thing in the whole world properly and strictly."

Yves raised a brow. 'It should've never even existed here in the first place. Because this flower grows only from the body of a powerful entity, such as the High Angels, the Council, and me… a deity.'

'Doesn't this mean…'

"So, what do you want us to do aside from investigating about this matter?" Kian then asked.

The Emperor smiles.

"Form a team with Syvestian as your commander," the Emperor kept his smile, however, his gaze completely changed. "And eliminate this group called High Angels, as well as Professor Heins."

'Uwah, he's completely serious about it,' Yves thought to himself. This is something new to him. He would've strongly declined such offer, but right now, he feels responsible for everything.

Sigh. He can just blow off their limbs, and they're good as dead.

Yves stepped up and knelt down. The other three followed naturally.

"As you command, Your Majesty," the four stated with a respectful tone.

The Emperor can only smile at their connection.

There was always something about these children when he first saw them altogether. They were strangely always getting along despite their clashing personalities. They were even times that they sync in little movements.

'Just what has Syvestian done for these kids to be so sensitive?'

Of course, even the Emperor wouldn't know a thing about what they've all learned from Yves and their growth throughout the years. In his eyes, they were still children, but he knows they can exceed his expectations on them, hence the reason why he's giving them a dangerous mission.

He then wonders to himself.

'Four out of ten... I wonder why the other five did not respond?'

The young adults were then guided to a lounge where they can rest for a moment as their room is being set and cleaned by maids. When the snacks were delivered, they were delighted.

"Hoooo! Haven't tasted one of these babies in a while!" Ezio cheered as he took a bite on a cupcake he grabbed impatiently.

"Ezio! Don't just grab it like that!" Milera scolded.

"I can't blame him. It's been a while since I got to eat at the Palace too," Kian added. Yves watched them as he takes the cup of hot milk prepared personally for him. He took a sip as he watched all three of them.

'They've grown so well, they are probably strong now, right?' he thought to himself, but he couldn't smile. Something has been bugging him the whole while.

The three can feel his intense stare,. His eyes can be intimidating even when he doesn't know.

"Can you not just stare? Say something, dude," Ezio says, he was weirded out by Yves' sudden silence when they all know that he's very talkative around them.

Kian and Milera also glanced back at Yves, and Yves couldn't smile.

"Something happened that I don't know of, spill it."

All three of them froze at his words for a moment, but Milera can only smile.

"You notice everything even when we don't tell you. You're our Yves, alright," she mumbles to herself. The other two couldn't help but smile at what she said.

Yves remained silent.

'So there is something going on.'