Thinking more about it, that information shouldn't really come as a surprise. After all, Prince Arthur was deeply involved in Sir Bagdemagus's affairs and, by extension, in the old knight's death. Logically, he should be the one with the most information.
The prince jumped on his horse and left the estate, while Emery concentrated his spirit reading ability to track him down.
Right as the horse ran, he ran. He used everything he had, from [Blink] and [Hide in Shadow], he kept himself at the closest safe distance possible. This was the most solid lead he had; he would not let the prince go that easily.
He kept on following him, even if he had to do everything in his power to stay out of detection. He followed Prince Arthur and watched the golden prince do his daily activities from afar, ranging from a casual stroll in the city, training with the knights on the city's outskirts and returning to the palace.
Now that the prince had entered the Logress Castle, it became harder to follow him, as the knights patrolling the place would watch for every shadow.
There was a high chance of him being found.
Right as the prince walked into the castle, Emery decided to enter, hide in a corner and use the [Shapeshifting] skill to turn himself into a completely different person. Right now, he had an identity as Lanzo, but he would rather not expose that and end up having to create another identity.
Emery casted [Spatial Gate], teleported to the castle roof and spread his spirit force to track the prince down.
He focused on a room on top of the castle, went down and casted [Hide in Shadow] to avoid the dozens of Logress guards stationed there.
In hindsight, infiltrating such a formidable place, fully guarded with dozens of knights and during daylight to boot, was probably unwise. In addition, at a time without much shadows, [Hide in Shadow] would be half-effective. But there was no more time to waste and he had no other lead for the moment.
With each second he wasted, Morgana's fate became more uncertain.
Using his spirit reading ability, Emery tracked the movement patterns within the castle. All he had to do was dodge and move accordingly, so he would not get spotted by the guards.
Such an ordeal was easier said than done. Emery had a few close calls and he had to [Blink] onto the nearest corner every time he was at risk of being spotted.
Finally, he reached the slightly ajar double doors leading to the throne room; he stayed there while focusing on their conversations. He had to move every so often as to not risk getting spotted by the guards.
Even with his magic, there was no way to avoid complete detection in daylight.
There were only two people in the throne room and Emery was shocked the moment the king spoke his first words.
"How did you even let the princess go?!" The king shouted, his expression a little emotional. "You can't even deal with such a small task?"
Princess… Are they talking about Princess Gwenneth from Lioness? Considering the other kingdoms, it seemed there was little to no princess worthy of the golden prince's attention.
The king scolded him sternly, but the prince didn't lose his straight face. In fact, he had the audacity to smile.
"Father, I sincerely apologize, but the princess had something urgent to do. I can't really dissuade her. If I insisted I would just risk angering her and souring the plan further. Please, do not worry, I will see her next time. We can deal with this with a cool head."
The response was polite and reasonable, but the king seemed even more annoyed.
"Arthur, you can't be too relaxed about this. A lot hinges on your success and you have to remember your position is not secured yet, especially with what happened yesterday."
"Father, there was no need to be so concerned, I am sure Sir Maleagant's appointment as one of the golden knights will only improve the Order standing."
"Huh, Arthur! You have the makings of a ruler, except for that optimism. Why can't you see the human heart is very unpredictable? You need more experience, see betrayal and politics for yourself. Maybe then, you can be a strong king!"
"For that, father, I have you to thank for. I will learn more from you, father."
"Remember, the Lioness girl will be a perfect candidate to be your queen. The kingdom might be weak, but they are rich in resources and marrying her will ensure Logress' position as the leaders of the seven kingdoms of Briton."
"Yes, Father. I understand your advice and I plan to visit the Lioness kingdom soon."
The king quirked his eyebrows.
"Was it about the Bagdemagus affair investigation? Remember Arthur: now that Maleagant is a Golden Knight, we have more reasons to investigate this matter thoroughly. We can't have him questioning our capability to investigate his father's death. You understand?"
"I understand father…" The prince seems hesitant to ask his next question 'Father… Please, tell me, do you have any information about Sir Bagdemagus that I should know?"
The king's eyes widened for a second, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Emery.
"Nothing… I haven't talked to him in a while, nor have I given him any orders or missions." The king slightly averted his eyes. It was clear, he was most likely hiding something.
"If that is really the case, father, you should not worry. I will settle this problem as soon as I can."
Either Arthur did not notice, or he pretended not to notice. Emery tried to match what information he obtained with what he had before.
Before the prince left the place, the king stopped him.
"Arthur, if you find anything even slightly suspicious about this matter, you have to tell me as soon as possible."
"Yes, father."
Written by Avans, Published exclusively by NovelFull,