Est, who was currently in the capital, was inside the house where he had stayed with his mother for many years.
Just like all the adults, his mother had also turned into a crystal statue while seated in her favorite chair.
Herman, Nana, and the three maids who stayed behind to watch over his Mother's safety, had suffered the same fate as well.
"Young Master, dinner is ready," Isaac said as he finished arranging the dining table.
Currently there were only the two of them inside the house, and both of them worked together to do the house chores while waiting for the promised date when all of the students of the academy would return to the capital and discuss their next course of action.
Frankly, Est believed that not all of the students who had returned to their domains would come back on the promised date. Most of them were the heirs of their territories, so it was up to them to take care of the welfare of the survivors that were left behind.
Also, he was quite worried about William. After the Crown Prince gave everyone permission to return to their hometowns, Est went to the academy to check on the Half-Elf's condition.. However, when he arrived, William and Ian were nowhere to be found.
Est was very tempted to go to Lont, but he was worried about his mother, so he decided to stop by their residence back in the capital of Gladiolus.
"Is the food not to your liking, Young Master?" Isaac asked after seeing that Est did not seem to be in the mood for dinner.
Est shook his head as he gave his loyal retainer a smile. "Sorry, I was thinking of other things. The food you make is always delicious."
Isaac sighed in relief after knowing that it was not his cooking's fault. The two talked as they ate because the house was very quiet. It made them feel like they were in a ghost town, because they could not hear any noises in the vicinity.
Est's house was located in the Second Level of Gladiolus. This was where the residences of important people, and nobles of the Hellan Kingdom, were located. Naturally, there was a certain distance from every household and all their properties held considerable space.
This gave each household some privacy, which also made the current situation so dark and gloomy.
"Do you think Will and Ian are in Lont?" Est asked.
Isaac finished chewing the food inside his mouth before he answered his Young Master's inquiry.
"I think that is the case, Young Master," Isaac replied. "I can't think of any other place where the two of them could have gone."
Est nodded in agreement. Ian wouldn't take a risk when it came to William's safety, so the town of Lont was the safest place to go during these chaotic times.
"We still have a week before the gathering will take place," Est said softly. "If William is not there at that time, we will go to Lont and visit him."
Isaac nodded.
Currently there was nothing they could do in regards to the people that had been turned into statues. Fortunately, each residence was protected by special runes that prevented intruders from entering them.
Only those that had a certain imprint could enter and leave the premises unimpeded without facing the high-level spells that could potentially give them serious injuries. For now, Est's mother, Nana, Herman, and their maids were safe inside their residence.
"Tell me, what do you think about the current situation?" Est asked with a serious expression.
Among the three of them, Isaac was the least vocal, but he was the one who liked to plan things and ensure that they had everything they needed whenever they went on an expedition. Est trusted him to give insights on certain things, especially when he needed a second opinion.
"It's fishy," Isaac answered in a heartbeat. "All the adults have turned into statues, but those black-robed men that appeared inside the Fortress were perfectly fine. Not only that, they seemed to have a close connection with the Crown Prince.
"I didn't want to say this at first, but it's possible that they were the ones responsible for the incident that had[s] turned all those who were above the age of twenty into statues."
Est's expression turned serious. He had been thinking of the same thing, but he lacked the evidence to back up his suspicions. When he went to see the statue of the King for the first time, the Crown Prince didn't react as strongly as he had at that time.
It was as if Prince Lionel had already anticipated that something would happen to his own father. The other suspicious thing was the way he greeted the black-robed men that had appeared in the fortress after the incident.
Although it was not an overly warm reception, one could tell at a glance that they were on good terms with each other.
Not only that, they were the ones who volunteered to gather the statues of the King and other high-ranking nobles and officers of the army for safe keeping.
Est didn't think much about this in the past because his state of mind back then was filled with confusion. Back then, all he cared about was the King's safety and the eradication of the Soldier Ants that had been paralyzed due to the Purple Aurora Borealis that descended from the sky.,
"Are you implying that the Crown Prince has betrayed the Kingdom?" Est asked in a voice that only Isaac could hear.
Although the residence had soundproofing magic, this kind of discussion was something that shouldn't be known by other people.
Isaac firmly nodded his head, "Of course, this is only my assumption. I would rather be wrong than right about this matter, Young Master."
Est didn't say anything and allowed Isaac to clear the dishes on their table.
Just like his trusted retainer, Est wished that the Crown Prince wasn't part of this conspiracy. Because if that was true then Prince Lionel had not only betrayed the Hellan Kingdom, but also betrayed his own family.
Est clenched his fist as he held back the anger that was rising in his chest. He had never liked the Crown Prince, but he didn't hate him to the extent of wanting to cause him harm.
'I need to know the truth,' Est thought as he raised his head to look at the ceiling. 'I need to know if he really betrayed His Majesty.'
-----
Meanwhile, inside a tower that served as a prison located on the East side of Gladiolus…
"Hahaha! I bet you didn't see this coming, didn't you, dear brother of mine?" Rufus laughed hysterically as he looked at his older brother's swollen face.
The two of them were locked in different cells, but Rufus' condition was way better than the Crown Prince's.
After barging into Conner's room when the latter was in a bad mood, the Crown Prince received a beating which had broken some of the bones in his body. Naturally, after regaining his composure, Conner ordered the healers of The Organization to treat his injuries.
However, Conner prevented them from healing Prince Lionel's face which made the latter mad with anger. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do but swallow his anger in the fear that Conner would come to his cell to beat him up again if he made a scene.
For Prince Lionel, who adored the beautiful Princess of Freesia, he cared about his face just as much as he cared about his life. He hated the fact that his loser brother was mocking him, but there was nothing he could do, but endure.
Conner had stationed guards to watch over the two of them, so the Crown Prince ignored Rufus' ingratiating taunts.
'Conner, you bastard! This prince will make you pay for this offense!' Prince Lionel swore as he glared hatefully at Rufus, who was currently rejoicing at his current state. 'You, too! After I get out of here, I will ensure that you will not be able to ridicule and laugh at me again!'
The Crown Prince's heart was filled with hate and anger. For someone like him who wanted to stand above others, being treated like this was a stain on his Ego. If given the chance, he would definitely turn back time, and tell his father the whereabouts of The Organization that had made his life miserable.
Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret. Prince Lionel knew that his options were limited.
For now, the only thing he could do was wait. He would wait for the time when he could reclaim what was rightfully his and make everyone who dared to look down on him, kneel on their knees and beg for his forgiveness.