"Your Highness, about today's inspection..."
"Reschedule all the inspection today, I need to check something in somewhere else"
The man in his early twenties asked the Imperial Crown Prince Rex, as his attendant, he is the one who responsible for the schedule of the extremely busy prince.
"As you wish, Your Highness. But may I ask where are we heading to?"
He needs to prepare all the necessity for the departure, knowing the destination in advance is essential.
"Slums"
Rex said casually, he needs to check something at the slums.
"Please pardon my interruption, but it's not a place for someone like you, the inspection of the slums can be done by your subordinates"
Instead of answering the objection of his trusted subordinate, Rex gave him a pile of papers to read.
"This..."
The attendant murmured in disbelief to himself while reading the reports of the suspicious activity at the slums.
"It's not something that I can simply leave to my subordinates, Dion"
The attendant, or, Dion nodded in agreement, he knows the wicked personality of Prince Rex, but the Prince is still someone who cherished his citizens, including people who live in the slums.
"But it's strange, why are those slave traders suddenly kidnapping people at the slums here in the capital city"
Dion frowned and glanced at the report in his hand.
Slavery, it's a prohibited activity under the Azure Empire jurisdiction, even though the punishment for the slave traders is public execution, there will always fools who wanted quick money from this business field, ironically, most of their costumers are nobles, as long as corrupted nobles exist in the empire, they can not get rid of the slavery to the roots, unfortunately dealing with this kind of nobles never been easy.
Up until now, slave traders doing this shady activity stealthily in remote territories to avoid the Imperial eyes, but this time they openly kidnapping people in the capital city right under the empire's nose.
"Are they perhaps challenging us?"
Dion asked his Prince, he couldn't understand the sudden bold acts of the slave traders.
"I'm not sure but based on the information collected by the Imperial shadow squad, these slave traders are affiliated with some high nobles"
Dion sometimes forgets that the prince is merely a 10 years old boy because he speaks like adults, responsibilities forced him to mature earlier than his peers at the same age.
"But the worst thing is those slaves are sold to the Western Region and the nobles affiliated with them can not be tracked"
Rex added the latest information he got this morning, the nobles this time are concealed their identity flawlessly.
Dion gasped in shock, Western region now is the headquarters of the rebellion against the Azure Empire, it means those slaves are meant to be the rebellion soldiers.
These slave traders boldly provided the manpower for the rebellion against the Azure Empire, and for the affiliated nobles, it's the same as committing treason.
"Traitors..."
Dion said in anger, the Azure empire treated the citizens fairly, that rebellion against the Imperial family is not due to the dissatisfaction with the work of the empire, but the acts of greed to rule over the power.
"Dion, I believe that you will not have a slip of your tongue"
Dion was assigned to become Rex's attendant when the prince started his Imperial study at the age of 4, he is a top scholar with a high pride yet he pledged his loyalty to the Prince ever since he witnessed the brilliance of the next ruler, and wished to support the prince with everything he has.
To be trusted to this extent is nothing but happiness for Dion, the information about the traitors among the upper nobles is definitely a top-secret issue, and he is aware of it.
"Yes, My Prince. I vow with the cost of my life"
Dion bowed to Crown Prince before leaving to prepare their departure to the slums.
In contrary to Dion who left in anger at the traitors, Rex is smiling, for him, it's nothing but a petty scheme of the aristocracy, while making the crimes openly they concealed their identities perfectly, it's obvious they want to frame someone.
'Those rebels still lack power, and the traitors who set this trap seemingly will aim the easiest and most beneficial target'
Rex thought inwardly while smirking, the wealthiest yet most ignorant in political affairs, the probability of this family became the scapegoat to the crime of slavery and treason is high.
'Should I become a heroic Prince and save the Princess or...'
Rex grins widely while looking at the capital city from behind the glass window in his work chamber.
'Should I be the evil Prince who makes his Princess as the bait to lure those foolish traitors?'
Rex walked towards the door and grabbed a magic ring to disguise his appearance during the inspection, he murmured something in a low voice before leaving.
"Well, it's not too late to choose it after our first meeting, my future fiance..."
-â¢-
"Get out of here, you murderer!"
A middle-aged man shouted in anger and kicked a boy, not only him, a lot of people are surrounding a skinny boy who is cowering on the ground.
"You killer!"
"Human trash!"
A woman in her forties throws a stone at the shivering boy, his body is full of bruises and wounded heavily.
He was beaten up by a group of people who claim that the skinny boy is a murderer.
Rex who just arrived at the slums frowned upon the unsightly scene right in front of his eyes. Dion who is walking behind him tighten his grip wanted to help the boy but can not act carelessly during the inspection.
"Zero, what happened?"
A masked man suddenly appears behind Rex, even if his appearance now is like a normal boy in town, his subordinate is still recognized him.
Zero is a codename for the leader of the Imperial shadow squad, he was the one who reported the slave traders' activities in the capital slums.
"That boy accidentally killed 2 slave trader's subordinates who tried to kidnap him"
"That boy managed to kill 2 adult kidnappers by himself? Isn't it mean he indirectly saved those people? Instead of a savior, why is he being treated like a criminal?"
"The chief of the slave trader twisted the story and provoke the people of the slums saying that he is a murderer"
Dion who is listening from behind is trying to surpass his boiled blood, uneducated people always been the easiest to provoke, he glances at Rex who is thinking deeply, considering his personality, Rex won't waste a talented boy like this.
"Alright, I will save the bo-"
"Stop!"
Before Rex finished his line, he heard a voice from the other side of the crowds, a hooded youth stopped the people who are beating the skinny boy, from the beautiful yet cold voice of the hooded youth, it's obvious that she is a girl younger than him, yet no one dares to disobey her command when she said stop.
The eerie aura around the little girl is abnormal, it's cold and heavy like someone with the highest authority, her sharp tone directed to the people was terrifying, except for her voice, Rex can not see her figure clearly as if covered by a vague illusion.
Thump!
Thump!
Rex feels his heart is going to burst while looking at the hooded girl, this unfamiliar feeling makes him anxious, he can not even see her face but his heart is beating wildly, it's the first time in his life he couldn't think properly in the presence of a girl.
'Who is she?'
To be continued...