Threatening the Guards to Prove My Pure, Chivalrous Intentions

The distant sea was far more breathtaking than he had imagined. The stretch of torchlit houses along the shore and the glints of light from patrolling guards paled in comparison to the vast blue canopy of stars mirrored in the dark waters. Accompanied by the cool breeze caressing his face, the view felt alive—something he could hear, feel, and taste. It was precisely the break he needed from his disastrous attempts to impress the nobility.

Once again pushing aside a wave of jealousy that made him want to scream and smash his head against the nearest wall, he could admit the setting was undeniably romantic. Thanks to Delphine, he now knew Lucan had taken Princess Rylen to the place that made the most sense.

Rod cupped his chin. There were a few ways to interpret this. Contrary to popular belief about paladins, Lucan possessed a spell that made him terrifying in combat: Door.

The magic allowed him to conjure step-through portals across a formidable range. Lucan had used it in battle for so long that casting it was second nature—requiring neither hand signs nor incantations. Enemies often assumed they had crushed him, only for Lucan to step out from a portal behind them and cave their skulls in with his warhammer.

Given that, it was possible Lucan had used Door to escape the castle grounds with the princess. Or was that simply what Lucan wanted her pursuers to think? Rod stepped up to the stone ledge and peeked over. Door carried one particularly annoying limitation: the exit point had to be within the caster’s direct line of sight.

Rod looked up and spotted his real clue. Above and to his left was a small, private balcony belonging to a higher floor. Judging by the view down here, the vista up there would be breathtaking. It had to belong to either the King’s bedchamber or the Princess’s. He grinned.

It was brilliant. Not only was it dark out, but a closed room made it vastly easier for Lucan to protect the princess and ambush any incoming assassins. Rod had figured it out. Naturally, it was his duty as a hero to follow. Lucan might even need backup.

Rod stepped off the balcony and slipped back through the Great Hall, exchanging brief pleasantries with a few nobles who caught his eye before finding the stairwell to the upper floors. Fortunately, the route lay in the same direction as the garderobes, giving him a flawless excuse if anyone questioned his actions.

As he reached the stairs, two guards stepped into his path, crossing their spears to block him. A lesser man might be tempted to incinerate them, but Rod reminded himself they were just doing their jobs.

But how could he be so sure? What if they were accomplices? Even so, he had to assume the best-case scenario. Drawing on his experience with Delphine, he knew these guards stood to lose their jobs regardless of how this played out. If he beat them senselessly, they would be deemed failures and discarded. If they let him pass, they risked being accused of taking bribes. Fortunately, there was a way forward.

“Gentlemen.” Rod gave a polite bow. “This is an emergency. Please let me pass.”

“No can do, Sir Rod,” one guard replied. “This corridor leads to Princess Rylen’s private quarters. Only the maids or the Princess herself are permitted entry.”

Were they truly willing to die for a protocol? Rod took a step closer. No—the tips of their spears were trembling slightly. He could work with this, though it was risky. Intimidating them might work, but it could backfire catastrophically—like “exposing his intentions toward the princess” kind of backfire. Besides, he still needed to confirm if Princess Rylen was actually up there.

“I am well aware, but—” Rod paused. It was best to keep Lucan’s secret under wraps, and he needed to protect Delphine from suspicion, too. “I noticed Princess Rylen looked ill when she left the ball, and I doubt it was from natural causes. I fear assassins are targeting her. Rather than causing a panic by alerting your superiors, I intend to handle this quietly, corner the culprits, and tear this threat out by its roots.”

“But—”

They didn't know for sure, and they were willing to listen. That made things easy. Rod conjured a dancing orb of flame in his palm, forcing both guards to flinch back and level their shaking spears at him.

“Please, think about it,” Rod said, maintaining his pleasant smile. “As I see it, you have two options. Option one: you let me pass, using the excuse that an S-rank adventurer moved too fast for you to stop. Option two: you do your duty. Granted, you’ll feel deeply honored for about three to five seconds—which is all the time I need to turn your bones to ash. And if you somehow survive, you’ll spend the next month in the infirmary missing a leg or an arm.”

The guards exchanged a frantic glance before lowering their spears and stepping aside. Rod thanked them and moved on. He considered slipping them a gold coin for their trouble, but handing over that much money would make it look like a bribe. Instead, he made a mental note to ask Delphine for their names later so he could send a quiet compensation their way.

“My apologies,” Rod added over his shoulder.

With the guards behind him and a clear path toward the Princess’s bedchamber, the rescue mission was officially underway. Was Lucan already locked in combat? Was he overwhelmed? Either way, Rod needed to stay sharp. From this point forward, he was stepping into enemy territory.