[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 105 - 23: Breaking Off These Chains [1]

Chapter 105: Chapter 23: Breaking Off These Chains [1]

Leon quickly dragged their bodies back to their original positions. He pulled one of them up effortlessly — good thing all that strength training paid off — and used his magic to freeze the guard’s feet to the floor and the back of his body to the wall as well.

He did the same with the other, and when he was done, he took a step back, feeling the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins.

I’m so sorry, he apologized internally, even though he knew they couldn’t hear it.

They would survive since it wasn’t a fatal blow, but it still made him feel guilty. He never liked hurting people in the slightest, but he had to do it in order to escape.

So much for thinking of them as training dummies.

He pulled the hood over his head and buttoned up his cloak to blend into the shadows. Through the paned windows, the large moon rose high in the evening sky, casting shadows across the empty hallway that was only partially illuminated by the wall crystals.

I only have one chance at this. I can’t screw this up.

Leon moved through the corridor like a shadow, keeping a sharp eye out for any movement. He reached the middle of the third floor, where he could look down into the hall of the first floor.

There seemed to be a lot of activity down there, with soldiers and servants running around doing their duties. Judging by the number of soldiers guarding the stairs far above him, it seemed that his father was not yet finished with the meeting.

Then again, the royals were often the last to leave during an evacuation. Plus, there was a lot to do and plan at times like this.

Looks like everyone’s busy, he thought in relief.

Leon turned and went to the storage room that was located in the far left part of the castle. He knew that this particular area was always empty except when a banquet was about to be held, because then every floor would be busy with preparations for such an event.

He looked back over his shoulder and saw that his magic was still working. The guards didn’t appear suspicious from this distance since they were standing as they always did.

Unless someone passed by and took a closer look.

As long as the servants are still busy downstairs, it’ll be fine, he reassured himself.

Within minutes, he finally reached the storage room and opened the door with a creak.

Good. It’s unlocked and there’s no one inside.

He slipped inside, but froze at the sound of voices approaching nearby.

"Did you drop it somewhere here?"

"I think so!"

Leon’s mind raced. He closed the door slowly, but not completely. He left a small gap and then hurriedly hid behind some of the stacked crates in the corner of the room. When he was finished settling, he craned his neck a bit to hear the voices a little better.

"I was walking by here earlier, so it should be somewhere around..."

"Did you go into one of the storage rooms?"

"Yes, I did! Should we check?"

"All right, but you must hurry. We don’t have much time."

Leon swallowed hard and moved backwards to stay more hidden. He could feel his heart racing in his chest. If he was caught here, he would be finished.

"I think I went through here — oh

"What is it?"

"The door isn’t completely shut."

There was an exasperated sigh. "Please don’t tell me you forgot to close the door again."

"But I’m sure I closed this one..."

"You didn’t even lock it!"

"Ugh. My bad..."

"The head maid will scold you again if you keep being like this. First the key, and now the doors?"

A grumble followed. "Okay, okay, I’ll be more careful next time."

Leon held his breath as he heard the door open completely, and then a set of footsteps entered.

"Somewhere around here, you say? Well, at least it’s not a large room."

"We should check everywhere! I need that key. Otherwise, I’ll get in trouble!"

"Good that you know!"

The footsteps came closer and started moving around. Leon clenched his jaw and tightened his hands into fists, feeling the fear inside of him about to explode.

Even in training, he had never been the stealthy type. He got too nervous trying to hide for a prolonged period of time, and he also did not like being thrust into an uncomfortable situation.

He wore his heart on his sleeve from time to time except when he was too exhausted to feel anything, which was why he could never really fool or deceive anyone. The Duke had been particularly displeased by this. Since Leon’s expressions were like an open book, he decided to focus more on his son’s physical training instead.

At least when it came to fighting and swordplay, Leon could concentrate better and stay calm because he focused more on his target and his planned movements. He preferred dynamic movement rather than trying to be sneaky. Like when it came to stealth training, he was skittish and didn’t like to stay in one place for too long.

So when the footsteps approached where he was hiding, Leon resisted the urge to move restlessly out of nervousness.

Calm down, he scolded himself. Don’t give yourself away!

It’ll be okay. It’ll be fine... Just don’t panic.

He grabbed his upper arm again, as if searching for some kind of comfort there. He could feel the mark pulsing faintly in response.

I want to meet him, he thought desperately. No, I need to meet him.

So I can’t fail here. Not now.

Leon clenched his hand into a fist, preparing to make a run for it if he was ever caught. From the tone of the voices, it seemed to be two female servants. He didn’t want to knock them out like he did with the guards, so his only option was to run.

"Huh?" one of them suddenly said.

"What is it, Mari?"

"Hey, Betty... I think I see something strange over there."

"What? Where?"

Leon braced himself as the footsteps came closer. The air thickened with tension as they approached his hiding spot. He held his breath in trepidation, his heartbeat echoing in his ears.

The footsteps came to a stop before the stack of crates that he was hiding behind.

There was a startled gasp the next second.

"What are you doing in here?"