[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 109 - 23: Breaking Off These Chains [5]

Chapter 109: Chapter 23: Breaking Off These Chains [5]

The wheels of the royal carriage thundered over the shattered remains of the iron gates, a startling reminder of what just happened.

The sounds of the Duke screaming and the soldiers yelling after them filled the air, causing a commotion. The servants, who had been watching from afar in frozen horror, rushed out of the castle. They gawked as the Duke’s son fled the castle without even looking back even after the Duke himself issued a threat.

"What’s happening?" said one of the servants in a whisper. "Sir Leon has never done anything like this before!"

"I heard he knocked the guards unconscious outside his room!" exclaimed another servant.

"What? But Sir Leon has always been so gentle. He couldn’t possibly have done that!"

As they deliberated, Duke Alfred turned to the guards who were still standing there uselessly, his eyes blazing with fury.

"What are you fools doing? Get the horses!" he barked. "I want him back here at once! Arrest him if you have to!"

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Leon’s knuckles were white as he gripped the back of the driver’s seat and watched through the window in front of him. Mirona was still controlling the carriage and had activated the light crystals around the vehicle so that people would notice them.

As they entered the streets of the city, the evacuation routes were crowded with people busily minding their own business.

Leon opened the door of the carriage and shouted, "Please move out of the way!"

The people and soldiers who heard his call raised their heads and froze for a moment as they saw the carriage approaching. Jerking out of their trance, they jumped out of the way before the vehicle could run them down, crying out in alarm and indignation. Further ahead, a child was snatched from the road by his mother, and the guards nearby helped the citizens escape from the path.

"Make sure you don’t hit anyone!" Leon called out to Mirona.

Mirona was focused on the road ahead, not even sparing him a glance. "My eyes are still good, you know!" she replied.

The crowds began to thin as they reached the outer part of the city. The massive, fortified gates set in arching stone walls loomed up ahead. The patrols along the parapet turned and stared in disbelief as the illuminated royal carriage came their way.

Leon looked closely and saw that the gates were open.

Good, because they were about to charge right through.

A few guards ran to block the passage, but Leon shouted, "Get out of the way, or you all might get hit!"

They hesitated for a moment, but at the sight of Leon, they seemed to change their minds. Confused, they obediently moved away as the royal carriage charged through the gates and sped off before eventually disappearing into the trees.

Minutes later, soldiers on horseback raced past the gates as well, leaving the patrolling guards gaping in disbelief.

"...What in the name of the Oracle is going on?!"

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When they finally reached an open area away from the main roads, Mirona parked the carriage at a nearby willow tree, making it invisible just in case.

She dropped down and rummaged around somewhere in the driver’s area. "Good. There’s a box here filled with reserves of magic spheres," she said as she pulled it out. "Use these only if necessary. You’ll need them for the journey ahead, especially if the carriage ever runs out of power. You know how to use these, right?"

Leon nodded, panting slightly. The adrenaline was slowly leaving his body, making him feel tired. He had been tense and on guard all night, and now that he had been given a reprieve, he felt like he could sleep for days.

No... It’s not the time to sleep yet, he thought. I need to find my Summoner. I need to see if he’s okay.

He turned to Mirona. "Will you come with me to Angelbay City?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I won’t be of any use to you there, Your Grace."

"But... where will you go? I don’t want you to go back to Stormhaven. My father... he might punish you severely."

"I have a daughter who lives in the village of Durnwich. I want to stay with her in the meantime and lie low." Mirona smiled at the worried look on Leon’s face. "Do not worry, dear. I have not told His Grace or the head warden of my children’s whereabouts and background. They won’t know where to look for me."

"But... it’s still too dangerous for you to stay here in the Silver Kingdom—"

"My daughter has been planning to migrate to the Sapphire Kingdom a while back. I will come with her and help her out. I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time now, but I couldn’t get the chance to."

"What about money? Do you have enough?" Leon started rummaging in his bag. "Here, I have some—"

Mirona reached out and stopped him with a gentle hand on top of his. "No need for that, dear. I send money to my family every week because I don’t need much to live in the servants’ quarters in the castle. Besides, I have my money right here." She patted the pocket of her dress. "I never leave without it."

He had nothing to say to that. "I... I see."

She chuckled. "Don’t be too worried about me. You should be more worried for yourself."

He frowned. "Still... If I hadn’t asked you to help me, you would still be in the castle by now. I didn’t think twice when I asked you for help. I was insensitive... I should have just left you alone."

Mirona laughed. "What, you think that I wanted to stay there?"

"Huh?"

"Don’t you know, child? You’re the only reason why I kept staying in that place."

Leon looked dumbfounded. "I... am?" he said slowly, as though it was hard to believe.

She smiled fondly and reached out to pat him on the shoulder. "You’re a kind child, as you always have been," she said gently. "I’m glad you’ve found your resolve. It won’t be easy to keep drawing on that strength. You’ll stumble and fall along the way. The fear and uncertainty will return at times. But give it time, and eventually, you will blossom into the man that you’ve always wanted to be."

Leon’s eyes brimmed with tears. He lowered his head, feeling embarrassed. His father had always told him that a man should never cry.

Then again, his father had been wrong about a lot of things...

"Just promise me one thing, child," Mirona said after a moment of silence.

"...What is it, Nana?" he asked shakily. It was a nickname that he used to call her when he was just a child.

Her features softened.

"Promise me that one day, you’ll be able to smile, laugh, and cry from the bottom of your heart. Okay?"

He stared at her with wide eyes.

"I’m sure your new companions will appreciate the real you," she continued. "The one you’ve kept hidden for so long. The vulnerable Leon. The kind, compassionate Leon."

She then reached out and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a warm embrace.

"It’s what your mother would have wanted," she said tenderly.