mtl008 Chapter 561 - 561
Chapter 561 - 561
The next morning, before Iris could send someone to fetch him, Eiji took the initiative to visit the palace."Hey, do you really have to be so rigid? I've been coming to the palace for several days in a row now—can't you just let me through?"
However, at the palace gates, Eiji was stopped by the guards.
"We're very sorry. We know you have a good relationship with Her Highness the Princess, but today is a special case. The palace is under strict security, and without a token from the Princess, we can't let you in."
The guards looked at him with troubled expressions.
"A special case? What kind of special case?"
Eiji frowned slightly. This was not something he could easily ignore—otherwise, the adorable little princess might turn into a greasy middle-aged man wearing her skin at any moment!
"Last night, someone broke into the palace!"
The two guards exchanged glances, deciding it wouldn't hurt to tell him, and quietly explained.
"Broke into the palace? Who was it?"
"We don't know."
"What happened? Did they catch the intruder?"
"If they had, we wouldn't be this tense."
"It seems like they found nothing at all. That's the mood in the palace right now."
The guards shook their heads. They were just ordinary guards—how would they know the details?
No wonder they didn't dare to let Eiji in casually.
With the intruder still at large, the entire palace was undoubtedly on high alert.
"Then go find Iris for me. Or Rein will do. Just tell them I'm here to visit."
Eiji pulled out two banknotes and handed them to the guards.
"Wait a moment."
They discreetly pocketed the money, and one of them headed inside the palace.
Before long, Rein, one of Iris's guards and a mage, arrived at the gates.
"Mr. Nangou, you should go back."
Rein wore a complicated expression.
"Are you not understanding what I'm saying?"
Eiji scratched his cheek, his expression turning displeased. "I said I need to see Iris—it's urgent, concerning her personal safety!"
"Her Highness is already in personal danger right now."
Rein sighed, looking gloomy.
"His Majesty the King and His Highness the Prince have returned from the front lines. The entire palace is under lockdown, and no one is allowed to see the Princess."
"What exactly happened?"
Eiji pressed, his voice serious. This was no small commotion—it didn't seem like some ordinary scuffle.
"It's all because of last night."
Rein's face was as bitter as a gourd.
"Last night, someone broke into the palace, declaring they would take the Princess by force. They alarmed every guard in the palace, but in the end, the intruder got away. Now, security is several times tighter than before!"
Damn!
Stealing the Princess?
What kind of audacious criminal would dare do such a thing?
"Who was the intruder?"
Eiji continued questioning. Could this be related to the body-swapping necklace?
Rein glanced around, then pulled him aside to a secluded spot, whispering conspiratorially.
"It was the Demon King."
"Cough!"
Eiji nearly choked on his own saliva.
"Who did you say?"
He stared at her in disbelief.
"The Demon King!"
Rein slumped her shoulders, looking just as stunned.
"Last night, an intruder appeared in the royal palace without anyone noticing, boldly declaring himself to be the Demon King who had come to kidnap the princess. Then he vanished in an instant, and no trace of him could be found afterward."
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Eiji shook his head repeatedly.
What a joke!
Whether I entered the palace last night or had any intention of kidnapping the princess—wouldn't I know that myself?
I clearly went to Duke Symphonia's residence last night and never set foot in the palace!
Who the hell is ruining my reputation?!
"What did this so-called Demon King look like?"
Eiji pressed further. He refused to believe someone would actually impersonate him.
"Full armor and a mask—that's how the guards described him."
Rein relayed the guards' account.
Damn, this intruder had done his homework!
The description matched Eiji's Demon King form perfectly. Someone had deliberately disguised themselves as him and caused trouble in the palace!
But who could it be?
"After hearing the news, His Majesty the King and His Highness the Prince teleported back from the front lines overnight. Most of the kingdom's forces have now gathered at the palace, and the entire area is under strict lockdown. No one is allowed near Her Highness the Princess—only Claire and I are permitted to attend to her meals and bedtime."
Rein explained the situation in the palace.
The King was a doting father, and the Prince was an obsessive brother.
Eiji had already learned this from casual conversations with Iris.
The one person you absolutely did not want to cross in the entire Belzerg Kingdom was Iris. If she were wronged, the King and Prince would react like dragons whose reverse scales had been touched—they would scour the entire nation three times over to find the culprit.
The moment they heard their beloved daughter and dear sister had been targeted by the Demon King, they abandoned the front lines and rushed back to the palace overnight.
What could be more important than protecting their daughter and sister?
Nothing!
"So there's no way I can see Iris today?"
"Correct."
"Fine, then."
After some thought, Eiji gave up on the idea of entering the palace.
On second thought, if only Claire, Rein, and a select few could see Iris now, then the noble who had traded the body-swapping necklace wouldn't be able to get near her either. At least he didn't have to worry about her suddenly turning into a greasy middle-aged man.
"In that case, I'll take my leave for now."
Eiji prepared to bid farewell. He'd deal with the impersonator issue later.
Ugh, fame really brought all sorts of trouble!
He'd make sure that bastard learned the price of impersonating the Demon King!
"Wait a moment."
Just as he was about to leave, Rein called out to him.
"To counter the Demon King, the strength of dark-haired adventurers is indispensable. So, no later than this afternoon, the King will send someone to the guildhall to invite you all to the palace as guards... Before I left, Her Highness Iris asked me to relay this message to you."
"I understand."
Hearing this, Eiji suddenly realized.
Hmph, what a clever little princess.
After leaving the palace, Eiji returned to the guildhall.
Not long after lunch, as expected, a royal envoy arrived to invite the four dark-haired adventurers still at the guildhall to serve as the princess's guards—with astonishingly generous compensation.
"We're going! Absolutely going!"
"How can we allow the princess to be taken by the Demon King? Are we just going to throw away the dignity of us reincarnators?"
"My blade has thirsted for the Demon King's blood for far too long!"
Everyone quickly reached an agreement, and Eiji had no objections either.
"I won't be going."
The witch adjusted her hood.
"Then wait for me at the guild hall."
Eiji nodded in approval.
Bringing her to the palace would be inconvenient. Given her identity as a demon, if discovered within the royal palace, she would undoubtedly be branded a spy—and might even implicate Eiji.
The four of them boarded the carriage and set off toward the royal palace.