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Slowly opening his eyes, the man spoke his first words, "Is… is this hell? How unfortunate. So young, and I haven\'t even taken over the inheritance left by my father. Yet I\'ve died…"

"…"

Nicholas William\'s voice was laced with sarcasm, "Don\'t worry. You can always leave the inheritance to us. I wouldn\'t mind bearing such a heavy burden."

"Huh?"

Blinking his eyes, the man finally realized he wasn\'t alone. He jerked upright suddenly, but his injuries, though outwardly healed, were not entirely mended internally. The sudden movement sent a sharp pain through his body, making him gasp and let out a cry of agony.

It was then that the man fully grasped that he was still alive!

After all, the dead can\'t feel pain!

He took a careful look around and then bowed slightly to Dean Bruce, expressing his gratitude, "Thank you for saving me. May I ask, where is this place?"

"Pur-cloud Imperial Capital," Dean Bruce responded calmly.

Hearing this, the man let out a long sigh of relief.

Nicholas William couldn\'t help but interject with a pout, "How are you so sure it was my teacher who saved you and not me?"

"…"

The man\'s lips twitched slightly, but he chose not to respond to Nicholas William. Instead, he turned his attention to his own body, examining himself thoroughly.

Not finding any trace of injury, his eyes shone with newfound light. He knelt down and gave Dean Bruce a deep, respectful bow before speaking in a serious tone, "My injuries were extremely severe before, yet you\'ve managed to heal me completely. You must be a master beyond compare!"

"Please, would you be willing to help me with something? If you do, I will give you anything you desire as thanks—whatever you want!"

"I, Apollon Joy, swear by the honor of the Pur-cloud Imperial Capital\'s royal family. I will never deceive you!"

"Hm?"

When he finished speaking, Nicholas William\'s face immediately showed a look of astonishment. Dean Bruce, too, was somewhat surprised. He had suspected that this man\'s status was not low and that he would play an important role in future developments, but he hadn\'t expected him to be a member of the Pur-cloud Imperial Capital\'s royal family!

Moreover, he was one of the two elder brothers that he and Miranda Joy had previously discussed!

Narrowing his eyes, Dean Bruce asked softly, "Miranda Joy is your sister?"

"Indeed." Apollon Joy\'s face revealed his surprise, followed quickly by immense joy. "You know my little sister? That\'s wonderful!"

Sensing Apollon Joy\'s genuine happiness, Dean Bruce\'s brow furrowed as confusion clouded his thoughts.

Based on his assumptions, Miranda Joy was supposed to be the mastermind or at least an accomplice conspiring with the hidden foe, all to seize control of the royal succession.

But if that were the case, why would Apollon Joy be so genuinely excited upon hearing her name?

If the Joy family truly had such a good relationship, then many of Dean Bruce\'s prior speculations would have to be reconsidered from scratch.

After a moment\'s contemplation, Dean Bruce asked directly, "You have a good relationship with Miranda Joy?"

"Of course," Apollon Joy sighed. "Father has never been fond of her since she was little, so it was my brother and I who raised her. Naturally, the three of us share a very close bond."

"This time, when trouble arose in the imperial capital, she was the first to inform us."

"Unfortunately, as my brother and I were making our way back, we were ambushed by assassins. I barely managed to escape, but my injuries were so severe that I couldn\'t make it back to the palace. That\'s why I had no choice but to hide in the hay."

"Once again, I must thank you for saving my life."

Hearing all this, Dean Bruce realized that things had become even more convoluted.

At the very least, the harmony shown between Planey Joy and Miranda Joy earlier was all a facade!

When two people deliberately put on such an act, it can only mean that a hidden scheme is at play behind the scenes!

Dean Bruce glanced at Apollon Joy and asked softly, "So, do you plan to head back to the palace and reunite with your father?"

"No, absolutely not!"

Apollon Joy shook his head urgently, a hint of fear in his voice. "The ones who tried to kill me earlier were part of the royal palace guard, specifically the elite unit directly loyal to the royal family. The entire palace is now under their control. If I were to rush back, I\'d probably lose my head before I even see my sister or father."

Eyes narrowing in thought, Apollon Joy continued in a grave tone, "The only way to change the current situation is through military force. Could you escort me out of the capital and help me return to the border? Once I\'m back, I can rally my troops, gather support from all the noble families and vassals nearby, and lead an army of a million to storm the capital!"

There was no denying that Apollon Joy\'s plan was sound.

When the palace guards are under someone else\'s command, entering the palace, even if he were to successfully reunite with Planey Joy, would be useless. He\'d still end up dead, no matter what.

Only by holding military power could he sweep away all obstacles with overwhelming force!

But unfortunately, this wasn\'t the approach Dean Bruce wanted to take. It was too blatant, and it would definitely alert the mastermind hiding in the shadows.

What if, pushed to desperation, the hidden enemy decided to execute all the hostages they had taken?

As for the possibility that those people were still alive, just being held captive?

It was almost a certainty!

Because if the mastermind had intended to kill those who went missing, they could have done so long ago!

Leaving a bloody scene would have a far stronger deterrent effect and emotional impact than merely making people disappear!

Dean Bruce softly asked, "Can you tell me which family controls the royal palace guards in the imperial capital? And where is their estate located?"

Upon hearing this question, Apollon Joy immediately understood Dean Bruce\'s intent. With a sigh, he replied, "The royal palace guard is led by Terrynas Gold. He has been highly favored by my father, and the entire Gold family has received numerous rewards, which allowed them to rise swiftly to the ranks of nobility, earning successive titles."

"I never expected the Gold family to choose betrayal. Once I rally my troops, I will tear every last member of the Gold family to pieces!"

"As for their estate, they were granted special permission by my father to reside in the courtyard to the left of the palace, where there is also a guard post manned by the royal guards, making it nearly impossible for ordinary people to infiltrate."

Hearing this, Dean Bruce couldn\'t help but be surprised. In any era or on any continent, being granted residence near the highest ruler\'s palace was a testament to one\'s favor and status.

What, then, could have caused Terrynas Gold to betray them? Even to the point of ambushing the two royal princes midway?

On the other hand, Nicholas William was nearly dozing off. Although he had grown up in the Lord\'s mansion, he had always focused on training with Shelly William and then relied on Dean Bruce\'s support. With no real sense of crisis in his life, he found these matters uninteresting.

"If… if you plan to go investigate the Gold family, I can guide you. But I still hope that you will help me escape the capital! If you agree to assist me, I am willing to swear on the name of the royal family that I will bestow great rewards upon you!"

Having heard enough empty promises, Dean Bruce remained unmoved. He replied calmly, "There\'s no need for that. Let\'s make a deal instead: you take me to the Gold family estate, and I\'ll ensure you get out of the capital. We\'ll deal with the rest after you\'ve successfully rallied your forces."

"Agreed!"

Although this cooperation seemed rather abrupt, Apollon Joy could not turn down a chance to escape the capital.

Just as he attempted to get up, a wave of pain washed over him, making him wince. He sighed, "How long will it take for these injuries to fully heal?"

Dean Bruce had no intention of using more of his magical energy to heal him. He simply ignored the question, closed his eyes, and began resting to recover his strength.

Realizing this, Apollon Joy could only smile bitterly before continuing, "I can tell that you are not a native of the Empire of Lane Cloud. So why did you come here, right after these strange events began?"

"If you don\'t dare to ask, then don\'t. Otherwise, I can\'t guarantee you\'ll live long enough to find out."

Dean Bruce\'s voice was calm, yet it made Apollon Joy shut his mouth immediately, too frightened to speak any further.

For a moment, the entire room fell into silence.

Nicholas William yawned and said, "Teacher, if there\'s nothing else, may I go to sleep now?"

Nodding slightly, Dean Bruce glanced at Nicholas William and noticed that he fell asleep in an exceptionally short amount of time. He instantly realized that something was wrong—someone had done something to Nicholas William!

Normally, people only fall asleep that quickly if they are utterly exhausted to the point of collapse!

Clearly, the food Nicholas William ate at the banquet was indeed tampered with; otherwise, why would Dean Bruce not feel the slightest bit tired?

"This guy… How can he fall asleep so quickly?" Apollon Joy was also startled and muttered, "What an enviable ability!"

Seeing that Dean Bruce remained unresponsive, Apollon Joy hesitated before finally deciding to curl up against the corner wall and close his eyes, preparing to get some rest himself.

If he continued talking, he feared Dean Bruce might just snap and finish him off on the spot!

In no time, the room returned to a state of utter stillness.

Dean Bruce\'s eyes were closed too, but he wasn\'t sleeping. His mind was on high alert, his mental strength focused entirely on keeping a close watch over Nicholas William.

Who knew how much time had passed, but as the night wore on, Nicholas William, who had been deeply asleep, suddenly and soundlessly stood up—without any warning or sign of movement leading up to it.