The Night Escape and the Mysterious Investigation

"Alright, I expected that." Felix sighed deeply, then added in a calm voice, "Let's get ready to go then." He gently took her hand, and they headed to the room to make the necessary preparations.

The night fell quickly, and the palace was quiet except for the rooms of Lina, Felix, and Celesia.

"Lina, I'm counting on you to cover for our absence," said Celesia as she prepared to leave.

"Count on me," Lina nodded confidently.

"Alright, see you in the morning." Felix and Celesia slipped through a back door of the palace, mounted their horses, and sped off towards the site of the incident.

...

Meanwhile, Henry was preparing to escape from the palace. "I haven't seen the Shadow King these days, and I heard he's fighting battles with the Knights of Light, so tonight is the best chance." Henry snapped his fingers, and shadows appeared, breaking the chains that bound him.

"I can use each skill I've absorbed only once, so I must use them wisely." He shattered the door with another shadow and quickly ascended to the rooftop. Peeking through a door, he saw guards on both sides. Using his shadow stealth skill, he knocked them unconscious. He hurried to a horse in the garden and rode towards the gate.

At the gate, he swiftly dodged a guard and broke the gate's lock using his shadow thorns skill. "Cough," Henry coughed up blood after exiting the gate. "It seems my condition has worsened," he thought anxiously. "I hope I don't encounter any more obstacles on my way."

...

Felix and Celesia arrived at the location.

"This is where everything happened," said Celesia, carefully examining the area. The burn marks were still visible on the ground, and the charred trees indicated the intensity of the explosion. Meanwhile, Felix was circling the area, hoping to discover something.

"Let's split up and search more. I'll head to the town over there while you search towards the border," Celesia said seriously.

"Alright, let's meet here in half an hour," Felix responded. They each went their separate ways. Celesia entered the town, looking for any suspicious activities, but all she found was destruction and poverty.

"I didn't realize the place was in such a dire state," she thought, walking and observing her surroundings. Suddenly, a shadow came rushing towards her and collided with her, but she quickly grabbed the hand holding her purse.

"Don't you know that stealing is a heinous act? Your hand should be cut off for theft," Celesia glared coldly at the boy.

"Please let me go," the boy pleaded, trying to escape but failing. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to steal, but my mother is sick and needs a doctor," he started crying.

Celesia released him and knelt down, saying kindly, "Then take me to your mother so I can see her."

"But aren't you a noble? ... It's not your custom to help us," the boy hesitated.

"Who told you that? ... Now, tell me, who is the ruler of this town?" Celesia asked, annoyed.

"It's Baron Terramor," the boy replied.

"Thank you for telling me," Celesia said gratefully. "It seems it's time to replace that greedy man, filling his stomach without a conscience while his people starve," she thought angrily as she followed the boy to his home. "This is our house," the boy pointed to a tin shack that was about to collapse. They entered, and Celesia saw a woman lying on some straw covered with a tattered blanket.

"Mother, I'm back," the boy cried, hugging his mother. The woman lifted her head, surprised to see Celesia standing behind him, looking at them with sadness.

"Excuse me, miss, but who are you?" the woman asked in a hoarse voice.

"Don't worry, I've come to help you," Celesia said, handing a bag full of money to the woman. "Call a doctor for your mother with this money, and I will ensure the living conditions of this town improve," Celesia said with a smile before leaving immediately. The boy and his mother were left stunned by her generosity.

"I need to get back to Felix now," Celesia thought, hurrying back to her meeting place with her brother. As she approached, she sensed a dagger coming towards her and quickly dropped to the ground. She looked sharply at the source of the throw. Another dagger flew towards the source from Felix, hitting the head of a man standing in a tree. The body of a Shadow Knight fell to the ground.

"It's good to have you with me," Felix said proudly.

"That's why I asked you to come," Celesia responded coldly. They heard a rustling sound coming from the grass. Both drew their swords, ready for a confrontation, and suddenly, a boy with beautiful white hair appeared, collapsing to the ground.

They rushed towards him, finding that it was the Crown Prince Henry, unconscious and covered in blood.

"Henry...!" Celesia exclaimed in shock. Felix lifted Henry and placed him on the horse beside him.

"We need to get back to the palace quickly!" Felix shouted. Celesia mounted her horse, and they raced back to the imperial palace.