WHAT HE'S UP AGAINST

The next morning. Crimson Castle in the Imperial Playan Palace…

Prince Aristo was standing in front of his less-than-modest manor. He was busy saddling his horse to prepare for his journey to the Grimcloud Forest. Knowing very well he could be walking into his own death given no mage would be accompanying him.

"I'm ready whenever you are, Your Highness!"

Coming to Aristo with his own saddled horse was Lance Wright. The middle-aged man who acted as the prince's guardian.

"Lance!" called Aristo in surprise. "You're actually coming with me?"

"You seriously didn't think your words alone would've stopped me from following you, did you?" asked Lance with a frown.

"There really is nothing I can say to make you stay, is there?"

"I'm coming with you, Your Highness. Be it Grimcloud or damnation itself. I'll follow you everywhere till I breathe my last."

The dark-haired prince could not help but sighed at his guardian's decision.

"You foolish man…" whispered Aristo under his breath. Though from the big volume of his voice, it didn't seem he intended for Lance not to hear him.

"That's what you get for being a powerless prince, Your Highness. You get a foolish man as your guardian." replied Lance with a proud nod. "And this foolish man shall be by your side on your quest this time."

Patrick the butler, Trudie the head maid, and Linnie the maid came out from the manor to see their master departing for his quest.

"Have a safe journey, Your Highness. I'll make sure the manor is taken care of while you're gone." said Patrick.

"Take care, Your Highness. I'll have your favorite meal ready by the time you get back." said Trudie.

"Please do your best to come back to us, Your Highness! We'll be waiting!" said Linnie.

The Doomed Prince stared back at his servants and gave them a bitter smile.

"In the case I don't come back, I want Patrick to sell what remains of my mother's jewelries and use the money to get all of you settled somewhere else." instructed Aristo, the Second Prince.

"But, Your Highness!" cried the butler.

"If I were to fell in Grimcloud, I don't want any of you to remain staying here in the palace since I'm sure people won't be treating you well for having serving me." said Aristo. He turned to the butler. "Patrick, make sure that Trudie and Linnie are taken care of once I'm gone, you hear me?"

"Please don't say such ill words, Your Highness!" begged Trudie.

"You will return, Your Highness! You must!" cried Linnie.

Aristo did not give them anymore reply for it was too painful for his kind and loving heart. He rode on his horse and turned to Lance.

"Get on your horse! It's time to depart!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Aristo and Lance rode their mounts and set off to the Crimson Castle's cobbled streets, trying to make their way to the exit of that part of the palace.

When they reached an intersection at the Crimson Castle which stood directly in front of the gate of the Crimson Castle, Aristo and his guardian was suddenly blocked by two fancy carriages. Escorting the two carriages were dozens of armored knights.

"Well, well, well! Look who the goddesses ordained us to meet!" spoke a regal voice from inside one of the carriages.

"If it isn't the Doomed Prince!" spoke another voice from the other.

Stepping out from the two wooden vehicles were a man and a woman, both draped in fancy suit and dress. In contrast to Aristo who was wearing an old black armor with plain fabric clothing underneath.

"Good morning to you two, brother, sister." greeted Aristo to the two obstacles. "Are you both set for Grimcloud?"

Just as Aristo hinted, the two people blocking his path were the Emperor's children, the other Little Suns of Terraluna.

The man was the Third Prince, Josiah Victorio Doulosaima. He had a striking blue hair and a pair of purple eyes like Aristo. Josiah's frame was tall and muscular, one that fitted for a trained knight. Even from afar, one could sense the immense strength he possessed.

Meanwhile, the woman was the Second Princess, Vivienne Goldia Doulosaima. She had a deep crimson hair and the same pair of purple eyes like her brothers'. It is now evident that the trait belonged to the imperial family of Terraluna.

Vivienne wore the most luxurious wear of the three. Her fingers were adorned with gem rings while hanging on her neck was a diamond necklace. She was the picture of wealth. And at the same time, her eyes displayed the cunningness of a snake that was ready to pounce from the shadow.

"How could we not be ready, brother?" replied Josiah. "After all, our father, the Emperor himself, was the one who ordered us to go to Grimcloud."

"How about you, Aristo? Are you prepared yourself?" asked Vivienne. She took a glance at Lance who was accompanying the Second Prince. "Don't tell me that former castaway is the only one coming with you to the forest?"

"No, sister. Once I reach Grimcloud, the Seventh Division of the Imperial Army will be accompanying me." answered Aristo. "Just like always."

The Second Princess and the Third Prince burst into laughter once they heard of the Seventh Division.

"You mean the 'dumpster' division father gifted you where the army throws criminals and lowlifes who had nowhere else to go into?" asked Josiah with a mocking tone. "You really are doomed, brother."

"You do know that you'll need a mage, a CAPABLE mage, in order to stay alive in Grimcloud, don't you?" asked Vivienne with a sly grin. "Otherwise you'll just be walking into your own death."

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen a mage accompanying any of you." replied the Doomed Prince.

Right at the end of Aristo's sentence, two golden teleportation circles appeared beside the two royalties, one to the Vivienne's side and the other to Josiah's.

Emerging beside the Second Princess was a pale-skinned old man wearing a dark blindfold and dark hooded robe. While to the Third Prince's was a huge bearded man wearing a robust armor and a necklace of animal skulls.

The two mysterious people were emanating with intense mana. Aristo and Lance could immediately know that they were powerful mages.

"Were you looking for them, brother?" asked Vivienne with a slight giggle.

"I can assure you, Aristo, both Vivienne and I already got ourselves covered. Unlike you." added Josiah with a disturbing smile.

The two royalties began to return to their carriage. Before they closed the door behind them, they looked to the Doomed Prince one more time.

"Frankly, Aristo, it is better that you don't have a mage with you." said Vivienne. "That way you'll be able to accept your fate sooner."

"Indeed. There's no way you can compete with us and the rest of our siblings for the right to the throne" continued Josiah. "It'll be better if you just die in Grimcloud before you got swept up in the flames of our rivalries."

The Second Princess and the Third Prince returned to their carriage and continued with their journey. The two mages who appeared by their side also teleported themselves away following their master's departure.

Aristo could only respond to their display of might with troubled expression. Seeing his siblings were escorted by dozens of heavily armored knights and powerful mages while Aristo himself was only accompanied by one guardian made the Second Prince insecure about his own power as a royalty.

"Don't mind them, Your Highness." said Lance, encouraging his own master. "You'll find a way to defeat them!"

Aristo did not reply the middle-aged man with a yes or no. He simply flicked the rein of his mount and galloped forward.

"Let's go, Lance. We got a mission to embark on."