Chapter 534 - Kidnap

As the end approached, Edward the Eighth grew more and more reckless. He would spend most of his days drunk, and most of his nights with women. He stopped caring about his reputation, because he knew that he would not remain in power for long. His behaviors began affecting members of his court as well. The noblemen were even more crazy than their ruler.

No one tried to stop Edward the Eighth, or tried to rule the nation. If all men must die, then they might as well do some things they won't normally do. Edward the Eighth was indulging in this madness because he knew that there was no point in struggling anymore. The capital city Diamond City began following its monarch's descent into chaos as well. The entire city had forsaken its duties in order to seek pleasure instead.

In the mansion of a nobleman, a feast was underway. Except for Edward the Eighth, almost all the important government officials and noblemen were present. A few young men were chatting in the corner of the garden. Normally, these young men wouldn't be invited to a party like this. However, at this point, no one cared about formalities. Another reason for the invite, was that these young men were very popular among the noblemen lately. No matter what, these young men were smart. Even if they lost in a battle against the Maho Empire, they could still manage to live comfortably.

Once the Maho Empire's army arrives, the government officials and the nobilities would lose their positions and power. Commoners, however, would have more comfortable lives. Hence, being good friends with a few commoners was a good plan for these high ranking officials. This was why these young men were receiving special treatment.

A few young women walked over and waved at the young men in the corner. The young men glanced at them, but did not react. Seeing that they were not interested, the young women quickly moved on.

A man and a woman appeared around the corner. The man was tall and handsome, the woman was petite and beautiful. They were very close, and were whispering to each other. As they passed the group of young men, the man suddenly stumbled, accidentally pouring his wine onto his date.

The wine stained the woman's dress and got onto her face. The young woman gasped. She stamped her feet and slapped the man in the face, then hurried off, disappearing into the night.

The young men in the corner giggled. One of them glanced around and said quietly, "The princess has a temper, doesn't she, Young John?"

Young John snorted and touched his face. "We'll see who's laughing at the end."

"So this has happened before?"

"Shut it," Young John said, rolling his eyes. "The targets are on the bench to the east. You'll know who they are."

The young men nodded. The group divided into two smaller groups, one heading east, and another, back to the feast. Young John hurried after the princess. He needed to calm her down.

There were two young women sitting on the bench. They were dressed plainly, and were not exceptionally beautiful, which was why most people left them alone. The two young men glanced at each other. One of them walked over slowly, and asked gently, "Can we sit here, my ladies?"

The two young women seemed to be surprised that someone was talking to them. They smiled shyly and moved over a little, but neither said anything. The young men sat down. One of them sniffed the air and said, "Smells good here."

The two young women glanced around curiously. It was already summer, and the flowers were mostly gone. They did not know what the young men were talking about.

"I'm talking about you," the young man turned to the two women and said with a wink.

The two young women blushed and huddled closer together, obviously unsure of how to respond.

"The entire feast smelled like cheap perfume," the young man said, shaking his head. "Thank god we found you."

The young women glanced at each other and smiled, but still did not say anything.

The young man licked his lips and asked, "Are you two mages?"

"No," the young girl said. "We can't learn magic. Are you a swordsman?"

"How did you know?" the young man asked, feigning surprise.

One of the girls smiled and pointed at the sword on his belt. The young man slapped his forehead. "My old friend betrays me," he said.

"Old friend? How old are you?"

"Twenty four," the young man said. "How about you?" He paused, then slapped his leg. "I'm sorry, my lady. I shouldn't have asked."

The young girl shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm sixteen," she said.

The young man was very good at holding a conversation. Slowly, the two girls began talking more, and the tension melted away. The other young man did not say anything. He wasn't as good at holding conversation with women as his companion was. Because of this, he preferred to stay quiet.

After a sudden surge of magic, the building in the distance burst into flame. The party guests in the garden, startled, stared wide-eyed at the building. All around, dark figures rose into the air and flew toward the building. This was not a natural fire.

"Let's go check that out," the silent young man said, drawing his sword.

"Wait!" his companion said, grabbing his arm. "Don't you know? Anfey's in the city?"

"What do you mean?"

"Anfey probably wanted to round up everyone," the young man said. "Let's go find somewhere we can be alone, and hide there." He turned to the two girls and said, "Come with me."

The two girls appeared terrified. They glanced at each other and, after a few seconds, got up to follow the young man deeper into the garden.