The Duke's Passion

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883 Cautious

Just like how the soldiers were wary of Rufus, but with the lift of Heliot's hand, they allowed the boy to run past them. Law didn't even bother, despite the wariness from the soldiers, stopping several steps from Heliot and Rufus.

"Hah..." Law rested his hands on his thighs, panting. When he gulped, he raised his head to reveal the fire in his eyes. "I'll take them."

Rufus and I leliot furrowed their brows, confused.

"Them." Law straightened his back and pointed his finger at the survivors both men were arguing about. "I'll take them."

"Law." Still confused, Rufus huffed quietly. "Where's the Madam? Why are you alone, and where do you plan on taking them?"

"I do not mind handing their safety to you for as long as you can reassure me you have a better plan than running around mindlessly," Heliot added.

'I knew this will happen. Fortunately, Mother knew these two very well - especially the prince of Karo! Law cleared his throat and marched towards them. As he did, his hand slipped inside his clothes, warranting a defensive stance from the soldiers.

Law stopped, looking around at the weapons aimed at him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rufus frowned as his piercing gaze glossed over the soldiers. "Prince Heliot, I understand you and your soldiers were highly cautious. However, the young master is on our side."

"What do you have in your hand?" Heliot ignored Rufus, narrowing his cycs at Law. "We are in the Spade Kingdom. I do not doubt Sir Knight's identity, but not this boy. You mentioned it yourself, Sir Knight. This boy is supposed to be with his mother."

"What are you insinuating, Your Highness?"

"What I am saying is, we are in this cursed land. Above us was a thick layer of darkness that seem to have shrunk steadily. The very ground we are standing on absorbs any form of blood, making it a massive sacrificial ground." Ileliot kept his eyes on Law while clarifying his previous remarks to Rufus. "In other words, I trust no one. Anything can happen at any time and at the slightest mistake. It will be a shame to hand over these survivors we painstakingly rescued if he turned out to be an imposter."

Rufus's frown deepened, but unable to retort. Heliot had a point. Rufus parted ways with Lilou and Law minutes ago; they went in the opposite direction of him. Although it was not possible that Law sprinted his way here, it was still suspicious he arrived just a couple of minutes after Rufus met with Heliot.

"I understand your argument, Your Highness. Law remained calm. His hand was still inside his suit. "My mother told me to be more careful when approaching His Highness. He is the type who rarely takes risks was what she said."

Law sighed, shifting his eyes at Rufus. "And I also understand that Sir Knight is growing suspicious. After all, we parted ways quite a time ago. How I caught up to him is the answer to your first question."

"My mother has devised a plan." He carefully pulled his hand out, knowing they would attack him if they figured what was in his grasp was a dangerous weapon against them. Law took his time, keeping his determined eyes on Heliot and then on Rufus.

When Law took his hand out from under his clothes, Ileliot and Rufus narrowed their eyes. In the boy's hand was not any weapon or the sort, but a rolled parchment. The soldiers also

breathed out in relief upon realizing the boy wasn't carrying anything deadly.

It was just a paper.

"When we parted from Sir Knight, my mother and I went to find any survivors in the area. And somehow, we stumbled upon an area that had become the evacuation shelter for all those who had resisted the king" Law breathed out solemnly, handing the scroll to whoever would take it. "Believe me or not - even I am still in disbelief, but the discovery we found will be a great help to all of us. Here, take a look!"

Heliot assessed the boy's solemn countenance, trying to detect the slightest contempt or deception in the latter's eyes, but to no avail. Law seemed to be saying the truth, but Heliot didn't want to believe his eyes. He believed that not everything that could be seen by the naked eye was trustworthy. Even so, he couldn't blindly disregard Law's remarks.

"Take it," ordered Ileliot to a soldier, jerking his chin toward the scroll.

The soldiers near Law nodded, marching cautiously towards Law. When he stood beside Law, there was this uneasiness in the soldier's heart. He thought of many twists and turns of events if this boy was proven to be an enemy. What made his heart even more restless was the fact that everyone would only find out if this boy were an enemy disguised as a boy if he killed him.

"I can take your life even before you can step into my vicinity" remarked Law, tossing the scroll to the soldier. "Hurry and take this to His Highness. We are running out of time." The soldier almost flinched as he caught the scroll. His heart raced for a moment, thinking touching the scroll would unravel something deadly. It didn't happen. The soldier gazed at the scroll in surprise before shaking his head and heading to Heliot.

"Your Ilighness." The soldiers handed the scroll to the prince of Karo, not knowing the latter had been studying the scroll.

'It did seem it look like a normal parchment. Heliot slowly took the scroll, snapping his eyes back to Law as soon as he took possession of it.

"In it was the path we can use to keep the survivors safe," explained Law while Heliot carefully unrolled the scroll. "The land of Spade has more surprise than we thought. Underneath the very ground we are standing on had many paths leading from one town to another. It was the reason I caught up with Sir Knight."

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