As Lucien was lost in thought, he suddenly felt a sharp slap on his back that nearly knocked him off balance. He turned around, his eyes widening in surprise. 'Captain Darius' was the current captain of the Royal Guard Army. Lucien and Darius shared a bond akin to brotherhood, which allowed Darius to tease him, despite his higher rank, playfully.
Darius was a broad-shouldered man with storm-gray eyes, short ash-brown hair, and a faint scar along his jaw. He wore a simple shirt, dark trousers, and a long coat. He was also buff, which added to the physical pain Lucien felt with that slap of his.
"I heard you came over for a meeting with the king. So, I roamed around the entire palace to find you, but I didn't expect to see you here, Your Highness."
Darius said with a bright smile on his face.
"I am glad to know that you finally got out of that hellhole."
Lucien smiled softly.
"Hellhole? More like a comfort zone."
Darius's face turned somber.
"Also, I heard that you got injured, practicing swordsmanship in your room. Did you finally take an interest in swordsmanship? Considering that you are here, I mean."
A hint of confusion could be seen in Lucien's face.
"Oh, no, no. I simply wanted to roam around the palace. It's been a while, after all, I wanted to take some time for myself."
Darius remained quiet for a moment; this time, it was he with a confused look on his face.
"Hold on… your demeanor seems quite different than usual. I could somehow sense confidence from you now."
Darius said, then suddenly, his eyes widened, and his expression became full of intensity.
"Could it be… have you done the deed?! Was that how you were pulled back to reality? No wonder you seem so mature now."
Lucien almost stumbled on his feet as Darius said those words aloud. The warriors around them were starting to gaze at him, making him feel uncomfortable.
"No! And don't say that aloud!"
Darius crossed his arms.
"Of course, you wouldn't admit it."
Lucien's face became blank. Out of all the people he had met so far, this guy was perhaps the hardest to deal with. Even harder than the king himself.
"Never mind that, I want to ask something."
Darius's brows furrowed.
"Oh, you're changing the topic? Since when did you learn such a thing?"
Lucien was starting to get pissed, however, he managed to hold himself off just a little bit.
"Do you know about the current circumstances in the Barony of Blackmere?"
This time, Darius's expression was serious.
"Why are you suddenly so caught up with such issues?"
Lucien raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean? I am the crown prince, you know, the next in line for the throne. I have the right to know more about my kingdom's situation. Though I may have failed almost all the tasks given to me back then, I never turned my back against the kingdom's issue, you know."
Darius let out a chuckle. It was true that Lucien faced many of the kingdom's issues, even without his father's order. It's just that, in some cases, he simply wasn't that capable of dealing with it, so he dealt with the minor issues of the kingdom. He did pretty decent in many of them.
However, that still didn't help him regain his reputation. After all, as the crown prince, he should at least be capable of solving at least one of the major issues of the kingdom. It was necessary to prove himself worthy after all, and something that Lucien had not done up until this day.
Simply, his principles weren't enough to save those people suffering in the Barony of Blackmere. He had to use logic, and he had to calculate the benefits that he could gain from doing something risky. Logic may have been an excuse, though, as his principles were really what pushed him to be more curious about their situation.
'Am I trying to be a hero?'
'Someone who used to be a lowly civilian, who had a hard time finding a job, is trying to save people?'
'Since when have I truly cared for others anyway? In my past life, I had learned to be selfish because of my experiences.'
'But that could have simply been a misconception about myself. Perhaps I have simply distanced myself from others.'
'Well, I'll see what I can do first.'
"Well, true. That part of you has never truly changed, Your Highness. If I did tell you everything I know, would you try to do something that could be of help to their current circumstances?"
Lucien smiled.
"That's the exact reason why I am asking you more about their situation. So, that I could be of help, even if it's not much, I'll try to contribute as much help as I can."
Darius remained quiet for a moment, staring at Lucien with a blank expression. However, what lies beyond those eyes is something even deeper.
"Well, why don't we take a seat? This chat might take a lot longer than we might anticipate."
Darius gestured for Lucien to follow him, and Lucien complied. They walked together towards another area of the royal palace. As they wandered through the palace grounds, they chatted for a while, eventually arriving at a beautiful garden. The lawns were neatly trimmed, and the plants were well-maintained.
There was also a fountain with an intricate structure. It was unclear who the statue was based on, but it seemed intimidating, as if it represented someone who had achieved a feat no one else in history had.
Their pacing was continuous, though Lucien kept looking around his surroundings as they walked together. Moments later, they finally arrived at where Darius was planning to lead them. It was a gazebo.
'Nice choice.'
This was probably the nicest place to converse with someone. Especially with such a beautiful view around them. Lucien then walked towards one of the seats and sat across from Darius.