Whether the palace was too remote or all its guards had been reassigned, Velin circled the entire building without finding a single person.
He approached the palace wall, leaped lightly onto the roof, and began looking for a route.
Gazing into the distance, Velin discovered that his destination was actually over three thousand meters away, with fifteen palaces between him and it.
"I missed you so much."
The faint voice reached his ears. Velin looked toward it and saw a woman in a long blue dress embracing a guard.
At the sight, Velin glanced up at the sky again. There was still over an hour before the ceremony began, so, deciding to kill some time, he concealed himself and leaped toward the nearby palace.
Landing in the courtyard, Velin stood openly a short distance away and began watching the lovebirds.
The young guard pulled free of the woman's embrace, stepped back, and struck his chest in salute. "Your Highness, I still have duties to attend to."
"Your duty right now is to keep me company. Otherwise, I'll have you transferred to the dungeon," the woman in blue said sternly, a flicker of anger crossing her eyes.
"I would be willing to guard the dungeon as well," the young guard replied without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing that neither coaxing nor threats worked on him, the woman in blue suddenly smiled. "Your younger brother attends the Royal Capital's Third Warrior Academy, doesn't he?"
The young guard, who had been keeping his head lowered, abruptly looked up and stared hard at her.
"As long as you agree to become my personal guard, I can send your brother to the Royal Capital's Second Warrior Academy. After he graduates, I can also use my father's connections to get him into the Royal Capital's City Guard."