"Your Majesty, the matter regarding the mayor who escaped, the death of the magistrate, and the chief of the guards...it was Prince Alaric's negligence. He fell into a trap set for him when they were in Ranuva. The soldiers were plagued with a stomach sickness that weakened them, and the bandits did not spend much effort in rescuing the prisoners."
"Useless! Idiot!" King Heimdal glared at Prince Alaric.
The prince stood tall, his spine a pillar of confidence, and his head raised high as he cast a steady glance at the king. His obsidian orbs, sharp and resolute, were filled with a quiet determination. "I am quite certain Father was aware of the mastermind behind this treachery," he declared. Alaric's voice, though laced with respect, shimmered with a subtle tension, hinting at deeper undercurrents beneath the calm surface.
The king and the Justice Minister looked at each other briefly.
