A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 393 A Grand "Picnic"

The Minister of the Interior searched the entire palace but could not find the King, nor the Chief of the Palace Guard. A bad feeling crept over the Minister, and he began questioning the guards from the inside out, asking when he would see the King one last time.

"I don't know, sir. I just changed shifts." That was the usual answer. It wasn't until the military police outside the door that they got a different explanation: His Majesty was so busy with state affairs that he couldn't sleep and went to the hunting grounds early this morning to relieve his worries.

Nonsense! Even the Minister of the Interior could guess with his toes that both of those statements were lies. The King and the Chief of the Guard must have played some trick and slipped away during the change of guards.

Since the last unrest, the king has been required not to leave Valuana and to inform the National Assembly before leaving the palace. Otherwise, he would be stopped by the guards outside the palace on the grounds that the city was in chaos and the king's safety must be the priority.

Charles XVI complained to his courtiers more than once, "I have given the whole country freedom, but my own freedom has been ruthlessly taken away!"

If it were merely dissatisfaction with house arrest and a desire to access the royal hunting grounds and territories, that would be one thing. But when the ministers considered the possibility of the king colluding with foreign powers, and the series of new laws that had been passed with a high vote, they immediately broke out in a sweat in the still chilly early spring weather.

Just as the minister was wiping his sweat with a silk handkerchief, a messenger from the National Assembly arrived at the palace gates in a carriage, carrying documents passed at the assembly. According to the initial compromise, these articles, in principle, required Charles XVI's approval and signature to take effect.

"My lord! What a coincidence that you are here too. I have been ordered to submit these new bills to His Majesty. You must make His Majesty understand that only through these measures can our kingdom be saved."

"You're just a lowly official, what 'we' are you referring to?" Normally, the minister would have harbored such resentment, but now, his mind was preoccupied with devising a solution. The Minister of the Interior finally decided not to cover for Charles XVI: "His Majesty is not in the palace."

"Not here? The court didn't inform the National Assembly." The messenger was startled, then relaxed: "Oh, then His Majesty is at the hunting grounds."

The minister shook his head again: "Perhaps, perhaps. You should still send a telegram to the hunting grounds, and then take me to the meeting place."

Soon after, the news of the king's disappearance was confirmed. The National Assembly was originally going to send commissioners to various places to explain the new laws, guide the establishment of local citizens' committees, and recruit militia. Now, before the commissioners even headed to the towns in the unoccupied territories, a series of "missing person notices" were already reaching various places along the telegraph lines.

A caravan of luxurious carriages rolled along the country road, and on one of the impressive six-wheeled carriages, a portly male passenger peered out. His gaze swept across the vast open fields, imagining them laden with golden wheat during harvest season.

Then the man took a deep breath of fresh air from the window, unable to contain his joy: "Ah! I smell the scent of spring!"

His companion, a noblewoman, gripped the hand warmer tightly: "Your Majesty, it's freezing. Shall we close the window?"

Not only was the Queen complaining, but the chief guard outside the carriage also rode up to advise the King: "Your Majesty, you should not show yourself so easily."

"Fine, fine, I just want to see my country a little longer!" Charles XVI sullenly closed the window. It's understandable that a monarch would want to see his country and beloved land a little longer when leaving it.

This escape had been planned for a long time, and the catalyst that led Charles XVI to abandon his own country was the Feast of Psalms.

It was truly the most tragic festival in history! The church held no grand ceremonies, the people of Valuana were starving, and had no heart to praise the Lord of Order. And when the king tried to leave the palace to spend the festival at his estate in the suburbs, he was blocked at the palace gates by the people who had heard the news.

The angry populace believed that the king was not going to the manor, but rather to slip north to join forces with the army led by nobles, the exiles, and even enemies from the empire, and then betray the people who had participated in the great changes.

So be it! The king then adopted the advice of the queen and the chief of guards, and he would, like any ordinary person in this era who had suffered misfortune, seek refuge with relatives to escape the “mad and fearless mob” of Valuwana.

If the script is correct, he will go to the lowlands, gain the support of his noble relatives, and, with the intervention of the Imperial Army, "return to the throne" and "set things right."

The head guard nervously surveyed his surroundings; his dark circles were almost extending beyond his eye sockets. It wasn't from indulging in wine and women, but from the agonizing thought and effort put into planning this grand escape.

When a secret mission involves not only the king, queen, two princes, and one princess, but also two tutors, two personal maids, two nannies, a royal chef, and a bodyguard disguised as a coachman—a total of fourteen people—it is absolutely hellishly difficult.

It was already a miracle that they managed to sneak out of the palace.

Moreover, although the exterior of the luxury carriage may have had all the patterns painted off, the black and gold color scheme and the six pairs of large wheels still exude an air of wealth and luxury.

What's more, the interior is decorated with velvet and walnut wood, and there is a separate luggage compartment for storing royal utensils, picnic and kitchenware, fine wines and gourmet food, all of the queen's jewelry, and even her two favorite pieces of furniture.

Yes, the furniture must be brought along too! The chief guard's temples throbbed with a buzzing pain.

There was also a troop of cavalry loyal to the royal family and the command of the chief of guards ahead. If the two troops were to move together, the carriage would certainly arouse suspicion, so the cavalry kept a distance from them.

Click, the small window opened again, and Charlie asked the captain of the guard once more, "I'd like to confirm the procedure. After we leave the city, a team of mages will meet us in the suburbs and use a large teleportation array to send us out of the country?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Charlie frowned. "But wouldn't that be too risky? I feel more at ease traveling normally. And are those spellcasters reliable?"

"Your Majesty, this is already the best and quickest way. The mages I found are all loyal noble sons, and they are willing to help us. Moreover, the nobles of the duchy have already corresponded with us, and the other end of the teleportation array is ready. The court has already spent a considerable sum of money, as you know."

"Since it's all teleportation anyway, why do we have to go through this ordeal? Can't it be done directly from the palace?" the Queen complained.

The chief guard patiently explained, "Our noble sons have been ostracized by the mages in the capital, so it is difficult for them to carry out large-scale, attention-grabbing ceremonies in the city."

"As far as I know, once the teleportation array is activated, the magic guild can monitor it due to the enormous energy consumption and spatial fluctuations it causes. However, as long as we successfully cross the border, it won't matter."

The chief guard had done his homework, relaying the knowledge he had obtained from the other party to the queen. However, the chief guard was unaware that this teleportation ability was a unique skill of the Tower of Stars.

He added, "If one plan doesn't work, I've prepared a second escape route from the hunt."

"My dear minister, as the wise men of the East have said, 'The resilient grass shows itself in a strong wind,' and your loyalty and ability have been tested. I will remember your contributions to the kingdom." The royal family finally affirmed the chief guard's arrangements and praised him.

The convoy turned off the main road and onto a country lane. After a bumpy ride, they arrived at the teleportation ceremony site just as the sun was about to be directly overhead.

In a temporary clearing in the woods, the waiting mages and guarding cavalry had prepared a large area. Temporary steam engines and magic conversion devices were running, and a massive magic array was ready to be activated.

The mage who greeted the chief guard opened his arms and hugged the big spender: "You've come at a good time. With the old teleportation technology, it would have required several archmages to cast spells at the same time to activate it!" The highest-ranking mage present was only intermediate level.

After obtaining permission, the monk greeted His Majesty the King through the window of the luxurious carriage: "Your Majesty, you will soon be completely safe!"

He performed the aristocratic etiquette, and Charles XVI pondered for a moment: "You are the second son of the Count of Armand?"

"It is an honor that you remember me." After confirming the passenger's identity, the monk said "good" three times in his heart.

(End of this chapter)