MMORPG: Crowd Control

With Lei Zhen avoiding her stare, clearly indicating that he was not going to choose for her, Kate could only grit her teeth and glare at the imperial guards.

"Who's order were you following to ambush me?" She asked in a cold tone.

"We were following the orders of Prince Leon." The imperial guards responded in unison.

Prince Leon, one of Kate's elder brothers, was known for his talent in mana controlling and behind the scene schemes.

"As expected… it was Prince Leon and not Prince Carter," Kate muttered and sighed softly.

Unlike Prince Leon who always uses a facade and does things in the dark, Prince Carter was much more honorable in his deed. He would never scheme in the dark and would openly contest anyone.

It wasn't a surprise that Prince Carter was actually born a few minutes earlier than Prince Leon. And the difference between the two was that Prince Leon was talented in mana whereas Prince Carter was talented in swordsmanship.

However, both princes are equally terrible since they escalate the internal conflict in Yors Castle further when there are external conflicts threatening their very lives at this moment.

"If I accept your allegiance, are you going to betray me?" Kate asked in a stern tone. She knew hiding from the crisis was no longer possible. To stabilize the Yors Castle, taking down the two princes is a must.

The king, Francis Norton, had not fallen ill or died yet they had the audacity to start an open war against each other.

The two princes are a disgrace to the royal family with their hideous conduct.

Sometime later, the imperial guards all swore their allegiance to Kate and they proceed to pave the way for them to return to Yors Castle.

This time, Chris was the one driving the carriage and remained vigilant under the command of Lei Zhen.

He was not one to easily believe or trust someone, so he told Chris to notify him immediately if the imperial guards do some sneaky movement.

Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Lei Zhen was discussing a plan with Kate.

"Currently, we have little to no information regarding the situation at Yors Castle. Hence, I suggest Chris and I will head in first while you remain outside." Lei Zhen said.

"Why? My father could be in danger at this very moment. How can you ask me to remain outside?"

Seeing her agitated reply, Lei Zhen waited for a few seconds before explaining his reason.

"You should know very well that if the two princes are really starting a coup to get the throne, then your appearance would be dangerous to not just you, but your father."

"I don't care about my safety, Lei Zhen. I need to rescue my father if he was actually harmed."

"Then what if your father is not harmed and is controlling the situation? But then your impulsive action could lead to trouble because if you happened to be captured by either of the princes, the situation could be said to be a total loss."

What Lei Zhen meant by his words was if her father happened to be trapped within the walls of Yors Castle whereas the other two princes controlled the roads that led to Yors Castle.

Then Kate would be captured the moment she was spotted, and that would give leverage to the prince to force an abdication from the king.

However, if Kate never showed up at Yors Castle and wasn't captured, then the king could still defend himself and come up with a solution.

Time was the king's asset whereas time was a ticking bomb for the two princes. Given how they're blatantly trying to kill Kate or have her captured, the two princes have taken a path of no retreat.

"I-I…" Kate wanted to say something but was rendered speechless. She understood where Lei Zhen was coming from.

"You're a smart princess, so I'm not going to explain further. If you still want to go to Yors Castle with us despite the risk, then by all means, go ahead." Lei Zhen's next words shocked Kate deeply.

"Huh? You're not going to stop me if I insist?" She asked in a dazed tone.

Lei Zhen nodded his head.

"That person is your father, and naturally, you are worried because of your loyalty and filial piety. Hence, even if I force you to stay put, you might still sneak out and that would cause even more trouble." He said calmly.

Giving her an explanation of what scenarios would happen, Lei Zhen would still let her decide her fate.

The choice was hers, and he wasn't going to stop her if she insisted on doing something.

He was not a babysitter or a nanny. Kate was mature enough to make her own choices.

Kate bit her lips softly and clenched her fist.

Her eyes were crystal clear as she replied decisively, "I'm going with you. Even if the Yors Castle is a fire pit currently, I'm still going to jump right in without hesitation."

"Understood! Then make sure to stay close by us and listen to my command. I'm an outsider so I can act in a cool-headed manner regarding the situation compared to you."

Lei Zhen then stepped out of the carriage to discuss with Chris, not giving Kate a chance to rebuke him.

After briefing Chris about what happened, the carriage soon arrived near the Yors Castle.

The Yors Castle was a concentric type of castle that had an outer gate and outer wall covering as protection. In addition to that, it had numerous towers with soldiers carrying archery weapons for a long-range fight as a defense.

Besides the outer wall that served as a defense wall against invaders, it had an additional inner wall structure as insurance.

Overall, one could say the Yors Castle defense structure and mechanism are nearly indestructible. It also made sense why the two princes didn't have the thought of invading directly.

'Although the structure of the castle looks a bit old-school, it's actually a perfect defense building in this game setting.' Lei Zhen thought.