"What do you mean they dissappeared!?" Everette questioned the knight she had put to be in charge of watching over the Neuschwanstein children while she and Jeremy had gone over to where Shuli went. The knight lowered his head down as a gesture of devastation --- feeling disappointment for slacking off while on duty. "My apologies, madam and young master."
Shuli tried her best to seem calm, but alas, it did little to nothing. She couldn't help but think of so many things that could happen to Elias and the twins. Her encounter with her older brother has especially made it a lot harder for her to ease her mind. What if Lucas found the twins and used them as a threat? What if he comes face to face with Elias and hurts him?
Shuli took a deep breath and made a soothing motion on her chest, doing the best she could to relieve her heart and ignore the negative thoughts that were swirling in her mind. She should put her main priority right now on finding the children as quickly as she can.
"For now, we should notify the knights guarding this area first....Jeremy you--"
Shuli stopped talking, and her eyes popped out once she found Jeremy no longer beside her, Shuli suddenly felt a gust of wind blowing her hair and her guards. It was as if the wind appeared to comfort them of the Neuschwanstein children naughtiness.
"Oh dear....one of these days, my children will give me a heart attack." Shuli said defeatingly, a single droplet of tears rolling down her cheek.
"Madam..", her knights tried to comfort her, puting on a loose smile.
Passing by multiple restaurants and dessert shops on the shopping district, Jeremy's hunch seems to fail one after another. If he knew his siblings very well, they would have gone to search for something to eat given with how hungry they were earlier, but even a strand of their hair were nowhere to be found nearby any of the food shops he visited.
"Damn, if they're not here....where could they have gone to?" Jeremy clicked his tongue in annoyance. He started rushing down the streets by the shops and noticed a familiar redhead wandering around lifelessly by a dessert shop.
It was none other than his stupid brother.
Elias aimlessly looked around the area, scanning to see if his little siblings were around. He has been doing so since earlier.
Elias exhaustingly called out to his younger siblings' name, "Leon....Rachel....where.... did you go?"
Earlier, the three of them made a grand getaway while their knights were distracted. The three felt as if they were stealthy assassins, sneaking by the guards to execute their main objectives.
However, Elias found himself to be regretting that decision. He had separated himself from the twins when a crowd rushed by him, clouding his view from the twins, by the time the crowd dispersed he found out that the twins were nowhere near him which is why he was now alone--- searching for any traces of Rachel and Leon.
His brother would definitely murder them on the spot if he were here, especially Elias, since he has lost track of the twins. He shudders to think what Jeremy will do to him if he finds out he was the one who initiated the escape plan.
"Hey Elias." Jeremy popped up beside him, eyeing him sharply.
"Oh brother Jeremy, have you seen Rachel and Leon?" Elias spoke without thinking. It took him a brief moment to realise who he had spoken to.
"BROTHER JEREMY!?"
Silence fell down between the two brothers, and the colours from Elias' face disappeared.
Jeremy grabbed Elias by the back of his collar, blowing his chance to escape, "You brat, why didn't you stay with the knights...if something happens to you, shuli will.."
Jeremy stops as Shuli's bright and happy face flashes through his head. He hated to think of her joyful face changing into one of distress and sadness.
"Where is Rachel and Leon?"
Elias gulped the lump in his throat and chuckled nervously, "Umm, y-you see..."
"We got separated."
The two went quiet.
Jeremy smiled sarcastically at Elias' reply. "I see it is time for my lovely little brother to get his ass kicked today?"
Elias shakes his head, "NO NO NO WAIT!"
"Think about it. Those two were hungry earlier, so the first thing we need to do is to check out the restaurants."
"I already did that, you moron."
Elias laughs and holds his hands together, "Oh you did? you're a genius, my older brother." he said, hoping his compliment would diffuse Jeremy's anger, which seems to lit up brighter the more time went by. Jeremy lazily glared at him and gave him a 'you have to do better than that' look.
Elias had to no---- he needed to think of something. He will not succumb to Jeremy's personal punching bag for his sword practice.
That was when an idea lit up inside Elias' head. Memories of his interaction with the twins earlier suddenly crossed his mind.
'Brother Elias, let's go to the bookstore after buying food!' Leon excitedly suggested to Elias, who was barely paying attention. 'Huh...oh yeah, yeah,'
"What about the bookstores, Leon would definitely be interested in going there."
Jeremy raised an eyebrow at Elias' idea. He had not thought of going to the bookstores. "We could give that a try..."
Elias breathed out a sigh of relief as soon as Jeremy put him down and stopped pulling on the back of his collar. 'Oh angel, thank you for giving me another day to live today.' Elias pressed his hand together, making a praying gesture.
Jeremy rolled his eyes at his brother's action and ignored it, "So where is the bookstore?"
"If I remember correctly, there is one bookstore down by the streets." Elias pointed to a direction, recalling his memories of going to the shopping district with his late mother a bunch of times. Elias momentarily felt sad at the thought of his mother but immediately shook his head, retrieving his mind back to concentrate on finding his siblings.
Jeremy started heading in the direction where Elias pointed at with Elias following beside him. After making a turn at the corner, they successfully found a bookstore located in a quiet location near a dark alleyway.
"No signs of them here." Elias said discouragingly, getting ready to leave the place. On the other hand, Jeremy was putting his attention on a servant near him---pacing back and forth, looking seemingly desperate and scared. "What is the matter?"Jeremy couldn't help but ask.
The servant gave Jeremy a helpless look, "Oh, are you the knights? please help me, my young lady... she has gone missing!"
Jeremy and Elias turn to look at each other before looking back at the servant, "What do you mean gone missing?"
"We were looking at the books a minute ago, and then suddenly she disappeared."
Jeremy rubbed the side temple of his head, feeling hesitant. He would absolutely give a hand, but given how he also needed to find his siblings, there was just no time to spare.
When jeremy was about to decline, the three of them heard a muffling sound of individuals talking.
Elias spoke in a shaky low whisper, "You heard that? It sounds like it's coming from that dark alleyway. "
"You two should stay back."
Jeremy courageously walked inside the deep alleyway, slowly trying not to make a single sound to alert anyone who might be inside. He maintained his grip on the handle of his sword, preparing just in case anything happened.
Once he steps closer, he is amused to find a young lady of silky ash brown hair raising her hand while holding what appears to be one of her shoes before harshly smacking it on a person's head.
Afterwards, the lady rushes towards the corner of the wall, As soon as Rachel and Leon come upon his sight, he feels immediate ease after finding his siblings to be safe. He felt grateful and warm as he heard the young lady asking for his siblings' well-being.
Jeremy noticed the sudden movement of the man the lady had knocked down. The man pulled out a small metal rod from the pocket of his pants and was about to lunge it at the young lady.
"Big sister, it's dangerous!" Rachel warned.
Jeremy swiftly ran towards the man. He pulled out his sword on time and clashed it against the man's weapon. The man --- surprised by Jeremy's sudden appearance --- didn't have the chance to react fast enough and was easily disarmed from his weapon.
Jeremy pinned the man down to the ground effortlessly --- pressing his right knee against the man's back to disable him from standing up. He then tightly clenched both of the man wrists with his free hand. Afterwards, Jeremy pointed his sword dangerously close to the man's throat, making sure that he would not do anything foolish.
"Are you alright?" Jeremy looked back to the three individuals who were in a state of shock.
"BROTHER JEREMY!" Leon and Rachel cried out with tears rolling down their face.