Regressed With A Copy System: Breaking the Loop-Chapter 58: Royal... Guard or Traitor?

Nolan and the others exited Elite Loretta's office, most thinking about how to get ready for the new task.

"Can you imagine that? Acting all good and all that… evil woman," Liana muttered, as they made for the Atrium's exit.

"Did you say something?" Sylvia asked Liana.

"Oh, I just said it's good to… face evil demons, and win," Liana lied.

Sylvia nodded, not expecting to hear that.

As they got out, Ace Cyndy walked past them, looking at their faces, as if searching for someone. Her eyes stopped on Nolan, or so he thought they did.

It felt like she was looking at someone behind him instead, before looking away and stepping into the Atrium of Founders.

Nolan turned around and found only one person behind him.

"Why was she looking at me like that?" Liana mumbled, asking no one in particular.

Nolan asked himself the same question, but before he could think more about it, Leon spoke.

"I have something to check. We will meet later then," Leon said, walking away from the group.

"We are regrouping by midday, to know all we need," Sylvia announced to them.

Leon nodded. "That's perfect."

As Leon left, Nolan and Selena exchanged a glance.

"This is not happening. What is she doing here?" Leon muttered, walking quickly, though he was going nowhere exactly. He just wanted to get some space.

He took a right turn and immediately got startled by who he saw there. It was Selena, leaning on the wall.

He faked not seeing her and acted like he forgot something, but when he turned back, Nolan was standing right in front of him.

"Oh crap," Leon muttered, turning around again, this time hoping to walk past Selena.

Selena pushed of the wall and blocked his path. "Scared?" she asked.

"What? No, of course not. Why should I be scared?" Leon replied, with a forced laugh.

Nolan studied Leon for a while. Another misplacement, he thought. He had never heard of any Leon going the Cerulean Guardians, not to talk of this Leon.

Yes, he knew Leon.

"What brings a royal guard here?" Nolan asked.

Leon's blood ran cold immediately.

"Oh, now I really do remember him. You're the one who—"

"Please don't," Leon quickly interrupted her.

Nolan raised a brow, walking past Leon to stand beside Selena. "The one who what? Stays with the princess?"

"No," Leon replied.

"Faked his death?"

"No."

"Stole a load of royal artifacts, fled the kingdom, killed a few men sent after him and believed joining this guild would give you a shade to calm down and think. Perhaps even planning on using some in battle," Nolan said.

Leon looked at Selena, then returned his gaze to Nolan. "That was a guess?" he asked, surprised.

"No," Nolan replied, raising a silver necklace with a ruby.

Leon's eyes widened and he searched his pockets. They were supposed to be with him. "How did you… Give it back!"

"Plus, your cloth still holds a few blood stains and you don't seem to be injured anywhere, are you?" Nolan continued, ignoring Leon's request.

The system screen finally flashed. He had plans of looking for this artifact, but it ended up coming to him instead.

[Artifact obtained!]

[Name: Ruby of Invincibility.

• Usage: 3

• Purpose: Gives user a minute of invincibility, when active. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

• Obtain difficulty: A]

"I said give it back!" Leon repeated, reaching for Nolan's hand, but Selena caught his hand.

"Slow down, dear. Don't bite, or the whole city's knowing," she said.

Leon pulled back his hand, getting angry. "What do you both want?"

Selena opened her mouth, like she had something reasonable to say, but then she closed it and shrugged. "I just wanted to be sure I knew you, but it seems he has more to do with you," she said, yanking her head towards Nolan who was examining the necklace.

"You have a reason for stealing the artifacts. What is it?" Nolan asked.

Leon huffed, "That's none of your business."

Nolan smiled and turned to Leon, then he put the necklace in his inventory. To Leon and Selena, it just disappeared into thin air. "What if I told you I can make all what you have done so far useless?"

"W-what did you j-just do?" Leon voiced, now getting scared of Nolan. "Who are you?"

"Whoa, where did that come from? Are you a normal ability user or a magician?" Selena asked, surprised.

"None," Nolan replied to Selena, before facing Leon again. "All the artifacts you have gathered will all disappear like this one, if I wish. So, I ask again. Why did you steal them?"

It was a blank threat, but Nolan believed it would work, since he was the only one who knew how the system works. And it did.

Leon exhaled, shoulders slumping. "I need to use them," he started. "I overheard someone speaking with the king about force-splitting the guilds' parties, so the demons can do more damage. They deliberately want the demons to kill more people."

"So, what were you planning on doing? Using the artifacts to face the demons alone? That is one hell of a stupid idea, if you ask me," Selena said.

"I told my colleagues, but they called me a liar and were going to turn me in. I ran with the artifacts I could get my hands on and went to face the demons, but they sent people after me before I even got to my destination. That's why I ran here," Leon explained. "They must be working with the demons. I thought I was being too much, thinking humans could actually be working with demons. But my thoughts were confirmed when I heard about the demon puppet incident here."

Nolan put a hand on his chin. "Well, welcome to the team," he said, leaving.

"What?" Leon turned to Selena, confused.

"That's what we have been trying to solve. The demon-human conspiracy. So, as he said: welcome to the team," Selena told him, before falling into step behind Nolan.

"Hey, wait a minute. What of the necklace," Leon voiced, rushing to catch up with them.

Gideon stepped forward from behind a wall, watching them as they left. He heard everything, and he definitely wasn't going to keep it to himself.

. . . . . .

Later That Day.

Every member of the new defense team regrouped in the Atrium of Founders as Sylvia said.

They were briefed and given coordinates. Though Leon was an Ace, and Sylvia was the head of patrols, the leader was surprisingly neither of them, nor was it Nolan or Klaus.

It was… Liana.

They were going to get ready and move out the next morning, before dawn.

"How is she the leader?" Amanda muttered, as she and Nolan walked to the stable. They were told to check and tell the guard there to prepare horses for their departure.

"You can go ask Elite Loretta yourself, you know that?" Nolan replied to her, though she wasn't really expecting one.

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Is she that good?"

Nolan turned to look at Amanda, then he looked back, not saying a thing until they got to the stable.

The guy guarding the stables, suddenly rushed out, slammed the door and quickly locked it, breathing heavily.

Nolan and Amanda exchanged confused looks.

"Are you okay?" Amanda asked.

"Mm, yes. Just struggling with a crazy horse. Always wants to leave when I open the door. I could not even get it back into its space," the stable keeper said. "So, how may I be of help?"

"We'll be needing horses for our departure tomorrow," Amanda explained.

"Ah, you're the new defense unit, aye? I was informed that you would be coming," the man nodded, still trying to steady his breathing.

"So…" Amanda trailed, waiting for the man to open the stable door.

The man let out a nervous laugh, before turning to the door and opening it. Just as he opened it, Nolan and Amanda saw a horse peep out—It had to be the horse the man was talking about.

The horse seemed to get more excited after seeing them, and before the knew it, the stable keeper was on the floor and the horse was coming right for them.

"Touch me and I will stab your throat," Nolan muttered, with bored eyes.

The horse suddenly skidded to a halt in front of them.

Amanda who was about to jump out of the way calmed down. "It really is crazy. You know it?"

"Yes," Nolan said. "Yes, I do."

Turns out, it was the horse he used to find The Wisher. Just what exactly did she do to this horse?

The horse looked excited to see Nolan. He patted it and turned to the stable keeper who was now dusting himself. "I'll be taking this one," Nolan told the man.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" the man asked, cautiously.

"Can you?"

The man waved dismissively. "You win. Take it."

Accomplishing what they came for, Nolan and Amanda left.

The day went by fast, and the next morning even faster. The team had already gotten ready to leave, all mounting their horses.

Alexander joined them, looking down. He had told his parents about everything, but they didn't even care about it or even bid him farewell. However, when he spotted the others, he put on a smile and returned to his usual jovial persona.

They looked into the horizon where the sun was starting to come up, hoping to come back victorious.

Liana sat on her horse, as the lead, cap in hand. Nolan had taught her how to ride a horse back before the patrols started.

She looked back at her team and then faced the path ahead. "Alright everyone," she said, putting on her cap. "Let's move out."