CHAPTER 72: PRINCESS KIDNAPPED

KEVIN VALESMITH

8 MONTHS AGO

The sounds of hundreds of sirens echoed around the floating continent of Guardian's Haven. Everything is noisy, including the city, the academy, and even the grand castle. Everybody was on red alert as soon as the bad news came into the capital.

"We're at Defcon 2! I repeat we are at Defcon 2!" The radio announcer on our military channel said. On the background of the channel are endless shouting and fast footsteps running around. Each and every person here in Alterra's capital is busy as they are preparing for the countermeasures.

At the edge of the floating continent is a wharf where I'm standing stiff. I gaze upon the gigantic airship that the empire granted for me, the S.S. Eaglecrest, which is the most advanced aircraft created in this era. This airship is about twice the size of an aircraft carrier which can handle hundreds of dragons inside.

Me having permission to use such a thing means that my mission is one of the most crucial jobs I will ever take to protect this empire.

"Major General Valesmith." It was Emperor Sirius Elkyria himself, and he came to personally see me. His eyes are currently lifeless, fully shocked about the turn of events that involved his daughter. "You are the most valuable dragon knight and soldier of the empire. I will entrust my daughter's safety on your hands."

I immediately saluted to the emperor and made my vow. "Yes, your highness. I promise I will deliver Princess Serenity Elkyria back to you, safe and alive."

"I am truly indebted by your honor, Major General." The emperor smiled even if his mood is of pure sorrow. "Now go. Godspeed."

I bowed, and then I boarded the S.S. Eaglecrest as soon as it opened its hatch. As soon as I, the Officer-in-Charge of this airship made the signal to the pilots, the airship unleashed its boosters and flew from the floating continent of Guardian's Haven downward to the planet's surface.

"So the princess got kidnapped, eh?" My dragonoid Rius talked to me as I removed my yellow tuxedo and shades and switched back to my blue dragon knight uniform.

"Yes. The princess has reportedly snuck away from the castle and went to Abaddon City." I said. Then, I presented my phone to my dragonoid. "Abaddon City is a big metropolis, and we don't know the princess' exact location. So far, this is our only lead to her."

I played the recording on my phone, which is actually a recording of the phone call of the princess to the emperor. Even if it's just a recording, it is evident in the princess's tone that she's scared to death. I can even hear the princess's heavy gasps as she speaks.

"Dad! Help! We're being attacked by unknown people! I'm with Cleru! I'm sorry if I snuck out! Please help me!" The princess said. There were several gunshots in the background, and I heard a painful grunt from a teenage boy afterward. Then the phone call was filled with screams. "They're here! They're here! Get off me! Noooo!"

Then the recording was cut.

Hearing the recording made Rius's bone chill. This dragonoid looks like a rockstar with spiky blond mohawk hair already, and that fear made all his hair in his body go up like a rooster. "That's pretty grim." He said.

As I sat on my throne on the airship, I dive into my deep thought as I speak it out loud.

"Abaddon City is a heavily guarded city, and it gives me the doubt on why the princess was kidnapped in such a place even if she has no guards. Considering that the kidnapping has made so much gunshot noises, it must be made by a group that is rich in finances and manpower. They seem to be organized too, as they have snuck past the defenses quietly and only had to fight when they are about to get their hands on the princess. I have ruled out the probability of mafias doing this type of kidnapping. If it's the terrorists or remnants of Arcadia, they must have given their demands by now, so we have to rule that out."

"Now that you have ruled almost everything with your smart-ass deduction, only one group is capable of doing such kidnapping," Rius said.

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I know what he's about to say, but I have to stop him for now. "We have to be sure first."

The S.S. Eaglecrest is capable of flying around Mach 2 even with its gargantuan size, so we reached Abaddon City in just a couple of minutes even it's miles away from the capital. From above, I can see the whole city on red alert as there are police cars roaming around the highways and there are soldiers guarding each and every skyscraper rooftops.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I immediately answered it and the voice I got is from my loyal friend and subordinate, Lady Danielle Keine. "Senor Major General, we are already on the site where the princess was last seen. We need you here immediately."

"Copy," I said. Then I looked at Rius and we nodded to each other.

The airship finally hovered above the building where the princess was supposedly kidnapped. Unlike any other building in this city, this one has traces of gunshots on its concrete walls. There are also crumbling bricks on its rooftops, which makes it definite that the kidnappers fought their way when they are already escaping with the princess.

I landed on the rooftops with my dragonoid Rius, and then we walked down the stairs of the building. This is the time where I realized that the building itself is a cheap dormitory that is funded by the government.

We walked towards the corridor and finally stopped on the crime scene. The doors on this floor seem to be blasted by some kind of brute-force breaching material, and there are holes in the wall and ground that resembles the sharp edges of the blade.

Outside the room, my fellow Black Operations members Alphonse and Danielle are there, and they are handling the reports that the police have gathered. For now, I'll let them handle all the papers while I continue my own investigation.

Inside the room, is a wounded plebeian man whose arm is covered by bandages. He looks so depressed that all he can do is stare at the ground and gripped his remaining functional hand on the cushion of his bed. I've seen this poor man before, so I have an idea who he is.

"You're Cleru Neos, Princess Serenity Elkyria's secret boyfriend, right?" I asked the teenage boy with a smirk on my face, desperately trying to cheer the boy up.

"I'm Serenity's childhood friend." Cleru turned away, with his heart giving him pain as he told me the story of the incident. "They took her. They took her away from me, and I couldn't protect her. It's my fault for not being strong enough."

"Who took the princess?"

"I don't know." Cleru bowed. "Their faces are covered by skull-like gas masks, and they are wearing white cloaks."

Rius gasped, but I am not surprised. From the start of the incident, I knew that the White Ghost has something to do with this. They are only the kinds of people I know who can do their mission at perfect stealth, only screwing the secretness of their mission on the end. I know their behavior because I have commandeered an ex-White Ghost myself.

"Where did the kidnappers go?" I continued to ask.

"I'm not sure. There are three commercial airships that docked on the rooftops, and when they finally got Serenity, those airships scattered. One of the airships went north, one went to northwest, and one went to the west." Cleru said.

I held my beard and analyzed the teenage boy's testimony. Abaddon City is at the upper edge of Alterra. Only a hundred miles north and you can go to the Elysian border. On the west, however, is the border of Sargus. There are no major cities of the neighboring countries near Abaddon City, as the northern part is filled with icy mountains and the western part is filled with rainforests. It just means that the kidnappers will spend long hours of the trip before they can hide the princess to wherever their hideout is. If we act fast and immediate, we might be able to catch those airships.

The White Ghosts are the culprit of the kidnapping, which means the country of Elysia is responsible. It is only logical for them to hide the princess to their homeland, which is up north, so chasing to the north is an obvious answer. But the three airship diversion tactics they conducted troubles me. It's like they wanted us to answer a multiple-choice question, and one wrong answer will make the rescue of the princess impossible.

Suddenly, I was awakened to reality when I heard a familiar shout from a familiar potty-mouthed dragon knight.

"What a dog shit you are, you fucking ass-face! You had one job, and you can't fucking do it right! Fuck of will ya!" Alphonse cried as he sermoned the poor police officer outside the room.

Hearing my subordinate curse gave me a great idea to solve the problem on hand. I immediately went out of the room and asked for Alphonse and Danielle's attention.

"Sir Alphonse, Lady Danielle. I have a mission for you two. I reckon that you already knew that there were three airships involved in the kidnapping of the princess. I want you two to go to the borders of Elysia and check on its snowy mountain range. It's more likely that the princess is not there, so if you confirmed negative, proceed to the northwest."

Sir Alphonse Faradeiss has one of the fastest dragons in the academy, which means he can clear out and check the place quick. Together with his dragonoid's mysterious power which is the Rainbow Form, we can immediately eliminate one of the choices on the princess's whereabouts.

"Roger that, Major General," Alphonse said.

"Looks like we'll be going on a fast trip, master!" Alphonse's dragonoid Z excitedly pumped her fists. "Time to show you how fast I can get with my new power!"

"Oui, Senor Alphonse. I think we will be riding on your Elemental Dragon during this operation." Danielle sassily said.

"Oh yeah! Since my dragon form cannot fly, we'll be hitching a ride!" Nathaniel said as he removed his clothes and revealed his greasy muscles.

"Oh shut up!" Alphonse protested. "If you cunts are noisy like this during the flight, I'll kick your butts out and leave your freezing asses in the cold!"

My team is so lively that it gives a smile on my face. It's just sad that one of my most powerful subordinates is still in the hospital right now. I bet Xenon and Serena would love to join this party once again.

"What about you, Major General?" Alphonse asked. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll ask permission from the Emperor to commandeer all the available dragon knights who are combat effective. We will go to Sargus. I know the princess is there."

"Hey, Kevin." Rius elbowed me gently. "You're asking permission to command all the dragon knights and march through the border? Isn't that.. a declaration of war?'

"We don't have a choice." I nervously smiled. "They started it. But we will still try to negotiate.. by using force."