The fight between the kill squad consisted of rogue capital guards and the Crimson Guards' protection of Leonard intensified as time went by.
Needless to say, the pressure that the Crimson Guards received was increased by multiple folds.
After all, Leonard had come to the open, effectively being no different than a fat juicy meat in front of a hungry bunch of hyenas.
"Crown Prince, please return to the carriage." One Crimson Guard with two crimson shield medals on his armor pleaded.
"I trust the Crimson Ward Division." Leonard simply responded. The Crimson Ward Division, which was the division that these guards hailed from specialized in defense. To simplify, they were in the same division as Curtis, known for their barrier magic, ward runes, and protective gear.
Of course, there was another nickname for this particular division: The Living Wall.
"I've recognized you." Leonard continued and mused, "Code name Geo. Earned his medals through the flames of war and proved himself worthy by paving the road for his fellow comrades. Are you telling me that you can't protect me under the assault of these rogue capital guards?"
When Geo heard his code name being called out by Leonard, he was left in a daze. Their code name and division were never brought up to Leonard before.
According to Spencer's words, the Crown Prince wasn't interested in it, and there was no need to pressure the latter to learn all of this.
'Sir Reed has revealed our information to the Crown Prince?' Geo was stupefied and realized the implication.
"Yes, Crown Prince, you can be assured that nobody can approach you." Geo's eyes flared up and determination surged forth.
Since Spencer made such a decision, then it only meant one thing. The shift in authority and control of the Crimson Guards was beginning.
The Crimson Guards were built to serve Leonard from the start.
This was told to every guard who first joined the elite force and Spencer had emphasized it repeatedly that he was only an acting director. The true ruler and commander was none other than Leonard.
As Geo swiftly took command and ordered the Crimson Guards to strengthen the formation, Leonard's eyes darted to the rogue capital guards.
'This should be about every rogue guard here, right?' He pondered. Some might have thought he stepped out of the carriage because he was foolish or irrational. But he did it on purpose to lure out all rogue capital guards in hiding.
Since their target was him, it was only natural for some of them to remain in hiding until a golden opportunity arose.
By coming to the open, he effectively gathered all Crimson Guards in one particular center. Additionally, those rogue capital guards in hiding had no other choice but to come out as well.
Otherwise, their so-called golden opportunity would never arrive.
Taking a deep breath, Leonard was ready for the next phase.
He extended his hand to make a gesture and declared thunderously, "Capture all rogue capital guards and ensure the citizens' safety. Don't worry about me."
"Eh?"
Geo nearly choked on his saliva when he heard that declaration.
Even the rogue capital guards nearly made a mistake in their movement after hearing Leonard's statement.
What was the point of ensuring the citizens' safety?
Their target had never changed. It was always Leonard, so what was his sudden declaration to protect the citizens?
They would be safe and sound as long as Leonard or his guards didn't go toward them.
"As expected of the incompetent prince–no, Crown Prince of Aldros!" One of the rogue capital guards who seemed to be the leader of the ambush sneered coldly.
"Charge and kill the crown prince. The person who killed him would be rewarded generously!"
Soon, the rogue capital guards turned frenzy as they rushed straight to the Crimson Guards regardless of the attacks coming at them.
"Wall Formation, Locked Defense!" Geo shouted and quickly formed a defensive shield surrounding the perimeter.
BOOM!
The surge of flames rose up the street, and the nearby buildings began to burn.
Although the material used was highly resistant to magic, the rogue capital guards still managed to penetrate them.
"No, we need to evacuate!" Inside the affected buildings, citizens began shouting in alarm to get the others to flee.
"Don't let go of my hands."
"Stay behind me and follow the rest!"
Some citizens were holding dearly to their children as they shielded them with their bodies and arms.
These citizens couldn't flee earlier because of the sudden blockade. Those outside the blockade were able to flee, but those within the blockade were forced to stay in their buildings.
Additionally, the citizens didn't feel safe when an ambush against their newly appointed crown prince was occurring.
It was just a shame that they never anticipated the battle to spread toward their building, forcing them to risk their lives to escape.
While this was happening, Leonard remained unfazed.
"Are you still going to stay in the carriage or would you reveal yourself and save the citizens?" He suddenly raised the question.
As soon as Leonard finished his questioning, almost everyone was confused by his meaning.
"Still trying to bluff at this time?" Nevertheless, the confusion only lasted very briefly, as the leader of the rogue capital guard managed to activate some sort of rune to bypass the defense formation of the Crimson Guard.
Geo was caught off-guard and hurriedly tried to parry the enemy away, only to realize his legs had been shackled by some mana chain.
"Damn it." Geo gnashed his teeth and tried to use his spear to slash the mana chain.
The mana chain broke after a few brutal slashes, but Geo was already too late.
The enemy had already closed the gap and just when Geo thought it was over, Leonard remained intact.
The weapon that the rogue capital guard used clashed straight into an invisible barrier.
"I was wondering why you suddenly went out and exposed yourself to danger. I didn't expect that you were forcing my hands to intervene." Mirelle walked out of the carriage and glanced at Leonard with a drained expression.