279 Spiritual Replenishment Pill (1/2)

Just like any other day in the Royal Palace, it was boring yet tiresome for the life of a shadowguard to be stationed here.

Rarely does anything ever happen to or in the Royal Palace, but despite that, the shadowguards are required to observe everything with alertness while keeping themselves hidden in plain sight.

At this moment, the shadowguard stationed to keep watch over the Outer Palace was yawning from the top of a building not far from Violet Plum Courtyard.

Suddenly, an invisible forced tugged at him and the shadowguard became alert once. There was no one on the building top except him.

”Who's there? Is it time to rotate shifts already? You better not be playing a prank on me.” The shadowguard said to seemingly no one.

The invisible force came again, but stronger, causing the shadowguard's body to slide a bit towards the edge.

”Oi, oi, cut it out. This is not funny!”

A hint of nervousness was heard in the shadowguard's voice. The shadowguard could not tell where the person was pranking him came from.

If this was someone from their shadowguard group, it was impossible for him to not have heard of such a prodigy with this high level of stealth.

But, if it wasn't another shadowguard, then who or what was it? A ghost?

The invisible force came again, but this time stronger than ever and directly pull the shadowguard over the edge. The shadowguard was shocked and horrified as he grabbed onto the edge to stop his fall.

However, the invisible tugging force did not stop and continue to increase its force over time.

”Ah… S-Stop! I'm going to fall… Ahhhhh!”

The shadowguard plunged headfirst. At the bottom of the building, a young man was standing there while looking up at him. The young man was Leon.

Just when the shadowguard was about crash into the ground, his falling momentum suddenly came to a halt a few inches from the ground. His body soon slapped the ground with a soft landing afterward.

”Y-You need me for something, Your Highness?” The shadowguard asked after kneeling one knee, disheveled, and dismayed by what just happened.

Leon did not answer immediately as his mind was elsewhere. It was apparent to him that Divine Will had some limitations.

He had noticed this limitation when he was treating Lily's mother earlier, but it seems that the consumption of mental strength increased by twofold when he tries to control a living person of equal mass.

When the other party becomes resistant to his control, the consumption even increases exponentially.

'A clash of wills?' Leon thought.

He still had plenty of mental strength leftover, but it was not the sort of consumption rate he could keep up for long.

It was a trump card that can decide the life and death of his opponents.

”Your Highness?”

Leon finally focused on the shadowguard and nodded. ”How much are you aware of the bullying between the senior maids and new junior maids?”

”Forgive me, Your Highness. I did not know such a thing was taking place.” The shadowguard apologized with surprise.

”You are tasked to watch over the palace, but you don't know such a thing had been going on for so long?” Leon's brows were furrowed.

”Most of the shadowguards have been dispatched to other cities and neighboring kingdoms to collect intel, Your Highness.” The shadowguard lowered his head and continued, ”Currently, it is just me and another person taking turns watching over the Outer Palace on a 6-hour rotation.”

”I see. That was my oversight. You do not need to apologize.” Leon nodded in understanding.

The palace was far too big for one person to watch over at any given time. It appeared he could not punish the other bullies immediately without evidence.

”From now on, I want you to investigate the palace maids and record every misdeed and form of bullying they commit and report back to me. The training camp should have a lot of recruits, yes? Take some people to assist you. I believe some actual field experience and direct teaching from a senior shadowguard on the job is more effective than training in the dark underground all the time.”

”However, if the bullying is found to be excessive that it threatens the life of the junior maids, you must intervene and report to me immediately. Two junior maids nearly died today, if not for my direct intervention. I do not want a repeat of this, is that understood?”

”Yes, Your Highness! I hear and obey!”