Chapter 424: Chapter 424 - I will claim my prize
Chapter 424: Chapter 424 - I will claim my prize
Broken and Lionell waited in a room with a round table full of food when the doors opened, and the figure they had been expecting finally entered. Broken stood as the servants lined up, bowing respectfully to the person who had arrived.
It was Princess Alora, her red hair and royal dress flowing gracefully as she stepped into the room. She moved towards Broken, who positioned himself to properly greet the princess.
"Good evening, Princess. I hope I'm not disturbing your rest by arriving so late," Broken said politely.
Alora smiled at him. "Have you been away from me so long that you've forgotten how casually you used to talk to me? What's with this formality, huh?" she teased, causing Broken to be momentarily startled before smiling back at her.
"I'm still learning how to best act as a member of the royal court. I guess I'm doing it wrong? My apologies, Princess," he replied, trying to adjust.
"Yes, you're definitely getting it wrong. I suppose you've been too busy hunting monsters to remember how to behave like a noble," she said with a smirk.
Princess Alora then took her seat across from Broken, while Lionell stood protectively behind her, ever the loyal guardian.
They continued their dinner with casual conversation, and Broken gradually eased back into the flow of Princess Alora's laid-back demeanor. Despite her high status, she exuded a natural charm and elegance that made her seem approachable, even though her royal dress and flawless appearance sometimes made Broken forget she was the same princess who had fought by his side in life-and-death battles against a Named Demon just a few months ago. "So... I heard from Lionell that you're planning an expedition into the depths of Wildwood Forest?" Alora asked, breaking his thoughts.
Broken was reminded of the upcoming expedition, a significant venture he had been preparing for.
"Yes, that's the plan, Princess," he confirmed.
"Interesting," Alora replied. "I'd be intrigued to join the expedition myself, but unfortunately, I'm quite occupied for the next month."
She then looked directly at Broken. "Let me know if you need more support."
More support? This is supposed to be a small expedition to hunt for a Fae Beast, isn't it? Or perhaps this journey was going to be more challenging than he initially believed?
"Not many have ventured into the faery territories," Alora continued, her tone more serious
now.
Broken focused more intently. The mention of the faery territories piqued his curiosity-they were mysterious and not well-explored, and hearing this from Alora made him realize there was much more to this expedition than he had anticipated.
"Yes, they live in hiding, and not everyone knows how to find them," Princess Alora continued. "They're incredibly skilled at keeping themselves concealed." She smiled playfully before adding, "They've been living in Dissidia without paying taxes, too," followed by a light giggle.
The fact that the faeries resided in Dissidia and that Alora knew about it suggested that someone in the past had allowed the faeries to settle deep within Wildwood Forest. It wasn't something done without knowledge or permission, which intrigued Broken even more.
After a bit more light conversation, Broken decided to shift the discussion to the main reason for his visit to the palace that evening.
"I've intentionally delayed the finishing process of the sword, Princess," he began. "Yes... I've been eagerly waiting to see how it turns out," Alora replied with a smile.
"I can finish it tonight, if you don't have any other plans," Broken offered.
"Are you sure? After such a long journey, don't you need to rest first?" she asked.
"I've gone more than a month without touching blacksmithing tools, Princess. I'm more than excited to finally complete the sword," Broken said..
Alora turned to Lionell. "Lionell, please make the preparations. In a few minutes, Baron Broken and I will head to the royal blacksmith workshop."
"Understood, Your Highness," Lionell responded with a nod before turning to leave and carry out the instructions.
A few minutes later, Princess Alora and Broken made their way toward the royal blacksmith workshop, with Knight Grand Cross Mercy following behind them.
"So, I'd like to hear about what you've been through over the past month. Lionell mentioned you went on quite an interesting expedition," Alora said.
Broken nodded. "I went to Hell with a few members of the Shadow Wolves, Princess."Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"Oh... that's quite surprising," she replied. "Does it have anything to do with the Demon Egg we retrieved before?"
Broken proceeded to give her a brief summary of his recent journey. He explained the efforts to hatch the Demon Egg, his encounter with a Named Demon in Hell, and the eventual success of defeating it.
"Well, you're the first person I've heard of who has faced two Named Demons in such a short time and managed to defeat them both with such success," Alora said, her tone casual but
clearly impressed.
Initially, Broken had expected Princess Alora to express concern about his expedition with the Shadow Wolves, a group with potential ties to factions that might threaten her claim to the throne. However, there wasn't the slightest hint of worry in her response.
It left Broken wondering-did she trust him that much, or did she simply not see the Shadow Wolves as a threat to her?
He then explained the issue with the Demon Egg, mentioning that it required a Mana supply from someone with royal status. And the only person he could turn to for that was Princess
Alora.
"Oh... interesting," Alora responded. "It seems the egg recognizes who is worthy enough to be its Mana supplier, doesn't it?"
"Yes, the egg has been quite a hassle and has already caused me a lot of trouble," Broken sighed.
"If I supply the Mana, wouldn't that make us the egg's parents, in a way?" she said, turning to him with a playful smile.
"That's... definitely not something I expected to hear from you, Princess," Broken replied,
grinning.
"Well, that's fine," Alora continued, her tone still light but suddenly more direct. "Think of it as practice... for the day you might actually become my husband."
Broken gulped at her words, the unexpected comment sending a wave of surprise through him. It brought back memories of their time in the Trial Domain of Flauros, where Princess Alora had once promised that if she fulfilled her duties and became the ruler of the Dissidia Kingdom, she would allow him to marry her.
"Oh, I'm sure you've forgotten about that by now, so just forget it," Princess Alora added with a playful smile.
Broken chuckled. "You definitely put a lot of pressure on me with those words, Princess."
"Oh, you're only realizing that now?" she teased. "There's still time to back out if you want."
As they continued walking, the blacksmith workshop came into view, its activities still bustling despite the late hour.
"And yes," Broken thought to himself, "I will claim my prize. I will marry the Princess."
"I'll stand before you to claim that prize when the time comes, and I'll make sure that moment arrives, Princess," he said.
"That's a lot of confidence from you, Baron Broken. And I quite like it," she replied casually.