Chapitre 10: Chapter 10 - King Amon's Challenge
When the noble siblings arrived at the Manor, Rufino decided to read the contents of the letter written by the elderly person. However, Hilda strongly opposed this, believing it to be disrespectful to the King. She insisted that only the King should read such a letter.
Unable to argue further, Rufino prepared for his training the next day, focusing on honing his magic and power, especially mastering the spell casting and magical discipline to expand and better control his abilities, specifically aiming to perfect the "Mirror of Red Light."
Meanwhile, Hilda prepared for her upcoming visit to a Charitable and Civic Duties Event, aimed at organizing fundraising events for the poor citizen. Estifon, on the other hand, had no choice but to deliver the elderly person's letter to the King, as he was the only one available to do so.
The next day, Estifon promptly headed to the kingdom's palace. Upon arriving, he was escorted by two Chamberlains, attendants who catered to visitors and guests of the King. Along the palace corridors, they informed Estifon that a noble visitor wished to speak with him that day and carried an important letter.
The throne room, situated at the topmost part of the palace, impressed Estifon with its grandeur: high ceilings adorned with marble, silver, and gold, large paintings depicting significant historical events of the kingdom, and crystal chandeliers enhancing the room's lighting. At the end of the room stood the King's throne, adorned with shimmering designs of diamonds and gold.
Estifon, filled with awe and a bit of nervousness, approached the throne where King Amon sat. He bowed respectfully, placing his right hand over his chest.
"Your Majesty, please allow me to present a matter of great importance as I come before you today." Estifon respectfully addressed. King Amon continued to gaze at him, seemingly scrutinizing his purpose for being there.
"What is your purpose in coming to my chamber, noble one?" King Amon inquired.
"Your Majesty, I bring with me an important letter for you. It is from an elderly seer who has visions. We overheard discussions among the palace guards, and the seer has foreseen important matters concerning the kingdom, peace, war, and the world of dreams. Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to read the letter of the seer." Estifon explained at length.
His posture reflected bravery and resilience as a nobleman, though inwardly, he felt apprehensive about addressing the King directly and pleading for immediate attention to the seer's letter. He blamed his sister Hilda for persuading them to believe in the seer and deliver the letter to the King.
The King furrowed his brow while observing Estifon, leaving him unsure of what King Amon was presently thinking.
"Many elders claim to have visions. How can you assure me that this old man is not deceiving us?" King Amon responded skeptically.
Estifon was immediately taken aback, unable to provide an answer. He now wondered how he could prove to the King that the seer was truthful, uncertain himself whether the seer's visions held any truth. In his mind, he held his sister Hilda responsible for convincing them to believe the seer and deliver the letter to the King.
"I apologize, Your Majesty, but I lack sufficient evidence to prove that the old man is not deceiving us. However, I humbly request that you consider reading the contents of the letter. I beg your forgiveness for wasting your time." Estifon said, bowing his head in apology.
"Without proof and evidence, I cannot read that letter. However, I will accept the letter, but you must gather evidence proving that the old seer's visions are genuine." the King challenged.
Estifon couldn't discern his emotions but secretly felt relieved that the King gave him a chance to prove the seer's credibility and the letter's importance to the King. However, he also sensed that this mission would be a challenge, as he now needed to find evidence to prove the authenticity of the old seer's visions. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to uphold his reputation as a nobleman under the King's rule.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I accept your challenge to gather evidence. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to present the seer's letter. You can count on me to return with evidence that the old seer's visions are indeed true and that the letter holds importance for you." Estifon fervently replied to the King. He bowed once more, placing his right hand over his chest in respect.
"I expect that from you, Nobleman Estifon. Hand me the letter now." the King replied.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Estifon said, straightening himself up and handing the elderly seer's letter to King Amon.
And thus ended their conversation.
Once again, Estifon was escorted by the two Chamberlains out of the King's Throne Room. Estifon never imagined he would have such a conversation with the King and be given the King's Challenge, which he considered a great honor.
As they walked down the hallway, Princess Hasi arrived with her Lady-in-waiting, Lavinia. It seemed like the princess had been waiting for Estifon's passage through the hallway. Estifon and the Chamberlains halted their steps.
"How did your conversation with my Father go?" Princess Hasi asked.
"It went well, and it was a great honor for me to speak with the King. He gave me a challenge." Estifon replied.
"A challenge?" Princess Hasi furrowed her brow.
"Yes, Your Highness. I delivered a letter to your Father, the King, and that letter contains an important message about the kingdom's visions and this world. It's a prophecy from an elderly seer. However, the King said he would only read the letter if I can provide him with proof and evidence that the old seer is not a fraud." Estifon explained.
Princess Hasi was somewhat surprised by this revelation.
"I apologize, but my Father is that strict. He also enjoys giving challenges." the Princess said.
"I graciously accepted the King's challenge." Estifon said.
As they walked down the hallway, Estifon and Princess Hasi continued to discuss their next bonding and training session at the Archery Field. Estifon assured Princess Hasi that his siblings would visit her again for bonding and further archery training, which delighted the Princess.
Meanwhile, Riyugi continued his journey with one of the Veneras, Banki, accompanied by Yana. They were heading towards the depths of the ocean where a portal, enveloped in protective energy, was sealed, leading to the human world. Riyugi believed that Yana, being human, could decipher the inscriptions on the stone containing vital information about the sealed portal wrapped in energy.
As they rode on horseback, Yana prayed earnestly, gripped by intense fear, unsure of where these beings were taking her. It was deep into the night when they departed, yet she didn't feel tired. She hoped she would awaken in the real world, escaping the nightmare she found herself in.
Yana was terrified and awaited Qrolo, the Aruha always by her side in times of danger. However, she hadn't seen even its shadow since the Ronoru had taken her. Time seemed to pass quickly, and she admitted to herself that she missed Qrolo.
Until Yana felt intense hunger, and in the quiet of the night, the sound of her stomach rumbling echoed loudly. She held her stomach, trying to suppress the noise, afraid that Riyugi would be annoyed by the sound of her stomach.
"Please, don't rumble. I might get in trouble. I might be killed." Yana whispered weakly to herself. Riyugi suddenly stopped the horse, causing Yana to almost fall off. Fortunately, she managed to hold on to Riyugi.
But she was surprised when she realize that she had grabbed and pulled Riyugi's neck, because of shock that she almost fell off the horse. Her heart pounded with intense fear and nervousness. She feared that Riyugi would end her life in anger, especially since the sword blade of his katana was sharp.
"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to grabbed you're neck." Yana stammered in fear. Riyugi remained silent.
"Leader, what's wrong? Why did we stop? We're close to the forest." Banki asked from atop the horse.
"Return to the Capitol and buy food for this human." Riyugi ordered Banki.
"Yes, Leader. Will you wait for me here?" Banki asked.
Riyugi briefly thought. They were quite far from the Capitol, and he felt it was a waste of time. He looked around.
"Wait, let's check this place. There might be a nearby Tavern and an Inn here." Riyugi said.
"Understood, Leader." Banki replied.
The Tavern is an establishment where one can eat, drink, and socialize with various Aruha, while the Inn is an establishment where one can rest, sleep, and eat.
They continued to walk their horses around the town where they currently found themselves.
"Leader, it's late at night. It might be best to look for an Inn. So that human can rest after eating." Banki suggested to Leader Riyugi.
Riyugi briefly thought about it. He thought Banki had a point. So he agreed. He thought they needed to consider the safety and health of the person they were taking to the depths of the ocean to read the the Inscription on the stone near the sealed portal. So they needed to keep Yana's condition stable for their mission, King Merif's command.
They wandered around that town for hours until they finally found a small Inn at the end of the town. That Inn was small, but Leader Riyugi thought it would be enough for Yana to get rest.
The Inn had a sturdy building made of local stone, with a window in which a bright lit candle provided warmth to the outside. It had a wooden door at the front that had detailed and ancient design.
Outside the Inn, it had plants, and flowers, and big trees. The shade of the Inn provided a cool and refreshing wind for the guests.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone