章 9: Chapter 8
—Third Person—
The vast expanse of space seemed to stretch endlessly under the clear sky—The training grounds of the Raja Kingdom was nothing to scoff at, even if it was a small kingdom. They equip their soldiers with high-grade equipment and provide equally high training as well.
The grounds were empty today. Yet, despite the emptiness, the arena was alive with the sounds of a fierce clash.
Collisions continued to ring out, echoing off the stone walls, though the source of the noise was not visible.
The swords once again clashed as they stopped in a deadlock, the wielders jumping back almost simultaneously.
The figures were, of course, the heroes—the Conqueror of Flames, Shizue Izawa, and the Hero of the Sun, Karna.
"You've gotten better, a big improvement from the last time we sparred," the female voice rang out from one end of the grounds.
Even though it wasn't a shout or a yell, the words seemed to reach the other end without any problems.
"I had a good teacher," Karna said, his face showing a slight grin. Being complimented by Shizue was still as exhilarating as the first time he was complimented by her.
"Well, I guess that's true." With a smile, she leaped into the air once more, her sword alight with light-like flames.
Smirking, Karna mimicked her actions. He leaped from where he stood, leaving cracks on the ground. He covered his sword in red-hot flames, ready to clash once more.
This was a variation of Shizue's own art that he copied, ‹Solar Flare›.
After being blessed by the elemental spirit of light, she gained some useful magic, and this was one of them.
The clash was followed by an explosion of white and red flames, vaporizing the water molecules in the air and ultimately creating a smokescreen, raging from the point of impact and enveloping both of them.
Once more, they backed off and looked at each other from a distance, the ground charred and molten beyond what seemed possible between the two of them.
Crrkk...Snap.
Looking at the wooden sword, which was now only half, he saw her sword was still intact.
Raising his hands in the air, he admitted his inferiority in swordplay compared to her.
"Looks like I still lost, huh?" Even though it sounded like a sad thing to say, the smile on his face said otherwise.
"Yes, though it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say you'll catch up to me in a few years," she said with a smile and nodded.
"Of course I'll catch up to the current you; you'll just get better than the current you," Karna said in exasperation to his teacher/Wife, who smiled cheekily.
He sighed before asking, "Let's go for one more round?" She nodded her head in agreement.
Discarding the broken wooden sword, a magic circle appeared on his hand, conjuring a new wooden sword.
Taking a stance, he said, "Well, I'm ready as always," mirroring her smile. "Here I come!"
Dashing forward, they once again met each other's swords in the middle of the grounds, which had now reverted back from its molten state.
Explosions continued to ring out with no intention of stopping anytime soon..
—A few hours later—
Discarding another broken sword with a sigh, the thirteenth one today. He looked at Shizue, who did the same, the difference being that her sword was still intact.
He plopped down on the stairs at the far end of the training grounds, waiting for Shizue to sit beside him..
Catching her husband's gaze, she smiled and walked towards him, sitting down next to him.
"You did well. I'm impressed," she said, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"Of course I did, after all, it's me you're talking about," he said with a triumphant look on his face.
"Of course, your majesty," she replied with a teasing edge in her voice that didn't escape Karna's notice.
"Cleanse," she chanted, and a silvery-white aura enveloped both of them, purging away any grime, dirt, or minor injuries.
"Well, today's been a productive day. Let's go. We have a lot to do now that we're rulers," He said to her, standing up to leave and extended his hand to her.
As they were about to leave the training arena, a Royal guard ran in holding a rolled up parchment in his hand.
"My king! A letter from the Kingdom of Farmus," he announced, taking a knee at a respectful distance, bowing his head, and presenting the parchment to his king.
Karna walked forward and accepted the letter. "Good work," he said to the soldier, taking the letter from his hand. "Dismissed."
"As you command." The guard slowly stood up straight, bowed once more, then turned on his heel and left the arena.
The letter was written personally by the King of Farmus.
"What's it about?" Shizue muttered to herself as she looked at Karna, who began to open the parchment.
[ To the King of Raja, Hero King Karna,
I hope you and Queen Shizue are doing well, my friend. I am doing great as well, especially after you saved us from that deadly mana poisoning disease.
I heard an interesting rumor, which is why I am writing this letter.
It is the undeniable truth that you saved my life along with those of my family. I will be eternally grateful for that, but I cannot present you with the crown and throne of the great nation of Farmus. I have no doubt you understand this.
That said, I am willing to present my kingdom on my knees to you if you defeat me in a one-on-one battle in front of all my people.
I have no doubt you will accept this challenge, so I am going ahead and preparing a grand arena in the heart of the kingdom.
I don't suppose you would want to waste time coming here before the arena is complete, as you must have other things to deal with, with the neighboring nations feeling threatened. There is a high chance of War.
I wholeheartedly hope to see you successful in your endeavours. I am eagerly awaiting your reply, my friend.
From, the King of Farmus, Edgard Farmus. ]
"This is good news, isn't it?" Shizue said, her tone reflecting the relief.
"Yes, I was prepared to wage war anyway. But now, the biggest part of our problems just solved itself." Karna muttered, rolling back the parchment.
"If we were to go to war with Farmus, more people would die than needed. But now that Farmus is basically surrendering, everything is going smoothly, too smoothly," Karna remarked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
"I don't think Edgard is that foolish; he must have some idea about our strength and what would happen if he were to betray our trust," Shizue said as she looked at him.
Karna knew that Edgard understood their poison immunity and healing abilities because he had once saved Edgard when his health was falling because of the mana poisoning disease.
"Innocent until proven guilty," Karna muttered, his eyes locking onto hers, relaying his intention to trust Edgard for now. She nodded, showing her trust in him.
"We shouldn't let our guards down. Edgard is a cautious and cunning man. He wouldn't do anything unless he is absolutely certain of his victory," Karna said as they walked out of the training grounds.
—Location: Kingdom of Farmus – The Royal Palace—
In a room adorned with royal decorations and intricate paintings hanging from the walls, a table with a chair adorned with intricate patterns and golden linings stood to the side.
A bed was placed in the middle of the room, flanked by windows with half-closed curtains that allowed wind and sunlight to enter in abundance.
"Dear, are you sure about this?" A soft voice of a woman rang out.
She was adorned in royal garb, her golden hair reflecting sunlight, and her brownish-golden eyes filled with compassion. Her figure was tall, with the perfect proportions of an ideal woman.
This was the royal queen of Farmus, Queen Anastasia Farmus.
Sitting on one side of the bed, she had her back turned towards the man sitting on the opposite side, who also had his back turned to her.
He had brown hair, a small stubble on his chin, a sharp jawline, and piercing golden eyes, embodying the authority of a righteous king. His tall and robust body was capable of warding off attacks and defending himself and his people.
This was the King of the Kingdom of Farmus, King Edgard Farmus.
"Yes, I am sure about this decision of mine," he said, his deep voice capable of commanding armies unusually soft.
"But what you are doing is denying the right of our children," her voice cracked with emotion.
"No, what I am doing is giving them a life away from such responsibilities. I can assess one's true nature with just a look, and I have deemed our children incompetent in ruling," he said with finality, his voice calm.
"I'm doing this for the good of our children, for the good of our kingdom and people. I know you are hurt, I know. I understand that feeling, but that wouldn't justify our actions if we allow them the throne."
With that, he stood up and walked to the door, stopping as he opened it.
"Think about it, Ana. A noble's life without much responsibility, or a king's life burdened with the entire weight of a kingdom as huge as ours," he said, leaving after his piece.
'The silence is deafening.' A single tear escaped her eyes.
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Give some review madafaka..
Also, if someone could use the appearance of the King and Queen of Farmus to create some AI-generated images, it would be helpful.
Thanks.
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