After Lord Ivan left the lowly guards without punishing them for their audacity, as he didn’t have time to spare for dealing with such matters, he headed towards the massive and majestic door adorned with intricate designs that spoke of royalty.
With a firm push, he opened the huge door and stepped inside the throne room where the king resided.
The throne room was so spacious that it could easily be mistaken for a grand hallway, with enough space to accommodate more than 200 people at once.
A few meters away stood a huge luxurious throne made of gold, adorned with intricate designs. Seated upon it was a fairly handsome middle-aged man with long blond hair, wearing a luxurious robe and a crown on his head. To his left sat a beautiful lady with long silky brown hair, donning an elegant and opulent dress, and wearing a delicate crown that enhanced her charm.
The man on the throne was none other than the present king of the Windfall kingdom, King Richard Windfall. Beside him, his main wife, Queen Matilda Windfall, exuded a genuine gentle smile that complemented her appearance and made her even more captivating.
Upon seeing Lord Ivan’s heavily serious expression and his drenched face, both the King and the Queen grew concerned.
Lord Ivan approached them with urgency, bending down on one knee and bowing in respect. “Your Majesty… Please pardon my rudeness for entering without asking for permission. I have very urgent news for you.”
“You’re pardoned, Advisor Ivan…” The Queen nodded understandingly.
Before the King could speak, the Queen, who could discern the gravity of the situation from Advisor Ivan’s expression, addressed him.
The King was taken aback by her initiative to voice for him without consulting him.
“What?” the Queen asked with a puzzled frown.
The King met his gaze with a serious expression, conveying that they needed to listen to Advisor Ivan’s news without delay.
‘Have I been losing my authority as a King recently?’ The King helplessly wondered to himself.
The King felt as though he was losing his power as a King to his wife recently, but alas, he can’t argue about it or he has to spend the night outside of his bedroom at night.
“It’s just that… Don’t you think you should’ve asked about my thoughts before forgiving him for his rudeness?” the King said to his wife with a sigh.
“Oh, my dear, are you suggesting that I’m wrong here?” The Queen smiled at the King, but to him, it felt more like a threat from his wife.
“N-No… I-I don’t mean that… How can my queen be wrong in her judgment? Hahah…” The King quickly replied with a helpless smile.
Watching this family drama unfold, Advisor Ivan couldn’t help but shake his head.
‘I’ve brought very important news, and here you both are arguing like a cat and dog…’ He sighed inwardly.
He had immediately left his home without having breakfast as soon as he received the news about a few individuals with god-like abilities slaying the wyvern. His purpose was to deliver the news to the King without any delay.
‘How childish of them to treat me like air, completely ignoring my presence…?’ he thought inwardly, slightly furious at their behavior.
Though he wanted to scold both the King and the Queen, he refrained from doing so as he lacked the authority to do such a thing. Instead, he patiently waited for them to finish their dispute before conveying the important news.
A few minutes later, King Richard Windfall turned to Advisor Ivan and said, “Advisor Ivan, please forget about the shameful sight we’ve shown you, I hope you can understand.”
“Your Majesty, I don’t quite get what you are referring to…?”
Advisor Ivan acted as though he had seen nothing, pretending as though nothing had happened moments ago.
The King was pleased with Advisor Ivan’s intelligence and discretion. He admired his advisor’s ability to hide the King’s weaknesses from the world.
‘You sly old fox…’ the King thought inwardly.
The people would go crazy if they learned that their King, Richard Windfall, fears his wife, the Queen. It would be a huge slap on his face as the King of an entire kingdom.
“Advisor Ivan, what kind of news have you brought that made you come running here this early in the morning?” The King said to Ivan with a pondering expression, seemingly curious about the urgent matter.
“Your Majesty, I have received some news regarding a few individuals with god-like abilities appearing within our kingdom, from one of our trusted informers this morning, thus I came running to inform you immediately,” Advisor Ivan said to the King and the Queen.
Hearing this, both the King and the Queen were surprised. Such individuals with extraordinary abilities emerging in their kingdom? It seemed too fantastical to believe, yet they knew Advisor Ivan wouldn’t joke about such a serious matter.
The King turned to his wife and said, “My Queen, what do you think? Should we believe in this news? It sounds like nonsense to me…”
The Queen pondered for a moment before replying to her husband, “I think we should trust Advisor Ivan’s words. We all know his character, and he never jokes about such important matters. Let’s give him a chance to explain further.”
The King nodded in agreement.
Advisor Ivan could sense the doubt in the Queen’s tone.
‘I expected this to happen…’ he thought inwardly with a sigh.
The Queen then turned to Advisor Ivan and asked, “Advisor Ivan…”
“Yes, my Queen?” .𝒐𝙧𝒈
“Can we trust your informer on this matter? If this news is indeed true, it could have a significant impact on our kingdom, even shaking its very foundation,” the Queen inquired with skepticism in her tone.
Advisor Ivan could sense her doubts. ‘I knew this would happen…’ He thought inwardly with a sigh.
Taking a deep breath, Advisor Ivan explained, “Your Majesty, do you recall the complaint we received against the First Prince of the Empire, demanding the return of the Wyvern’s child to its rightful place?”
“Wyvern’s child…?” Both the King and the Queen took a moment to remember.
After a short pause, the King replied, “Ah, are you referring to the complaint from Pinebrook Village?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Advisor Ivan nodded with a smile.
“I do remember it. Since it involved the First Prince of the Lionheart Empire, it’s not a matter easily forgotten,” the King said. “They demanded the First Prince to return the Wyvern cub, as the Wyvern had threatened the village with destruction if its child wasn’t returned. Unfortunately, we couldn’t assist them due to the involvement of the Empire. Compared to them, we are but a speck.”
The King had initially wanted to help Pinebrook Village, but considering the Empire’s power, he chose not to intervene, fearing it would lead to the downfall of his kingdom.
As a King, he couldn’t jeopardize his entire realm for the sake of a single village. In this situation, there was little he could do to aid them.
After hearing this, the Queen grasped the implication of Advisor Ivan’s words and asked, “Advisor Ivan, are you suggesting that those individuals with unimaginable prowess appeared in Pinebrook Village?”
“You’re quite sharp, my Queen. I’m impressed,” Advisor Ivan replied with a hint of admiration.
“Save the flattery for later, Advisor Ivan, and tell us more about these people first,” the King urged, curious to learn about the identities of these extraordinary individuals.
The Queen nodded in agreement, sharing her husband’s curiosity about the mysterious figures and the potential benefit they could bring to the kingdom.
“From the information I have gathered so far, it appears that these individuals first appeared in Clover Town, also known as the Border town of our Windfall kingdom,” Advisor Ivan began. “They emerged when the Orc Lord and his army threatened the town and its people. Without the backing of Mages or Hunters, they single-handedly slew the Orc Lord. Furthermore, they were involved in the murder of Viscount Lewis’s family, including 50 mages.”
He continued, “And now, they have appeared in Pinebrook Village and slain the Wyvern, about to ascend to the unrivaled S-rank, with apparent ease. The locals claim they possess god-like abilities and can fly without wings, descending from the Heavens. It is hard to believe, considering no man has ever achieved such a feat, even the most powerful mage alive couldn’t possibly do it.”
Hearing this, both the King and the Queen were surprised, considering the claims made by the locals. It sounded like a fantastic exaggeration.
“Pftttt! Flying without wings? That’s the most preposterous thing I’ve ever heard, Advisor Ivan, Hahaha…” the Queen laughed, thinking it was a joke.
Advisor Ivan quickly replied, “My Queen, how could I joke about such a serious matter? I was just as speechless when I first heard it, and I asked a few others who confirmed the same. One of them even claimed to have personally witnessed it.”
The throne hall fell silent as the implications of these individuals’ abilities weighed heavily on the King’s mind.
‘If Advisor Ivan’s information is true, then they must have a great secret with them. We must find them before the nobles or the Magic Academy do,’ the King thought to himself.
“Advisor Ivan, have you uncovered their identities yet?” the King inquired.
Advisor Ivan shook his head, saying, “I’m afraid not, Your Majesty. All we know is that they are a group of six people, one man and five women. People say the man is incredibly handsome, and the women are so beautiful that even the most beautiful woman in the world pales in comparison to them.”
“My King, we must do everything in our power to contact them before others do. They are invaluable to the future of our kingdom,” the Queen said earnestly.
“Indeed! We can’t afford to let them slip away. If others find them first, our family’s reign will be in jeopardy, and we can’t allow that to happen,” the King concurred.
The King then turned to Advisor Ivan and urged, “Advisor Ivan, do whatever it takes to locate these individuals. If you need anything, just ask, and it shall be granted. We cannot allow others to claim them, for it concerns the kingdom’s future. The consequences could be drastic, and we must avoid it at all costs.”
“I understand, Your Majesty. I will do everything I can to find them for you,” Advisor Ivan replied with a bow before departing.
The King seemed preoccupied, musing, “I’m slightly worried about the future of our Windfall kingdom with the arrival of these mysterious individuals. If we can’t secure them before others do, I fear the outcome will be dire.”
“We can only pray to the gods for a better future. There’s little else we can do but wait,” the Queen said, trying to soothe her husband’s concern.
“Only time will reveal what awaits us,” the King sighed, lost in thought.