Just as Anastasia was about to continue, a voice called out from behind.
"Your Highness!"
Anastasia turned around and smiled, recognizing the voice. A short man in a white chef’s uniform was running toward her. He had long ginger hair, a thick beard, bushy eyebrows, and bright blue eyes.
As he got closer, he started to breathe heavily, clearly exhausted. Anastasia began walking toward him slowly, her body swaying gracefully with each step.
"Well, well, if it isn’t my dearest chef, Carl," Anastasia said, her words laced with giggles.
Carl stopped, placing his hands on his knees for support. "Your... Highness... Ahh..." he managed to say, barely catching his breath.
Anastasia chuckled softly and leaned down to his level, gently patting his head. "Take it easy, Carl. I’m right here."
Carl nodded, and after a moment, he finally spoke. "Your Highness... We just received news that Othid appeared in the city of Albille yesterday. He was accompanied by his four commanders."
Anastasia’s expression shifted to one of surprise. "Othid...? Of all people, why him?" she muttered, trying to piece together the reasoning behind the unexpected visit.
"If Othid went to Albille, then the matter must be more serious than I thought," she whispered to herself, a sense of unease settling in.
Carl, having regained his composure, added, "I thought the same, Your Highness. Othid rarely intervenes directly. He usually observes events unfold from a distance. This is unlike him."
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Anastasia nodded, her gaze thoughtful. "Yes, you’re right. If Othid’s here, then it’s likely my father sent him personally." She paused, then continued, "I may need to convince Kajin to stay in the castle for a while. But knowing him, he’ll try to leave as soon as possible."
She turned her attention back to Carl. "Inform the others about this, and make sure they don’t wander too far from the castle," she instructed. Carl nodded and hurried away.
"Don’t overdo it!" Anastasia called after him playfully, a small smile on her lips. Turning back to the balcony, she looked up at the sky and smiled. "Well, it seems life just got a little more interesting..." she murmured before heading back inside, her laughter echoing softly through the halls.
Meanwhile, in Kajin’s room, he was doing push-ups.
"985... 986... 987..." he muttered, sweat dripping from his face onto the floor.
"996... 997... 998... Argh..." Kajin groaned, his arms trembling under the strain.
"One-thous—" Just as he was about to finish, the door to his room burst open with a loud crash, causing him to lose his balance and fall face-first onto the floor.
"ARGH! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" Kajin roared, his temper flaring as his training was interrupted. He lifted his gaze to see who had dared disturb him.
"Hey! What’s up?" a cheerful voice greeted him.
Standing in the doorway was a young man wearing a long black cloak over a leather tunic, a quiver of arrows slung over his back, and a bow in hand. He had bright blue eyes, long blond hair, and pointy ears.
"My name’s Ruya! I’m an elf from the Elven Kingdom, and I’ll be your guar-, I-I mean, partner on your journey!" Ruya declared with a confident smile.
"Huh?!" Kajin stared at Ruya, bewildered by his sudden appearance and bold claim.
"Who is this guy? And why is he acting like that?" Kajin thought, his mind racing with questions.
Ruya, meanwhile, stood motionless, his gaze fixed on Kajin, waiting for a response. The two stared at each other, and the room was soon filled with an awkward silence.
"Will you stop looking at me like that?!" Kajin finally snapped, irritated by Ruya’s unwavering stare.
Ruya didn’t flinch, his expression remaining calm.
Without warning, Kajin lunged at Ruya, landing a powerful punch to his stomach. The force sent Ruya flying into the wall, shattering it and creating a massive hole that connected Kajin’s room to the next.