Chapter 5

The Journey

It didn't take long for Zero's group to get back to the Leprechaun village. They wiped out the majority of the monsters going through, except the cave where they had to escape from the Earth Lizard swarms. Zero, Agnis, Zeraph, and Alan picked them off on the ledge with bows and arrows. Then when the Earth Lizards finally thinned down to a manageable number, Jack jumped in first because he was getting impatient waiting for them to thin down the crowds.

The elder and the other Leprechauns walked out of their mushroom huts and surrounded Zero's group. Zero noticed that they did not look so raggedy anymore and wore more casual clothes that did not have holes.

"Young dragon!" The elder hobbled over to Zero and stopped, confused at Zero's form. "Young dragon?" He peered around to find the dragon but didn't see his Origin form.

"He's here, elder. They have done so much for us." Bob hurriedly went forward to the elder with joy.

"I'm the dragon you're looking for." Zero stepped forward.

Bob was excitedly telling the other Leprechauns of their adventures against the Evil Magician Mano. Unfortunately, he exaggerated a couple of their stories, making the listeners gasp in surprise and excitement.

"Young dragon." The elder burst into a smile, "I'm glad to see you; I had a hard time recognizing you in your human form. Has everything gone well?"

"Yes."

The Quest to retrieve the Golden Eye has been updated.

The map to the Maze of Geruem has been retrieved. An ancient contract between the Drezo Regalia and the King has been brought back to life. The King has asked to bring back the Golden Eye in the Maze of Geruem located in the Electric Continent for the Drezo Regalia to truly own the building of Draconis Library.

Difficulty: C+

Reward: The 2nd half of the Certificate of Draconis Library + unknown treasures from the evil Magician.

Failure: The loss of Draconis Library

Side Quest: Free the Leprechauns from the evil clutches of the Magician Mano has been completed.

The elder and villagers cheered with excitement.

"Thank you. Thank you." The elder had begun to tear up in front of Zero. Finally, he grabbed his hand, "This is all I can give you."

In Zero's hand, a small four-leaf clover pin was placed.

Lucky Four-leaf Clover Pin (rare)

Finding a four-leaf clover is considered good luck, but one given as a gift by a Leprechaun is considered rare and powerful. The four-leaf clover is even blessed by the past elders to reinforce the luckiness of the four-leaf clover. In time, the four-leaf clover has become a strong attraction of good luck.

+ 50 luck

+ The clover changes colors to indicate to the owners when something is near.

Gold- hidden treasures, red- enemies

Zero was ecstatic at what he was given. This small pin was a treasure in itself. He gladly stuck the pin on his chest. "Thank you, elder. I'll gladly take care of it."

"It is our honor that you have helped us so." The elder bowed, and the rest of the villagers as well. "If you don't mind, we would like to serve the Drezo Regalia again."

"I do not mind at all. Actually, I live in a floating library called Draconis Library. It welcomes you if you ever feel like moving over the doors to Draconis Library."

"A floating library. That is unusual. How many more young dragons like yourself live there?"

"Dragons like myself? None. I'm the only living dragon as far as I know."

The elder was troubled by Zero's words. "This is not good; we cannot all serve one Drezo Regalia to care for your needs. One would suffice, even though we would all listen to what you have to say."

Zero was losing them in moving to the Draconis Library. So he quickly thought of some solutions to push them toward moving to the Library. "Well, I'm looking for more about the whereabouts of my kind. If you wait around at the Draconis Library, then there is a possibility that more will come."

The elder was thinking about what Zero was saying. He was still not so sure he wanted to move his whole villagers to the Draconis Library.

"Plus, if you stay here, you might meet unexpected travelers trying to catch you for your gold, or another evil magician may try to exploit you. While at the Library, you would be protected not only by me but by the Lunar Rabbits."

The last statement caught the elder's attention, and he understood. Even though they were Leprechauns and could run away, they were not warriors that could fight against powerful Adventurers or monsters. "It seems you have a valid point. So we shall go and visit this Draconis Library and stay for a while."

Zero lightly pumped his fist in success. He was delighted.

Draconis Library gathering of resident Quest

The Draconis Library has come alive from its ancient slumber. As the guardian of the building, one must take care of a special building given to a Drezo Regalia to watch over. Residents with different skills and species must be willing to move into the Draconis Library. Please go out and find residents for the area. Only having the same race will not suffice.

As the new guardian of the Draconis Library, one must invest in the future of the building. Continuously investing in the Library's growth will help bring wisdom and knowledge to different races worldwide. Therefore, completely invest in the building of Draconis Library and see it flower into something new.

Renovation of the building: 5.2/100

Percentage of finding traders: 3% (+15% pending)

Difficult: B

Reward: Increase in handing out higher-level quests and information.

Failure: Loss of productivity and eventually the loss of the building.

"If you don't mind, a young dragon, Bob, will be your personal butler," said the elder.

Bob's eyes twinkled at the thought of serving Zero. He was already begging him without saying a word.

"I'm fine with that." Zero quickly said, "I was wondering if you guys could help me out on something."

"Anything to our savior." The elder took any chance to repay the favor.

"Do you know the quickest way to go to the Maze of Geruem?"

Everyone gasped, and they backed a bit away, huddled in fear.

"What's wrong?"

"Young dragon. Why would you want to go to such an atrocious place?"

"I told you I'm looking for more of my kind, right? So I'm completing a contract with the King to completely obtain ownership of the Draconis Library. The Draconis Library symbolizes the Drezo Regalia; I cannot give that up and possibly lose any chance of finding my past."

"Ah, I see, that would be a terrible thing if you have lost the one thing that draws the other dragons to you, but the Maze of Geruem isn't a place you should go. It is a terrible place where death is imminent."

"Why do you say that?"

"There is a monster that lives in the Maze of Geruem. You can hear its howls every hour, crying from anger. A monster has been trapped in the maze for all of eternity, a cursed place since birth. Year after year, the King sends an expedition to kill the monster in the maze and stop its wretched howling. For hundreds of years, not one has ever escaped out of the mazes, and they were lost for eternity. There is a saying that the maze is enchanted to change every time a new soul enters it."

"Is there no other way to walk through safely?"

"That I am not sure. Maybe this might help you." The elder handed him gold chalk, placed it in his hand, and folded it around it. "Whatever you draw on the floor, it will animate into life. It will have a life of its own till rain washes it away. After that, however, it will only be able to be used three times.."

"I'll take care of this well."

Zero identified the golden chalk.

The Golden chalk (rare)

Magical chalk can bring to life a drawing on the ground giving it magical properties. Its powers are unknown. How it was made is a mystery in itself. The magical chalk can only be used three times before it breaks. Use it wisely, for there is no other chance to bring it back to life.

Used: 0/3

A rare item indeed thought Zero. He gratefully received it and placed it in his bag. "I still need to get there. I cannot back down because of a monster."

"You are either brave or a fool. Maybe a brave fool would be the exact word." The elder shook his head side-to-side. "Bob will show you the fastest way to the entrance of the Maze of Geruem."

"I am?" Squeaked Bob. He faltered a couple steps back. "I shall."

"We hope for your safe return, young dragon. But, if you fail, there is no second chance inside the maze." The elder turned around and hobbled back towards his hut, leaving Bob next to Zero.

"What does he mean no second chance?" asked Alan. "Does it mean we can't ever be resurrected?"

"I don't think it's like that. Maybe he means we won't be able to go back into the maze," replied Agnis. "The Resurrection system not working would be strange in itself when this is a game."

"Possibly. We should be on our toes when we get to the maze. We won't know what would happen."

"The elder meant that one cannot go in twice into the Maze of Gereum. So even though you Adventurers have been blessed by the gods, the maze does not allow a second chance," replied Bob.

"I see. That could be a problem." Zero thought over what Bob had said. This meant that he had one chance to make this succeed; if he didn't, then fulfilling the King's request would be voided. So the King already knew about this whole predicament, hoping that Zero would fail. Anger boiled in Zero. He would succeed in this Quest and make sure to come back alive with the Golden Eye. He stopped to calm himself.

"Give me a moment; I want to make some quick sales with the Leprechauns. There must be something they have that we don't know about." Alan rubbed his hands together. He was ready to tackle this problem with the Leprechauns. "We need to replenish our supplies don't we?"

"Not re-" Agnis was about to reply but was stopped by Alan, who elbowed her.

"Well..." Zero was not sure.

"I've got to log off. I'll be back in a couple of hours," Zeraph replied. "I "ll see you later."

"Okay. Let's all go do what we want to do."

With Zeraph leaving, the group split ways. Alan was busy trading with the Leprechauns trying to see if they had anything worth selling for double the profit. Agnis sat down to clean her weapons, while Jack sat next to Agnis and began sharpening different tools.

Zero, too went looking around the Leprechaun's town. The Leprechauns waved and bowed toward Zero, acknowledging his good deeds. They were slowly packing their things, ready to move towards Draconis Library. He thought this might be a good time to make a couple of deals. But then he remembered he needed to try and make some Medicine that he was experimenting on.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Finding a comfortable place to sit, he sat down and pulled out a couple of plants and his mixing bowls. Then, one by one for the next hour, he diligently created simple home medicine that he knew how to make in real life. A couple of times, he used different ingredients to see what other odd medicine he could come up with for use later on.

He made twenty low-level health pills, poison tonics, cough medicines, and even mint-flavored hot tea. More times, he failed than succeeded in making the medicines and those he had to scrap. But throughout this process, he successfully leveled up his medicine-making skills to beginner level 3.

One of the female Leprechauns walked over to Zero and sat in front of him. "Young dragon."

"Yes?" Zero noticed that it was Berry.

"I wanted to thank you for saving us. I heard from the elder that you don't know where your kind disappeared too."

"Yea, that's a mystery in itself."

"Well, would you like to hear some stories about them? I know we don't have much to give because the Evil Magician Mano took and sold all our things, and it will take time to recover what we have lost. So I thought this was the best I could give you. Having no family in this world is a lonely burden, but it seems your friends are as close as you can get to one."

"Yeah, you could say that," Zero looked over towards his friend and smiled.

"Well, the story was passed on from my great-great-great grandmother down the family line on the mother-side and finally came to me. My mother used to tell me stories about how they used to see many Drezo Regalias in the sky. Different colors would make them shine like jewels under the summer sun. They were wise and great creatures that helped and guided the world in a positive direction, but one day the world shifted in a different direction. At first, darkness was not evident and strong. It was hidden well in man's heart as greed and envy took them like poison. They say a demon had taken residence in the heart of a kind king, who took a fancy to the queen of dragons. He wanted the queen of dragons for himself and wooed her many times, trying to get her hand in marriage. But the queen did not turn her head towards him and married her own kind. A golden dragon." Berry continued to weave the story to life with her colorful words.

Zero could already imagine everything she had said in his head. Berry continued using her hands to tell the story, "This golden dragon was not like any other golden dragon. His scales were like the sun. He radiated such light, power, and pureness that any being who saw him bowed their head respectfully towards him. The queen took a fancy to the golden dragon and made him the King of all dragons. This infuriated the human King. He wanted her to the point of going as far as murder. The crazed King murdered one of the dragons, and the taste for dragons began. Rumors, conspiracies, and even the concept of eternal life can be gained through the hearts of dragons. This caused the massacre of dragons to begin. It was a sad day after losing one of the many great treasures: the dragons."

"So, what happened next?" Zero asked. He was already on the edge of his seat, waiting to hear more of the story.

"Just like that, every dragon disappeared in one day until you came along. Now in this world, there is only one dragon. I pray that you live long enough to withstand this harsh world." Berry reached over towards Zero's hands and held them. "It would be awful to see the last dragon die and lose a part of an ancient history from this world." She stroked his hands in sadness as she recalled the story.

"I can't make promises, but I'm an Adventurer now. Death is a different story when it comes to being an Adventurer."

"Yes. That is true, but even Adventurers will die one day."

"What do you mean?"

Berry smiled, "It's enough of a sad story to tell you for today. Even my heavy heart can not bear this thought any longer." She pulled back away from him. Zero reached over, trying to stop her from leaving, but stopped. He knew at that moment that Berry would not spill anymore. If he pushed her any further, he knew she would have a backlash towards him, causing him to lose favor in her trust.

"What did she mean?" Zero was rolling over her words, wondering what she had to say.

"Zero!" Agnis called his name, waving him over.

"Yea?" Zero turned around and noticed that Alan, Bob, Zeraph, Agnis, and Jack were standing next to each other ready to go. He didn't notice that time had already passed so quickly. Walking over to them, Zero noticed how they were speaking among themselves about how they would get to the Maze of Geruem.

"How about we just go the normal way through the Valley of Swans?" said Alan. "Wouldn't it be a safer passage?"

"No. Apparently, Bob said that the Valley of Swans is an infested place with monsters that are over 170," said Agnis. Her eyes were wrinkled with heavy thoughts.

"Since when?" Jack asked.

"When the invasion of the Land sharks happened. More recent sightings of high-level monsters are coming and invading the Land of Fire. Since there is no more hero's blessing, monster invasions will be prominent. I wouldn't be surprised if a monster over level 200 sometimes appears in the future."

"You're kidding?" Alan turned pale. "There are higher-level monsters?" He gulped.

"Do I look like I'm kidding to you? Yes, there is."

Alan shook his head.

"There is a safer passage through the underground tunnels that the Dwarves used to mine. It's actually shorter and faster to get to the Maze of Geruem that way than traveling over land." Bob had suggested. "The time is right to go through the tunnel now than later at night."

"Why?" Zeraph asked. Everyone turned their heads towards Zero. "Are the tunnels abandoned or infested with monsters?"

"Yes to both questions. During the day, the monsters are less manageable to take carefully, but when it hits sunset, they start to swarm in back to the tunnel. This is why the Dwarves quit working in the tunnels and left."

"This could be a problem. But it's not as bad as the Valley of Swans, right?"

"Right. The amount in the Valley of Swans is three times the amount in the tunnel during the night. So with a party of six, it would be possible to sneak past the monsters and arrive safely at the entrance to the Maze of Geruem."

"That would be better than constantly wasting our time and energy fighting monsters."

"Then let's go with what Bob says and go ahead with going through the tunnel," replied Zero. Their priority was not power leveling but getting through to the Maze of Geruem safely and finding the Golden Eye. If they could make it through safely, they would not have to burn all their consumables to stay alive and have nothing when they make it to the Maze of Geruem. "We'll leave now. How long should it take to make it?" he asked Bob.

"It takes a six-hour trip to get there. The only problem is that if we leave now, we will cut it really close and possibly run into the monsters."

"Then let's go. We should be able to deal with the last part."

They all had begun to follow Bob through the cuts and turns of the Forgotten Forest. Zero noticed while they were going through the last cut through the Forgotten Forest that the forest was not foggy or dark anymore. He could hear the returning of the birds and insects singing their songs in joy at the return of the once peaceful forest.

Their journey continued towards open terrain where the once thick forest was now but a dwindling number of trees. Only tall grass the height of an adult dwarf could be seen.

"Wretched grass. I can't see anything!" Jack grumbled. He was blindly walking through the grass, following Agnis. They were all in a straight line, following each other like a train so they wouldn't lose each other.

"It's not too bad." Zero replied. He was grateful that he was slightly taller than Jack. If he wasn't, he would have been in the same situation, swearing at the grass for being too tall.

"This kind of terrain is highly disadvantaged to us Dwarves." Jack used his hammer to split the grass aside, but the grass that Agnis was pushing aside hit Jack in the face like a whip. "We can't see anything higher than this. Whose preposterous idea was it to make Dwarves so short."

"Blame the game designers and artists. In my opinion, it would be weird to see tall Dwarves." Agnis replied. She was having a difficult time going through the thick bushes.

"We're here!" Bob called out towards the group. Zero was amazed that Bob could navigate his way around the tall grass without being lost. He was already lost in where they were in the field of tall grass.

Following Bob's voice, they came to an old trap door that led downwards to the ground.

"This is it. We just need to go in this tunnel, and it's a straight shot towards where we are headed."

"What purpose did the Dwarves even have making this underground passageway?" Zero asked. It baffled him that an underground passageway was even here in the first place.

"They were trying to make an underground road connecting the City of Diadem to Dwarven mountain. The Dwarves and the King were very close friends in the past." Bob replied to Zero's answer.

"Did you know about this, Jack?" Zero asked.

"No. There was nothing about this in Dwarven history."

"Well then, let's make our way down."

Zeraph headed in first, then Zero, Bob, Alan, Jack, and Agnis, who was on lookout duty. Zeraph pulled out his lantern, and the dark tunnel became bright with light.

"Which way do we go from here?" asked Zero. He was waiting for Bob's answer.

"This way," Bob went left.

The dark, stale tunnel was not too wide nor tall. It was enough to fit three to four people across and was about ten feet high. Old lanterns dangled up overhead while wooden beams held up the walls. There were old tracks that led towards both directions, but no cart.

"It's so hard to breathe down here. How do you Dwarves do it?" Alan asked. He was uncomfortable being in enclosed spaces.

"We just deal with it. There's nothing special to it," said Jack. He hoisted his hammer over his shoulder like a sling. "It starts growing on you after a while, so it's not a big deal."

"I don't think I'll be able to stand being here," Alan replied. "Let's get out of here as quick as possible."

"I agree with Alan. It just feels too cramped in here," said Agnis. She, too, was not like being underground for too long.

Zero and his group made their way through the underground passage for hours without meeting any monsters. It was a clear shot until they started getting nearer to the exit.

"We're almost there. A good fifteen-minute walk, and we should arrive at our destination," Bob cheerfully replied. "We're lucky we haven't met any monsters in passing."

"Let's not jinx ourselves yet," said Zeraph. His hands were on the hilt of his blade, ready to use in seconds. "We are coming at the last stretch of the journey inside the tunnel. Didn't you state that it will be close to nightfall when we arrive at our destination?"

Bob slowly nodded, and his eyes widened as he understood what Zeraph meant. Even Agnis and Jack were starting to get their weapons out, ready to use at any moment. Zero couldn't help himself and started to take out his sword. Wherever these monsters were going to come from, there were only two directions: front and back.

Jack and Agnis turned around as they watched from the back, while Zeraph and Zero carefully watched the front. Alan and Bob were stuck in the middle, trying not to make a sound.

"Squeee." A sound that sounded like fingernails running down a chalkboard could get louder in the distance.

"Squeeeeeeee."

"What is that sound?" Jack replied, covering his ears in anguish. It was making him have a headache.

"I don't know, but it's coming from behind us." Zeraph whipped his head towards the direction from which the sound was coming.

"Run!" Agnis yelled. She saw what was heading towards them in the distance. It was a metal cart moving towards them at high speed.

"You're kidding me," Alan turned around with a worried face. He did not want to get flattened.

"Against the wall!" Zero quickly flattened himself. He knew he could not outrun it at the rate the cart was moving. So every single one of them flattened themselves as best as they could. Jack's belly slightly grazed the cart, making him sweat.

"What was that all about? Does that usually happen?" Alan pushed himself off the wall and asked Bob.

Bob shook his head, also lost at what just happened. "They are never on. This is the first time I saw the cart move like that."

"You're saying a ghost did that then?" Alan was not happy with almost being run over.

"G-g-host?" Jack stuttered. He was the type to be worried about ghosts.

Barking and growling sounds could be heard rushing towards them in the same directions as the metallic cart that passed by.

"It's the monsters! We need to hurry before they catch up to us." Bob was already sprinting ahead with his hands on his tattered hat.

Jack was already ahead of the crowd running toward the exit. Agnis, Alan, Zeraph, and Zero followed behind in a full sprint. They knew they needed to get out before they were swarmed by the monsters in the cave.

"Quickly!" Bob called behind him. "The exit is over there! We just need to cross the last hurdle!"

Zero noticed a sharp open drop where only a thin metal rail connected the entrance and the land they were on. Bob was already coming across, while Jack and Alan followed closely behind. Agnis made a sudden stopped as she looked over the edge. It was a fifty-foot drop into the darkness and a twenty-foot walk across the thin metal rail.

Zeraph was halfway moving across when he noticed Agnis not budging from the edge. "Agnis, what are you doing?" He called out towards her motioning her to step on the rail.

Agnis shook her head in fright and took a couple of steps backward.

"Come on, Agnis, we don't get all day!"

"I can't do it." She shook. "It's too high."

"Move!" Zero pushed her onto the track. She stumbled forward and fell on all fours. He could hear the monsters coming quickly from behind them. Already he thought he could see moving shapes in the darkness.

"Here, grab my hand." Zeraph held out his hands for Agnis to grab. But, instead, she shakily moved slowly ahead towards Zeraph.

"They're coming!" Zero yelled. He saw large wolf-like creatures with smooshed faces running at them at full speed. They had hardened skin that looked like rocks instead of fur and claws larger than a normal beast. Agnis looked back, and then she moved a little bit faster than before. "Move. Move. Move!"

"I can't. I'm scared." Agnis bawled out in fright.

"This is not the time to be scared. How were you so calm when you were fighting in high places with Lilith?"

"I was in the zone."

"Well, hurry up and get in it, or we'll be food instead." Zero had his back towards her, facing the monsters forward. Then, drawing out his Kamori, he stood ready for a life and death battle on the rail.

"The Boulderbeasts are here," gasped Bob. Alan, Jack, and he made it across safely and was shouting toward them. Alan pulled out his slings and put in a couple of large rocks. He aimed, ready to fire when he got the chance.

The first Boulderbeast rushed towards Zero; Zero slashed down at an angle, making the Boulderbeast falter onto the ground. He moved his sword as best as possible to keep them from coming forward. Because it was a thin rail, only one Boulderbeast could cross the bridge one at a time. This made it easier for Zero to defend, but he had to move backward, trying not to get thrown off by the Boulderbeast attacks.

Zeraph was busily picking them off with his bow and arrow as best as he could, while Agnis was inching her way towards the other side.

"Agnis! I need you to move faster!" Zero exclaimed while he was holding the Boulderbeast claws back with his sword. "I don't want to die yet!"

"I'm moving. I'm moving." Agnis tried her best not to look down. But, whenever she did, she would momentarily freeze from fright until Zeraph's voice snapped her out.

Zero could push back the Boulderbeast three-fourths of the way across the metal rail without falling. Until one of the Boulderbeast swiped him at an angle, he barely could defend. He fell backward onto his hand, the sword almost falling off the edge till he grabbed it just in time. With a howling rage, the Boulderbeast lunged towards Zero.

A rock whizzed past Zero's head and hit the Boulderbeast in the eye. This gave Zero enough time to stand up and kick the Boulderbeast hard on the chest. Then, with a roar, the Boulderbeast fell to the side and into the dark abyss. "Thanks, Alan. You saved me."

"No problem. Agnis is finally over. Hurry up and get across. Jack's going to throw in a bomb!" Alan called out towards him.

Zero understood and turned around towards where he needed to head. He sprinted forward to the best of his ability, running across the metal rail without falling over. When he passed the end of the rail, he saw the bomb flying over his head and towards the rail.

"Run!" Jack yelled. He lighted another bomb and threw it again. Zero doves and rolled towards his group.

A loud explosion could echo in the tunnel as it shook. The metal rail creaked and shattered from the impact. Twenty Boulderbeast fell into the abyss when the metal rail collapsed. The rest could not cross over and instead barked and growled at them in frustration.

"We might need to find another way back across," said Zeraph. He helped Zero up.

"Yea. We made it out alive. For now." Zero sighed. Their journey was just beginning, and they already had a tango with death again.

"Young dragon. It's over here." Bob excitedly called out. He was peeking through the cave's exit, waving them towards him.

"Well, shall we?"

"Sure."

Zero's group headed out into the dark night.

#####

Russ walked back and forth in the waiting room. It was already midnight as the candlelights flickered softly around the room. He was anxious to start his new job as a secretary to the Prince. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for him, and he did not want to screw up. Plans were already in motion on what he needed to do to get what he wanted. There was only one goal. Lilac.

He would beat Ten in his own game and be next to her. That was what he had decided since the first time he saw Lilac. He dreamed about her and fantasized about being next to her.

The door opened, and the Prince entered the room by himself. He walked over, sat down on a chair with a loud flop, and rested his arms on the table.

"Sire. Was everything alright?" Russ asked. He wondered if something was wrong; he especially noticed the gloomy air around the Prince.

The Prince angrily retorted, "I can't believe what my father has agreed to do. It's a complete outrage to allow a commoner to have the rights to the Royal Library. Can you believe that? Just because our ancestors had a contract with this so-called Drezo Regalia, we must give up our most precious knowledge base in history. The sheer amount of loss to the kingdom and setbacks is something that the father doesn't understand at all. Even the name is switched over to Draconis Library. What sense does that make?" He nodded in disapproval while his hands slicked back his hair.

The Prince banged his fist into the table, startling Russ. "If I knew any better, my father has gone senile with old age. His time to rule has deteriorated, and since the new queen's marriage, all he thinks about is her. He does not care about his people and spends money like water."

"If I may speak, sire." Russ softly spoke, trying not to catch the butt end of the Prince's wrath.

"Go ahead." The Prince waved his hand, allowing him to speak.

Russ cleared his throat and stepped closer to the Prince. He did not want anyone else to hear what he had to say. "If you don't mind if I come closer. I do not want to pry ears to hear what I have to say."

"Go ahead."

Russ leaned over and whispered into the Prince's ear.

"You don't say." The Prince slowly nodded in understanding of what Russ was saying. "That could actually work." He smiled, deviously grinning. "We'll have back our Royal Library from this commoner. Send out the messengers secretly. We'll initiate the plan now." He bolted up from the chair, almost knocking Russ in the face.

The Prince rushed out the door, his passion in full throttle, to return to the Royal Library. Russ smiled. His position was securely assured. He now knew that he could persuade the Prince.