Hours ago, within the regal confines of the King's mansion, King Henry and Captain Aurelius convened in the King's ornate office. The air was thick with a sense of urgency as they delved into a matter of utmost importance.

King Henry, his brow furrowed with concern, broached the topic. "Adventurers have been vanishing from different worlds recently, and a notorious criminal has already been apprehended in the realm of Queldor."

Captain Aurelius [https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53255706690_af77c25d12_w.jpg]Captain Aurelius, always vigilant, responded, "The adventurers' guild seems oddly passive in this situation. Shall I launch an investigation? And what of the Grandmaster? Is he taking any action?"

The King's eyes betrayed a sense of unease as he leaned forward in his chair. "We can't afford to meddle directly in the affairs of different worlds, Captain. The rate at which adventurers are disappearing has surged over the past decade. If we don't address this issue promptly, it could escalate into a conflict beyond our control. The war is around the corner and this time, victory may not come as easily as it did in the past like in the Seventh King era."

Captain Aurelius pondered aloud, "Could this be the work of a secret organization, operating beyond our knowledge?"

King Henry nodded gravely. "Most likely. The orchestrators of this enigma possess a cunning intellect, unlike any adversary we've encountered before."

Captain Aurelius marveled at the King's well-informed perspective. "Your Majesty, how did you amass such a wealth of information? I find it astonishing that you've managed to gather so much intelligence."

At that moment, both the King and the Captain sensed a profound, foreboding presence, an immense power that seemed capable of obliterating the entire capital.

Captain Aurelius, his voice trembling with awe, inquired, "What is this power? It wields the potential to lay waste to our great capital."

King Henry, his expression grim, responded, "This formidable force emanates from the Aetherius Academy. We must hasten, Captain; this is an urgent matter of utmost gravity. The power we sense is so immense that it even rivals the divine, yet it is being restrained by the divine energies within the academy's confines."

In a room within the mansion, Eleanor diligently cleaned the space, her movements precise and practiced. Beside her, Violet shared in the task, breaking the silence that had settled.

"I'm sorry, I should not have let my emotions get the better of me earlier," Violet said, her voice carrying a tinge of regret.

Eleanor reassured her, "It's alright. You've been born into nobility, but your treatment has been akin to ours—commoners. I can't fathom the complexities of a noble's life, but it does seem unjust."

Violet sighed, grappling with her feelings. "It's not as simple as that. My outburst stemmed from jealousy, a feeling I'm deeply ashamed of."

Eleanor nodded in understanding. "I've been raised to endure this lifestyle since childhood. It's the only way of life I know. There were times when I was scolded, and mistreated, yet I smiled through it, thinking I had to get accustomed to such treatment."

"It's incredibly challenging to adapt to life as a maid," Violet admitted, frustration in her voice. "We're all human, even maids. Why can't we be treated with fairness and dignity?"

Eleanor offered her comfort, "It's alright, Violet. I won't stop smiling and working hard, even in these circumstances. They say good fortune may come our way someday, even if we're facing hardships today. Who knows what tomorrow holds?"

Violet remarked, "You're so optimistic."

At that moment, an interruption came as someone entered the room and urgently addressed Eleanor, "Hey, prince's maid, we need you. The prince is in a bad shape."

Concern etched across her face, Eleanor asked the knight, "What has happened to the prince?"

The knight, clearly frustrated, snapped, "You don't need to know. Just do as I said."

"Alright, where is he?" Eleanor inquired.

"Damn it, you're annoying," the knight grumbled. "The King said he will be in this room soon."

Understanding the urgency, Violet and Eleanor nodded in unison. "Understood, we shall wait here then."

Trashley, frustration etched across his features, spoke to his comrades. "Damn it, why does a mere maid have to question so much?"

Oscar the Grouch inquired, sensing something amiss, "Has something happened?"

"Yes, it's all because of the order I received from the Captain just now," Trashley explained. "The Captain asked me to inform the prince's maid that he was badly injured, so I came to notify them. That led me to have a conversation with a commoner, and she even had the audacity to question me. I feel disgusted talking with these filthy commoners, always immersed in their cleaning duties. They play with trash so much that they themselves become trash. If I could, I would have ended all the maids overnight."

Oscar the Grouch retorted, "You are no different, you're acting just like them."

Trashley flared up, "What did you say? I am the same trash as them? Do you want to die?"

Undeterred, Oscar the Grouch, "I don't like maids, but I am not like you. Remember when you got punished by the Captain for not cleaning up the training ground? You asked the maid to clean the training ground for you. When the Captain found out, you got scolded for not doing your job. After that what did you do? You used violence against that maid. You crushed her arm, saying she didn't deserve an arm, that she always did things wrong. You even boasted that you were helping her by breaking her arm, so she wouldn't have to work. Because of you, she had to quit, and her arm still hasn't recovered because she couldn't afford treatment from a mage."

Trashley blames, saying defensively, "How is that my fault? It's her fault for not doing her work properly."

Trashley grumbled, "We've been at the academy for nine long years, mastering the art of the sword. We are of the Royal Knight Class, protecting the nation day in and day out. What do those maids even do? We risk our lives every day. Commoners are commoners; what can they possibly contribute? I feel like they're useless, relegated to menial tasks like growing crops and such. Without us, the nation would perish overnight. As much as I dislike commoners, they have easy lives."

Oscar the Grouch chimed in, "You speak this way because you've never truly understood what they go through. Your perspective is limited to fighting and punishing criminals, but commoners live in perpetual fear, dreading that something might happen to them."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Trashley dismissed Oscar's words, asserting, "I don't care about what you have to say. I've always despised maids."

Just then, the Captain appeared, questioning Trashley, "Hey, did you do something to the prince's maid?"

Trashley grew serious and fearful, momentarily muted before replying, "No, Captain, I only informed them, that's all."

The Captain admonished sternly, "What you did last time was unforgivable. But if you lay a hand on the Prince's maid, there will be no mercy. The prince cherishes his maid dearly, so if I hear or see anything happen to them, I will not hesitate to cut off the things you hold dear and feed them to the dogs. Do you understand that?"

Trashley nodded vigorously in agreement. The Captain concluded, "Very good. Now, the King has taken the Prince to his room, so you two should go on patrol."

In the Prince's chamber, King Henry carefully carried Zet, who was in a dire state. The mage doctor joined them, ready to assist. King addressed them both, "The other mage I contacted is currently not present here. Without them, treating a son is challenging for just one doctor and magic seems to do too little help to him. We need all the help we can get."

The maids, Eleanor and Violet, couldn't believe their eyes. The prince, who was perfectly fine just that morning, had ended up in such a grave condition. Eleanor's eyes welled up with tears, and Violet expressed her determination, saying, "I will do everything I can to assist Prince, my lord."

King addressed Eleanor, considering her emotional state, "If you're not up to it, you can step back. I won't force anyone. Your well-being matters too."

Eleanor wiped her tears, her voice quivering as she responded, "I will do my utmost to help Prince. Please don't worry. I'll be fine." Her determination shone through her tears, ready to assist despite her emotional turmoil.

Zet was in such a terrible condition that he couldn't even be recognized. His bleeding had slowed down considerably. King began to act, employing the power of the Domination series. "Dominate the pain in Zet. Dominate the injuries within Zet's body. Dominate the slow regeneration." King's Domination series was legendary, allowing him to exert control over various aspects. By dominating the pain, Zet wouldn't feel it; by controlling slow regeneration, his body would heal faster. Through dominating his injuries, Zet's body miraculously began to mend itself.

King explained, "I've used this power before at the academy, but Zet's body seems to resist my influence, reverting to its damaged state quickly."

The mage doctor expressed bewilderment, saying, "I've never witnessed anything like this before. We can't rely on conventional magic to heal him. It must be done manually."

King couldn't help but consider the reasons for retaining the two maids. If something went wrong during Zet's treatment, they could be blamed and take the fall but I am not going to let him do that. The mage doctor asked, "Are you going to stay, King?"

King responded calmly, "I want to observe the process myself. I'm accustomed to such experiences, and you need not worry." His unwavering gaze revealed that King was both astute and unwilling to tolerate injustice.

After a while, King and the doctor emerged from the room. The doctor sighed, saying, "I've done all I can. Zet's condition is beyond belief. I've never seen someone survive such extensive injuries. He should have died instantly, but his resilience is unheard of. In my entire career, this is unprecedented."

King inquired, "Will he regain consciousness?"

The doctor replied, "That's uncertain. Given the extent of his injuries, it's hard to predict. Even if he does awaken, it will likely take at least 15 years for him to fully heal, and walking might still be a challenge."

"I understand," King nodded, absorbing the grave prognosis. The doctor continued, "I've exhausted my abilities. If magic had worked on him, I could have done more, but it's immensely challenging."

"Thank you for your efforts," King said appreciatively. "Check on him again next month."

In the room, Violet and Eleanor remained near Zet, their worry palpable. Eleanor asked, "Will he be alright?"

Violet, shaken by what she had seen, responded, "I've never seen someone with injuries like this. There seemed to be nothing left inside him when the doctor was treating him."

"Have faith," Eleanor urged. "I believe he'll pull through."

Unexpectedly, Zet regained consciousness and slowly rose to his feet. Violet and Eleanor were utterly stunned, struggling to comprehend what they were witnessing. They rubbed their eyes, half-expecting this to be an illusion, but Zet stood before them, very much real. Violet, her voice tinged with awe, managed to stammer out, "Prince, how... how are you able to stand?"

Eleanor, overcome with emotion, wrapped her arms around Zet in a tight embrace. They both fell to the ground, the impact causing Zet to wince. He chuckled softly, trying to make light of the situation, "Ouch, my head. What's going on? Was I about to check my power level?"

But Eleanor couldn't let go, tears streaming down her face, a mix of joy and relief flooding her. Violet, too, was struggling to hold back her tears. She managed to speak, her voice filled with emotion, "Welcome back, Prince."

Zet said, "What's going on? Why are you both crying like that?"

Violet asked, concerned, "Are you feeling some kind of pain, Prince?"

Zet reassured, "No, I am totally fine. I don't feel any pain or anything. Eleanor, please, can you get off me? I am not very comfortable with that."

Eleanor, tears streaming down her face, looked at Zet's face and said, "No," and hugged him again.

Violet, trying to lighten the mood, said, "Let her calm down first, Prince. She was worried about you the most."

Zet said, slightly amused, "Can you explain what happened? And how did I end up in the Mansion?"

Violet said, "Yeah, sure."

In the King's office, King Henry said to the Captain, "This is not what I expected. Zet is injured pretty badly."

Captain expressed his confusion, "How can this make sense? The Prince got hurt by a Crystal, which was made by the First King's comrade. It is said to be so strong that it can't be even damaged."

King Henry agreed, "It can't be broken, no matter what. Even with my Domination series, it's impossible to break."

Captain, still puzzled, said, "It's been 400 years since it was created."

King said, worried, "It's getting concerning about Zet now. I will visit the best doctor I know to recover Zet. If I meet him, I can say one thing - Zet will be 100% recovered."

Captain, unsure, asked, "Is that even possible?"

King Henry asserted, "I will not lose hope. I will be taking Zet with me tomorrow to meet with him."

Zet, feeling a bit better, slowly opened the door of the office room, where Captain and King were discussing the unusual situation.

Zet stood in front of his father, King Henry, and the Captain, bewildered by their reactions. The dimly lit room added to the sense of surrealism that hung in the air.

"Captain, I think I am seeing things now," King Henry said, a perplexed smile playing on his lips as the flickering candles cast shifting shadows on the walls.

The Captain laughed, his voice echoing in the chamber, "Haha, yeah, me too! I think I am seeing Prince right there."

King joined in the laughter, his voice mingling with the crackling of the fireplace, "You too? I feel like I am dreaming, having a conversation with my dream Captain, and then I will wake up."

Confused, Zet asked, "Father and Captain, are you both playing some sort of game?" The heavy oak door creaked slightly as a draft of wind brushed past.

King's smile faded as he contemplated, the dim light reflecting off his troubled eyes, "No, no, that can't be. Is he real?"

Captain added, his face now serious against the dancing shadows, "Who are you kidding, Zet? I feel like this is Zet's ghost."

King nodded, the flickering candlelight casting strange patterns on his face, "That makes sense. It must be that. No way Zet would be fine enough to walk."

Captain, however, grew serious, his voice a stark contrast to the flickering ambiance, "Hey, King, didn't you say Prince was heavily injured and can't be moved for 15 years now? Are you making fun of me, King? That is not a funny joke."

Zet, now realizing their concern, reassured them, "Are you both out of your mind? I guess I will meet with you two tomorrow."

As Zet was about to close the door, King and the Captain stopped him, their faces illuminated in a surreal manner by the erratic candlelight, "Wait, Zet, we are not joking."

Zet asked, "Are you sure?" as the Captain came near and checked him from head to toe.

The Captain, with disbelief, said, the shadows seemingly dancing around them, "Prince is totally fine, just like a healthy man."

King, astonished, questioned, the flickering light playing tricks on their eyes, "How does that make sense? Check him again." The Captain pinched Zet's cheek, and the shadows seemed to dance in response, "He is totally fine, finer than before."

Zet, slightly exasperated, stated, the surreal atmosphere intensifying, "I just woke up and I heard everything. I just wanted to say you two don't need to worry. Captain, could you please stop touching my body?"