The grand chamber echoed with the King’s commanding voice:

“My decision for now is that Haruki will stay in a house near the castle, and await further instructions. And Garrick, Seraphina, we’ll discuss later.”

Seraphina exchanged a knowing glance with Garrick, both nodding in agreement. As the room began to empty, leaving only Daisy, Kilin, Garrick, Seraphina, and the three royals, the King rose from his throne and approached Haruki.

“Haruki-boy, I look forward to what you’ll achieve,” he declared. The Queen, standing beside him, chimed in, her voice filled with hope.

“Indeed, Haruki. You hold the potential to be the one,” she added. Haruki bowed deeply, determination gleaming in his eyes.

“Thank you, Your Majesties. I’ll do everything in my power to harness this mentioned power and put an end to it,” he promised.

Seraphina stepped forward, her presence reassuring. “We’ll escort you to your temporary residence, Haruki,” she assured him.

Roderick, watching Seraphina closely, met her gaze. She looked away abruptly, her expression clouded with anger. Stepping back, she muttered vehemently,

“But I won’t stand having that pervert anywhere near me.”

The King’s brow furrowed in confusion, and he turned to Roderick with a stern gaze.

“Pervert? What is the meaning of this, boy? What have you done to my daughter?” he demanded.

Seraphina’s anger intensified, her voice sharp and cutting as she revealed the truth.

“This pervert, Roderick, had the audacity to claim that I should be his wife!” she spat, her words dripping with disdain.

The King’s face darkened with fury. He spoke with a resolute tone, leaving no room for argument.

“Your wife? Never! My daughters will choose their own partners, not me, not their mother, and certainly not you!”

As they walked in somber silence, Seraphina eventually broke it, her voice firm and determined.

“Let’s go, we’ll take you to the house where you’ll be staying,” she declared, leading the way alongside Garrick.

Behind them, The Queen’s voice carried concern, tinged with a touch of desperation.

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“But, My Dear, can we truly place our trust in that boy? I’m losing hope in the summoning. We’ve been at this for over 20 years, yet not one has managed to defeat or control that power.”

The King's response held a glimmer of optimism, a rare smile playing on his lips.

“If Seraphina believes in him, then so do I. This is the first time she’s placed her trust in a summoned being from another world. I have high hopes for that boy,” he affirmed. Turning to Kilin and Daisy, he issued a solemn charge.

“Kilin, Daisy, ensure he’s trained well. This power must be stopped at all costs. It’s haunted us for the past eight decades, since my grandfather’s time.”

Both of them responded in unison, voices resolute. “Understood, My King.”

Meanwhile, Roderick, keeping his distance from Seraphina, mustered the courage to apologize for his earlier words.

“Umm, Seraphina-san, I’m truly sorry for what I said before. I… I lost control and said some truly bizarre things, especially to you… I deeply regret it. I’m genuinely sorry.”

Seraphina’s response was icy and filled with a barely contained anger.

“I… I’ll forgive you for now,” she conceded, her voice laced with warning. “But if you ever cross that line again, I won’t hesitate to deal with you.”

Roderick let out a small, embarrassed squeak before falling into a subdued silence. Haruki offered some sagely advice.

“That’s why it’s important to think before you speak, and be aware of your surroundings, Roderick,” he advised gently.

Roderick nodded, his spirits visibly dampened. “I… I’ll remember that,” he mumbled.

Both Lila and Roderick apologized profusely for their earlier ignorance. Lila explained that Roderick had told her he was just a wandering merchant, unaware of who they truly were.

Seraphina smiled warmly, alleviating the tension. “It’s alright. I’m not too fond of venturing beyond the empire, so it’s common for people not to recognize me at first.”

She then shared a story of a time when she visited another empire with her family, reminiscing about a boy who unknowingly sought her out.

“There was this one time in another empire, a boy asked me where the princess was. It was me he was looking for, but he had no idea I was standing right in front of him.”

Laughter bubbled up among them as Seraphina continued the tale.

“I told him I was the princess, and he was so shocked he ended up apologizing,” she added. Garrick chimed in, confirming Seraphina’s preference for staying within the empire.

“Indeed, Lady Seraphina rarely ventures outside, only for some much-needed relaxation after rigorous training.”

Haruki recalled their first meeting at the fields. “Like when we first met? At the fields, right?”

Seraphina nodded with a smile, leading them to the temporary residence. “Here we are. This will be the house you’ll stay in for now.”

The dwelling resembled a small, two-story apartment from Haruki’s world, but constructed from wood.

Haruki marveled at the famiSeraphinar architecture. “Wow, this looks just like a house from my world!”

Garrick and Seraphina were intrigued. “Is your world similar to ours?” Garrick asked.

Haruki explained, “My world is much more advanced than this one. We have many technologies.”

Perplexed, they asked, “Technology? What’s that?”

Haruki struggled to articulate, then recalled the black bag he’d brought when he was summoned.

“Do you remember the black bag I had with me?” he inquired.

Garrick nodded. “Yes, I do. What was inside it?”

Haruki shrugged. “Nothing particularly special, but I think I left it with Aria before our training.” He swiftly made his way to the guild.

“I’ll go fetch it from the guild. I’ll be back,” he assured them.

Seraphina called out a warning for him to be careful, and the others retreated inside the house, curiosity piqued.