Sam marvelled in awe at the magnificence and grandeur of the palace halls he and his group walked through. The ceiling was high and the walls painted white. Green and beige drapery with murals depicting some epic elven tales and lineage hang loose stretching from the ceiling to just above the ground. The sight was noble and Sam couldn’t help but ogle.

In front of him, a female elven servant attendant strode confidently as he led the party onward. Even now, Sam was still entranced by her beauty. While his comparison pool was limited, he could still confidently say that not many people would be able to compare to the blonde goddess walking before him.

Soon, the party was led to an open floor room with a grand staircase at the centre that led to the next floor. At the foot of the staircase a man stood waiting. To no one’s surprise, he was also elven. The man wasn’t old but he wasn’t young either. Looking to be in his late middle ages, the man wore a black butler’s uniform with long black hair held in a top knot. His aura was sharp and first impressions pegged him as someone disciplined and straightforward.

The woman leading them, exchanged a few words with the man before bowing and excusing herself.

“Welcome, guests of mistress Tisha,” The man greeted, giving the party a polite bow. His voice was flat and devoid of extraneous emotion. “I am head steward Clerfyr. You may address me as Cliff for simplicity.”

“Well met, head steward Clerfyr,” Rose replied, returning a polite curtsy. “I am mage Rose, governess to the crown prince.”

Clerfyr nodded, acknowledging the greeting. His gaze left Rose and passed over the children, pausing noticeably on an over enthusiastic looking Sam. Though inwardly curious about the boy’s strange behaviour, Clerfyr’s face remained impassive as he redirected his attention to meet Rose’s gaze.

“The mistress is tied up with official obligations and extends her heartfelt apologies for not greeting you personally. She has prepared accommodation for the party of the esteemed prince in her personal manor. Humble though it may be, I, Clerfyr, am here to ensure that all your needs are met to the best of my ability. Please feel free to call upon me or any other servant should you need anything.”

Sam’s eyes widened when he heard the man call the palace ‘humble.’ Will snickered to himself when he noticed Sam’s expression.

“You are too polite, head steward,” Rose replied, an amiable smile on her face. “We will be in your care.”

“Hmm,” Clerfyr hummed. “Allow me to show you to your rooms.”

The group was led up the grand staircase and shown to the largest bedroom Sam had laid eyes on to date.

Unlike the green and beige theme that the rest of the manor followed, the bedroom was decorated in royal red and white colours. The contrast gave the room an inviting aura and though it was too large and extravagant for Sam’s tastes, what really caught his attention was the bed.

It was so abnormally oversized, Sam felt he would drown and never wake up if he were to ever sleep on it. He was willing to bet that all the pillows in his house put together were less than the number on that bed.

“This is the room prepared for his highness, the prince. It has been decorated in the colours of the Royal family of Aurum.” Clerfyr said while facing Sam. “I hope it is to your liking.”

Sam was too busy gaping in wonderment to notice that the man was talking to him.

What a strange prince. Clerfyr thought inwardly. The boy’s talent does indeed seem to be top tier. But why does he seem like a bumpkin? It can’t be that his kingdom is that backward, can it?

An awkward cough from a bashful looking Lena pulled Clerfyr out of his thoughts. Sam also seemed to snap out of his star gazing as he noticed the tall tanned elf studying him curiously.

“Cough!” Rose interjected. Directing the head steward’s attention to a frowning Will, she introduced. “This is the crown prince of Aurum, William Ironborn.”

“Ah!” Clerfyr was slightly caught off guard as he turned his attention to the red-haired boy. His face fell into a faint frown when he noticed the boy had not yet even begun taken the first step on the ascension path.

The head steward was quick on his feet, however, and swiftly recovered. Clearing his throat, he continued. “My apologies. In that case, I beg your pardon so that you may freshen up, young prince.” Clerfyr’s voice was smooth and betraying nothing to indicate his earlier blunder.

“There are servants on standby at all times. Should you need anything, you can summon them with this bell.” Clerfyr said, referring to a small bell resting on a tea table.

After a slight bow to Will, he turned his attention to Rose and the rest. “Follow me to your rooms.”

With that, Will was left in his room as the rest of the party followed Clerfyr to their own lodging.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Sam’s room was much more reserved than Will’s but was still a notch posher than his own bedroom back home. A single bed, a desk table, a simple wardrobe, and a window, were the only noteworthy features of the room.

“Hup!” Sam sprawled himself on his new bed facing the ceiling with legs swinging. He heaved a loud exhale as he recalled the journey that had brought him here.

He could easily deduce that his mother was trying to train them with the way she kept leading the group through obviously marked territory. The first time he noticed the group entering dire wolf territory, he had spoken up only to be brushed off by his mother.

“This way’s faster,” she had said.

That being said, the feeling of finally killing a dire wolf by himself had been quite intoxicating.

Sam circulated mana through his left arm meridians as he extended it towards the ceiling and clenched it.

My strength hasn’t increased all that much after my breakthrough. If I were to give a number, I’d say I’m about ten percent stronger. It's everything else that’s changed. I never noticed it before, but whenever I sparred with father in the last few months, I always felt like my body was heavy. I could see his attacks, and I knew the best way to counter them. My body would just react too slowly. I try to push myself harder but I always felt like I’m hitting a wall. A ceiling of some sort. But now…

Sam clenched and unclenched his fist as he recalled the feeling of slicing through a dire wolf’s neck.

“Even though my strength hasn’t increased by much, I no longer feel a ceiling clamping down on my physical attributes. On the contrary, my body feels so empty. Like it has so much room for improvement. Unlimited potential!” Sam declared with an ambitious gleam in his eyes.

***

Faust walked in hurried strides as he made his way to the manor of Elder Tisha Evergreen. The sun was already past its zenith and the orange of dusk was beginning to line the firmament.

He had just been informed that his young had arrived and he was being hosted in Elder Tisha’s private manor. where his charge and young lord was lodging. To this, Faust couldn’t help but exhale a sigh of relief.

After he had executed one of the supernaturals he was fighting in the Great Forest the second one made to flee. Faust did not give chase and instead rushed in the direction he had sent Rose in with the children. On his pursuit, he ran into the Great Mage Lokhart, who named himself a scion of Ronoa.

Faust wanted to slay the bastard on the spot but the coward just turtled up behind a protective treasure. It was of Archmage rank and the general had no way to breakthrough it. The treasure allowed the mage to withstand Faust’s barrage until that elder Caldwell arrived and fled with the scion leaving behind an indignant Faust.

Hours passed with still no sign of Rose and the prince. Worry gnawed at Faust’s insides as he began to fear for the worst. This feeling was especially strong when he found a site bearing the remnants of battle. The bodies of two warriors were strewn across the battlefield, killed by earth magic. Faust immediately deduced, to his satisfaction, that it was Rose’s magic.

What made his heart seize though, was that this was the direction the Great Mage had come from. The only consolation that ensured he had a grasp of his emotions was that there were no signs indicating the party’s death. Still, this reasoning was flimsy at best. Mages had tons of mysterious means about them. Leaving no evidence after killing someone was a feat easily accomplished.

Still, Faust had to hold onto the sliver of hope that they survived. After all, the warriors’ bodies were left untampered. Thus, it was with gritted teeth that Faust made his way to the nearest elven outpost to which he had directed Rose.

The man nearly broke down when he arrived.

There had been no sign of the prince’s party!

In his rage, Faust sought to hunt down the scion of Ronoa and end him, but alas, it had already been a day, and Lokhart was long gone. Frustrated, Faust settled for hunting and killing the remnants of the bandits and scavengers who attacked the prince's convoy that still lingered in the Great Forest.

After a day of fruitless search and vengeful slaughter, Faust returned to the elven outpost with four of his men whom he had run into while bandit hunting.

By this point, anger had given way to dejection. A platoon of twenty odd high tier warriors and a high rank mage were now reduced to a scant four all of whom spotted injuries of varying degrees.

But that was when the heavens took pity on the general!

The elves had received word that the prince’s party had been rescued and would be making their way to Silvestria!

Faust’s nerves were wound up too tight for him to feel any excitement as he recalled the past few days’ events. Instead, he heaved a large sigh of relief.

“What else can you expect from a country bumpkin?” Faust heard an exasperated voice beyond the hall that he was walking in.

Little highness! Faust thought, finally releasing the last of his anxiety.

“I’ve never been so embarrassed in all my years! The way they looked at us… ARGH!” The prince complained. “That’s it! Outside of this manor, I don’t know you. Don’t talk to me. Don’t call me. In fact, don’t even look in my direction!”

“What? Why?” Came a bewildered reply. A foreign voice that Faust didn’t recognize.

“With all the face you’ve lost for me, and Aurum by extension, it's no wonder elves look down on humans.”

Faust entered the living room just in time to see the prince harrumph in disdain. The target of his ire? A human boy? That was odd. What was a human doing in Silvestria? In the prince’s manor in fact.

“Now, now,” consoled Lena who had her face buried in a book.

The sight soothed the general’s heart. The past few weeks had been such a tempest of activity that Faust had forgotten what a bookworm the girl was.

“The little highness is just jealous he’s the weakest among us,” Lena teased, a playful smirk on her face as she looked at Will.

The prince’s face darkened at her words.

The boy who Faust didn’t recognize laughed wildly while nodding his head vigorously and patting the prince’s back. “That’s right! That’s right! Lil’ bro Will, you’re too weak. No worries though, stick with me and lil’ sis Lena. As your elders, it is our duty to protect you.” The boy was the picture of righteousness as he puffed out his chest, a wide grin on his face.

Lena winced at being called ‘lil sis’ but shook her head in resignation. With a wry smile, she buried her face back into the book she was reading.

“Who’s your little brother!” Will retorted angrily as he slapped the boy’s hand away.

Faust didn’t know what to make of the scene unfolding in front of him. Who was this human boy? Why was he acting so friendly with the prince and little Lena?

Faust wanted to obverse a little longer when the strange boy looked in his direction and exclaimed. “Ah! Its the really strong guy from that night!”