Volume 1 Chapter 3: Part 1: The Start Of Their Training

While Onyx and Irene hug each other, somewhere else in the castle,

"So why have you come all this way, Archbishop Otter?" In the throne room, knights are lined up at the side. In the center was Walter, sitting on his throne, looking down at the people from the Holy Land. Walter's voice was aloof as he asked.

"Thank you for taking your time meeting with us, King Walter." A middle-aged man says. Compared to the priests behind him who wore white robes, he wore a white and red one.

Walter waves his hand, "It's ok. But can we discuss your matter tomorrow?"

It was already midnight.

Walter wasn't alone in this. Vargar and the knights had tired expressions as they stared at the priests. There was a mixture of annoyance from being stuck here for so long too.

"Sorry about taking your time. But this matter is of the utmost importance. We have to get this done right now." Otter's expression became stern. He doesn't care about the looks Vargar and the rest gave him.

Walter frowns as he asks, "...Alright. What is it you want to speak about?"

Otter's expression turns sour. A sneer forms on his face, "You should know what we want. The holy one is the most important figure of our Holy Land. She must come with us."

That was the only thing they wanted.

Irene couldn't escape from their grasp.

"We, the Holy Land, cannot lose her." The hero of light is the face of the Holy Land. Having their hero be in a different land was something Otter and the rest couldn't let.

"..." Walter doesn't give him an answer and stays silent as he looks at him weirdly. Otter frowns as he takes it as a no. He adds, "We are better equipped to teach the hero of light' light magic. We'll give her the best resources. Much better than what you guys can deliver."

"Perstromstus!" Vargar shouts out and glares at Otter. He wasn't alone in this. The knights around gave dirty expressions as well.

It was slapping the Espoir Kingdom's face.

"What I said is true. Do you know how long our kingdom has been studying light magic? It's nothing compared to what your Espoir Kingdom would have." Instead of backing down, Otter scoffs at them.

"..." The look on Vargar's face would have killed Otter and his men ten times over. But Walter raises his hand, stopping Vargar from talking more.

"Archbishop Otter, it's true that the Holy Land has better knowledge with light magic. But can you really say that about the people?" Walter takes an orb and sends mana into it,

A giant screen pops up, letting everybody see.

It was the exact orb Edson used to record the grand priest forcing Irene to go with him. Then him telling the priests to kill Onyx. The recording finished after Onyx saved Irene from them.

"What do you have to say to this? Do you understand the severity of aiming your swords at the heroes?" Walter gives a condescending laugh.

Walter knew the Holy Land would make their move once Onyx and Irene landed in his kingdom. He understood the importance of the hero to the Holy Land. But how could he hand Irene over to them when he saw that?

While Onyx and Irene got changed, Edson handed Walter the orb and reported everything he witnessed. Just hearing what happened was enough to piss him off. But with the added recording, that was downright wrong. Walter wanted to let his fury out. However, he couldn't.

He was still a king. He couldn't make crazy actions due to his emotions. But with this, he knows he has the upper hand over the Holy Land.

"We understand the severity of his actions as well. We were even surprised that a grand priest would do something to our hero. But you don't have to worry about it. We have already dealt with them for trying to harm the holy one." Otter explains with a calm face.

Walter didn't need to say anything about consequences.

The grand priest was killed a few days prior.

Otter and the rest met up with the grand priest's group. When he saw Irene wasn't there with him, he was furious. He demanded an explanation from him.

Once the grand priest told him that Irene had gone for the Espoir Kingdom, his head flew off from his body. He didn't need to say anything else. His fate was sealed.

"The grand priest is not the representation of the Holy land. We promise to give the hero the best resources and respect we can offer." Otter continues to insist.

"I don't think that's the point. Did you see the recording fully? The hero doesn't want to go to the Holy Land. We should respect the wishes of the hero as well." Walter smiles as he says this.

"You don't have to worry about that." Otter knew what Walter meant and why Irene didn't want to go.

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"We'll show the holy one there are better people out there than that boy there." From the recording, anybody could tell that Irene has feelings for Onyx.

But it was insignificant.

Like what the grand priest thought before, Otter was the same too.

The girl's love is nothing more than puppy love. After knowing people from the Holy Land, Otter knows Irene will definitely be over Onyx.

"I still think we should respect her wishes," Walter says this with a calm expression. But inside, he was laughing really hard. Hahaha! What is this guy even saying?!

He understood why Otter said this. But that was all wrong! Clearly, Otter doesn't understand the relationship between Onyx and Irene.

Otter sneers.

"Do we have to hear their voices?"

"...What are you implying?" Walter's voice was dull, clearly changing from his calm one before. And the knights around realized it too. They can tell that he's pissed off.

"How can a child understand what is going on with the nations right now?" Irene and Onyx were nothing more than children. How could they understand the severity of the hero title or know what's good for them?

Hearing his reasoning, Walter laughs,

"Are my words amusing to you?"

"Of course, I found your words amusing. Do you really think forcing the heroes will help your nation?" It would definitely cause the opposite. A child holds more grudges when they're young. Doing something harmful to the two might make them a threat.

It's going to bite them in the ass. Walter looks at him with a sneer,

"If you even think about forcing these kids to do your bidding, I refuse to hand her over."

"...Then are you prepared to face the wrath of the three kingdoms?"

"..."

"Once the other kingdoms find out about the two heroes, they will not let you off." Having two heroes in the same place was dangerous. From a military standpoint, having one hero will create a gap in power.

And since the Espoir Kingdom has two now, it's a bigger problem. If the two had time to mature, it would definitely shift the balance of power between the four kingdoms.

"If you understand this, you best hand over the hero of light or be prepared to taste the wrath of the three kingdoms." The negotiations are off the table.

If the negotiations aren't going in Otter's favor, then he'll just have to use force. Otter thought he had the upper hand. But never did he expect this to happen next,

Vargar sighs, "You shouldn't have said that." Before Otter could process what he said, the air in the room changed! It wasn't just the room.

Outside, the whole sky starts to become cloudy, and rumbling sounds of thunder come crashing down.

The expressions of the priest behind Otter turn pale and shiver from fear. But the person who changed the most was none other than the person in front of them.

Otter was pale as a sheet, and droplets of sweat began to drop down from his face.

What he saw on the throne wasn't a person. It was a demon.

"Do you think you can come into my home and threaten me?" Walter glares at Otter and his men. The distant expression he had before is nowhere to be found.

Instead, a poisonous one replaces it.

"I have been giving you guy's face since you came here as envoys. But you dare threaten my people and me!" Walter's voice grew colder.

Out of rage, he slams his hand on his chair, crushing it. Everybody besides Vargar shivers with fear now.

"You got guts. Not even the old geezer would dare talk to me like that." There are a few things that can't be said to Walter. One of them is threatening his people.

If it had been anybody else, they would have been affected by Otter's threat. But not Walter. There are a few things that can be said. One is threatening his people.

His people are like his family. Walter wasn't going to let anything happen to them.

"Do you think you can say all of that and get away with it?!" The louder his voice became, the more the sky was filled with lightning. Lightning bolts crackled down, responding to his shout. Everybody stood there with wide eyes.

They understood why he got the nickname thunder prince.

"I-I..." Otter's voice cracked. His brain couldn't process his words. The pressure was too much for him to respond.

He couldn't get air in his lungs.

I'm going to die.

That is the thought going through Otter and his men.

Before anybody could faint from Walter's pressure,

"Walter, you have to tone down your mana. He can't speak if you keep releasing it." Vargar walks up to him and whispers into his ear. Even the knights are affected by the pressure.

The only reason why Vargar is so calm is that he's been with Walter for so long. He could handle the pressure coming off of him.

Hearing his words, Walter calms down. The mana leaking off starts to die down. When that happens, everybody in the room calms down. Some even fall to the ground, losing all their energy.

"It's not that I don't want to give you the "Holy One" to you. But how can I hand her over to you guys after what happened?" Even Walter knows the other kingdoms will attack him if the information about the heroes is revealed.

"That's why I want you to hear my proposal," Walter explains his proposition; Otter's expression changes into one of deep thought.

"I have to go back to the Holy Land to discuss." Ottar couldn't make a decision like this right now. He would have to talk to the other higher-ups about this.

"No. Decide now." But Walter isn't going to give him such a privilege.

Otter's expression turns dark, "Don't push us too far."

However, Walter laughs at his words, "You guys come to my home, demanding me to hand somebody over. Do you think this is the Holy Land, and you can do whatever you want?"

"And do you think we would hand over the hero to you just because you demand it? Oh please. I can just ask the Riqueza Kingdom for these same demands. It doesn't have to be you."

"..." Otter turns speechless.

"And what do you think would happen if I talk to them?" The grin on Walter's face was going ear to ear, "I'm certain they would agree with my demands."

Yes, the other two kingdoms wouldn't stand with the Espoir Kingdom having two heroes. But that doesn't mean Walter has to accept the Holy Land's demands. He could work with one of the other two kingdoms. Just having another kingdom's agreement was enough to shut the other two up.

The Holy Land will not be able to do a thing about it.

And Otter knew it as well. He grits his teeth, "Fine! We agree with your conditions." Checkmate. If he pushed it anymore, Walter might actually do it.

Walter smiles and claps his hand, "That is good. It's a pleasure to be working with you in the future." He points to the maids lined up in the room, "Please bring our guests to their rooms."

The maids walk in front of the priest, ready to bring them out of the hall.

Before Otter leaves the room, he turns back to Walter, "Also, King Walter. Our eminence has received another report as well."

"...And?"

Otter's expression was dull, unable for anybody to figure him out, "It seems you know it too. I hope you will make the correct decision for the greater good."

"..."

Otter doesn't say anymore and follows the maids out.

"You guys leave too. It must have been hard for you to stand there." Walter says this to the knights around. The knights bow their heads and walk out too.

Only Walter and Vargar were left in the throne room. Walter sighs in relief, "Thank goodness he bought my bluff." What he said about making demands with the other kingdoms was a lie.

More so, Walter never had the intention of splitting the two up. More so, how can he? The relationship Onyx and Irene have is special. Specifically, Irene's feelings towards Onyx.

Onyx is the key to where Irene would go. Wherever he goes, Irene will follow him.

"You did well. Thank goodness the fool bought off what you said." Vargar also sighs in relief.

"Even if he tried to push it more, it wouldn't have worked. There's too much against them." The moment the grand priest tried to use force, it gave the Espoir Kingdom the advantage.

The other kingdoms would definitely take the chance to gain heroes as well.

Vargar frowns, "But we'll have to continue to watch over them." With how much the Holy Land values the hero of light, there's no way this was the last laugh.

"We won't let them ruin those children." Walter understood that as well. Onyx and Irene were too young.

How could he put those children in political strife between the two kingdoms?

"We can't put them into the same thing we've gone through."

The two nod. However, Vargar's expression turns dark,

"...What do we do about that last comment?" That last comment has been going through his mind.

"...I don't know either." Walter's expression turns dark too.