"If you think about it, it is really unfortunate that something so cruel happened to his family. We cannot blame him for having a grudge against the former King of Kruule." David remarked.
"You're right. If I were him, I would resent the King, too." Says Lira as a response to David. "But still, putting that hatred towards other people is just wrong."
Everyone agrees to the elven woman's statement. What she told everyone is right. Slavery, tormenting, killing, everything Castile's doing is wrong. In fact, if one would say, all these acts that he had commited is just making him like the same King he hated the most. The only worst part is that he became someone far worst than the former King of Kruule.
"Sometimes, a person cannot just forgive."
As the words escaped the prince's lips, everyone began to look down in pity for the King. More than that, Sieghart, Lira, David and Jinrah realized that Castile had the same situation as their friend - Eileen. The man with a giant black sword contemplates how hard it is to forgive the one who have commited a grave sin to someone.
"I hate to break this silence, but I don't think we have the time to be thinking about what made Castile into what he is now." Said, Kaien which took the attention of everyone. At the same time, Edle remembered what Celestine told her in the royal castle.
"The time is not on your side."
"I assume you remembered what Celestine told us, Prince Edle."
Edle nodded in response. "If he hates everyone that has a royal blood, then I'm sure Mother and everyone else is in danger."
"Right, we have to go and save them."
It is not surprising that that everyone would agree to Sieghart's suggestion. If Castile is after every ruler's life, then what they need to do is to save them.
"We will discuss what we will do to save Queen Elena and the others on the way. I'm pretty sure all of you know that they won't let us enter the Kingdom without having a large scale siege though."
"I agree. I will tell every uninjured and combat ready soldiers to prepare for battle."
Everything seem to have started to move, Sieghart and the others are preparing to embark to the far south. However, their movements stopped after hearing Tedric.
"I'm sorry. Everyone seems to be getting fired up going on a journey to Kruule. But we don't have enough horses and carriages to carry everyone." Tedric's comment froze everyone. "And even if only a few of us go, it'll take more than 4 days to get to Kruule from here.
"Seriously...?" The hopeless tone in Edle's voice rang through everyone's ears.
"Don't worry, Edle." Kaien grabbed the prince by his right shoulder. "I'm sure Castile will not do anything to Queen Elena and everyone else for now. At least not until the morning comes. His hatred may have blinded his actions, but more than killing, there's one more thing that he wants from them."
Kaien's encouraging words was able to erase the worry in Edle's eyes. But even if he said that, no one knows where they can find something that'll help them get to Kruule in time.
"If only we have something like those dragons that were tamed by them... But Reilaea doesn't have a tamer, nor a dragon's nest near here."
At one point, everyone were in a bind to find something to help them traverse fast to Kruule. However, after what Jinrah mentioned just a second ago, an idea came up to Christa.
"Ooh!! I got it!"
Christa's voice shocked everyone.
"What do you got, Christa...?"
The girl let out a half suppressed laughter before facing everyone.
"I have a friend that'll help us go and reach Kruule at dawn."
"Are you serious?!"
All of em asked who is the friend that the girl mentioned. Christa simply faces south and took a stance in which she is preparing to take a high jump.
"Let's all meet up in the southern gate in 30 minutes, until then you can all prepare everything that is necessary." Christa proceeds to look at Selene. "Call Itsuo, I'm sure he's bored waiting for us in the neighborhood."
"Y-yes..."
After that, Christa springs up forward with such a great force that the pressure she left knock backed Edle, Kaien and Selene.
"What in the..."
Before they knew it, Christa disappeared into the night sky.
"The way she leaps into the sky and disappeared... that speed isn't comparable to when she punched that dragon out of Sieghart's face."
"Sometimes, things she does is just too inhuman. No wonder people mistaken her to be a monster."
"Monster?"
Both Jinrah and Selene's remark with a blank look on their faces about Christa intrigues the prince. But before he could ask them what they mean, the knight commander, Tedric cuts in.
"I think we should do what the adventurer told us." Said, Tedric. "If her friend can really help us get to Kruule in the right time, then we need to be ready to go once she returns."
Not one objects to Tedric's words. With that said, everyone goes on their way to make preparations themselves.
"Now if you all don't mind, I'll go ahead and pick up my friend in our neighborhood."
Selene is the one to make the first move as she plans to go to their home to pick up Itsuo, just like Christa told her.
"Are you sure you want to go with us along with the other silver rank kid? Things could be dangerous, you know."
Selene looks at Sieghart with her eyes that doesn't show any fear or concern. She then answered the veteran adventurer.
"If Christa wants me to pick up Itsuo to go along with this journey, it means that this is a part of our usual training. I'd say, she wanted to see how we will do if we are going to face another human."
"I see. So this will be the first time you will fight another human being rather than a mindlessly attacking monster."
"Yeah, something like that. Now then, off I go."
After bidding farewell for a short parting, Selene flies off to the east.
Sieghart and the others watched Selene slowly disappear into the horizon.
"So Christa wants them to have an experience to fight another human being, huh?" Said, David.
"I think it is a good idea. Sooner or later they'll be forced to fight not just monsters, but also people. It is a good opportunity to get that experience early on."
"So this rescue mission is just a training for them? It's not just Christa, the other members of her party are kinda insane, too."
Sieghart responded to David, as Jinrah follows.
Checking up onto the guild and see Eileen came into Sieghart's mind after that. Shortly after, he suggests it to Lira and the other adventurers present.
"Let's go back to the guild and take some rest until the time comes."
"All right."
"Okay."
The other adventurers agreed without hesitation. While Ronan and his companions decided to go towards the adventurers guild before Sieghart and his own party, Edle joins into the conversation between Sieghart and Tedric.
"Tedric, you better get some rest, too. Let's meet again on the stated time."
"Yeah, thank you. I will do that once I gather up the soldiers who are ready to fight. I'm still hoping for a possibility that we'll be able to travel with all of you and save the Queen all together."
"Sieghart..."
The prince calls out the Adventurer's name. Continuing what he started, he asked Sieghart:
"You're an adventurer, not a knight, a soldier of Reilaea who's duty is to risk his life for the Kingdom, for the Queen, for me. You've helped us more than enough into minimizing the casualties and damaged properties in the capital. Why are you still willing to help us?"
After the prince of Reilaea spat out those line of words, silence ran through the road that they were standing as Sieghart closed his eyes as he goes deep into his thoughts.
"Why, you ask...?"
Shortly after, he opened his eyes and turns around to look directly into Edle.
"It's true that we are not soldiers of Reilaea whose bound by the rules and order of the Kingdom. I am an adventurer, we are also bound by some rules and regulations by the Adventurers Guild. However, that doesn't mean that we are limited into just being a person dealing with monsters as a living. We are free to do whatever we want as long as it is not against the law. Why do I want to help you help save the Queen and the others?"
The adventurer shows his quest scroll - the Queen's Call. He then continues. "Because this is my job. Because this is the country where I was born. And, because this is what I want to do from the very beginning."
Putting his life on the line to protect the people. Risking his own life to save everyone he could. That is the reason why he decided to become an adventurer.
"From the very beginning, this is what I really wanted to do..." As he repeatedly said, the faces of the people he saved in the past came into his mind, especially Eileen, reminding him of everything he has done, including the sword he possessed.
Edle did not expect such an honest answer from the adventurer, but he was glad to reassure that the hero would lend his power into saving his Mother and everyone else.
He begin to recompose himself to show his dignity as the Prince of Reilaea. He faced Sieghart with a stern look and determination in his eyes.
"I see. I am quite surprised to hear such an ambition. So you want to save people, huh? With the situation we are in, people like you are the ones I truly need right now. Let's do this from the beginning."
Sieghart, Lira, Jinrah and David, as well as Kaien and Tedric faced the prince who gave them a look that is like of a King asking his people to lend him their strength to save Queen Elena and the others.
"You who stand before me, the adventurer who extolled by everyone as the hero of Reilaea, Sieghart Banderas. You saved the Kingdom many times with your incomparable strength and bravery. Words cannot express how grateful we are to have you, and the people like you in our country. But once again, this country enters another conflict, a conflict that threatens not just Reilaea, but also the other countries. And if we act too late, doom shall fall into Reilaea. That is why I, Edle Q. Reilaea, the Prince of Reilaea stands here before you. And on behalf of its people, the entire country, I ask you to lend us your powers once again, adventurers... no, Heroes."
Kaien looks at Edle before closing eyes with a smile. He knew the reason behind asking Sieghart was because the prince realized that Sieghart and the other adventurers made a big contribution into keeping almost every soldiers of Kruule back into the walls of Reilaea. Not only that, they're also the ones that took care of the 9 dragons that were roaming around and threatening the skies. You could say that Reilaea wouldn't be able to defend itself without the adventurers' help.
And for that reason, a thought came across the prince's mind that they may have been relying too much on the adventurers just like in the past. And so he tried to give the adventurers a chance to turn back and call it a day by asking Sieghart those questions. Edle may have shown his hatred towards his Mother, Celestine and Castile. But deep inside, he is a gentle, kind and caring prince who values the Kingdom and its people more than anything else. Just like his missing Father.
"It seem like there's nothing to worry."
Kaien's worry swiftly goes away as he witnessed how Edle did the things he expected of him.
Edle's speech renders Sieghart and everyone else speechless. At the same time, the way he asked for their help, the way he looks right into their eyes, reminds them of his missing Father. The time where the missing King of Reilaea was still a prince.
"Edel really is your Father." Said Sieghart.
The other three adventurers chortle as they look at each other, knowing what answer their party leader will give Edle's request.
Jinrah bumps his gauntlets. Lira creates a sphere of wind on top of the palm of her hand. David gazes onto Edle. Sieghart grinned as he tells the prince:
"Let's do it! Let's save the Queen!"