As I opened my eyes once again in the infirmary, I found myself feeling more at ease with the familiar surroundings. The room was empty and serene, and my wounds no longer throbbed with pain. With ease, I stood up and donned the clothes provided by the infirmary before setting out to find my companions.
Upon arriving at the throne room of the Castle, I discovered that the King, the Leader, my friends, and a few soldiers were gathered there. As I stepped into the room, the King turned his head towards me, and everyone else in the room began to clap, their eyes filled with pride.
"Ryuu, we cannot express our gratitude enough for what you and your friends have done," the King exclaimed. "Your valiant efforts will be remembered for generations to come. It was an honor to be by your side in this war."
I smiled, responding, "The honor is ours."
The King then informed me that he had heard of our desire to travel to the second Kingdom and offered to provide a ship as a token of appreciation for our aid. "While I am unable to assist you personally, I will do everything in my power to support you on your journey," he added.
"A ship like you said would be much appreciated for now," I replied.
"And rest assured, your secret will remain safe with us," the King continued. "A King never breaks his word. Now, go and enjoy your time with your friends. Strengthen your bonds before embarking on such a perilous adventure."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," I said before leaving the throne room to rejoin my companions.
Upon seeing me, my friends were overjoyed and rushed towards me. "Ryuu, we're so glad to see that you're okay," they exclaimed.
"We were worried sick about you," Lezlie added.
"I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine," I assured them.
Hiroshi approached me and said, "These are the types of experiences we must expect on our adventures. But, kid, you're still full of mysteries. It's a relief to all of us that you returned unscathed."
"Thank you, Hiroshi," I replied. "And thank you all for your help."
"Let's do something before we leave. Shall we go and eat?" Babu suggested, to which we all agreed.
As I sat down at the table with my friends, my hunger pangs kicked in, and I eagerly grabbed a plate to load it up with food. I couldn't remember how many days I had slept, but my hunger seemed to be making up for all the lost meals. I might have even eaten more than Babu, who seemed disappointed that dinner ended so soon.
After dinner, Babu turned to me and asked about my wounds. I reassured him that I was fine and that I had my friends by my side in case anything happened.
Babu marveled at my ability to heal so quickly, attributing it to my bloodline and my incredible powers. He couldn't help but wonder what other remarkable abilities I might possess and what other obstacles we would encounter on our journey.
I shrugged, unsure of what lay ahead, but grateful for my friends' support and Babu's concern for my well-being.
As we finished our meal, Hiroshi suggested that we head to the king's room, as he had requested to see us. Lezlie agreed, adding that we shouldn't keep the king waiting. It seems the king had a few more things to tell us.
Upon entering the king's room, we saw him sitting on his throne, buried in paperwork. He quickly handed off the documents to one of his employees, instructing them to deal with it tomorrow.
As we settled in the King's room, the employee departed, leaving the three of us alone with the ruler. The King gestured towards the chairs and requested us to sit down, indicating that he had something significant to discuss with us. We complied and settled ourselves in the comfortable seats, eager to hear what the King had to say.
I inquired, "What is it that you wish to discuss, Your Majesty?"
"Firstly, I would like to know why you seek to venture into the second Kingdom. Secondly, I want to provide you with information to help you on your journey," replied the King.
I elucidated, "We have reason to believe that the individual who will join us on our quest is located there. That is why we are heading there."
The King's curiosity piqued, "How did you come by this information?"
"We acquired a map long ago that has helped us locate what we need," I responded.
The King was astonished, "You possess the Dreamer's Map? That is a rare artifact. How did you come to obtain it?"
"My uncle passed it down to me," I explained.
"I see. That map will be an asset to you on your travels," acknowledged the King. "So, you intend to search for potential recruits?"
Hiroshi interjected, "What information did you want to share with us, Your Majesty?"
"I was just about to tell you," said the King. "The power of The First Epic, which you encountered in our kingdom, is insignificant in comparison to the other epics."
Babu was taken aback, "Is that true?"
"Indeed, The First Epic is the weakest of the five. The epics are ranked in ascending order of strength, with each one being considerably more potent than the one before it," confirmed the King.
I inquired, "Have you seen the other epics before?"
"No, I haven't personally seen them, but from what has been shared about them, they are formidable. At a recent Kings meeting, information about a few of them was shared. Fortunately, I recall some details. The Epic of the Second Kingdom is a woman known to be dangerous," the King explained.