As Arc was preparing to leave the cave, he remembered something important.
" Princess stay here for a moment." Said Arc to the princess who was still in a weird state.
" Yes"
After saying that, the princess stood still like a statue, but Arc was already used to her.
" Hmm, even though they were weaklings, even among other bandits they should have a bit of gold, right?" Muttered Arc in a hopeful tone.
After searching for a little while, Arc found 23 gold coins and around 700 silver. " Well that... that was disappointing, but something is not right, they got hired by a mysterious person to help kidnap and keep the princess. Where is the money from that deal? or where they paid in some other way?" Said Arc out loud. Just as Arc was about to return to the princess, he found a little floor door. Arc instantly understood that that was the place where they stored their precious staff.
He opened it with a little difficulty and jump down. Inside the hidden space, he found various gems.
" So they got paid in gems, not in coins, interesting." Said Arc. Just as he was about to pick up all of the gems, he found a few rocks that had a different aura than normal rocks.
" Spiritual stones! Great, these stones are worth a lot, it's just that i same can't use them yet, ah well it doesn't matter they are only rank 1." Said Arc with excitement in his voice. He immediately abandoned all the silver he picked up and used the now free space to pick up the spiritual stones.
' I should go back to the princess' Thought Arc.
Around 5 minutes later Arc returned to the place where the princess was waiting, only to discover that she wasn't there.
" Great *Sigh* where did she go?" Muttered Arc with a tired voice.
" Princess!" Yelled Arc while getting out of the cave. " Where are you?"
"HELP"
" There she is" Said Arc and went to the sound.
After a while, Arc found the princess, that was caught in a trap that he had created before he attacked the bandit den.
" Help me, now," Said the princess with a commanding voice when she spotted Arc.
" What happened to your eyes?" Asked Arc while cutting the rope that was holding the princess.
" What are you talking about? where am I? who are you?" Asked the princess in a panicked voice.
' Hmm, interesting it seems like the princess forgot what happened, also her eyes changed from grey to blue, interesting indeed' Thought Arc. ' I might be able to use this opportunity to hide the fact that i saved her from the bandits.'
" Calm down princess" Said Arc in a soft voice. " You are safe now. Eat this while i am explaining to you what i know." After saying that Arc gave the princess some of his leftover bread that he had taken with him before he left.
" What is this, a weapon? It's harder than steel!" Asked the princess while looking at the bread like it was some ancient weapon.
" What weapon idio- *cough* princess, this is a special bread that lasts for a lot of time, the hardness in just a side-effect." Said Arc.
" Now then, let me tell you what happened. About half an hour ago, i found you exhausted in the forest, when i asked you who you are, you saved that you were a princess, nothing else. I gave you water while i went to bring some food. When i came back you had disappeared, thankfully i heard your screams so i was able to save you." Said Arc while he thought. ' Even though this story has many problems, she shouldn't be able to notice.'
" I-I woke up in the entrance of a cave where there were many c-corpses, i-i don't remember anything before that, i just run and fell on this trap." Said the princess with a scared voice.
" Cave? Corpses? Are you sure?" Asked Arc with a confused voice.
" Y-yes, it's over there."
" Hmm, we better leave, it's dangerous here." Said Arc after a few moments. " Very well princess follow me, i will take you to my home. Oh, i almost forgot, what is your name?"
" *Cough* I am Caroline Kaezia, the third princess of the Kaezia kingdom," Caroline said with a proud voice.
" That is a nice name princess Caroline, please follow me." Said Arc while bowing to her. ' Even though it's humiliating to bow to a four-year-old child, i don't want any unnecessary trouble.' Thought Arc.
" Wait, what is your name?" Asked Caroline.
" My name is Arcador Enbers, but you can call me Arc your highness."
" Ok, let us go."
____________________________________________________
20 minutes later.
"Finally, we are out of the forest." Said Caroline while using a piece of cloth to remove the sweat from her forehead.
" We should arrive at my village in about 10 minutes, your highness." Said Arc while also removing the sweat from his forehead with a piece of cloth. Of course, Arc wasn't tired from the walk, he was just afraid of the beating he is going to get from his Grandma and Father. ' Dad is going to be so mad, actually how come i haven't spotted any guards looking for me? If i remember correctly i told Grandma that i would be going to the forest, hmm this is worrying.'
" Arc stop calling me your highness all the time, call me Caroline." Said the princess with a tired voice.
" Caroline, happy now princess?"
" Yes, yes i am."
" Good now let's go."
10 minutes later both of them stood outside the village.
"Arc is that you?" Asked one of the guards that were guarding the village.
" Yo, uncle Blake how are you? how is Rose?" Asked Arc with a happy voice. Blake was an old friend of his father so they met each other many times. As for Rose, she was Blake's daughter and a childhood friend of Arc.
" Thank God you are already Arc, do you have any idea how much your family was worried? It was nice meeting you Arc, time your father is going to kill you." Said Blake with a worried and angry voice.
" Calm down uncle, look i am fine, i merely went to the forest to train nothing more." Said Arc with a relaxed voice. " So how is Rose?"
" She is angry Arc and you know what happens when she is angry."
" Hmm, don't tell her i am back, i need to buy candy in order to calm her."
Said Arc.
" So who is this child?" Asked Blake while looking at the princess.
" Oh, i forgot to introduce her to you, sorry about that. * Cough* This is the third princess of our kingdom Caroline Kaezia."
*Silence*
" Arc please tell me that you are joking." Said blake, normally if a child said this to an adult, the adult will just take it as a joke, but Blake knew that Arc wasn't joking this time, but he still had to ask.
" Do i look like you are joking Uncle?"
When Blake heard that he immediately went to his knees and yelled.
" Blake Smith greets her Royal Highness"
When the other guards heard what blake said they immediately froze, after a second they went to their knees and yelled " We greet her Royal Highness"
" Please all of you rise." Said Caroline.
" Uncle please inform the village head and the others to come to the village center." Said Arc after the guards rouse to their feet.
" Why in the village center?"
" Well we can't have the princess wait for all of them to come now, can we? So i am going to take on a tour of our village and maybe let her try some of our cuisine" Said Arc, after that he said to the princess.
" Follow me, princess."
" Wait- Arc, dammit he left already, you two go after them and protect the princess with your lives, understood?" Said Blake after noticing that neither Arc nor the Princess paid him any attention.
" Yes sir." Said the two guards and went towards the two children.
" The rest of you stay here and do your duty." After saying that Blake run towards the village heads home.
___________________________________
Meanwhile, the two children toured the village.
" That big building over there is our hospital." Said Arc while pointing at a 3 story building.
" You have a hospital?" Asked Caroline with a confused voice.
" Well even though officially we are a village, we have a population of 18000 people you know, we need a hospital." Said Arc and before Caroline was able to question him more, Arc said." Look that big building over there that looks like a castle, that is where most of the guards live and do their jobs, opposite of it is the market or the village center."
" Wait why is the village center close to the wall, and not in the middle of the village?" Asked a confused Caroline.
" I- i don't really know, anywa-" Just as Arc was about to continue he heard someone calling him.
" ARC OVER HERE!"
" Who is that?" Asked Caroline while looking at the chubby child that was running at them, chubby is an understatement honestly, it was like a round ball that had legs.
" That is one of my friends, Alex he is a good child but he emm, you know something you are going to understand when he... arrives." Says Arc while looking at his friend who was exhausted even though he ran for about 10 meters.
"Let's go to him, by the time he comes here it will be midnight." Said Arc while slowly going to his friend that was about 60 meters away.
" O-ok," Said Caroline.
" Yo Alex, how are you?" Asked Arc while looking at his friend. " Seems like you lost some weight, now you can run 10 meters instead of 5, good job."
" You are just *breath* jealous of my * Deep breath* magnificent * breath* belly." Said Alex while taking deep breaths. " Who is this?"
" This is Princess Caroline."
" P-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p-p" Stuttured Alex.
" That is his problem, he stutters when he gets nervous, let's go."
" Shouldn't we help him?" Asked a worried Princess.
" Don't worry this happens all the time lets go." Said Arc.
" Okay"
As Arc continued giving the Princess a tour, Blake finally arrived at the village head's house.
"*BAM BAM* Open the door it's an emergency"
A minute later an old woman opened the door and said.
" What happened Blake?"
" Where is the old man? Quickly tell him to come here, Grandma we are in big trouble."
" Calm down Blake, i am here." Said an old man who had a friendly aura around him.
" Head a princess is here." Said Blake with a panicked voice.
" W-What? A Princess? Blake you better not joke about such things." Said the old man.
" Do i look like i am joking old man? Quickly get dressed and let's go to the village center."
" Give a minute"
A couple of minutes later the village head along with Blake run towards the village center where they saw Arc and the Princess laughing while eating some candies.