Vale stood at the mouth of the cave, his gaze fixed on the dark, foreboding tunnel ahead. "I think the map is pointing to this cave," he said, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
Frida furrowed her brow, peering skeptically into the murky depths of the cave. "Are you convinced? I believe this is just an ordinary cave," she asked, her tone questioning.
Vale squared his shoulders and took a step forward, determined to prove himself. "A cave like this, even if there isn't anything valuable in it, I'm sure there are at least some monsters or wild beasts. Let's take a look inside first," he said.
Brenda hesitated, her eyes darting nervously from Vale to the cave and back again. "Are you certain? This place is frightening," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Vale turned to Brenda, a confident grin on his face. "Are you afraid? Come here closer, I will protect you," he said, extending his hand towards her.
Brenda shook her head, her eyes wide with apprehension. "Sorry, I think I don't need it," she said, backing away towards Frida.
Frida rolled her eyes, unimpressed by Vale's bravado. "Tsk, you should try harder, Vale," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Vale just rolled his eyes without responding to Frida's words.
Subsequently, they entered the cave. There was no light inside, so Vale and the two girls could not see anything.
"Fireball party," Vale cast a magic technique.
He created eleven fireballs that floated in the air, lighting up the cave and allowing them to see inside. This technique was actually an attack-type magic technique, but Vale used it creatively to light the cave.
They continued walking for a while until they saw a fork in front of them. There were two branches of the road in front of Vale, one went straight with a slight turn to the right, and the other turned to the left with a downhill road.
Vale stared at the fork in front of them, his forehead creased in frustration. He had been so sure that the map would lead them straight to their destination, but now they were faced with a difficult decision. As he pondered their options, he felt a bead of sweat trickle down the back of his neck.
Frida could sense Vale's uncertainty and decided to take charge. She stepped forward, her posture confident and determined. "Let's scatter around and try to see what's on these two roads," she said firmly. "It is possible that one of them is a dead end. Vale, you and Brenda go to the road on the left, while I will go to the road on the right. We will walk for 10 minutes, whatever you see at that time, just come back here first."
Vale nodded in agreement with Frida's plan, but he could see that Brenda was hesitant. He turned to her and tried to reassure her. "What's the matter? Do you not want to be with me?" he asked with a smile.
Brenda's eyes flickered nervously as she glanced at the dark, foreboding cave. "No, I just think there might be a trap. I think we'd better just go together."
Vale rolled his eyes, exasperated by Brenda's fear. "Calm down," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "This woman is 100% fit. I don't think there's anything that can trap her. If something goes wrong, she will definitely save us."
As Brenda reluctantly followed Vale down the left path, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. She wished she had the same confidence as Vale and Frida, but the darkness of the cave seemed to be closing in on her. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the chill that had settled deep within her bones.
Vale and Brenda set off down the road on the left, which sloped downhill, while Frida strode confidently down the path on the right. Frida's magic technique allowed her to see in the dark, so she could navigate easily even without Vale's company.
As they descended further into the cave, Vale felt the ground widen beneath his feet. The rocky terrain sloped steeply downwards, and they had to be careful not to slip on the treacherous rocks. Brenda stumbled several times, her footing unsteady on the slippery terrain. But Vale was there to catch her each time, steadying her with a firm hand on her arm.
In the silence of the cave, Vale decided to make small talk. 'You always address Frida as Miss Inger. Do you know her personally?'" Vale asked, his voice echoing off the cave walls.
"I've seen her before, but this is the first time we've spoken. Frida's father is the eldest son of the previous king. He's one of the few royal families who have been kind to the Martine family," Brenda replied, her voice soft in the stillness of the cave.
"The eldest son?" Vale mused aloud.
"So there's no such thing as a crown prince in this world. Are there competitions among the princes to ascend the throne?" Vale whispered.
Brenda explained that the previous king, Ernesto Inger, had four children. The first was Frida's father, Klaus Inger, the second was the current king, Devereau Inger, the third was a woman named Emelka Inger, who had married into the Horizon family, and the last was Jayden Inger, who was only two years older than Frida.
"You mentioned that Frida's father is one of the few royal families that are kind to the Martine family. But why wouldn't all royal families be kind to them? Aren't you, as a supporter of the royal faction, loyal to the royal family even when they lose their authority?" Vale inquired.
Vale was puzzled, and his expression showed it. He couldn't understand why the Martine family would continue to support the royal family if the royals didn't have their best interests at heart.
Brenda paused for a moment, contemplating her response. "My mother used to say that we're a noble family, but we're also slaves to the royal family. We may be noble, but we're bound by chains to be obedient," Brenda said quietly.
Vale was taken aback by Brenda's words. He realized that the royal faction wasn't as united as he thought. There must be hidden agendas and motives behind their loyalty to the royal family.
"It seems that if I want to help Frida, I must be wary of not just the noble family opposing the royal family, but also the royal family's own faction," Vale murmured under his breath. The weight of the situation was starting to dawn on him, and he knew he needed to be cautious if he was going to succeed.