The next day, as soon as I woke up, I headed to the second floor of the inn and had my breakfast. My goal for that day was to go to the castle with Aria and try to cure the queen. I wasn't sure if I would be successful, but I was determined to do everything in my power. After finishing breakfast, I left the inn and made my way towards the merchants' guild. The streets were bustling with people going about their daily tasks or heading to work.
Upon arriving at the merchants' guild, I noticed a carriage parked, likely the one that would take us to the castle. As I observed the carriages, I started to think that I should develop some other means of transportation, but I knew it wouldn't be easy. Even if I had memories of how to build one, it didn't mean I would succeed on the first attempt. It could take months, or even years, to complete the project. With that idea in mind, I entered the merchants' guild, being greeted by Mirelle. Arisa had probably already asked her to inform me of my arrival. I sat on a bench and waited for Arisa to appear. A few minutes later, Mirelle came downstairs, followed by Arisa.
"Good to see you, Ren. I was waiting for you to arrive"
Arisa said as she approached me.
"The feeling is mutual. Are we all set to go?"
I asked.
"Of course, our carriage is already waiting for us outside"
We left the merchants' guild and got into the carriage. Inside, it was relatively spacious, although I couldn't say the same about the comfort. Within seconds, the carriage started moving towards the castle. As we got closer, my anxiety grew, as I didn't know if I would be able to help in any way.
"Are you nervous?"
Arisa asked, perhaps sensing my anxiety, while giving me a sympathetic smile.
"A little"
I replied with a sheepish smile.
"No need to worry so much. Although we haven't known each other for long, in the short time I've spent with you, I could tell you're brilliant, maybe even more than I can see. Just do what you know how to do"
Arisa said, trying to reassure me. She was right. I have knowledge that is years ahead of this world. I need to believe in myself, and everything will be fine. After our little conversation, a few minutes passed, and we soon arrived at the castle entrance.
Walking alongside Arisa was peaceful. Not because we didn't have subjects to talk about, but because I spent most of the time thinking about the possible diseases that could be present in the city, transmitted by animals, viruses, and others. Arisa probably noticed and decided not to interrupt me. I'm truly grateful to her for that.
We easily passed the guards and entered the castle grounds. I'm sure Aria, being the younger sister of the king, played an important role in that. The carriage continued its way to the carriage parking area, and as soon as we arrived there, Aria and I got off. She led me into the castle. The structure of the place was truly magnificent, although I thought it would be more sturdy if it were built with bricks. As I pondered that, Aria took me to a simple room with a table in the center and a few chairs. I assumed it was a waiting area.
"Please stay here while I talk to my brother. Don't leave this room. They might detain you if they think you're suspicious"
Aria asked.
"That's fine, I'll wait here"
I replied. After that, Aria left, and I waited in the room for almost an hour. Honestly, it took longer than I expected. I was nearly dozing off when the door opened again. But instead of Aria, a woman I didn't know, dressed like a maid, stood at the door.
"The king is ready to see you, Ren-sama"
The woman said with a cold expression. Her face showed no emotion, which made me feel a bit uncomfortable, especially since Aria had disappeared and left me alone. I took a deep breath to calm myself and began following the maid. We walked down the hallway until we reached a large door. Some parts of the door shimmered in a yellowish hue, which I presumed to be gold. The two guards standing in front opened the door, making way for me to enter.
As soon as I entered, a vast hall unfolded before me. A long red carpet stretched to the end of the hall, where there was a step leading to a raised platform. At the highest point of the platform, there were six thrones.
Sitting on the thrones were five people. An extremely handsome man occupied the main throne, with blond hair that matched his golden eyes. In the smaller thrones beside him, there were two boys. While one of them looked at me with a mischievous smile on his face, the other assessed me with a calm and composed gaze. The one with the mischievous look had blond hair and golden eyes, a copy of his father. The one observing me with an analytical look had white hair and blue eyes.
Beside the king's throne, there was another empty throne. From the arrangement of the seats, I deduced that it was the queen's place. Next to the queen's seat, there were two young women. One of them had long, braided blond hair, and her eyes were blue. Beside her was the person I had seen before. She was wearing an elegant white dress that accentuated her angelic beauty. Her platinum white hair danced gently in the air, aided by the breeze, while her golden eyes stared at me, completely mesmerizing me.