"Bow before the Supreme Sovereign!"
said the prince, and immediately he took a jade tablet and threw it towards the sky. The sky quickly turned pitch black, as if the entire world of Grimesphere was shrouded in darkness. The tablet emitted a magical, blinding light, projecting a grand symbol of the Central Empire in the form of a crown-shaped lotus bearing three brightly glowing stars, resembling a red flower adorned with radiant gold, contrasting the dark sky surrounding it. This symbol covered the entire sky of Aswalt, serving as a screen to convey the message from the Great Dark Empire.
A portrait of a young boy, approximately 10 years old, was projected, accompanied by a mystical sound that commanded respect, as the proclamation continued. "By the grace of the Supreme Sovereign, the Great Central Empire hereby declares Derik Mason of Grand Arcanum to be the personal bonded slave of His Highness, the Dark Prince, from this point forward. Presented is the official declaration by the Supreme Emperor of the Great Empire of Darkness. The Great Empire celebrates this auspicious occasion of our God favored child entering masterhood by obtaining a lifeslave." With that, the official decree, written and sealed by the Central Empire, was projected before the people, and they began chanting and shouting, "Long live our Dark Empire, long live our Dark Prince! Long live our Dark Empire, long live our Dark Prince!"
Bowen's mind struggled to process the proceedings unfolding before his eyes. Were they announcing that their prince was officially taking on a slave? And why advertise it worldwide? Based on Bowen's knowledge so far, the Great Central Empire, also known as the Dark Empire, lay at the center of Grimesphere, hundred millions of miles away from the continent of Yuria. So why would they send a prince of a major kingdom to broadcast such news to a small town like Aswalt? Furthermore, what was wrong with these people? Celebrating such a grand event worldwide for something like this? Would they hold celebrations for all of the Dark Prince's birthdays? Everytime he ranks up? Each time he acquired a servant or slave? Bowen couldn't comprehend their mentality. People seemed completely brainwashed when it came to anything related to the Dark Empire. He could understand Ruby admiring the Dark Emperor because she was a slave, but what about these people? Who was this Dark Emperor, and what had he done to capture the hearts of people worldwide? Not to mention the immense power exhibited by the tablet used to telecast the information. The forces behind it must be incredibly powerful.
"No way am I accepting any missions related to this Dark Empire," Bowen thought firmly.
With the projection vanishing and the sky returning to its brightness, people finally regained their composure and could breathe freely. The third prince began speaking, "Now you all know the reason for tomorrow's celebration. Let's feast to our heart's content for our Highness, the Dark Prince!" Everyone erupted in joyous cheers, clapping, and dancing. Bowen found the spectacle to be excessive, but he had nothing to lose, he thought.
During their journey towards sweet treats, Lydia raved about how happy she was to witness the grand symbol of the Central Empire and the significance of the occasion. Bowen came up with a theory based on what she told him so far. Taking a slave was considered a crucial occasion, especially in nobility and royalty, as it marked the beginning of a noble child's or prince's political career. With strong and talented slaves, the master would have a perfect powerhouse who would be loyal to them. Moreover, if a slave acquired a kingdom by winning wars, those nations would naturally belong to the master. Having a powerful slave meant having a formidable guard always by one's side.
Bowen had first hand experience with this as he had Solaris as his slave. If he captured his soul, he would be guaranteed safety for a long time in future.
******"Ting"*****The main mission-1 has been triggered
kill the supposed 33 sinners that threaten this world. Progress: (1/33). Target two information: Baroness of the town of Aswalt.
"What?" Bowen abruptly stopped in his tracks.
"What happened, Bowen?" asked Lydia, noticing his unusual behavior.
"Oh... umm, haha, nothing, sister. I was just thinking about something."
"Really?" Lydia gazed at him with doubt. "I swear, nothing is wrong, sis. Come on, let's hurry. I need to rest well for tomorrow's competition." Bowen then dragged Lydia away, holding her hands.
_________
It was the dawn of the feast day. The entire town of Aswalt was in high spirits. Large cooking utensils were brought to the town's Plaza to prepare a feast for the whole town. Bowen slowly entered the gates of Baron's house, taking in the breathtaking construction and composition of the baron's manor. It was the most luxurious building he had ever seen on the Grimesphere so far. The two-story building was adorned with French-style windows covered in glass. The doors and pillars had beautiful symmetrical carvings. The whole manor was themed in blue and white, contrasting the green gardens that surrounded it.
"Wait right there," a person in guard clothes stopped Bowen on his way.
"Me?" asked Bowen, pointing to himself.
"Yes, you. Where do you think you're going? Do any of your parents work here?"
"No."
"Are you the son of any of the guests? Ah! Looking at your dress, it's not likely. But do you have an invitation?"
"No."
"Then this is not a place for you, kid. Get going now."
"Oh, Mr. Guard, you are mistaken. I am here for the confectionery competition."
"For that one? Really? You seem too young for that," said the guard doubtfully, assessing Bowen up and down.
"Hahaha….." Bowen and the guard turned to look at the source of laughter.
"Miss Eega, good morning," said the guard, looking at a young lady with a bun. She wore a brown dress matching her brown hair. She was of average height, weight, and appearance.
"Oh, very good morning, Mr. Guard. I just happened to pass by and couldn't stop myself from laughing seeing the behavior of kids these days. They can lie without batting an eye. Nowadays, parents are really lenient, don't you think?" said the girl without being considerate of Bowen's presence.
"Miss, whom are you calling a liar?" asked Bowen, unable to hold back.
"Oh, my, my! Look at his tone," said Eega, staring at Bowen.
"Kid, mind your language. You should give respect to your elders," said the guard.
"She was the one who accused me of lying. If someone must apologize here, it must be her for unwarranted intervention and false accusation."
"Hey, kid, do you even know who she is? She is the only daughter of the chief butler of this mansion," the guard explained while Eega adored a proud look.
"Oh, really? Looking at her demeanor, I thought she was the daughter of the Baron himself. Does being the daughter of the chief servant give you any special status?"
"You... you!" Eega gritted her teeth, embarrassed by Bowen's remark. "Fine, you said I falsely accused you, right? Then prove me wrong. Tell me the procedures to make a Las Valley bun. Or how much sugar is needed to make a Kipla Rosette. If you really are here for the confectionery competition, you must know these basic desserts," she said.
"I don't need to prove anything to anyone," said Bowen to Eega. "Mr. Guard, please check if my name is on the candidate list for the competition. You will know then."
"Do you think I will allow just anyone to join the competition? If you cannot answer these basic questions, you are not fit to join the competition, even if your name is on the list," said Eega, determined.
"Who are you to decide that? Why is it your business whether I join the competition or not?"
"Of course, I will be concerned. I have been diligently learning this art from my father since I was three years old. And do you expect me to join a competition with you, a lying, unknowledgeable underage country bumpkin, as my rival? It will not only shame the art, but it will also bring shame to the entire competition and the baron," Eega shouted.
"Miss Eega, please calm down. I can understand you. Don't worry, I will take care of this kid," said the guard.
"Mr. Guard, are you joining that lady now?" asked Bowen, mocking.
"Ha, kid, don't make this hard for me. Just tell me if you know the answer to those questions on the recipes?" asked the Guard. Bowen hadn't learned the recipes of Grimesphere yet, so he couldn't answer. "No," he said.
"Then can you at least tell me some of the famous desserts of the Yuria continent and the procedure for making them? Any one is fine," Eega challenged.
"No, I don't know," Bowen replied carelessly.
"See, I am right. I can just tell by seeing his face that he has never held a kitchen knife before," Eega remarked.
"Mr. Guard, as far as I know, there were no qualifications mentioned to join the competition. I properly applied and have my name on the competition list. So it is only right that you allow me," said Bowen.
"Sorry, kid, I can't allow you," said the guard determined. "Miss Eega, please carry on with your work. I will take care of it," he said.
Eega gave a "humph" and passed through the gates proudly in high spirits. Bowen wanted to make her miserable by winning the competition, but he had to join first. He was 100 percent confident that he could win once he joined.
"Mr. Guard, why are you even obeying her? If you really don't believe me, you can ask Uncle Xander. He was the one who wrote my name on the candidate list," Bowen suggested.
"Kid, are you referring to Sir Xander, who is famous right now for capturing a criminal from Raven Gang?" asked the guard, surprised.
"Yes, him. We are so close that I call him uncle," said Bowen.
The guard contemplated for some time and then said, "Kid, you're lying again, aren't you? A person like Sir Xander, who is so diligent in his work, must not have time to befriend someone like you. He is an honest person who doesn't show partiality to others. He wouldn't have written your name without doing a background check."
"Hah, I promise that I am telling the truth. You can call and ask him if you..." Bowen was interrupted by the guard.
"Stop it, kid. My patience has limits. Mr. Xander is our role model. Don't sully his name," said the guard, frustrated.
"I'm not going anywhere. Mr. Guard, you are making a wrong decision," warned Bowen.
"You disrespectful kid can stand here all you want. Don't teach me how to do my duty," said the guard, completely ignoring Bowen.
[What do I do now? How do I get inside? If it's only for the competition, I won't mind not joining it. But I have another important task to do. I should really go inside. I cannot miss this chance] he thought.
"Master, should I lure Xander here?" asked Casper in Bowen's mind. He had been observing all the happenings from his hiding place in the nearby trees.
"Umm... let's wait a bit more. If I can't get in, then you can go bring Xander here," Bowen told Casper. He didn't want Xander to doubt his identity as Lord Fate for Bowen. After all, he was powerless in his non-reaper mode. Bowen thought it would be better to wait for some time and if he could meet Xander naturally, it might be a good opportunity then.
After almost 30 minutes of waiting, Bowen grew impatient for Xander's arrival. Just as he was about to order Casper to bring Xander, he heard a voice saying, "What is the matter here with this kid?"
Bowen turned around to see a beautiful woman in a white uniform, which didn't match the uniform code of Aswalt or Rinshield.
"Miss, may I know who you are?" asked the guard.
"I am the personal guard of His Highness, the third prince of Starfall. Now, answer me," she said sternly.
The guard respectfully explained everything that had happened.
"Nonsense. Bring the candidate list," she ordered.
The guard immediately ran and brought some papers to hand them over to the lady knight.
"What is your name, kid?" she asked Bowen.
"Bowen," he replied.
She started looking for his name in the list and found it along with his age.
"You can enter," she said and exchanged a look with the guard.
"Yes, yes, if you say so, my lady," said the guard, bowing.
As she began walking inside without much care, Bowen ran and caught up to her.
"Miss Bodyguard, thank you so much for helping me," he said.
"Rather than thanking me, you must think about how to pass this competition. Pray that you can go home with your limbs intact," she warned.
Bowen didn't understand what she meant. He was only joining a confectionery competition, not a fighting competition. Why would there be a need to lose limbs, he wondered.
"Anyway, I will repay you for this, Miss. Believe me, I will," he said. However, the lady knight ignored him and kept walking with a straight back, while Bowen changed his direction towards the competition site.