After introducing the old man to Ben, who looked bewildered, he heard that the teary-eyed old man before him was the royal guard who had protected him and his mother.
"The palace is waiting for you."
Enthusiastically wiping away his tears with a white kerchief, Harry, dressed in a butler's uniform, urged Ben to step inside.
"I'll leave the royal prince in your hands, Harry."
With these words, Julius teleported away from the place he had been standing just a moment ago.
Clank~ clank~
Before Ben could curse the Wizard King for ditching them, the main entrance's massive double doors, carved with the symbol of the three-leaf clover—a mark of faith, hope, and love unique to the Clover Kingdom.
Slowly opened inward, revealing a large number of royal guards standing on both sides of the stone-paved road ahead.
Seeing all the magic knights standing with serious expressions, Ben stepped forward, following Harry, with Nebra and Noelle closely behind him.
Just as Ben was a few feet from the royal guards, they suddenly raised their swords into the air and began a welcoming ceremony.
"____"
Caught off guard by the sudden ceremony, Ben froze for a second.
"Don't worry, my lord... they are your royal guards. I chose them."
Noticing Ben's surprise at the royal guards' sudden reaction, Harry reassured him.
The guards kept their swords pointed at the sky, holding the position until Ben walked past them.
As they walked, the stone-paved road split into two paths.
Neigh~ neigh~
Thud~ thud~
Just when Ben was about to ask Harry which direction they should go, he heard the neighing of a horse and the sound of hooves rapidly approaching.
After a few seconds, they saw a royal carriage standing before them, pulled by powerful white horses.
Constructed from enchanted, gleaming white and gold materials, the carriage was visually stunning and well-protected.
The exterior was adorned with golden filigree in intricate vine patterns and magical runes, giving it an air of elegance while serving as protective enchantments.
The Clover Kingdom's emblem—a three-leaf clover—was prominently displayed on each side, crafted in polished green gemstones or deep emerald inlays.
Ben, Nebra, and Noelle stared at the carriage in awe.
"Its frame is crafted from enchanted wood and reinforced with magical metals, offering both durability and protection from attacks. Along the edges, small, crystal-encrusted lanterns emit a soft, magical light, illuminating the path even at night. It's your royal ride, my lord."
Harry's pride was evident as he puffed out his chest, introducing the royal carriage.
'It's very eye-catching and looks majestic,'
Ben thought.
Though Ben had seen Charlotte's carriage when he first travelled to the Blue Rose base after passing the Magic Knight examination, and Nebra and Noelle,
both from royal families with significant influence in the Clover Kingdom,
had seen the previous King Augustus Kira's carriage on many occasions, none of them had seen such an intricately designed royal carriage. It was a treasure in itself.
Nebra's gaze lingered on the carriage, recognizing its value and suspecting it had been recently made specifically for Ben.
Gulp~
'To build such a luxurious carriage with so many protections is no small feat. This must have cost a fortune,'
she thought, glancing at Harry, who was still beaming with pride, and swallowing the questions she wanted to ask.
Click~
With a respectful bow, Harry fluently opened the carriage door.
"____"
Not used to this sudden change, Ben gave Harry a nod and entered the carriage, followed by Nebra and Noelle.
Thud~
After they all entered, Harry closed the door, moved to the front, and sat with the driver of the carriage.
Slash~
Neigh~
Thud~ thud~
With a snap of the reins, the carriage driver urged the horses forward toward the royal palace.
The horses pulling the royal carriage were no ordinary ones; they were specially bred magical creatures known as Hengroen.
Equipped with armour and enchanted harnesses, they were bolstered with stamina and protection.
"Nebra... do all the royal families have carriages like this?"
Ben asked, breaking the awkward silence in the carriage with a sheepish smile.
"____"
'All royal families have carriages like this?'
Nebra rolled her eyes at Ben's naive question.
"Actually... you could say the whole carriage is a national treasure. Putting so many magical runes and defensive measures on one carriage is overboard. By the looks of it... this was made especially for you."
Seeing Ben's confusion, Nebra leaned closer and whispered.
"Yes, I once saw King Augustus Kira—I mean, the ex-King Augustus Kira—attending a royal gathering in his royal carriage. But it wasn't nearly as ornate as this one."
Noticing her sister explaining the carriage's value to Ben, who seemed oblivious, Noelle also added her agreement.
"____"
'Even royal family members like Nebra and Noelle think this is extravagant,'
Ben thought, surprised.
He had assumed such a carriage was common for royalty.
He glanced around, taking in the luxurious interior of the carriage.
After travelling in the royal carriage for a few minutes, they entered the royal garden and passed through a barrier.
As they did, the royal palace came into view, surrounded by a breathtakingly beautiful garden that left Ben in awe.
"It's the royal garden. I once snuck in here with Solid to catch a little squirrel."
Noticing where they were, Nebra shared a childhood memory of her time in the garden, while Noelle looked on in awe.
Unlike her siblings, Noelle had never visited the royal palace before, so seeing it for the first time, she looked at the garden with wide, admiring eyes.
The garden was filled with rare and exotic plants, many of which possessed magical qualities.
Pathways wound through groves of flowering trees, over small streams, and around reflective pools enchanted to show visions of far-off places.
Click~
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the majestic palace, and the door was opened.
All three of them stepped out, and Harry guided them through the main entrance.
Elite Magic Knights from the royal guards stood to watch at the door, leading into a spacious foyer with gleaming marble floors, richly adorned with tapestries and banners in the kingdom's colours.
Magical lights or enchanted crystals hovered in the air, bathing the entryway in a soft, welcoming glow, underscoring the kingdom's mastery over magic.
Harry took them on a tour throughout the palace, showing them the various facilities:
The Throne Room, Council Chambers, Magic Research Laboratory, Royal Library, Royal Garden, Guest Quarters and Banquet Hall, Barracks for the Royal Guards, Magical Healing Chambers, and more.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was time for Nebra and Noelle to go home.
Realizing they had been away for an entire night without informing their brother Nozel made them panic—especially Noelle, who trembled, failing to hide her anxiety.
Sigh~
"Nozel, you've left a deep scar on her. You'll pay for it soon enough,"
Ben thought, sighing as he recognized the psychological impact the Silva siblings had left on Noelle.
Although she was better than before, the effects were still there.
"____"
Seeing her sister trembling, Nebra felt a pang in her heart.
For the first time, she felt something for her sister other than anger.
She couldn't help but recall Ben's words to her back at the Silva palace.
"Harry, let the royal guard escort them back to the Silva palace in my carriage,"
Ben ordered, turning to his butler and former royal guard.
"Yes, my lord."
With a knowing look and a wide smile, Harry escorted Nebra and Noelle to the carriage after they said goodbye to Ben.
After sending the sisters off, Harry led Ben to a room where he needed to sign many documents to take official charge of his responsibilities.
"What is this?"
While signing, Ben casually read over one document and nearly popped his eyes out—it was a request for financial support for the kingdom's orphanages.
What surprised him was the enormous sum requested.
"Oh... my lord, that's the yearly allowance the kingdom allocates for the orphanages,"
Harry explained, noticing Ben's shock and adopting a serious expression.
Seeing Harry's grave expression, Ben looked back at the document, realizing something was very wrong.
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(Author's POV)
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