Viola looked at me with a gaze that said, "You're in trouble." I smiled wryly, summoned Chirp Chirp back to stand behind me, and used magic to convey my voice, "Listen, everyone. I am Wu Lai, a disciple of the great sage Lin Ka. I am here on the orders of my teacher to bring the Phoenix and save the princess. It was unavoidable just now. I apologize."
My voice reached the ears of everyone in Airenc City. The injured individuals suddenly felt a chill, realizing that the wounds they suffered were inflicted by their own people. What were their injuries for?
After a moment, the three of us were summoned to the royal palace. Fortunately, the palace was not heavily affected as it was distant from the restaurant. Otherwise, I would surely be beaten to death by old man Lin Ka.
The guards and attendants in the palace, upon seeing us, wore expressions of fear, and there were murmurs of "Harbinger of Destruction" and "Plague God." It seemed my reputation had reached its nadir.
How miserable.
On the way, Parker and I formally introduced ourselves. It turned out that he had studied magic with old man Julius for three years but decided that being a knight had more prospects than being a magician. So, he kicked that old man aside and sought another mentor.
Presently, Parker was the captain of the "Storm Knights" in the Kingdom of Rhine, renowned as the "Earth Knight." He accompanied Princess Fiona from the Kingdom of Rhine to visit Princess Olena.
Bored in the palace, Parker had wandered outside and unexpectedly became the catalyst for the "Darkest Day in Airenc," an event recorded in the history books.
We arrived at the royal palace hall, where a tall, robust, and extraordinary middle-aged man stood with two... Wow, beautiful women. Two stunning beauties stood behind the middle-aged man, captivating my attention. They were each uniquely charming, capable of rivaling Viola.
The love of beauty is a common human trait. I reacted in a way that most men would understand and support.
Just as I was absorbed in the beauty, a sudden sharp pain in my waist made me wince. It was Viola, twisting me mercilessly.
Looking at Viola's eyes full of jealousy, I thought, "This is bad." I solemnly performed the etiquette of a magician towards the middle-aged man and said, "Apprentice Magician Wu Lai, who has not yet undergone the level assessment, greets His Majesty the King under the command of Teacher Lin Ka."
King Vort chuckled with a strange expression and said, "Is that so? You are the 'Harbinger of Destruction' who destroyed half of Airenc and left more than half of my Royal Knights and Royal Magicians seriously injured?"
Uh-oh, the reckoning has come.
I immediately pretended to be innocent and said, "Your Majesty, what 'Harbinger of Destruction'? I don't understand."
King Vort took out a letter from his pocket and said, "This is a letter sent by the wise Lin Ka through a magic beast. Nana, read it."
He handed the letter to the taller of the two beautiful girls behind him. She was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a breathtaking face that exuded an unapproachable arrogance. However, there was a faint bloodstain on her pure white forehead, a characteristic of being afflicted with the "Soul Devouring Blood Curse." She must be Princess Olena.
The princess opened the letter and read in a crisp and pleasant voice, "Your Majesty, I have specially sent my student Wu Lai to deliver Phoenix blood to lift the curse on the princess. This student of mine has a personality as his name suggests—wayward, not walking when led, and retreating when beaten. However, his tempering is much stronger than mine, so I ask Your Majesty to arrange a position for him and manage him. Regards, Lin Ka."
After reading the letter, Princess Olena couldn't help but smile slightly, while Parker burst into laughter.
Viola said with a smile, "Wayward, not walking when led, and retreating when beaten. Lin Ka's comment really suits you."
Damn that Lin Ka. If I had known, I would have let him taste the power of "Thunderous Roar" earlier and give Chirp Chirp a snack.
King Vort stopped laughing, his face sank, and he said, "Wu Lai, do you know how much money it will take to rebuild the Airenc City you destroyed? Do you know what other countries will do if they learn that more than half of my Royal Knights and Royal Magicians are seriously injured?"
Oops, I'm trapped. Knowing that I was in the wrong, I could only nod and learn my lesson.
King Vort continued, "Since you came to save the princess and did not intend to destroy the city and harm people, I will not hold you accountable. However, I want you to represent my country in the 'Inter-tribal Magic Martial Arts Tournament' one month from now and bring back the championship prize, the 'Crystal of the Heart,' as compensation."
At this point, what else could I say? With my magical power, winning that tournament was a piece of cake.
I agreed.
Little did I know that this was part of the trap set by the old foxes Julius and Lin Ka, leading to endless troubles and heavy responsibilities in the future.
How troublesome.
Those two beautiful women, besides Princess Olena, the other one who looked gentle and calm, was Princess Fiona of the Kingdom of Rhine. They were cousins, and according to Parker, both were among the top ten beauties on the Holy Demon Continent.
Only at this moment did I realize that Viola was not only the famous "Swordmaster of Illusion" but also one of the top ten beauties. No wonder she was so unreasonably beautiful.
Thinking that such a beauty had secretly given her heart to me, I couldn't help but feel a bit floaty, a sense of male pride surged within me.
Summoning Chirp Chirp, I extracted a bit of its blood and had Princess Olena drink it. The princess's body immediately emitted a radiant glow, and she began to sweat profusely. When the radiance disappeared, the bloodstain on her forehead was also gone.
The "Soul Devouring Blood Curse" was finally lifted.