Not far from the kingdom, three large carts were being pulled by four horses. They were guarded by more than ten human knights with their bodies fully covered by white and gold armor. The carts they were carrying were not ordinary wooden carts but special carts belonging to the elite knights of the kingdom, reinforced with magic and possessing the same beauty as noble horse carriages.
Not only that, they could also move even without horses at all, only needing someone to control them using magic and alchemy, which could be seen at the front seat. There, several pipes and hot steam directed towards the four wheels could be seen. However, they surely wouldn't use it now, as they only came to receive blessings. Moreover, the fuel to make the carriage move on its own was much more expensive than 'Mana Stone'.
The sight made the elves guarding atop the walls grimace. They had heard from the elders that kingdom would also come to Veyrain after talking to their leaders. The elves were sure they weren't coming to talk but rather to threaten acceptance. It was unlikely that treacherous kingdom would use something like 'talking'. The massacre of the dwarf race was still vivid in their minds.
They stopped in front of the gate, waiting until the beautiful shining in white gate, was opened. However, before they could open it, one of the knights at the front retorted, "Hey! Didn't we say we were coming!? Why haven't you opened it yet!?" With a mocking tone.
The elves were itching to draw their arrows and shoot the knight. But they also realized that their kingdom might be destroyed. They could only restrain themselves, waiting for the opportunity to eliminate the disrespectful humans from that kingdom.
The gate slowly opened, revealing the sight of the renowned beautiful kingdom of Veyrain. And as the leaders had described, the knights were mesmerized to see something that could possess beauty even surpassing human art. Moreover, seeing so many elves with their beautiful and handsome faces was already a great gift. The knights felt truly fortunate to be chosen for such a boring mission like receiving blessings.
They were ushered in, ignoring the displeased gazes from the elves. They even liked it because even though the elves hated them so much, they couldn't do anything. The elders had allowed them entry, which in other words meant they were afraid of the kingdom. A sign that what they were doing was successful in making other races submit. A feeling like no other.
The knights were directed towards the inn. It wasn't as grand as Elder Leynar's guest house, but it was decent compared to other inns. They arrived, parking the carts to the left side of the building where there was empty ground for visitors to store their carts and draft animals.
Once inside, they only saw a few people, most of whom were not elves but other races who had also come here to witness the blessings. The knights, who had hoped to meet elves, instantly felt downcast as they were placed in an inn that seemed ordinary and had few elf visitors.
It was a common knowledge that humans were a race difficult to restrain their desires. Hence, elves became more cautious around humans. Moreover, seeing only a few elves inside the room, all of them being males, made the knights feel humiliated. They were supposed to receive a feast, treated as special guests, accompanied by many beautiful elves and have fun.
"What's going on? Where's the food? Where are the women?" asked the same knight to their elven guide, giving a sharp look.
"Like in any other inn, you'll have to wait until dinner time to order food, or you'll only get the usual fare. As for your second question, the women are helping prepare for the festival, so they're not here. You'd be hard-pressed to find them outside, let alone here," he explained coldly. He didn't dislike humans per se, but these ones? He loathed them.
The knight stepped closer, deliberately stomping his foot and grabbing the elf guide's collar. "What do you think we are? Haven't you seen your elders bowing to our kingdom?" he threatened.
But the elf only smirked. "Please forgive the inconvenience. However, what do you expect from a kingdom that betrays its own race? Don't think we're afraid; we just don't want to go through a pointless war that would harm both sides. And I suggest you let go of my collar if you don't want to cause trouble."
It was evident that everyone there rose to their feet, gripping their weapons while staring at them with full of hatred. The knight knew they could win due to numbers, but the leaders had emphasized not to cause trouble within the elf kingdom. They actually wanted to establish a relationship with them, considering they had the highest blessings and healing magic compared to other races. Making the elves enemies would only bring problems. For now.
He roughly released the collar, walking towards the rooms without paying attention to the other visitors who continued to watch the knights until they disappeared on the second floor.
One of them approached the guide, asking if he was alright.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. Those humans wouldn't dare do anything here. And even if they tried, us elves are ready for whatever happens," the guide replied, still watching the stairs.
"Hmph! They only know how to bring trouble. If anything happens, us Minotaurs will step in to face them," declared one of the visitors, a large Minotaur wielding a double-bladed axe over his shoulder. His mans nodded, eager to confront the humans upstairs.
The guide chuckled, "We elves are grateful for your help. Sorry for the disruption. Excuse me," he bowed to them and walked out of the inn.
From the window, the knight observed the figure of the guide walking away, clenching his fists tightly. If not for the orders from the leaders, he would have already struck the elf.
"Come on now, it's also your fault for shouting like a mad man at the gate. I've already said, this isn't a holiday; it's a responsibility. Besides, what do you expect? For them to open their arms and welcome us like heroes?" questioned one of the knights, who had removed every piece of armor, sitting on a chair while observing that knight.
His gaze made cold sweat trickle down. "B-but, they should be better than that. They deliberately didn't open the gate until we arrived," complained the knight.
"Helbert, if you don't lower your ego, I'll ask the leaders to strip you of your knighthood. You wouldn't want that, would you?"
Helbert fell silent instantly, knowing he was nothing compared to the knight in front of him. Their leader, someone directly chosen by the king to be at the forefront, carrying the kingdom's flag and waving victory. Every word he uttered was a command. Even in front of other leaders, he was a figure both feared and respected.
Knight Zayn Gracesword.
"Zayn, I understand what you're saying. But, Helbert has a point too. They did it on purpose," replied the long-haired blonde female knight, the most beautiful figure in their kingdom and Zayn's fiancée. Her gentle blue eyes, which to ordinary people were the most beautiful and filled with tenderness and affection, but to the knights, they were frightening with a strong intent to kill. A woman obsessed with blood and suffering. "Isn't that right, Helbert?"
Even now, they could feel a strong killing intent filling the room, making it heavier. Only when Zayn held her hand, the killing intent vanished, and the other knights managed to breathe, unaware they had been holding it.
"Relax, Vero. It's not good for you to tarnish the reputation of Knight Veronica Von Gottlieb," Zayn said.
The knight smiled, slightly bowing and planting a kiss on Zayn's cheek while still holding the other one. "Alright, if that's what you say. I'll try to restrain myself, but I don't know how long I can hold back, seeing their hateful glares. You understand what I'm saying, don't you, Zayn?" Veronica whispered and gently nibbled on his earlobe.
Helbert looked away, staring at the wall, which seemed so captivating.
Zayn just smiled, eager to see what would unfold in the days to come.