Angrod returned to his office, deep in thought. The boy's condition echoed in his mind like a disturbing echo. On the one hand, the threat to his family was imminent, and the offer of help seemed like a unique opportunity. However, the coldness and enigmatic behavior of the stranger inspired him with distrust.
He paced back and forth in his office, his hands clasped behind his back. Could he trust someone who offered help in exchange for the lives of his enemies? The thought made his stomach turn. But what other choice did he have? His assets were limited, and time was running out.
He sat down at his desk and leaned back in his chair. What did this stranger know about his family's enemies? How had he obtained such accurate information? And most importantly, what were his true intentions?
The image of his granddaughter, innocent and carefree, flashed through his mind. He couldn't let anything happen to her. He had to make a decision, and fast. But how could he be sure he was making the right decision?
Suddenly, a knock on the door startled him. It was the leader of the royal guard.
"The king requests it in the hall of the mansion."
Angrod stood up from his chair and nodded. He had to stop mulling over the matter for the moment. There was an important meeting to attend to. However, he knew that this decision would weigh heavily on them.
He left the office they were in. Behind him followed the leader of the royal guard and the commander of the forces of the elven kingdom, Eru. It didn't take him long to reach the hall of the mansion. When he finally arrived, he could see his son sitting in an elegant chair. His son, the king, seemed to be scanning him from head to toe with an inquisitive gaze. He was accompanied by his wife, Eryn. Idril was also sitting with them, and the other members of the royal guard, who were normally hidden, were looking at his face. Without wasting time, he motioned for him to sit down and finally spoke:
"Father, tell me everything you talked about with that individual."
And so was the first statement the king made. He wanted to know every single detail of what he had talked about with that strange individual. He wanted him to talk about absolutely everything. Angrod found himself surrounded by stares. He, having no other alternative, let out a sigh and began to speak. He began to tell them everything he had talked about with that boy and also told them about the conditions he had set. He also told them that if they could not meet those conditions, then they would not be helped and would be left to their fate. He also told everyone, including the royal guard, that in the next few days they would possibly be attacked by the same individuals who invaded the palace before.
When he finally finished telling them everything he had talked about with that boy, Angrod could see the tension in the room. The royal guard, who normally showed no expression, as they had been trained not to show weakness, could be seen a little dismayed by the information they had just been given. The first person to break the silence that had formed in the room was the king:
"What does that guy want with my daughter?"
There was anger in the king's voice. It was clear that he was not happy with what he had just heard. This strange being seemed to be planning something with his daughter. That was already a cause for concern. He did not want anything to happen to his daughter, much less for something strange to be done to her. The answer the king was expecting did not come from his father, but from his beloved wife, the queen.
"Who knows, maybe his desire to protect my child is genuine," Eryn replied in a half-serious tone. The truth was that she trusted this strange being. After all, he had saved her daughter's life, not just once, but twice. He even went to the trouble of healing her husband, who he himself had mortally wounded. She had her doubts too, but deep inside something told her that this individual was not a bad person. Her husband replied:
"Protect that monstrous thing from our daughter?"
The queen quickly defended herself:
"I remind you, darling, that that monstrous thing has already saved our little girl's life twice."
The king could not reply to his wife's defense. She had a clear point to make, and besides, he knew better than anyone that when his wife argued her case, no one could beat her. He knew better than anyone that his wife was grateful to that individual for having saved her daughter's life and, according to what she had heard, she had also healed him using a strange power. Seeing where the conversation was heading, Idril decided to intervene. Her mood was not the best. She had many things on her mind to deal with. She, better than anyone, knew that she lacked strength at the moment, and she could not deny that the help of that strange being would be beneficial if used well.
"I don't like that human, elemental, monster or whatever, but one thing I know for sure, and that is that we will need him to prevent our downfall. If that beast tamer returns, he will undoubtedly keep me busy enough that I won't be able to pay attention to other people."
She was basically asking for the boy to be given a chance. They were right. That beast tamer she had fought before was on par with her in power and should be treated with extreme care. Her words fell like a bucket of cold water on the other people in the room listening and paying attention. Her elder sister spoke up:
"Idril, be honest with me, how strong do you think that boy is? Do you think he can protect Lia from an evil that we are unable to see?"
Idril listened to her older sister's words and closed her eyes in deep thought. After a while, she slowly opened them and prepared to answer her sister's question:
"Sister, that guy doesn't fear me, despite having faced me twice; he definitely possesses great power. I've imagined a way to kill him several times in my mind, but I can't come up with a good idea. Even just recently, when I saw him injured and missing a limb, I hesitated to kill him. I was angered by the confidence he had at that moment, but I'm sure of one thing: if he's really trying to protect Lia, then I doubt anyone would be able to harm her."
"It seems we think in similar ways, Idril," Eryn said with a wide smile. What her younger sister had said put her in a very good mood.
"The only way I can think of to kill him is to use 'manifestation,'" Idril said in a strange tone.
When she said that, everyone looked at her with strange looks. Coming to the demonstration to annihilate him was going too far. To begin with, that power could only be used for a certain amount of time, and the person who used it suffered great wear and tear that left him out of action for some time.
"Hahaha, and to think that even you think that, Idril. It seems you do consider him a threat after all," Angrod said with a laugh.
Idril was upset by that statement.
"You say that because you haven't faced him. I invite you to face him and find out firsthand what he is capable of."
Complaints echoed throughout the room. She was very upset. It was obvious that she considered him a threat. How was it possible that a boy of such a young age could stand up to the strongest mage in the elven kingdom? It was a cause for concern for everyone. To top it off, the boy had avoided being eliminated by them by taking her as a hostage. One would have to be crazy to try to kidnap the strongest in the kingdom, but that daring boy even dared to control her.
Everyone had a heated discussion about the issue. At least an hour had passed since they had started arguing, but basically the queen had managed to make everyone see the good points of agreeing to the boy's conditions. The king had finally spoken and had made a decision:
"Fine; I'll let that monster teach my daughter about magic, but under the supervision of the royal guard or Idril."