Your Majesty! (3)

"That powerful?", Edwin was startled when he heard the true power of the symbol.

"Yes, but you can be stopped by somebody else several levels more powerful than you are even if you're suppressing them with this, or somebody not affected by the suppression.", Azriel explained.

"Ehem, now then, I hope you wouldn't say to anybody that I bowed down to you.", Azriel coughed awkwardly.

This was the first time Edwin saw that a king would actually act a bit off from his prestige.

'He's actually not that bad?', the boy thought.

"So then, aren't you going to go back to where you came from, from that human city on the mountain?", Azriel asked.

"Not yet, I still have something to do.", Edwin shook his head.

"Like what?"

"Like... I still have to get a Soul Shard, whatever that is.", Edwin shrugged.

"Oh.", Azriel flicked his fingers and a small box shot out from the drawer and landed on his hand. The elven king opened it and they saw that the box was full of golden shards of glass.

"Pick one.", Azriel said.

Edwin gazed and carefully examined the Soul Shards from the box until he pulled out a shard of the right size without delay. Then the box floated back inside the drawer.

"Anything else?", Azriel asked.

"My equipment is back at an elf's house.", Edwin said.

"What's the name of the elf?", Azriel asked.

"I don't know, I haven't asked her.", the boy answered.

"Can you explain what that elf looks like then?"

"Well, she has green eyes, she can form a bow made of energy, she looks beautiful, and she...", Edwin didn't get to finish his sentence becayse Azriel interjected, "It must be my daughter Ariel. What are the equipment that you were using?"

"A white robe with a book and a pair of daggers in it, a satchel, and also a pair of boots, but I think I won't need the boots anymore.", Edwin replied.

"Alright.", Azriel went to the wall behind his chair and a window suddenly popped out there. Opening his hands, an outline of a bird made of energy materialized and flew away.

'Did I just describe that elven girl beautiful in front of her father?! DAMN IT, right in front of her father!', realizing Azriel's earlier sentence and his own description, Edwin couldn't help but inwardly scold.

He wanted to kill himself for that embarrassment!

'He might not kill me because I'm the 11th Celestial, but he might beat me half to death as that elf's father, I'm just telling the truth that she's beautiful.', Edwin was still putting on a straight face, but he was already inwardly preparing for the worst with all kinds of scenarios in his mind.

Time passed and Azriel didn't do anything to Edwin, the latter dismissed his earlier thoughts and concluded that the former didn't notice about it.

The bird returned with the robe along with Edwin's weapon and the Mortal Plane's Codex.

"Hm?", Azriel took a closer look at the pair of daggers. "I can't believe you have a bloodline treasure, but it's obviously not yours."

"Bloodline treasure?", the boy asked.

"A weapon with magical properties or functions that can only be used by the ones who have a blood relation with the creator. This weapon... is seriously a top-notch treasure if it wasn't so rusty!", Azriel exclaimed.

"Then, can you please translate what is written on them?", Edwin requested.

"Hmm, they are different, this one means 'Holy'.", Azriel passed the dagger to Edwin.

"And this one is... M-? This one looks like it's 'Morgan'?", Azriel gave the other dagger to Edwin.

'Morgan? Isn't that Allen's surname?', Edwin was remembered when he heard the translation. 'No, how could it be? This weapon looks very old, much older than him.'

"Also, I got this from that little girl that reported you.", Azriel fetched the small jar of Edwin's healing pills.

"This... I don't want it, it's poisonous.", Edwin placed it on top of the table.

"Haha! No, it's not poisonous. I examined it personally, tough there is indeed a poisonous plant used as an ingredient, it wasn't suppose to bring out its deadly properties. Something must have triggered it somehow.", Azriel explained.

"Huh?"

"Though I have to say to whoever made these pills is an absolute genius. I almost didn't notice the real function of it, which was to actually boost the medicinal properties of other plants.", Azriel added.

With a reluctant expression, after Edwin heard the function of the poisonous plant, he accepted the jar and stared at it for a long time, 'Was I mistaken about Allen trying to kill me?' Then he placed it inside the satchel after wearing the white robes.

"Before leaving, I want you to sign this agreement to not expose that we, elves still exist, and the location of our kingdom to anybody, unless I told you to do so. However, if you did tell it without my permission, you will almost melt into a blood puddle and most likely die horribly.", Azriel showed the paper that he was writing on earlier.

"I accept.", Edwin accepted without the slightest hesitation. He put his signature on it then the paper burned then it turned two beams of light which entered through his forehead and Azriel's separately.

"There's a teleportation array somewhere in the forest. Rein will guide you towards it. The array will teleport you back near the northern edge of the Monarch Forest, so you can quickly go back to that human city.", Azriel pointed behind Edwin.

Edwin turned around and saw that the door was back at its original position! He opened it and saw that there were trees outside, with snow falling down from above!

As the boy was about to step out, Azriel said, "I almost forgot, here's a pendant, it will protect you from the Magic Frostbite."

"Oh? Thank you, Your Majesty.", Edwin gladly accepted it and put it in his pockets.

"So Edwin, I hope we will see each other again. And the next time we'll meet, you should be several times stronger than you are right now. Farewell.", Azriel said.

"Farewell to you too, Your Majesty.", Edwin bowed down in courtesy and exited.

-click-

The boy heard a clicking sound which prompted him to turn back around, but he didn't see any  door, but only a boulder.

In just one night, his whole opinion of the elves and the Monarch Forest changed many times!

"How powerful.", Edwin muttered. He clenched his hands as he thought, 'How long should it take for me to become as powerful as he is?'

"So Edwin, how was the experience of meeting His Majesty?", Rein approached him and asked.

"It's great, he's warmer than I thought he was.", Edwin answered.

"Mhm, well, that happens with almost every king.", Rein sighed as he remembered about something.

"You met other kings than him?", Edwin asked.

"Of course, with how old I am, I met most of the kings of olden times.", Rein replied, though hiding the fact that it was really his real body that's old.

"How powerful is His Majesty?", Edwin questioned.

"Honestly, I have no idea. But it's near somewhere to your human king or emperor or whatever you call your leader.", Rein said.

After a pause, the herd leader added, "I hope you wouldn't expose our location."

"Haha, don't worry I won't. I have no choice too, after all.", Edwin smiled.

"Come on, follow me so you can get out of here."

***

"What a great boy.", Azriel muttered as he closed the door.

"Surely is, if his attitude changes up a bit, he will improve much faster.", a wise yet feminine originated behind Azriel; it's as if you could almost feel the eternity on it.

-click-

"Plus, he has serious mental and trust issues, a curse, and even a seal too, but eh, it depends on him if he will live longer... or shorter.", the voice said.

"Do you mean the Celestial seal?", Azriel questioned.

"Not just that, there's two of them. One is the Celestial seal, and the other is a memory seal.", the voice replies.

"Memory seal? Somebody sealed his memories?"

"Yes." The voice confirmed, "The sealer is weak based on the energy, but the medium used is extremely powerful."

"Can you take that seal off?"

"Yes, but I will have a hard time doing so. Nevertheless, I just hope he will become very powerful once that day comes."

"Same as what I am thinking... Your Majesty, Great Monarch.", Azriel turned around and saw a little smiling elven girl sitting on the chair while cheerfully swinging her feet.

The little elf was none other than Zoe.

***

Under the cold, cloudy, night sky, Edwin walked out of the Monarch Forest. He took a last look at it, then pressed onwards towards the Eastern Horizon City.

***

At the mines of the Eastern Horizon City...

Albert, the father of James, just finished his overtime shift in the mines. He was currently carrying a pickaxe on his shoulder, looking like a real miner.

-clang- -clang-

"What's that?" Suddenly attracted by a loud noise, Albert approached the location where the sound originated, and saw several black-robed men planting something in the mountain!

If Allen or Anna were here, they would've recognized what the men were planting, which were magical explosive shards!

Even though Albert didn't know what it was, his instincts told him that it wasn't something good.

He took a step back, however, it was a fatal mistake, because he accidentally stepped on a fragile stone.

-crack-

The sound of cracking was neglible, but all the black-robed men looked at the direction of the noise and spotted Albert.

***

Amidst the snowy streets near and connected to the large marketplace of the Eastern Horizon City. James and his mother, Melanie, were in front of a fruit stall buying food.

"One lemon and five apples please.", Melanie said to the merchant.

"Mhm, that'll be 95 bronze coins.", the merchant gave the said number of fruits.

"Here.", Melanie passed a silver coin and added, "Keep the change." Afterwards, she and James went to a different stall to buy meat this time.

"Mom.", James tugged his mother's clothes to get her attention.

"What is it, James?", Melanie turned her head to James. Every time she would see her son's pale face, her insides would feel like it's being twisted because of the pitiful sight, but she didn't dare show it on her face.

"Mom, can you tell the truth, am I really...", James didn't get to finish his sentence because Melanie interjected.

She crouched down to match the kid's height and sighed, "Looks like you've already notice. Yes son, we were going to throw a surprise birthday party for you!"

"But..."

"Hey lady, what's your order, you're blocking the way hurry up! A new year is about to come and everybody's hurrying up!", the meat vendor complained.

"Oh wait, my bad.", Melanie stood up again and started haggling with the vendor.

"She's really trying to hide it.", James muttered.

Then from the corner of the kid's eyes, he noticed somebody familiar at the end of the street, making him narrow his eyes.

"Father?", James saw that it was Albert. However, the latter immediately went away from the former's sight, as if he's in a hurry.

"He must be going to try and surprise me on the way back... but what about I surprise him instead? Hehe...", James chuckled and went to the direction where Albert has gone to.

"James, come on, let's go home.", Melanie took the meat then paid for it and looked beside her, but she didn't see James anywhere!

"James? James?", she called out, but nobody answered.

"Where did you go?" She looked around her then went to a different direction.