Chapter 67 - The triparty meeting (1)

Exhausted from the long journey and the intense meeting, John lacked the energy to contact Dante upon reaching his room.

"I'll just call him tomorrow," John mumbled as he collapsed onto the plush dwarven bed.

As the night slipped away, the sun's rays spilled through the windows, signaling the start of a new day. John woke up, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after a restful sleep in the comfortable dwarven bed.

After stretching his body to awaken it fully, John retrieved Dante's communication crystal and placed a call to discuss the previous day's meeting.

"Good morning, sir," John greeted as Dante answered the call, projecting his holographic image into the air.

"Good morning to you too. Now, tell me, how did they respond?" Dante inquired, leaning closer to the communication crystal.

"Their initial response appears positive. However, they expressed the desire to speak with you, leader to leader, to address certain matters that I refrained from discussing on my own accord," John explained.

After a brief pause, Dante contemplated the situation. "So, it went as well as we initially expected... Hmmm, let's do this. How about you schedule a meeting with them for today? I also need to respond to Gustav's child, so why not combine both meetings? If we end up collaborating, all three parties should be aware of each other's intentions. Relaying messages solely through us could potentially create unnecessary tension."

"Let's proceed with that plan. Once we finish our conversation here, I'll approach the chief," John agreed. Curiosity flickered in his eyes as he continued, "How did Crassus's offer seem? Did it appear promising?"

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After John posed his question, Dante provided him with a concise summary of his discussion with Crassus. In turn, John offered a brief overview of his meeting with the dwarven chiefs, including intriguing details about the city's inner workings.

Just as their conversation was winding down, John suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I forgot to mention this earlier, but I'm sure you had an idea it had happened already—I finally formed my core," he declared, his face beaming with a wide smile.

"Congratulations are in order then. I had my suspicions, considering the notable changes in your physique. However, I refrained from discussing it, assuming you would bring it up when ready," Dante replied, a sense of pride lacing his laughter. He then continued, "Nevertheless, it is quite surprising. Considering your slow progress, it should have taken at least another month for you to form your core." Dante then whispered to himself, wondering if the boy simply had ungodly talent, little did he know that was definitely not the case, John was talented yes, but just as much as any other child prodigy, the reason his core formed faster than expected was the chaos energy consolidating into his left arm.

"Well, congratulations anyway. I can't wait to see you again. Don't forget to practice regularly. Now that you have a core, I intend to make our sparring sessions a bit more intense," Dante chuckled.

"Thank you for your support. But I should be going now. I need to do some training, and then I have to speak with the chief elder to schedule that meeting," John stated, ready to embark on his next tasks.

"Wait, before you leave, what are your plans for your hair? I can't imagine it not hindering you during fights. It might be best to shorten it a bit," Dante suggested just as John was about to end the call.

"Hmm, I've been thinking the same thing. I just haven't gotten around to doing it. However, since I'll be staying here for a while, I might as well get it cut," John agreed, checking his hair and nodding in acknowledgment of the annoyance it could cause during sparring sessions.

As they concluded their conversation, John remarked, "See you at the meeting then." as he gave a small salute, John severed the mana supply from the mana crystal, bringing an end to the call.

*knock knock knock*

As John concluded his call with the duke and changed into his training uniform, a knock resonated from his door. Hans' voice followed soon after. "Your Highness, it's Hans."

"Come in," John replied, taking a seat and preparing to put on his training shoes.

Hans entered the room with a confused look. "You will be training here too?"

"One should always be prepared and never let go of their training unless their body prevents them from doing so. We can't make excuses about being unprepared when our enemies come knocking. They won't care about our readiness," John said firmly, grabbing Hans' shoulder for emphasis. "So, do me a favor and wake those two drunkards."

"Yes, sir. I will attend to it immediately," Hans replied, rushing out of the room.

"By the way, Hans, I had no idea you were such a formidable drinker. It left me flabbergasted watching you down pints of beer like that," John teased, exiting his room and descending the stairs. Hans' face paled at the thought of his superior knowing about his drinking prowess.

Upon reaching the first floor of the tavern, John approached a young red-headed dwarf manning the now half-empty counter. "Excuse me, do you happen to have a place where I can train?"

The dwarf-sized up the young prince with an annoyed look before pointing toward a nearby door. "Right behind that door. Others are training there, so try not to be too rude."

"I will keep that in mind," John acknowledged before making his way through the tavern and stepping into the backyard. The area was occupied by a few straw dummies dressed in armor, with dwarves scattered about, testing their weapons on the targets.

Not paying much attention to the other dwarves engrossed in their own practice, John found an empty spot and retrieved the wooden falchion crafted by Nicholas just a few days earlier.

As he commenced his training, John sensed a pair of eyes fixated on him. Upon turning around, he encountered the sight of a blind old man leaning on a long stick, his gaze directed towards the young prince.

"I must not be fully awake. No time to waste. Let's focus on training," John murmured to himself, setting aside thoughts about the unexpected presence of a human in the dwarven realm.

For nearly two hours, the young prince swung his sword, yet his body struggled to move with the desired fluidity. While John possessed strength, his physical condition was far from optimal. After all, he had been unconscious for over a month.

As the clock struck 7, John concluded his training session. He glanced at the old man once, but his curiosity was fleeting as he needed to freshen up and meet with the chief elder to arrange today's meeting.

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As John reentered the city hall, this time unaccompanied and without a guide, a hoarse voice reached his ears. "Excuse me, who are you here to meet?" An elderly receptionist behind the counter asked, her bored expression suggesting a lack of enthusiasm for her job.

"I'd like to meet with the chief elder. I have something to discuss that pertains to yesterday's meeting," John replied, making his way toward the reception area. The previous day, his attention had been consumed by other matters, causing him to overlook this region entirely.

"Just give me a moment," the receptionist responded, retrieving a communication crystal from one of the drawers and placing a call. "Hey, there's a kid here to see you. He claims to have something important to share regarding yesterday's meeting," she relayed once the call connected.

"Yeah, sure, send him up to my room," the chief elder's voice resonated through the communication crystal.

"You heard the man. I don't need to show you the way, do I?" the receptionist remarked, abruptly ending the call and regarding John with a curious gaze.

"Ah, no, thank you. I can find my way to his room," John replied politely, walking away from the reception area and heading toward the elevator.

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"May I come in?" John knocked on the chief elder's door, having arrived at the fifth floor after his brief encounter with the tired receptionist.

"Come in, come in," the chief elder's voice beckoned, and as the door opened, John entered to find the chief elder rising from his seat, surrounded by scattered papers.

"I didn't expect to hear from you so early in the morning. What brings you here? Did you encounter some difficulty sleeping amidst the commotion at the tavern?" The chief elder inquired, his curious smile adorning his face.

Shaking his head and chuckling at the chief elder's remark, John replied, "Ah, no, it's not that. I've come to inform you that my uncle, the grand duke, is agreeable to holding the meeting today, if possible. However, there will be another party joining us as well."