Chapter 28 - Two Different World

Raqnid and Fat raced towards the Elf Palace. The Elf Palace was not much different from the Human Palace; the main difference was the presence of trees. The Elf Palace was filled with trees that adorned its surroundings.

As they entered the palace, they could feel something soothing. The trees inside the palace had the power to heal anyone within their vicinity.

Upon reaching the palace hall, they found it crowded with people from various races. It wasn't just humans who were invited to the Elf Kingdom; even larger nations like the Beastmen and Dwarves were invited. Small nations like the Lizardmen were also included.

The primary purpose for inviting all these nations was to witness the existence of the Hero. They wanted to see the individuals known as Heroes. Representatives sent by each nation showed their support for the Hero.

Another reason the Elf Kingdom was the main gathering place for everyone was to witness the second important figure in the operation to defeat the Demon King. Their task was to destroy the fortress that protected the Demon's nation, allowing the Hero to enter without any side effects.

These two individuals would combine their powers to launch a moon arrow at the Demon's fortress. The first individual, chosen since birth but whose face had never been revealed to the public, was the only child of the Elf king, Princess Shara. Her partner had not been revealed yet, and it would only be determined during the "Dou Moon" ceremony.

"Dou Moon" was a night when two full moons merged into one. This ceremony could only be performed once Princess Shara reached the age of 17. Each chosen participant had to stand beside Princess Shara at the "Tree of Truth." The Tree of Truth was located directly beneath the "Dou Moon." The moonlight that emanated would reveal the chosen individual. Only one out of all the participants would be selected. The main condition for the chosen individual was to be an Archer and be strong.

So, all nations selected their strongest archers and sent them as representatives. If chosen, they would bring honor to their nation. The chosen individual would have the chance to become a noble and vital asset to the nation. They would be respected, and their name would be known in every country.

Raqnid and Fat searched for their group within the crowded room, where not a single human was visible. Suddenly, someone shouted their names and raised their hand.

At the front of the room, hidden behind the tall Lizardmen, were Goug and Kiel. Raqnid and Fat maneuvered through the Lizardmen.

"Excuse us!" Suddenly, Fat bumped into a large Lizardman blocking their path.

The Lizardman looked angry. "Hey, where are your eyes, human?"

"I'm sorry!" Fat immediately apologized.

"Do you think apologizing will make my pain go away?"

"But I only bumped into you a little!"

"You call that 'a little'?"

*Ugh, I really hate people like this,* Raqnid thought to himself.

"I sincerely apologize!"

Then, the Lizardman grabbed Fat's collar.

*I need to stop this before it gets more attention and trouble!* thought Raqnid

Raqnid grabbed the Lizardman's shoulder. "Please forgive my friend here."

"What? Who are you to in... gulp!"

[Killing Aura] activated.

*Who is this guy? What kind of aura is this? It's so terrifying. I can't even look at his face. His aura is too strong. What can I say, this guy is dangerous! Very dangerous!* Lizardman scared.

Raqnid emitted an aura that only Lizardman could feel. The Lizardman realized he was weak and no match for his opponent.

"Yes... yes... I for—give him. You can go now," the Lizardman stammered.

"Thank you!" Fat and Raqnid moved on.

"Hey, are you okay?" his Lizardman friend asked.

"Huh? Ahh! I'm fine!" Lizardman wakes up to reality.

*Is that guy gone now?* Lizardman thought.

The Lizardman quickly looked in the direction of Fat and Raqnid but couldn't see them anymore. "Where's that guy?"

"You mean the guy who bumped into you?" his friend asked.

"Not him! His friend! Did you see his face?" holding his friend's shoulder firmly.

"Ouch! It hurts... I couldn't see! Why?"

*I've never seen someone that strong. Is he a Hero? Or maybe a monster?* thought himself.

Raqnid and Fat rejoined their group. The human group was at the front, showing respect for the Hero's arrival.

"Sorry, I'm late!"

"It's okay; we've just started," says Kiel.

Music played as the Elf king's arrival was announced. "The king has arrived. Please make way."

The king, accompanied by several guards, made his way to his seat. They walked through the specially prepared area in the middle of the room. Once they reached the stage, the Elf king began to speak.

"Thank you for coming to my Kingdom," the king said. He went on to talk at length about the Hero and the "Duo Moon" event. Most of the people in the room weren't paying much attention to his words. They were all wondering about the woman behind the king, whose face was completely covered.

"All right, I will now introduce the one and only princess of the Elf Kingdom, Princess Shara. Shara, please step forward!" says Elf King to her daughter.

Princess Shara stood up beside her father and then removed her face cover.

"Huh?" Everyone in the room was left in awe.

Regardless of gender, they were all mesmerized by the beauty of the princess. Her beauty was beyond comparison, and her aura created a soothing atmosphere in the room.

"She's so beautiful!" Jilk exclaimed.

"An angel!" Sofia exclaimed.

*That crying woman! She's the princess! I hope she doesn't recognize my face,* Raqnid was startled and worried.

Shara accidentally locked eyes with Raqnid. *Huh!* They both quickly looked away after their eyes met.

*She doesn't remember my face, does she?* Raqnid is still worried about yesterday's incident.

*Raqnid is here too! It's true what happened yesterday,* Shara realized.

The atmosphere in the room started to get noisy as everyone admired the princess's beauty.

"Quiet!" a guard shouted.

Shara then spoke, "Welcome, everyone! Nice to meet you all!" Her soft and melodious voice once again captivated the audience before her.

"Her voice is so lovely!"

Everyone in the room was astonished, and Raqnid was even more astonished. The voice he had just heard was the most memorable one, even though he had only heard a few words.

Through all this, Raqnid was able to connect the dots. *Her eyes and her voice!* He had already guessed that the Sara he knew before was Princess Shara. *Heh (smiling), you just dropped the 'H' in your name.* thought Raqnid.

To confirm his guess, Raqnid used the skill 'Detect' to scan the area around him. *There he is!* He detected the presence of Albert, the man who had been with Shara in the Human Kingdom. *So Albert is Sara personal guard! Well, her name is Shara now!*

*Raqnid, you probably realize who I am now, don't you? This is my true self. You must be afraid to approach me, right?* Shara's heart began to ache.

*Since the beginning, our encounters were just coincidences. We might breathe the same air, but our worlds are different. I'm a princess, and you're just an ordinary person. Even though I've hoped and dreamed many times that fate would bring us together one day, but I still couldn't see how it could happen.* Shara thought.

Breathing the same air but living in different worlds, their social statuses were so far apart that it was unimaginable how they could ever unite.

King Elf then invited everyone to attend the "Dou Moon" ceremony the following day at the "Tree of Truth." They would be searching for a partner who would join Shara in launching the moon arrow.

The next day, on the eve of "Duo Moon," the event would take place precisely at 10 PM. "Duo Moon" would only last for two hours. If they failed to find the chosen members during that time, their mission would be over, and the Demon King would remain undefeated.

Everyone began to gather at the "Tree of Truth," a large dead tree. It was the place where "Duo Moon" would take place, right on top of the tree.

Princess Shara stood at her designated spot, and beside her was where the other participant would stand. Torches within the area were extinguished, leaving only the moonlight to illuminate the place at exactly 10 PM. The moonlight would shine on two spots: where Shara stood and where her partner would be.

"All right, without further ado, let's begin the search for the chosen one."

The first participant from the Elf Kingdom stepped into the moonlight. Each chosen participant was renowned for their archery skills. To determine if they were chosen or not, the tree would emit a bright light. The entire area would be filled with light, and the tree would come back to life.

Unfortunately, the first participant only managed to produce a small amount of light, indicating that they were not compatible with Princess Shara. One by one, others failed to be chosen, and only a few remained.

"Next, the participant from the Human Kingdom, Raqnid!"

There was no response from Raqnid. Everyone from other races began to look at the human group, searching for the man named Raqnid. Not only were other races looking, but even Raqnid's own classmates couldn't believe that the name being called belonged to someone from their own class. Worse still, Raqnid himself couldn't believe it.

He had not undergone any test or registration to become a participant, and he had kept his strength hidden from everyone. How could he be chosen?

"Raqnid from the Human Kingdom, please step forward now!"

"Raqnid, I think you're the only one with that name here," Fat whispered.

"Huh?... EHHHHHHH!"

*This is it. If Raqnid is chosen, all my dreams will come true,* Shara began to hope.