Chapter 34. Life’s complicated

POV: Bobby

After a long and tiring journey, I finally arrived at the front of a huge gate which was guarded by guards that had iron armor.

The palace was huge with five big towers that each had a golden bell in it.

The roof was made with oxidized copper that gave a beautiful sight, while the rest of the building was made with wood and Stone bricks.

But while I was admiring the architecture a guard came my way.

"Stop right there, what's the reason for your visit?"

One of the guards came at me.

"I'm Bobby and I was called here by Princess Beatrice."

"Please wait here while we check this information."

"I have a book signed by her if this would help."

I said that as I took the book from my inventory to show it.

He looked at me then at the book in my hand and back at me before taking the book to look at it.

"It's signed by her majesty. Well, guide you to her chamber then."

And like that, I passed the imposing wall with no problem.

We walked for a short while before another servant took me to show me the exact room with the princess.

And after a few minutes, I was finally in front of the most important person that I'd seen in my entire life.

Princess Elizabeth Mending.

She was a tall woman with blue eyes and blonde hair, she wore a red dress that made her look very imposing and powerful.

"Bobby is a student that likes to work hard and has a brewing talent, it's what I heard. It's nice meeting you, and I'm sorry for the late greeting."

She said while raising her arm to greet me.

"It's not a problem your Highness, I'm sure you had your challenges before you could contact me."

I shook her hand awkwardly.

"I know that it sounds like a bad excuse on my part, but it's true. Father has recently gotten sick so the political field started to get pretty ruthless, and my odds don't look too good. I was lucky that my second brother made a mistake and lost a team of powerful knights on a stupid collect mission."

I think she was talking about the last team of knights that the tribe took out.

I guess I helped her indirectly somehow which I didn't know how to feel about it.

"I know that you intended to hire me to make potions, but I'm not sure what you need me for now, since it's been a very long time since I made any progress."

That was not even close to the truth, I made a lot of progress ever since I went to the Nether, especially when I made potions for the tribe, I even managed to level up my skill again.

But she didn't know that, she didn't need to know yet at least. I wanted to see what I was needed for first before I could decide what my next course of action should be.

"That is a valid worry to have, you've been kicked out of the academy too early and unjustly. And you've been sent out at the edge of a nation in hopes of you dying, I'm sure you had plenty of worries when you got there, I can't give you back the lost years from the academy, but I can give you enough resources that would help you level up extremely fast. So do you want to work for me?"

She held her hand for me to accept the deal with only a shake of the hands.

"I'm pretty tempted by the offer, but I don't want to be ever thrown out like I'm a broken tool, I want to have some stability, I want to have access to the royal library and to get a pass in the Royal garden where you get the potions ingredients."

I wanted to research more about what the Trader showed and told me, I also wanted to find out if there Is a way to control monsters. And if I get approved to see the garden I'll most likely get access to the Nether as well where I could supervise the fortress and its teams, and with that information I could warn the tribe if the kingdom is looking for revenge on them. We helped them too much for them to vanish all of the sudden, and they're the only ones that can help find out what happened to Trader.

I'm more than sure that he's not dead. He has to be alive.

"I could give you access to certain areas of the library but seeing the garden is not that easy. If you show your usefulness I could make an exception and maybe make you my right hand where you'll have access to the garden."

The princess tried to encourage me. But I knew the true reason why she couldn't show me the garden. After all their garden is a whole other dimension, one pretty hot as well, if I can make fire resistance potions, I'm sure that would increase her reputation in the political world since they lost the striders to get their magical milk, and lucky for me I was at level 5 on the brewing skill which meant that I could make the potions. And if her reputation would increase my chances increase as well, I just need to hide those precious ingredients that I got from the fortress somewhere where not everyone could see.

"I'll take the deal then. Could I perhaps get a private room where I can store some items safely without someone stealing them?"

"Are you implying that my home is a place full of thieves?"

She said with an angry voice which made me tremble a little.

"I'm not saying that, but I'm sure that when I'll start to catch the attention of your brothers they'll start to sabotage me in any way they can, to make me stop or get me on their side."

I tried to reason for myself, which made her calm down a little.

"That could happen I guess, follow me then."

She then went into the corner of the room where a block that I had never seen stood.

It was dark with some green and it even had something that resembled an eye

"This is an Ender chest, a specialty from the Coral Nation, it's a chest that only you can have access to it. Wherever you put it here you can find it in any ender chest all over the world, and only you have access to it. Try to put something in it."

What she described to me sounded like a magical chest and a very convenient way to safely keep your valuables, but I didn't want to put something precious from the start, so I took the book that I got from the princess and put it in the chest.

She then proceeded to put a stick in the chest as well.

"Now check the contents of the chest and be surprised."

And I did as I was told, once I opened the chest tab I was surprised to see that only the book was there and not together with a stick.

"This is amazing!"

"It is indeed, but unfortunately only the Coral Kingdom knows how to make them, and they don't sell them for cheap."

She said with a disappointed voice.

"There are 6 ender chests in total, one for every member of the family and one in the throne room for everyone to access. You can use that one if it's not occupied, and in case of an emergency, you can use mine. Is this good enough?"

"This is perfect for me, thank you."

I said that as I quickly started to put my precious ingredients into the magical chest.

"I'm glad to hear that Bobby, welcome to the team!"

POV: Blue Flame

The way back home was not a pleasant journey, to say the least. The Explorer didn't come to our meeting place even after a few hours of waiting, and Bobby didn't take it too well.

He's still in shock and walks empty-minded through the hot lands.

And I understand his feelings, I feel more frustrated from this than anyone since I was the one that was supposed to know more about this fortress, I said that this fortress was abandoned and they trusted me. They even paid us a lot through the recent battle with the outsiders.

I even blame myself for suggesting gathering information in the first place. If I didn't say that maybe we could've avoided this accident.

The walk back home was filled with pressing silence. I tried to talk with Bobby from time to time, but he was like an empty husk just nodding his head from time to time and keept walking.

Finally, after a few days, we arrived at his portal. I thought getting him back to his world would make him feel better than staying in the tribe.

And the fact that he finally spoke in days made me believe that the choice was right.

With that done, I had to get back home and bring the bad news to my chief as well. It was never a good feeling to be the one that brings the bad news.

But It had to be done, so after a few hours, I was back in the tribe waiting outside a wooden door, it was Undyings house.

"Let's do this."

I took a deep sigh and knocked ok the door.

"Who is it? You can come in."

A voice was heard from the other side, and I opened the door as instructed.

Inside stood a woman with red hair working on a crafting table, she just finished making some arrows before turning to me.

"Oh, it's you Blue!.... What happened?"

"What make's you think that something happened?"

"You usually barge in here like it's your own house. The only time when you're not doing that is when you've done something bad. So what happened?"

"I... I did not realize that. But you're right, I bring bad news from the last expedition. The journey towards the fortress was long but relatively safe, but once we got there we saw that the fortress was not abandoned as we thought, there were black skeletons that were moving in order like there were sentients."

"But didn't you tell me last time when you read about it that it was supposed to be empty?"

"Yes I did, but it wasn't like that once we got there."

"Weird, so that's the bad news? They feel like we scammed them?"

She said with a disappointed sigh, which I completely understood. If that would've been the case that would've severely damaged our relationship with them, and we would lose the connection to a world filled with resources that we can't get.

If only it was that simple.

"Unfortunately not. We decided to explore the fortress and gather some information about what happened and found some treasures. We got too greedy and went too deep and they found us."

She froze when I said that, but keept listening.

"We tried to run but it was too late. So the Explorer decides to distract them while we snuck out with an invisible potion. We managed to do that with his help but I think he died while taking out the one controlling the monsters."

Once I finished telling her what happened she took a deep breath.

"You did what! What was the point of trading your life for some stupid treasure? Not only we lied to them about the fortress they also lost life there. This is worse than the worst-case scenario, we would be lucky if Bobby won't reveal the location of our tribe to the outsiders as revenge."

I didn't think of that. And while I don't see Bobby doing that, he was also devastated by this incident that maybe something snapped inside him that would change his way of thinking.

"What should we do then?"

"We have to apologize to Bobby and make everything in our power to make him forgive us."

"But I already sent him through the portal, how are we supposed to contact him now?"

"Then we have to get into their world where we could contact him."

She said with a serious face.

"But how? You told me yourself that we can't go into their world without getting effect it by it."

She forcefully put her hand on my shoulder.

"I may have a plan that would work out, but I need your help for that."