Chapter 29 : Farewell (2)

He looked at everyone.

A small smile grazed his handsome face. The white lock swayed in the breeze.

Damn, he can't keep smiling for too long. Why are they looking at him like he is going to war or something? He is just going back home. They can still meet each other. After all, they live in the same empire, not on different continents.

"You Highness."

"Don't go."

Not just that, the same children from yesterday night are clinging to him. More children than last night. Even the babies wailed in their mother's arms.

That's too much of a reaction. He didn't spend too much time with all of them because he had been busy training this month, so why are they acting like this?

'I don't think I was that likeable before. Is it because this body has its own charm?'

He looked at his sword-wielding instructor, who had come just a few minutes ago. He is talking with the chiefs at the side while glancing at Michaelis once in a while. Michaelis' eyes twitched when he looked at the smirk that formed on the knight captain's face.

He then glanced behind his shoulder. The face of his personal maid came into his view. He sent a look of help, but that late 20s woman just smiled at him. He frowned.

They have left him alone in this place for one month and have not even spared him a greeting since they arrived just now. He also had his own ego and ignored their existence completely. But not too long after the kids swarmed at him until his back met the ground with a loud thud.

Maya tried to help him, but that did not help at all. The kids did not bother to listen anymore and just clung to him like their lives depended on him.

At least he managed to stand back on his feet, but the children won't even let him move an inch. Their grip on him is tight and secure. Even his hair has already been tossed around messily by the fairies' children.

"Children, please release the crown prince."

Finally, his saviour!

Chief Yosen came to his rescue, along with the other chiefs and Sir Raihan.

"Nooooo!!!"

"Don't wanna!!"

The deafening shout from the children made him stumble back and land on the ground again. He groaned at the impact. His hands gripped the children tightly so that they would not be the ones hurting from the fall. Michaelis took a breath when he heard their laughter.

He never had a good experience with this many children, to be honest. This kid was just laughing at his misery; he knew these kids actually held a grudge against him.

"Children, you might hurt him if you keep clinging onto him like this. Please release him. Be a good kid and listen to me, dear."

This time, Chief Gurina tried to sweet-talk them into releasing him. The children did complain, but they finally let him go after many persuasions.

Michaelis let out a sigh. A hand was extended in front of him, and he saw that it belonged to Maya. He formed a hopeless smile and took her hand to stand up.

"You had it rough with the children."

"I sure am."

He brushed his shirt.

"They won't even listen to me."

Maya sighed at the children's stubbornness.

"It looks like you need to be more fierce in scolding, not just teaching."

Maya glared at him, and he just looked elsewhere.

"It looks like you have fun here, Your Highness."

Michaelis gave a sideways glance at his father's friend. After coming here, was that the first thing he said to him?

He gave Sir Raihan a 'Do I look like I have fun?' face. Sir Raihan contained his laughter. He had already experienced something like this in the past. Seeing it again sure makes him nostalgic.

He can't help but remember that one of his friends at the time also acted similarly to Michaelis now. Yes, the now-emperor of Dradgim. Surprisingly or not, at that time, the emperor was quite bad at handling children and was awkward around them. Now he could see the resemblance between father and son.

"I think this is our farewell."

He looked at Chief Yosen, who was smiling.

"Yes, it is. I am grateful for everything you've done for me for the past month. Thank you for everything."

He bowed down, showing his utmost gratitude.

"Please don't bow, little crown prince. We just did what we needed to do. There is not much that we do for you anyway. You mostly learned all by yourself."

Chief Gurina pushed his body back to stand straight.

"Humph. You are not the best, but you are fast at learning. Make sure to come back and don't be like this brat and his friends."

Chief Tereni flew in front of his face while giving a side glance at Sir Raihan. Sir Raihan rubbed the back of his neck and awkwardly smiled. Michaelis formed a smirk, remembering all the stories told to him by the chiefs about their former three human students. He sure has a lot of stories to share with Rezal about his father.

"I will be sure not to. I'll come back or at least send a letter. I will not suddenly come back just to send my wedding invitation, chief."

Sir Raihan choked at who knows what. Now he knew that Michaelis might know all their little secrets when they were teenagers.

'I don't think masters would tell His Highness about this.' Sir Raihan could only succumb to his fate.

"Ha! Better not. If not, I will be coming to the capital myself."

Chief Tereni sat on his shoulder. She began to whisper.

"Don't tell anyone, but you are my favourite student."

Chief Tereni swung her legs back and forth. A lopsided smile appeared on his face. Chief Tereni sometimes makes him speechless with her sudden choice of praise.

"I think it's better for you to leave now. We don't want to delay your return to the capital."

Chief Yosen patted his shoulder.

"Make sure to take care of yourself, Your Highness."

"Yes, chief. I will. Always."

He exchanged another farewell wish with everyone before he stood near Riri and Sir Raihan. He also received many parting gifts from everyone. The citizens gave him so much that Riri needed to use magic to lift it and store it in her pocket dimension. What Riri did made Michaelis look in awe. He needed to learn more about magic after he went back. He can't wait.

They will be back using the teleportation stone.

It looks like he won't be able to make the journey home. He would like it if he could watch how to come and go from this forest by horse or foot. He also wanted to experience what the outside world looked like because he had been living in the palace too long.

'My adventurous phase finally came out, huh?'

He had never thought of going out at all. But after coming to this place, he had a wish. He wished to have a journey to all the places he had read about in the books. He wished to see the scenery with his own eyes.

Unfortunately, he is in a young body now. Maybe after his coming of age, when he is old enough, or maybe after he graduates from the academy. In the meantime, he could think of a way to pass on his responsibility as emperor to Helenis. Who knows, she may be interested in becoming one in the future, because he never will.

He can go on a journey with Coco. To every corner of this empire, or maybe he could pay a visit to other kingdoms and empires on this continent too. He could also visit the beast people who resided in this empire. That would be fun.

If he had done so, he could also have continued his journey to another continent. That would take years, but he did not mind at all.

Travelling is his goal now. Going on a journey to find something worthy. If not, he would continue with his previous plan.

After all, he needed to have a goal in this world. If not, he would feel worthless again. A life without a goal makes him feel worthless, and that is a feeling he did not want to feel here.

After all, he was given a task by this body's owner. He should take care of everyone while thinking of something that he could do in this world.

Leaving this world without doing anything would be a waste.

"Goodbye, everyone. Thank you for everything."

"Goodbye!"

"See you again!"

"Come back soon!"

"See you later, Michaelis."

He managed to make eye contact with Maya before his vision was covered by a light. He closed his eyes and opened them again to see the familiar scene of a training ground, leaving behind the Forest of Miracles.

There are also five people waiting for him there.

"Welcome back."

He smiled.

"I'm home."