Grand Creation - 3

"Your grace." I greeted, letting the king of this realm pull me closer into a tight hug. According to this scenario I was to be the king's son. 

As to what I was supposed to do, that was a mystery. I had not even met up with the rest of the people that had come here. Only those that lived in this strange dungeon.

"Enough with that. I hear you have been training, under the cover of night at that."

There was a glint in his eye as he rubbed his hand over my long golden hair. I grumbled for a moment before letting him do just that.

'For the mission. All for the mission.'

Quest type dungeons were a bit different, generally harder in their difficulty. Because of the simple fact that the objective was not spelled out.

The only upside was that upon completing the objective the dungeon would reward us with some artifact and whatever we had managed to collect in the dungeon.

"I have."

"Good… Good." The king said, stroking his long beard. Apparently it was a source of pride for him. I couldn't say that I didn't see why.

After all it was quite the glorious beard.

I shook my head of the thought.

"Then you would want some practical experience, yes?" 

Another glint, this time a sly smile.

"Of course."

"Good, I have prepared an escort team along with another young noble. Both of you will go and subjugate the northern caves."

'Ah- so that's where it was.' Hints and clues were always given to the true completion of the dungeon, whether that was through direct dialogue, or through circumstances. 

It seemed that the mission here was the subjugation of the northern caves. But as to what those were, the types of creatures and habits they had.

I had no information on them.

Luckily for me I could guess as to who the others were. My escort team and the other noble would be Emilia and the team that had come with me.

"When will they arrive?"

"Come two days, prepare."

With that I was dismissed from his office and let to roam around. Of course after my duties were done.

I sighed and opened the door to my own study. Filled with thousands of books and papers.

Sitting down on my chair I got to the documents I was to look over. Practice for when I was supposed to become ruler.

Time passed and after I was done I handed the papers over to the servants to take to the king before I headed to the library.

I staggered the paperwork so that I would not be disturbed for the two days that I researched the hell out of this place.

It also didn't hurt that I would get to be alone for a bit. Not disturbed by countless servants. Merely the smell of books and me.

I smiled, cracking my fingers, 'Let's get to this.'

…

…

…

The rolling of wheels disturbed my sleep, the carriage that I slept in hitting some sort of snag. I opened my eyes annoyingly and turned to Emilia, the so called noble that slept in the same carriage as me.

It would take about a day of travel by carriage to make it to the northern caves. And because we had left so late I had wanted to catch up on some sleep.

And so did Emilia. Meaning that we were sleeping on cold hard wood. So to be disturbed in the middle of our sleep was such an annoyance.

Thankfully it was already almost morning by the time that had happened. Meaning that I was going to get up in a little either way.

"Halfway there." A yell echoed through the carriage. One of the others that had come with us to this dungeon.

They were amicable, especially for people that we didn't know and had to trust with our lives.

"The northern caves… what sorts do they have." Emilia's speech was still a bit slurred by the sleep but I smiled and pet her hair gently.

"Nothing too destructive. As it is called, the northern caves are a series of cave systems in the mountains to the north."

"So cold. Then there is no need to worry."

"There is, these cave dwellers, as we don't know the actual name of them, have adapted to the frigid cold. I don't know if your abilities will have any effect."

"They will." She said with such surety that I couldn't help but believe her.

I smiled, the same one she held and stretched. Getting out a book and reading it. I also handed one to Emilia but she merely sat next to me and started to read the same book as me.

Eventually, after much travel, we made it to our destination.

Already though I could feel the frigid winds and frost pierce against the cloak I was wearing.

"Ready?" A voice echoed from the front. The same escort knight.

I yelled back in affirmation.

Opening the door to the real winds. Shivering at the cold.

Emilia didn't though, she must have been cloaking herself in mana. Something that I couldn't afford to do, not with my meager reserves.

The caves were in front of us and I entered, making sure to keep a close eye on the people beside me.

I knew that I could trust Emilia, but as for the others. They were unknowns. 

And as I traversed through the dark cave, my only sight the torch in my hand. I felt a watching stare. I shivered, though this time it was not because of the cold.

Turning to the side I swung my sword as best I could in this small space.

It came straight into contact with a stone. One that seemed to have been frozen over. Yet the frost was completely untouched even against my fused sword.

"Strange"

"What was that?" Emilia asked, slowing her stride so that she could be next to me.

"I don't know, some sort of gaze on me."

She nodded and looked at the stone too.

"This ice." Her hand touched it and the frost melted, coming over her sleeves and turning back into some sort of ice cube.

"It's… full of mana. Dangerous…" 

I grimaced at that, yeah, that was bad… seriously bad.