Chapter 23: Leaving an impression

Zelphyr was currently sat in the Captain of the Guards office. A calm expression rested upon his lips while Narberal looked around.

They had arrived at the capital city of the Dragon Kingdom without much issue. However, the moment they were within a hundred meters of the wall, soldiers had immediately come out and stopped their carriage. Had it not been for Zelphyrs stern gaze, Narberal would have immediately jumped out and beheaded all of the guards.

Overall, it took roughly 30 minutes before the soldiers received permission to allow Zelphyr inside on the condition they wait in the Captains office. Naturally, Zelphyr agreed without any issue as this was to be expected from a country riddled with conflict. As a precaution against theft and intrigue, Master Blacksmith had installed a magical repulsion field with the assistants from the enchanters in Nazarick. This was a safety feature that would repel anyone who comes into contact with it when it has been set to. Zelphyr made sure to warn the guards detaining the carriage so that there will be less chance of the guards acting brashly and him having to punish them on his own authority.

"Lowly Humans... to make Lord Zelphyr wait..."

Narberal gritted her teeth as she spoke with a hushed tone. Zelphyr rested his hand gently on her shoulder, causing her to slightly slump as she calmed down.

"It is natural, this is much better than being attacked on sight. It wouldn't have been good if our first steps into the city were thanks to a massacre"

Even Zelphyr himself felt these long-winded inspections were annoying, along with the fact that he thought about entertaining the idea of just blasting into the Royal castle. Alas, he wanted to take a friendly approach before he resorted to making the weak bow forcefully. This was his mercy to the weak.

Shortly after, Zelphyr and Narberal felt someone down the corridor, approaching the door with steady steps. The person opened the door with a polite smiling before excusing himself and sitting opposite the duo. The person in question was an middle-aged man with grey hairs hiding amongst the rest of the brown. The mans expression was low however, he still tried his best to maintain a pleasant smile.

"Sorry for the wait, My name is Hamel, the Captain of the Guard here."

Zelphyr nodded his head before introducing himself and Narberal.

"Do not worry, I am Lord Zelphyr, and this is Narberal, my attendant"

Immediately, the Guard Captains attitude changed, after all, Zelphyr had addressed himself as Lord whilst having an attractive attendant. Although he had his suspicions due to the quality of the carriage, it was hard to bypass when he was so blatantly shown the high stature of Zelphyr. As a result, the Guard Captain had to adapt his attitude to prevent any potential complications he could cause when interacting with Zelphyr.

"Ah Lord Zelphyr, the pleasure is all mine. I regret to inform you that right now, our country is on the highest level of security. As a result, it is my duty to get the full identities of everyone who enters the city. May I inquire as to where you hail from?"

The Guard Captain spoke with a strained smile as small beads of sweat gushed from his forehead. It was apparent that he was feeling the pressure in such a precarious situation. After all, his very words could decide the fate of relations between this alleged noble and the Dragon Kingdom, which desperately needed allies at the moment.

"It is fine, we have come here, fully aware of your circumstances. I hail from a land far off to the South. After hearing a fellow brethren of mine was in turmoil, I left the comfort of my abode to see the situation for myself"

At the mention of the word 'Brethren', the Guard Captain immediately showed a curious expression. It seemed his curiosity also blinded him to the fact that Zelphyr had not actually given him any information at all, except that he was a person of high stature from the south.

"By your words Sir, may I assume you have an acquaintance from the Dragon Kingdom?"

Zelphyr shook his head with an amiable smile on his face.

"Not exactly Guard Captain. I am here to meet the ruler of these lands. From my sources, it seems she shares a bloodline similar to my own. I hope you can understand."

An incredulous look spread upon his face as he looked at Zelphyr. No matter how many times he checked, all he could see was a friendly nobleman who seemed to be easy to talk to. In no way could he relate the same Dragon Bloodline his mistress has with the man before him. Due to this, the Guard Captain assumed he was lying, this was what the Guard Captain would often do. Nevertheless, this time, his thoughts were far from right.

"Unfortunately, our Queen is currently very busy. I am afraid her schedule does not allow meetings with others"

Zelphyr maintained a smiling face as he spoke, however his tone had turned cold.

"I agree she must be very busy, however, no-one is too busy to meet me."

This was not just an insult towards Zelphyr, it was insult towards all of the denizens of Nazarick who believe him to be akin to a god. Consequently, Zelphyr could not allow such a mindset from someone who was inferior in everyway, especially in front of his precious subordinate.

Feeling the pressure radiate from Zelphyr, the Guard Captain immediately went on the defensive. He reached for his sword at his waist and started to draw it.

Zelphyr sighed as he watched the movements of the middle aged man, pure boredom overtook his expression.

Without much effort, Zelphyr raised his hand into the air and performed a swatting motion at the Guard Captain. The action was feeble and carried what seemed to be very little energy, however not even a second later, a torrent of wind blasted into the the Guard Captain carrying him straight into the backwall, sending cracks across the stone.

"Such jumpy creatures"

Narberal commented with a voice of disdain as she looked at the unconscious Guard Captain laid up against the wall. Nodding his head in agreement, Zelphyr went over to the Guard Captain, picked him up and laid him down on the guest sofa they had previously used.

As Zelphyr had held back, the Guard Captain should only have a mild concussion since, he had not committed any real crime against him yet. In fact, the only reason why Zelphyr retaliated with an attack was to protect the mans life... from Narberal.

"Now then, let the show begin"

Zelphyr looked towards the door with a calm smile on his lips.

As he did, the sounds of many sets of heavy footsteps approached the door, before it was flung open with great haste. A small group of soldiers appeared, wearing what seemed to be ceremonial armour.

"What happened here?"

One particular guard questioned as he looked between Zelphyr, the crack and the Guard Captain laid unconscious.

"I take it you're this mans superior?"

Zelphyr ignored the mans question as he had already gotten bored of this whole situation. While he still intended to be friendly, he could not deny that all of these pretenses were annoying when he could just blast his way in.

Picking up on the impatient tone of the man in front of him, the ceremonial guard decided it was wiser to find out the details later, once the situation was defused.

"While I am not a high-ranking soldier, I am a member of her Majesty's Royal Guards. We came to collect a party of two whom claim to be nobles. Our Lady has stated that she will meet with you this afternoon."

A refreshing smile floated upon Zelphyrs lips as he heard the news. It made him feel it was fine putting up with the hassle so far.

"That is very good news, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Lord Zelphyr. This is my attendant Narberal."

Zelphyr made a hand gesture introducing Narberal, who just blankly stared at the group of Guards with a stoic expression.

Due to the bizarre situation, the guards had been too occupied with the giant crack and Zelphyr to notice Narberal, however now that she was pointed out, they quickly became mesmerised by her beauty. Their eyes lingered on her for a whole minute before Zelphyr clapped his hands.

Realising their blunders, the Guards quickly straightened themselves out and returned their gaze to Zelphyr, with a hint of envy in their expression.

"My apologies Sir Zelphyr, my name is Christoph, a member of the Dragon Kingdoms Royal Guard. Now that we are acquainted, may I ask what happened here? This is a strange situation, even for us"

Zelphyr chuckled lightly at the guards confusion, before proceeding to explain the situation truthfully, not withholding any information. After all, the aggressor was the Guard Captain this time.

Once Zelphyr finished his explanation, he looked amusedly at the expressions of the guard group. Their faces wore sour expressions as they looked at the crack on the wall. It was clear that their fellow countryman had been meaning to attack a foreign guest without conducting a real interview, yet he got the tables turned on him and was being treated like a child whose prank was seen through.

"I offer the deepest of apologies on behalf of the soldiers of the Dragon Kingdom. It is unbecoming for a soldier to have such a lack of discipline, especially when dealing with foreign dignitaries."

The guard group bowed their bodies, causing the heavy armour they wore to clang.

"It is fine, the situation was nothing more that a harmless misunderstanding. Now then, shall we head to the Royal Castle?"

With Zelphyr urging, Christoph divided his group in two, 1 team dealing with the clean up at the office, whilst himself and another were escorting us to the castle.

'It seems this little Queen does not trust us'

Zelphyr thought to himself as he felt the eyes of a trained spy on his back. Narberal was the same, her face showing her irritation as it scrunched together.

Leaning down to Narberals ear level, he whispered to her in a voice only she could hear.

"Your face is more beautiful with a smile, ignore the pests gaze"

Narberals cheeks tinted red as she nodded and resumed her stoic expression, however this time with a red hue to her.

Roughly 10 minutes of walking through the walls and passages reserved for soldiers passed before they came to an exit. After exiting, they were met with the sight of even larger walls, surrounding what seemed to be a dark grey castle made from polished stone.

'Now then, let the flames begin'