A soldier approached, bowing his head as he spoke, "Princess Hinata, His Majesty is calling for you!" As soon as the soldier mentioned Princess Hinata, Kevin's ears perked up. His eyes widened slightly, and with a look of surprise, he glanced at Hinata and thought, Is she really a princess? If yes, then she could be of use to me. Having the company of a princess could definitely bring some advantage.
After thinking this, Kevin averted his gaze from Hinata. She expected that now Kevin would be eager to recognize her and treat her with respect. Perhaps he would say strange things to impress her or begin flirting with her. But to her surprise, when she looked at him, Kevin wasn't even looking at her. He stood there as if someone like her, a princess, would be working in his household, and he didn't care about her in the least.
Hinata's heart burned with frustration. She thought her beauty was something that only she found captivating. Anger surged within her as she felt offended by Kevin's indifference. But she couldn't show her anger because she still needed his help. So, she gritted her teeth and ordered the soldier, "Leave, and tell my grandfather that I'll need some time to arrive," she said curtly, then walked away.
The soldier and Kevin stood there, mouths agape, but neither of them spoke. The soldier left, and Kevin followed Hinata into the palace. They wandered through the halls, when Kevin finally spoke, "So, you're a princess?" he said with an air of disbelief. "I didn't expect that."
Hinata, hearing this, lifted her head proudly and replied, "Yes, I am the princess of this land!" After saying this, she turned to Kevin and asked, "What, don't you like princesses?"
Kevin, shrugging his shoulders, answered, "I'm sure you're fine. After all, you're a princess, so you must be good-looking."
Hinata was taken aback by Kevin's casual response. She couldn't believe someone in the palace, standing right in front of her, could be so disrespectful. She didn't ask him another question, and instead, led him to a room. The door to the room was made of gold and looked quite luxurious.
Two guards stood by the door, wearing armor and holding spears. When they saw Hinata, they immediately bowed. Hinata, in her princess voice, instructed, "Tell my grandfather that Princess Hinata has arrived."
Even though Hinata might have spoken a bit sharply to the guard, she didn't want to keep her grandfather waiting. She also wanted to introduce Kevin to him.
One of the guards nodded and went inside to deliver her message. A short while later, the guard emerged and signaled them to enter. Hinata and Kevin walked inside. The room was grand, with lavish furnishings and expensive decor. It was so large that it could easily be mistaken for a hall.
In the center of the room, a large bed was placed, with a chair beside it. An elderly man sat on the chair, reading a book. Kevin looked around, taking in the opulence, and as he approached, he stood beside Hinata.
Hinata bowed her head to the man in respect, and Kevin, understanding the importance of this person, followed suit. He knew that a king was responsible for the welfare of his kingdom, always thinking of his people's prosperity. A king fought on the frontlines when enemies attacked, risking his life to protect his country. Bowing before such a man was not something to be ashamed of.
Kevin also had another reason for bowing. He was in the royal palace, and for the time being, he wouldn't have to worry about food or shelter. Even if it was just for a short time, if he didn't show respect to the king after receiving all these benefits, he would have felt ashamed.
The king looked at Hinata for a moment, then put his book down on the table. With a hint of annoyance, he said, "How many times must I tell you? Don't leave without informing anyone! The timing is absolutely wrong, yet you still didn't listen. Am I right, mischievous Hinata?"
Hinata's face turned red with embarrassment, and she quickly changed the topic. "Grandfather, stop scolding me and meet Kevin. His name is Kevin, and he's a tailor."
When the king heard this, his gaze shifted to Kevin. He studied him from head to toe, then frowned. With a begrudging tone, he said, "You seem weak, my friend. Just a beginner level compared to our warriors." After speaking, the king shook his head in disappointment. Kevin, hearing this, felt a little embarrassed but tried to hide his discomfort.
The king continued, "You don't look bad, though your clothes are a bit strange. But no matter, you are a tailor, after all… But the earnings of a tailor must be limited, and you don't seem to be from a royal family. Well, I'll overlook all of that… But your power level is very weak. If you were at the MahaRathi level, I would have arranged your marriage to Hinata. But with such little power, it's not going to work. First, go prove yourself worthy of being with my granddaughter. Otherwise, forget about her."
Hearing the king's words, both Kevin and Hinata were stunned. Kevin couldn't even speak, his voice failing him, and Hinata's mind seemed to leave her as well.
Seeing their silence, the king grew angry and said in a deep voice, "Do you two want to go against my decision?" The king thought that Kevin and Hinata must have been drawn to each other's beauty, falling in love at first sight. But he had no objections to that. In fact, he was looking for a man to take over his responsibilities, but that didn't mean he would make someone like Kevin, so weak, the king. If he did that, enemy kingdoms would attack the moment Kevin became king, and his people would curse him for the rest of his life.
This was the king's thinking, but from Kevin and Hinata's perspective, they were feeling lightheaded.
Hinata quickly regained her composure and said, "Grandfather, you are wrong…
"I am not wrong! You have to accept my decision." The king cut her off, narrowing his eyes as he looked at Kevin. The mere gaze from the king caused pressure to mount on Kevin, and he fell to his knees. The pressure didn't subside; in fact, it increased.
The king sneered at Kevin's state. Hinata, seeing this, shouted, "Grandfather, remove your Maha Pratapi power! He is only at the Rathi level, and I brought him here to make Elara's wedding dress!"
As soon as Hinata's words reached the king's ears, he hurriedly released the pressure. By now, Kevin was drenched in sweat, feeling as though a hundred elephants had been placed on top of him. But then, he realized what Karishma had meant when she said, "Kevin, you must become stronger, or everything will be lost."
Just as Kevin was processing this, someone placed a hand on his shoulder and began to send spiritual energy into him. It was none other than the king himself. The king's face was now flushed with embarrassment.
Kevin's body began to absorb the energy, and an aura of power formed around him. When the king and Hinata saw this, their eyes widened in surprise, and they stepped back a little, keeping their distance.
Hinata, amazed, asked, "Grandfather, what is happening?"
The king replied, "It seems like his power level is about to increase."
Hinata, still confused, said, "But how? He hasn't taken any pills, nor has he trained in any techniques. How can this be?"
The king explained patiently, "When I placed pressure on him, he used all his strength to break free. As a result, he pushed beyond his limits. When I removed the pressure, his energy became chaotic, unsure of where to go. He didn't know where to direct his powers. That's when I began sending my spiritual energy into his energy field. As a result, his struggling power merged with mine. My energy level is a thousand times greater than his, which gave his power a significant boost."
Hinata finally understood, and she looked at Kevin, whose body was now glowing with nine different colors of light. Before she could say anything, the king's astonished voice rang out, "How is this possible…?"
Hinata turned her gaze to her grandfather's face. His eyes were wide with shock, sweat dripping down his forehead, and his whole body was trembling. Seeing him in such a state made Hinata anxious, and she asked, "What's wrong, Grandfather? Are you okay?"
Hinata called out several times, but the king seemed to be deaf to her words. His heartbeat was growing louder, and his legs gave way beneath him. He collapsed to the ground.
Hinata screamed, "Grandfather!"
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To be continued...
What will happen next? What secret lies within the nine-colored lights emanating from Kevin? Will the king become a threat to Kevin? What level of power is Kevin about to reach, Maharathi or beyond?
Keep reading to find out!
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