The journey to the palace wasn't long. Count Levington had prepared a carriage large enough to accommodate four people. Of course, it wasn't an ordinary carriage. Russelia didn't dare to ask around for fear of revealing her identity as a visitor from the other world. But she was stunned to see the horses pulling Count Levington's carriage. Russelia almost thought they were the legendary unicorns. What was astonishing was that Count Levington was extravagant enough to use four horses to pull his carriage.
Count Levington invited Russelia, Therion, and Duvan to enter his carriage. On the other hand, Iasthor had been instructed to return first to take care of something at Duvan's residence. Thanks to the horses' swift legs, they managed to travel in just an hour. Despite the high speed, Russelia didn't feel nauseous in the carriage. There wasn't any jolt, as she had expected. Cool, she thought. Russelia was a little curious about the mechanism of the carriage she was riding in.
Despite this, Russelia felt relieved to be able to quickly get out of the carriage. Throughout the journey, no one spoke a word. Therion simply closed his eyes as if resting. Duvan occasionally smiled reassuringly, but he didn't say much, as if embarrassed by the presence of King Theo's envoy. Meanwhile, the envoy himself—Count Levington—simply turned his head toward the window, seemingly indifferent to the atmosphere inside the carriage. He didn't even exchange pleasantries with Duvan.
Finally, despite the strange atmosphere, they reached the Palace. Russelia kept her head down as she walked. Not because she was still feeling nauseous from the journey, but because she didn't want to look tacky. It turned out the palaces depicted in movies and dramas were real. Russelia had never visited any of the palaces that were preserved as tourist attractions on Earth before. The largest house she had ever visited was her aunt's. Her father was from a wealthy family, but that didn't mean they were a conglomerate or affluent family. After all, since she changed her surname, Russelia's small family had lived in a regular apartment. Her life was never short of anything, but it wasn't luxurious either. Even the antiques in their apartment were inherited from her mother's late parents. Delonix once told Russelia that these items must be protected and never sold.
Entering another hallway, Russelia glanced to her right, staring at the painting of a warhorse hanging on the wall. Seeing such paintings reminded her of the ones in Dianthe's house. They seemed so lifelike. Russelia was sometimes stunned by them. They were so vivid that it gave the impression that if she blinked, the horse might neigh and run toward her.
As if influenced, Russelia followed her instincts and blinked again while staring at the painting.
Neigh!
Russelia heard the horse neigh. She was startled. In the painting, the warhorse was galloping toward her. In fact, it almost seemed like it was trying to escape from the painting, but something was holding it back.
Russelia was startled. Her legs froze for a moment.
"The horse..."
Pat!
Someone tapped her shoulder. Russelia came to her senses. She turned and realized that Therion had patted her. Prince Duvan and Count Levington also stopped and turned to look at her. Russelia could see Duvan's worried frown on his face.
"What's wrong, Miss?" Duvan asked.
"Ah, no. The horse..." Russelia turned her head. The horse hadn't moved anymore. Now there was only a normal painting of a warhorse. Russelia was stunned. She had clearly seen the horse galloping as if trying to escape from the painting.
"Pay no attention, Miss Russelia. That's a magical painting. Many of the paintings in the palace are magical paintings painted by renowned magicians. Some of them can cause illusions if looked at for too long. Are you alright?" This time, Therion asked. The usually expressionless Therion frowned slightly. His black eyes stared at the horse too.
Russelia nodded slowly. She felt a shiver run down her spine. The painting here reminded her of the one at her aunt's house. Although she had never experienced a moving painting during her time at her aunt's house, with her experience of entering the world of books, Russelia had become a little suspicious of her family's collection.
After that, Russelia no longer dared to turn her head to look around. She was lucky the painting hadn't harmed her. Fortunately, they soon found a large door with two soldiers standing guard at the doorway.
Count Levington nodded to the two soldiers. He stepped forward and knocked briefly on the large door, bowing slightly.
"Greetings to the sun of the kingdom. May the gods continue to bless your radiance. I, Harris Levington, request an audience. I have brought with me Prince Duvan, a noble son Sir Therion Azil Verron, and Miss Russelia Hailey."
A moment later, a voice answered from inside the room. "Enter!"
Russelia lightly squeezed the hem of her dress. It seemed her nervousness had become a habit. That authoritative voice must have belonged to King Theo. What kind of person was King Theo? Russelia only knew a little from the storybook she had read. I wonder why he summoned her directly to the palace?
Ah, I've never been this nervous. What should I do?
However, no matter how much Russelia tried to avoid it, she still had to enter with the group. Eventually, the door was opened by the two guards on duty. Count Levington led the group into the spacious room.
The room appeared to be a study typically used by many. But its grandiose befits a king. About two meters to her right were two sofas and a table, likely used for entertaining or seating important guests. Along the wall to her right were several magical paintings and two small statues of human heads. Meanwhile, another few meters to her left were several tall bookshelves. As a book lover, if not for the inappropriate circumstances, Russelia would have sat for hours in this room, reading them.
On the other side, a few meters in front of her were two fairly large work desks. The largest, clearly stacked with documents, belonged to King Theo. The slightly smaller desk to the king's left—if she guessed correctly—belonged to Prince Haleon.
Russelia found the three to be quite similar. Both the king and his two sons had dark blue hair. It's just that Duvan's pupils are a different shade of blue, while King and Prince Haleon have light brown pupils. Could Duvan have inherited this from Consort Ruella? However, in terms of other facial features, Duvan resembles King Theo more than Prince Haleon.
Russelia glanced at Prince Haleon. Judging by his height and build, Prince Haleon seemed to be about the same age as described in the book. He was six years older than her.
As if noticing Russelia's gaze, Prince Haleon turned. Their eyes met. Russelia immediately lowered her head again. She then followed Count Levington's gesture in front of her in greeting. Russelia bowed as deeply as possible, just like the others.
"Ah, you're here. Stand up. No need to be so polite."
Only after receiving permission did they straighten up. Russelia kept her head slightly lowered. After meeting Prince Haleon's gaze, Russelia didn't dare raise her head. Even so, Russelia still felt Prince Haleon's gaze on her. She even felt as if King Theo had glanced at her briefly. "I've heard your report. You brought back all the loot, right, Duvan? Ah, are there any other developments from the Thisol border?"
Duvan stepped forward slightly and answered King Theo's question. "Yes, Royal Father. I brought all the loot." He took something out of his pocket. Russelia cocked her head slightly in curiosity. Duvan took out some kind of pouch? Hmm, Russelia had read a bit about it in a storybook. It seems like in The Exiled Wolf Prince, Duvan should also have a dimensional pouch given to him by his teacher as a reward for his first victory in the Arena, right? Ah, yes, does this pouch have a similar function to Doraemon's pocket?
Duvan then handed the pouch to King Theo's desk and stepped back. King Theo appeared to open the pouch, then nodded and closed it again. "So far, I've sealed off the open paths at the border. Given the monster's recent movements, they may open new paths by breaching the barrier at the Isthania border. This should take some time. But, they might still continue to open temporary portals, especially in areas close to the border. As we know, some of their high-level monsters can force portals open in our city. So, this possibility is very high. Furthermore, during my time at Count Goffham's residence, I seem to have heard that the Thisol region has experienced slightly more invasions recently compared to previous months or even years."
King Theo nodded slowly. He sighed and massaged his temples slightly. "I've heard that from your uncle, Duke Hauke. Not just Thisol. Other regions are also experiencing a surge in monster invasions. It seems military activity will need to be increased and I'll need to send troops more frequently."
"Forget it. You've worked hard, Duvan. Is there anything you'd like as a reward?"
Russelia glanced back at Duvan, waiting for his answer.
"Royal Father, this level 4 monster core... I'll soon be able to increase my mana level. If I can get external help from a monster core..."
"Haaa..."
King Theo sighed heavily. His hand clenched around his temples. Russelia lowered her head slightly. She could tell from the king's expression that he would likely refuse Duvan's request.
"Unfortunately, your sister just asked for that monster core. How about you ask for something else? Monster cores of the same level have been planned for other needs, and higher-level monster cores are too powerful for you. How about you take a level 3 monster core or perhaps another magic weapon?"
Russelia lowered her head even further. She felt uncomfortable seeing her favorite main character being treated like this. Let alone Duvan, even Russelia felt uncomfortable with King Theo's words. How could someone's hard-earned rewards be given to someone who contributed nothing without consideration?
Duvan himself felt disappointed. RoyalFather still forgets about me. How could a level 4 monster core be replaced so easily? The power levels for mages, knights, and monsters are the same, up to level 12. But, since 500 years ago humans could no longer reach such a level again. Currently, the highest level attainable is level 9, and only one person currently holds level 8 power: Duke Hauke. Meanwhile, King Theo and his brother, Grand Duke Bayez, are level 7 knights. The current Pope has only reached level 7 mana too. Considering this, level 4 can be said to be quite high. Or rather, it's the boundary between weak and strong in this world.
In the past, Duvan had to purchase a level 3 monster core at auction after reaching the peak of level 2. He had to use most of his winnings from fighting in the arena and borrow additional funds from his mentor. He even had to sell one of Consort Ruella's relics—a yellow diamond necklace given to him by King Theo—at an auction in the capital. Wouldn't a level 4 monster core be even more expensive if purchased at auction? Moreover, the circulation of monster cores outside the royal family was quite restricted. Who wouldn't want to buy one?
Magic weapons are not comparable either. The quality of a magic weapon is determined by the craftsman's skill in crafting it and the size of mana stones or the monster core fragments used. However, regardless, what weapon can compare to the sacred sword passed down through generations, guarded by this world's sacred temple? After all, this is Duvan's first battle, and it's not a large-scale one. The level of magic weapons that can be provided would naturally be limited.
Russelia couldn't see Duvan's expression because she faced his back. But she could see that he paused for a moment. Russelia felt like she wanted to leave the room immediately.
"I don't need a new weapon. But if Royal Father can give me the level 3 monster core obtained from this battle, I'll accept it."
King Theo nodded in satisfaction, as if pleased with his son's sensibility and obedience. "Good. Rest for the next three days. I'll hold a banquet for your victory and the inauguration of your status. The rewards for those who have contributed to this battle and recent military activities will also be announced later."
The king paused for a moment, then glanced at Russelia. Russelia spontaneously stood up straight. She gripped her dress even tighter as she felt King Theo's sharp gaze.
"And... who is this girl you brought from the battlefield?"
Duvan turned. "Ah, Royal Father, I found her after the battle was over. This girl's name is Russelia Hailey."
"Russelia... Hailey?" King Theo asked slowly, as if he thought deeply of Russelia's name.
"Y... yes, Your Majesty." Russelia stepped forward slightly and bowed in respect. "My name is Russelia Hailey."
"Where are you from? You couldn't have just been on the perilous border of Thisol."
"I... I don't remember anything, Your Majesty. I only remember my name and age after waking up. I don't even know what happened to me beforehand."
Russelia lowered her head slightly, trying to hide her expression. Of course, she was lying. It was a cliché excuse, but Russelia couldn't think of a better one. Besides, she had always tried to avoid any strange behavior in front of others. Other than Duvan, who had visited her the first day she woke up, Russelia felt that even if anyone were suspicious of her origins, they wouldn't comment for a while.
Duvan certainly remembered Russelia's previous condition. He could guess she was lying. But he didn't interrupt her and waited quietly for the conversation to end.
King Theo nodded slowly. "Hmm... could you be a victim of illegal human trafficking? But it's also impossible for you to be left in a place like that unless you ran away. That also means there's a possibility that the criminals' den is nearby. Maybe... after this, I can tell Rudolf to confirm it. Okay, no problem. But... Hailey? I've never heard of this noble surname before."
Russelia didn't dare answer. She wasn't from this world, was she? Duvan seemed to want to say something to help Russelia, but he was beaten by his older brother, Prince Haleon.
"Perhaps a fallen noble family. Royal father couldn't possibly remember the surnames of all the noble families in Isthania. Isthania is vast, and there are so many noble families rising and falling in each region."
Hearing this, King Theo finally nodded and waved his hand dismissively. Perhaps the king simply didn't want to bother with her name anymore. "Very well, then. What are your plans next?"
This time, Duvan quickly spoke on Russelia's behalf. "Miss Russelia will be staying at my residence outside the palace for a while, Royal Father. After this, I will visit the temple to ask my uncle to help with Miss Russelia's adoption. Perhaps she will live at the temple afterward."
King Theo was silent for a moment. His face was slightly stiff, and his gaze was distant, as if Duvan's words had reminded him of something. However, he soon nodded in agreement. After that, there were only a few pleasantries that Russelia didn't pay much attention to. King Theo simply greeted Therion, inquired about his family, and asked what gift he wanted, just as he had asked Duvan. Therion didn't seem bothered and instead referred the decision back to King Theo. Once again, King Theo smiled with satisfaction. Thus, the meeting with King Theo concluded that day.
After exchanging pleasantries, Therion, Russelia, and Duvan withdrew, leaving only Count Levington in the king's study. Perhaps he had something else to report to King Theo, or perhaps King Theo wanted to summon him separately. Russelia didn't care at the time. All she remembered was that she was extremely tired that day and wanted to rest. It can be said that the meeting with the king took a lot of her energy. Add to the unpleasant journey through the portal. Ah, but Russelia could only sigh silently. She couldn't possibly voice it, could she?