One week has passed and Jericho and the others have returned to Righteous, most of the knights have fully grasps the concept of soul energy and have already identified their elements already, while some are still finding it tasking, but do feel the energy within them.
William is also yet to identify his element, but his soul energy control is very good, according to Jericho it's only a matter of time for him, but that still didn't stop William from feeling a trad disappointed of how slow he is, Erica does her best to cheer him up by teasing him any chance she gets, which seems to work well enough.
Alice had already mastered her soul control, and so far four casting techniques from her element, Jericho feels she has enough soul energy to master at least six techniques in her element, which Alice was very excited about.
And Erica got so good with her element that she had already mastered five of its casting techniques to the surprise of Jericho, he even went on to say Erica is the first to be battle ready, but she still needs to learn how to hold back more, which is currently tasking for her, but her level of control over her soul energy in just two weeks of training was extremely incredible, that her not having enough restraint yet isn't a cause for concern, which further solidify the fact she is a genius.
Since swearing his loyalty to Jericho, and being able to communicate with Jericho thanks to his ability, Drako has always been in contact with Jericho, asking about his well being, and if he needs him, William found it really infuriating and that brought on some rivalry between the both of them, which the others found amusing… Drako also reported that he hasn't gotten to Menssai yet cause he is taking care of some side reconnaissance mission for Jace, but he will soon be at Menssai.
After two days of rest upon returning from the training camp at the Great Forest of Dawn, Jericho was summoned by the king of Righteous, to report and also to inform him of the outcome of his meeting with the other rulers.
At the private study of the king, a large rectangular table was placed at the center with some sits, and a beautiful golden carpet placed at the center of the floor, with two small chandeliers dawning the ceiling… a second smaller and squared shaped table was in the room at a far corner, in front of a huge window that covered the whole wall, decorated with red cuttings that was opened to let in the sunlight, and show the beauty of the glass window, with one sophisticated sit pared with the table which was meant for the king alone.
Jericho, Alice and Erica were all sitted at the center of the room, while the king took his sit at the table in front of the window, with two knights guarding the door outside, and by his side, stood a man Jericho hasn't seen before, and he noticed Alice acting strangely upon seeing the man herself… he look a little older than the king and had an aura around him of a very intelligent person, he stood with a serious look on his face… "welcome all of you… first off, Jericho, since this is the first time you both are meeting each other, well since your return, let me introduce you… this is Marquess. Monza Will Hidenham, he is the current head of the Hidenham noble household, he is also the lord of the royal capital and the Prime Minster of the Holy Kingdom of Righteous… Monza, this is the first prince of the Dynasty of Menssai that we thought was lost three and a half years ago, prince Jericho Von Menssai, also known as the saint prince of Menssai" the king concluded the introductions with a smile… "{will that nickname ever leave me alone (sigh)… Hidenham.. hmm that name sound very familiar to me, think I've heard it somewhere before}… it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance lord Hidenham… I am indeed Jericho Von Menssai" said Jericho with a polite bow… "no need for the formalities young prince, you might have been missing for three and a half years but that still doesn't change the fact you are a future ruler, calling me lord Monza should suffice, and besides there are two Hidenham in this room, would get very confusing if you kept referring to me as Hidenham" lord Monza stated with a polite bow of his own, Jericho dawned a confused expression on his face after hearing what lord Monza said, noticing this Erica sigh with an exasperated expression… "Jericho he is the father of Alice, don't act like you've forgotten her full name already, and also she is literally the only one he could be referring to, it's just us in here… jeez" Erica stated, then immediately Jericho had a realization expression on his face… "by the gods, you are right… I knew that name sounded very familiar… please pardon my ignorance… {no wonder I noticed Alice acting strangely when she saw him… this might be the first time they are seeing one another after her engagement to prince Tazz got canceled a year ago}" said Jericho as he turned his gaze to Alice for a brief second… "that's fine young prince (a little laugh cause of Jericho's reaction) the last time I saw you young prince, I believe you were just eight years old (smiles)… my, just look at how you've grown… am so glad you are alright young prince" ..… "thank you so very much for your kind words lord Monza" said Jericho with another polite bow, lord Monza nods in approval and turn his gaze to Alice whom was finding it difficult to raise her head, to look at her father… "and you Alice my dear, how have you been holding up?" asked lord Monza with a concern in his heart but a serious expression on his face, Alice got startled a bit upon hearing her name from her father as she answered… "a-am in good h-health f-father… n-nothing to worry about" Alice replied with a nervous tone… "am glad to hear that" lord Monza replied with genuine relief, even if his expression didn't show it… "right!… now that introductions are out of the way, let's get into the topic of this summons" said the king while adjusting his sitting position… "how did your task go Jericho… any progress, will the knights be able to achieve soul energy as Jace and you can?" the king asked with a relax voice, Jericho then went on to inform the king of the progress of everyone, and how it's only a matter of time before they are battle ready, he also went on to inform the king of the progress of Erica and Alice, which the king couldn't hide the proud look on his face, as he stared at his daughter in awe, while lord Monza had no expression on the outside but he was almost in tears with how proud he felt on the inside after hearing the progress of Alice… "am glad things are progressing smoothly so far…. Jericho, I have a question for you, that I've been meaning to ask for a while now, but the timing wasn't right" said the king with a serious stare… "please your highness, you have my attention" Jericho replied equally serious, the king nods in acknowledgment and spoke… "what do you plan to do after this whole situation with Jace has been resolved?… do you wish to take your rightful place as the next Emperor of the Dynasty of Menssai, or do you, have other plans after your three and a half years of absences?" the king asked staring deep into the eyes of Jericho, the question of the king took Jericho by surprise cause it hasn't really crossed his mind yet about if he was willing to remain on earth after saving the world, or if it's even allowed for him as a sub god to remain on earth, it froze him for a while as he was lost in thought… "{that's right, what will happen to my people… would I be allowed to stay on earth as am now a sub god… even if I was allowed, do I really want to remain in a planet where all my reasons for living are no more… where I will be all alone (sigh), I don't know what to do}" said Jericho lost in a deep thought, Erica and Alice were trying to get his attention for a while but he didn't notice until his final thoughts… "Jericho… hey Jericho (he then snapped out of it) are you alright, you were out there for a while" said Erica in a worried tone… "yeah you were making a sad face and not responding… are you good?" Alice adds equally worried… "yes, yes am fine (smiles) {that's right, my people… I have to make sure they are alright, I have to help them recover, but also, if anything else… Erica and Alice… they might be my main reason to remain on earth, I don't understand this feelings yet but, I do not want to leave them… sigh (chucked)}… forgive my rudeness your highness, to answer your question, I haven't really though about that till now but…. my choice is obvious… I have to help my people recover, help them rebuild and help them settle, I not only hold it to them for what my brother put them through but also I owe it to my father to take care of our people, whether I want to be emperor or not… that is my decision" Jericho replied with conviction in his tone.
Hearing Jericho's response the king's face lite up with relief and he had a smile… "am very glad that was your answer (laughed)… now I can put my own plans into action" said the king with a mischievous smile on his face, Erica instantly had a bad feeling as her father comes up with shocking and tiresome ideas on the rare occasions he acts like that... "{this can't be good}" Erica thought, with a panicked expression, out of curiosity Jericho couldn't resist asking the king what his idea was, then he responded… "giving you my Erica's hand of course" ... "EXCUSE ME YOUR HIGHNESS!!!" Jericho responds with a scream of shock… "FATHER!!!… where did that even come from" Erica adds also taken by surprise…. "oh… are you saying you are no longer interested in the saint prince of Menssai… I remember how you used to ask me almost all the time about him when you were little, saying how he is your fiancee even when back then you only saw him once at a gathering, and you didn't even know his name… has your feelings changed now" the king asked with a puzzled expression… "father!!… I was six years old (turning red out of embarrassment) plus you can't just pop out with something like that out of the blew… y-you are making Jericho uncomfortable" said Erica blushing none stop and gazing at Jericho as if she wanted to hear his response… "so.. it's a yes?" the king asked with a confused tone… "w-well…" ... "NO!!… y-you can't (everyone turned their gaze to Alice)… I-I mean err… am…am sure we can talk about that on a later date.. (nervous smile) t-that isn't something that can be decided in one day… the both of them have to be very sure first, r-right?... uh Jericho?… right?" said Alice, interrupting Erica with a nervous tone and a hint of jealousy, seeing her reaction Alice father smiled for just a second before returning his straight face as he understood the real reason Alice was defensive.... "er, y-yeah, yeah r-right… I -I will think about it (nervous laugh) {what was that… took me by surprise, but… why would he even consider something like that, I mean he just met me, yeah he knew me before but that was a long time ago, a lot has happened, for all he know am not the same person anymore…. sigh… his highness really need to be conscious of his decisions sometimes}" said Jericho snapping out of his daze, Erica also agreed but she was still beet red and smiling a little… "okay now that that's out of the way, Jericho I've just returned from my own task, as we discussed before, I informed the other rulers of what you told me in confident… and yes of course I left out the matters you wanted to keep private at least for now… (Jericho nods with appreciation)… and as you would have guessed it was quite shocking for them, mainly the part about you being alive… Jericho I have another question for you… I know this is all the fault of that rouge god, but we were still the ones to blame, as we are the ones the world only saw, they do not know anything about that rouge god, so Jericho please answer this question am about to ask as if you too don't know anything about the rouge god involvement… answer it like you are the people or like you are your brother Jace… (Jericho had an intense look on his face)… how do you feel about his majesty king Leohart Von Warmark, as his nation with his orders back then was the ones responsible for the death of your father and your disappearance… how do you feel about him, remember answer with the point of view of the people"… the atmosphere grow thick as tension raised in everyone in the room upon hearing king Gustavious's question… Jericho had the look of submission, and all the past experiences he face that day he escorted his father to act as a mediator between the three powers came flashing back, he remembered the look on his father's face, the fear and anger he felt upon seeing them get attacked out of nowhere, and the feeling he had when he realized they will be leaving Jace all alone, a single tear rolled down the face of Jericho as he turned his gaze to the floor, he then felt two hands on each side of his shoulder, it was both Erica and Alice trying to console him, which seemed to be effective as Jericho picked up his head and was ready to give king Gustavious an answer… "to be honest your highness… I felt betrayed and hurt, especially because it was ordered by uncle Leo… but, I was sure of one thing… that's the fact that I know uncle Leo, and I know the kind of person he is, after getting stabbed I knew it wasn't the uncle Leo I knew, something has to be wrong, I didn't want to believe it, I was so angry, but, I still didn't want to believe that was him… finding out the true cause for all that made me feel relieved and thankful I was right… I do not harbor any resentment towards uncle Leo, even before I found out it wasn't really his doing, I still respect and admire him a lot, and that will never change" Jericho responded honestly with his heart in a soothing tone, the tension in the room disappeared as everyone dawned a warm smile, as they all stared at Jericho.. "uh?… what's with the stares?… is something on my face?" said Jericho dusting away on his face, Erica and Alice burst out with a laugh that took Jericho by surprise embarrassing him, the king exchanged a prideful look of approval with lord Monza as they smiled… "I should have expected such answer from someone given the title of the saint prince of Menssai" the king stated with a huge smile… "indeed" lord Monza agreed… "I wish people will stop calling me that… I never actually approve of that title, or know why I was called that (sigh)" ..… "well then stop giving that title more credibility, you are making it difficult for someone not to call you that, with how you constantly do things to justify it" said Erica as everyone smile leaving Jericho to just sigh… "okay enough teasing Jericho for now dear Erica (laughed with a sigh….. "I now see how these two are related" Jericho thought)… Jericho, at my meeting with the other two powers, after informing them of your status, it was truly a shock, especially for king Riko, as for king Leohart he was hopeful I was speaking the truth more than anything else, and very relieved.. (Jericho smiled as he heard that) he asked me to inform you that he would like you to come to Warmark, cause he wants to see you, he wish he could come here himself, but he can't leave his kingdom for the time being, so that was his request (Jericho, Alice and Erica exchanged looks as they thought, this was a huge coincident and opportunity to visit Warmark and assist with the incoming threat without alarming anyone)… I asked you that question not only cause I was worried about Leohart, as I saw how bad he have looked all this years, but also if you would be mentally prepared to see him again… I wanted to access the situation and see if it will be a good idea for the both of you to be meeting this early… with your reply I saw I had nothing to worry about, so now I just want to know one more thing… do you accept his invitation dear Jericho?" the king asked staring, without any hesitation Jericho replied… "I accept your highness, not only because I really want to see uncle Leo but also… (Jericho pulse and looked at both Erica and Alice, who both nodded in approval… king Gustavious stared with curiosity at them)… I think something is going to happen at Warmark very soon, I can't explain it yet to you your highness I really just need you to trust me, as you always have" Jericho expressed his words with a serious tone, king Gustavious gaze moved around the three of them and they all had the same serious look, he then stared at lord Monza whom had a confused look… "hmm… very well, I will leave everything to you then, but you owe me an explanation later yes?" said this king giving his approval… "of course your highness… when are we making our way to Warmark, was a date decided upon?" …... "hmm… let's see… I believe it was decided upon next early week, so that will give us just this week to prepare for the trip" the king answered … "{I see… that's perfect, we will still be there just around the day of the attack, this just made things so much easier}… yes, we will be prepared… I guess am really going to be seeing uncle Leo uh… I truly hope he is doing well" said Jericho with a worried expression… "do not fret Jericho, am sure seeing you will alleviate his new gloomy personality, especially as you have decided to take away the burden he has been carrying for the pass three and a half years" the king responded with a smile… "his majesty is right young prince, seeing you and speaking with you will surely make him finally heal" lord Monza agreed… "indeed… I've taken much of your time young ones, you can all leave to go continue your personal perpetration for the trip among other thing yes" ….. Jericho, Alice and Erica all bowed as they stood up and made their way towards the exit, then lord Monza called for the attention of Alice… "Alice (she got startled as she answered her name)… let's both find time to speak one of these days yes" lord Monza stated, Alice nods in response has she hurried out… "Monza, I see you are finally quitting being stubborn (laugh) it's about time you stop hiding your true feelings you daughter lover (said the king with a laugh, lord Monza tried ignoring him by closing his eyes with a frown)… by the way, what are your thoughts on Jericho" the king asked his prime minister with a smile, hearing the question Lord Monza opened his eyes, staring at the door they exited on and gave a smile… "he hasn't changed at all… he will truly be an amazing ruler when that time comes"…. king Gustavious nods and gave a light smile as he too turned his gaze at the door… "indeed Monza… indeed" he concluded.
"looks like things fell into place for us without having to lift a finger, uh Jericho" Erica stated… "talk about having luck on our side, I was wondering the perfect excuse we could have given to receive permission to travel to Warmark, especially at a time like this… (she glanced at Jericho as he was just silent and looked lost in thought)… hey… Jericho, are you going to be alright seeing his majesty Leohart again, or is it still too soon?" Alice asked after noticing Jericho's sad demeanor, her question finally got his attention as he looked at her and smile before replying… "yes am fine, that really isn't the issue am worried about to be honest (Erica looked at him after realizing what he meant).. i don't know if I will be able to minimize casualties, especially as we are trying not to alarm everyone by not informing them… was just thinking if that was the right choice" he said with a worried expression… "I understand how you feel… giving we do not know how much army to expect from them it will be a bad idea to not inform king Leohart of the eminent danger... I think we should inform them when we get to Warmark but only the important figures, the slingers of Warmark will be very helpful to have depending on the numbers of the enemy" said Erica with a thinking expression, Jericho nods… "we can't play with people's life, we will need all the help we can get… i will inform uncle Leo" Jericho concluded, Erica nods then smiled while staring at Jericho, then the thought of what her father said about being betrothal to Jericho flashed in her head and she quickly looked away and turned red, Alice noticed the reaction of Erica and instantly knew why she was getting that way, and she fell silent as she walked behind them.