INFINITE - 36
The mages dressed in elegant robes.
Everything felt grand.
Everything felt amazing.
Meanwhile, Bell simply followed along quietly.
And beside him, Juro casually walked forward with his hands behind his head, looking as though he had just returned from a pleasant morning stroll rather than a battle in the skies.
..
Then a woman appeared from among the knights and mages.
Noria immediately noticed her and called out, "Mother!"
She hurried toward her, and her mother rushed to meet her, wrapping her in a tight embrace.
"Thank goodness you're alright, my dear. I'm so happy to see you safe."
Noria nodded and hugged her back before stepping away slightly.
"It's thanks to them that Heth and I are okay."
She then introduced them.
Marc immediately bowed deeply toward Noria's mother.
"I'm Marc!"
Noria's mother leaned closer and whispered to Noria.
"Why was his bow so low?"
Noria simply smiled and let out a soft chuckle.
"That's just who he is."
As she said that, Noria's mother noticed the expression on her daughter's face whenever she looked at Marc, causing her to smile softly to herself.
Juro gently nodded his head.
"Greetings. You may call me Juro."
Bell also bowed politely.
"And I'm Bell. It's a pleasure to be here."
"Yes! The castle is so big, it's cool!" Marc added excitedly.
Noria's mother smiled and bowed slightly in return.
"I'm Noria's mother. You may call me Heler, and thank you for protecting my daughter."
Juro smiled and waved his hand dismissively.
"It's fine, Queen Heler. It was our pleasure to help."
Heth then bowed before Heler.
"Now I must go and report to the king."
He turned to the three of them.
"Please stay for a while. There will be servants to guide you as you wait."
Juro nodded and told Bell and Marc to simply follow the servants.
Noria wanted to accompany them, but she knew she had to meet her father first, so she followed Heler to see the king.
…
Meanwhile, back at the field where the carriage had landed, one of the knight commanders approached the lead knight.
"Nord... what happened to your sword? Why is it gone? Did you lose it?"
Soon, one of the Mage Magisters walked over and asked Nord where the lead mage was.
Nord lowered himself into a deep bow and explained everything that had happened.
The knight commander lowered his gaze and patted Nord's shoulder.
"You two carried out the mission well. I'll personally report this to His Majesty and see that you receive proper recognition."
The Mage Magister agreed and even praised the surviving mages for remaining steadfast despite the death of their leader.
..
Meanwhile, inside the castle, Bell, Marc, and Juro followed one of the servants and were guided to a room where they could wait.
Bell and Juro sat comfortably on the couches, but Marc couldn't stay still. He wandered around the room in amazement.
"Woaaah... the castle's so big... and these couches are so pretty."
Juro laughed.
"Hahaha, you're really that amazed, huh?"
Marc nodded enthusiastically.
"Mhm! Noria has a really lovely house."
…
Heth approached the king. Noria and Heler arrived just in time and stood beside him.
Noria stepped forward and bowed respectfully before walking to Heth's side.
The King of Nerlarnd smiled warmly.
"Noria, I'm glad you've returned safely."
Noria smiled back.
"Thank you, Father."
The king then turned his attention to Heth and asked what had happened.
Heth filled him in on the details while Noria quietly stood beside him.
"So this group of three helped the two of you?" the King of Nerlarnd asked.
Noria nodded.
"Yes, Father. They really helped us return safely."
The King of Nerlarnd nodded thoughtfully.
"Then it would only be fitting that I reward them."
He then looked at Heth.
"Bring them in. I'd like to see the faces of those who helped you and my daughter."
Heth simply bowed and turned to fetch the three of them.
Meanwhile, the king gently patted Noria's head.
"I'm glad you weren't hurt."
Heler walked beside her daughter and smiled.
"Did something fun happen?"
Noria turned toward her parents and began telling them about her experiences with Marc.
As they listened, both Heler and the king smiled softly.
"I could tell he was an honest child from the first time I saw him," Heler said.
"He seems to be quite an interesting young man. His love for magic is very clear," the king added with a smile.
A few moments later, Heth returned with the three following behind him.
Marc continued looking around with a bright smile on his face. Juro was trying to hold back a yawn, while Bell simply walked calmly beside them.
Soon, they arrived before the royal family and bowed in greeting.
Well, almost all of them.
Marc's bow was exaggeratedly deep, causing Noria and Heler to quietly chuckle while the king blinked in confusion.
"(ᵕ•_•) Uh... you may raise your heads," the king said.
"I thank the three of you for escorting my daughter back safely to the kingdom."
His gaze shifted toward Juro.
"And especially you, for driving away those unknown mages. May I know your name?"
Juro simply smiled casually.
"You may call me Juro."
The king slightly smiled to himself.
'Hoh... quite bold. Such a casual way of speaking to a king.'
He then turned his attention toward Bell.
Bell noticed and gave a respectful bow.
"My name's Bell, Your Majesty."
The king inwardly mused again.
'Hoh... even the boy is slightly more formal than the adult. Yet he's bold enough to tell me only his first name... Though Heth did mention that the children are like students to that man...'
Bell inwardly grimaced.
'Augh... I know that sounded bold... but forgive me because... I don't even know my last name... The system never showed me one...'
Normally, when introducing oneself to a king or a person of high rank, one would state their full name as a sign of respect. There were exceptions, of course, such as those who possessed only one name, or those who deliberately wished to keep their surname hidden.
Marc looked between Bell and Juro and noticed that both had only introduced themselves by their first names.
So naturally, he decided to do the same.
The king turned toward him.
Marc immediately lowered his head far too much.
"Ah! Hello, Your Majesty! My name's Marc!"
The king stared for a moment.
'(= – =;) ...Why does he bow so low...?'
"Ahem. Raise your head."
Marc quickly straightened himself.
"Juro, Bell, and Marc. Once again, I thank the three of you. Is there anything you'd like as a reward? If it's within reason, I shall do what I can."
Just as the king finished speaking..
Grrrrrr...
A loud stomach growl echoed throughout the room.
Heth, Juro, and Bell immediately turned toward Princess Noria.
Noria's eyes widened.
"W-Wait, it wasn't me!"
Then..
"Aha... I guess the trip made me a little hungry..." Marc admitted sheepishly.
The room fell silent.
Juro laughed and looked at the king.
"Then, Your Majesty, for our reward, we'd like a grand breakfast."
Both the king and Heler were caught off guard.
Usually, people asked for gold, treasures, titles, or rare items. They hadn't expected someone to ask for breakfast as a reward.
Noria and Heth, however, weren't surprised in the slightest. Both merely smiled.
Bell also smiled to himself.
'Good timing...'
The king nodded.
"Then as you wish. Heth, inform the cooks to prepare a grand meal."
Heth bowed.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
As he passed Juro, the two exchanged amused smiles.
Marc looked up at his teacher.
"Teacher Juro, is it really alright to use the reward just for breakfast?"
Juro waved his hands with a grin.
"It's fine, it's fine. I'm starving too after beating those unknown mages. Hehe, I'm gonna go all out stuffing my belly. You should use this opportunity to eat some premium food."
Bell chimed in with a smile.
"He's right. Just enjoy the food."
Marc nodded happily.
The king then looked toward Juro.
"Sir Juro, may I have a moment with you?"
Juro turned around.
"Hm? Sure."
Meanwhile, Heler and Noria moved over to Bell and Marc.
"Noria! You have such a big and cool house! The walls look pretty!" Marc exclaimed.
Noria let out a small laugh.
"Pft, thanks, Marc."
Heler then suggested that they all find somewhere to sit, and so everyone except Juro left the throne room.
Standing before the king, Juro casually asked,
"What'd ya wanna talk about?"
The king chuckled at his unbothered attitude.
"Excuse me. Anyways, I simply wished to ask if there were any signs that might tell us where those unknown mages came from."
Juro thought for a moment before shrugging.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I've seen them before."
Then his eyes sharpened slightly.
"But I can assure you of one thing."
"The mages that chased your daughter... they're not with us anymore."
The king stared at him for a moment.
Then Juro casually turned around and walked toward the exit with a smile on his face.
The king smiled to himself.
"Now I understand why Heth recommended you."
Not long after, Juro caught up with Bell, Marc, Noria, and Heler. The group chatted while waiting for breakfast to be prepared.
Curious, Heler looked at the three guests.
"So, what are your goals?"
Juro simply shrugged.
"Travel around."
Bell answered next.
"To..."
For a brief second, he paused.
"...to become a great mage."
Though he quickly hid his hesitation, Heler merely smiled.
"Ooo, those are wonderful goals."
She then turned toward Marc.
"And what about you, Marc?"
Marc's face immediately lit up with excitement.
"To become a great mage with Bell and Teacher Juro! And adventure around with them!"
He continued enthusiastically.
"Then we'll discover new magic, new spells, new mana, new places! We'll visit different villages, try different foods, and see all sorts of things together! We'll explore everything! And, and then!"
Marc continued rambling excitedly about all the things he wanted to do.
But above all else, every dream he spoke of involved Bell and Juro being there with him.
Heler and Noria listened with soft smiles.
Even Bell couldn't help but smile.
And Juro simply chuckled quietly to himself.
Time passed surprisingly quickly amidst the cheerful conversation.
Soon, one of the servants approached them and bowed.
"Your breakfast is ready."
And with that, the group was escorted toward the dining hall.