Zyric had barely settled down when someone knocked on his door. He had no idea that the king had summoned him to the royal court.
As soon as Zyric heard the knock, he separated the Black Snake's genes from himself and immediately opened the door. Several soldiers were standing outside, waiting to take him with them.
Zyric silently followed the soldiers. After walking for a while, he finally arrived at the royal court, where King Eldric, Prince Edward, and Prince Edgar were present.
After escorting Zyric into the court, the soldiers left. A little while later, several Healers arrived as well, staring at Zyric in astonishment.
Zyric avoided their gazes because he didn't want to make anyone feel inferior. However, there was nothing he could do about their reactions.
Soon, once everyone had gathered, King Eldric rose from his seat and walked over to Zyric.
"Look, boy, there's just one thing I want to know. Did you really sneak into Elysia's room last night?" King Eldric asked.
"Your Majesty, I don't know if you remember, but I told you on the very first day we met that I would cure the princess's eyes. I even promised you that I would keep my word. However, after what happened that day—after I saved everyone—I completely forgot about it. I finally got some time last night, but your soldiers wouldn't let me enter her room. So, I had no other choice. Besides, I don't think anyone would have believed me even if I had tried to explain everything to them at the time. So... I had no other choice."
Zyric explained himself to the king.
"No, what I really want to know is how you managed to climb such a high place in the first place. As far as I know, it's impossible for anyone to climb over the castle walls without the power of beasts, especially powerful ones," King Eldric said, eyeing Zyric suspiciously.
"But, Your Majesty..."
Before Zyric could explain further, Elysia approached and stood beside him.
Zyric immediately looked at her eyes and saw that they had completely healed.
Elysia explained something to her father through gestures.
"Oh, so this boy was the one who helped you. But, dear, you shouldn't trust just anyone so easily. I understand why you trusted him, considering that he saved the entire tribe. However, you mustn't trust others so easily in the future. Understood?" King Eldric said, gently scolding Elysia and warning her against trusting others too readily.
"Your Majesty, this was my fault..."
Before Zyric could say anything more, the king interrupted him.
"It was your fault, indeed. However, you healed my daughter's eyes, and for that, I'll forgive you for sneaking into her room. You may leave for now," King Eldric said.
"By the way, you said you were an orphan who had lost his way, but I'm having trouble understanding what you told me about your sister," the king added.
"My sister and I are both orphans, and the tribe she lives in is very far from here. I ended up here by accident, and I don't even know the way back to my tribe. I also had some of my sister's belongings with me. My sister is a Healer, so she had some medicines, including the one I used to cure Elysia's eyes. I mean, the princess's eyes," Zyric explained.
"Well, whatever happened, it all worked out for the best. Elysia's eyes have healed, and we also managed to escape death," King Eldric said.
They had been on their way to the Five-Star Tribe, which was extremely far away. They had never imagined that such dangerous obstacles would stand in their way during the journey. Nevertheless, they had been prepared to face those dangers to save Elysia's life.
Now, thanks to Zyric, they wouldn't have to deal with those troubles anymore.
After hearing this, Zyric smiled gently and said, "Alright, Your Majesty. I'll be going now."
With that, Zyric began to leave. However, Prince Edward and Prince Edgar appeared in front of him the next moment.
"By the way, we're going to practice. You can come with us if you want. Do you know how to use a sword?" Prince Edward asked.
"Swordsmanship...? No, I've never even held a sword before," Zyric replied awkwardly.
After all, the two princes were known for being extremely rude, yet they were speaking to him so politely now.
"Alright, no problem. Come with us, then. You can watch us and learn," Prince Edward and Prince Edgar said.
Zyric began walking alongside them.
He felt uncomfortable talking to the two princes, which was understandable considering that he had already witnessed their terrifying sides and knew just how frightening they could be. They wouldn't hesitate to kill someone if it meant protecting their sister.
Their unusually polite behaviour made Zyric feel even more uncomfortable.
"By the way, Zyric, tell me something. You're probably around Elysia's age, right? You must be fourteen, fifteen, or sixteen at most. Do you have a Fuzan Vault?" Edgar whispered into Zyric's ear.
"What are you talking about? If I'm that young, how could I possibly have a Fuzan Vault? You can only generate one after turning twenty, right?" Zyric replied.
"Exactly! But that's the point. If you're already this powerful at your age, just imagine what you'll be capable of after generating your Fuzan Vault!" Edgar said.
Zyric had no idea that his simple answer had just made the two princes even more interested in him.