Chapter 24: You Again?!
All these people have awakened the Dragon Force, but Liz hasn't?
Will turned his head and gave Liz a strange look. He truly couldn't sense that miraculous power within her. He was a firm believer in things like metaphysics and destiny, so in his view, Liz, as the founding ruler of the Dragonite Kingdom, should have been a major protagonist of this era, or at the very least, an incredibly important character. And yet, a character like that hadn't awakened the Dragon Force?
Will found it a little disappointing. If Liz had awakened the Dragon Force, it might have accelerated his growth or even enhanced his combat power.
This evening's banquet was, in reality, a way to introduce Will to the clan members, but also to put their minds at ease. In the current era, where Beast-Callers held a high status, Liz, as the ruler of a nation, could command many of the beasts within her kingdom, but none of them were her own. For the time being, this might not have a huge impact. But over time, some people would inevitably become dissatisfied, wondering why someone who wasn't even a Beast-Caller should be the ruler of a nation.
Ambitious individuals might even arise, seeking to usurp the throne with the power of their own beasts. At that time, Liz could face a crisis. If Liz were to fall, then the Dragon Clan, as the former royal family, would certainly not be treated kindly by a new king and might even be uprooted entirely.
Because of this, many members of the Dragon Clan had long felt uneasy about the matter.
But now, things were different. Liz had begun to raise her own beast. Although she was getting a late start, with the abundant resources she had at her disposal, catching up wouldn't be a problem. The only thing they couldn't be sure of now was the potential of this beast cub, and whether it would be powerful in the future.
The banquet continued. The events that followed had little to do with Will. Liz, rarely seeing the elders of her clan, had to go and greet each of them and learn from their experience. Will found it all incredibly boring and kept struggling in Liz's arms, wanting to get away.
"Hestia."
"Yes, my lady."
"Take Lan to have some milk. The little one is probably hungry."
Liz transferred Will from her arms into those of her personal maid. She had misinterpreted Will's struggles as hunger.
"Of course. I'll take Lord Lan right away."
Hestia took Will and carried him towards a nearby dining table. A high-quality dairy product like Moomoo Milk was available on every table at a banquet like this; there was no need to fetch it from elsewhere.
"Lord Lan, please wait here obediently."
Hestia gently placed Will on the table, then picked up a small bowl to fill with Moomoo Milk. Although Hestia had been rough with Will when they first met, for Liz's sake, she was now very respectful and attentive.
Unfortunately, Will wasn't hungry at all. He was just bored and wanted to wander around.
I'm gonna go for a stroll. See ya, sis.
While Hestia was pouring the milk and wasn't looking, Will leaped off the table. A fall from this height wouldn't cause any harm, even to an infant Pokémon. The moment he landed, Will ducked under the long tablecloth, preventing Hestia from spotting him immediately.
But after he got under, he was startled by a small face that suddenly appeared before him.
"You again?! Weren't you sleeping?"
Will's heart nearly leaped out of his chest as he stared at the stoic girl. Iris looked like she had just woken up. Her hair was a mess, and she was still wearing the same sky-blue princess dress from that afternoon.
"..."
Iris looked at the "mewing" Will before her, an expression of confusion on her face. Suddenly, she scooped him up and wrapped him in the skirt of her dress.
The next moment, the tablecloth was pulled aside, and Hestia's anxious face appeared.
"Princess Iris? What are you doing here? Have you by any chance seen a light-blue beast?"
Hestia was a little confused, but it was clear her main concern was the missing Will. If he truly disappeared due to her negligence, she would be in big trouble.
"..."
Iris shook her head. Her small hands, clutching the hem of her dress, tightened slightly.
Will had no idea what was happening outside and struggled frantically, causing the bundle of her skirt to move.
"...Princess Iris?" A glint appeared in Hestia's eyes. She raised an eyebrow, looking at the wiggling, mewing, and trembling bundle of dress.
"I don't know anything," Iris said stubbornly, shaking her head again.
"Princess Iris, please hand over Lord Lan at once. He hasn't had his dinner yet. He won't grow big and strong!"
Who was Hestia? The chief maid of the Dragonite Kingdom was a figure who dared to sternly reprimand even Queen Liz herself. What was a little princess in comparison?
"...Oh."
Iris wasn't afraid of Hestia. She only relented when she heard that Will hadn't had his dinner. She lowered her skirt, allowing Will to escape.
"What do you want!" Will scurried out and looked at Iris, completely baffled. He really couldn't figure out the intentions of a stoic girl like her. It was impossible to understand.
"Your Highness, why did you do that?" Hestia was also curious about what Iris was thinking and asked.
"He's cute. I want him."
"..." x2
Will and Hestia were both rendered speechless. So, there was no complex reason. Iris had done it simply because she thought a Dratini was cute and wanted to be close to it.
"But he is Her Majesty's partner. I cannot give him to you, Your Highness," Hestia explained patiently while bringing over a bowl of milk to feed Will.
Will originally didn't want to drink it, but Hestia had already shoved the bowl in his face. He was afraid that if he didn't drink it, the bowl would end up dumped on his head.
"...I'll go talk to my aunt," Iris said naively, then walked towards Liz in the crowd.
"Uh, I would advise against that," Hestia said, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.
Having grown up with Liz, Hestia knew the Queen's personality very well. Things she didn't care about, she could give away freely. But things she did care about, she would clutch tightly in her hand, even if the back of it was beaten black and blue. She was certain that Liz would absolutely never give Lan to Iris. There was zero possibility.
But Iris didn't listen at all and stubbornly ran up to Liz to ask. A minute later, she came running back, her eyes brimming with tears.
"You see? What did I tell you..." Hestia shook her head, not surprised in the slightest.
She finished feeding Will the milk and was about to get a napkin to wipe his mouth. But in the brief moment she turned to get the napkin, she turned back to find that Iris was now hugging Will and sobbing.
Iris's tears and snot were smeared all over Will's body. And the milk on Will's mouth and nose was smeared all over Iris's princess dress.
Hestia's cheek twitched as she watched the scene. The napkin fell from her hand, and her arms dropped limply to her sides. She felt as if her entire world was collapsing.