The group became calmer upon hearing Hemera's request. "Archer, can you introduce me to the other girls? We didn't have a chance to do it earlier," she asked.
Archer nodded in agreement and proceeded to introduce them. "This is Teuila Aquaria, the girl with the blue hair. The blonde is Ella, and the girl with pink hair is Nefertiti Sharifi."
The girls smiled at her, but Hemera noticed Nefertiti's unease and decided to address it. ''Why are you looking at me like that?''
Hemera smiled as she replied. ''Well, it's not every day that I get to meet a princess from the south, the daughter of Emperor Amkhu Sharifi and Empress Hatshepsut Sharifi.''
The elf chuckled as Nefertiti narrowed her eyes. She then shared how she knew about the girl's background.
"I recall when your mother, Hatshepsut, visited our academy around 30 years ago. We were both 15 at the time. She was delightful and had a charming personality. It's remarkable to see how much you look like her. You're 18 years old now, right?"
Nefertiti's eyes widened as she recalled her mother mentioning a sun elf she had met during their childhood.
They used to study together when Hatshepsut visited the Solari Empire for a couple of years. It was at that moment she asked, "Are you the Hemi my mother told me about?"
Hemera beamed with a big smile as she remembered her old friend and was delighted to learn that Hatshepsut had spoken about her to her children.
The two of them started chatting as Archer heard Hemera's friend, Eleni speak to him. "You all seem really close. How long have you been friends?"
He looked at the blue-haired girl and was about to reply when Sera spoke up with a smile. "Well, we are friends, except for Moody Nefi, who just puts up with us. But we all are his."
She pointed at Archer, and the three girls' eyes widened as Helen asked a question. "Are you all in the same relationship with him?''
Ella nodded her head, and the others followed suit, causing the three girls to view Archer as some kind of playboy.
The three girls exchanged judgmental glances at him, their eyes filled with disapproval and disgust.
Their silent stares made it evident that they held some preconceived notions about him. It was Ariadne who finally broke the silence, her voice dripping with disdain.
"Archer, you really disgust me," she declared, her tone laced with contempt. "You're nothing but a playboy, and I can already tell you'll treat these girls terribly."
Her words hung in the air, casting a heavy shadow over the group. The atmosphere grew tense as the girls awaited Archer's response, their expressions a mix of scorn and hatred for some reason.
Ariadne's voice grew louder, her frustration apparent as she launched into a passionate rant. Her words spilled out with conviction, each sentence dripping with disdain.
"Men like you are absolutely disgusting!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with righteous anger. "You think you can just use and discard women as if they were mere objects. It's despicable!"
Her words echoed through the air, capturing the attention of those around them.
The atmosphere grew tense as she continued her tirade, her voice resonating with a mix of anger and disappointment.
"You have brainwashed them into thinking they have a connection to you, but I've seen it all before," she continued, her tone cutting like a knife. "Men like you only care about satisfying your own selfish desires and needs. You don't truly value or respect the women you claim to be involved with."
Archer stared at the girl with narrowed eyes before replying with a shit-eating grin on his face. ''You're just angry that I didn't look at you. I haven't forced anyone into anything, each girl is here out of their own free will. Ask them little miss high and mighty.''
Sera and Teuila giggled when they heard his reply, but Ella started watching the girls as Nefertiti stopped talking to Hemera and her pink eyes glowed as she heard the way the girl was talking to Archer.
The tension in the carriage escalated as Ariadne's anger intensified. Her voice became sharper, her words biting with fury as she continued to lecture Archer.
However, before the situation could escalate even further, Hemera abruptly cut in. Her voice carried a firm edge as she addressed Ariadne, her tone laced with warning.
"Ariadne, cut this shit out right now," Hemera asserted, her voice commanding. "If you don't, I swear I'll throw you out of this carriage."
Despite Hemera's warning, Ariadne's anger seemed unrelenting. She stepped forward, her eyes fixed on Archer, and a look of anger etched across her face.
It was clear she intended to confront him directly, perhaps even resort to violence due to her frustration with his seemingly annoying smile getting to her.
Just as Ariadne was about to get closer, seemingly ready to act on her anger, Nefertiti appeared out of nowhere.
Her sudden appearance startled everyone in the carriage, freezing them in their tracks.
Nefertiti's voice rang out with restrained anger as she addressed Ariadne, her words carrying a clear message. "No one is allowed to hurt or insult our husband."
Without hesitation, she swiftly delivered a powerful backhand to the girl, the force of the strike sending her stumbling backward.
The carriage fell into stunned silence as the consequences of Ariadne's actions reverberated through the carriage.
Helen rushed over to Ariadne and noticed her rubbing her cheek, the expression of anger fading from her face.
She looked up, her gaze meeting the pink-haired girl who observed her with an intimidating look.
Quickly averting her eyes as Eleni, spoke up. "Ariadne, I'm sorry, but you deserved that. You have no right to judge him, and from what I can see, the girls are happy and not coerced into being with him."
The carriage fell into silence as Nefertiti settled back into her seat, her gaze fixed on the girl who had finally got up and sat down.
At that moment, Archer broke the silence as he handed over her book and spoke "I learned that spell it will be very helpful in the future. How did you come up with it?" he inquired.
Hemera's focus shifted from the recent drama to Archer's question. With a smile, she took the book back and eagerly began to explain. "It's an ancient Solari spell that was lost for a long time. I spent ten years researching and gathering information from different books to recreate it. And now, you're able to use it."
Archer noticed her words overflowed with pride and a sense of achievement as she shared the story of rediscovering the long-forgotten spell.
Her enthusiasm made him smile as he spoke. ''Thank you for letting me learn it Hemera. If you like I'll show you my library when we arrive at the capital.''
"That would be amazing," Hemera answered with a smile.
Everyone fell silent and relaxed as they continued their journey. The carriage traversed the winding road, and Archer leaned back against the plush seat, his gaze wandering out the window.
The sight of the lush forest on one side and the serene lake on the other filled him with a sense of peace.
The gentle breeze carried a hint of the forest's refreshing and invigorating scent. However, his tranquility was abruptly disrupted when his Aura Detector detected hundreds of pings surrounding the caravan.
Archer turned to the girls and explained what was happening, leaving them shocked. He quickly ran outside and was greeted by the same creatures they had encountered before.
Only this time, there were massive hulking Rats and waves upon waves of Rat-lings. He activated his scanning ability to gather information about the creatures.
Name: Blightborn
Rank: C
Name: Rat-Ogres
Rank: C
Name: Rat-lings
Rank: E
As the threat of the Blightborn, Rat-Ogres, and Rat-lings became apparent, a sense of urgency permeated the air.
The Solari soldiers, well-trained and disciplined, immediately sprang into action, forming a tight formation with interlocking shields that created an impenetrable wall of defense.
Their gleaming armor reflected the sunlight, a testament to their preparedness, they wielded long spears that they used to stab incoming enemies.
The teacher decided to help the soldiers while keep the students in the carriages for now, as most of them are asleep or really tired.
Archer's eyes narrowed as he assessed the situation. He turned to the girls. "You girls, stay here and help out the soldiers. Sera and I will thin out the horde."
The girls nodded in agreement, their expressions determined as they prepared to support the soldiers.
They kept a watchful eye on Archer. However, right after speaking, Archer swiftly disappeared from their sight, utilizing his Blink ability to teleport to an empty area.
In a hushed voice, he whispered, "Draco."
A bright light caused everyone to turn their attention toward it, and a massive white dragon appeared out of nowhere, alongside a smaller red one who was bouncing around.
Archer took a deep breath and unleashed a stream of violet flames that slammed into the horde of creatures.
[A/N - Leave some comments, power stones, and gifts. It all helps support the book. Artwork in the comments or discord]
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