Chapter 454 A Blessing Or A Curse
While Ethan and Nicole were having breakfast, several Wizards and Witches were hard at work to restore the beauty of the Palace Gardens.
The damage that Ethan caused during the Knight and Seek game was pretty extensive.
The five fountains had been completely destroyed, and only a big hole filled with water could be seen in its location.
Those who specialized in Earth Magic all worked together to block up these holes and fix the damage in their surroundings.
Rebuilding the fountains took time, so Edmond decided to do it after the Ballroom Party.
Since the main event was being held in the Event Hall, it would be good enough even if they only used the West Gardens for those who wanted to gather and socialize outside of the Palace.
While the restoration project was being done outside, the last-minute adjustments for the party were in full swing.
Almost all the maids in the Palace, with the exception of Mary and Sue, were busy making last-minute changes
There were certain things that Edmond had added in order to bolster the defenses of the interior of the Palace just in case something unexpected were to happen.
He already knew that after the incident that happened last night during the Knight and Seek game, the Nobles would either be impressed or hate Ethan even more for what he had done.
Fortunately, the Grand Archmage had forbidden the two teenagers from appearing anywhere in the palace, which allowed the young Nobles to cool their heads, especially those who had been defeated during the event.
King Austen was also busy sorting out his personal collection of magical artifacts.
Although the event had ended prematurely, it didn’t change the fact that Ethan and Nicole had won it by default.
Since that was the case, he would need to reward the two teenagers for their victory, which was why he was organizing his collection, which he hadn’t touched for years.
Of course, he didn’t add any of the dangerous or cursed magical artifacts to his collection.
The last thing he wanted to do was to harm the two promising talents of his Kingdom, whom Edmond believed would become the future Pillars of Eastshire.
Suddenly, his wife, Queen Evane, entered the room with a smile.
“Hey, can I meet with those two children from Brynhildr Academy?” Queen Evane asked.
“Why are you asking me for permission?” King Austen arched an eyebrow. “You are the Queen. You are free to do whatever you want.”
“I just heard that they were under Room Arrest, so I thought that they were not allowed to meet with guests,” Queen Evane replied.
“That is true for the Noble Families, but you are the Queen,” King Austen said with a smile. “You can go wherever you want here in the Palace.”
Queen Evane nodded. “Good. Do you want me to invite them to have lunch with us?”
King Austen glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and saw that there were still at least two hours before lunch.
“Sounds like a good plan,” King Austen replied. “I’ll join you as soon as I finish sorting my stuff. There are a few things here that are too dangerous for the two of them to use.”
Queen Evane then gave her husband a light peck on the cheeks before heading towards the Guest Rooms where Ethan and Nicole were currently staying.
However, when she arrived at her destination, she realized that there was another person who had also come to visit their two guests.
“Good Day, Your Majesty,” the Patriarch of the Asta Family, Oscar Asta, bowed his head respectfully when he met the Queen in the hallway.
Queen Evane’s mood immediately turned sour after seeing one of the Nobles from the Military Faction.
However, she didn’t let it show on her face, having been used to keeping her poker face at the ready whenever she was out in public.
“Good Day, Sir Asta,” Queen Evane gave the man a brief nod of acknowledgment. “Are you perhaps here to visit our two Honorary Knights?”
“That was my intention, Your Majesty,” Oscar replied. “Are you perhaps on your way to see them too?”
Queen Evane nodded. “Yes. Would you like to join me?”
She already had a guess on why Oscar wanted to meet Ethan and Nicole, but she kept this to herself. For now, she decided to just accompany the Old Man so that he wouldn’t do or say anything funny while meeting the two teenagers.
“I would love to, Your Majesty,” Oscar placed his hand over his chest and bowed respectfully. “After you.”
The Patriarch of the Asta Family moved aside, allowing the Queen of the Kingdom to pass.
Queen Evane didn’t plan to delay her meeting with Ethan and Nicole, so she walked ahead, with Oscar trailing several steps behind her.
When they arrived at their destination, the Head Maid of the palace knocked on the door to inform the occupants of the Queen’s Arrival.
Of course, the two teenagers didn’t hesitate to welcome the Queen together.
However, when Nicole’s gaze landed on Oscar, the smile on her face stiffened.
Oscar looked at the young lady who was part of his family with a calm gaze before shifting his attention to the handsome young man standing beside her.
‘So this is that boy that Luca was talking about.’ Oscar gave the young man an appraising look.
Luca was one of the candidates who had challenged the same Dungeon as Nicole during the Heir Wars.
Unfortunately, he was forced to abandon the trial halfway due to the Dungeon Outbreak.
Even so, he still shared the news of what happened to their Patriarch, which piqued Oscar’s interest.
As one of the Knights of the Kingdom, he knew full well how difficult it was to defend a city against a Dungeon Outbreak.
Because of this, he made sure to remember Ethan’s name.
After being invited to the Palace by the King to celebrate Ethan’s and Nicole’s awarding ceremony, Oscar decided to clear his schedule so that he could come to the palace.
He arrived an hour after the Knight and Seek game had ended and was told by his peers what had happened.
As one who had spent the prime of his life on the battlefield, a single glance was enough to tell him that the boy in front of him wasn’t simple.
In fact, he could feel a great danger lurking inside the depths of his eyes, which could only be sensed by people like him whose hands were covered in blood.
‘I heard from the reports that he managed to return to the present after being sent to the past through a Nexus,’ Oscar mused as he continued to observe the young man, who was currently having a friendly chat with the Queen of Eastshire.
‘It seems that Nicole managed to bring a strong ally to help her in the Heir Wars. I wonder if this will have an effect on the outcome of the selection for the next Heir.’
Oscar didn’t believe one bit that Nicole would win the Heir Wars, especially since there were two Monsters that dominated the rankings of the Asta Family.
She might be competent and resourceful, but she was still too young and too inexperienced to fight against her older cousins, who had spent a lot of time hunting the most notorious criminals that threatened the peace of the Kingdom of Eastshire.
‘Well, then. I guess there is something to look forward to in tomorrow's event,’ Oscar thought. ‘Ethan Gremorny, I wonder if you are a blessing or a curse to our kingdom.’
Oscar could feel it in his bones that the young man before him could either help Eastshire prosper and grow stronger or be one of the people responsible for its destruction.
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