Chapter 229: Chapter 197: Time to meet the King.

Whether it was in my past life or my life now in Peolynca, I could for sure say that I’d never been arrested by a law official before. Sure, I caused some trouble and got scolded by my parents, and now Saori, but I never explicitly broke the law. At least, I didn’t do so intentionally.

Well, unfortunately, the knights who escorted me to their order’s garrison in the noble district for an interrogation weren’t of the same opinion, and they weren’t too thrilled to do this during the middle of the night. They accused me of two crimes. First, unlawful entry into Griffonpeak without prior registration by a gatekeeper, which applied to commoners, nobles, and foreign priestesses. Pretty much everybody had to do it if they didn’t have a proper permit.

And, my second crime … was not being a part of the mages guild while possessing custom spells they’d never heard of. They even made me explain what they did to make sure.

I knew I had forgotten something! This is why you shouldn’t speak without your lawyer! Verdammt!

The “lawyer” occupation wasn’t a thing; you would receive a representative if you were a noble, but there weren’t any available in the middle of the night. Nevermind how I forgot how to handle these interrogations according to the crime shows I watched. The nerves struck me since this was my first time being arrested. I was a good girl, I was not a criminal. I didn’t want to get scolded!

Anyway, so what exactly happened after the knights brought me in to interrogate me? Well, first they took Ellaine to the infirmary after I told them her identity. Since Ellaine’s ID was destroyed during the fight with Astalos, much like Grimnir’s when he fought the volchark, they had to confirm my words with her parents.

Speaking of IDs, Grimnir got a new one from the hunter’s guild, although it was simple. I figured I could petition Count Helvas if he could sponsor two more royalty-only IDs for my two new companions. The yeast contract Saori made with his wife should give us some leverage.

About my ID, I handed it over to them once I hid the sensitive information. That was when they cited the crimes I committed. I told them I knew I was sneaking into Griffonpeak unannounced, but it was an emergency since Ellaine was injured. I even used my priestess status to tell them, “It is my duty as a priestess to aid somebody who aided me, for I would sin in front of the Goddess, if I hadn’t.” It got them to loosen up a bit … until the person who was looking at my ID told everybody about my custom spells.

Now, I hadn’t thought this would have been problematic, at first. I hide my dragon skills while leaving [White Flames] and [Corrosive Fire] open to see, since they didn’t implicate me as a follower of Danterno. Even for my spells, I had good excuses, in my opinion.

[Unheilige Engel] and [Symphonie des Feuergottes] were German translated into Common, and since Tasianna’s custom spells were written in Elven, I thought I could just say I made them in Loatryx. [Sanctified Blaze] and its derivative, [Halo of Consecration], were holy spells, the Goddess’s miracles, you could say. If I learned these spells from my homeland, it shouldn’t be a problem. They couldn’t incriminate me with this.

Well … there was a reason the old man in heaven told me to not lie. Lies get your tail bitten.

“I apologize, Lady Priestess, but while you are in lands owned by us humans, you must register yourself as a mage at a mages guild branch. Aleistunum handles everything related to magic through their guilds. The Kingdom of Artorias follows their regulations to prevent mages from causing trouble. Any custom spells, regardless if they are legal in your homeland, must be registered at the mages guild.”

That was when the words of my mage master, Master Kushlek’zar, came back like a hammer swinging.

‘And do not forget, once you get the chance to register at a mages guild, do it promptly! Register yourself as a mage and display your spells! It is illegal for mages to go around with unregistered custom spells in these lands.’

… Oh crap, I forgot.

Thankfully, they seemed to believe me when I apologized profusely for forgetting, but I still wouldn’t come out of this without some punishment. Unlawful entry into the King’s city and in possession of unregistered spells. I shuddered.

And that was when a guardian angel arrived.

“I am Count Andre Helvas, knight alumni of the Order of the Lionheart. This is High Bishop Theodore from the Firwood temple. We have come to escort Lady Hestia Atsuko and my daughter, Ellaine Fiero Helvas, to his Majesty’s palace.”

It was none other than Ellaine’s father. With his and Theodore’s help, I was let go without facing any criminal charges.

“Greetings, Lady Hestia, it has been a while.” Count Helvas, who looked as if he just woke up, bowed and asked me what happened to Ellaine. Excluding the demon stuff, my explanation caused the count to sigh deeply.

“Dammit, I knew this could have happened. As a father, I should have come over the moment I heard Marianne tell me that Ellaine wanted to become an adventurer,” Count Helvas said with an ill-looking face.

With us being late by two weeks and seeing how dangerous the lifestyle of an adventurer was, I could fully sympathize with his worry. Looking at him made me instantly put aside all the bad opinions I had of him just so I could apologize.

I should have been Aurora’s top combatant. I should have done more instead of being stunned by Asterios. Ellaine’s near-death experience could have been avoided if I had fought better.

He frowned. “Did she fight well? Has my daughter’s fighting ability improved?”

Ellaine’s contribution against Asterios was minimal, she couldn’t do much since her weapon couldn’t penetrate his scales if they hadn’t been corroded by my [Unheilige Engel]. Nevertheless, she fought bravely and she definitely improved under Yorshka’s short tutelage.

“Yes. Yes, she did.”

Count Helvas nodded after picking his daughter up from the infirmary, where he said, “… That is good to hear, thank you.” I could then hear him whisper, “I’m sorry for not giving you more of my attention, my little girl” into Ellaine’s ears. I turned away.

We then left the order building, mounting on Count Helvas’s griffon. When I greeted the B rank monster, I swore its eyes were telling me he had already recognized me from back then. Considering I was hiding behind a bush when I saw Count Helvas leave his fief, this griffon must have had really good eyesight.

“Let us meet at the temple again, Lady Hestia. I pray it will be without any disturbances.” Theodore returned to the temple after seeing us off. Our destination was the Artorian King’s palace.

Apparently, the reason why I got out scot-free was due to Theodore sending a manatech bird to inform the people at the palace about my arrest, since he guessed I wouldn’t want to show my [Princess] title to anybody who wasn’t already in on it. He then made his way over to Count Helvas, knowing he was once a knight trained by the Order of the Lionheart.

There, Bishop Theodore woke the Count up before a knight came to ask them about Ellaine’s identity. Once confirmed, Theodore and Count Helvas flew over to the building with the griffon. They also got a missive just in time from the palace, pardoning me from my charges. Still, I did feel bad for everybody who got themselves involved. Apologizing to everybody, to every single knight who was involved, just made me feel embarrassed.

I really should go to the mages guild with Saori and Tasianna soon …

Once at the palace, a butler greeted and led us to a guest room, saying it would be best if I rested for the night. Due to the bureaucratic process, Ellaine wasn’t allowed to return home to her family, so we laid to rest in the room next to mine. Once I said goodbye to the Count, I was about to slip into my bed before a elderly maid entered my room.

Ellaine couldn’t go home with Count Helvas yet, as the palace ordered him to let her stay here since the bureaucratic process wasn’t over just yet. Tucked into a room right next to mine, I told Count Helvas goodbye and was about to go to bed when an older maid entered the room.

“Lady Hestia, my name is Vianna, head caretaker of the royal children. Allow me to serve you while you remain here in the royal palace.” Her skin and hair were showing signs of age, but the energy she showed with her smile and eyes was a far cry from what an elderly woman should show.

After I finished my introduction in response, she clapped her hands and three maids entered the room. “Now, Lady Hestia, the night is nearly over but you must still enjoy a good night’s rest. For that, we must cleanse you from the dust and sweat of your journey here. Quality of sleep is of the utmost importance.”

Working together like a well-oiled machine, the three women undressed me and took me into the bath without a single delay, performing various task from skin care to massages. Honestly, I felt like I was in a spa. My skin felt cleaner, my scales shiner, my tail and wings were relaxed, and my hair was untangled and straightened. These women were professionals!

After tucked my wings away using [Humanizae], I took out my pajamas from my storage and the four helped me into it. Nearly everything I did was handled by the maids. I was already used to it from my stay at Ellaine’s home in Firwood, but I actually felt pampered now. As expected from the royal family’s attendants.

The moment I lay on the bed, the soft pillows just took me directly into dreamland. The physical exhaustion of flying over to Griffonpeak without a single break and the mental fatigue of worrying about Ellaine had taken their toll. When I woke up, it was already noon.

Cling.

A bell rocked outside my doors, waiting for me to answer. It was Vianna. “Lady Hestia, good afternoon. May your wellspring of life be ever filled with joy on this fine WaterDay. Lady Ellaine has already woken up and is waiting for you in the dining room for your lunch. Allow us to wash your drowsiness away before we leave.”

With my face washed, hair groomed, and now wearing one of my finer outfits, I was escorted to the dining room. Like the room I slept in and the hallway, this room was richly decorated with ornamented furniture, white and golden manatech chandeliers and lamps, and velvet rugs with embroidery in the images of griffons. Portraits of formal-looking arvisians, artworks of birds, and paintings of families hung on the walls, finishing the regal appearance I expected from a palace.

I only took a glance at the portraits before Vianna led me to a seat across Ellaine, wearing a dress instead of her armor. After Vianna left, I began talking. “How are you doing? Any pains?”

“Thank you for your concern, but your white grace has healed any wounds and aches.” Since we were back in noble society, Ellaine returned to a more appropriate manner of speech. When I questioned her dress, she showed a wry smile. “I had heard from the maids that Father and Mother had visited me this morning. Unfortunately, I was still asleep. They left me one of my dresses and took my armor back home. Hopefully they do not begin repairing it before Master Grimnir arrives; if they do, I can imagine his fury.”

With his pride … yeah. Well, only the armor’s left arm was destroyed, so it shouldn’t take too long.

“Sooo, Lady Hestia … that ‘dream.’ Did it really happen?” I presumed she spoke about our meeting with Aurena, so I nodded. “Oh, by the Goddess, I can’t believe that actually happened to me.” Ellaine began massaging her temples before putting her hands together to pray for a moment.

Once she finished, her eyes opened and she continued, “First, thank you so very much for all your help. Oooh, Goddess. Am I really worthy of this?” She then grabbed something from under the table—they were her two spell rings. [“The maids informed me they couldn’t pull my rings off; only I am. I can feel … that presence. She’s quiet.”]

“Of course, I’m glad to help; however, do be careful,” I warned her before switching over to telepathy, so this wouldn’t look weird to any onlookers. [“I’ll get the song ready, but, before then, please don’t try to train without anybody from Aurora, all right? Even if Aurena says she has it under control, do not risk it.”]

Ellaine nodded. Patience was a virtue.

Lunch then came in. I’ve noticed this already, but the Artorian nobles didn’t serve their meals in courses, but presented everything at once. “Please, eat it while it is still warm,” Vianna said before giving us some space to eat. I was wondering in my head if it would be better to serve nobles in courses or with something similar to a Korean stone bowl to keep everything warm if Saori actually wanted to proceed with her noble restaurant idea.

In any case, it was a fantastic meal. We had a warm vegetable-chicken soup, cooked venison slices, a quiche-like custard pie, and scented fried rice. Spices were used with gusto, and they didn’t slack on the presentation. A culinary example of satisfying and filling gourmet food.

Enough for a normal girl, not enough for a dragon after yesterday’s fight. I’ll fatten up later.

Funnily enough, when I ate some of the bread, I noted how it wasn’t as fluffy as a yeast-made one, causing Vianna to apologize, stating that the next shipping would arrive in a few days. Of course, since our appearance wasn’t scheduled, I told her this wasn’t a problem.

“Don’t worry, I am sure yeast-made pastries will become far more common soon enough,” I said, causing the elderly woman to look at me with confusion, while Ellaine and I both smiled.

During the meal, I noted how the current royal family of Artorias looked in one of the portraits. They were all arvisians, but they had six limbs instead of four, counting their wings attached on their backs, similar to mine.

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There were seven members: the king, the queen, a young man in his mid-twenties who was the heir presumptive, two younger princes, a princess around the heir’s age, and a second princess around our age. Apparently, the youngest prince and princess were still attending the royal academy, with Ellaine stating she had watched them walk around the campus here and there.

Once we were done with our meal, Vianna informed us the king was awaiting a meeting with us and asked me if I wanted to speak with him now. Ellaine whispered in my ears to accept the invitation. It was optional, but denying an audience from the king of the kingdom while I, a foreign royal, was enjoying his hospitality, would probably sour our relationship.

“That’s why you’re my lady-in-waiting, Ellaine.” After joking about it, the two of us followed Vianna. After a lengthy walk through this grand palace, we ended before an ornamental door. Vianna rang a bell and waited for the confirming voice of a man before opening the door for us.

“Your Majesty, I present to you your guest, Lady Hestia Atsuko, and her lady-in-waiting, Ellaine Fiero Helvas.”

The room inside wasn’t as spectacular as the dining room, instead decorated more reservedly as it was the office of the king. A long table was placed before us with multiple chairs, intended for a gathering of people to speak at. To my right was a small office table where a winged man was sitting in a regal garment with two human men flanking him.

These retainers, I presumed, had grizzled, grey hair, showing their age similar to Vianna. They weren’t exactly oppressive, but I could sense a hint of [Terror Aura] exuding from both of them, as if to dissuade any would-be assassin.

One was clean-shaven with the muscular body of a warrior, proudly displaying three large claw scars on the right side of his head like a medal. His hair wasn’t extremely long, but with three braided strands barely covering the scars, I guess he allowed the right side to grow in length. Standing upright like a general, he glared at us to assess our threat level, while placing his sheathed greatsword in our focus. It allowed me to catch a glimpse of his metal runic gauntlet.

On the other hand, his companion on the right looked quite wrinkly, like an old sorcerer. His beard was trimmed and kept short, making him look like a stereotypical politician with that suit on. He didn’t have a conspicuous catalyst like a staff, spell rings, or an amulet, but I knew instinctively he was around Master Kush’s level. Strangely, he had an eyepatch.

“Thank you, Vianna,” the man in between them said.

This arvisian had white-blue feathered wings on his back, instead of on his arms like the ones I’ve seen up until now. Beastmen like arvisians showed animalistic traits if their blood was closer to their monster parent, and, in this case, this man was more human-like than a humanoid bird.

Aside from his wings, his hands had sharp talons similar to an eagle’s, and his legs looked a lot like a lion’s, complete with paws. He had a mane of feathers on his neck, however, it was well-groomed, maintained to perfectly fit his suit. His slit eyes glared at us while I could see his lion tail lay limply on the ground.

Unlike the two men standing next to him, his outfit looked more casual, as if he was attending a meeting between friends. Yet saying that would be a disservice to the quality his raiments were made from, perfectly fitting his plumage, which acted like a fur scarf. Instead of a cape, his wings formed something like a coat as their singular talons clutched together.

His head.

To finish this outfit, to give it the regal aura it needed, there was a metal, feathered crown. It wasn’t anywhere similar to an Aztec or other Native American headpiece, instead, it was a medieval crown using feathers as accessories. As I noticed this splendid headgear, an aura emitted from him, telling me exactly who he was. This person was a titleholder—none other than the [King] title.

This man then stood up. “You may leave Princess Hestia in our care. I shall inform you once this discussion is done.”

I shivered for a moment here, feeling the weight of my [Princess] title for the first time after the king of a whole kingdom addressed me as such.

“Of course, your Majesty,” Vianna bowed, as if learning the fact that I was a Princess was normal. I guess she had already been informed about it. “Lord Ulquint, hold in your curiosity. Staring at a lady is just uncouth.”

“Ahem, of course, my sincerest apology, Your Highness,” the bearded man bowed to me slightly as an apology.

Once Vianna left and the door was shut tight, the king gestured over to the long table, saying, “The formalities may wait once this is an official occasion. Lord Ulquint, my advisor, had suggested that I cannot make too much room in my schedule, so the small talk must be saved for a later time. I apologize from the depths of my heart.”

Roundabout way to say that my arrival was a sudden surprise, bringing his schedule out of balance. Urgh, another person I’ve disrupted.

We took our seats at the table. Ellaine was trembling a lot, looking meek as she tried to avert her eyes from the three men. I was nervous, too, but I guess I couldn’t compare to how Ellaine was feeling. I told her with [Telepathy] to calm down, since I figured introductions still had to be done.

The king smiled, ignoring our anxiousness. “Firstly, I welcome you to the Kingdom of Griffons, Artorias, my lady. I am its king, Drangleic var Artorias. I hope your time in my kingdom has been worthwhile.”

“Var” could be translated into “from,” so it should be “Drangleic from Artorias.”

As neither King Drangleic nor the two gentlemen continued the introductions, I took this as my cue to speak. “Thank you very much for your hospitality, Your Majesty. Yes, I have very much enjoyed myself here, all thanks to the courtesy of Duke Greenveil, Marquess Sirius, and Count Helvas. I apologize for my delayed visit. My name is He … Princess Hestia Atsuko Kargryxmor, youngest child of Emperor Eltharion of Kargryx.”

I then turned to Ellaine, “This is my lady-in-waiting, Ellaine Fiero Helvas. As she is an aristocrat of Artorias, I cannot give any less than my utmost praises, Your Majesty. Lady Ellaine has been invaluable for my stay in your kingdom, educating me in your customs and culture. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you very much.”

“I-it is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty, King Drangleic. I-I am but only the second child of Count Helvas, a magnoble of the Duchy of Greenveil. I thank you so very much for allowing me to see you. May the Goddess bless this meeting.” I could hear Ellaine yelp a bit, having trouble controlling her fast-paced speaking. As her heart raced, King Drangleic laughed and smiled.

“Haha! Yes, I have heard how much your father has done for me, Lady Ellaine. It goes without saying that House Helvas has been instrumental in keeping Princess Hestia entertained in Artorias. I am planning to reward your family for their service. If you wish something from me, I shall allow it. Within reason, of course.”

“I-I would not dare. It is already an honor to speak with you, Your Majesty.”

“Haha! Well, if you change your mind, inquire with your father.” King Drangleic then gestured to the two gentlemen next to him. First, it was the bearded man. “This is my political advisor, Lord Ulquint Fresierre Myrrdin. And this is Marshal Armado Donatello Lifcio, my military advisor.”

“Marshal? Oh, Lord Armado is the general of your kingdom’s army, Your Majesty?” I wondered, but apparently, my presumption was wrong.

“I-incorrect, Your Grace.” The one to correct me wasn’t the three gentlemen, but a frantic Ellaine. “As a reminder, the current Grand Duke of Military Affairs is Lord Duke Lecartiglio and he is de facto, the grand marshal of the kingdom’s armies. The marshal, on the other hand, is the grand marshal’s subordinate, and is more responsible for the king’s personal forces.”

She then switched over to telepathy. [“Also, as you might have noticed by their house names, these men are quite important, so please, mind how you speak with them, Lady Hestia. Please. Lord Ulquint is the former Duke Myrrdin, the father of the current duke, while Lord Armado was once Arcanuess Lifcio, the right-hand man of Duke Lecartiglio. This is too much for me, Lady Hestia!”]

“Gahahaha!” While Ellaine was worrying excessively, the muscular man broke out in a hearty laugh. “Enough, young lady. I am far too old for excessive etiquette. However, she is right with my role. Which brings us to the main point of discussion, correct, My King?”

“Yes, Lord Armado,”—He nodded before turning back to me—“Princess Hestia, I would like to personally thank you for what you have done for the kingdom. For preventing a diplomatic disaster with the elves of Saelariel and for the successful defense of my kingdom’s borders. Although you are a foreign dignitary, you have done something remarkable, and for that, you have my gratitude.

“Are you possibly speaking about the Davison and grimgarian incidents?”

“That is correct,” Lord Ulquint replied in his king’s stead in a raspy voice. “As the kingdom’s political advisor, you have prevented something which could have destroyed years upon years of work. As you must know, I belong to House Myrrdin and was the head before I handed it over to my son. House Morgianna and my house have been serving the kingdom by rekindling our relationship with the elves of Saelariel. If you had not stopped that damnable alchemist, all the work my House had done would have burned into ashes.”

Lord Armado then continued, “You have also done an immaculate job in fending off a battalion of grimgarians, Princess Hestia. According to your reports, a grimgarian army is situated on the other side of the Avitor peaks, something our scouts have confirmed. In fact, it isn’t just an army, it seems the beasts are constructing a whole civilization there.”

Now that was surprising to hear. I knew the grimgarians were building something, at least according to the lizardmen I met in the Belzac forest, but I didn’t think it would be an entire civilization. Aside from their desire to destroy humans, I guess they did just want to create a place for themselves.

“That is the case, Princess Hestia. As a sign of gratitude, I have already commissioned Duchess Morgiana to repair your mana paths; I presume they still haven’t healed yet?” the king asked.

“They have not, thank you for your consideration.” I couldn’t help but smile as I responded, imagining how amazing it would be to fly again without my rocket boosters. “When will this appointment be?”

“In two weeks, on the first of SpringBloom. There will be a ball dedicated to welcoming our guests from the Folschreck Empire. According to the reports I read today, you should have already met Saintess Eshe?”

“Saintess Eshe? Yes, we have met for the first time today, this mor … All right, thank you very much for solving that issue I had with your knights. I didn’t mean to cause that problem, but, circumstances. Ahaha … I swear—” And then I understood what he was actually talking about. “Hold on, if you are mentioning a ball, then are you possibly—”

“Yes, this is an invitation. Everybody in this room and certain individuals have already made themselves aware of your existence for separate reasons. This would include all my dukes since they are the foundation of my kingdom,” King Drangleic informed me. He might be hinting at the stunt I did in Cedaraille, regardless if they knew me as a dragon or as a powerful mage. “However, I am not forcing you. This is a ball for Saintess Eshe and my guests from the Folschreck Empire, so you are not socially obligated to join us. Nevertheless, it would be a great opportunity for you to meet the other nobles of my kingdom. You may even hide your actual identity if you wish. I heard Loatryx had a caste system, too, so you must be able to think of something.”

“In a way, yes. Loatryx honors and respects dragonewts with bloodlines belonging to strong dragons. The kinkyuro would be something similar to your greifnobles, but it’s more of a republic at the end of the day.” Yorshka’s information came in clutch! “Although, about the ball, I am not so sure yet if I wish to join.”

“Lady Hestia,” Ellaine looked at me questionably, but King Drangleic simply waved his hand.

“There is no issue. If you wish to join, then I would be overjoyed. I wish to give you a good time before we begin a serious discussion. I know you aren’t a politician, but I still wish to speak with you about a certain proposal, Princess Hestia.” The king then placed his hands on the table and pushed himself up. “That would be all I have to say. As mentioned, we do not have too much time to speak. I presume you would like to leave my palace? If you have nowhere to go, I would love to accommodate you with all the hospitality I am able to give.”

I declined his proposal, saying I would be staying with Ellaine’s family. However, my business wasn’t done just yet. “One more moment of your time, please. I actually have something important to give you. Your Majesty, could you lend me a map of your kingdom?”

Accepting my proposal, Lord Ulquint went over to a bookshelf and pulled out an A1 sized piece of parchment. Unfurling it, he presented to me a map of Artorias. Using the point of interests Aurena told me about, I pointed at those locations for Ulquint to note down. Once down, she showed them to his king.

“I don’t want to cause everybody to panic by telling you exactly what the issue is, but I think it would be very important for you to monitor or even check these locations out. The information should be reliable.” I then pointed upwards. Aside from knowing my identity as a dragon, they also knew me as Aurena’s Champion I believe, if Marquess Sirius or High Bishop Theodore had informed them in time.

King Drnagleic understood what I meant, gave the map a quick glance before handing it over to Lord Armado. “You have our benefit of the doubt, Princess Hestia, after we confirmed your intel on those grimgarians. I’ll inform the Grand Marshal and the responsible dukes. Problems need to be nipped by their buds before they blossom.”

The merciless, no-nonsense glare he gave the map after responding to me made it clear this person wasn’t somebody to anger when it came to the safety of his home kingdom. I should probably respect this.

After saying our goodbyes, Vianna entered the room again and escorted us outside. Ellaine and I couldn’t stop ourselves from sighing, finally free of the tense atmosphere inside the room. Vianna gave us a comforting laugh, saying we should give ourselves a good rest after just arriving in Griffonpeak this morning. We then left the palace, where a griffon carriage was waiting for us.

Saying our goodbyes to Vianna, we entered the carriage and set to the sky. While I relaxed and ruined my sitting posture to sigh dramatically, Ellaine suddenly asked me something.

“Hestia, would it be okay with you if I gave you a tour of the city?”