Despite Shuu's concerns about the journey, it remained calm and uninteresting. They only took one rest throughout the whole way and changed carriages twice once the horse was tired.
By the end of the second day, they had reached the swordsmith's village.
Unlike the capital, the village was not paved and still had straw and mud houses. The children were playing in the mud, and rice fields covered the area as far as the eye could see.
It was peaceful in a way the city was not...and maybe for that reason, Shuu felt a little scared of what he was about to find here.
"Finally, we are here. I thought I was going to grow old during this carriage ride. Fucking hell-! Why was this so long?"
Reina complained as she settled back into her seat.
"Calm down, Lady Reina. It was not that long. All our journeys from here will be longer."
Liam reminded her, causing her to groan in annoyance.
"Hearing that does not make this situation feel better."
She complained back, and Prince Kaiden watched it all with a smile on his face.
Finally, after ten more minutes, the carriage stopped and the door opened. A long line of people came out to welcome them.
"It is an honor to have the esteemed hero here among us. For your journey, we have prepared a special gift along with your weapon. Please, head inside with us."
The leader of the people, an old man with barely enough strength to keep himself standing, bowed.
"It is my honor to be here."
Prince Kaiden replied before he reached his hand into the carriage and toward Shuu.
Everyone watched in fascination as Shuu took that hand and followed the crown prince down. But that curiosity quickly turned into anger and disgust as soon as they noticed him.
"Prince Kaiden, may we know who that child is?"
The old leader asked, not hiding the disappointment in his voice. It made Shuu recoil, but the crown prince was holding him in place with his hands around his waist.
"This is my partner, whom I have marked. You all need to treat Shuu with the same courtesy as you treat me, alright?"
A tense silence followed the crown prince's declaration before the old man sighed.
"I am afraid that this is a problem. Please, come inside first."
The old man opened the door, and Prince Kaiden entered the place. Shuu was forced to follow as well, but the angry glares being sent his way did not make him feel good.
They were quickly seated around the table, and someone went to bring some tea.
Once they were all settled, the elder chief coughed and spoke up.
"I am afraid that we cannot accept your current partner. Actually, since 'that person' was said to be incapable of being your current partner and you never showed a desire to have another, we found a lady who would be a perfect match…"
"I don't need it. I have already chosen my partner."
Shuu tensed up hearing what the older man had to say, but Prince Kaiden remained firm. That smile did not waver for even a second on the crown prince's face, but the old man was not about to give up.
"I understand that it is a serious matter, but we have already used the blood of the person we chose in your sword. To change it now would be too difficult. Please, at least try it to see how effective it is."
The elder spoke softly but firmly. He was not backing down, and Shuu felt even more uncomfortable.
He wondered what the crown prince would say and if he would finally be abandoned by him. But the crown prince's face showed nothing about his feelings.
"Really? Then I guess I have no choice but to try, right?"
Shuu's heart skipped a beat in fear, and he tried to speak. But the elder clapped his hands and immediately, a beautiful lady carrying a sword came out. Her hips swayed in a seductive way, and she walked with purpose.
She immediately made her way to Prince Kaiden before she leaned over him. She was obviously trying to show off her figure and get him interested in her.
But unfortunately, it was of no use. Prince Kaiden was not interested in her and only looked at the sword.
"So, this is the so-called sword you forged? Let me try it out."
He reached for the sword, and the female looked flustered.
"Oh my-! Please be careful. I offered a lot of blood, so the bond might make you feel arou-"
A loud cracking sound filled the room immediately, and everyone watched as the sword cracked in the crown prince's hand.
"Hmm, looks like the sword was not well made. Or maybe the blood that was used to make it was not strong enough. Well, whatever the case is, it can no longer be used. I will have to commission you to make a new one."
Crown Prince Kaiden spoke with a smile, but his words did not sound as nice as they seemed.
cough
"Alright, we can do that. The kind lady here can-"
"I want you to use Shuu's blood this time. As my 'marked' partner, his blood will be far more useful to be infused with the weapon compared to anyone else. Shuu, you will help out as well, right?"
The crown prince turned toward Shuu, and so did everyone else. Shuu paled and went speechless, wondering what he should do now.
Everyone was looking at him as if he were scum for just sitting there.
"Prince Kaiden, that is not appropriate. I would understand if it was 'that person,' but this is…"
"This is not your decision to make, is it, elder? You already tried to give me a faulty sword as well. Who do you think is at fault here?"
Crown Prince Kaiden had the elder cornered, and the elder knew that as well. That was why the elder could do nothing else but look at Shuu with resentment in his eyes.
"I…understand. Please hand over your…partner to us. We need him to come with us so that we can…start making the sword. It might need a day or two, so you will have to wait a little bit. Is that alright?"
The elder tried to control his emotions as he forced those words out, but the crown prince only smiled.
"Of course. Take your time with the sword."
_________
Don't be shy. Drop Power Stones for me.