The shift in atmosphere was subtle — but undeniable.
Jealousy had finally surfaced.
Legos, the middle brother, leaned back in his chair with visible irritation.
"Probably not worth ten thousand gold," he muttered, returning to his meal.
Vaelrith heard him.
He did not react outwardly.
This boy has no idea who he is speaking about, he thought calmly.
Heiron, the eldest, spoke next. Smooth. Controlled.
"To present a bow," he said lightly, "one should at least be familiar with its value."
Llandra's head lifted.
"Jax is possibly the greatest bow user on the continent."
The statement silenced the table.
Even the Queen paused mid-sip.
Legos snorted.
"Just because your standards are low does not mean someone better than you possesses legendary skill."
Jax leaned forward calmly.
"Your sister rivals the finest archers in this kingdom," he said evenly. "I am unfamiliar with the rest of the table's skill… but I would wager she surpasses everyone seated here."
A small pause.
"Excluding His Majesty and Her Majesty, of course."
Laughter erupted from the two brothers.
A wager?
Against Llandra?
Easy.
"What are the stakes?" Heiron asked.
"Name them," Jax replied without hesitation.
Legos leaned forward.
"If we win, you leave. You return to your lands. And you leave our sister alone."
The temperature dropped.
Before anyone else could speak—
"If he leaves," Llandra said sharply, "I leave with him."
The King and Queen exchanged a glance.
The Queen intervened smoothly.
"Let us keep this… monetary."
Legos scoffed.
"You sell those cooling units, yes? If we win, you deliver one hundred more. Free."
Several advisors inhaled sharply.
That was no small cost.
"Agreed," Jax replied instantly.
No pause.
No negotiation.
The King turned slightly.
"And if you win?"
Jax smiled.
"I would prefer something non-monetary."
The Queen arched a brow.
"I would like your sons to host my bachelor celebration," Jax continued, "and stand beside me smiling when their sister marries me."
Silence.
The brothers looked at each other.
Smirked.
"Agreed," they answered in unison.
Legos leaned back smugly.
A hundred thousand gold in product for nothing, he thought.
After lunch, they would go to the royal range.
The challenge would be public.
And humiliating.
For someone.
Confidence
The main course arrived.
Conversation resumed — but the brothers were louder now.
They reminisced about Llandra's childhood misses.
Her early failures.
Her "cute attempts" at competition.
Jax noticed the faint tension in her posture.
Others would have missed it.
He did not.
He leaned close and whispered into her ear.
"You are not the girl who left this kingdom."
She swallowed.
"You are the S-Rank Raid Master of the United Kingdoms."
The words hit.
Harder than any insult.
Her spine straightened.
Her breathing slowed.
Her eyes sharpened.
The Queen saw it all.
He gives her confidence, she realized quietly.
The King leaned forward slightly, speaking low enough that only Jax could hear.
"You could have asked for far more. They have considerable inherited wealth."
Jax didn't look at him.
"What would I do with more treasure?" he replied calmly. "Sell it for gold?"
A small shrug.
"I'd rather gain two brothers than more coin."
The King was not prepared for that answer.
He leaned back slowly.
Across the table, the brothers continued laughing over some childhood story.
The King's gaze moved to his daughter.
She was no longer flustered.
She looked… focused.
"Kick their ass, sweetheart," he murmured quietly to her.
Llandra met his eyes.
"Oh," she said softly, "I will."
The King smiled.
She had left as a determined girl.
She had returned as something far more dangerous.
And far more certain.
The Appraisal
Dessert arrived.
Then the doors opened.
The weapon case returned.
Carried by the kingdom's master craftsman.
An elder elf with steady hands and the rare Appraisal Skill.
He approached the King and began to whisper—
The King raised a hand.
"Speak openly."
The craftsman swallowed.
"All present should hear."
Every conversation ceased.
The craftsman opened the case once more.
"These weapons… contain transmutation signatures."
A ripple moved through the advisors.
Transmutation was rare.
Advanced.
"Each bow enhances the wielder's physical attributes by twenty percent," he continued. "Strength. Stability. Targeting."
Gasps.
"Additional enchantments include weight reduction, immunity to cold, and seventy-five percent resistance to magical interference."
Utter silence.
The craftsman's voice dropped.
"In value… one such weapon rivals the Holy Arms in the vault."
Several nobles nearly stood.
"Each would appraise at no less than fifty million gold."
A pause.
"Combined… eighty to one hundred million."
Legos choked on his dessert.
Heiron coughed violently.
Food scattered across their plates.
The Queen's eyes widened.
The King's expression did not change.
But his gaze shifted slowly toward Jax.
Who are you?
Legos wiped his mouth, stunned.
"You gave this away?"
He stood partially, still rattled.
"You could buy a kingdom with that."
He looked at Jax.
"Do you truly believe my sister is worth that much?"
Every eye turned to Jax.
He met Legos' stare evenly.
"If you are asking whether your sister is worth one hundred million gold…"
A pause.
"I would have to say no."
The room stirred.
Llandra's fingers tightened slightly around his sleeve.
Then Jax finished.
"There is no weapon in this world that could equal her worth."
He glanced toward her.
"So I settled for these."
Her arm locked with his instinctively.
There was no hiding the radiance in her expression.
It was unmistakable.
The King saw it.
The Queen saw it.
The brothers saw it.
This was not politics.
This was not strategy.
This was devotion.
And for the first time—
The room understood something clearly.
Jax Darquebane was not here to take power.
He was here because he loved her.
And that made him infinitely more dangerous.