Basil Silvia, the reigning King of the Silvia Kingdom, was pacing anxiously back and forth inside the large hall.
Queen Illiana sat on her throne silently, and beside her stood both of her children, who were holding their breath in anticipation.
Prince Jarrett and Princess Seraphin had heard that the legendary Stormborne of the Celestial Maelstrom was arriving, so both were very excited to meet him. Perhaps they could impress him, and he would be willing to take them along on his journey. Just thinking of this possibility had them dying of anticipation and nervousness.
But unlike the two naive and ignorant grown children, both King Basil and Queen Illiana were in a completely opposite mood.
They had already received the report of Stormborne landing safely at the Sildargrade Airship Port, but it had been an hour since then and he still hadn't arrived. This was making the already tense and anxious King Basil even more agitated.
Basil had been very distressed for the past few months, as too many of their cities had faced various troubles from rogue Master Ranks.
They were completely out of manpower. Though they had been sending every able Master Rank they could to the various cities to intimidate the enemies, it was still not enough.
There was always a high risk for the Kingdom's Master Ranks to fight life-and-death battles with rogue Master Ranks and die. A rogue Master Rank's death wouldn't harm or benefit them in any way, but any of the Kingdom's Master Ranks dying was too great of a loss, especially since they only had a very few Master Ranks to begin with.
Rogue Master Ranks were also usually a lot stronger and more experienced than a Kingdom's Master Ranks, as the Kingdom's Rank 4 nobles usually didn't go out and fight; they did paperwork most of the time. For this reason, many of their Master Ranks didn't want to leave their safe haven to go out and fight enemy Master Ranks. Even if they didn't die, they could suffer severe injuries, which was something no one wanted to risk.
Despite this, all the high nobles were still sent out. Yet just five of them weren't enough, as too many cities were facing assaults all at the same time. The only good news was that wherever they went, the rogue Master Ranks disappeared and no longer harassed that city. But the worst news was that whenever a high noble left, the rogue Master Ranks came right back to recreate endless chaos.
This continued for a while until the worst situation occurred: various cities' space gateways stopped functioning, having been intentionally destroyed by the enemies. And so, even the Kingdom's Master Ranks could no longer reach those cities in time, as the airships available to them were far too slow.
Luckily, Basil had already hired Stormborne of the Celestial Maelstrom before that happened, and he had accepted the mission since he was an old acquaintance of Illiana.
Just because the Silvia Kingdom could provide money didn't mean every Master Rank was free or willing to help. Also, the amount of trouble the entire Kingdom was facing was so massive that even if Basil sold his entire palace, he still wouldn't be able to hire enough Master Ranks to fix the situation. Not to mention, he had already spent a huge amount of money sending their own Master Ranks back and forth between the cities for the past few months.
Basil had no idea how they—a mere underdeveloped kingdom in the southernmost location of the Humancrown continent—had provoked so many Master Ranks. But he was no fool and had long guessed that there must be some force manipulating the entire situation. He could only play along, as there was nothing else he could do. Still, they had no idea which power in the world would do such pointless things. In fact, they were even terrified to learn the identity of the true mastermind and wanted to avoid knowing too much. All they could do now was try to defuse the situation.
In the end, they had called out for help from both guilds. Thankfully, someone who was powerful and possessed a formidable background accepted this tedious task. Other than Stormborne, they had invited many teams, but no one accepted except for a few from the Mercenary Guild who were just early-stage Rank 4s. In other words, they either didn't have their own airships or their vessels weren't fast—but this was still better than nothing.
Basil couldn't understand why no capable Rank 4 or higher was willing to take this task, even though he had offered hefty rewards. He could only sigh and wait.
Another twenty minutes silently passed. At this moment, there was a loud announcement from the guards outside. Finally, both Basil and Illiana released a deep sigh of relief. Meanwhile, both Prince Jarrett and Princess Seraphin nearly jumped from excitement.
Stormborne calmly entered the hall with his team.
Before Stormborne and the others could even walk toward the throne, King Basil dropped his dignity, rushed up to Stormborne, and grabbed his hand in a firm hold as if he had grasped a life-saving straw.
"Sir Stormborne, I cannot express how grateful we are that you accepted to help us."
Stormborne smiled and nodded at King Basil, then turned toward Queen Illiana, who had also arrived and now stood beside Basil with a troubled smile as she met Stormborne's gaze.
"Illiana, I am glad you are doing well and have also reached Rank 4." Stormborne gave her a smile. He greeted her as an old acquaintance instead of as a queen.
Stormborne actually had to hit himself on the head mentally to recall just who Illiana was, as he had long forgotten. He had met countless people over many years, after all.
Thankfully, the past event had been briefly mentioned in the private mission request from the Silvia King and Queen. Otherwise, Stormborne was far too busy with various things and wouldn't have come to support a Kingdom facing a purely political problem.
The current problem of the Silvia Kingdom could be counted as a political issue since it was being attacked by multiple Master Ranks. It could be the work of a neighboring kingdom or someone else; in short, it was not a world-threatening problem. And Stormborne, as a reputable Adventurers Guild member, would rather spend time on other missions than a political one, which was usually far too complicated. Not to mention, these missions were often incredibly time-consuming.
Stormborne had met Illiana many decades ago. Thanks to her, he, along with a few others from the Celestial Maelstrom, had managed to complete a troublesome mission. So, back then, he had promised Illiana that if she ever needed help and it was possible for him, he would assist her.
And so, here he was to take on this troublesome mission.
Although he had already guessed who might be the mastermind, there was nothing he could do about it. Talking about it wouldn't solve anything and would instead bring unnecessary trouble to his Celestial Maelstrom. More importantly, he had no proof. He could only play along, help his own team gain experience, and hopefully stall the Holy Palace, even though he knew well it was impossible.
"I have prepared everything for you and your team to stay..." Basil paused, unable to hold back any longer, and asked with a pleading expression, "If you don't mind me asking, when can you begin the mission?"
Stormborne could understand Basil's desperation. He also had no intention of wasting time resting. He had already known this would be the case, so he, along with his team, had already taken a brief rest in a good restaurant before entering the King's Palace.
"I would like to begin right away, though your highness hasn't briefed me on what exactly I need to do."
Normally, the criteria for posting missions required being clear-cut with the requirements, but occasionally there were some uncertain and unknown variables; accepting them was always troublesome.
Basil secretly sighed in relief. He said apologetically, "I am sorry for not providing accurate details, as situations are constantly changing. In short, I want your team to clear the danger my various cities are facing; can you do it?"
Stormborne agreed calmly, "Then pass me the details and prepare the space gateway so we can begin right away."
Basil looked troubled. In the end, he just sighed and answered honestly, "I apologize again, Sir Stormborne; most of our cities recently have had problems with their space gateways. However, you can take our airship, which I have already prepared." Though he said so, he secretly hoped Stormborne would use his own, as their airships were far too slow.
Stormborne sighed. He had kind of expected that as well. "No need; we will take ours. Just send the coordinates and other information to my communication artifact."
Basil bowed, something he would rarely do given his royal position. "Thank you," he said with deep gratitude.
He then hesitated a little and glanced at Illiana, who gave him a firm nod. He sighed once more and asked Stormborne, "Can I also request something else, if it's not too much to ask..."
"Depends. Ask," Stormborne gave up on empty courtesy and said directly.
"Can you take my son and daughter with you? While traveling outside in your safe hands, they will gain the valuable experience they have always wished for. If they are not helpful, they can just stay inside your airship and observe..."
Basil actually didn't want to send his children on such a dangerous journey, but Illiana had stubbornly insisted on it, which he felt was just her being too paranoid. After all, his great-grandfather was still in the palace; no Rank 4 would ever dare to cause trouble within Sildargrade, meaning they were entirely safe within the palace walls.
Seraphin and Jarrett's eyes widened with pleasant surprise. They hadn't expected to receive such a rare opportunity. They almost jumped and hugged their father out of sheer joy.
Stormborne frowned. He turned to look at the two white-haired siblings, who were standing a step behind Basil and Illiana.
Without even using his spiritual sense, he could tell that both possessed fairly good talent and their spirits were strong. But he didn't want to take any unnecessary risks on this mission, as there were too many hidden dangers. Even though he maintained a calm expression, he knew he was walking on a thin thread with this task, especially by supporting the royal family. Taking these two along was too risky, even for him.
Stormborne caught Illiana's pleading look.
He gave it some thought and finally nodded, "Fine, but I will only take one of them, and I will not guarantee their survival. Don't blame me if anything happens to your children; I am warning you both seriously. Now, decide."
Stormborne decided to take one final risk to repay Illiana, but he would only take one of her children; if he took both, then he and his team probably would 'mysteriously' disappear from the world. So, it was better to take only one and leave a small chance for at least one of Illiana's children to survive—hopefully.
He hoped Basil and Illiana would be smart enough to send the other one away through different channels. But he wouldn't remind them of this, as he didn't want to involve himself further than he had to with the Silvia Royal family.
Seraphin and Jarrett nearly lost their composure from excitement. They didn't know much about the current situation, as they hardly spent any time on current affairs, but they still had some idea of what was happening. Regardless of these external problems, they had a subconscious belief that their family would definitely be safe; after all, they were the royal family.
Both had gone through extensive royal studies and training, but their focus was always solely on training and self-improvement. Both desperately wished to go out and explore, but due to being the Prince and Princess, they couldn't. According to their parents, they were only allowed to travel when they reached the early stage of Rank 3. Unfortunately, with their current pace as Mystical Knights, it might take them a dozen years or more. They didn't have that kind of patience. So, this opportunity to travel alongside such a famous, powerful person was like a dream come true—an opportunity they absolutely didn't want to miss, even knowing they could die on the trip.
Basil glanced at Illiana and hesitated. He truly didn't want to send either of his children.
But after receiving a stern glare followed by a nod from Illiana, Basil could only sigh. He turned toward Seraphin and Jarrett and asked tiredly, "Which one of you wishes to go with Sir Stormborne?"
Both Seraphin and Jarrett took a determined step forward and confidently declared, "Me!"
They immediately turned to glare at each other.
Jarrett shook his head, "Little sister, stay here and remain safe. Let your older brother take the risk."
Seraphin scowled, "You stay! As the only Prince, shouldn't you be staying here to fulfill your royal duties? I don't care about the danger outside!"
Jarrett frowned. He had absolutely no interest in becoming a King like his father, but saying that at this moment would disappoint both of his parents. So, he used the logic he had swiftly thought of, "In that case, as the next King, shouldn't I be exploring my kingdom? What better way is there than to take this tour alongside Lord Stormborne?"
Seraphin gritted her teeth in frustration. She couldn't argue against that logic, but she desperately wanted to travel outside. This was the perfect opportunity to observe how high-rank Mana Wielders fought and how top adventurers made decisions and acted during missions. It was an opportunity she had always dreamt of and absolutely didn't want to miss.
Just as Seraphin was about to retaliate with her own made-up logic, Basil bellowed, "Enough! Why are you both showing such disgraceful behavior in front of Sir Stormborne? Jarrett, you will go."
His daughter, Seraphin, was just a young girl who hadn't even reached fifteen; he couldn't send her on such a dangerous journey, even if he was certain that Stormborne would protect her. As a father, he simply couldn't send her outside at this moment.
He turned toward Stormborne and once again bowed slightly, "Sir Stormborne, I apologize for all the trouble. My minister will send the mana stones for your extra trouble directly into your account."
Hearing Basil's decision, Seraphin took a few steps back with a devastated expression. She couldn't believe her father would betray her like this.
Her eyes turned red; unable to hold back any longer, she turned and ran away in tears.
Normally, Seraphin always maintained an indifferent expression and never showed her emotions to anyone, but this was a lifetime opportunity for her, and now it was gone forever.
Even though she was still a few months away from reaching adulthood, she was already an early-stage Rank 1 Mystical Knight! She was confident she could fight a mid-stage opponent and still survive; she wasn't a helpless little girl! Her father's decision completely broke her heart, and she ended up getting too emotional and ran off.
Jarrett felt a bit dejected watching Seraphin's departing figure. It was not that he didn't care for his sister, but there were things he couldn't sacrifice for anyone, especially when such a rare opportunity presented itself.
Leaving aside this temporary trip, if possible, he even wanted to become a permanent member of Stormborne's team. The Celestial Maelstrom was a well-recognized Adventurers Group in the world, so not just anyone could join, no matter how talented they might be. This was truly a lifetime opportunity that couldn't be grasped even if he reached Rank 4!
Thus, Jarrett was bubbling with excitement in his heart, wanting to leave right away to start exploring and fighting other Apprentice Ranks. He was already very close to reaching Rank 2, so perhaps while fighting outside, he might even be able to breakthrough in a month or two.
Illiana watched Seraphin run out of the hall with slight glumness. She would go and placate her later after Stormborne left.
She had wanted both of them to leave Sildargrade because she had a foreboding feeling that something bad was about to happen to them all. As long as they were with Stormborne, no one would dare attack them casually. It was not just because of his personal strength, but because no one wanted to antagonize the entirety of the Celestial Maelstrom, given it was an SS-Grade adventurer group.
Unfortunately, Stormborne had refused to take both, but it was still better than nothing since at least Jarrett got to leave safely. Hopefully, her intuitive feeling would turn out to be just nonsense, and in the end, nothing bad would happen and everything would return to how it was.
"I apologize. My daughter is only fourteen and quite childish..." Basil said with embarrassment.
"It's fine. Tell your minister to keep me updated on the mission." Stormborne then looked at Jarrett, "Prince, if you are not ready, I can only give you an hour at most."
"I am ready, Lord Stormborne! And please call me by my name—Jarrett!"
Even though it was incredibly sudden, Jarrett already had most of the things he might need stored inside his space ring. He didn't even want to look away in case Stormborne suddenly disappeared.
"Alright then, let's go."
Stormborne nodded to Basil and Illiana, turned around, and walked toward the exit with his team.
Jarrett gave a deep bow to Basil and Illiana. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Father, Mother." He paused and quickly muttered in a regretful tone, "Please take care of Seraphin and tell her that I am sorry. The next time I see her, I will apologize to her myself."
He then dashed toward the departing Stormborne and his crew, calling out to his parents without turning back, "Father, Mother, I am leaving for now. Take care of yourselves!"
Watching Jarrett leave, both Basil and Illiana harbored their own thoughts and sentiments.
Basil was very proud of his son, but he felt Jarrett was a bit too impatient. As a Rank 4 himself, he could understand his son's feelings, and that was why he never forced Jarrett or Seraphin to become the next heir. Tragically, it was not easy to have children who were Mana Wielders; however, he and Illiana still had a long life ahead of them. He would try his best to have another child, so Jarrett and Seraphin could do what they liked without feeling restricted within the Silvia Kingdom.
Illiana just smiled watching Jarrett leave with great enthusiasm, but her eyes grew moist.
She had a gut feeling that this would probably be their last meeting, and perhaps their final farewell as well.