Chapter 371: The Royal Dilemma

Solomon made his way to the cafeteria for breakfast. Since he arrived incredibly early, he couldn’t spot a single familiar face in the dining hall. He grabbed a tray, found an empty table, and sat down to enjoy his meal in peace.

"Finally, some quiet time," Solomon muttered to the owl hovering nearby.

[sgtcwby: bro has no friends lol.]

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[1Fizzy: sitting alone like a loser.]

[James_hayes: back to the ’Strongest Loser’ era!]

[Mezz_3863: we are your only friends Solo Man.]

[Ferald: do not be mean to him guys!]

Solomon scoffed, taking a bite of his eggs. "I am not a loser. I just appreciate not having to listen to arrogant nobles complain about the weather for five minutes. And as for you guys being my only friends? That is a truly depressing thought. Most of you just sit behind a screen and beg me to do stupid, life-threatening challenges for your own entertainment."

[Joshua_Swofford: he is not wrong.]

[Foodball: we pay you for the entertainment!]

[Brerell: the disrespect is mutual.]

[DaoistAlexkg: bro roasted his own chat.]

Once he finished his breakfast, he decided to head directly to the Grandmaster’s office to inquire about the inter-dimensional portal schedule so he could return to the Eastern Realms.

When he pushed the oak doors open, he was surprised to find Elizabeth already inside the office, standing alongside Cedric and the Grandmaster.

They all stopped talking the moment Solomon stepped into the room.

The Grandmaster pointed a pen at him. "Ah, here he is."

Elizabeth immediately turned around. She marched angrily toward Solomon, her white hair practically bristling with indignation. She scowled deeply, pointing a finger directly at his chest.

"Who do you think you are to make life-altering decisions for me?!" Elizabeth demanded.

Solomon was genuinely shocked by the sudden hostility, but he kept his hands in his pockets and let her continue venting.

[GoonLord: OH NO SHE IS MAD!]

[Stephen_wood: Solo Man in trouble again.]

[Nick: what did he do now?!]

[Dakota_Smith: let him explain!]

"How could you possibly decide what I should do on your own without even consulting me first?!" Elizabeth shouted, her red eyes blazing. "There is a very important political reason why I never bothered learning water magic even after awakening my innate talent!"

Solomon remained perfectly calm. "It honestly does not matter what you think right now, and I genuinely do not care about your political reasons. I saw you trying to learn water magic in that training chamber yesterday. Which means, deep down, you want to learn it."

Elizabeth stepped closer, lowering her voice to a harsh, desperate whisper. "That man is the elder brother of the King of the Mistril Kingdom! They are our direct neighboring kingdom! The Bririth Kingdom and Mistril have been hostile toward each other for decades! Vicious border disputes and political skirmishes happen every single year! I cannot just accept an apprenticeship from their royal family!"

Solomon furrowed his brow. He looked at Cedric, then at the Grandmaster, and finally back at Elizabeth.

"What exactly is the problem with all you royals constantly putting your ’royalty’ before thinking about yourselves as actual human beings?" Solomon asked, frustration leaking into his tone. "Is your social status truly more important to you than your own personal growth? Or is this title just a suffocating burden that is forced upon you, and you are simply expected to carry it until you die?"

The entire office fell completely speechless. Elizabeth stared at him, her mouth slightly parted.

[Ron_Selby : BRO IS SPITTING FACTS!]

[Naturic: Solo Man getting philosophical again.]

[M00N: he just dismantled the entire monarchy system.]

[Vaelen: absolute truth.]

"Since I am just a commoner, I obviously do not understand royal societies or your strict aristocratic etiquette," Solomon continued, his voice steady. "But if being a royal stops you from doing something you want to do, if it prevents you from living your life the way you actually want, and if it completely strips away your freedom... then being a royal is no different than being a glorified, well-dressed prisoner."

The Grandmaster shifted uncomfortably in his leather chair, standing up slightly as the political tension in the room spiked.

[Shadow: the Grandmaster is sweating lol.]

[trenthany: bro just called her a prisoner.]

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[Sedrikk: he is right though!]

Cedric stepped in, tapping his wooden staff against the floor to ease the tension. "If I were to explain the political reality in simple terms, Solomon, being a royal is honestly no different than being a normal human dealing with normal problems."

Cedric gestured with his hand. "Let us say your mortal enemy, or someone you absolutely despise, happens to move in right next door and becomes your neighbor. They constantly give your family trouble over property lines, fences, and petty disputes. I admit this is not a perfect example, but it is the exact same situation, just scaled up to a massive, geopolitical level. You cannot just ignore them."

"I would try to sort things out with them peacefully first," Solomon responded logically. "And if that does not work, I simply will not let them bother me or let them ruin my day."

Solomon’s silver eyes darkened slightly. "But if I am being harmed by them, or if they threaten my family... then I will just remove the problem entirely from the root."

Solomon refused to elaborate on exactly what he meant by ’removing the problem’.

[GoonLord: WE KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!]

[Andy_Thornton: Solo Man chooses violence.]

[Mezz_3863: bro would just blow up their house.]

[TallicaStew: the casual death threat.]

Solomon turned his attention back to Elizabeth. "I was not making a decision for you. I was just trying to help you. I even told Cedric that the deal was not final until you officially agreed to it."

Elizabeth bit her lower lip, a flash of deep, agonizing pain crossing her red eyes. "Why would you casually throw away over a million gold coins for me like that? You could have easily spent that massive fortune on yourself! You could have invested it in high-tier gear or rare elixirs! Why would you do that for me?"