Chapter 55: The First Prince and the Princess

They all turned around, only to see a young man standing behind them, with a group of people following him.

"Hello, eldest brother. It’s a pleasant surprise that we’re signing in at the same time," Kelvin replied.

Chris observed the young man in front of him. From what he understood of their conversation, this must be the First Prince, the one competing for the throne, based on what Aelonen had explained.

"Indeed, it’s a pleasant surprise." The First Prince nodded. "But I must express my concern for you, little brother. The royal dungeon is a very dangerous place. Please reconsider before deciding to enter. You might just lose your life inside. I’m worried about you."

His words were filled with hidden mockery, and when he mentioned dying inside, it sounded like he was implying something more.

"There is no need to worry about me, my dear brother. I’ve brought capable people with me." Kelvin patted his chest. "I’m more worried about you, eldest brother. Please be careful if you decide to enter."

"Capable people?" He raised his eyebrows and looked mockingly at the people around Kelvin.

However, his eyes soon landed on Aelonen, and he seemed to recognize him. His expression instantly changed into a wide smile filled with flattery.

"Isn’t that Prince Aelonen? Where are my manners? I have failed to greet you properly." He approached and extended his hand.

Aelonen shook his hand. "There is no problem, Prince Damien. It’s good to see you again."

"Haha! It’s indeed a great surprise! By the way, Prince Aelonen, I can’t help but express my concern about you entering such a dangerous place with my little brother. Please consider joining my party. We’re far better equipped and prepared for such a dangerous dungeon."

Aelonen shook his head. "I’m grateful for your invitation, but I must decline. I’ve already given my promise to Prince Kelvin."

"Ah, that’s too bad, then. But remember, if you need any help while inside the dungeon, please don’t hesitate to call us. I’ll do my best to help you out!" Damien said with a smile.

"I’ll keep that in mind, Prince Damien." Aelonen smiled and released his hand.

Kelvin turned around and signed the document before introducing everyone in his party to the men at the table one by one. They seemed to write down their names before handing each of them a blue badge.

"Here, all of you need to keep these badges safe. When the time comes to enter the dungeon, you’ll need to show them to the guards at the portal," one of the men explained.

They nodded before turning around and exiting the tent.

Everything around them seemed amusing to Chris. He could see that everyone respected Kelvin and bowed towards him, but he could also tell that most of their smiles didn’t reach their eyes.

It was clear that most of them only acted that way because he was a member of the royal family or because they had something to gain from interacting with him. Of course, there were some who seemed to respect him sincerely, but they were few.

Chris remembered how people had treated him the same way in the past. Back then, he had been stupid enough to think they were all sincere. Now, however, he saw everything in a different light.

"Let’s go have a good meal together. I’m sure you’re all hungry after the journey," Kelvin suggested.

"Yes! Finally, some good food! Those stupid rations I packed almost drove me insane!" Kenna yelled excitedly.

"This way."

They headed towards another tent nearby. Once inside, it looked like a restaurant. There were many tables where adventurers and soldiers were dining.

Sitting down at a table in the corner, they all ordered food before Kelvin turned towards Chris.

"So, big brother Chris, we didn’t get a chance to talk earlier. Do you mind if I ask you something?"

Chris raised an eyebrow at him. "Big brother? What made you call me that?"

Kelvin scratched his head awkwardly. "You see, my friend Prince Aelonen, whom I consider my equal, calls you that, so I figured it was only natural for me to call you that too. Do you mind?"

In truth, Kelvin had another motive for trying to get closer to Chris. He had noticed that the young man was ridiculously strong for his age and seemed to have close ties with the elves. He figured it would be best to get closer to him, as it might help him in his battle for the throne.

Chris looked at him for a moment. He naturally noticed what Kelvin was trying to do, but he didn’t care much. He could tell that the man wasn’t bad himself and carried himself like a warrior.

"I don’t mind. What did you want to ask?" He waved his hand.

Kelvin instantly smiled brightly. "Great! Then, could you tell me where you’re from?"

"I’m originally from Dunestia, but that’s not really my home anymore," Chris replied without any emotion.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I left my country a long time ago and have lived in the Wilds for the past few years. I don’t consider that place my home anymore."

"Y-you lived in the Wilds for years? Is there some settlement there, like the elven tribe?"

"No, I was alone, traveling by myself."

Everyone’s eyes widened at the incredible information they had just received. They would never have expected someone to actually venture into the Wilds and live there alone.

They looked at Aelonen as if asking him to confirm it, and he simply nodded.

Then, Kelvin understood what he had done and hurriedly explained himself. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to doubt your words. It’s just that it sounds so unbelievable that I instinctively looked at Prince Aelonen."

Chris simply smiled. "I don’t mind. That’s how everyone reacts these days. By the way, there’s something I’ve been wondering about. Why don’t you two call each other by your names? It’s always Prince this, Prince that. Don’t you find it annoying?"

He was genuinely interested. He couldn’t understand how someone could keep addressing their friends like that. He found it unnecessary and even slightly annoying.

"This, big brother... It’s because of courtesy and respect. It’s commonly accepted that members of royal and noble families should be addressed that way," Aelonen explained.

"But aren’t you two friends? Why torture yourselves with such nonsense? I understand calling a stranger that, but between friends, shouldn’t things be more relaxed?" Chris scratched his cheek. "You sound more like two diplomats who have just met than actual friends."

They all stared at Chris for a moment.

"Actually, I agree." Kelvin suddenly nodded. "Friends should be more relaxed around each other."

"What big brother said does make sense." Aelonen nodded as well.

Then they turned towards each other.

"Aelonen," Kelvin said with a smile.

"Kelvin," Aelonen replied with the same smile.

On the side, Chris looked at the scene awkwardly. They had indeed done as he suggested... but why did it feel so weird to watch?

’Whatever...’

He decided not to think about it and turned his gaze elsewhere. For some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to look at them.

"Sister, are they going to kiss now?" Denna whispered, bringing her mouth close to Kenna’s ear.

"Pfffft..."

Kenna, who had just taken a sip of soda, spat out her drink when she heard her sister.

Everyone around the table looked at Denna with wide eyes. They were all powerful adventurers, so it was naturally easy for them to hear her words, even though she had whispered them.

Noticing their stares, Denna realized what had happened and blushed, hiding her face in her hands.

"I-I-I’m sorry!"

"It’s always the quiet ones." Melvin nodded.

Max looked at him strangely.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

Max shook his head. "No, I’m just surprised that you, who is the quietest one in our group, could say something like that."

Melvin thought about it for a moment before shrugging.

"Denna! What do you mean, kiss? Prin... Aelonen and I are good friends! There’s no such relationship between us!" Kelvin yelled with wide eyes.

Aelonen nodded repeatedly from the side before turning towards Chris.

"Big brother, you saw it, right?"

Chris looked at him strangely. "Whatever you say." He couldn’t be bothered to get involved in all of that. Even he thought they looked strange, but it was simply too much trouble to dig any deeper.

Aelonen, however, took his words as confirmation and nodded repeatedly with a smile.

"Indeed... Indeed..." He extended his hand and took a sip of his juice.

"Look who it is. Isn’t that Prince Aelonen? It pains me to see that you didn’t contact me when you came to visit. It breaks my heart."

Suddenly, an enchanting female voice came from behind them.

"PFFFT!"

Aelonen trembled at the sudden voice and immediately spat out the mouthful of juice he was drinking.

Unfortunately, he was facing Chris when it happened, so the juice sprayed directly onto him.

*Splash!*

The drink spilled all over Chris’s face and clothes.

He turned around and looked at Aelonen with dead eyes.

Aelonen was instantly scared almost to death.

"B-B-BIG—"

*BOOM!*

Chris clenched his fist and punched Aelonen straight in the face, sending him flying across several tables before he crashed onto the ground with a thump.

"AGHH!" Aelonen grabbed his face, which was now swollen, and groaned in pain.

Chris had already stood up and was approaching Aelonen with slow steps.

The guards nearby were just about to approach and stop the confrontation, but Kelvin raised his hand to stop them. By now, he had managed to understand the relationship between Aelonen and Chris to some extent. He knew he shouldn’t intervene, even though he was worried about his friend.

Though, even if he had to intervene, he wasn’t sure if he would have the courage to do so. The image of Chris literally being engulfed in flames, with bloodshot eyes, was still deeply engraved in his memory.

"It was unintentional, I swear!" Aelonen tried to explain, trembling on the ground as Chris approached.

Chris stopped right in front of him and looked down as he raised his hand.

"I naturally know it was unintentional. I don’t believe you’ve grown the guts to do that to me intentionally. But you still deserve this beating."

Just as he was about to teach him a lesson, someone interrupted him. It was the same voice that called out to Aelonen earlier.

"Wait!"

He turned around, only to see a beautiful young woman with purple hair and purple eyes standing right behind him. He had to admit that her figure and beauty were very enchanting, making her the kind of person who naturally drew everyone’s attention wherever she went.

But would he care about that?

"What is it? Do you want to take a beating in his place?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

The woman raised an eyebrow slightly. "How dare you speak to me like that? Don’t you know who I am?" she asked in a voice filled with authority.

"From the color of your hair and eyes, I can tell you must be a princess." He nodded.

"So you do know, and you still dare to speak so rudely?" Anger was visible in her eyes as she spoke. "More importantly, don’t you know who you’re beating right now? That man is an honored guest of our kingdom. I will not allow anyone to disrespect him like that."

"Eldest sister! You’ve misunderstood!" Kelvin suddenly approached, looking at the woman fearfully.

The other members of his party stood far behind him, as if they didn’t dare approach.

By now, everyone in the restaurant had taken a few steps back, including the guards, as if they were all afraid to approach the woman.