Asterios opened his mouth but the king raised his hand in response so he paused.

“You were either going to come up with an excuse or apologize. Knowing you well enough, I’m fairly sure it would be the latter."

Welrond moved his calm, focused gaze onto Asterios and their eyes met.

“I was always told that Dragons were like calamities, comparable to capricious, unstoppable forces of nature. And so was my predecessor, and his predecessor, and so on. I’m somewhat glad we live in the age without those behemoths soaring through the sky above our lands.”

Asterios wasn’t sure what exactly the king was getting at so he just listened silently alongside his companions. No one wanted to interrupt the man's speech.

“For one, I understand that the baby in the fragment of the memory is you, and it’s obvious that no one can hold you responsible for the events of that night, therefore you have nothing to apologize for.”

“That’s what I said back then too, Father,” Silvia joined in with a faint nod.

“And then, even if you were part of the reason behind the actions of those people, as I mentioned just earlier, I don’t think you would have been able to have any say in what happened, not to mention expressing your protest against their plans.”

The girls on Ast’s side all smiled softly and Tina gently brushed over his hand under the table. She felt through their now much deeper bond how he considered himself responsible for the deaths of the villagers. She was thankful for the king’s words as they clearly took some anxiety off Ast’s shoulders.

“Having all that in mind, I would still like to ask if you could share more details regarding what you know about Teira if that wouldn’t be too much for you,” Welrond finally finished and glanced at them all.

Asterios shook his head. “Of course not. From what we gathered, those two randomly stumbled on the village and chose it as a spot to hide me in, kind of. To further cover their tracks, the man not only razed everything and everyone to the ground but also put a powerful sealing formation over the area, in what we assume was an attempt to lock the spiritual traces in one, specific state, preventing the spread and leakage.”

“That would explain the time-stopping curse.” Welrond rubbed his chin. “Do you think the region is safe after its disappearance?”

“With the spell broken, the almost twenty years caught up to the current day in an instant. I’m fairly confident that it wouldn’t be dangerous to resettle there. The spiritual traces should be long gone. Unless someone comes to investigate while knowing what to look for, nothing will be revealed about that night. And the chances of that happening are the same as they were with the seal still present,” Asterios replied, sharing his thoughts.

“And there’s no risk from the inside?” the king continued.

“We accidentally triggered something during our visit and destroyed what looked like a Golem meant to protect the formation. Its core was a Dragon’s scale, which is now with us. The curse broke with its demise. I don’t think any other magic was left behind.”

Selene nodded after Asterios ended. “That is true. I didn’t notice anything special in the area and I kept my senses primed for the faintest fluctuations of mana the whole time we were in the village. Right now, only heavily overgrown ruins are left there, and the crumbled body of the Golem.”

“Thank you. I had some people sent there but all they found was a complete mess. Everyone quickly understood that a fight took place there and we weren’t sure if the participants were fully gone. Knowing that it was you, and that things regarding the incident are pretty much closed, reassures us a lot.” Welrond smiled warmly.

“That’s the only thing I can do to help. In case you ever stumble on a Golem resembling a Lizardman with slightly more draconic vibes, make sure you have something sharp and powerful at hand to pierce the scale located somewhere on its body. We already had the luck to fight a second one.”

“Or you can completely disintegrate it just like Silvia did!” Miria cheerfully added.

“Just like Silvia did?” Welrond raised a playful brow at his daughter.

A faint trace of rosiness surfaced on the princess’ fair cheeks and she glanced at Asterios. “We can share that fragment if you don’t mind showing parts of our journey. You naturally don’t have to and it wouldn’t be unusual for you to want to keep the details a secret.”

Asterios nodded and asked Umbra to replay for everyone the moment when Silvia had used her technique against the Golem. Afterward, the king chuckled as a small grin curved his lips.

“Now, that’s something. I don’t think I would survive for longer than three seconds against heat like that. It hasn’t even been a month, technically speaking, and you are growing this much stronger already.”

“I agree that I’m developing faster than before but it wasn’t only my own effort. Asterios assisted me with that spell just like you did many times in the past,” Silvia corrected him.

“Yes, I was able to see that much.” Welrond turned his gaze to Asterios and smiled at the young Summoner. “I’m all for such cooperation if it lets the two of you bring out your best. I hope you can continue exploring your compatibility further.”

“As long as our destination allows for it, I’m more than happy to have Silvia with us. She’s definitely a valuable member of our team. But, our next target, possibly, will most likely not do so.”

The king frowned slightly. “What do you mean? Is there someplace where Silvia’s presence would be inconvenient?”

Asterios, Miria, and Selene stood up at the same time. The two beastfolk women bowed politely and turned around. Two crimson gates arose from the ground and they moved aside.

He made a respectful nod and took a step back, disappearing in Miria’s portal. Ten seconds later, he came back through Selene’s spatial door. Welrond's eyes were wide as saucers as both gates returned to the ground.

“Is that what I think it is?” the king asked.

Asterios nodded.

“I don’t think you could do that before, could you?”

He nodded again.

“You are breaking all known norms and rules.” Welrond shook his head while taking a deep breath, followed by a sigh. “I assume only you and your familiars can utilize this?”

With a faint blush, Tina timidly stood up and another gate opened right behind her. Glancing at the king, she walked back into the interdimensional passage and disappeared from the chamber, shocking the king even more. She returned to them a moment later.

Tilting his head a bit, Welrond blinked a few times as his mouth hung open.

“Where did… that one lead to?”

“Rosewind. My home. Specifically, my bedroom,” she answered shyly.

“Gods and goddesses… How are you even able to do that? These women from another realm could be somewhat understandable but you are a human from our world.”

Asterios smiled wryly. “I have a way to grant this ability to others no matter where they come from or who they are but the prerequisite… isn’t too proper to mention here.”

“Improper how?” Welrond inquired.

“Ummm… Master has to… form a bond with that person… through... mating…” Miria explained, growing slightly flustered in the process.

“Oh.”

The king glanced at Tina, who blushed even more, trying to avoid his gaze.

“I see. I understand how this could get in the way if your next destination is somewhere off-world.” He then turned to his daughter and raised a brow at her. “What’s your opinion on that?”

“Father!”

A more apparent shade of crimson slightly tinged Silvia’s face.

“What?” Welrond chuckled lightly. “I’m just asking what you think about how this works. Besides, you are a grown-up girl, free to do as you please, with whom you please.”

“The last time someone tried to court me, I’m fairly sure I remember him completely traumatized the next day,” she replied.

“He was a total asshole.” The king rolled his eyes. “Alright, as you please and with whom you please as long as their main or only goal isn’t to get into your underwear because of how beautiful you are or due to your status.”

“You are just planning to use me to tighten your relationship with Miss Kindra so you have higher chances with her.” Silvia crossed her arms under her chest.

“Woah, woah, woah. You know well that I would never use you for my own benefit, young lady.” Welrond copied her action and glanced at Asterios. “Him? Eh… Maybe… But I would never interfere in your life that way. Unless it would be another noble jerk. Do you know how hard it is to find a nice guy in the current times? It’s not like one can just pop up inside the castle some random day, can he?”

Miria giggled quietly while Asterios smiled briefly. Everyone knew exactly which nice guy the king meant. He glanced at Tina and she smiled back at him, assuming a smug expression, clearly saying ‘told you’.

Shaking his head, he turned back to the king. “It’s not like we are heading out immediately so it’s unnecessary to worry about such things. Tina has just joined our party and I would like us to practice more together before we dive into a world overrun by creepy, wicked monsters. Since our target is under their influence, I will gladly help our new companion out in taking it back but not without making sure that we are all ready.”

That seemed to capture Welrond’s attention and steal it away from the conversation about his daughter’s future sweetheart.

“Oh? I thought the summoning failed?”

Silvia nodded. “Yes, it didn’t go well, but that didn’t discourage Asterios from trying again. Watching both attempts at summoning was very fascinating and eye-opening. I’m now even more curious how our Court Summoners are conducting their rituals.”

“Why aren’t they with you?” he asked. “Are you bringing around only your mates or…? No, there’s still Umbra, whose energy I can feel enveloping you.”

A shadowy mist arose through Ast’s clothes and Umbra’s raven form took shape over his shoulder. Asterios petted the bird with his fingers, stroking the seeping darkness like any fur or feathers.

“I just didn’t want to show up with another person by my side without proper introductions. If she doesn’t mind joining us here, I naturally have nothing against it.”

Shortly after he finished, another dark crimson portal appeared on Ast’s side and Bryn walked out of it. As usual, her magnificent wings spread wide but she quickly took conscious control of them and folded them back before they reached their full span.

With a polite nod, she knelt on one knee and placed a fist over her heart.

“Greetings, Your Majesty. It’s my honor to be able to meet the ruler of humans. My name is Bryn and it’s my pleasure to be here”

“An angel…”

Welrond admired her wings for a second before hastily gesturing at Asterios to bring her up from the ground. He did as instructed and picked Bryn up.

“A valkyrja, to be precise, but generally, I agree,” he replied with a smile and showed Bryn to his chair.

She didn’t accept his offer, though, and stopped behind him.

“You really have a tendency to summon not just the most extraordinary familiars but even the most charming ones. Although, I guess it’s not limited just to summoning in your case.”

Both Tina and Bryn blushed faintly. The former because she knew what the king was getting at and the latter because of being called beautiful and charming so openly. She was more than pretty for her race’s standards but due to her big chest, she wasn’t really told so a lot as plenty of Valkyrs found smaller breasts much more attractive, and she wasn’t exactly interested in other Valkyries.

“What can I say? It’s not like I can influence it.” Asterios shrugged his shoulders. “Well, technically speaking, since I’m gradually learning more about myself and gaining strength, I guess to some extent I can now. Not like I would force such conditions first and foremost, though.”

“I don’t think many Summoners can even add such a requirement to their rituals considering the fact that they can’t contract humanoid entities.” The king chuckled and Silvia smiled shortly. “So, your party is going to move to her world after the Demon Continent, right?”

Selene nodded softly. “We might have found in Bryn’s realm what possibly is the Descending Spire which we are looking for. Things may still change as we are waiting for a certain someone to update us on their progress with the Memory Seal in my Lord’s mind.”

“I would be overjoyed if it really was,” Bryn commented. “Our goals would align and I’m sure the morale of many valkyrjas, especially the warriors, would rise substantially if we managed to recapture the Descending Spire and the nearby region with the help of Master and his companions.”

“Speaking of help.” Asterios glanced at the Valkyrie and then at Welrond. “Didn’t you guys maybe consider re-equipping your knights with new, more regal weapons and armor?”

“There might have been a project like that somewhere in the pile of suggestions from my advisors but I think it got lost under the more pressing matters. Why?” The king gazed back at him with genuine curiosity.

“You see Bryn’s armor?”

“Yes.”

“What do you think about it?” Asterios asked.

“It has a nice, noble style while retaining most if not all its militaristic qualities. It's good armor, great even,” Welrond responded.

“Then, if you would be willing to establish a trade relationship with my friend’s settlement, which is a flying fortress specializing in military products and training troops, by the way, I bet they wouldn’t mind taking some custom orders from you, right Bryn?”

The Valkyrie nodded with a soft smile. “That would be wonderful. And yes, we are always open to new sources of all commodities. There’s only so much we can trade between the ARKs.”

The king assumed a thoughtful expression. “I guess we could think about it… If I ran it through my advisors—”

“Ah, I forgot to mention that my family has already signed a partnership with the valkyrjas so you would need to set up negotiations with all the sides to—”

“Deal!” Welrond cut Asterios off, extending his hand forward. “I was already getting sick of looking at the same armor everywhere day after day anyway.”

Trying his best not to smirk, Asterios shook the king’s hand with a smile. He felt a little bad for manipulating the man like that but Bryn’s people could really use more stable trade partners when their only viable commodity was military-type metalworking products.

Besides, he himself had admitted that he would use Asterios for his own gain, even if it was more in a joking manner than in all seriousness. Everyone could tell that.

“I will let the Council know about this at once,” Bryn joined in with a bright expression. “What can we expect from this cooperation?”

“Whatever you need, my dear! Make a list and I’ll pass it on to my advisors! We will go through it and check what we can deliver!” Welrond turned to her. “Do mark the most crucial supplies, please. Also, it will be faster and easier if you provide some samples first. You have my vote but it would be best to convince my aides too.”

Bryn nodded a few times. “That can be arranged. I’m extremely grateful for it, Your Majesty, Master.”

She bowed towards them, opened a portal to her realm, and shot one more glance at both men. Stopping her eyes on Asterios, she paused for a few seconds and stepped forward, pulling him into a tight hug. A tad embarrassed by her sudden outburst, Bryn hastily jumped into the gate a moment later.

Welrond chuckled at him while Tina giggled from the side.

“Alright. So, there’s that. I guess we will be slowly returning too?” Asterios glanced at the royal pair.

“Do you guys mind taking part in the initiation today?” the king asked.

Tina moved her gaze to Asterios and he looked back at her with a smile.

“Up to you. We’ll gladly follow.”

She nodded with a faint blush. “I would be honored, then. The earlier we take care of it, the better, right?”

“Perfect!” Welrond clasped his hands. “I’ll send someone to gather your squad. That can take a moment as they might be spread around the city. Special quick response unit, yeah, but there’s no reason to make them rush back for this.”

“That’s completely understandable,” Asterios replied. “We’ll drop by a friend’s place in the Rosewind’s academy in the meanwhile and get back here after receiving a notification through Umbra.”

“Do you mind if I accompany you guys?” Silvia asked, glancing toward his group.

“Of course not,” Tina answered instead. “Although, we might cause a bigger commotion than we intended that way if you don’t mind.”

The princess showed a faint smile. “I don't think we will.”

Asterios nodded after Tina looked up at him and they began preparing. Welrond went to take care of the initiation and to initially run his aides through the upcoming partnership while Silvia escaped to her room to get ready. The others jumped to Miria’s and Selene’s realm while waiting.

A few minutes later, Umbra transferred everyone who required that to the gates in front of the academy. Miria, Selene, and Tina jumped out of a portal and joined the other two. They passed the brief checkup and were let inside. The guards gave Asterios curious looks, most likely already hearing some rumors regarding the previous day. They arrived at a certain corridor right in front of a very familiar door without any trouble. Asterios lightly knocked on the entrance to Grea’s lab. They could hear the heavy footsteps on the other side and someone grumbling something under their breath. The door soon flung open and the crimson-skinned professor showed up at the doorstep.

“Who the fu—oh, it’s you guys. You should have said you were coming. Hop in, don’t just stand there like those Council idiots during the showmatch.”

Tina chuckled and everyone entered the studio, with Asterios getting in last after holding the door for them. Grea turned around with a spin and grinned at her.

“How was the night at the castle? Bold of you to run away from your own celebration to bed your future spouse right under the king’s nose.”

“Professor!” Tina instantly turned red. “We didn’t do it at the castle!”

“Oh? But you are not denying doing it somewhere else, are you?”

The poor, bullied girl grew as flustered as to almost match Grea’s skin color on her adorable cheeks. The mischievous teacher chuckled to herself and moved her gaze to the person next to Tina.

“Oh. Oopsie. I didn’t mean to embarrass you in front of your little sister,” she said, completely not regretful, and extended her hand to the second blue-haired girl who wore a black military-themed uniform. “Nice to finally meet you, Gwen. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

It was Tina’s turn to snicker and Grea raised a curious brow at her.

“That’s not Gwen.” She corrected her, still giggling a little.

“What? Who then—”

The mysterious girl touched a charming hair ornament on the side of her head and her hair switched from blue to red with orange inner highlights in the motion of a passing tide. She shook her head and ran her fingers through the mesmerizing strands resembling fire itself.

“Hello. My name is—”

“PRINCESS?! FUCKING?! SILVIA?!”