“A castle?” Asterios raised his brows at the king while Tina wasn’t sure how to react.

Welrond chuckled, still waving the two golden tubes banded together.

“On your new path of life, it’s only natural to have a home that both of you can come back to. Of course, there are your family homes but I think it would be nice to have your own little nest somewhere in the countryside.”

He grabbed the metal top and held it in front of him. The other golden pipe fell down and unrolled a fancy-looking parchment between them. Some stylish text covered the light brown surface with a big depiction of the royal emblem in the background. Two lines decorated the bottom part, with one already covered by the royal crest.

“As I was saying, it so happens that there’s a simple town not that far from the southern border of the kingdom which currently lacks a lord, leaving the castle in its center empty for almost a month now. The previous governor passed away from old age and did not leave a fitting successor. His only son… doesn’t have the best record… and didn’t really come from… an official marriage…”

The king cleared his throat awkwardly. Asterios and Tina glanced at each other with wry smiles.

“Nevertheless, the town lords have previously been elected by the community. During its creation, they politely requested for the first governor to be accepted as an official so there are no further problems with someone without a connection to royalty succeeding him. Usually, the lord, mayor, or overseer is a noble just so that we can put some pressure on them if they begin acting out and hurting what they are supposed to protect and develop, but it’s not a law or rule.”

Welrond smiled at them warmly.

“Therefore, I would like to offer you the position of the governor of Glimmervale in hopes that you continue to watch over it whenever you are around. I do understand that your journeys may lead you to many places but I assure you that it won’t really be an issue here. The community of Glimmervale is like one big family, working together to help the town prosper. Their lord was mostly an intermediate between their voices and us.”

He rolled back the official document and hit his palm with the two tubes while glancing at them.

“There’s no hidden noble obligation here, besides maybe the duty towards the town itself, but I think that’s only natural for the person watching over it, so your generation-spanning tradition of the Hestizos avoiding being pulled into the royal affairs can still continue. We do not force a title on either of you, only ask you to be good overseers that will look out for their people. Although, that might be of no concern depending on your marriage. In any way, I’m fairly sure that they will accept you two with joy, and that you are the right pair to take the position. What do you say?”

“That’s so awesome!” Miria jumped in front of them and spun around. “You would be the chief of your own village, Master!”

“Fufufu~ I always knew my Lord had the qualities to become a lord,” Selene chuckled softly, chiming in with a little pun.

Asterios exchanged glances with Tina, both of them still slightly taken aback. They looked at Silvia, who gently smiled at them and nodded. She must have discussed it with her father before and supported the idea.

“I… don’t know what to say, Your Majesty,” Tina spoke first, letting out a quiet giggle. “This seems like a little bit too much, doesn’t it? I honestly expected a little trinket or something, not a… whole city.”

“I kind of agree with her on that.” Asterios chuckled awkwardly. “I really appreciate the gesture, but is that truly a good decision? Surely, there must be many other people that could do better than us.”

“There has been no lord in Glimmervale for almost a month exactly because there wasn’t anyone good for the position,” Silvia explained. “Those who could be considered worthy already have their own territories to look after and it’s part of the governing system for one lord to only be allowed to govern one region anyway. Unless there’s an emergency.”

“As I said, it’s more of a formality, really,” Welrond continued after her. “You don’t need to be afraid that your leadership won’t be up to the standards. People with even less experience have been chosen for similar positions. I think you are a smart couple and both of you were actually raised by parents with proper knowledge regarding such matters, am I right?”

Asterios shook his head with a smile. “I can’t deny that. It came out as a surprise who my mother really is but she surely did her best to ingrain a lot of such knowledge in my mind from a young age, and I’m grateful to her for that.”

“I… might have been taught how to manage the family matters since I am first in line to become the family head after my father…” Tina admitted with a trace of rosiness on her cheeks.

“See?” The king spread his arms and chuckled. “And I’m sure your families would certainly support you, wouldn’t they? I can only see positives here. You get a sweet castle, perhaps a few nice subjects, and we get a respectable lord and lady in a vacant region. Everyone would surely love to be under someone with such a good relationship with the royal family, don’t you think?”

“Well…”

Asterios took a peek at Tina, who glanced back at him with a slight blush. Looking at his other companions was pretty much pointless since he could feel how much Miria and Selene supported the idea, with the panthergirl being as excited at the prospect as ever. Umbra didn’t really provide any input and Bryn just watched things unfold through his eyes with a warm smile, glad that she had formed the contract with such a dependable master.

“I guess we will give it a read and consider it then,” he continued after turning to the front again.

Welrond laughed openly, passing him the two tubes. “You don’t trust me that much, young man?”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, my mother taught me to never take things like this at face value. This is too big to blindly agree to.” Asterios smiled politely.

Tina giggled a little, opening the scroll together with him. “That is true.”

The king chuckled and stepped back, joining his daughter further away. He raised his brow at the princess, causing Silvia to roll her eyes at him with a faint trace of rosiness on her fair cheeks. She could literally hear his thoughts with how obvious they were. Asterios did come off as much better than quite a bunch of young nobles.

Meanwhile, Asterios and Tina carefully read the script while discussing it through their bond, sharing the view with all their familiars since they could feel the heavy curiosity coming from their companions. They didn’t find any suspicious parts or sections that could leave something open for interpretation and agreed that it really was as the king had said.

For a few seconds in the real world, they discussed it between themselves through the bond, which felt like at least a few short minutes. In the end, they came to the conclusion that it should be fine to accept this gift as it was a great base for so many things in the future.

Wrapping their mental conversation up, they both glanced at the king and his daughter. Asterios let Tina speak first.

“I think it will be our honor to accept this unimaginably generous offer. We can only hope that we won’t disappoint.”

Welrond laughed openly again and walked up to them, pulling both Asterios and Tina into a hug.

“Great, hahaha! I’m sure you’ll do just fine!”

At the same moment, the members of the Royal Division behind them began applauding their decision and the beastfolk girls soon joined them. Even Silvia smiled gently while lightly tapping her palms together. The air shook briefly when Esil released a proud roar into the sky.

It all felt a bit surreal to Asterios and Tina.

“Now, regarding all today’s matters, let’s start from the most recent ones.” Welrond stepped back and put his hands on his hips. “We’ll send a messenger to Glimmervale with the announcement. Can you show up there to take the position in three days or is it too soon?”

“I think it should be fine. We have an important meeting in the Demon Continent tomorrow but after that, we should have enough time to reach the town. I can’t really jump there straight away since none of us have been there yet,” Asterios replied.

“Naturally. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to make whoever you are meeting wait. An affiliate?”

He smiled wryly. “It certainly would be best not to miss the audience with the Demon King.”

“Oh. My condolences then.”

“What?” Asterios blinked a few times, a bit surprised by the man’s unexpected answer.

Welrond chuckled. “You will see. He is a very unique person, even more than his predecessor. Demons tend to often pursue power but his… approach… gives that stereotype a new meaning. I won’t spoil the surprise.”

“Ehhhhh! That’s not fair! Now I’m extra curious!” Miria whined quietly from behind them.

Asterios shook his head with a smile. “Should we be worried about anything?”

“Not necessarily. He’s peculiar but he isn’t a bad man. I would rather negotiate with him than the Elf Queen. Her personality is quite… cold. Although, speaking of personalities, you certainly love to see her in person every tim—”

Silvia lightly tapped her father on his shin with the side of her foot, causing him to clear his throat and show a noble smile. Tina wasn’t sure why he had been interrupted but Asterios had a decent idea.

“I guess we will see for ourselves soon. Thank you for a bit of advice, Your Majesty. Glimmervale is not that far from their nation, is that correct?” he asked, continuing the topic.

“Yes, about two or three days of travel from the official border. Quite a big percent of the population in the town consists of elves, as you can imagine, including most of the merchants. Not that it’s a problem, right?”

“Of course not. I was just wondering if I placed it correctly in my mind.”

“Good. Moving on, then. Tina.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?” She glanced at the king curiously.

“I’m sure that you know about the uniforms or armor that the Royal Division often uses during either their missions or official events.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. They always look so beautiful and breathtaking. And, I recently had a chance to see them from up close when Princess Silvia visited my graduation ceremony with her escort.”

Welrond chuckled softly. “I’m glad you think so. But, I suggest we wait for a little before commissioning your set. Due to your future husband’s suggestion from earlier, they might change a little, depending on how our cooperation with Lady Bryn’s people goes. We will prepare the old one in case it’s needed but I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh. Not in the slightest, Your Majesty! I bet the end result will be even more magnificent!”

“Also, since the battle-intended uniforms are usually enchanted as much as possible, we could pick one more for you, with a different color scheme just like Silvia’s, so that you can use it outside of your duties if you would like to. I’m sure there would be times where you wouldn’t want to flaunt your association.”

Tina glanced at the princess’ black-red attire and armor.

“I’m not sure if I would look good in black.” She chuckled quietly. “I kind of got used to the academy uniform so something similar would be nice. Although, I often employ the help of my familiars in regards to defense so enchanted clothes aren’t that necessary.”

“Hmmm…” Welrond rubbed his chin while glancing at his daughter.

“We’ll see what we can do,” Silvia replied instead of him with a gentle smile. “Personally, I think you would look great in black. Your dark sapphire hair should fit it greatly. It doesn’t always have to revolve around high contrast. If we threw some dark blue details here and there, the effect would certainly be stunning. I can make sure that it retains a similar fashion and style to your old attire.”

“Then you could have matching clothes with Master too!” Miria showed up at Tina’s side and beamed a wide smile at her.

She took a brief peek at Asterios and blushed faintly. “I think that would be nice…”

He chuckled and brushed her shoulder with his thumb. “I feel like we are imposing on your kindness a lot but we will be grateful to receive any support.”

“It’s all a very beneficial partnership, I would say. There’s a lot that both sides gain from our little friendship so don’t think too much of just some clothes. Besides, it should be in my best interest to keep the wife of my new lord safe, shouldn’t it?” The king grinned at him and Asterios smiled back.

“So, is this the end to all the surprises, or…”

“Miria.”

The cheerful panthergirl giggled adorably and lowered her head after getting admonished by her master. She kept sneaking glances up at everyone with rosy cheeks as her thin tail swayed timidly behind her back.

Welrond laughed heartily and clasped his hands together. “I’m afraid we are out of unexpected gifts for today. I’ll remember to bring something for you too the next time we meet.”

Miria squirmed happily and snuck one more glance at Asterios, who could only chuckle at his enthusiastic mate.

“Is there anything else we have to take care of, then?” he asked, turning to the royal duo.

“I think not. We are pretty much done with the initiation. Unless Tina’s new squadmates would like to add something?” The king glanced at the men and their tigers.

They looked between each other, exchanged a few words, and Kathy stepped forward.

“The squad has nothing to say, Your Majesty! We are ready to receive your orders under our new captain!” She straightened her posture, putting one arm behind her back and one in the front.

“Are you assuming the role of vice-captain, then?”

“Yessir!”

Welrond chuckled and nodded. “Keep the boys in shape, you two. They could use a bit of a woman’s touch.”

“We will keep them ready for action at any time!”

The mentioned boys paled a little after realizing they would be under two women now. Perhaps Kathy didn’t have the best reputation in the squad. Or she did when it came to discipline.

“You are dismissed for now. Don’t celebrate your new captain too much, though. I would rather not have to explain again why someone found a member of the respectable Royal Division completely wasted in some back alley after their promotion.”

“Yessir! I’ll keep everyone in check!” Kathy stopped saluting and glanced toward Tina. “Would the captain like to join us during the celebration?”

“Uhhh… Does it start right now?” Tina asked, a little uncertain.

“We can host it whenever you are available, Captain.”

“I think a few hours from now should be fine.” Asterios exchanged glances with her. “We will just visit our homes to mention a thing or two to our families. I’m sure Tina’s parents are wondering why we still haven't come back from our sleepover at the royal castle.”

Tina let out a cute giggle. “I agree. Do you have a specific meeting place?”

“We will await your arrival inside our lodgings, Captain! Please, have a good trip!”

Respectfully nodding her head, Kathy returned to their squad. They seemed to wait until everyone else left before breaking the line and heading back too. Asterios and Tina didn’t want to hold them there unnecessarily long so they turned to Welrond and Silvia to bid their farewell.

“Thank you for everything again, Your Majesty. We will try our best to live up to your expectations.” She curtsied respectfully.

“Don’t mention it.” Welrond waved a hand at them.

“May I stay with you or should I wait until you head somewhere where I can join you again?” Silvia asked.

Asterios glanced at Tina and she nodded. “As a member of our party, you are always welcome to travel with us, Silvia.”

The king chuckled in amusement and gave his daughter a little push. “Take good care of her. It’s rare for Silvia to go out this often. You guys are having a great influence on her.”

With a very faint blush, the princess walked closer to them, trying her best not to look back at her definitely smirking father. Asterios and Tina smiled at her warmly and they took each other's hands in a circle while the other girls and familiars jumped back to their realms. Umbra then transported them out of the castle with his ability.

“I think it will be better to inform both sides at the same time,” Tina suggested after they resurfaced from the darkness. “Just to avoid explaining things twice.”

“Yeah. Let’s grab my mom and jump to your place. Is that good?”

“Yep.” Tina smiled at him warmly. “Gods, this will be so awkward…”

“We better camouflage Silvia again or we won’t even get to the main topic before they faint.” Asterios chuckled and the princess quickly changed her appearance with a tiny smile.

With everyone ready, they moved to Rosewind and quickly found Kindra in one of the inns. Entering it like normal people, they paid Ast's mom a visit. They explained that they had something to announce to her and Tina’s parents.

Kindra agreed to pay a visit to the Nobelles with them while curiously eyeing their blue-haired friend. After her eyes slightly widened and a barely discernible smug expression took over her face, they knew that Ast’s mom had recognized the mysterious stranger. Asterios smiled wryly and only hoped that she would spare Silvia from the usual.

To avoid trying to transport too many people at once, they jumped in pairs since such a number was of no issue for Umbra. Asterios accompanied Silvia while Tina entered the shadows with Kindra. They would rather not leave her alone with the princess.

In just a moment, they showed up in front of Tina’s home and she led them inside. Fortunately, her parents were present, as she had learned from the gatekeeper, and she guided the group to their location.

Finding the correct door, she knocked lightly.

“Father, Mother, it’s me, Tina. I’ve brought guests. There’s an important matter that we need to discuss.”

“Come in, then,” Viscount Thomas invited them inside.

Asterios held the door for everyone and walked into the beautiful chamber last.

“Oh, Miss Kindra, welcome!” Lady Luna stood up from behind the desk where both she and her husband had been sitting and trotted to Ast’s mom.

“It’s a pleasure again, Lady Luna.”

While the women exchanged greetings, everyone walked closer.

“Hello, Asterios. I’m glad to see that both of you are okay after your abrupt stay over at the castle,” Thomas smiled at them.

Tina blushed a little. “Sorry about that, Father. Even I didn’t expect it to go that way.”

He chuckled while shaking his head. “And this is?” her father asked, glancing at the fourth guest.

“A friend. I’ll introduce you later. Trust me, it’s better this way.” Tina giggled awkwardly.

Viscount Thomas raised a brow at them and even Lady Luna turned their way to see what the mystery was about.

“Anyway, there’s a piece of news we would like to share with you together.”

Their parents focused their attention on the duo, awaiting the reveal.

Tina opened her mouth a few times but didn’t know where to start. Asterios noticed her troubles and wrapped his arm around her waist, rubbing her side reassuringly. She glanced up at him and smiled sweetly, thankful for his affectionate support.

Viscount Thomas was starting to sweat a little while sitting on the edge of his seat as he watched the fluffy interactions between the duo. The pair of mothers next to him tried their best to hold back the smiles forcing themselves onto their lips.

The atmosphere was quite obvious.

“We…” Tina began again amidst a complete silence where even a pin drop could shatter windows, “might own a town now…”

All the tension instantly dropped as everyone’s brows rose in confusion.

“Ah, shoot! I was sure it was a baby!” Kindra clicked her tongue, cursing to the side.