Chapter 23: Elanor and the Elven Kingdom
The hurrahs of the crowd grow wild as they discern a lovely figure descending from the temple. The pendant on the woman's neck is like what Elanor and Natalia are wearing, showing their royal blood. I could only express my interest by looking at her figure, alongside the King and the Princess.
"I am pleased to see you all healthy and prospering!" The lady spoke with her eyes scanning the mass, still preaching for her name.
"All Hail the Queen!"
"Long live the Queen!"
"Mother, it is the Queen of the city!"
"Bless our town!"
The mixture of sounds kept ringing to the forest, bringing the flock of doves and flower petals covering the skies. As soon as the noise had died down, the Queen waves her hand for the last time and, at long last, meets with us.
"Darling, it has been a long time since you last visited our village." She said with her eyes affixed to her stone-gazed husband.
"I am home, Tris" Elanor responds while stretching his arms for her to embrace; and so she did. After the warm hug, the Queen turns around and spots Natalia, Delwyn, and me. Her eyes boggle from the sight of the creature that everyone should be afraid about; that figure was none other than me.
"A goblin?" The Queen said with her smile still inscribed on her beautiful face. Although my stench is oozing at our surroundings, she pays it no mind and continues asking the questions.
"Yes, your majesty, the Queen," I answered with intense tension from my voice. I am in front of another Queen. This time the ruler of the Elven Race, which I will work with their kingdom soon.
"My name is Lake White, a mere goblin proud to serve the Kingdom of Joker," My croaking voice adds while kneeling with my right knee and placing my arm, eastwards and parallel to my chest. It was the only posture that I could think of that worked well from introducing myself to the Windsor family.
Her face abruptly changes as she witnesses my graceful and modest movements. To my knowledge, they also consider these greetings well-mannered even in this world. Thankfully, the knowledge back in my world where I watched tons of etiquette videos is finally paying off.
"Indeed, Markus always stands up for his name," She remarks to herself while raising her brow after having to pique the Queen's curiosity.
"Why don't I show you around our castle?"
At once, two of her elite guards promptly align at the flank, saluting and giving way for our stride toward the castle's door.
"However, my Queen," I utter while concealing my fidgeting fingers behind. "My two friends are staying inside the tavern that Delwyn owns, and one of them had taken a blow because of a lone horned rabbit with poison,"
Beatrice's expressions suddenly change upon hearing my statement. At once, she ordered the two knights to fetch my comrades at the smithy and ordered the finest medicines and bed for my friends. The two mages hurriedly agreed and cast enhanced wind magic from their staff and, in a flash, flew over to the open street. They zoomed in almost in an instant, wondering what sorcery that they had conjured.
"With that taken care of, we invite you to come inside, viscount Lake." Queen Beatrice gives me a wink and heads back to the entrance.
"You heard the lady," Elanor repeated with a sigh to his wife's uncontested command. A bitter taste runs through his mouth as we march over the series of steps.
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The gates slowly unfold before our eyes, revealing the insides of the white and glorious mansion. The dangling chandelier entranced my globes at the centre, with two curving stairs found at each end of the hallway, both reaching the second storey.
I have never seen such elaborated decor carefully placed where the guest will first see them upon entering the house. Buzzing Elven maids and butlers jolts around the corridors, carrying trays filled with exquisite meals that everyone desires.
Shifting my gaze to my left, I saw two nobility dressed children playing a game of a tag of some sort as they chased each other around on the spacious vestibule. Their eyes drifted upon discerning the Queen and King extending their arms, greeting them with a smile.
However, after noticing my gaze, they quickly retract themselves like pangolins, scared of grabbing any attention of a person they do not know. They scurry behind the behind two couples of the same age as Elanor and the Queen.
"Brother, you are back!" The bloke elf said while caressing his short greyish moustache.
He wears an emerald tunic with sophisticated designs of gold embroidery reaching to his hips. The colour of his hair is as blonde as the sun, similar to his wife beside him.
"Your highness," The lady elf speaks with ease and gently bows her head while greeting Beatrice with a gleam.
She wears the same tunic clothing but has a parakeet shade of green instead of the emerald hue. The woman also has a white gold ornament suspended on her shoulders, down to her waist.
Both of them synchronously peeks through the gap and perceive my motionless figure staring right at them with a smile.
The blonde man's eyes widen in fright, while his wife gradually steps back and reaches for his staff. They did not utter a single word, but their actions said it all.
Elanor wanted to retort and explain the situation to the two for my sake. However, Beatrice signals the king she can handle the problem with ease while flicking her hands to vamoose his way.
The Queen rests her exhaust head on her hand while waving the other to the couple. Confused, the two elves seize their actions and observe Beatrice's concerned face. Unfortunately, they were too late for the party as they both ended up flying at the end of the hall, rolling like bowling bowls after taking the complete impact of the wind arcane.
The two children whimper from the sight and follow their parents around. Elanor wanted to stop his wife and had already thought of the outcome of the battle. But he could not have the power to do so, as he clamps his hand and prays for their well-being to return to life.
As if someone has heard his prayers, the two elves rise from the floor and shrug the blast off like nothing but a mere push.
"You are still cruel as ever, old hag," With a change of personality, the Elven girl prepares a magic circle radiating from her hand, directed towards the Queen.
"Do you really want to fight against me that badly!" The male elf said while wielding a utensil on his hand, aimed at the neck of Beatrice. "You will soon regret this, Beatrice!"
"Beg for forgiveness, worthless scums!" The Queen reacts as her voice escapes a sinister laugh that can bring shivers to the mightiest heroes back in my earth.
"Would the three of you stop this ridiculousness?!" Elanor yelled as loud as he could, wanting to stop their crazy shenanigans.
Natalia and Delwyn did not even bother and took out the chairs and watched the event from afar. I, who was still standing amidst them all, observed blankly at the scene, unsure of what to do.
"Darling, if you would kindly move aside so I can beat the shit out of these pests!" The elegant Queen, in which I had admired, has a different guise painted from her eyes. It clouded her globes with the heat of the clash, wanting to exchange fists rather than listen to reasons.
"Do you want to take a piece of this fork!"
"Elanor, you're no fun!"
The same story goes for the two couples, who only want one thing; to fight against the Queen.
Without heeding Elanor's warnings, the two parties rush at the centre and summon their signature spells that even I cannot understand. The bright luminance coming from their arcane was the only thing that I last saw against their clash.
After a while, the cloud of dust finally settles, revealing neither party winning the battle. Elanor was a lousy elf that could never hold a candle against anyone that I know. But he suddenly clamps all of their attacks with his defensive shield and absorbs all of their attacks. It almost feels as if the bombarding strikes were nothing but thin air. I can even perceive their present attacks still caged from his transparent box.
"Will you cut it out!" The angered Elanor slams all three people out from his way and threw them off elsewhere in the corridor. With a stylish spin, he mustered up his strength and cleaned his title worthy of being called the King of the Elven race.
"Lay off,"
Everyone present in the room did not dare to twitch or to utter a word. With enlarged eyes, the three battling elves attempt to cast another set of magic but miserably failed as they noticed that something had cut off their magic. Suddenly, a spell that Elanor had activated prompts up my transparent blue screen, alerting me I am in the effects range.
[Warning: The King's Gambit is in effect]
The King's Gambit (level 3)
-Everyone in a 100 metres radius will be under the effect of momentarily getting silenced for 5 seconds. To compensate for the spell's effect, the user who had activated this spell will temporarily lower his/her attack by -30.
[Unrivaled is currently in effect! You and your party members are not affected by the silence!]
It was a good thing that I have the ability to negate such debuff from a spell; even if the arcane comes from an ally.
'This would be convenient in the battlefield' I thought while acting surprised and still just like everybody else in the room.
"Such tremendous power," Even the Delwyn admits defeat from magic.
Natalia grips her hands, thinking deeply to herself to find any achievements that can rival her father.
"All right, your majesty," The two elves mumble to themselves and acknowledge their loss. "You won. We won't cause any trouble,"
Elanor looks at his side and glares at the Queen-his wife, waiting for her to say the same.
"Dear, I-,"
"Beatrice, please. I do not want any trouble in our household," The King pleaded with all his might as he lowers his concealed quiver at his back.
"Likewise, I will keep quiet, for now."
"I did not quite hear you, dear," Elanor commented, raising his brow to her direction.
"I won't do it again,"
"That would be better for the rest of us,"
After letting out a deep breath, the ruined room had finally quieted down, making the servants hurrying to the scene and clean the mess that the nobles had made. d
"Let us resume what you three had come for," Beatrice shifts her gaze to my two friends at the back who had just arrived at the mansion.
But, a dart suddenly hovers to my direction, aiming straight at my head without caution. The arrow was invisible to the naked eye, yet the Queen, who already witnessed the attack, grins while watching the occurrence.
Defending myself with all the mana that I have, I imagine a waterfall forming a wall to block its collision; so I did. The tsunami ended up from what I had expected and broke the wooden arrow at lightning speed.
The tsunami I had created rushes forth to Elanor, the person who ambushed me with no further notice. Returning the favour, I maximise the power of my skill and accidentally level up the proficiency of my ability, making it much stronger than before.
Within a flash, Elanor vanishes from my sight and appears right in front of me, effortlessly dodging my attack. To my surprise, I turn around and see his image smiling vigorously at me, as if proud of what he had seen.
"I congratulate you, Lake White. You are now officially my apprentice."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone