QTMWSFC Chapter 37

By the time Lant returned to Serorida quietly, four more days had passed.

During those four days, a major event had taken place in Serorida.

Two days ago, a highly respected fortune-teller made an astonishing conclusion through stargazing—the Hero, who had not appeared for thousands of years, had reappeared on the continent.

But who was the Hero? Where was he? No one knew. It was even possible that the Hero himself did not know he was the Hero.

Of course, this important news could not be casually leaked. The fortune-teller had met with the king privately on a personal basis.

Among the common people, there were also some low-level fortune-tellers who had reached similar conclusions, but very few believed them.

The reappearance of the Hero meant that the Otherworld Demons, which had been dormant for thousands of years, were about to break through their seal and return. Now the Hero had appeared, but where was the other legendary figure—the Saintess?

Those who held high positions for a long time feared death more than ordinary people. The king believed the fortune-teller’s words completely. Aside from regretting that he was not the chosen Hero, he began recruiting knights on a large scale. Even the knight selection, which was originally held every four years, was held in advance.

On one hand, by recruiting widely and improving treatment, there was a chance of uncovering the true Hero. On the other hand, recruiting more knights was also a way to better protect the royal family.

The Hero’s mission was only to slay the ultimate Otherworld Demons. Protecting the king was not part of that mission. As the ruler of a kingdom, the king naturally wanted to plan ahead for his own safety.

The common people of Serorida had no idea what was happening. The entire country was excited about the early knight selection tournament.

The knight selection was very important to ordinary people. It was the most common way for a commoner to rise and a relatively fair method to cross classes.

Now that more knights were being recruited and treatment was being improved, how could the people not be overjoyed and excited? In just two or three days, the good news spread throughout every street and alley of Serorida.

As soon as Lant returned home, Aunt Satian next door kindly brought him a copy of the announcement. “Lant! Good news! The knight selection originally scheduled for two years from now will be held in advance! It’s happening in just three months! With your skills, you’ll definitely become a personal guard knight after this selection!”

Personal guard knights didn’t have to leave the city every few days for missions, nor did they need to complete regular patrol duties. They were only responsible for protecting their master. Most of the time, the job was leisurely and easy. If they were lucky enough to follow a kind-tempered master, the treatment was even better. So, every knight dreamed of becoming a personal guard.

The area Lant lived in was the residential district for knights and their families. Almost everyone was enthusiastically discussing the good news.

After some thought, Lant still voiced a reminder: “Is it possible that something abnormal will happen?”

Although he was a captain and widely recognized genius with the sword, he was still young. He was only fourteen years old this year. In many adults’ eyes, he was just a child.

So most people just laughed heartily. “Oh dear! You’re overthinking it, kid! Don’t be so wise beyond your years all the time, or life will just be exhausting!”

“Haha! Exactly! So what if there’s a selection? Why make it so complicated?”

“Lant, you really need to change this habit! Don’t always look so solemn. Sometimes you have to look on the bright side!”

Lant said a few more words but no one listened. Speaking was no use. He could only shake his head regretfully.

Only Aunt Satian took Lant’s words to heart. She thought she would have a good talk with her husband when he came home.

Although Lant was young, he was capable and smart. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have become a captain. If he said something felt off, there must be a reason. Even though she was uneducated, she knew whose words could be trusted and whose could not.

At the same time, in the Serorida Royal Palace.

Coming from a bedroom that was much dimmer and more simple compared to those of the other princes and princesses, a violent fit of coughing could be heard.

“Princess!”

A young girl, wearing a blue maid’s uniform, no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, hurriedly carried a water basin and rushed toward the bed in the bedchamber.

“Princess! How are you? Are you feeling any better?” The girl’s face was full of anxiety. She soaked a towel in warm water and kept wiping the sweat from the girl lying on the bed.

“Lita, thank you. I’m much better now.” The girl gently covered the corner of her mouth, took the towel, and wanted to do it herself. “You’ve been taking care of me all night without sleeping well. Go rest now. I can manage on my own.”

Lita was still worried. “Then I’ll go add more firewood. Really, why hasn’t the furnace I requested two days ago arrived yet? Those old people just love to make things difficult for us! It makes me so angry!”

Lita was indignant. Even if her princess was the least favored, she was still a princess! Those old guys in charge of the warehouse were all snobs! They took advantage of her princess’s poor health and bullied them at every turn! Every time they requested something, it took ages to arrive. A magic hand-warmer wasn’t even a rare item, yet it had been over half a month and still hadn’t come! It was absolutely outrageous!

“Lita, forget it. They’re doing it on purpose. It’s just a shame that I’m not well. When I get better, I’ll go with you myself. At least face to face, they wouldn’t dare continue bullying us.” The girl on the bed sat up halfway, drank a cup of warm water, and comforted Lita.

Her skin was as fair as snow. Because she was weak all year round and could not see the sun, she seemed almost translucent, making her look even more fragile, like a porcelain doll that would break at the slightest touch. This was Serorida’s least favored little princess—Freya Ramirez.

Because she was not favored, her bedchamber faced a poor direction, and in this winter weather, it received even less sunlight. Several logs had been added to the fire but there was still little warmth. She wore layers of clothes and wrapped herself in many blankets but remained cold. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have caught a cold.

Lita had no good solution either. She was just a young maid with no say in anything, so she could only nod helplessly. “Then I’ll go to the kitchen and get you some hot food. Princess, is there anything you want to eat?”

Freya shook her head. “No need. I’ll just drink more hot water. Lita, you should get some rest too.”

The more Lita thought about it, the angrier she became. She plopped down on the edge of Freya’s bed. “I’m so fed up with those people in the kitchen! Taking money without doing any work! I really don’t get it. If that old bastard hates us that much, why doesn’t he just let us leave the palace? Anywhere would be more comfortable than this!”

Freya gave a bitter smile. “How could that be? At the very least, I still have value to him for a marriage alliance. He won’t let us go until he’s used me up completely…”

Lita was so angry that she couldn’t help but pound the corner of the bed.

What princess was she? What princess lived this miserably? Clothes and blankets were only replaced every few years. In the bitter cold, she couldn’t even get a heating device! The kitchen didn’t prepare meals for them and didn’t even leave fresh ingredients. They had to do everything themselves. Was this the kind of life a princess should have?

“Alright, don’t be angry. Haven’t we gotten through all these years the same way? At least we still have a place to live, don’t we? Hmm?” Freya patted Lita gently to comfort her.

In fact, she didn’t know when this life would end. Unfortunately, she wasn’t capable enough. If possible, she would really love to run away from home…

Lita suddenly thought of something, her eyes sparkling. “Princess, I heard that the knight selection tournament will be held in advance in three months.”

Freya sensed that Lita had some thoughts. She placed a hand on Lita’s shoulder and shook her head. “Lita, you know our situation. I don’t want to burden anyone else. Besides, what knight would want to follow a princess who isn’t favored?”

This time, Lita truly couldn’t accept it. “Oh, Princess! There is no need for us to belittle ourselves so much! How will we know if there is a knight willing to join us without trying? Think about it. If we had someone on our side, wouldn’t our chances of escaping be much greater?”

Freya’s grip on the blanket tightened, her heart beginning to wrestle with the idea. “But… if we run away, what about him?”

“We’ll take him with us! What’s so good about the palace anyway?” In short, Lita didn’t like this place at all. Besides, it wasn’t as if she didn’t have skills to make a living!

Freya sighed. “Lita, you have to understand—a knight who made it into the royal palace, how much effort must he have spent, how many missions must he have completed, how much blood must he have shed? How could he just leave with us so easily?”

Lita clutched her head in anguish and frustration. “Ah! Princess! So there’s really no way out for us? Damn old bastard. He has the nerve to send people to watch us, but not the guts to send people to send us away!”

Freya covered Lita’s mouth. “Keep your voice down. This is the palace. Walls have ears. Watch your titles!”

Lita pouted. “In this place of ours, even dogs wouldn’t come!”

Freya smiled bitterly, then took a deep breath, her eyes gradually becoming firm as if she had made up her mind. “How about… we give it a try? It can’t get any worse than this, can it?”

Lita immediately brightened. “That’s right! That’s the way to think! How will we know if any knight is willing to join us without trying? Maybe some blind one will take a liking to us. If he is willing to help us escape, we will definitely have to thank him properly in the future!”

Seeing that Lita was finally no longer fuming, Freya gave a faint smile. “Actually, I was just thinking it would be great if there was someone to protect you.”

Although Lita was only a palace maid, in Freya’s heart, she was a sister, a companion, and a best friend! But her friend was always getting into trouble because of her and getting deliberately bullied. So if she had a knight under her orders to protect Lita, things would probably be much better.

As the saying goes, one rank higher can crush a person. Even if she wasn’t favored, she was still a princess. Overt bullying would still be criticized.

Lita was deeply touched. She shook her head repeatedly. “Princess, don’t be silly. You’re the one who needs protection the most!”

The two smiled at each other. For the first time, they began to have some hope for the knight selection tournament.