Once the group was in the room, Rya was given a bed and a warm blanket. She smiled happily when she saw them.


    "There we go. Now you can sleep comfortably," Quin told Rya.


    Rya could hear voices as her consciousness began to slip. She was just too cute that Quin couldn''t resist giving her a quick pat on the head before getting back to business.


    Quin had to pat her head briefly before returning to business.


    "Percy... Lady Dalia... I need you both to keep an eye on Rya while Sir George and I catch up with Baron Zellin. I''m counting on you two... Oh?... And no mating!" Quin said with a raised brow while looking at the two love birds. Quin didn''t want a repeat of what happened at the Inn this morning.


    ,'' wai until we can get our oroom,"c


    "Huh?... Oh fine! I promise to behave, Beta," Dalia said with a serious look.


    uin let out a sigh. He would have to talk to the two later on about the dangers of breeding and pregnancy. With that done, Quin looked back at Rya, sleeping comfortably in the queen-size bed.


    ''Hajdah had to pick on Rya just because she''s a Dark Elf. For a century-old mage. He''s dumber than he looks!'' Quin thought to himself, annoyed by Hajdah''s unnecessary and useless test.


    "Shall we, dear Prince?" Hajdah asked.


    Quin nodded and followed Hajdah out of the room with Sir George.


    After a moment, Percy and Dalia found themselves alone with Rya in the large bedroom.


    "I think Prince Quinus is angry with the Dwarven Mage," Percy addressed Dalia with an air of concern in his voice.


    "Yeah, you''re right. I could smell Beta''s anger in his body odor... I wonder what he''s going to do," Dalia answered.


    "We''ll find out soon enough. Until then, I''ll grab some food from the kitchen. Is there anything that you would like, Lady Dalia," Percy asked.


    "Okay. I''ll watch Alpha. OH! And grab me some of that wild boar I like so much. I could smell them slow-cooking one!" Dalia said as her tail wagged under her cloak.


    Percy smiled and nodded at Dalia before he left the room to get food for everyone.


    ***


    Meanwhile, Quinus, George, and Hajdah were walking the halls of the palace toward the Baron''s chamber. The silence was eerie, and Hajdah could hear the creaking of the floorboards under their feet.


    "Your Highness. I like to say how relieved we are that you came back from the Labyrinth unharmed. And I couldn''t help but notice that you also tamed a Wolfkin... If you don''t mind my asking, how did you tame such a creature? I''ve never heard of a wolfkin not being enslaved before," Hajdah asked casually.


    Quinus stopped abruptly, as did Sir George, upon hearing Hajdah''s inquiry regarding Dalia. The Prince was trying his best not to scream at the old mage, but he needed to let him know that he was displeased.


    e.


    Prince Quinus was very protective of the


    ''H-He''s actually furious! I need to do something to show that I''m loyal to the Prince. I can''t lose the trust of the crown!'' Hajdah thought as he took a few steps back from Quinus.


    "No, I was just curious why a wolfkin seemed to follow you all. Especially Percy, since he is not a wolfkin," Hajdah said with worry in his voice while trying to deflect the conversation.


    Quinus turned and walked closer to Hajdah. He glared down upon the nervous dwarf who didn''t know if he should defend himself.


    Hajdah gulped, then bowed his head and said, "My apologies, Your Highness. I will try to be more mindful of the trust you give me in the future."


    wasle foring and he should have known better than rince.


    Quinus sighed, "It''s fine, Hajdah. Please know that you''re still in my good graces. Just don''t disappoint me with another incident like this again."


    "Th-Thank you, Your Highness!... I promise never to question you again!" Hajdah replied nervously.


    The Dwarven Mage didn''t fully believe that he was in the Prince''s good graces. Not until he made it up to the person he had wronged. The Prince''s Dark Elf-friend, Rya.


    ''I must apologize to Lady Rya at once! If she accepts my apology and I help her with anything magic-related, then the prince will no longer be angered with me!''


    And with that, they started walking again to the Baron''s chambers.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ***


    The hallways of the Dwarven Palace were dark and quiet except for the occasional creak of the wooden planks beneath their feet. The ceilings were slightly lower than usual, and the walls were made of stone rather than wood. Yellow crystals lit the hallways dimly, unlike the bright white crystals that most humans preferred. However, the light reflected off the polished silver mirrors adorning the walls to add a bit more illumination. As they approached the Baron''s chamber, two big windows lit the area with natural light.


    A large door with a heavy lock was at the end of the hallway. This particular door was unique because the key to unlocking it was kept within the Baron''s personal quarters. As one would expect, the guards stationed outside of the door wore full dwarven armor and carried battle axes. It looked like both of them had seen battle, as each bore several scars across their bodies.


    As the Prince, Dwarven Mage, and Human Knight entered, the guards saluted and stepped aside to allow them entry.


    "The Baron is waiting for you, Your Highness," one guard said with a bow.


    "My Lord, Prince Quinus Meredydd of the Kingdom has arrived," the guard stated loudly.


    The Crown Prince saw the well-dressed Dwarven Noble seated at a desk with a book in hand. Upon hearing the announcement, the Baron quickly set the book aside and rose from his chair.


    Upon entering the room, Quinus, George, and Hadjah proceeded through the impressive doorway and positioned themselves before the desk of the baron. Zellin seemed to be deep in thought about something, and he waited for a moment to speak.


    He proceeded to move about his desk, advanced a few paces, and executed a profound bow in Quinus'' direction.


    "Your Highness! You''ve defeated the Dungeon Core that controlled the goblin stampede! The goblins are no longer in our lands, and we shall never have to worry about them again," the Baron said.


    "It wasn''t an easy quest, Zellin, but fate must have been on our side to defeat the Dungeon Core! Thank you for all the help you offered. I just wish more of our men could have lived to see this day," Quinus replied with an apologetic face.


    Zellin responded with a joyful smile. "What''s important is your survival... It is good to see you again, Prince Quinus. I''m glad that the rumors of your death are false. I heard that you were one of the few people to survive this suicide mission. Sadly, that''s what happens when a Labyrinth''s Core gets loose... Besides Sir George, who else survived, Your Highness?"


    "My loyal ranger, Percy, and two remarkable demi-human females provided invaluable assistance... I fear I wouldn''t be standing here without her help," Quinus answered.


    "Yes, my servants mentioned you came with a Wolfkin and a Dark Elf. I thought Dark Elves only seek power. Are you sure she''s not using you, Your Highness?" Zellin said with concern.


    Sir George cut in. "Not only did she save my life, Baron Coldforge, but she''s saved my lord''s life multiple times. Lady Rya is a purist and cares for everyone around her! Even if she insults my courting methods," Sir George said with a sad look.


    "I see... I do apologize for doubting your choice of companion! But how did you find these women anyway?" the Baron asked.


    "Rya was chased into the Labyrinth by the goblin horde, and we were able to save Lady Dalia from being impregnated by the goblins in their nest," Quinus explained.


    "Fated indeed! How did your cousin fare, Your Highness? I don''t see him with you, so I''m assuming the worst," Zellin asked.


    "It''s even worse than that, Baron. He and his mercenaries betrayed the prince when the Goblin Horde was attacking us in the dungeon! He deserved something worse than death!" Sir George spat out.


    "What!? He was mad enough to try and claim the throne!?" Zellin said in shock.


    "Yes. And that''s the last thing we''re concerned about. One of his mercenaries survived, and we think he made it out of the Labyrinth before we did. Do you know the whereabouts of the Black Rose Mercenaries? My cousin was only able to hire 20 of them before our quest, and I remember their commander was in Ironside when we first came through," Quinus asked.


    Hajdah jumped in, "100 Black Rose Mercenaries stayed inside the city five days ago, Your Highness. I believe they went north—toward Mount Skellige... Rumor has it that the main forces of the Mercenary Group have been spotted moving around the foothills... Which we believe is around ten thousand strong. It''s making us nervous, My Prince."


    "Are you certain they didn''t head east toward the capital?" Quinus asked with a worried look on his face.


    "Yes, I''m certain, My Lord... While the old mines may have collapsed over 500 years ago, there are still a lot of abandoned tunnels that they might be using to hide in, Your Highness," Hajdah answered with a reassuring smile. He hoped this would get him back in Quinus'' good graces.


    "Thank you, Hajdah. But I must say, I''m a little concerned that they didn''t go straight to my uncle so they could report about his son''s execution," Quinus said.


    "Your Highness executed the Viscount!? I can only imagine what Duke Alaric Revelia will do when he hears about this," Zellin said in shock.


    Quinus sighed, "I don''t know if I can trust my uncle not to ambush us if we try to go to the capital on our own. I might need a garrison of your men, Zellin."


    "I-I can, My Lord... But I thought you and your cousin were so close when you were children. How did it come to this," Zellin said in confusion.


    "Marcus was always good at putting up a facade when needed, but his heart is blacker than I ever could''ve imagined. I wish I didn''t have to end him in such a way, but it''s too late for that," Quinus said.


    "My Lord, should we deal with the mercenaries? I’m sure they are up to something if they left the city before we arrived," Sir George asked with a hint of concern in his voice.


    "Yeah, I think you''re right. We''ll need to deal with them before heading to the capital with Zellin''s garrison as our escort," Quinus answered.


    "Well, I''ll send some soldiers to search the mountainside to see if we are lucky enough to find them, Your Highness," Hajdah said.


    "Sounds like a plan... And I have one last thing to ask of you," Quinus said while looking over to the Baron.


    "When was the last time you or your father smithed Liquid Ether?" Quinus asked Zellin Coldforge.


    "Well, my father was lucky enough to get a drop of Liquid Ether about 40 years ago. I believe he smithed it to create your father''s sword," Zellin said while scratching his chin.


    "He made my father''s sword with only one drop?... I wonder what you and your father can make with this," Quinus said while pulling out a glowing vial of Liquid Ether and holding it up.


    Zellin''s and Hajdah''s eyes went wide when they saw the vial of liquid light. The Baron''s hands were shaking slightly as he took the vial and examined it. His face was puzzled and stunned as he saw how much Ether, the Prince, had collected.


    "That''s insane! You''ve got that much Liquid Ether!? That makes you the richest man in the world!" Zellin said in disbelief while handling the vial carefully.


    "And what would you do with this gift, My Lord," Hajdah asked.


    "With this Ether, the possibilities are endless... I don''t seek wealth, but I desire weaponry and armor for both myself and my companions. I have a feeling that we will need all the help we can get," Quinus said as he watched the Baron stare at the vial of light.


    "We can do that, but it will take at least a few weeks or even a few months to forge what you want, My Lord... I''ll need to research what types of weapons my father and I can make for you," Zellin said as he handed the vial back to Quinus.


    "I would like for you to make a short sword for Rya first, then use the rest for me later... I could use some gauntlets or a shield," Quinus commanded while gesturing to Zellin to hang on to the vial.


    "As you wish, Your Highness," Zellin said as he pocketed the vial in his leather pouch.


    "Do we have any other business here?" Quinus asked.


    "No, Your Highness. We can try to send a message to your father and mother about your success if you like," Zellin asked.


    "Yes, I think that would be wise. Let us move on. What else do you have planned for the city?" Quinus asked.


    "Well, we are going to hold a Festival of the Goddess starting tomorrow morning. It''s an annual event where everyone throws money and offerings to their respective deities. With the goblins dealt with, we thought it would be a good time to hold it again," Zellin explained.


    "Sounds like a plan. I''d like to attend if possible, incognito, of course," Quinus said.


    "Of course, Your Highness. I''m sure the whole town will be festive, so you can blend in easily if you like," Zellin replied.


    "Hm. Well, that should be enough. I''ll be retiring to my room. Gentlemen, I look forward to seeing you during dinner," Quinus said.


    Zellin and Hajdah bowed to the prince as he walked away with Sir George in tow, and they left the Baron''s chamber.


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