Hey guys heres the chapter hope you enjoy
Chapter 61: The Grimwald Reception
After Varion settled down they decided to head towards Sarion.
Varion and Prinz stepped onto the wide stone platform at the base of the Divine Tree. Massive roots twisted and intertwined to form the foundation of the checkpoint. Guards in elegant silver-and-green armor stood at attention along the perimeter, their eyes sharp as they watched the new arrivals.
Prinz didn't hesitate and walked straight toward the main checkpoint with her head held high. As she approached one of the guards was about to order her to halt then one of the senior guard's eyes widening in recognition. "Lady Prinz" he said then snapped to attention.
Prinz gave a small, polite nod. "It's been a while."
The reaction was immediate. Several guards dropped to one knee in respect, while others quickly straightened their postures. The captain of the gate hurried over, already signaling for an escort.
"We were not informed of your return, my lady," the captain said, bowing deeply. "Please, allow us to provide you and your guest with a proper escort to the upper canopy."
Varion stood quietly beside her, watching the scene with mild interest. He could feel several of the guards' gazes flicking toward him, sensing the sheer density of his magicules, but None of them dared to question his presence, however. Since he was traveling with Prinz.
Within minutes, an elite escort had been assembled, and a sleek magi-tech platform was prepared for them. The platform was a smooth, floating disc made of polished living wood and glowing blue circuits. As they stepped onto it, it began to rise smoothly along the massive trunk of the Divine Tree.
Varion looked out as they ascended. The view was breathtaking. The Divine Tree was even more impressive up close, entire districts and palaces were built into its enormous branches, connected by elegant bridges and glowing pathways. Waterfalls cascaded down from higher levels, and floating gardens drifted lazily between the branches. It was a perfect blend of nature and advanced magic technology.
Prinz stood beside him, her expression calm but focused. She hadn't said much since they arrived. Varion could tell she was mentally preparing herself for something.
After several minutes of steady ascent, the platform came to a stop at one of the upper levels. Their escort led them through corridors made of living wood reinforced with glowing magi-tech lines until they reached a pair of grand double doors.
The captain stepped forward to announce them, but before he could speak, the doors suddenly burst open from the inside.
"PRINZ!!!!"
Archduke Erald Grimwald swept into the hallway in a dramatic swirl of fine silk robes, his long hair flowing behind him. He completely ignored the guards and Varion, rushing straight toward his eldest daughter with wide, tearful eyes.
"My precious daughter! You're alive!!!!" he cried, already reaching out to grab her shoulders and inspect her face and arms as if checking for injuries. "I heard you were wandering in dangerous, uncultured human lands! Did those brutish humans mistreat you? Did any low-lifes lay a hand on you?! Tell your father everything and he'll destroy them and their kingdoms!"
Prinz let out a long, tired sigh, her expression completely deadpan. She was clearly used to this.
"Father," she said flatly. "I'm fine. Stop making a scene."
Prinz let out a long, tired sigh as her father continued his dramatic fretting, checking her arms and face like she had just returned from a warzone. She had expected this kind of reaction, but experiencing it again after so long was still exhausting.
Prinz's patience finally ran out.
She stepped back from him, putting some distance between them, and turned slightly. Without saying anything at first, she reached out and took Varion's hand, lacing their fingers together. The gesture was deliberate and firm.
Only then did she look back at her father.
"Father," she said, her voice calmer now, but carrying a clear, steady weight. "This is Varion."
Erald paused mid-sentence, blinking at the sudden shift in her tone. His eyes dropped to their joined hands, and his expression slowly began to change.
Prinz continued, meeting his gaze directly.
"He's the man I love," she said. "And the one I wish to marry."
The hallway went quiet.
Erald froze mid-motion, his eyes slowly shifting from Prinz to Varion. For a moment, he simply stared, as if his brain needed time to process what he had just heard.
Then his expression twisted into something between horror and outrage.
"Marry?!" he repeated, clutching his chest dramatically. "You intend to marry this… this random outsider?! What is his pedigree?! What noble house does he belong to?! How could my eldest daughter possibly consider marrying someone with no standing—"
Prinz's patience snapped.
She stepped directly in front of her father, invading his personal space, and began poking him hard in the chest with one finger.
"Father," she said sharply, punctuating each word with another poke. "You will not speak about him like that. Varion is not some random outsider. He is kind, protective, caring, and very loving to me. You will show him respect."
Erald actually recoiled slightly from the force of her words, looking genuinely wounded. "Prinz… how could you speak to me this way? After everything I've done to protect you—"
Before he could continue his dramatic whining, the doors behind him opened again.
A woman stepped into the hallway with calm, measured steps. She had long silver-white hair tied back elegantly and carried herself with the quiet authority of someone who had long since mastered dealing with her husband's theatrics. This was Prinz's mother, Isolde Grimwald.
One sharp look from her was all it took.
Erald immediately straightened up, his dramatic persona vanishing in an instant. He cleared his throat and stood properly, though he still looked somewhat sulky.
"…Welcome home, Prinz," her mother said calmly. "Let's take this to somewhere more private dear."
The group moved from the hallway into a private lounge deeper within the estate. The room was beautifully decorated, with elegant living wood furniture and large windows that overlooked the vast canopy of the Divine Tree. It was clearly a space meant for important discussions.
Varion and Prinz sat together on one of the long couches. Varion had his arm wrapped securely around her waist, keeping her close. Prinz, for her part, was happily clinging to him showing no intention of letting go anytime soon.
Across from them, Erald sat on the opposite couch with his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He was glaring at Varion with a deeply unhappy look, glaring at him as if he could kill him with looks alone, clearly displeased by how close the two of them were sitting.
Isolde sat gracefully beside her husband. She was the first to break the tense silence, her voice calm and elegant.
"While I do not approve of the embarrassing and excessive way you were behaving in the hall, Erald…" she said, giving her husband a pointed look, "I will admit that I share some of your curiosity about this young man."
She then turned her sharp, warm gaze toward her daughter. A small, knowing smile played on her lips.
"After all," she continued, "I would like to know more about the young man who managed to make my usually independent daughter fall so completely head-over-heels in love."
The teasing hit its mark perfectly.
Prinz's calm, deadpan composure cracked. A bright blush spread across her cheeks as she turned her face slightly away, clearly embarrassed by her mother's words. She tightened her grip on Varion but didn't argue.
After a moment, she took a small breath and looked her parents directly in the eyes. Her voice was clear and steady when she spoke.
"His name is Varion Nava."
The reaction was immediate.
Prinz's mother's elegant composure cracked. Her eyes widened slightly, though she remained composed. Erald, however, went completely still. The name hit him like a blade. He knew that name. He knew what the bloodline of Nava had once unleashed upon the world through Milim's rampage. The ancient records did not speak kindly of that legacy.
His posture straightened at once, a heavy, protective weight settling over him. His gaze sharpened as he studied Varion with open wariness.
"…Nava," he repeated slowly, voice low and measured. "That is not a name spoken lightly in these lands."
Without meaning to, Erald's magic flared. A heavy, high-tier elven aspectual pressure filled the room, not a direct attack, but a action born of deep protective instinct. It pressed down on Varion, gauging exactly what kind of being sat across from him.
Varion did not flinch.
His eyes flashed with a faint stellar glow as he released his own power in return. A crushing wave of pure Stardust Magicules flooded the lounge, effortlessly dispersing Erald's pressure. The difference in weight was absolute. Erald's magic was suppressed in an instant.
At the same time, something ancient stirred.
Deep within Varion's chest, his [Stellar Heart] began to thrum strongly. It resonated with the Divine Tree itself, recognizing an untainted fragment of the power of its creator. The massive World Tree reacted in kind. A brilliant celestial starlight began to pulse from within its branches, growing brighter by the second. The glow spread rapidly, illuminating the entire capital in a soft, otherworldly light.
Outside the windows, the Divine Tree was shining like a second sun.
Inside the lounge, the silence was deafening.
Erald stared at Varion, his earlier hostility now tempered by something far more complicated, a mix of shock, caution, and dawning realization.