Everyone was gathered inside the Throne Room
With all four Cardinals already pinned down, the party listened as Veyn explained everything that had happened
"And that's how everything ended up like this" Veyn said, finishing his explanation
"Wait, there still something that bothers me" Ashley asid "during that night that you disappeared"
"You explained that if you were killed, the crown would somehow find another person worthy of becoming the next king, right?"
Veyn nodded
"Then why didn't they just kidnap you?"
"I mean, if their goal was to make sure you couldn't come back and reclaim the crown, wouldn't killing you have been the safest option?"
"If the culprit really used God magic" Auel said "Then the culprit must be in a dying state as well"
"Yeah, during that night, I heard a heavy breath too, that must have been the culprit" Veyn added
"So, because he was in a dying, they did the only thing they can do, which was taking the crown"
"But I still have a question" Helen said
"What is it?"
"How come you never checked the underground chamber when you were searching for clues?"
"Well, that's strange too," Veyn admitted. "This is actually the first time I've heard about that chamber"
"What?" Helen frowned. "You're the king, but you didn't know your own palace had a hidden chamber?"
"Hey, I didn't build this place" Veyn replied "And I spent most of my time outside the palace"
"Maybe the Cardinals built it while I was away from the kingdom"
"What about the Sovereign?" Rikka asked "How did it even appear inside that chamber?"
"If the Sovereign really wanted to help us, why didn't it help us from the start?"
"Again, I barely meet the Sovereign since I became a king, I didn't know how it thinks"
"So, for why didn't it help us from the start…"
"Honestly I have no idea"
"Any other question in your mind?"
"I think I still have one?" Sylffie said
"What is it?"
"What happened when I touch the crown? How did my bow suddenly become bigger and stronger?"
Veyn fell silent
He lowered his head and thought for a while
"To be honest, I don't know"
"What?!"
"Yeah, you see, I obtained the crown after the previous king died"
"And since then, I have never given the crown to anyone else"
"That's why I don't know the exact answer"
"But doesn't that mean that Sylffie was also worthy of using the crown?" Gramm asked
"I don't know. As far as I know, the crown is supposed to grant its wielder the power of the king"
"But as we saw today, it only transformed Sylffie's bow. It didn't change her appearance like it did with me"
"Which makes me wonder if I've misunderstood the crown's power this whole time"
"Is it actually giving the power to someone who is worthy or is there also something that can trigger the crown"
"Wait, are you saying I'm not worthy of using the crown?" Sylffie asked, clearly offended
"Well, kind of…"
Veyn gave an awkward smile
"But I also think I was never worthy of wielding the crown in the first place"
"W-why?" Erin asked
"What kind of king lets something like this happen?"
"What kind of king fails to make the right choices for his people?"
Everyone fell silent
Veyn lowered his head and let out a quiet sigh
"Okay…"
"Let's focus on something else for now"
"I'll deal with these Cardinals and try to find the answers to all those unanswered questions"
"You guys should take a rest for today, okay?"
"And don't tell anyone about what happened here. I don't want to cause a commotion"
Without any complaints, everyone agreed and returned to their rooms to rest after the intense battle
The next day, everyone in the kingdom heard the news
The King had returned
Another festival was held to celebrate his return
This time, however, the festival was held without the Cardinals
And strangely enough, it seemed that no one noticed their absence
Veyn walked through the streets, warmly greeting the people around him
The citizens were overjoyed to see their King finally return
Cheers filled the streets as everyone celebrated his safe return
Meanwhile, Auel sat alone in the café once again, waiting for his order
A maid approached his table carrying a cup of tea
"Excuse me sir, here is your drink"
She carefully placed the tea on the table before giving him a polite bow
It was the same maid from last time
Auel gave her a small nod of gratitude before taking a sip
"It's good to see that the King finally returned, right?"
"Yeah"
Auel looked outside the window, the crowd were really happy
"Has the King ever done something bad in the past?" Auel asked
"Something bad?" The maid tilted her head "What do you mean, woof?"
"I mean, has he ever made a bad decision for this kingdom?"
"I haven't lived here for very long, so I don't know much about his past"
"That's why I'm asking"
"Has he ever made a decision that harmed this kingdom?"
The maid lowered her head and thought for a moment
"Well… I'm also not really sure. I've only lived here for a few years myself"
Then she raised her head and looked at Auel
"But ever since I came here, I don't think His Majesty has ever made a bad decision for this kingdom"
"He always prioritized the safety and comfort of the kingdom first"
"So… I think his majesty is a great King after all"
Auel silently stared at the cup of tea in front of him
The maid continued
"Besides, every kingdom deserves a great king too, right?"
Auel remained silent for a moment
Then-
"Yeah…"
"You're right"
"Excuse me then, and enjoy your drink"
The maid walked back toward the counter as another customer entered the café
The following day, Veyn sat alone on the Royal Throne
The doors opened
A guard entered and bowed
"Your majesty, your guests have arrived"
"Let them in"
The guard stepped outside and allowed the guests to enter
It was Auel and Gramm
They entered the room and were about to bow to Veyn, but he immediately stopped them
"Hey, don't do that please"
"I already told you that you don't need to be so polite around me, okay?"
"So, why did you call us here?" Gramm asked
"Well… there are 2 things that I want to tell you"
"First, about the unanswered question yesterday"
"I already checked the chamber beneath the palace and questioned the Cardinals"
"And yes…"
"They were the ones who built that chamber while I was away from the kingdom"
"As for the Sovereign and what happened to Sylffie…"
"I still haven't found the answer"
"There are no records in our library explaining what happened to Sylffie's bow"
"And once again, meeting the Sovereign was completely beyond my control"
"So, I can't give you an answer right now"
"Then, you want us to find the answer?" Auel asked
Veyn laughed a little bit
"Of course not"
"The reason I created that quest in the first place was to get your help investigating my disappearance"
"So, this problem is not yours to worry about"
"I'll handle it myself and contact you if I found something"
"Or I'll create another quest for you if I need your help"
"But for now, your quest here is officially complete"
"I've already reopened the gates so people can freely enter and leave the kingdom"
"You can go back to your city now"
"Well thank you…" Gramm responded "But you said there are 2 things you want to tell us, what the second one?"
"It's about the quest…"
"I know that I said that your quest has completed, but I hope you won't tell anyone about what happened here"
"Even to your guild master"
"You can make your own story about my disappearance, but again I don't want you to cause any unnecessary commotion, you got it?"
Both Auel and Gramm nodded
"And lastly…"
"Thank you. Truly"
"I appreciate all the help you gave me with this problem"
"I'll give both of your parties a reward, so please accept it"
"Really? Thank you"
He quickly bowed his head but again Veyn stopped him one more time
"Hey, how many time should I tell you"
"Stop with that polite behavior"
Gramm awkwardly straightened himself
"Now, you can go back"
"Have a great adventure"
"And I hope we meet again someday…"
"Preferably without another disaster following you"
Auel and Gramm left the Throne Room
To their surprise, when they stepped outside the room Sylffie was waiting outside
"Wait, were you guys also called here?" Sylffie asked
"Yeah… Veyn wanted to talk about something" Gramm asked
"Did he also call you?"
"Yeah"
Her expression immediately darkened
Without saying a single word, she walked into the Throne Room
Gramm looked at Auel with a bitter smile
"So… you haven't made up with her"
"Why should I" Auel immediately answered
"It's not like we're going to meet again in the future"
"Yeah, I know…"
"But at least you make up with her"
Auel didn't say anything and walked outside the Palace
The group prepared for their leaving
They already inside their own caravan
"So how much we will get from this quest?" Rikka asked
"Veyn gave each party 200 gold coins"
"And that doesn't even include the reward from the Guild"
"What?! That much?" Rikka exclaimed
"Yeah, I'll divide the reward once we get back home"
"But we got a bigger problem…"
Auel then looked at the person in front of him
"Why the hell is she here?"
Sylffie sat across his seat
Sylffie sat across from him with her arms crossed
She looked furious
Back at the Royal Throne
"You want me to do what?!" Sylffie shouted in disbelief
"I want you to go on an adventure with Auel's party"
"Yeah, I heard what you said, but why the hell should I have to go with him"
"Why not? I mean you've been here for long enough"
"You should go back to adventuring"
"Not with that bastard"
"Hey, watch your language, did you really use that mouth to talk to your King?"
Sylffie clicked her tongue
"Tch… no, I'll never go with that guy"
Veyn let out a long sigh
"Fine…"
"Then how about this…"
He cleared his throat
His expression suddenly became serious
And when he spoke again, his voice carried the majesty of a king
"I am Eldran Velor Yorn, King of the Elves"
"I hereby command you to leave the Elf Kingdom and accompany Auel's party on their adventures"
Back inside the caravan
Sylffie stared at Auel with full of anger
"If you hate me so much, why don't you just go away?" she said
"You're the uninvited person here, so why don't you get out?"
Sylffie immediately stood up
"Say that again, and I'm going to beat the hell out of you!"
"Hey, you two, calm down!" Rikka quickly stepped between them
"Damn…"
"I really don't know what Veyn was thinking"
And so-
The party began their journey back to the city
With a new member they never expected to bring along
And a long, long argument waiting for them inside the caravan