Chapter 2148: Unexpected Meeting

After meeting Ruby again, I could not help but praise her amazing crafting skills. I admitted openly that she had perhaps already surpassed me in various areas, because she relied only on her own talent and hard work while I mostly depended on outside forces for many of my creations. If anything, she was already incredible. My honest words, however, seemed to upset Aquarina, who thought I was underselling myself somehow.

"Hahaha, I am just speaking the truth," I said with a light smile. "I am sure she will do an even better job at polishing or improving my divine weapon and shield, right?"

"C-Could I?!" Ruby gasped, her eyes widening. "I do not know if I am ready for something so important…"

"There is only one way to find out, right? We will see," I giggled softly. "Anyway, where is everyone else?"

"Oh right! I almost forgot. Come with me!"

Ruby quickly guided us through the busy city streets. All around us, buildings were being rebuilt with steady determination. People worked hard under the open sky. The majority of the workers were dwarves due to the city's population, of course, but there were also humans and demons mixed in, along with a couple of elves lending their hands.

"Young Ruby, are you done helping your father?"

Suddenly, as we walked across the crowded streets, a powerful figure stepped out from the side of a half-finished building. He was a super muscular old man wearing nothing on his upper body, revealing a chiseled torso that bulged with dense muscles and thick veins. He had a short white beard and long white hair that flowed behind him. Something about him felt incredibly familiar, as if I had seen him many times before. After noticing his long, elegant ears that were characteristic of High Elves, I quickly realized who he was.

"G-Grandpa?!"

He was casually carrying ten huge logs under one arm and a massive boulder under the other. His eyes widened the moment he noticed that Ruby had brought us along.

"Ah! Granddaughter," he spoke in a deep, steady voice. "It is good to see that you have finally woken up!"

"W-Wha…?!" I gasped in pure disbelief.

"T-That is your grandpa?!" Aquarina asked, equally shocked. "Wait! The King of the Elves?!"

My grandfather smiled lightly and laughed a little. His usual serious personality remained strong even now, but he seemed clearly more relaxed than I remembered from other occasions.

"Indeed, I am the King in the flesh. Who else would it be, young Aquarina?" he asked with a kind smile. "I have come here to personally assist the dwarves in the reconstruction of their city."

"B-But that is not…! What a king should be doing?" I asked in complete disbelief.

"Yeah, we tried to talk him out of it, but he really did not listen," my brother muttered as he finally caught up with us, still trying to catch his breath.

"I thought it was important for him to stay on his throne overseeing everything, but now it turns out that is not so important…?" I wondered aloud.

"It is important," my grandfather spoke firmly. "However, there are more important things as well, such as keeping a promise to an old friend. The Dwarf King is a dear old friend of mine. When this city was made part of the Elven Kingdom territory, I promised him that I would personally protect it and rebuild it if I must. It is an eternal promise that will remain until the day I die."

"Grandpa…" I muttered, feeling truly taken aback by the weight of his words.

"And that is about it," he said with a soft sigh. "The Dwarf King is not here at the moment. He is busy rebuilding another part of the city using his magic. Anyway, do not be too surprised. Your grandfather is not the stiff, grumpy old man you may have thought I was. I might appear that way on the exterior, yes… I suppose that simply comes with age. But I am someone who keeps my promises. There is a reason why I have always had the support of the majority of the population. Unlike previous heroes, I like to take things into my own hands. I step away from my throne when I am truly needed and do the work myself. It is a way to show the people that I am more than a leech who sits on a throne and drains their resources. I am someone who protects and nurtures the people. I am a pillar. That is the true responsibility of a King, to serve as the pillar of the entire society built around their Kingdom."

I nodded silently, absorbing several new lessons in that moment. "I see…"

He gently patted my shoulder with a kind smile. "Well done, granddaughter. You fought bravely, and you almost sacrificed yourself for the people. Although I am very sad that you nearly died, at the same time I am extremely proud of what you did. I am not, however, telling you to do that again. Please do not. What is a leader worth if they end up dying for their people? What will their people do without them afterward?"

"T-Thanks, grandpa, but what do you mean by a leader?" I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"You have already been approved by the Queen and even by Yggdrasil herself," he said calmly. "Your mother might take the mantle once I eventually pass away. And once you grow of age, there is a chance, an opportunity, if you ever want to…"

"E-Eh?" I gasped. "Wait, mom is going to… what is she going to do?!"

He sighed and shook his head slowly. "She has not told you yet, huh? Well, there are a lot of things we have already decided. Although her siblings or my siblings might also protest. So there is a possibility that a tournament or a battle for the throne might happen. As a member of this family, with all your talents and abilities, you will likely be drawn into this… I am sorry."

I was left speechless for a moment. I rubbed my chin thoughtfully and then looked back into his calm eyes. "I-I see…"

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