Chapter 77 - In The Eye Of The Storm

Chapter 77: Chapter 77 - In The Eye Of The Storm

Vincent and Maelle walked side by side down the steps into the first-floor living room.

Everyone’s chatter died out as they turned to see Maelle wearing white jacket. The message was crystal clear: they had made up.

Ava was the first to react.

"VINCENT! MAELLE!"

Her eyes teared up with joy behind her glasses and vaulted over the back of the plush sofa, throwing herself straight toward them. She wrapped her arms securely around both of their necks, dragging them into a bone-crushing group hug.

"Gah– Ava!" Vincent choked out, caught off-guard.

Maelle stood still with shock as the hyperactive demon girl squeezed them tightly while sobbing into Vincent’s shoulder and her white hair.

"Don’t you two EVER fight like that again! Do you *sniff* have *hic* any idea how miserable this week was?! I thought we were all going to split up forever! Promise me you won’t do that again! Promise me!"

"All right, all right, Ava, we get it!" Vincent laughed, gently patting her back until she released them.

Toby, Leo, and Zally burst into celebratory cheers. "Yay! Vincent and Princess Maelle are friends again!"

Over on the couch, Eugene flopped his tail and let out a loud, squeaky groan of disgust.

"Ugh, bleurgh! The disgusting power of friendship and cheesy romance makes my dragon skin crawl! Get a room, you peasants!"

Maribelle tapped his snout with a stern, motherly frown. "Eugene. Be polite or else."

"S-Sorry, ma’am..."

The lighthearted mood quickly shifted as Maelle stepped forward toward the center of the room and hardened her expression into one of authority.

"The time for hiding is over. Playing defense and hiding with our tails between our legs is no longer viable. We must immediately take the initiative and strike at House Elsa’s main stronghold."

Vincent raised his hand to ask a question. "Wait... Maelle, what about those unknown soldiers in the golden armor I fought out in the courtyard? Who were they? They definitely weren’t Rizer’s thugs or standard Imperial Guards."

"I can answer that." Daphne raised her hand as well. "Those were the Solarian Royal Knights, sent under the direct command of Crown Prince Quinton Solara."

"Quinton?" Vincent sounded genuinely perplexed. "But I beat him fair and square in our official duel last week. Why would he involve his nation’s knights? Heck, why is he even involved in this?"

Daphne let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "Did you honestly expect someone like Quinton to play fair and square? I bet you the moment he realised you had vanished from Maelle’s side, he deployed his private forces to assist Duke Elsa in hunting down Lucianne and securing Princess Maelle."

Maelle turned to Daphne. "Has the Principal discovered anything regarding Quinton’s current location?"

"She has. That’s actually part of the reason I’m here. To tell you the news. Prince Quinton has been residing inside Duke Elsa’s primary estate all along. We do not know what bargain they are cooking up behind closed doors, but he is definitively there."

"I see. That’s perfect. Two birds; one stone. We’ll end this farce with House Elsa once and for all, and we force the Solarian Prince to hold up his end of our duel’s wager."

Just then, a faint humming sound resounded on the couch behind them.

With her mission fulfilled – her son re-summoned and the young Princess’s heart unburdened – Maribelle’s body began to emit a gentle golden light. Her feet slowly floated an inch off the wooden floor as the cosmic pull of the Divine Realm began calling her home.

"Oh? Looks like I’m off, Vinny."

Maelle bowed respectfully. "Lady Maribelle... I apologise for my earlier rudeness toward you. I only regret that I could not ask you more regarding ancient history and your past."

"Oh please, Maelle. Just call me Mari~ And if you truly want to ask me questions, just write them down in a little diary and give it to Vinny! He can pass it to me whenever he comes back to me! Oh, it will be so much fun talking to my future daughter-in-law that way~!"

"Ma– Mother! Stop teasing her!"

"Look after my baby for me, alright Maelle?"

"MAMA!"

Everyone in the room turned their heads simultaneously, staring at Vincent with strangely amused looks at his childish slip-of-the-tongue.

Maelle, however, offered a genuine nod. "I will. You have my word."

Maribelle reached down to scoop up Eugene to take him back with her, but the hatchling let out a blood-curdling scream!

"NOOOOO! I’m not going back!" Eugene frantically flapped his wings and dived behind the couch. "I’m staying in this fantasy world! There’s adventure, fighting, high stakes, and hot ladies of all races here!"

"Urgh. Mama, just go. I’ll drag the lizard back once my business here is done."

Before fading away, Maribelle turned toward Ava and Roxa and gave both young women a highly suggestive wink. "I look forward to hearing all about your ’progress’ with my baby when he returns~"

"Mama, can you stop implying things!"

Both Ava and Roxa flushed with embarrassment. Ava hid her face behind her hands while Roxa pulled her hood down so fast the fabric got stuck on her reddened ears.

With a final wave, Maribelle dissolved into a shower of glittering golden starlight that gently drifted up and away.

The moment she was, Eugene swooped out from his hiding spot and landed on the table with a chest-puffing pose.

"Now that the woman is gone; HEAR ME, MORTALS! I am Ignis the Destroyer! My glorious self has descended upon this pathetic realm to take over the land!"

He jumped down and waddled straight up to Maelle’s boots, looking up at her with a smirk. "According to destiny, sweet Princess, you and I belong together! Ditch this broke, blue-haired peasant Familiar and pick a real, legendary dragon lord!"

Maelle casually ignored and stepped right over the baby green dragon as if he were a rock.

"HEY! Don’t ignore me, human!"

"Ava, Gwen, Roxa, Toby," Maelle addressed her team. "You will stay behind to secure this mansion and protect the children against secondary ambushes. Vincent and I will head directly to House Elsa’s main estate to finish this war."

"Understood, Your Highness!" Gwen affirmed.

Vincent stepped up beside Maelle and seamlessly slid one arm behind her back and his other arm beneath her knees, effortlessly scooping her up into a princess carry.

"Ah–!"

Her face flushed pink at the unexpected move. However, instead of fighting back or overreacting, Maelle slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and relaxed into his arms.

Ava clapped her hands with a squeal, Gwen smirked, and Roxa chuckled softly under her hood.

"Since we’re in a hurry," Vincent explained, "it’ll be a lot faster if we travel by air."

He turned toward the open doors when–

"WAIT FOR ME, YOU FOOLS!" Realising he was about to be left behind while they had all the fun, Eugene desperately flapped his small wings as hard as he could. He landed squarely on top of Vincent’s shoulder, perching proudly like a pirate’s parrot.

They both gave the dragon a deadpan look, but decided not to waste time arguing.

Once outside, Vincent flared his wings, and with a loud boom, he kicked off the floor and surged straight up into the clear afternoon sky.

The roaring wind whipped through their hair as they soared hundreds of feet above the sprawling streets of the middle and upper districts. Eugene’s eyes grew even wider as he took in the breathtaking, fantastical view of the city below.

"Woah... Look at all those huge stone buildings! The different shapes! The tiny people! This is so much better than modern society! Hahaha! I’m gonna conquer and own all of that one day!"

"What are you even talking about?" Vincent looked at him over his shoulder. "Keep acting like some edgy evil dragon lord, and I’ll send you straight back to my mama. Or better yet... I’ll let the Way-Guide toss you into the void where giant cosmic predators will eat you for breakfast! I hear they like baby dragons! Don’t think I won’t!"

"I-I was just joking! I’ll behave! I swear!"

Maelle raised her hand and pointed toward the hilltop estate looming far in the distance. "Over there. The main estate of House Elsa sits atop those hills."

"Got it."

As they glided smoothly through the sky, Vincent looked down at the Princess nestled comfortably in his arms. "So... How have you really been this past week, Maelle? You know, without the sarcasm. As for me, I was stuck in the Divine Realm doing nothing but pacing around, worrying my head off about you."

Maelle let out a tired breath and leaned her cheek slightly against his chest. "It was... chaotic. Being branded a wanted fugitive meant I was barred from entering the Academy. Duke Elsa used his political leverage to frame us for treason. There is currently an unprecedented bounty on all of our heads that I assume grows higher with each passing minute."

"Oh yeah? Who’s got the highest bounty? It’s gotta be me, right? I’m the one who single-handedly beat up Rizer’s and his syndicate, threatened those to blow up the Elsa’s, and smashed through half the city’s defenses."

Maelle looked up at him with an amused smirk. "It’s obviously me. I have the highest."

"WHAT?! How does that work?! I did way worse things than you!"

Maelle chuckled softly – a rare sound that made Vincent’s heart skip a beat.

"It does not matter what chaos you unleash, Vincnet. In the eyes of the law, any crime or destruction committed by a Familiar is legally attributed to their Master. Everything you do only drives my bounty higher."

"So I’m basically inflating your net worth? You’re welcome, Princess."

....

Soon, the estate came into full view and they began their final descent.

BOOOM!!!!!!

Vincent landed heavily in front of the grand, iron-reinforced gates. Almost immediately, the gates slammed open and over two hundred heavily armed Imperial Guards, private mercenaries, in-house assassins, and the remaining elite Solarian Royal Knights poured out into the courtyard, drawing their steels.

Maelle got off of Vincent and stepped forward with an aura of authority. She looked out over the sea of weapons with fearlessness and spoke:

"Guards of the Imperial City, mercenaries of House Elsa, and Knights of Solara! You stand in defense of a corrupt Duke and a cowardly Crown Prince who hide behind lies, and abuse of power! I am Maelle Ebony, Fourth Princess of Ebonspire – and today, I have come to put an end to our game of cat and mouse!"

Vincent stepped up right beside her. He cracked his knuckles, and a pulsing wave of electric-blue and golden divine aura erupted from his body.

On his shoulder, Eugene puffed out his tiny chest and spat a fiery miniature fireball into the air.

"Yeah! What she said, you peasants! Listen to our demands or get left in the dust!"

Maelle glanced sideways at Vincent with a confident, unbreakable smile gracing her face and Vincent smirked back.

"Let’s do this."

An Imperial Guard raised his weapon in declaration of war and rallied out loud, "ATTACK! GET THEM–!!!!!!"