To Lux’s surprise, two days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Baron’s second son was still under house arrest, and he was still not allowed to leave the residence, which made the Half-Elf’s job a little easier.

However, on the third day, the Bearkin, Boss, and the other Adventurers, returned to the city with grim expressions on their faces.

Cai immediately informed Lux of the Bearkin’s arrival using their Guild Chat, and the red-headed teenager rushed to the Adventurer’s Guild, wanting to know what they found out on their expedition to the Dark Plains as soon as possible.

“The seals are all destroyed,” Boss stated as soon as Lux entered the room. “But, that is not the only bad news. We saw it! But it was very different from what I imagined.”

Lux’s face became solemn because he understood what the Bearkin was trying to say. However, his curiosity was also piqued as he had no idea about what the Monster of Ruin looked like.

“What does it look like?”

“It’s a giant Seven-Headed Dog Monster that my ancestors called Teju Jagua.”

“So, where is it now?” Lux asked.

Boss gave a bitter expression before answering Lux’s question. “If my assumption is correct, and I believe it is, the Monster of Ruin is now headed in this direction. But, its movement is a bit sluggish, so it might take at least half a day before reaching the city. What about the Baron’s second son? Is he still here?”

The Bearkin was feeling anxious because if Clyde somehow managed to leave the city before the monster arrived, the curse on his body might remain with him for life.

Lux nodded. “Before I left, he was still in the Baron’s Residence.”

Boss breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Lux’s confirmation. They needed Clyde to still be in the city in order to prevent the worse case scenario from happening.

“Good. For now, go back,” Boss said. “I will contact you again if the Monster is near the city. No matter what, do not let the Baron’s second son leave at all cost. I will order my men to prepare to evacuate the people, so that they won’t be involved if the Monster suddenly decides to destroy the city.”

Lux sighed in his heart after hearing the news.

The past two days were so peaceful that it was hard to imagine that all hell would break loose on the third day.

Now that the Monster of Ruin was headed to the city, he needed to ensure that Clyde couldn’t leave no matter what.

The Half-Elf then faced Cai and Keane, who were also inside the room. Just in case the two had forgotten, the red-headed teenager decided to remind them once again that they shouldn’t attack the monster no matter what.

“Don’t worry!” Cai said. “I only bully the weak and fear the strong. I will not touch that monster with a hundred-foot pole!”

Lux and Keane looked at the Boar in disdain when it admitted that it could only bully the weak, and flee for its life when facing strong opponents.

“I know what to do,” Keane commented. “I’ll just knock this stupid boar unconscious if it turns crazy due to fear and decides to charge at the Calamity-Ranked Monster.”

The Half-Elf patted the skinny swordsman’s shoulder because he knew that he could count on Keane to ensure that Cai wouldn’t do something stupid.

“I’ll go back to the residence and keep an eye on our target,” Lux said before bidding farewell to his two friends.

A few minutes later, Lux arrived at the gates of the Baron’s Residence.

As soon as he entered, he noticed that the Princess’ carriages were all lined up together, and her entourage seemed to be in the process of preparing their departure.

‘Good, she’s finally leaving,’ Lux mused as he walked past the carriages which seemed to only be waiting for the Princess’ arrival.

In truth, Lux didn’t dislike the Princess. During the two days that they had been together, Princess Anastasia had been a wonderful conversation partner. Through her, Lux learned many things about the Dwarven Kingdom of Gweliven, except for the background of the Royal Family.

Surprisingly, Clyde would often appear to join them during their talks. Nw novel chapters are publshed on novl(ꜰ)ire.et

Just like the playboy he was, the handsome Dwarf was a master on how to make the conversation lively and interesting, often causing Lux to almost forget that he was the source of the Wolfpine Barony’s eminent ruin.

Judging by how the Princess treated Clyde, it seemed that the two got along pretty well.

In Lux’s eyes, the two were like two best friends who seemed to have known each other for years, which surprised him.

He could tell that Clyde wasn’t giving out any romantic signals to the Princess, and Princess Anastasia wasn’t showing any hint that she fancied the handsome boy, who was currently under house arrest.

“Ah, there you are, Sir Lucien,” Princess Anastasia said with a smile. “I was hoping to see you before I return to the Capital City. During the short time that we have been together, I really enjoyed your company. If you change your mind, and decide to join my faction, feel free to find me in the Capital CIty. My doors will always be open for you.”

Lux politely bowed his head before answering. “I also enjoyed Her Highness’ company, and if there is another opportunity, let us meet again.”

Princess Anastasia extended her hand towards Lux and the Half-Elf knelt down to receive it before kissing the back of her hand.

“…I was only going to shake your hand,” Princess Anastasia said with a cramped smile on her face. “But, this is fine as well. Consider this as a reward for keeping me company.”

Lux gave an awkward chuckle before standing up again. He had read and watched many stories about how to interact with the members of the Royal Family, and he thought that what he did was the normal thing to do.

‘Well, I guess I took a loss this time,’ Lux thought as he took a step back to allow the Princess to pass.

“Safe travels, Your Highness,” the Baron said. “The domain of Wolfpine Barony will always welcome you with open arms, should you wish to return.”

Princess Anastasia gave the Baron a brief nod and gave him a sweet smile. She needed supporters to help her become the Crown Princess of the Kingdom. Even though the Wolfpine Barony was suffering hardships at the moment, it wouldn’t change the fact that it was still a Barony, and thus, its Lord was a member of the nobility.

“I had a wonderful stay, Sir Edgar,” Princess Anastasia replied. “I will definitely visit again, and I hope that when I return, the drought of Wolfpine Barony will have ended.

“Although I am going back to the capital city, know that I will leave some capable people behind to help you investigate the cause of the drought. I’m sure that, with their help, you will be able to get to the bottom of this problem right away.”

The Baron respectfully bowed his head to show his gratitude to the only member of the Royal Family who visited his lands during its time of crisis.

“Well then, the sun is almost at its Zenith, and it is now time to leave,” Princess Anastasia stated. Just as she was about to leave the door, someone called out to her, which made the Baron’s face frown.

“I have finished packing, Your Highness,” Clyde said as he walked towards Princess Anastasia with a calm expression on his face.

However, no matter how much he tried to hide it, his eyes were filled with excitement, which made Lux, as well as the Baron, look at him in confusion.

“Clyde, you’re being disrespectful to Her Highness,” Baron Edgar snapped at his son for talking to the Princess in a casual manner. He didn’t want the Princess’ retainers to get the wrong idea that he didn’t raise his son properly.

“It’s fine, Sir Edgar,” Princess Anastasia commented. “I felt sorry for Clyde for always being stuck inside the house, so I decided to take him back to the capital for a vacation. You won’t mind, do you?”

The Baron’s face became weird as he glanced at his son before shifting his attention back to the Princess, who seemed to be perfectly fine with having his son as company.

“A vacation?” the Baron inquired. “Is this a short one or a long one?”

“Just a short one,” Princess Anastasia replied. “Probably a month or two.”

Lux, who was listening at the side, felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. The moment the Princess said that she was taking the Baron’s second son to the capital city, he felt like he had just misheard things.

But, after the Princess confirmed her intentions, he finally realized that she was serious.

He had thought of many scenarios that Clyde would come up with so he would be able to leave the city undetected, but he never expected that the handsome Dwarf would be able to hitch a ride on the Princess’ personal carriage.

This was something that was outside of his calculations, which made him feel as if his insides were churning.

‘This is bad,’ Lux thought. ‘Really bad.’

Right now, the Half-Elf’s brain was going into overdrive as he thought of ways and excuses to keep Clyde inside the Wolfpine Barony before the timer was up.

Now that the Princess decided to take him back to the capital city with her, the red-headed teenager needed to come up with a good excuse to detain the handsome Dwarf, and ensure his mission’s successful completion.