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nThe place where Draco and Astolfo were gazing was where the Main Palace was located.

nSince he and Fritzen weren't invited to attend the meeting, they remained in the same place while the King would be busy for the next few hours.

nTherefore, the boys decided to head to their next training session with Astolfo as their audience this time.

nThe King had to attend to his duties and they would do the best at what they could.

nJust as Draco had assumed, the Fountain hall situated in the Main Palace was exactly where the King was seated with a few others right at this moment.

nLooking around, King Ophire nodded as everyone who was needed was already present here.

nTo his right sat his trusted advisor and friend, Duke Maldock Brodie and to his left was the Head of the Royal Medical Association, Sir Barton Merde.

nThe old man who appeared to be in his late sixties was appointed as the Head of this prestigious institution by the previous ruler, King Greggor for his accomplishments in the field of medicine.

nBeing a son of a commoner father and a noble mother, Barton could not inherit a noble title but his capabilities had caught the eye of King Greggor back when he was still in his youth.

nHis parents had run away to get married and gave birth to him in secret.

nWhen his mother's family came looking for her, they found her with a child already so all they could do was accept the commoner son-in-law along with the baby born of the two.

nWhat had happened could not be undone so they wished for their family to stay together despite the difference in their statuses.

nTheir only daughter was found and they did not wish to part with her ever again.

nTheir daughter also declared that she would not leave her husband and child as she loved them and could not imagine life without them.

nTherefore, along with his mother, he and his father were also accepted by the noble family.

nTheir identity was different from the rest of the family but he wasn't derided or mocked due to his father's commoner blood thanks to his grandparents who loved him too much.

nBarton and his happy family resided in a small mansion close to their Grandparents and became close with the rest of the family in no time as well.

nHis father was adopted as a vassal of this noble family so his surname which Barton followed became known in the neighborhood.

nSince his maternal family already had an heir, Barton could follow his dreams and delve into medicinal research which was where his heart laid.

nNot of complete noble blood, he could not attend Royal Academy but the Sonete Academy accepted him with open arms.

nThere he proved his worth and soon word about the medical prowess of the son from the Merde family, a half-noble born from a commoner father had taken the Capital by storm.

nWhen the last plague hit the Kingdom, King Greggor utilized the efforts of this man and succeeded in eradicating it from their great land.

nThus, he had been bestowed the title of 'Sir', a term used to show respect and admiration in the Kingdom.

nThe title usually given to knights dubbed by the King was also given to this man, an honorary knight who protected their Kingdom in the past.

nAlong with that accolade, Sir Barton Merde was assigned as the Head of the Royal Medical Association, proving that a noble birth did not guarantee you a high position in such institutions.

nCapability and competence were needed to hold office in such highly acclaimed and sought-after positions.

nKing Ophire was present as the Crown Prince back when this man had helped their Kingdom with his medical knowledge and hence, he trusted his advice even now.

nThe old man had a wrinkled face and soft, slightly droopy eyes thanks to his advancing age.

nHowever, his pure white hair and beard which proved his age did not hinder his ability to act as the Head of the Royal Medical Association.

nStroking his long beard which reached down to his chest, Sir Barton Merde mulled over what he had come here to propose to the King.

nIf Yvonne were to see this old man right now, then she would surely associate his appearance with that of a fictional character, the principal of a wizardry school based on a famous series of novels for children and young adults.

nLong grey robes that covered his entire body contrasted the white facial hair as he was lost in his thoughts.

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"What news have you brought, Sir Merde?

" King Ophire questioned while looking at him.

nHe had heard word from the Royal Medical Association a few days ago that a cure had been successfully created and that he would receive an audience from their Head who would explain the details to him in person.

nThus, today they had met at the Fountain hall and their main purpose was to discuss matters concerning the cure and everything associated with it.

nThe King's question dragged Sir Merde out of his thoughts and he nodded his head.

nWith Duke Brodie and King Ophire's eyes fixed on him, he moved his hands to the pocket in his robe and pulled something out.

nKing Ophire was carefree as he knew that Sir Merde would not bring out anything dangerous in his presence.

nIf he had done something so foolish, then the Black Shadow guards watching over his safety right now would strike him down even if he was an influential and valuable person.

nNot to mention that there was someone else in this very room who would be the first to take action if King Ophire was ever in danger.

nThinking of this, his sparkling blue eyes turned to the reason why this room was named 'Fountain hall'.

nThe stream of flowing water acted as the fourth wall of this hall but there was something that the others did not know.

nOnly members of the Royal family were aware of the secret chamber hidden behind the fountain which acted as a curtain to shield the other side from the view of those present in the room.

nIf one were to stand right before the fountain they would realize that the stream of water would stop flowing, thus revealing the hidden area in this hall.

nHowever, no one would ever dare to move towards the fountain as they feared getting drenched by the splashing water that ricocheted on those who were within its range.

nThe distance between the large table in this room and the fountain was wide enough to not let the splashing water reach them and the others did not have any necessity to get closer to the fountain.

nThus, till this date, even the Royal Steward who often accompanied his Master, the King, to this Fountain hall was also ignorant of the existence of this secret chamber behind the fountain.

nAs the King thought about the secrecy of this chamber, his sparkling blue eyes fixed on the waterfall met someone else's gaze.

nDeep pine green eyes which glimmered were seen blinking for a few seconds before they disappeared.

n'Lazy!' King Ophire sneered as he knew just who was behind the fountain right at this moment.

n'Let me sleep, Master. You aren't in any danger anyway.' A languid and drowsy voice echoed in the King's mind before there was silence once again.

nThe King wished to roll his eyes hard at the voice that was heard only to him as it belonged to his fated beast, his etcher who had returned to his slumber behind the fountain.

nThe etcher had opened his eyes when Sir Merde was pulling something out of his robe but after taking a look at what it was, he returned to his sleep as his Master's safety was assured.

nThis reminded the King that he was still in a meeting and returned his gaze to the old man.

nNoticing something in Sir Merde's palm, King Ophire lowered his gaze.

nSimilarly, Duke Brodie too fixed his attention on the item in the old man's palm which soon caused his eyes to widen in surprise.

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"Is that the cure!?

" He exclaimed in astonishment and fright which startled them.

nThe vial filled with a foggy lavender-colored liquid shook in Sir Merde's palm, almost dropping to the floor and shattering if it weren't for his quick reflexes which caused him to clench his fist and protect it.

n'What do you think that you are doing!?' The King turned around and glowered at his trusted advisor while glaring at him.

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