Death Ascension - Chapter 87

Instead of chatting with his brother, Deon talked with Mikael throughout the 3-day journey back to the capital.

They stayed as honorable guests in nobles’ estates along the way, eating delicious food and sleeping in luxurious beds. Deon, who was tired of such excessive hospitality, chose to stay inside the Medium and gave Mikael full control of his body. In those three days and two nights, Mikael experienced what it was like to be treated as royalty. It was very far from the dirt-poor life that he lived on his last years on Earth and this made him forget all the complaints that he had of Deon’s shortcomings.

‘Aahh… Choosing Deon really was the best decision I’ve ever made!’

And just like that, Mikael’s three days of acting like a tourist ended with the Royal Castle’s gates opening to allow their procession.

Waiting for Deon at the castle entrance was a visibly relieved King and Queen and an annoyed second prince.

“Oh! Thank the goddess!” the Queen swiftly yet elegantly strode toward Deon, her cold hands reaching for his face, “Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I-I’m fine, mother…”

At Deon’s reply, the Queen’s warm brown eyes watered, and she tightly embraced her son, “I’m glad… truly… my son… my baby, from now on, you have to tell me all your wishes. If you don’t want to go to the royal academy nor participate in monster subjugations, you don’t have to! Do you understand?”

The Queen looked at Deon straight in his eyes and whispered, “Just… stay alive.”

“Don’t worry, mother. I’ll protect Deon as much as I can,” Avery declared with his proud nose high in the air.

It was a very touching scene– if not for the second prince’s very audible snicker, “Puhaha! Mother, brother, you’re spoiling Deon too much! At this rate, he’ll be more useless than he already is. Hahaha!”

“Cail! How could you say that to your brother who just returned home?!” the Queen turned to Cail with a scowl.

His mother’s approving attitude gave Deon the courage to finally bring up Nora and Finn come dinner time.

As they sat facing each other at the ridiculously long dinner table, eating roasted high-class monster meat, Deon carefully put his golden utensils down and started, “F-father, may I speak?”

The king gestured for him to continue as he sliced the juicy steak.

“Umm… As you may have heard from my brother’s report, there are two persons who were particularly helpful to me and I would like to request…” Deon trailed off, trying to assess his father’s mood but as the King showed no reaction, he prattled on, ” for Sir Finn’s citizenship to our kingdom, his acceptance into the Royal Almagi Order, his personal laboratory, and Dame Nora’s official knightage as my personal guard.”

Silence fell at the dinner table, making Deon involuntarily stop and raise his head to meet the heated gaze of his father.

“Don’t you think you’re asking for too much, son?” the king’s quiet voice rang like an impending thunderstorm.

“I…” Deon was tempted to apologize, as he always did in the past to placate his father, but he reminded himself that he had promises to keep and so he plucked out the courage to voice his desires, “I don’t think it’s too much, father.”

The king’s left eyebrow arched at Deon’s unexpected response.

“You don’t? then tell me…” the king put down his knife and looked straight at Deon, “Why should I grant your request?”

“Your Majesty…” The frowning queen gently touched the king’s arm as if to calm him.

“But my Queen, Deon has to learn that placements in the Royal Almagi and Royal Knights Order are not something that people achieve by sucking up to us. They have to be qualified to join.”

“Father, one of them is. Although he is quite cocky.” Avery dabbed the corners of his lips with a napkin.

“Really? Who?” Cail asked with sparkling eyes, finally interested in the topic.

Despite his mannerless way of asking, Avery still answered his brother, “Sir Finn, a Tier-1 combat Almagi.”

“What? Tier-1? You must be kidding, brother. How does that qualify him to an Order full of tier-3 or higher veteran Almagi?” Cail leaned back on his chair, seemingly disappointed.

“I heard that although he is a Tier-1, Sir Finn is proficient in three elements.”

At this, the king and Cail’s eyes widened, but Avery wasn’t done talking.

“And he can combine two of them into one combo spell.”

“WHAAAT?!” Cail shouted.

“Not only that, but he was also the brain behind the colony sweeping operation. He created pheromone bombs and death perfumes out of ant’s gastric juices. His tactics were also unconventional yet effective. If you had only seen the state of the colony when we arrived… it was beyond wrecked.” Even Avery couldn’t help but voice his awe at Finn’s genius but his pride would never let him admit it.

On the other hand, the corner of Deon’s lips curved. Somehow, it felt like his eldest brother was praising him instead of Sir Finn. In Deon’s heart, the moment Finn turned down Avery’s offer, the combat Almagi had already become his person.

“I see… then, it really wouldn’t be a loss for us if Sir Finn decides to join the Order. On the contrary, I think he will be a great asset to the kingdom.” The king, Fredrich, twirled his gray mustache, “Then, I shall heed the crown prince’s advice and grant Sir Finn’s requests.”

Just as Deon was about to feel relieved, Cail hurriedly asked, “How about the other one? Is she as special as the Almagi?”

“Ah… umm…” Deon scratched the back of his neck with an awkward expression, prompting the crown prince to answer in his place.

“I’m afraid not,” Avery coolly replied, “Not only is she an orphaned commoner, but the woman was also amputated by a killer ant. Based on reports, she even lost her only brother to the ants.”

“SERIOUSLY?! TO A RANK-F KILLER ANT? how weak!” Cail guffawed, “Little brother! Was it love at first sight?! Just how beautiful is this lady that you’re trying to keep her by your side, huh?”

Cail then proceeded to tease the queen, “Mother! Your baby boy had grown! To think that he’s using his status to seduce older women! BWAHAHAHA!”

“Cail! Mind your manners. Don’t shout over the dinner table.” the flustered queen hushed.

As much as Deon wanted to defend himself, he couldn’t do so when he was faced with the king’s dark expression.

“Deon.” The king’s barely restrained anger leaked in his voice, “That dame. She will NEVER be your personal guard.”

–Chapter end–