Once the crowd had finally dispersed, the two adults stepped forward and introduced themselves. The father placed a hand over his chest.
"I am Briarion, and this is my wife, Mistrel. We are Liora's parents."
He glanced at his daughter before looking back at the boys. "To be truthful, we are not particularly fond of humans. However, our daughter clearly adores you, and your act of saving her life cannot be ignored." He gave a slight bow. "For that, we are in your debt."
He placed a gentle hand on Liora's back, giving her a small nudge. "And what do we say?"
Liora hesitated, clearly flustered, before finally gathering her courage. "Th-thank you… for saving me," she said, bowing her head slightly and staring at the ground, her face burning bright red as she tried to hide it.
Soon after, the family took their leave. Clearly exhausted by the day's events, the group departed the city, with Olorith carrying them back to the king. The moment they stepped through the doors, the king greeted them with a wide smile.
"So," he asked, "how did it go?"
Olorith stepped up beside the king and recounted everything that had happened during their walk through the town, remaining at his side as he spoke.
The king listened with an amused smile, clearly pleased by the tale. Clasping his hands together, he said,
"It sounds like you met Briarion a fine knight. He would have gone to rescue his daughter himself if you boys hadn't arrived first, but I assured him I would handle the matter. In any case, with his support, it seems the people are more willing to tolerate your presence here. You should be sure to thank him."
"Alright, now that that's settled and you boys can move about more freely," the king said, leaning back against his throne.
"I won't have you standing idle while we wait to hear back from the dwarves. Until then, you'll undergo training in Our Titans territory . there, you'll learn to properly master your individual powers.
Axel, you'll be training near Thornhart, the Forest Sentinel along with Olorith. When you're within his presence and recognized by the Fairy folk or by their king, myself, your mana output will increase, as will the size of your mana pool. This will be essential for learning new spells and mastering them.
Ash, you'll be training near Ursaval, the Grovewarden, alongside Korthok and the Monkey. His presence functions much like Thornhart's, but instead grants accelerated recovery and healing, heightened protection, and enhanced physical strength. It should complement your combat style perfectly."
Olorith stepped forward, his expression calm but expectant. "I look forward to seeing how much you all grow by the end of this training. It will begin at first light tomorrow."
His eyes shifted to Korthok. "Korthok, I'll provide the location for your and Ash's training grounds tomorrow as well."
He relaxed for now you "all are dismissed you're free to enjoy the the rest of the day however you like"
As the group departed the throne room, the king leaned forward, resting his chin in his hand. "I can't believe I'm entrusting the future to children."
Olorith spoke up gently, "It seems you don't truly hate humans as a race, my lord after all, you sent Briarion to aid them in the town earlier."
The king let his head fall into his hand with a weary sigh. "Perhaps you're right, Olorith. Although the one in the dungeon will still die… it's just the people have lived without hope for so long. I can't help but wonder if I'm truly doing the right thing."