Flora Kingdom
Today Rahul was summoned by King Edwin to the palace. He was ordered to protect Princess Rose on her hunting expedition. They were going to hunt some magical beasts that had been troubling the villagers. For the time being, he would be traveling with the beautiful and enchanting Princess Rose. While it would have been a fantastic opportunity for some, for him it was a hassle. The problem was that the princess liked to tease him. They had known each other since childhood and were both eighteen years old.
Rahul was the son of the king's advisor, so he held a high position in the palace and was familiar with royalty and nobles. He was a dual warrior, skilled in both close combat and magic, mainly using fierce fire attacks. Because of this, the king had high hopes for him.
When he reached the gate of the palace, the princess was already waiting for him. She wore a white dress with a black scabbard hanging at her waist. The contrast of black against white made her, as always, a beautiful sight.
He approached the princess and greeted her.
"Princess Rose."
Before the princess could answer, a voice filled with irritation and authority interrupted, "Don't you know how to greet a princess? Bow your head."
Rahul murmured quietly, "Toads gurgling before the rain falls." Then he said aloud, "I really don't know. Would you teach me, monkey—I mean, Monty?"
Monty was the son of the prime minister. However, the king valued Rahul's father more, which often made Monty resentful.
Monty, furious, tried to say something, but the princess cut him off.
"Stop, Montero. I have said many times that he doesn't need to lower his head."
Then she turned to Rahul and said, "What took you so long? You really like to decorate yourself like girls, even when going hunting."
Rahul answered, "I got the news late. Maybe the messenger was obstructed by a monkey," while looking directly at Montero.
The princess sighed and said, "Whatever. Let's go."
Two minutes later, they were sitting in a caravan pulled by equitaurs. Equitaurs were a species resembling horses but with some bull-like features, giving them great agility and strong defense.
The princess began the conversation.
"Our enemy will be Cloudy Bees. So Rahul, what is the plan?"
Rahul thought for two minutes before answering.
"Cloudy Bees are agile insects. They use smoke to cloud their enemy's vision and then rely on high speed to escape or attack. We will need at least four mages with wind spells to disperse the smoke and control their movements. We will also need strong nets for trapping them, because their numbers will be high."
He remained silent for about thirty seconds while looking at Princess Rose, then added,
"And don't forget medicine for poison. They use acidic venom."
After that they discussed the entire plan. Surprisingly, Monty did not question Rahul's strategy. The princess did not think much of it; after all, Monty was not a strategist like Rahul.
Rahul extended his hand forward to confirm the plan. It was unexpected for both Rose and Monty, but before the princess could react, Monty quickly grabbed Rahul's hand, not giving Rose the chance to do so. And with that, the plan was finalized.
The princess went to the leader of the small squad that would accompany them and informed him about the requirements and strategy. Soon the caravan began moving toward their destination.
…
Half a day later, they reached the village fields where the hunt would take place. They stepped out of the caravan and began setting up camp and making preparations, which would take some time.
They were not going to wait for the insects to arrive, because that would destroy the crops. Instead, they would attack the hive first in the nearby forest.
While the preparations were underway, Rahul and Rose sat quietly on a rock in a peaceful place, watching the dance of a Fortune Peacock. It was called a Fortune Peacock because it was believed to bring good fortune. It was a rare bird—powerful yet peace-loving—and famous for controlling essence to perform a magnificent dance.
The princess spoke softly.
"Do you know it can summon rain and use it in battle?"
Then she recited a poem:
A peacock dancing, summoning the rain,
I cried for him, but all in vain.
I wished to fall within his embrace,
Perhaps one day he would return again.
It truly was an amazing sight. The peacock danced beautifully, spreading its feathers wide. It moved in circles and suddenly thrust forward or backward with graceful force.
Rahul listened to the poem and stored it in his memory. To others, the dance and the poem were simple, but to him they were full of meaning. He carefully observed how the peacock used essence, how vibrations spread through its feathers, and how momentum was used to thrust forward.
The princess continued:
Peacock shrieks, watching the falling rain,
I stand enchanted among the grain.
Dancing in madness, chirping like a sparrow,
Each drop strikes me like a piercing arrow.
While dancing, the peacock suddenly let out a loud shriek, and rain began to fall in a small area around it.
Rahul observed that every drop of water moved in perfect synchronization, as if it were fully controlled. After five minutes, the peacock stopped dancing and flew away, and with it the rain also ceased.
Rahul had gained many insights and hoped to create several new forms for his battle techniques—perfect for both attack and defense.
Finally, he answered the princess's earlier question.
"I don't know… but it was really a wonderful moment with you. I should check the preparations now, so I will take my leave."
With that, he walked away.
He wandered around the fields, observing the battlefield carefully. Soldiers were setting traps. The strategy was to lure the Cloudy Bees into the traps and eliminate them in one decisive attack.
After confirming that everything was ready, Rahul quietly disappeared into the forest.
Meanwhile, Monty was growing impatient and irritated as time passed. He had already planned to kill Rahul today. Only he knew how he truly felt while watching Rose and Rahul talking so closely.
Some time later, Rahul returned from the forest and approached the princess.
Now, it was time to hunt.