Chapter 248: Loyal Dog

Thump, thump—

A luxurious carriage traveled along the main road of the royal capital, the rolling wheels causing a slight vibration against the stone-paved path.

After moving away from the area where "Free Will" was stationed—the area without paved roads—and arriving at the main thoroughfare.

The youth driving the carriage felt his tense nerves relax slightly.

This was a medium-sized carriage pulled by two sturdy horses; it was exceptionally spacious even with four people sitting inside, which also meant such a carriage was not easy to handle.

The youth gripped the reins tightly, controlling the speed and direction of the two horses; he could feel that today, these two horses were unusually easy to control.

Was it because of that monster?

The youth carefully glanced out of the corner of his eye at the spirit hound, over two meters tall, following closely on the left side of the carriage; the robust horses appeared petite in front of a spirit hound of this size.

The youth had neat, short golden hair, and above his curved, triple-white eyes, his eyebrows were thick and dense; although he looked to be about the same age as Enri, he possessed a composure far beyond that age group.

Inside the carriage.

The Green Leaf Witch and Enri sat on either side, one expressionless without any emotional fluctuation, the other somewhat excited and looking restless.

"Climb."

Tang Zheng thought about how the one pulling the carriage was a loyal dog, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.

Climb's luxurious carriage had been sent by the Golden Princess; for an outsider, entering the royal palace normally was a complicated matter.

Moreover, the terrain inside the royal palace was complex, and without someone familiar to lead the way, it was easy to get lost and cause unnecessary trouble; after all, this was only a private invitation from the Golden Princess.

"So Climb was saved by the Golden Princess this early," the thought flashed through Tang Zheng's mind.

He only remembered that because of the heterodox idea that there were no "equals," the Golden Princess's mental state had developed problems, leading to anorexia and even a slow march toward death.

If she hadn't accidentally picked up the loyal dog and had her heart soothed and satisfied, she might very well have starved herself to death.

Of course, such a situation was likely impossible.

The royal family would not let the Golden Princess starve herself to death.

"The ages of these two are currently not large; calculating by time, they should only be 12, the same as Enri. Climb should be a little younger."

"No, it is currently three years before the New Calendar, so it should be 13. If the otherworld doesn't have the distinction between nominal age and actual age."

Tang Zheng tapped his fingers lightly on his knees.

They didn't look old, but their appearances were not at all what they should be at that age; people in the otherworld were indeed more mature in terms of looks.

The luxurious carriage soon drove into the royal city.

Because word had been sent ahead, they did not encounter any obstruction, but they were stopped when they approached the interior of the royal city.

The problem lay with the spirit hound, but in the end, with the proof of the Golden Princess's letter, the group was allowed to pass completely.

Palace corridor.

Climb straightened his back, leading the way at the front with a serious face; the lining of his chainmail rubbed together, emitting a soft sound of metal clashing.

"Sorry for the trouble earlier because of Little Black," Tang Zheng followed behind the other party at a steady pace, smiling.

When they were intercepted earlier, Climb had argued on their behalf, but the result was not as effective as the letter written by the Golden Princess herself.

Climb slowed his pace briefly, his voice stiff: "I am only following Her Highness the Princess's instructions to bring you to Her Highness the Princess; this is what I should do!"

"Good." Tang Zheng shrugged his shoulders.

The Climb before him was still too green; even if he made his expression and tone formulaic, he still could not hide his dissatisfaction with the few of them.

As for why?

It was not hard to guess.

Tang Zheng was relaxed and didn't care, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings, admiring the beautiful environment of the royal capital.

Climb walked forward with his head down.

He indeed did not like the few people behind him; to meet the princess without even wearing formal attire was a very rude act, and that large monster, the spirit hound, had actually been brought into the royal palace as well.

Climb considered this a slight against Princess Renner.

However, "Free Will" was the master's guest.

Climb felt that if it were Lady Renner, she would probably forbid such behavior without hesitation, but...

He had no qualification to make decisions for his master, and he also lacked the strength; that spirit hound monster was an existence he could not block even if he risked his life.

If he were to voice his inner thoughts without permission.

Not only might it cause trouble for his master, but it might also provoke the other party's contempt.

No matter what, he could not let his master lose face.

Climb straightened his back again, and even his footsteps changed slightly, forcefully exuding a unique aura.

In this strange atmosphere.

The group arrived at the palace where Princess Renner resided.

The elite soldiers and knights originally guarding the sides of the corridor gradually disappeared, and the number of maids increased significantly.

Facing the arrival of Tang Zheng's group.

These maids all displayed grand royal etiquette, each with a smile on their face; even when a terrifying monster like the spirit hound passed by, their bodies only trembled slightly, but the expressions on their faces did not change.

Enri was already dazzled by now, and for the kind smiles of these maids, she subconsciously greeted them in a flustered manner.

If this were anywhere else, it would certainly invite ridicule.

Climb thought this in his heart, but no one on the scene laughed; his serious triple-white eyes swept over the appearance of these maids, and he couldn't help but snort inwardly.

When the maids usually saw him, they would only keep a straight face or even harbor hostility.

Climb naturally knew the reason; because of the princess, his status in the royal palace was actually somewhat special.

These maids were different from him; they were all of noble birth, and the thought of bowing and scraping to a man even lower than a commoner—it was already considered well-bred that they didn't show their anger on their faces.

He knew these maids too well, so he could naturally tell that the smiles on their faces were not formulaic, but from the heart.

It was for this group from "Free Will"... to be precise, it should be for that team leader named Tang.

Whether it was the expensive "Regeneration Potion" with excellent healing effects that was snapped up by major nobles, or the incidents of easily resolving large numbers of evil adventurers and mercenaries when encountering various attacks.

The popularity of these stories among the common people was extremely high.

The other party also seemed to be of commoner origin; at least in the rumors he heard, there was no noble background, but in short, he was a quite remarkable person.

On this point.

Even if Climb's favor for the "Free Will" group had dropped significantly because of the formal attire and other reasons, he had to admit it.

Without a noble status, relying on one's own strength and reputation, one could also be respected, just like Mr. Gazef.

From the bottom of his heart, Climb wanted to become such a person.

While deep in thought, the group had already arrived at the entrance of the hall.

Two wide doors with a silvery metallic luster were closed heavily; besides the exquisite patterns, the most eye-catching thing was a huge tapestry hanging on the door frame.

Embroidered on it was the royal emblem, a black background with a white pattern resembling an ox; this was also the national flag of the Re-Estize Kingdom.

Dang! Dang!

Climb knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in." A nimble voice, like morning dew dripping, came from inside the hall.

Only then did Climb push the door open and enter.

Tang Zheng's constant calmness showed a rare change at this moment.

What he had to deal with next was not just Princess Renner, but also that group from "Blue Rose"; perhaps there was no danger, but it was a scene worth taking seriously.

Very well!

It felt like a challenging matter.

With a "click."

!

A luxurious but not ostentatious hall came into view; the floor was paved with pure white stone slabs, and only the central area was covered with a thick, exquisite carpet.

A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and the surrounding walls were covered with a layer of silk wallpaper priced in gold coins.

A few sofas were simply placed on the carpet, and in the center was a somewhat small tea table.

The first to come into view were the figures of three blonde ladies; two were sitting on the sofa wearing gorgeous formal dresses, complementing each other, while one stood behind the sofa wearing simple soft armor.

Climb only took one look before quickly lowering his head, pushing the door open completely, and then voluntarily stood to one side, clearing the space for the "Free Will" group.

The two women sitting on the sofa, who seemed to be chatting lightly, looked up at the same time.

Princess Renner's blonde hair was full of luster, with a bright yellow gem ornament hanging in front of her forehead; her smile was full of gentleness, and her deep blue pupils looked over with curiosity.

Lakyus also had blonde hair, but unlike Princess Renner's smooth hair, hers was wavy; her pupils were emerald green, and her gaze toward Tang Zheng's group was filled with appraisal.

The moment the two turned their heads at the same time, the brightness of the entire room seemed to dim slightly.

Even though he had already anticipated it, seeing their appearances in person, Tang Zheng still couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

The snow-white priest robe swayed.

Tang Zheng walked forward with a peaceful expression, his footsteps still composed, his peripheral vision sweeping to the side; the others from "Blue Rose" were sitting on the sofa near Lakyus.

"Awoo."

The spirit hound shook its neck, following closely by Tang Zheng's side; its pitch-black fur and massive size moved without making a big commotion, instead having a sense of lightness.

Only the bone chains wrapped around its body moved like swimming snakes, emitting a terrifying aura like a jungle beast.

Such a fierce monster did not cause the people in the room to change their expressions; even Princess Renner only simply raised her hand to cover her pink lips.

Lakyus stood up first, wearing a cumbersome formal dress, yet her movements were not affected in the slightest; a flash of surprise crossed her emerald green pupils.

She had heard Gagaran mention that the team leader of "Free Will" was very young, but she hadn't expected him to look about the same age as her.

Black hair and black eyes, not like they were dyed.

He was indeed a bit handsome and looked like a gentle person.

Lakyus thought this to herself as she began to introduce herself. Her tone lacked the arrogance of a noble and the softness of a typical woman, sounding light instead: "Captain of Blue Rose, Lakyus."

These words rang out in the hall, in a sense setting the tone for the invitation of Tang Zheng and his group—an invitation not as nobles, but as adventurers.

Princess Renner did not speak further, her fair palm still covering her lips as if she were still startled by the Evil Hound, while her other hand rested on the long dress between her legs.

"Captain of Free Will, Tang."

Upon hearing the other party's introduction, Tang Zheng naturally introduced himself in turn, then wore a gentle smile on his face:

"I have always heard that the Princess's beauty is like the 'radiance of a gemstone,' and Captain Lakyus's beauty is like the 'glow of life.' Now that I see you both, I realize the rumors were not exaggerated in the slightest."

Having said this.

Tang Zheng bowed slightly to Princess Renner: "May your countenance, Your Highness, be as brilliant as the morning star."

Once these words were spoken.

Lakyus's brows twitched.

Climb, standing at the doorway, saw his expression stiffen even further.

This could hardly be considered etiquette, nor did it possess the subtlety of a noble; the words were far too blunt.

However.

For an adventurer, it was not a major issue; adventurers in the Adventurer's Guild and the state were inherently separate entities.

Climb took a deep breath.

Not every adventurer had such qualifications. Ordinary adventurers were best off honestly observing etiquette, unless they were powerful adventurers like those before him who could ignore certain rules.

"The morning star, you say? Thank you."

Princess Renner did not seem to mind; instead, she appeared happy. She glanced cautiously at the Evil Hound, then stood up, lifting the sides of her skirt with both hands.

Just then, a voice sounded from the side.

"Oh my, I've long heard that Lord Tang is accompanied by a formidable monster. Judging by its size, it should far exceed an ordinary Evil Hound, right?"

"It's been raised very well. Is it an Evil Hound Elder, a higher-ranking species of Evil Hound?" Gagaran's rough, hearty voice came over.

"As expected, men are all the same," Tia said flatly.

"There are only two gentlemen present, aren't there? Tsk, I'm curious, do you two think our team leader is prettier, or do you think Princess Renner is prettier?"

Tina deliberately drew out her tone, her voice sounding sinister.

The room fell silent once more.

"Tina!" Lakyus glared at Tina, but her emerald-green pupils turned toward Tang Zheng.

Climb was somewhat stunned. The answer in his heart was naturally only one, but looking at the situation in the room, it seemed no one cared about his answer.

Was it because they already knew his answer?

Facing the gaze of everyone present.

Tang Zheng simply shook his head helplessly, then looked up at Renas, who was standing behind Princess Renner: "Long time no see, Miss Renas."

Huh?

Renas was taken aback. She had originally thought her master would pretend not to know her, and she had not expected him to speak up so suddenly.

However, after a brief moment of shock, she quickly suppressed the emotions in her heart.

"Long time no see, Lord Tang." Renas was very clever and realized immediately that Tang Zheng might have other intentions.

The people in the room were somewhat surprised.

Only Princess Renner's eyes flashed, and her fingers gripping her skirt tightened.

This feeling was like a main course set upon a table, suddenly being uncovered by someone.

(End of chapter)