Chapter 90: Reactions
After wearing his crown for over forty years, the king was giving an atmosphere of a kind and benevolent king. While sitting on his throne and looking at the empty room, he couldn\'t help but chuckle. "Did you hear that, Zack? Your daughter lost to a freshman."
The Zack in his mouth was one of the best swordsmen in the Azilia Kingdom, serving as the vice captain of the royal guard, Zack Flamante.
He had a rather gentle appearance, despite serving as the royal guard. He was wearing a black-colored uniform with a sword hanging on his waist.
While resting his hand on his sword, he said, "My apologies, Your Majesty. My daughter has disappointed you."
Despite apologizing, Zack didn\'t even put down that hand from his sword, so he knew Zack didn\'t mean it completely.
However, Julius didn\'t get angry. He simply said, "We know your daughter is an iron lady. That\'s why I\'m even more impressed by the boy who manages to take her down. You\'re not going to punish him, right?"
Zack shook his head. "Why should I be angry?"
"For example, honor!"
"Honor can\'t protect the kingdom from those aliens. If there is someone talented emerging in our kingdom, it\'s only right to rejoice. Besides, it\'s just losing once. I have lost multiple times and learned from every single one of them. As long as we can learn from our mistakes, why should we get angry? My daughter and I are not that petty."
"I thought about asking Flora to make him her retainer, but I guess I don\'t have to."
"From what my daughter said, her highness has invited him to join the student council."
"Flora might be playful, but she is wise enough to know what she should do and shouldn\'t. That\'s why I entrusted the matter regarding the Frexia Academy to her. If needed, she will probably try to sponsor him to establish the connection. The problem is..." Julius paused.
Zack squinted his eyes and muttered one name. "The Ashton family."
"Yes. After Count Ashton disappeared, the acting Count can\'t be compared to him in any field. For someone as power hungry as him without having the ability to back him up, he will probably try to send the daughter of Count Ashton away with either political marriage or assassination."
"Should we warn him, Your Majesty?" Zack asked.
"Not yet. This can be served as a way to establish a connection and see the qualifications that both of them have."
"Selena Ashton and Farmer Nathan..." Zack noticed something. "Your Majesty. Are you..."
Julius smirked. "We always know that relationships will grow stronger during hardship. That\'s why it\'s better to leave them be.
"Besides, if that farmer boy is indeed exceptional, he will be able to overcome it. His teacher, Vivian, won\'t let them kill him anyway.
"Who do you think is the easiest person to flee from this kingdom? It\'s the people from the slums. The second? It\'s the common people.
"They don\'t have a lot, so it doesn\'t cost them as much to move to other kingdoms. However, what if he marries into the Ashton family? He can\'t leave the kingdom as easily. Basically, Selena Ashton is a key to retain that farmer boy from getting swayed by other countries.
"And from what I\'ve heard, Selena Ashton is as talented as her ancestor. If that\'s the case, what kind of talented child will be born between a mother with monstrous talent and a father who has a unique summon?"
There was no need for the king to continue. Zack couldn\'t imagine it, but he was sure it would be extraordinary.
Having such a talent in their country was something they should be joyful about.
"I see." Zack nodded. "Congratulations, Your Majesty. You have just got two talented individuals."
...
Ashton Family.
"You said that Selena Ashton won\'t be able to do anything in the academy. Look at what she has become. Her talent has been known around the kingdom!" A high-pitched voice echoed from inside the room.
Inside, there was a middle-aged woman slapping the wooden table, releasing her frustration. She was none other than Selena\'s formerly second mother, who later married to her uncle for the sake of position.
Unlike the king, who valued the talents emerging in his kingdom, the acting Count was crushing the paper in his hand while gnashing his teeth.
"Selena Ashton! Again and again! You just have to keep coming back like a cockroach. If you think you can escape your fate, then you\'re dead wrong."
He had read about Selena\'s accomplishments, from her extraordinary strength to her new species familiar. If this continued, it wouldn\'t be weird for Serena to be one of the best in the academy after one or two years and even join the student council.
While there was indeed no guarantee she could summon a vampire progenitor, it didn\'t change the fact that she could still reclaim her right as the family\'s rightful heir if she made a lot of connections.
"Tell Victor to observe her movement."
"Observing her alone won\'t do anything!" She glared at him. "That slut is clinging to a man who is rumored to be the disciple of that Vivian!"
"Shut up! You are the same. Just tell him to inform us when she is gone. Even if we can\'t do anything to her inside the academy, there is no telling if an accident happens while she is outside." The acting Count banged the table louder than her, showing his frustration because he was the one who had to do it, unlike her, who could only complain.
...
Meanwhile, Nathan and Serena were already in front of the academy.
"Young master. Are you going to be alright?" Alisha looked worried, fully aware of what kind of person they were going to meet.
"I know, Alisha. I\'ll be careful." Nathan nodded. "I\'m already grateful enough that I can get an opportunity to meet such a powerful figure. Besides, Selena is here with me."
Alisha sighed. "I understand. As usual, I\'ll be waiting for your return."
"Yep." Nathan waved his hand as he walked away with Selena.