"Your Highness! Lance has returned!"
Early in the morning, before he was even fully awake, Rynar was startled by Caslow's booming voice outside his door. Rynar had no doubt that if not for the presence of ladies in the residence, Caslow would have barged right in without hesitation.
"What is he shouting about?" Rynar groggily turned his head to ask the Grand Duchess Nyx, who was nestled in his arms. Nyx smacked her lips sleepily and turned over, clearly not ready to wake up.
"Sigh, I'll go check it out then." With no other choice, Rynar threw on a robe and stepped out to investigate.
"Your Highness..." Caslow was pacing anxiously, waiting for Rynar. As soon as he saw Rynar emerge, he rushed up eagerly.
"What the hell is wrong with you?! Yelling like a banshee this early in the morning? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Rynar greeted him with a swift kick.
"No, Your Highness! This is truly urgent! Baron Lance has returned!" Caslow exclaimed excitedly, completely unfazed by the kick.
"Who? Lance? Which Lance?" Rynar was still half-asleep and couldn't immediately recall who that was. The poor, loyal noble of Zaltarion had gone through so much effort for his king, only to be forgotten the moment he returned home.
"He... uh... this..." Caslow's eyes widened in shock, his words failing him. Rynar's forgetfulness had genuinely left him speechless.
"Lance? Oh! Lance has returned! He's finally back!" Now somewhat awake, Rynar finally remembered the unfortunate baron. The poor man had taken 150 men to escort the goblin king, Jessiava, to Gondor and had been gone ever since. Now, at last, he was back.
"Where is he? Is he injured? Bring him to me!" Rynar quickly asked. After all, Lance was one of the few competent administrators he had. While there weren't any major issues in Riverguard, there were still plenty of minor bureaucratic matters to handle.
"He just arrived at Lulong Fortress but was stopped by the garrison. However, I've already ordered them to let him through!" Caslow explained.
"You flew over to notify them? Why didn't you just bring Lance back with you?" Rynar asked, giving Caslow a curious look. After all, a dragon could easily carry a single person.
(A dragon, of course, would never allow any creature other than its own rider to set foot on its back.)
"Uh... Your Highness, for the sake of communication, Lord Dylan set up a magical transmission array between Riverguard and Lulong Fortress..." Caslow mumbled, feeling exhausted that Rynar didn't even know something so basic.
"...We have something like that?" Rynar was ecstatic. How was this any different from an old-fashioned telephone line? It seemed that magic truly outclassed technology in some areas!
"So what should I do? Should I go to Lulong Fortress to greet them?" Rynar, clueless about noble etiquette, asked earnestly.
"...You are the king..." Caslow was at a loss for words. What kind of king personally rode out to welcome a returning subordinate? Lance hadn't accomplished some earth-shattering feat—at most, he deserved a reception at the gates of Riverguard.
"Caslow, step back. I'll handle the arrangements for Lance's reception."
At some point, Nyx had appeared behind them, her hands gently clasped as she softly gave her order. She was concerned that if Caslow didn't leave soon, Rynar would continue making a fool of himself.
"Sigh... You are truly an unqualified king!" Nyx teased, her beautiful eyes filled with mischief. Despite Rynar's royal status, his understanding of noble customs was about as refined as that of a common peasant.
"Sorry..." Rynar's face burned with embarrassment.
Damn it! He'd just been mocked by a woman! He felt utterly humiliated. Rynar had instinctively relied on his past-world way of thinking and had completely forgotten the differences in both setting and status here.
"Come now, Your Highness, you should dress properly to welcome your most loyal subjects." Nyx chuckled as she gently pushed Rynar into the royal tent.
...
"This outfit is ridiculously flashy..." Rynar muttered as he examined himself in the crystal mirror. His ornate royal robes and dazzling crown made him grimace. He had never been one for excessive formalities, and these extravagant clothes did not appeal to him in the slightest.
"If you say that, Lord Dylan might just come over and chop you up..." Nyx covered her mouth, giggling.
"Why?" Rynar was confused. What did this outfit have to do with Dylan?
"Because these are alchemic artifacts! This Zaltarion Dragon-Patterned Royal Robe is an epic-tier item! It can withstand at least one forbidden-level spell attack! As for the crown... well, it's not as extreme, but it can still grant you fifteen seconds of invincibility!" Nyx explained with a grin.
"They prepared these for you long ago, but you never used them. Now seemed like a good chance to surprise you! Too bad you don't seem to appreciate them..." she added playfully, her crescent-shaped eyes brimming with amusement.
"Incredible!" Rynar praised. The intelligence of a Sixth-Tier Sage was truly terrifying. Even with the subpar materials he'd thrown at Dylan from his system's random loot packages, the man had still managed to craft such high-level equipment.
"Yes, having someone like Dylan by your side is truly a blessing. Do you even realize how valuable this set of equipment is? It's beyond the realm of money. If you put it up for sale, I guarantee kings across the continent would be interested." Nyx sighed. Items that could save lives in a crisis were always priceless.
"Hmm, now that you put it that way, this outfit and crown do seem a lot more appealing!" Rynar took another glance at himself in the mirror, suddenly appreciating the attire more.
Exquisite golden sacred dragon embroidery coiled elegantly over the cream-white robe, its fabric both lightweight and sturdy—Rynar couldn't even determine what material it was made of. He could recognize the crown's base as being crafted from orichalcum, but the gemstones embedded in it were beyond his knowledge.
"What are you looking at? Admiring yourself? Though, to be fair, you do look rather handsome." Nyx smiled, placing a soft kiss on his cheek before turning her gaze to the mirror.
"I was just wondering what kind of fabric this robe is made of. It looks like metal, yet feels like cloth," Rynar mused, gently holding Nyx's delicate hand.
"Probably some kind of magical alchemic fabric. It's likely woven from the hair of magical beasts," Nyx guessed, rubbing the robe's sleeve between her fingers.
"I'll ask Dylan about it next time I see him," Rynar nodded.
"Well then, my beautiful and kind Grand Duchess Nyx, would you do the honor of crowning your king?" Rynar whispered, pressing a fond kiss to Nyx's cheek.
"Of course, I would be honored, Your Majesty." Nyx smiled as she carefully placed the crown on Rynar's head. As expected, clothes truly did make the man. The moment the crown settled in place, an unmistakable regal aura radiated from Rynar.
"Let's go have breakfast. By the time we're done, Lance and his men should be arriving." Rynar took Nyx's delicate hand and led her outside.
"Mmm, sounds good. I want honey-glazed venison steak today!" At the mention of food, Nyx's large eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Greedy little cat!" Rynar chuckled, playfully tapping her nose.
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