Chapter 94: 94 Ancient Dragon Mana Stone.

Five days had passed in the blink of an eye, as Jin and Iris rocked inside a carriage that escorted them to the capital, where they would be boarding an Airship.

They finally witnessed the tall walls, spread to each side, enclosing a massive town inside.

The carriage silently rode across the dirt road until it reached the gate, which was brimming with people and carriages lining up.

Jin, who leaned to the window, caught a faint conversation between the coachman and the guard.

He shook his head to alleviate his boredom and glanced to the side, seeing Iris and Marina who sat still with closed eyes.

’They did it again’. It’s been days since the two were like that.

At first, he was curious and daringly asked, but received a hushed warning from his mother. So, he decided to put a hold on everything and let the two end the matter themselves.

Inside the carriage, there were only three of them without Ryan. He had a matter that couldn’t be left unchecked.

’I hope Father did as he promised with me. ’ Jin exhaled and returned to his window, which slightly vibrated, for the carriage was starting to advance.

As he passed the gate, a crowd buzzing with activity welcomed his scenery. The vibrant spirit they showed, reflected in Jin’s emerald eyes, gave him a bit of power to endure the stifling atmosphere that choked him.

From the faint reflection in the glass, he saw that the two women inside still didn’t utter a single word, which gave him a headache.

’Hurry up, horses, you can do better than this!’. Jin’s heart felt hollow, as it was directed to himself rather than the whining horses.

A heavy silence shrouded the small space until, after a few minutes that felt like an hour, the carriage finally arrived at the castle gate.

Jin straightened his posture, careful of the other inspection. Before he came here, he caught several carriages adorned with gold and jewels lined up with him.

Those must be carriages from other nobles who also intended to tackle the entrance exam within the neighbouring kingdom.

“Midnight families entering”. A young knight shouted to let the other pave a path for the carriage to proceed.

“What a grand castle”.

In front, a colossal building made from white stones stood firmly on the levelled ground. Protected by walls that surrounded the palace.

Each corner of the building, guarded by four magnificent towers draped in silver-grey colour, shimmered under the sunlight.

No matter how many times Jin witnessed the sight, he was overwhelmed by awe and a slight sigh of relief for not being part of the castle.

Imagining himself at that part, he shuddered and shrugged his shoulders.

A moment later, they arrived at the entrance, which was surrounded by a deep pit filled with crystal clear water, glittering under the reflection of light.

The carriage came to an abrupt halt after passing the stone bridges. With brief knocks, a man’s sound could be heard outside. “Lady Marina, we have arrived”.

“Understood”. Marina nodded and glanced at her son.

Without wasting time, Jin opened the carriage door and hopped outside, standing on the side of the door to escort his mother.

“Be careful, Mother”.

He grasped her extended hand and helped her touch the ground. Then he turned to Iris, who puffed her chest to regulate her breathing.

“Iris, you too”. Iris opened her closed eyes and nodded.

Her hand was like a piece of jade, delicate yet warm, as he traced along her smooth skin, turning the girl’s face flushed red.

Jin apologized in his heart and carefully escorted the girl until they arrived before Marina, whose expression twisted in a deep frown.

“Mother?”. Jin asked, words stuck in his throat, suffocating him.

Marina pressed a thumb on her joined brows and exhaled sharply. “Nothing, let’s go”.

With Marina leading in front, Jin and Iris followed behind her like ducklings as they traversed the vast area of the castle, before arriving at the backyard, which took minutes.

The stretched fields that were like a plain were brimming with people his age, along with their parents.

One by one, they ascended the flying whale that parked-no, floated above the ground.

“Jin, Iris!?”.

A soothing voice came from a silver-haired beauty who approached, waving her hand with a smile on her face. Followed behind the girl, a figure of an imposing father and a carefree mother who giggled to see her daughter having fun, stood a bit far away from them.

“Silvia, it’s been a while”. Jin raised his hand, approached the two parents behind Silvia, and greeted them. “It’s been a while, Duke and Duchess?”.

“It’s been a while”. Duke Sullivan’s curt reply brought the atmosphere down.

“Dear, be mindful of your expression!”.

Lady Celia chided the man by poking her husband’s cheek, and turned her droopy eyes at Jin.

“Oh my, Jin”. The Duchess stood before Jin, combing the strand of silver behind her ear. “You look more manly and handsome. Your mother must be proud of you”.

The Duchess leaned closer, her floral scent tickling something inside Jin as he felt a gentle pinch on his cheek.

“T-Thank you”.

“It’s been a while, Lady Celia”. Marina stood next to Jin and reached out to her chest with a slight bow.

“Ah, Lady Marina, I felt it’s been ages since we had a chance to talk”.

“Yes, me too”.

Jin, who was left alone, glanced sideways to see four women chatting harmoniously, making him uncomfortable as the one who stood in the middle.

He sighed and noticed a slight hand gesture from Duke Sullivan. ’Oh, you want me to come there’.

The boy slipped from the women’s group and walked toward the Duke, who had evacuated to the corner.

Sullivan coughed while glancing at his surrounding area, making sure no prying eyes or ears listened to him.

“Jin, I have something to talk about”.

“What is it?”. Jin spoke in a hushed voice.

“Do you still have the mana stone for the Ancient Dragon you killed?”. The Duke looked toward the flying airship, making him more oblivious about the serious talk they had.

“Yes, what about it?”.

Jin nodded while watching the girls, Silvia and Iris, who exchanged smiles, happy to see each other again.

“Can you give it to me? But, of course not for free. In fact, someone contacted me for the goods”.

“Who is it?”. Jin shited his attention to the Duke who wore a grin mask on his face.

“Follow me”.

The Duke walked away, slightly peeked through his shoulder to make sure Jin was behind.

Jin’s brows raised in wonder. Even though he trusted the Duke, he couldn’t blatantly trust the person who contacted him and needed the precious Mana Stone from the Ancient Dragon.

However, his curiosity got the better of him, and he wanted to see this through to the end.

He calmly followed the man’s step that echoed inside a desolate hallway. Then, as he looked around, the interior was changed with red carpet lay on the floor, covering every corner of the floor.

A dawn of realization struck him like a thunderbolt, he was now inside the inner castle where only the royal and their entourage lived.

After a minute, they stopped before a massive brown door, carved with intricate precision and art.

Duke Sullivan knocked on the door three times, which echoed inside. “Brother, I have come”.

“Come in”.

A dignified voice reverberated behind the door; it struck a chord inside Jin’s chest.

Jin gulped to moisten his parched throat, wondering just how a voice could leak from the inside room that seemed soundproofed.

The door creaked open as Sullivan twisted the handle and let the enclosed air circulate, whistling a new tune to rejuvenate the room atmosphere.

The interior was cased with a luxurious vibe, coming from its accessories coated with gold or even the furniture that was adorned with a silver lining.

Two distinctive figures sat on the sofa, a man in his forties and a girl his age, who stood up and glanced at his side with a grin.

“Welcome, Jin Midnight, I’m glad you are willing to listen to my deal”.

“Hi, Jin, it’s been a while?”.

The King named Armando Eira, and his daughter Lucya Eira approached his side.

Jin blinked as he stared at Duke Sullivan beside him. He exhaled sharply and reached his chest.

“Your Majesty, I’m honoured by your appearance, Lady Lucya too. It’s been a while”.

“Haha, no need to be formal when we just met with business in mind”. Armando laughed heartily to see the boy’s usual attitude.

“My father was right, Jin. You don’t have to keep your appearance. Just act like usual”. Lucya pressed from the side, which made Jin smile bitterly.

“Alright”.

“Good, father, let’s continue it on the sofa”.

Lucya’s cheerful voice rang in the room, snapping the King, who nodded his head and led Jin and Sullivan to the sofa and started the talk.

Jin flopped himself onto the sofa that absorbed his weight, giving his stiff back comfort after being rocked inside a carriage for hours.

On the left was Duke Sullivan, he glanced at everyone in the room and needed to himself.

Lucya, who sat on the right sofa, kept spreading her cheerful personality, which brightened the room’s atmosphere.

“We need tea for this occasion, right?”.

With a flick of her fingers, a silver tea set appeared on the rectangular table, complete with a plate full of golden-brown cookies.

She stood up and poured the eta into several cups with trained movement. “Here, father and Uncle”.

“Thank you”.

The King replied, his lips spread wide as he felt proud of her daughter’s courtesy. Duke Sullivan nodded and leaned his back to rest his exhausted body.

“Jin, help yourself”. Lucya slid the cup and the plate full of cookies toward the boy.

“Thank you”. Jin nodded, but couldn’t care less for the person who sat before him.

The King who sat opposite Jin leaned his body forward. He waited for the others to catch their breath first, then stated his business.

“Jin, let’s talk about the Mana stone from that Dragon”.

The boy gulped his saliva, before squeezed the words from his throat, imagining just how great he hit a jackpot.

“Alright, let’s negotiate”.

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