Rise of the Legendary Emperor

Chapter 100: A Tragedy

"You are a runemaster" Arrora was truly surprised to see a runemaster in Korrinth since they were actually in a need for a runemaster's help to permanently repair the teleportation array in Everlight. 

In the world of magic, there were many types of life energy users. Everyone in this world could manipulate life energy and applied to various works, there were mages who could be classified into two groups such as close combat mages and long-ranged mages. There were also healers, alchemists, runemaster, etc.

The cultivation in the magic world was similar to battle energy cultivation in the divine continent as anyone could cultivate but only hardworking and talented people could succeed in becoming a real cultivator while common people live their life as normal people and die.

One of the simple mistakes that common people would make was identifying close combat mages from long-ranged combat mages. In a battle situation,long-ranged combat mages weren't vulnerable as people would typically think but even long-ranged combat mages could use a quick spell to attack their enemies just like close combat mages. However, the difference between a close combat mage and a long-ranged mage was their special and powerful attacks, in other words, a close combat mage could not cast a powerful deadly spell to attack an enemy from far away just as a long-ranged combat mage could not to an enemy in close range.

Another mistake common people would make is that they think all soldiers and guards were mages since all of them could use spells but what made mages different from the soldiers was the type and deadliness of the spell they use. Everyone could manipulate life energy and cast spells even the common people but only the mages could cast the higher tier spells.

Just like the mages, every other profession had its own uniqueness like Alchemists for instance. Anyone could mix herbs or elements together and even succeed in lower levels but only a trained Alchemist could succeed when it comes to complex potions from higher tiers. 

This was the reason that Arya was able to temporarily fix the teleportation array since she had some idea about runes but she could not permanently fix the array since she was not a higher level runemaster.

"It's just something I've learned from my father's diary," Prince Nikalas said as he finished drawing runes on his mother's forehead.

"The runes you've just drawn, what do they do?" Arrora asked as she wanted to know more about this prince and hoped he could do something about the array in Everlight.

"They draw the energy from the moonlight and spread through her body to keep her well"

Just by hearing Prince Nikalas's voice, Arrora could guess he was doing his best to wake his mother from her unconscious state and he himself knew it could not. 

"Why not hire a higher-level healer or runemaster to check her?"

Arrora wanted to know Prince Nikalas's standing with the royal family in Korrinth and see where his loyalty lies before recommending him to Don.

Prince Nikalas didn't answer Arrora's question but his face betrayed him and showed the sadness and helplessness in his heart

"Well you girls can talk to each other I'm going to sleep, you could use a different company for a change Riya" The prince said with a gentle smile and turned his wheelchair to leave 

"Let mother sits here for a while, I think she would love the view" the prince said and left the three woman behind

After a few moments, Arrora saw Prince Nikalas's figure disappear into the castle as she turned to face Riya who was looking at the prince with a worried face

"What's the matter? are you alright?"

Riya gave a reluctant nod

"I know I'm an outsider but you and I are kinda same, you serve a prince I serve a king"

Arrora said as she stepped forward towards Riya and sat on the grass then gestured at Riya to do the same. Riya stood hesitant for a moment but finally, she sighed and sat beside Arrora

"So tell me Riya, what happened to her? And what happened to the prince?"

Arrora probed her for answers yet Riya looked hesitant to answer those questions but Arrora asked her again

"Why there are no guards for the prince and something tells me you are the only one the prince has beside his mother"

"That is not true" Riya said as she shook her head but Arrora could see her lying through her teeth

"So tell me where are the guards?" the moment Arrora said this she drew a small dagger she had in a lightning-fast speed and held it against Riya's throat

Riya screeched in fear when she realized there was a small dagger near her throat.

"See no guards" Arrora withdrew the dagger and said

"Why are you so interested in his royal highness?" Riya asked as she touched a throat instinctively.

"Let's just say I'd like to know everything about the people around his majesty to ensure his safety and I like to know more about you"

"Do we look like any threat to you Adria? " Riya smiled wryly and continued

"You don't have to mind us Adria we are just..." Riya didn't finish what she wanted to say 

"Just what?"

"Nothing"

The weak-looking girl beside Arrora was surprisingly stubborn and did not reveal much information to Arrora but Arrora had a trick up her sleeves and stood up pretending to be leaving her alone

"It's okay if you don't trust me, I could have helped her somehow but it doesn't matter now" Arrora pointed at Vivian and said but the moment she turned back, she felt a soft hand grabbing her hand

"Are you telling the truth? you can help her?" Riya was filled with hope and Arrora could see it in her eyes.

Arrora's plan was simple, if Prince Nikalas could be trusted Arrora would bring him to Don and she had a feeling that he could help Vivian somehow and if he could not be trusted she would simply put a couple of drops of healing potion into Vivian's mouth and pretend to be sorry to Riya for not being able to help.

"First tell me everything about her and the prince"

Seeing there might be hope for her royal highness Vivian, Riya started to tell the story of the prince to Arrora.

The story was not complicated but slightly sad one, so Arrora could easily understand it.

Prince Nikalas's father Calderon was the younger brother of King Harold. Nikalas's father and Vivian fell in love with each other while he was learning to be a runemaster from Vivian's father in the Yeven Kingdom.

Unlike Calderon, Vivian was a warrior and a good one at that, their marriage happened without any problems and both of them started to go on adventures and roamed around the continent happily. 

However according to Riya, their happy adventures didn't last long as in their last adventure took Calderon's life and nobody knew what happened to Vivian since she was found unconscious and injured by some travelers and brought back to Korrinth. And after a few months, Prince Nikalas was born but he was born crippled.

Also according to Riya, King Harold hated his younger brother Calderon since he was better than Harold in everything and the fact Harold's father decided to crown Calderon as the king flamed the hate fan in Harold's heart hence after Calderon's death Prince Nikalas was treated like dirt by him and seeing the hatred King Harold had towards Prince Nikalas, everyone started to treat Prince Nikalas as bad as King Harold to be on Harold's good side.

Fortunately, Riya's mother was a loyal servant to Vivian as she raised Riya and prince Nikalas before she died and left Riya to serve prince Nikalas as she served Vivian.

Since Prince Nikalas was cripple and hated by King Harold, he didn't get any education or resources to cultivate like Darlene or Kate and basically Arrora could guess that he had been treated worse than a servant even though Riya did not go into details on how bad they treated him.

After hearing the story, Arrora's interest in Prince Nikalas peaked because without having any help Prince Nikalas was self-taught himself to be a runemaster just using his father's diary.

"Even after everything that they did to him, he never got angry or disrespected King Harold. His royal highness Nikalas is the kindest soul in this world Adria" Tears were flowing down on Riya's cheeks without her knowing as Arrora gently wiped the tears away with her hand

"All he wants is his mother to wake up and love him, he begged countless times to King Harold to help him get a healer from the capital but King Harold didn't give a damn"

"That's cruel" Arrora said and she was genuinely wanted to kill King Harold 

Riya slowly nodded "it was Queen Bella and Uncle Steve who brought some healers to check what's wrong with her " Riya looked at Vivian's peaceful face "but they didn't find anything and they said that as far as they know, she's sleeping"

"Don't they know if she's sleeping she would have woken up " Arrora couldn't help but ridicule them thinking about their answer.

"So tell me Adria, can you really help us?" 

After hearing everything that happened to these poor fellows and the fact that Prince Nikalas could be easily recruited as well as turned into a real asset to Everlight, Arrora decided to give it a shot to help them an even if she couldn't help them with Vivian, she could provide them a better life in Everlight, after all Arrora was not a heartless person. 

"Yes I will talk to his majesty and if anyone could help her it's him"

"You mean King Don who's going to marry Princess Darlene" For some reason, Riya frowned when she heard Arrora talking about Don and kinda looked a little afraid

However seeing Riya, Arrora giggled and asked

"Are you afraid of him?" 

"A little bit he looked "

"Scary?" Arrora interrupted Riya as her giggle turned into a laugh

"He may look scary and cold but he's the sweetest person I've ever known "

Riya seemed a little relaxed after hearing Arrora and smiled to reveal her pearl white teeth

"Alright don't tell anything I've said about helping to Prince Nikalas"

"Why?"

"We don't want to get his hopes up, you understand?"

Riya nodded as an answer

"Where's Prince Nikalas's room and yours?" as Arrora asked this question Riya suddenly started to blush 

"What?you are blushing"

"I have no separate room I'm staying in the same room with his royal highness" Riya's voice was so low that Arrora could barely hear it

"Oh? Then it's even better, tomorrow night stay in your room I will bring Do" Arrora coughed to hide the fact she called him as Don as usual and said

"his majesty Don there, keep your door and windows open"