Chapter 399: Solomons Excalibur (1/2)

”Why did you leave your arm with that snake woman?” Dia asked as she handed him the cup. ”Maybe you could have had it reattached or even healed.”

”I paid the price to get out of that place alive,” he accepted the water with a smile. ”The arm wouldn't have been preserved the way it is without her powers.”

Arthur could place the arm in his subspace, but he wasn't sure it would be preserved the same way that Larza's ability worked. Her powers worked to isolate things without severing their connection to the world, and that's why the soul restructure made it impossible to regenerate or attack his arm.

To put it simply, Arthur needed less time to heal because Larza used her ability to sever his arm and isolating it.

”Is it weird if I said I like you better this way?” the princess said with a thin smile, and Arthur almost spat his water.

”Uh, armless?”

”Such wounds prove that you went through a lot to get where you are instead of being some nobility's son who never went through battle.”

”We humans tend to romanticize suffering and broken things,” muttered Arthur and sighed. ”There's nothing good about being armless or broken, and I refuse to wear my suffering as a medal of honor.”

”Then what can you feel honored about?”

”What I have managed to protect and retain,” Arthur stood up and walked to the sleeping Rega, tapping her forehead. ”I'm ashamed of what I lost and proud of what I gained.”

Rega disappeared back into her tree, leaving only Arthur and Dia in the room. The princess stared at him silently before leaning back and closing her eyes. Arthur walked toward the couch, and his finger adjusted the hair around her ice shards, and he accidentally touched them.

”Do they bother you?” she asked, opening her eyes again. Arthur shook his head as he touched them again, his finger gently running across its edges. ”They are a reminder that we are not the same,” she said in a barely audible voice.

”They are a reminder of what brought us together,” Arthur replied before retracting his hand. However, Dia seized it before he took it away, holding it tightly. The two stared at each other silently.

”I'm sorry for betraying you in the beginning,” her breath was shaky as if it was something she wanted to say long ago. ”I had no choice, no...”

”You did what you had to do, and so did I, but I'm sorry too for hurting you,” Arthur said as his finger ran along with her thumb. ”What if we are in a situation where you also have no choice but to hurt me?”

”My only choice,” she muttered before kissing his hand gently, ”is to never hurt you.”

***

The news of the Seika's disappearance came as a shock before everyone simply realized that it was to be expected. Anyone would shrink away from such an impossible endeavor as building a city from scratch.

However, the campaigns and slogans still roamed the streets, broadcasting the benefits of living in Hidden City. But, of course, despite being legal, the guards cut the activities whenever they could.

Thus, when the Seika disappeared, it came as a relief to many whose interests were jeopardized. The envoy sent to reclaim ownership of the city, and the more precious divine tree, consisted of the Knight of Nobility and the Duke of Battle, a duo that even heavens feared.

Their mind was at ease until the reappearance of the Seika and the failure of the duo. It was even said that the Knight of Nobility came back running with his tails between his legs, but no one would dare confirm it.

The envoy's failure to reclaim the city was the spark that fueled the nobles to meet and decide what they were going to do. That's why they gathered to discuss, disguising the event by a festival celebrating the birth of the scholar guardian.

The Lords of each city sat around the table, with the Dukes of Contracts, Shades, Battle, and Ores seated on each side. The other lords weren't dukes but marquesses and marchionesses who governed smaller cities. There were also some Titled Knights, namely the Knight of Nobility and Honesty.

”I can't believe that a child sent you running away,” the old lady sitting opposite to the Duke of Battle snickered and mockingly said. ”You claim to be the strongest man, but I think you are the strongest kitten.”