Chapter 7

"I brought 8000 golden notes with me. After eating and paying for the quivers, the remaining is around 7800 golden notes."

Attendant Lee answered.

..

"This black egg is the last beast egg with us today. start the bidding."

The host said.

"2000 golden notes."

Kazuki and offered first.

The people looked at room 4 waiting for the young lady to bid. Yet strangely, the young lady didn't offer.

"2500"

A VIP customer wanted to try his chance and offered.

"3000"

Kazuki offered.

"3000 golden notes from the first prince. Does anyone want to bid more? No one? Okay, the last egg is sold for the first prince."

The host said with a face full of smiles. The auction today was a success and he surely would get a good reward from his superiors.

Mira looked helpless and attendant Lee wanted to cry, but no tears fell down. 3000 golden notes was not a small sum of money, even for someone from the imperial family.

Kazuki sighed in relief. He was willing to spend more to get that last egg. Luckily, he didn't need to do that.

An attendant from the auction delivered the black colored egg to Kazuki. The black egg was bigger than normal eggs multiple times.

"Attendant Lee, pay for the egg."

Kazuki ordered.

"Yes, your highness."

Attendant Lee nodded with a bitter smile.

After selling all the auctioned items, the host bid farewell to the guests before giving a bow and getting off the stage.

"Time to go back."

Kazuki said with a smile.

"Mm."

Mira nodded.

..

Inside the carriage, Kazuki looked hopefully towards the black colored egg. To make it hatch fast, one needs to soak it inside nutrient water, the method was quite easy and was known for almost anyone who is interested in having a wild elemental beast as a pet. The method required some kinds of herbs which Kazuki asked attendant Lee to prepare.

After reaching the palace, Kazuki bid farewell to Mira before going towards his grand room.

Inside Kazuki's room, the black colored egg was soaked inside a big basin that was full of nutrients. It requires one day to see if the egg will hatch or not. If it didn't hatch, then, that will mean that the egg is an empty one.

..

The moon shone brightly above the entire Azure Empire. At the palace inside his room, Kazuki was in deep thoughts. A lot of things had happened to him recently. What he needed to do right now was to seek opportunities to increase his overall strength. Kazuki knows that he has a lot of enemies, not only his own enemies but also his grandfather's enemies.

Non-elemental warriors like Kazuki do not have power ranking like the elemental warriors. Actually, people considered the non-elemental warriors as the weakest warriors, only a handful of powerful non- elemental warriors like Kazuki could be considered an exception to that rule.

Kazuki wanted to have the same strength as the golden ranked warriors who were famous for being the strongest warriors in the Ancient World. He wanted to be stronger than his grandfather who was a second-stage silver ranked warrior. For Kazuki, the only way for him to have that kind of power is to increase his strength in every aspect.

There were five kinds of personal strengths that Kazuki wanted to increase.

-

The first goal was to increase his physical strength.

The second goal was to improve his mastery over powerful combat techniques like the movement skill {fury of a mantis}.

The third goal was to obtain powerful equipment like weapons and armors.

The fourth goal was to get a powerful elemental beast as a battle companion.

The fifth goal was to have more money.

Kazuki thought that by increasing his strengths in those five aspects and combining them into a single force, could he compete against the elemental warriors who have the elemental affinity talent.

The Ancient World was filled with different types of resources and wealth. Kazuki knows that, and only by exploring the Ancient World could he possibly achieve that goal. Every one of those five aspects could be increased through exploring and adventuring.

..

The next day in the morning, Kazuki ordered attendant Lee to prepare the things that are needed for a long journey like food and camping tools.

After instructing attendant Lee, Kazuki went to bid farewell to his mother.

At the garden of the palace, Kazuki was having breakfast with his mother, empress Yua.

On a rounded table full of different kinds of pastries and snacks, Kazuki sat quietly. in front of him was a middle-aged woman who looked kind and elegant.

"Why do you need to do that?."

Empress Yua said, feeling distressed.

"Mother, I need to go to increase my own power."

Kazuki replied softly.

"Son, I already lost your grandfather, I can't lose you too."

empress Yua paused for a moment with a saddened face before continuing.

"You are too stubborn like your grandfather. The whole clan advised him before to not go and explore that dangerous zone, yet he ignored them and went there. Now he is missing for more than three years. And now, you want to follow his steps."

Empress Yua said with mixed tones of anger and grief.

"Mother, don't worry about me. I will come back alive. This is a promise. Mother, I beg you! Allow me to go."

Kazuki begged with a pitiful face.

"Sigh! you better keep your promise."

Empress Yua said feeling helpless.

"Don't worry mother. I will definitely come back alive."

Kazuki said confidently.

"Humph, fine. You can go, but be careful."

Empress Yua said.

"Thank you, mother."

Kazuki said before kissing her on her forehead and leaving.

..

At the sunset. Inside Kazuki's room.

"Attendant Lee, is everything ready?"

Kazuki asked.

"Yes, your highness. the carriage is ready."

Attendant Lee replied respectfully.

"Very good. You wait here, I will go and prepare."

Kazuki said.

"Yes, Your highness."

Attendant Lee replied.

Kazuki went towards a secret room inside his room and entered. the secret room was where he stored his personal equipment. Kazuki decided to start his journey today. Besides that, the egg was ready to hatch and Kazuki didn't wish for it to hatch at the palace, not only because he didn't want to attract unwanted attention, but also because the elemental beast needs to live in the wilderness.

Inside the secret room, the first thing to notice was the large wooden table at the center. Different types of arrows were placed above the large table. All the arrows were different in shapes and sizes. At the exact center of the large table was a long silver bow.

The difference between a normal bow and a longbow was that the longbow arrows would be more powerful. Additionally, its arrows could reach much farther than the arrows of the normal bow. Of course, the problem with a longbow was that it is much heavier than the normal bows.

Kazuki went beside the large table and began to put the arrows inside the newly bought quivers.

Afterward, Kazuki went to a wardrobe placed in the corner of the secret room. A set of gray garments was taken out by Kazuki from the wardrobe. The gray garments were made from a special fabric known for being light and comfortable. Kazuki began to wear it before taking out a set of black armor from the wardrobe. The set consisted of three pieces, the first was a chest armor, the second was legs armor and the third was a helmet.

After wearing everything, Kazuki got out of the secret room carrying the four quivers and the silver longbow.

"Attendant Lee, are you ready?"

Kazuki asked smilingly.

"I am ready, your highness."

Attendant Lee replied.

Kazuki had planned to take attendant Lee with him on this journey. Of course, Kazuki wouldn't bring attendant Lee with him to the dangerous areas. Kazuki planned to leave attendant Lee at any near city before going to a dangerous area. After all, attendant Lee was only a normal human.

The moon was shining above the skies. Kazuki and attendant Lee had already left the Glory City.

Kazuki sat inside the carriage, in front of him was the black egg. Attendant Lee was the one who is driving.

Kazuki planned to stay for a while at the silent forest located on the north side of the Azure Empire. After riding the fast carriage for three hours, they have finally arrived at the borders of the silent forest

The silent forest was famous for not having any valuable things inside it like herbs or rare ingredients. Hence, Not a lot of people ventured inside it. Only those who want to train themselves would go there as the forest didn't lack the presence of the elemental beasts. Kazuki wanted to hatch the egg there, and if he is lucky and got an elemental beast, then he would train it in the silent forest.

Kazuki and attendant Lee got off the carriage with fire torch in their hands. They chose to settle inside an empty cave near the entrance of the silent forest. The cave was spacious enough for the carriage to go in.

"Attendant Lee, I am going out for a while."

Kazuki said to Attendant Lee who was cleaning the small cave.

"Okay, be careful on your way, your highness."

Attendant Lee said.

Kazuki walked away from the cave and entered the silent forest.

He kept walking for a while inside the silent forest. Suddenly, he stopped.

"Aren't you going to show up?"

Kazuki said loudly with a calm face.

to be continued