Zorat, for the first ti getting a closeup proper look at Florielle before him, was even more impressed by her gentle beauty.
She is indeed quite pleasing to the eye. Hehehehe
"Ah!... lord hero. I am so sorry. I was supposed to inform you that the banquet had begun and to also bring you your....." Florielle rattled frantically as she regained her balance.
"Never mind all that, my dear. Co. Co sit down over here to gather yourself." Zorat interrupted calmly as he led her to the edge of his bed.
Florielle chastised herself relentlessly in her head. She couldn’t believe she had actually slumped into a dream in front of the kingdom’s hero.
Though he was only the hero of Item Box, he was a hero nonetheless, the very weapon chosen by the goddess Arleria to battle the demon king.
Florielle thought differently from the others in the palace who looked down on the item box hero, mostly because her situation was similar to his.
Being looked down upon, and treated less than their peers. These were all things that Florile was subjected to in the palace because she was the daughter of a fallen noble house.
It was definitely because of her low status in the palace that she was designated the maid servant of the item box Hero.
She never minded to begin with, but after getting to know the item box hero in person, she was all the more convinced to serve him with all her heart.
She had co to understand that the item box hero is a very kind and very sweet young man.
Florielle was smiling as she was led to the edge of the bed by Zorat.
She felt that if all heroes are this nice and gentlemanly, the kingdom surely has a bright future ahead of it.
"Florielle, my dear," Zorat spoke as he brought the only wooden chair inside the hut and placed it in front of Florielle before sitting on it and looking her straight in the face.
"Y.. yes, lord hero ?" Florielle stamred in response, maintaining her practiced gaze at the floor.
In this kingdom, one does not look at soone way higher in status than oneself in the eye.
"You can look in the eyes, Florielle." Zorat, already understanding of her actions, encouraged her kindly.
"Em...lord hero. Is that really okay ?" Florielle mumbled unsurely.
"Yes, Florielle, it’s fine. Look at ."
Floriell, drawn by Zorat’s honey-glazed voice, shyly lifted her large brown eyes as they t with his star-riddled ones.
She felt a sudden calm descend upon her. Her earlier frazzled state, long gone.
Replaced by a sense of safety and warmth. Like the man before her could do no wrong.
Zorat grinned inside, noticing Florielle’s change in countenance.
He wasn’t actively doing anything per say. It was just a passive state brought upon by his abyssal gaze.
If a female who is weak willed, holds a steady eye contact with Zorat, this passive effect is maintained as a consequence for the duration of the eye contact.
It cultivates in them a deep seethed feeling of trust and comfort, and simultaneously encourages them to be truthful.
Like all things that exist in balance, so too does Zorat’s allure. The caveat for this passive ability is that the female must be inherently weak willed, and must not already have nursed a deep seated negative opinion or belief about Zorat.
And also, the more it’s experienced, the less effective it becos.
"Florielle..... Can I ask you sothing?" Zorat spoke as he gazed endearingly at her.
"Yes... lord hero, anything at all,"
"You know how we are strangers to this world and this palace... I believe only a local like your beautiful self would be able to shine a light on the inner workings of this place."
’He.... he called ’’ beautiful!’ Florielle exclaid in her mind as her cheeks burned red. Then she abashedly responded."Wh...what would you like to know, lord Hero ?"
Zorat’s grin spread thinly."Everything."
It wasn’t until an extra hour that the info dumping session from Florille ca to an end.
Zorat couldn’t bla her because he had told her to tell him ’everything’, and she did, in fact, tell him everything. Including her entire life’s history.
The most important takeaways from the info dump session was that everything in the palace revolved around the grand vizier.
No one knew when it started, but his influence over the kingdom had spread too deep.
The staff, the ministers of court, the neighboring kingdom liaisons, even the king himself, all these people are either being controlled by the grand vizier or are his active supporters.
This discovery definitely doesn’t bode well for Zorat, because he planned to get rid of the man before he makes a move of his own against Zorat, thereby ruining all his plans with this kingdom.
Alas, therein lies the problem. There isn’t much Zorat could presently do to the man.
He is a paragon-level being of this world, aning soone who has crossed the seventeenth level, as explained by Florilelle.
But Zorat wasn’t out of options just yet. He had devised two cards to play against this exciting new foe of his.
One is the princess of the kingdom, the only person who had always been publicly opposed to the grand vizier for so unknown reason, as described by Florielle.
The second card is the grand vizier’s very own daughter, and only child.
She is extrely doted upon by the grand vizier, and according to Florielle, this young lady by the na of Viola Malverin was very modest and chaste.
It is no news that a lot of young adults from prominent families had always sought her hand in marriage, but for so reason, she rejected them all.
In a nutshell, she’s her father’s pride and joy. And now, the unfortunate soul whom Zorat had set his sights upon.
Zorat had also marked one of his fellow ’heroes’ as a target to start securing the divine skill runes.
However, he first has to put so plans in place to get rid of the present pebble in his shoes.
Zorat stepped out of his hut with Florielle in tow. He was decked out in a fancy woolen coat with subtle embroidery over a simple white shirt, paired with trousers and a pair of boots. A black cloak draped his shoulders, fastened by a round silver brooch.
This was the banquet outfit Florielle had brought along.
It was shit in terms of Zorat’s standards but so too is his current accommodations. At least these fine fabrics are curated and sewn by the palace’s royal tailor for all the heroes.
It would seem they still accorded the hero of item box with so dignity, judging by the moderate lavishness of his banquet outfit. The other heroes’ outfits can’t be that different now can they ?.
"If I might be so bold, lord hero... Y... You look quite handso in that outfit." Florielle comnted shyly from the side. She was feeling more and more drawn to the item box hero, because he is such a nice young man.
"Oh, stop it, you. Or I might just gobble you up." Zorat comnted jokingly, making Florielle blush harder.
"You are also funny as well, lord hero!"
It’s funny cause i an it. hehehe.
"Lead the way, Florielle. It’s ti to party."
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