The expressions of Corey, Pala, Selene, Kiefer, and Willow changed when they saw the doors to the throne room open, and the familiar faces of Jeremy Draker, Elizabeth, Matias, Rorik, and Caesar.
The Hero Party walked into the throne room while talking to one another about the ruins they recently explored in the underground city of the Silver Elves.
Caesar was the first to notice Corey, Pala, Selene, Kiefer, and Willow. And when he did, he paused and his eyes flashed with surprise.
"Hmm? What’s wrong, Caesar?"
Jeremy asked with raised brows, but when he looked in the direction of Caesar’s gaze, his brows jumped in surprise.
"Ryan? Pala?"
At first he was taken aback, but he then laughed and approached Corey with wide arms and a smile.
"Damn. I’m so happy to see you."
Corey did not refuse Jeremy’s attempt to hug him, and he patted his back with a light smile.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.
"I should be asking you the sa thing. I definitely did not expect to see you here..." Jeremy shifted his gaze to Pala, and then to Kiefer, Selene, and Willow. "... All of you."
Corey smiled, and then he looked at Queen Nerith and Syrelle.
"I happened to stumble upon this place by chance, and I have so sort of... business with the Queen."
Jeremy frowned in confusion, and then he glanced at Syrelle before looking back at Corey.
"What sort of business?"
Corey tilted his head slightly while looking at Jeremy with a curious expression. Although he tried it, Corey could see the worry and anxiety hidden in the gaze of the King of Miracles.
His lips curled up ever so slightly. "I’ll tell you if you tell why you’re here and how you got here."
Jeremy furrowed his brows deeply in contemplation, but before he could even respond, Caesar appeared beside him and spoke while placing his hand on Jeremy.
"With all due respect, why we’re here is none of your business. And we hope you’ll respect that."
Corey looked at Caesar, and his eyes flashed with a strange glint for a mont before he smiled.
"You’re right. It’s actually none of my business and I’ll respect that. But I’m dying to know how you guys got here. You can at least tell that."
Caesar frowned slightly, and in the next mont, Jeremy spoke.
"It was just pure luck. Syrelle found us when we were being besieged by a pack of twelve Tier 5 wolf-like creatures. She helped us defeat them."
Corey raised his brows in surprise and curiosity. He glanced at Syrelle, and when he saw a tinge of affection in the gaze of Syrelle as she looked at Jeremy, his lips could not help but twitch.
’You have got to be kidding ... Is this one of the perks of being a hero? The princess that’s next in line to beco Queen is falling for the Hero?’
’Damn. A Hero and a Princess in distress... How cliche.’
Corey kept back every comnt and word he wanted to say for the sake of... peace. And then he looked at Jeremy.
"What of the border the Outsiders created to prevent you and the others from leaving?"
Jeremy’s expression beca dark, and so did the expressions of his companions.
"If not for Syrelle, we would have been in a very precarious situation where many of us could have died." He turned and looked at Syrelle with an appreciative gaze. "It’s because of her help that I’m grateful to her and would always support her and her family."
"Hmm."
Corey humd, and then he shifted his gaze to Queen Nerith who had been silent ever since Jeremy and his companions entered the throne room.
"Your Majesty, as you can see..." He gestured at himself then at Jeremy. "... We know one another. We’re not strangers, and were neither enemies. You can even say that we’re friends."
Queen Nerith shifted her gaze from Corey to Jeremy, and then back to Corey.
"I can see that. So?"
Corey smiled slightly. "I don’t know why they’re here, but I’m guessing you guys are benefitting from each other one way or the other. Maybe a deal, an agreent, or whatever. I don’t know."
To Jeremy, Pala, and everybody’s surprise, Corey placed his arm around Jeremy’s neck, and then he pulled the King of Miracles close to himself.
"With the two of us working together. No. All of us working together..." He gestured at Pala and everybody else. "... I’m sure you would be more inclined to accept my request."
Queen Nerith raised a brow in amusent, and Corey removed his arm from Jeremy’s neck, and took a step forward.
"I want you to believe in our potential. Not what we currently have. Not our current strengths and abilities. I’m certain you know how special we are, and once, not if. ONCE, we reach higher Tiers, we’ll definitely be able to tilt the results of the war in your people’s favour."
When Corey saw that Queen Nerith still had a pondering expression despite his words of persuasion, he could not help but heave a sigh of frustration inwardly.
’Doing this is so stressful. It’s like I’m a salesman that’s trying to convince a rich old woman to invest in sothing like... a toaster.’
Despite his frustration, Corey knew that he had to try more to persuade the Queen. He needed the knowledge of the Silver Elves.
"I seriously don’t know why you’re hesitating to be honest."
Queen Nerith looked at him with slightly raised brows.
"Obviously, you guys only have a fraction of the powers and resources you had. You’re living on a small fragnt of your entire world."
"You’ll need ti to recover and recuperate, and while you’re recuperating..." He gestured at Pala and Jeremy. "... All of us here with extrely high potentials would also get stronger. Most likely, by the ti you and your people recuperate, we’ll be strong enough to help you get revenge."
"Huh. Get revenge?"
Jeremy, Caesar, and the rest of their comrades looked at Corey with confused expressions.
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