Amber Sword

Brand asked the little girl her name, to which she briskly replied, "Sugar Jar."

Good name. Brand couldn’t help but glance at the honey jar she was holding, thinking that this little girl must really love sweets. He wondered if witches got toothaches, though perhaps they didn’t.

After saying goodbye to the Princess, he led the witches into the cave, followed by twelve knights. Between the rock crevices was a narrow space, barely enough for three people to walk side by side. The ground clearly bore traces of man-made steps. At that moment, someone behind lit a torch with flint, and the smell of pine oil instantly filled the cave. But everyone could now see their surroundings.

The rocks on both sides were like knife cuts, with a staircase carved out from between them leading straight underground. It wasn’t much different from what Brand remembered, except that the dust was thick. He swiped a finger across the wall and left a mark, thinking that the first player to discover this place must have felt the same way.

But then a sudden exclamation came from behind. Brand quickly turned his head and saw a familiar slender figure walking in from outside. The rock crevice closed behind her, seamlessly blending with the surrounding rock wall without leaving a trace.

It was Princess Griffine.

"Your Highness, you..." Brand nearly blacked out on the spot. He finally understood the meaning behind the Princess’s last silent glance; she wanted him to lower his guard, and tragically he had indeed walked right into the trap.

"Mr. Brand, you’re not very wise."

"Alright, I admit I’m a fool. But I’ll order Barba to lead you out through another secret passage, Your Highness. You’re not going to baffle me," Brand replied, not in the best of moods.

"Unless you kill me," Princess Griffine answered coldly, "otherwise no one can take me away. You can try, Mr. Brand. I dare to act upon every word I say."

"Your Highness... don’t be so..." Brand wanted to say stubborn, but he suddenly remembered this Princess was famous for her obstinacy in history. She might indeed follow through on her words.

He suddenly felt a headache; he deeply missed the obedient Antitina, and even Qian and Medisha were far less troublesome than this Princess.

"Mr. Brand, I called you unwise not because I tricked you," the Princess’s tone softened a bit when she saw the hesitation on his face, "Have you considered if you fail, will Erune still exist? Demons will destroy everything, as you’ve already told me. I want to be with you, watching you personally rescue this ancient kingdom."

"If you fail," the Princess quietly looked at him, "I will join you in burying our dreams in the dust for this kingdom. I want to die alongside my knights."

Brand felt his heart skip a beat.

He didn’t know if the Princess meant to say that; seeing the Half-Elf Girl’s incredibly serious gaze, he suddenly wondered if she had seen through him.

But he had to admit, he hadn’t thought of this point. If he failed, Erune would be lost to the demon invasion. Without him and Valha, could the Eruein people rebuild a kingdom on the ruins? Would the rebuilt kingdom carry the same beliefs? Everything was still unknown.

Even whether the Eruein people could survive the calamity was still a question. Without those familiar names on the land, was this kingdom still the Erune he knew?

Probably not.

The Princess saw far clearer than he did, and perhaps this was the fundamental difference between her and him. She was, after all, a native of this kingdom, while he, no matter how much he understood its ancient history, only carried half of Brand’s emotions for it.

He sighed, "Your Highness, be with me, since you acknowledge me as your knight; I must take up the responsibility of protecting you. Henceforth, you must not act so recklessly." He said half complainingly, half instructively.

Princess Griffine’s eyes softened slightly.

"Barba, lead the way," Brand said irritably.

"Yes, Lord," Barba glanced at the Princess, smiled mysteriously, and took the torch, leading the way forward.