Freya paused for a moment, her face alight with enthusiasm as she processed Leon’s recounting.
“Okay, the Deity Bane Quest sounds absolutely fascinating. I’m particularly intrigued because it ties into King Elandorr, the Sloth Champion who once led the mighty Dissidia Kingdom during its golden age.”
Leon raised an eyebrow. “Did the Dissidia Kingdom ever have an era more glorious than it is now?” he asked.
Freya nodded emphatically. “Absolutely! They were far more aggressive back then, engaging in numerous wars and conquering various races. Many of these races now reside within the borders of the Dissidia Kingdom-elves, faeries, beastkins…”
“What?” Leon exclaimed.
Freya’s excitement grew as she continued. “One of those races is the Forest Elves living in the Dissidia Kingdom. Their numbers are small, but they occupy a unique region within the kingdom. If you ever wondered where Princess Alora comes from, there’s your answer. The current King married a Forest Elf, which is why Princess Alora was born.”
Leon nodded slowly. “I guess there’s a lot I need to learn. I don’t even know how many types of elves there are-high elves, forest elves, and what else?”
Freya smiled, “Go read about it, slothy!”
Leon had always known that the Dissidia Kingdom was renowned for its diverse populace, although his own experiences in the game mostly showed him sprawling human settlements. Beastkin were a rare sight, and he had only met a single Dwarf, Fokil, during his adventures. But he didn’t know there were entire cities filled with these races, like maybe there was a city full of beastkin or elves.
“Okay, so The Sword of Dissidia and the Dragon Princess…” Freya began.
“Those are the two S-ranking quests I received from Elandorr,” Leon confirmed.
“Your closest goal is to complete your Moonvine Knuckles. I’m sure everything will go smoothly with Elincia’s help.”
“It will take time, I’m sure of it.”
Freya giggled. “You’re the one who chose this path, right?”
Her tone carried a subtle challenge, and Leon couldn’t help but smile at her confidence.
Then Freya’s expression grew more thoughtful. “Though that does leave us with a tough question: How exactly are you going to take possession of the Sword of Dissidia?”
Leon fell silent.
“Any ideas?” Freya prodded gently. “I mean, I was quite surprised when I first heard about this quest—it’s almost comedic. No one expected that a massive war for the throne would break out. And now, here you are, suddenly becoming a pivotal third force in this conflict, Leon…”
Leon let out a deep sigh. “Yeah, it is pretty funny in a twisted sort of way.”
Seeing his response, Freya’s smile softened with understanding. “In the meantime, I can help you find any information about the Dragon Princess. I’m not entirely sure how yet, but I think I can dig into old stories that might fit the pieces of the puzzle you’ve gathered.”
“Thanks, Freya.”
Freya’s expression grew more earnest as she added, “But it’s up to you to devise the plan for how you’re going to craft those legendary knuckles.”
“Yes, I think I can craft the knuckles in Clario Town, once I have all the materials.”
After a few moments of thoughtful silence, each lost in their own reflections, Leon found a smile creeping onto his face.
“Happy?” Freya teased.
“Yes,” Leon responded with a broad smile. “This is the best dinner date I’ve ever had.”
“Shut up,” Freya retorted playfully.
She continued. “Let me tell you the history of the Dragon race.”
Leon nodded eagerly, leaning forward slightly in his seat.
“As you know, before our arrival in Yunatea, the Seven Major Races had been blessed by the Seven Deadly Sins. Each race had a chosen one who possessed extraordinary powers. However, this blessing sparked a destructive war among them, with each race seeking to dominate the others and secure their position as the strongest.
It all began with Pride-the High Elves. They started plotting against the Dragons to establish their supremacy because, at that time, Dragons were the mightiest race.
It wasn’t long until the Demons emerged as allies to the High-Elves, and together, they launched an oppressive campaign against the Dragon race. A great war raged for centuries, eventually weakening the Dragons considerably.”
Leon’s eyes widened with the weight of the story. “So, is that why there’s a dragon protecting the High-Elf kingdom in the Central Continent? Because the dragons were once conquered by the High-Elves?”
Freya nodded. “That is correct. The Dragons in Yunatea are not as strong as the legends make them out to be. They have been relegated to the status of slaves and pets by the High-Elves. Sadly, only a few ancient dragons remain, and their locations are shrouded in mystery.”
She continued, “But there are stories of a Dragon egg containing royal blood hidden somewhere. It is said that from this egg, a Dragon Princess emerged-she could very well be the key to our epic quest.”
“Is the Dragon Princess in human form or dragon form?”
Freya gave him a knowing smile, clearly aware of what might be running through his mind. “Are you planning to marry her if she has a human form?” she teased, chuckling.
Leon grinned sheepishly. “Well, that’s exactly what King Elandorr hinted at, you know. But if she indeed has a human form and a Greed blessing, it would be incredible to marry her, right? I have The Unbreakable Heart legendary ring, and who knows-I might be able to wield two Sin blessings at the same time because of it.”
“Interesting… then why not aim for the High Elf Queen too? You might become the strongest being in Yunatea,” Freya suggested, laughing.
Leon sighed, shaking his head at her jest.
“The Dragon Princess must have a human form,” she said thoughtfully. “Both the Ancient Dragon and Royal Blood Dragon have that ability. It’s crucial that her whereabouts remain hidden. If the High Elf Queen were to find her, she would be hunted down and killed without
question.”
Leon took a deep breath, absorbing the gravity of Freya’s words.
“So…” Freya continued, “if the quest states you need to awaken her abilities, that means she is currently in a weakened state.”
“I think the first priority should be locating her. It’s pointless to plan her awakening if we don’t know where she is,” Leon pointed out.
Freya nodded quickly. “I’ll help you find some clues. Alternatively, we could wait for another side quest from King Elandorr that might provide hints for this main quest.”
Leon nodded in understanding before standing up and walking to the edge of the swimming pool. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the calmness of the night air around him, allowing it to seep into his very soul.
Freya, observing him with a gleeful smile, couldn’t resist the temptation for a bit of mischief. She rose from her seat, sauntering towards Leon with the intent of shoving him into the pool.
A grin spread across her face as she gave him a firm push on the back. However, Leon, rooted firmly to the spot, didn’t budge an inch. Her push had only one result-Freya losing her
balance and stumbling forward.
“Leon… help!” she yelped, flailing her arms.
Seizing the moment, Leon swiftly caught her hand just before she could plunge into the pool. With a stern look, he said, “Say ‘please help me,’ and I’ll help you.”
But Freya’s smile only widened. Using his grip to her advantage, she pulled him down into the pool with her, defying his attempt at control.
They both fell into the pool with a splash, water erupting around them and laughter spilling out in joyous waves. They started splashing water at each other, their mirth echoing through
the night.
After some time of playful tussling in the pool, Freya raised her hand in mock surrender. “Please, enough! If I get sick, you’ll have to take responsibility!” she declared, her hair
dripping wet.
Leon climbed out of the pool first, water streaming down his clothes. He extended a hand to Freya, who took it gratefully and pulled herself out to sit beside him.
“Get me a towel, you jerk!” she said, water glistening on her skin. Before Leon could respond, they heard footsteps approaching from behind.
“So, you two invited me here just to watch your lovey-dovey antics?” Both Leon and Freya turned to see Lily standing there, her face set in a playful scowl.