"That's the Queen's carriage."
Llyod pointed out, prompting everyone to turn and see a beautiful golden carriage being pulled by two sleek black stallions.
"Definitely not the Queen's. Her's are white stallions. Must be a guest."
An NPC nearby remarked, casting a curious glance at the carriage.
"A guest? What're they doing here?"
Someone blurted out, voicing the confusion rippling through the crowd.
The carriage rolled to a stop right at the tavern's entrance, its golden hue glinting in the sunlight.
With a soft click, the door swung open, revealing a knight in gleaming armor, who gracefully hopped down from the carriage.
?!
The trio recognized the man instantly.
It was him, the same one who had insulted Kaisen as an ugly rogue and had shown them to their rooms earlier.
"Ah, adventurers, just the people I've been looking for."
He exclaimed upon spotting them, adjusting his metal pants before striding confidently toward them.
"What were you looking for, sir knight?"
Alice greeted him with a warm smile.
"About that. I've spoken to the queen about your adventures defeating the Morning Fox."
The knight announced, prompting gasps and whispers to erupt around them.
"They defeated the Morning Fox?!"
One voice exclaimed in disbelief.
"That's insane! The Morning Fox is a beast!"
Another voice chimed in, echoing the sentiments of the group.
"How did they do that?"
Murmured another curious onlooker, their interest piqued by the remarkable feat accomplished by the trio.
"And our honorable queen has decided she wants to meet you three brave souls who fought the monster."
The knight continued, eliciting more gasps and whispers from the crowd.
"She wants to meet them?"
"That's unbelievable."
"Are they going to get the radiance too?"
Alwyn, on the other hand, couldn't believe it.
Why?
Because in his world, the Morning Fox was an end-game boss.
Little did he know, it was just an optional boss in Kaisen's world.
To imagine that some folks who had only recently awakened with feeble levels were able to defeat such a formidable boss was simply inconceivable to him.
"Naturally, I'll allow you all time to prepare and freshen up before meeting her. Her majesty is not someone you can approach unprepared, so you have a full hour to ready yourselves."
***
Not just the trio, but even Alwyn and Elfie took the time to freshen up and dress in their finest attire.
Alwyn was in high spirits, while Elfie was visibly miserable, only preparing because her master had insisted.
Kaisen sported a new set of brown pants and a crisp white shirt tucked neatly into them. Llyod opted for a similar ensemble.
Alice looked stunning in a blue gown she had acquired from the mysterious friend, who had also gifted her the nightie she had worn the previous night.
After freshening up, they all headed toward the carriage, still drawing curious gazes from the onlookers.
The knight courteously opened the carriage doors for them. Alice entered first, followed by Kaisen, and then Llyod.
Alwyn practically bounced up the first step of the carriage, eager to meet the queen, only to be met with a firm armoured hand blocking his path.
"Hey, where do you think you're going, adventurer?"
Alwyn blinked in confusion.
"Uh, into the carriage?"
The knight shot him a withering glare.
"You think you can just waltz onto the royal carriage? Get lost."
Alwyn's excitement deflated faster than a balloon at a needle factory.
"But... but the queen invited us! I'm part of the team!"
The knight raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"Oh really? And were you there when they defeated the Morning Fox?"
Alwyn squirmed under the knight's scrutinizing gaze.
"Well, no, but..."
The knight interrupted him with a dismissive wave.
"Doesn't matter, adventurer. I knwo your type. The moochers. The one who follow others around and mooch off their hardwork. Get lost before I throw you on the street, eh?"
Alwyn felt his blood boiling, his fists clenched tight.
Laughter and whispers surrounded him, mocking him from every direction.
He turned to the crowd of players and NPCs, their words stinging like arrows.
"Hey, knight sir! Why not let him in? Maybe he can impress the queen with those ridiculous ears of his!"
"Yeah, look at him! Can't even fight properly. He's like an elf with no nobility!"
"A disgrace to the Elven kind, I say."
Alwyn's face burned with shame and anger.
Alwyn scanned the crowd, faces twisted with mockery and scorn.
His fists clenched, anger boiling inside him.
'These jerks. Thinking they're better than me. Better than the future king! I'll rule over them and will fuck their wives in front of them. I want to see how they laugh at that.'
He took a deep breath, ready to shout back, when a sweet voice interrupted.
"Alwyn-kun, let's not make a scene. We'll talk about it later, alright?"
Alice's smile was like a ray of sunshine amidst the storm.
Unlike the sneers around him, her smile was genuine and it thawed his rage.
"Fine."
Alwyn muttered through gritted teeth, stepping back reluctantly.
...
The golden carriage proved quite comfortable for the trio.
The knight, however, opted for horseback, deeming it more fitting to his station as a guardian of the queen's guests.
Inside, Alice and Kaisen settled on one side while Lloyd took the other.
Excitement bubbled within them, especially for Kaisen, eager to meet the queen at last.
He wanted to sow the seeds at her.
Not that baby seeds, seeds of impression on her.
He wanted to impress her with his charm and wit.
Yet, he knew he couldn't approach her as he did with Alice.
This queen was a force to be reckoned with, powerful and authoritative.
Even the thought of making a move sent shivers down his spine, knowing it could cost him his life in an instant.
How did he know she's powerful?
He figured out she was powerful because if his charm and physique could boost his sex appeal based on his level, then a woman who could enchant half a million people without lifting a finger had to be powerful enough to be a mini boss or even a main boss.
But that didn't discourage him.
No siree.
He was going to play it cool, relying on his words rather than his actions.
But that was a quest for later, for now, there was someone else he should focus on.
Someone who had been avoiding him lately, despite them fucking like rabbits just last night.