Orion handed the other clothes to the servants to store in his room. Then, he trailed behind Elysia as she guided him to the throne room.
Having walked through various corridors and turns, they finally arrived at the entrance of the throne room, a place etched in Orion's memory from his first arrival with Princess Crystalia and Flintor.
Elysia, her back turned to him, suddenly asked, "Are you ready?" Her tone, surprisingly, held a touch of concern, though Orion could only see her posture.
Orion however, couldn't help but say, "Are you worried about me?" with a small smile on his face.
Elysia quickly turned her head, her gaze piercing him with an icy glare. "I'm only making sure you behave properly. So, please, do your best to behave," she retorted with a stern expression.
"Don't worry, I never planned on doing anything stupid," Orion replied, pondering what it would take to soften the stern and commanding woman before him.
However, he understood that after the events of last night, this transformation wouldn't occur overnight.
So, he pushed those thoughts aside and composed himself, watching as she swung open the grand crystal door.
As he entered the room, Orion was taken aback to find not only the King and Queen but also a gathering of several elderly individuals, numbering about ten. Both men and women occupied seats around the long, rectangular table made from crystal and stone.
This was quite different from the previous individuals he now recognized as the clan leaders of the Prismerian kingdom.
As Orion made his way forward, the halls filled with whispers, and people began chatting and murmuring softly when they caught sight of him.
Making his way towards the centre of the throne room, which was close to the rectangular table, he even spotted Princess Crystalia and her personal guard standing nearby, close to the steps leading to the thrones.
Orion halted when Elysia did the same, moving to the side and taking her place at the forefront of the other servants, all dressed in silvery ash attire and lined up on one side of the throne room.
The King, in an attempt to hush the growing voices, cleared his throat loudly, "AHEM!!" Immediately, the room fell silent, and all eyes turned to the King, waiting to hear what he had to say.
"As everyone has assembled, I would like to introduce Orion, the foreigner who hails from beyond our mountain," the King announced.
With the conclusion of his words, the entire throne room erupted into murmurs that grew louder by the second.
"Silence!" the King commanded, instantly quelling the unrest.
After clearing his throat once more, he continued, recounting how Princess Crystalia had discovered Orion and Saria, and delving into some of the information Orion had shared with the Queen.
However, to Orion's surprise, the King only disclosed half of what he had told the Queen, keeping the rest concealed. Orion eventually found this reasonable; there was no harm in the King and Queen keeping certain secrets to themselves or sharing them with only a select few.
Having addressed the gathering around the rectangular table and providing them with all the necessary information, the King finally turned his attention to Orion.
"After deliberating on the future course of action with the Queen, we have chosen to regard you as a guest rather than a criminal, as you have committed no offences warranting such treatment," the King said.
His gaze then shifted toward the table, as though seeking confirmation from those gathered there.
The elders nodded in agreement, prompting the King to redirect his attention to Orion.
"Furthermore," the King continued, "since you came from outside the mountain, we must make sure that your existence remains a closely guarded secret. Any information about a stranger entering the Prismerian kingdom from beyond the mountain could trigger a devastating uproar throughout the entire kingdom. I am sure that we all dread the potential consequences that could arise from such a revelation."
The King paused briefly before adding, "Moreover, to ensure the continued comfort and safety of both you and your friend within our kingdom, we kindly request your cooperation in sharing your knowledge about the outside world, as it is an invaluable asset to us, who have been confined within these mountains for far longer than we can remember."
Orion couldn't help but furrow his brows in deep thought as he pondered what to say about the outside world. He knew next to nothing about it himself.
Nobody in his village, apart from figures like Stronghold Leader Drakar and the caravans he had yet to encounter, had any knowledge of the outside world.
Orion found himself in the ironic position of being as clueless as those he now faced. He doubted that they might even believe him, given that they might suspect him of hiding secrets for some unknown purpose, rather than simply having no knowledge of the outside world.
Remembering the words that the soon-to-be-dead Stronghold Leader Drakar had told him before he had left him and Saria to freeze to death at the top of the mountain, Orion only hoped that they would be enough. He could use them to come up with a plan and think about what to say.
"Is that alright with you?" the King said, regarding him intently, while the others in the room awaited his response as well.
Realizing that agreement was his only option, Orion nodded in understanding and replied, "Yes, it is." A quick glance at their expressions upon hearing his response suggested that they were all content with it.
"Alright, now that we have settled that matter," the King continued, "I also want to inform you that in the coming days, we will do everything in our power to help you leave this mountain. In exchange, we will greatly appreciate your assistance in ensuring that we can also find our way out and return to the surface."
The King observed Orion, curious about how the young man would react to this proposition.
