As the sea of Pixies parted, four figures flew out of the middle of the crowd.
As they approached, Orion got a clearer view of who they were. On the right was a middle-aged man wearing a regal green robe of unknown material adorned with rubies and crystal nail-sized gems. By his side stood a middle-aged woman in a stunning purple gown, and on their other side was a young man with a stern expression, also clad in a green robe, accompanied by a young woman in an emerald dress.
Unlike the leaders, their attire was less adorned with crystals and rubies. They all had tiny, transparent, light wings that shimmered more brightly than the other pixies around them.
Suddenly, the man, the woman, and the two young individuals following them bowed their heads towards the Princess of the Garden.
"It's always a pleasure to meet you, Princess," the man said.
"How are you doing, High King Eldric?" the Princess of the Garden responded with a smile.
"I'm as fine as I was yesterday, Princess," High King Eldric responded before he shifted his attention towards Orion, "Forgive me for my ignorance, Princess, but I would like to ask if this is him?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at Orion as he scrutinized him from head to toe.
The Princess of the Garden nodded in response, "Yes, this is Orion. Orion, this is the leader of the Guardians of the Garden, High King Eldric, and his partner, High Queen Rowena, alongside his children, High Prince Kael, his first child, and Princess Morgana, his fourteenth child," she said, introducing them to one another.
At first, Orion attentively listened to the Princess of the Garden's words; however, the moment she finished, Orion couldn't help but become suprised by her last words.
Fourteenth child!!
Observing the young man before him, he could never believe that he was the first of fourteen other younger siblings. And as he glanced at the young woman, he could never have guessed that she was the last born of so many siblings. Nonetheless, considering his current situation, Orion did his best to restrain his reaction.
The Princess of the Garden couldn't help but inwardly chuckle as she observed Orion's surprised expression. She could already guess what he was thinking about without him even saying it.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Orion. Though we couldn't meet before because of our strained relationship, I want to use this opportunity to thank you for saving the Garden and helping prolong its life a little longer," High Queen Rowena greeted Orion with a slight bow.
Prince Kael and Princess Morgana gave a slight bow, accompanied by the innumerable pixies behind them.
High King Eldric nodded, "Yes, also, I hope that we can use this opportunity to mend the strained relationship between us," he said.
The Princess of the Garden translated their words to Orion.
Listening to their words, Orion couldn't help but feel a sudden irritation in his heart. Though the Guardians of the Garden had all gratefully thanked him, even in the absence of the royal family, when he had moved a part of the Garden from the mountain into the City, that was it. They continued as usual the next day, looking for ways to repay him for unintentionally attempting to destroy the Garden without an afterthought.
Therefore, Orion found it hard to believe the royal family's words and understood that they were all plotting something, just as the Princess of the Garden had warned.
Nevertheless, Orion's heart calmed down as he contemplated their current situation. He was now the proprietor of the Orion's Cities, the future Village Chief commanding the strongest forces in the Orion's Cities, and the sole individual with ties binding each race together, except for the newly arrived Four-
eared race.
If the Guardians of the Garden failed to provide him with the information he wanted, he would have to resort to other methods, no matter how forceful, to ensure their compliance.
The only thing preventing him from doing so right now was the Guardians' responsibility for tending to the Garden and ensuring its perpetual lushness. Also, he had no clue of the consequences that might follow such actions, especially if they would burden the Princess of the Garden, so he could only defer that decision until absolutely necessary.
Sensing the awkward tension, the Princess of the Garden smiled and cleared her throat loudly. "Orion is a busy man with a lot of responsibilities, so High King Eldric, I would appreciate it if we could proceed with the meeting as efficiently as possible," she said.
High King Eldric nodded solemnly. "Okay. Before we proceed, Mr. Orion, you must complete two simple tasks before I can answer any of your questions," he responded.
The Princess of the Garden translated High King Eldric's words to Orion.
'Which are?' Orion responded, furrowing his brow.
"Don't worry, they are quite straightforward. The first task is to take care of the Garden for an entire day, experiencing the same hard work we put in every day for several thousand years, and how it feels to deal with someone attempting to destroy it more than least twice," High King Eldric responded seriously.
The Princess of the Garden nodded, already translating his words to Orion. ''And the second task?'' she asked, her tone tinged with resignation.
"Your second task is to take us to see the god beneath, Aegis of the Arctic Deity," High King Eldric said, his firm gaze as it locked onto Orion.
A deep frown simultaneously creased the brows of the Princess of the Garden and Orion.
"High King Eldric a—" The Princess of the Garden began, but her words were abruptly cut off.
"I am sorry if you are displeased by this task, Princess. However, I know you wouldn't have allowed this meeting to occur if I had disclosed all the details. Nonetheless, as you have guessed, we are familiar with the god beneath this Garden. But, since this pertains to the Pixie race, I cannot reveal my reasons for wanting to meet with Aegis of the Arctic Deity until we witness him firsthand," High King Eldric responded, his voice firm.
"Besides, considering the relationship between Mr. Orion and the Princess of the Garden, I can understand that although you might also be awaiting an opportunity to meet this god, you choose not to for your own reasons. So, these are the two tasks that Mr Orion must fulfil if he truly wants us to answer his questions."
