They even had the help of the Divine Archmages, who were currently outside the Auroras fighting some enemies he was not aware of.

  The General stared at the children being carried by the Rune Masters’ drakes.

  Their complexions had returned to normal, and their flesh which started to rot with wriggling worms a while ago were restored.

  It was a huge relief that the prince and princess were safe.

  However, they did not even had time to celebrate for a bit since they were now faced with another problem.

  Thus, they must escort the royal family to safety then return to the city to help the other soldiers control the situation. After all, the air in Livingrings had now become thick with the stench of burning.

  Tendrils of smoke rose high, darkening the clouds, and making the atmosphere heavy.

  The smoke swirled and churned in twisters.

  It felt as though the air itself was alive, whispering dark secrets and curses, spreading its taint with every gust of wind.

  As they arrived in Halek Plaza, where they had passed by earlier, Vaelros could no longer see his sons.

  The crowd cheered upon seeing them. However, Vaelros was more worried about his kids not being there.

  He looked around, but he could not see them. He hoped they had gone somewhere safe.

  Maybe, they already went home.

  At least they would not be alone since their fellow trainees were there.

  Vaelros could only imagine their faces when he saw them again, fully sweating and impatient for not being able to get strong so fast.

  As their father and trainer, Vaelros always explained to them the importance of mastering the basics.

  Joining the Divine Army was not just based on talent, it considered many factors.

  If they pursue it, they would enter the second layers of the Auroras soon.

  It was all the more reason to ingrain in them that the foundation was the key to getting stronger. It was not always based on inner talent, status in life, or connections, but more on skills, discipline, and the will to go on.

  Vaelros just hoped they instilled these lessons in their minds, and not become complacent since he was their father.

  He could not even begin to imagine how far his two sons could go if they remained eager to learn and train hard like the others.

  Vaelros was willing to guide them as long as they allowed him to or need to be.

  Just at the thought of his kids, Vaelros could not help but smile even if they were in this situation.

  He was still excited to tell his kids what he saw in the Floating Orb. The two may not be able to go there, but they could tell their children someday or to others who would believe it.

  However, Vaelros' thoughts were ruined when they got nearer the palace.

  They saw enemies in the surrounding areas.

  The troops of General Hovereth who returned to the palace before they departed to the Floating Orb, were fighting eight three-headed monsters in black robes with greenish black hues coming out of them.

  Looking at them, they could be the Monster Wraiths that had continuously killed random citizens near Faliamber and sucked their bloods or bitten them to pieces.

  It was a good thing the king had ordered General Hovereth to return to the palace.

  Vaelros and Hovereth were the most trusted Divine Army generals of the king. They were almost equal in magical power, but had different fighting styles.

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  The king decided that General Hovereth and his divisions would defend against any threat that could harm the city and the palace. There were also wizards fighting around and providing potions of healing for free.

  The options in Livingrings were generally being sold at different prices depending on their speed, and the wounds or injuries they were capable of healing.

  But, the magical potions of the wizards were more powerful.

  These were being sold at high prices or often given as rewards during training completion for soldiers, for different events for ordinary citizens, or some memorable achievements.

  Even a person on the brink of death could be fully healed with the strongest potions of the wizards. If they were still alive.

  “This escalated too quickly. We were gone for just a short while,” some of the soldiers said as all of them curiously looked around.

  They were tight since it had only been a few minutes, but how come the situation turned into this so quickly?

  Vaelros glanced at the two Rune Masters who were silent. He could tell they had a clue about what was happening.

  He did not pressure them to say it since they may have had a greater reason for keeping silent.

  Upon entering the palace, the Queen hurried to her children even when her pregnancy seemed to have weakened her.

  Queen Aerathis wrapped her arms around her children tightly and tenderly stroked their foreheads.

  After she let the servants bring the children to their rooms so they could rest and recover, she turned to King Thalorin.

  “My dearest king, thank you," she whispered.

  “They are also my children,” King Thalorin smiled warmly in response and nodded.

  After expressing her gratitude to King Thalorin, Queen Aerathis turned her attention to the assembled Rune Masters, General Vaelros, Gol Furbuw, and the soldiers who had played a crucial role in rescuing her children.

  “Noble wizards, and valiant soldiers, words cannot convey the depth of my gratitude for your courage and dedication.

  You have my heartfelt thanks and everlasting gratitude,” Queen Aerathis proclaimed.

  The wizards and soldiers were moved by the queen's heartfelt gratitude, they exchanged humbled glances and stood a little taller, pride and relief evident in their expressions.

  They stepped forward and bowed to express their response.

  "Your Majesty, it has been our honor to serve and protect the realm.

  We are humbled by your words and vow to stand vigilant against any darkness that threatens our land," the soldiers voiced out simultaneously.

  The kings of Livingrings were known to seek wives from the healing clans, but they were not able to heal others during pregnancy. Thus, the Queen was immensely relieved that her children were healed while she could not perform any healing.

  Worst of all, healers could not even heal themselves. Perhaps, this was the difference between humans and wizards.

  Wizards who had healing powers could heal themselves, but human healers could not, even if they were not pregnant.

  It was as if they had this kind of limitation so as not to abuse it. After all, healing abilities could change the tides of war when used wisely.

  Thus, any form of healing powers was important in this world that had been growing to be filled with uncertainties and wars.

  Any kingdom outside Livingrings would spend lots of gold just to take in or buy people with healing abilities. Some also go to various lengths to acquire and own it; by marriage for instance so it could be passed down to the following generations.

  This was so widely practiced outside, especially since normal wizards outside Livingrings did not have healing powers; except, if they had dark rituals and pacts with those from the underworld.

  This could grant their bodies regeneration capabilities even in the slowest form.

  Meanwhile in Livingrings, even the cheapest potion could already heal a lot of injuries.

  Unfortunately, Livingrings was separate from the outside world and they could not go out of the Auroras as they pleased. Only a select few people were permitted, and the wizards could go out.

  Perhaps, it was why Livingrings remained as just one kingdom and did not get divided.

  After all, in the Livingrings, citizens were not allowed to wage war. They were only to defend themselves when there were attackers; which had become quite frequent lately. Thankfully, there were healing clans that could really save lives.

  Without the Auroras to make the memories of the visitors who come inside turn into a mirage or a dream, their healers could have been stolen from the kingdom long ago, and bartered for pieces of gold or sold for hundreds to thousands of silver coins.

  When intruders come to Livingrings, the magical potions of the wizards would be often looted and sold in the black markets in the human world; or sold to the noble families and kings for immense prices, which could immediately change the life of the seller from poverty to affluence.

  This was how valuable healing potions and healers were. So even in Livingrings, the royal family usually wed someone from the healing clans.

  Queen Aerathis was a perfect example of this. And it was clear on her face, how helpless she felt that she could not heal her own children when they were the ones who needed healing.

  * Halek Plaza - main plaza where people usually gather in Faliamber

  *Faliamber - capital city of the Kingdom of Livingrings

  *Queen Aerathis - Queen of Livingrings, Wife of Thalorin and mother of Nymeria and Orion