Princess Isabella looked at Emperor Mark Ruth, "Royal Father, it is almost time..."
"Ah, yes..."
Emperor Ruth nodded and spoke as he glanced at the youths, "Alright, in a few minutes you three will enter along with Isabella!" Two competent youths and another youth who was placed in the Top 20, nodded their heads in determination.
Although they felt jealous of their brother Idric, they realized that they would have to depend on themselves for resources.
Sometimes, their hearts were really overwhelmed, thinking that if they should beg for at least a single drop of the diluted blood essence from their brother Idric, but their pride didn’t allow them to do so.
Even if they did, only schemes to take the drops of diluted blooded essence away from him were brewing in their heads.
They glanced at their elder sister Isabella and brother Idric as they felt inferiority washing over their bodies.
If they didn’t clear the Sky Grade Trial, then they had no doubt that the gap between them and their authority would only get wider and wider from this moment on.
"Mark Ruth, Princess Isabella, I bid you farewell then..." Davis came forward as he clasped his hands.
"What? You are no stranger to us! Stay in our capital for a week! What’s the hurry?" Emperor Ruth was shocked.
If he could, he wanted to deepen the relationship between the two Empires in any way as possible.
Though that wasn’t his original intent on befriending Davis at the Grand Sea Continent Meet, his current thought process wouldn’t lead to a loss either.
Davis soundlessly laughed as his face widened into a smile.
He pulled Evelynn forwards as he held her hand.
"I know this sounds rude since I’m indebted to you people for allowing us to use your Inheritance but I have to return because the marriage between us will be conducted within a month or so..."
"Ahh..." Emperor Ruth went wide-eyed and sighed as if it was a pity but then his face lit up as he gave his congratulations to the two.
Princess Isabella also stepped forward and conveyed her wishes in advance.
Her tone was as if she would definitely not be able to attend the wedding ceremony.
"Haha, I see that Princess Isabella is quite confident in being able to clear the Emperor Grade Trial..." Davis offhandedly echoed a comment.
Princess Isabella had already cleared the King Grade Trial, so the next trial she would try to clear is the Emperor Grade Trial.
It was clear that if she passed the next trial, she would not be able to attend their marriage ceremony due to cultivation.
Or, taking a step back, if she failed to clear the trial, then she would undoubtedly close herself in cultivation out of shame or resolution to cultivate harder.
"I cultivated to the best of my ability after all, and if I don’t participate in the next opening, which is now, I’ll never be able to participate in the trials ever again."
Davis was intrigued, "Oh, is there a restriction imposed on previous trialists?"
Isabella nodded her head solemnly, "Yes..."
"..." Davis smiled wryly.
He didn’t get such warnings from the Earth Dragon Immortal.
The meaning was clear; don’t show your face ever again...
Is what the Earth Dragon Immortal indirectly meant.
To confirm this speculation, Davis asked Evelynn if that was the case and she nodded, telling him that she was indeed warned to participate in the trial of the next opening.
Davis’s reaction to this made people speculate but no one beside him asked anything.
One more thing he actually didn’t know about is that there was a restriction placed on the grade of the treasures that could be taken out by the trialists.
David carried out nine Emperor Grade Treasures from the Emperor Grade Treasury but he didn’t know that there was a restriction placed on one’s cultivation to take the treasures out.
The Earth Dragon Immortal obviously didn’t want to deal with him anymore, so it sent him away with the promised treasures.
Only Fifth Stage Experts could take away treasures from the King Grade Treasury.
Only Seventh Stage Experts could take away treasures from the Emperor Grade Treasury.
That was also why Clara possessed no treasures other than some Sky Grade Treasures but Davis thought it was the other way around.
He thought that she had cleared the Emperor Grade Trial and kept the Emperor Grade Treasures for herself or gave it to her parents.
He didn’t ask her about it since he didn’t want it in the first place but as for the latter, he thought it was unlikely.
He wryly laughed, "Princess Isabella, so you were planning to return to the Grand Sea Continent to participate in this trial. If it were the case, then dragging me to the Spatial Gateway was a bit..."
Princess Isabella was taken aback as she flinched, "Didn’t I sincerely apologize? You’re playing it to your advantage!" Davis inwardly laughed.
She did give an opportunity for them to participate in the trial and he gained plenty of rewards in exchange for the humiliation he received.
Seeing that it was a win-win situation, he had already chosen to forgive her for her transgression but was just slightly taking a jab at her.
After all, being dragged like that, he just couldn’t let it slide as if it was nothing.
Evelynn looked at the two of them as a feeling of suspicion enveloped her heart.
What exactly did happen at that time?
Davis refused to tell her when she asked about it and Davis couldn’t divulge it either, after all, being dragged by a woman...
He could in no way say that to Evelynn as that would entirely ruin his face.
Sexism was prevalent and established here!
"Alright, let that matter end here once and for all."
"Hmm... It’s time." Isabella nodded and left towards the tunnel, her back was straight and taut.
Davis’s gaze followed her back until she disappeared and then directly left along with Evelynn after the four trialists entered the tunnel leading to the trial.
Emperor Ruth accompanied him to the place where the Golden Horned Wyvern rested.
In a few minutes, the Golden Horned Wyvern took to the skies after Davis and Evelynn bid farewell to Emperor Ruth.
======
More than half a month later.
In the Loret Empire’s Royal Capital, the prosperous city was like a candle, lit in a dark room.
If the room could be said to be the Loret Empire, then the candle was the Royal Capital and the flame signified the people.
Numerous groups of people proceeded forth from the various parts of the Empire.
The news that had attracted this many people into the royal capital was nothing but the marriage of the Little Paragon, the Loret Empire’s pride.
The influx of people these years to the capital had boosted its economy, and its impact can be even seen on some of the businesses like restaurants, Inn’s et cetera.
Especially, almost every business that was operating at this time had experienced growth because of this explosive event.
People were still rushing towards the Royal Capital as there will still two days remaining until the marriage.
Those people who had already arrived were congregating towards the vicinity of the Royal Castle as the whole of the surrounding area was changed into a place of festival.
Celebrations and banquets were rampant in this area and all citizens of the Empire could come and feast till their hearts content.
The expenses were covered by the Royal Family as Claire didn’t hold anything back for the wedding of her son.
There were two more days for the wedding, but the banquets for the previous five days, totaling a week were covered by the Loret Family.
The citizens discussed and mused that the Empress wanted this event to be the grandest event of the decade, possibly even the century.
In the Royal Castle, Davis’s room.
Davis stood alone in the room as he looked outside the window.
He had already informed about his return as soon as he got in range to use the low-grade messaging crystal.
That’s why his wedding had been scheduled exactly two days after his return.
People enjoying under the moonlight, openly celebrating and feasting upon delicacies put up a smile upon his face.
Furthermore, he didn’t exactly know that his achievements had been spread out, making him out to be a celebrity-like existence in this world.
He was already a person of high and noble status in the Grand Sea Continent, adding in his achievements of contributing towards the rumored Guardian Alliance, the people gathered here talked as if he was an expert at the highest level.
Davis laughed as he heard and peeped in on their conversations.
There were even some women pairing up him up with them, secretly whispering their fantasies to their friends.
He wasn’t offended but knew that it was the same for the celebrities who were famous in his previous life.
With all this fun and excitement in the air, he understood it was only possible because of the friendly and peaceful attitude of the Royal Family.
After all, the guards were mostly lenient to their transgressions today and even the taxes collected annually were lower than any other empires in the Grand Sea Continent.
As he was amusing himself with their conversations, he heard a piece of sentence that garnered his attention to a certain group.
He concentrated on them and found that they were a bunch of oldies.
An old lady who had still retained some of her modest appearances questioned as she sipped a drink, "The Emperor and Empress didn’t exactly marry according to the traditions of the Loret Family... Do you think that they would follow it now?"
"It’s hard to say... Besides, I heard that the bride has already been to the Royal Castle for years. It’s difficult to imagine that she would be still chaste..."
Replied an old man who sat beside the old lady.
"Haha, you’re right. The Crown Prince is young and could tend to be hasty even without all that fame..." The old lady replied jokingly.
The other oldies in the group laughed as they heard her jovial tone.
The old man shook his head, "It would truly be a pity if they didn’t follow the tradition because that would mean that they had done the deed already..."
Davis furrowed his brows, ’What are these people talking about?’
He listened in some more, but they soon changed the topic of the conversation. Davis’s reaction was not amusing, to say the least. He instantly went to the Empress’s Quarters to ask about the matter.
’Hmph! What tradition? If it involved anything degrading or shameful actions, I would rather not do it nor let Evelynn do it!’
Davis still didn’t know of the matters of the proceedings.
He decided that he might as well learn right now by using this opportunity lest he embarrasses himself in front of the public.
Yes, all he knew was the fact that the ceremony is going to be conducted in front of the public and nothing else, thinking that it would just be an exchange of vows.
Soon, he arrived in his mother’s room and entered after Claire opened the door.
"Mother, what is this so-called tradition involved in the wedding ceremony?" Davis asked directly, expecting a straight answer from his mother.
"Oh? Did you hear it from the castle maids? Look, I just tried it on..." Claire posed as she turned her waist, showing off her clothes.
Davis turned confused, "This silky yellow robe is the tradition followed during the wedding ceremony?
"Claire pointed her finger above and shook it, "This yellow-colored robe signifies that my purity is already lost..."
Davis turned dumbfounded for a second, "Eh?" Claire took the outer yellow-colored robe covering her and handed it over it to Davis.
"Try it on..." Davis felt his interest peak.
He tried it on and the color of the robe turned grey.
"What is this?" He asked confusedly.
Claire smilingly replied, "That’s the original color of the robe specially woven with the help of a formation master and tailors during the ancient times."
"Hmm? It doesn’t belong to our Empire?" Claire blinked, "Well, it does but not in the ancient times since the Loret Empire has a history less than a thousand years."
"Apparently, the Loret Family’s ancestors, specifically the Emperor and the First Prince used to wear this while having their first marriage ceremony."
"Give it back to me..." Claire extended her hand.
Davis removed the grey colored robe and gave it back to her but once Claire once again put on the robe, its color changed to yellow.
"Whoever created this is a genius!"