However, that didn’t necessarily mean that he wanted to face White Flame head-on. The more capable helping hands, the better; Orion could at least increase the chances of the mission’s success. Looking at the Starforged Knight in front of him, Orion nodded in response.

“Alright, if you want to come along, then I have no problem with it. However, I want to warn you that this time around, I might not be in the right place to save you, so, in all certainty, you might not make it,” Orion said with a serious expression on his face.

The figure immediately nodded in understanding and responded, “Don’t worry, Mr. Foreigner. I understand that whether I live or die will depend on my best efforts. Besides, doing this will not only help me repay the debt I owe you but also assist us in finding a way out of here. So, I can assure you that death is the least of my concerns.”

Orion nodded, impressed by the Starforged Knight’s determination. Despite being gravely injured and witnessing the death of his teammates, he continued to move forward as if nothing had happened.

“Alright, what’s your name?” Orion asked.

Realizing his intentions, the Starforged Knight stretched her two hands upwards and removed the heavy armour helmet, revealing herself. She responded, “I’m Iris Crystalforge,” her voice sounding unexpectedly feminine.

Orion’s eyes widened momentarily as he stared at the figure in front of him. From the low, harsh voice he had heard under her helmet, he had assumed the figure was a man.

So, seeing that the last remaining Starforged Knight was a woman, Orion was taken aback.

“Is there anything wrong, Mr. Foreigner?” Iris asked, combing her hair locs backwards before furrowing her brow.

“It’s nothing,” Orion responded, taking note of Iris’s silvery skin complexion.

Iris nodded in understanding. “I would also like to know your name because I can’t keep calling you Mr. Foreigner now that we’ll be working together,” she added, stretching her hand forward.

“It’s Orion,” he said. He firmly grasped her outstretched hand, shook it for a few seconds, and then let go.

“I’ll see you later, Mr. Orion,” Iris responded, offering a light smile.

Orion nodded in response and watched as Iris put her helmet back on. She gave one last nod and turned to leave.

However, just as she was about to take a step forward, she suddenly stopped and refocused her attention on Orion.

“Sorry, I almost forgot something,” Iris said, her hand scratching the back of her helmet. “Merida Luminous, the eldest heiress of the Luminaris clan, is currently at the castle gates waiting for you. I used the opportunity to let you know about my intentions and to inform you.”

Orion took a moment to grasp what she meant before arching a brow at Iris. “So you’ve been stalking me?”

Iris immediately cleared her throat loudly, sounding different, which made Orion consider that her armour might be more than just decorative – possibly some kind of artefact.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Orion, but I only stalked you to have the opportunity to speak with you,” she replied, her voice devoid of any emotional wavering.

“Alright, since we’ll be working together soon, if you want to speak with me next time, you can come directly to my door,” Orion responded, observing Iris nodding in agreement.

“Thank you, Mr. Orion,” Iris said before bowing once more. She straightened her back and added, “I’ll see you later, then,” before she turned around and began to walk away.

Once Iris was out of sight, Orion closed the door and turned to look at Elysia, who stared at him with surprise.

“What?” Orion asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

“Did you just invite one of the Crystalforge clan’s top elites to your room?” Elysia asked, her disbelief evident.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning on getting her pregnant too?” Her words stumbled for a moment.

‘Of course, she was thinking about something weird,’ Orion thought with a sigh. However, just as he was about to reply, Elysia suddenly said, “You… So you were really thinking about it,” taking Orion’s silence as a deliberate hesitation.

Orion felt his brows twitch a bit. “I wasn’t thinking about it until now,” he responded.

Elysia heard Orion’s response and proceeded to chuckle, and her laughter grew louder until it echoed throughout the room.

Orion stared at Elysia’s sudden change in demeanour for a few seconds, realizing that she had simply wanted to lighten the mood and show him that she was no longer feeling fearful, whether about her pregnancy or their relationship.

A smile slowly spread across his lips as he jumped up and landed beside the bed. He watched as Elysia turned around to glance at him, her chuckles still escaping her lips.

Orion gently pulled her back into his arms, and Elysia quieted down, nestling herself comfortably within his embrace.

“Let’s stay like this for a moment before we head downstairs to meet the eldest heiress of the Luminaris Clan,” Orion suggested.

He observed as Elysia nodded her head before she buried her face in his chest, her eyes gradually closing, and her breathing becoming steady.

Sensing that Elysia was drifting off to sleep, Orion smiled gently, realizing he might have underestimated how tense she had been.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, watching as she smiled and tightened her arms around him. This made Orion decide to wait a little longer before heading to the castle gates to meet Merida.

…….…

Outside the mountain

The Village

“CHIEF!!” Thak’s scream reverberated through the air as he burst into the village chief’s hut and made a beeline for the meeting room.

With a resounding crash, the door was flung open, grabbing the attention of the two people already inside.

Thak immediately collapsed before the village chief and Stronghold Leader Zogar. Both of them gazed at him with a blend of concern and apprehension, suspecting that something significant must have occurred.

“Thak, do you not realize I am in the middle of a meeting with the Leftward Stronghold Leader? Didn’t I instruct you to wait until it was over before delivering any message?” Village Chief Brane, his face marred by a frown, managed to utter, well aware of the mounting problems the village faced.