Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 771 - 712: A Bit Hot

Lyle was delighted to enter the forests of Liveser again, where the tall trees blocked the fierce sun of the wilderness, the humidity in the air weighed down the floating dust, and a refreshing breeze brushed against his face, soothing the skin chafed from long hours of horseback riding. Benjamin and Dreya remained expressionless; the Heavy Armor they wore didn’t make a sound, prompting Lyle to swallow the complaint that was on the tip of his tongue.

There was a narrow path paved with stones through the forest, one person wide, and at certain intervals, another path would branch off the main trail like rivers splitting. Benjamin explained that these were left by Rangers, who had dismantled the traps hidden in the bushes, allowing knights lost in the forest to find the correct path that led to the Kingdom of Liveser.

Thanks to this conspicuous and safe guidance, they quickly arrived directly below the tree-top Kingdom of Liveser. The place had changed significantly since the last time; a stable had been added on the ground, constructed of stone within the intervals of the roots of a large banyan tree. Ten steps from the stable, there was a ten-square-meter platform, its four corners secured by eight sturdy woven ropes, guarded by two Rangers. This ingenious and marvelous lift platform meant that Lyle, as an outsider, could finally say, "To hell with the children’s passage."

The evidently informed Rangers used a hanging rope to signal their companions above, and during the brief moment they saluted the Queen of Dreya, the lift platform rose forty centimeters off the ground; everything was normal. The Rangers nodded and cleared the way. Lina was the first to step onto the lift platform, which clearly sank a bit under her weight. When Lyle stepped on, the change was minimal, but he noticed the Rangers’ worried expressions and Benjamin’s sneaky move to edge out the guarding Ranger.

With a small jump, Benjamin landed on the platform, which immediately began to wobble, and the strained ropes let out cries of being overburdened, the sound of fibers tearing piercing everyone’s ears.

It was obvious they were overweight. Ignoring these warnings and continuing to ascend was clearly unreasonable. Lina and Benjamin looked at each other, both finding the knight’s armor on the other irksome. The loyally bound knight was the first to knelt down, the sudden additional force causing the lift to wobble further. Lyle clutched the railing tightly; with the knight solidly blocking the exit, he could only seek some comfort this way.

"Princess Lina, as you can see, we stand at a crossroads of fate," he said. "In such critical times, we need your wise decision-making, we need the light of your guidance. So, take it off." His gaze was pure and sincere, his earnest eyes accentuated by the strands of hair that fell upon his lashes, with Benjamin’s determined expression carrying a natural melancholy beauty.

Lina remained unmoved.

"My knight, isn’t this the perfect moment for you to demonstrate your loyalty to me? As my knight, isn’t it your vow to clear the path and pave the way for your queen in times of need? Taking advantage of someone’s vulnerability is beneath you, I’m sure. Heed the Queen’s command, my Benjamin, strip!"

Benjamin’s bad intentions were never going to work from the start; he was a knight, and doing something like overthrowing the queen was basically impossible for him, as he would never defy the Queen’s command—it was a matter of principle.

"Please revoke that command," he pleaded. "I should be following your will, but we are now in Liveser, and all we do represents the will of Dreya. I cannot allow my country to suffer embarrassment."

Lina was impatient with Benjamin’s obstinate squabbling. She pointed at Benjamin’s head and jabbed her finger heavily on his forehead.

"Take. It. Off. Although you’re a scoundrel, like I told Lyle earlier, you look decent enough, not enough to tarnish the image of my kingdom, so stop making excuses..."

"Is it okay if I’m not wearing anything underneath?" Benjamin sighed, beginning to dismantle his shoulder armor. "If Princess Lina insists, then I have nothing to say. Please allow me to visit the Kingdom of Liveser in my natural state."

"Stop!" Lina glared at Benjamin, her sidelong glance sweeping over Lyle and the silent Rangers. "You! You’re not wearing anything underneath?!"

Benjamin nodded, "As empty as the plains of Dreya."

Lina gripped Benjamin by the head and squeezed from both sides; her cheeks were flushed, though it was unclear whether it was from embarrassment or anger.

"You planned this all along, didn’t you..."

"Her Majesty the Queen is so beautiful beneath the armor, her tender body like an unripe fruit. My heart bleeds in the absence of light... Your Highness, make your choice now! Shall it be your beauty displayed, or my primal self, the image of Dreya hangs on your very thought!"

"I choose the third option." He kicked Benjamin out with one foot, leaving the elevator functioning normally for Lyle and Lina.

"You wait for me to come back up next time!"

Lina had noticed they didn’t need to go up all at once, something Benjamin initially wanted to conceal. The elevator specifically added by Liveser accounted for the weight of Dreya knights’ equipment. Due to cost and technology reasons, the elevator had plenty of capacity for one knight, but two would be overweight.

Lyle left room for the lady to tidy up, leaning on the edge and watching the shadows on the ground slowly shrink.

"You’ve seen a farce, Lyle."

"Not at all. I’ve seen worse jokes than that many times," Lyle said, associating it with some stomach-churning memories and shifting the topic, "Does Your Highness seldom come to Liveser? Do you and Princess Kayla meet rarely?"

"Indeed, I rarely visit her realm, but we’ve met quite often. Kayla is a proactive and cheerful friend, and we’ve met countless times in the City of Wandering, in Twilight Memories, in Silver King City, in my tower. Rangers are better climbers than knights, so she would always slip into my room before sunrise, just like you did that time through the window."

Lina complained about Kayla’s enthusiasm, but her lips unconsciously curved into a smile, just like the sunlight piercing through the window, reflecting off the chilly armor. Queen Lina was a girl who didn’t mean what she said, looking quite adorable as she described how passionate her best friend was.

Lyle didn’t point out her change.

At Liveser Kingdom’s tallest arboreal palace, Dawn Palace, Lyle and Lina were swiftly brought there. As the palace portico came into view, the smiling Princess Kayla also appeared with the sunshine in their line of sight.

"Welcome, Lord Lyle, Princess Lina."

The Ranger Queen’s golden hair was pinned up at the back of her head, with small herringbone braids by her temples like a crown of olive branches linked together. Her eyes were as clear as water, with lips slightly touched with red like kindled twilight. A sheer shawl partly revealed the outline of a small leather armor, with a belt tied at her waist, clearly marking the boundaries. Thank heavens, without it, Lyle might have thought that underneath Kayla’s clothes were those long, slender white silk legs.

Kayla hopped over and gave Lyle a hug, a fresh fragrance entering his nostrils, mingling with the cold wind dancing atop the trees, bringing the refreshing sensation of gulping down a glass of ice water.

Thud!

Lyle turned his head and saw Lina taking off her heavy armor. Her complexion wasn’t good, far from the cheerfulness she’d shown when Kayla was mentioned.

Lina replied coolly.

"I’m a bit hot."