After the choices were made, Eric and Carlos were led to the waiting chambers again.

Ocean sat before them with his legs crossed one over other and face half covered with a mask.

"You two will leave in an hour, Your Highness. I have already made the preparations and also had your luggage packed with the necessities that you would need in those territories. If you have any questions, please ask them now since I won’t be contacting you once you leave for ten days until the Trial time period is done."

Eric glanced once at Carlos before he leaned ahead and asked.

"What kind of a problem will we face there?"

Ocean remained silent for a moment before he said, "I’m afraid I can’t tell you that."

"How did you even get so many territories to send you their problems?" Carlos asked.

Ocean eyed him for a few seconds before he explained.

"Around a month ago when the preparations were being made regarding this Trial, I had my aides send letters to various territories asking for them to reach out if their territories had some problems that were not being fixed because of some anomalies and a lot of letters had arrived. We had scanned the ones that could be used for the Third Trial."

"So, there were more territories which had problems?" Eric asked and Ocean nodded.

"Yes, but those problems could be sorted without having you two on the fields. I can sort those out."

Carlos straightened up a little and then spoke, "Y-You speak as if you are the ruler."

Ocean cocked his brow, his attitude seemed to have some change. Carlos shuddered as he had Ocean’s cold gaze on him and he seemed to shrink.

"I am not the ruler, but I believe that since I can, I must help those in need." Ocean said.

"Oh, I-I understand." He spoke looking down.

Eric also noticed it and thought that Carlos was just being his usual annoying and condescending self before he looked back at Ocean.

"Marquis, can we take our aides with us?"

Ocean looked at him and then shook his head, "Apart from your chosen personal guards and the people supervising you, no one can go with you."

Eric nodded but then smiled a little sadly, "All right. So, we can’t even contact them even if it’s just for telling them how things are going."

Ocean nodded, "Yes, but for that, I’d advice you two to write a private journal."

"A journal?" Carlos frowned a little.

"Yes, a journal recounting what you saw and did around you in that territory. And you must write it honestly."

"Will you and the supervisors read them?" Carlos asked, his eyes going wide.

Ocean hummed, "If there are some issues with the supervisor’s reports then you journals might come in handy to keep a record of what occured and also, since you two would be physically involved so, I’d suggest that you write down your ideas and intentions rightfully into your journals."

The two Princes nodded and Eric smiled a little and Carlos asked.

"And what if someone tried to harm us during the time that we are there and our guard couldn’t help us?"

Ocean looked at him, Carlos looked a little nervous and Ocean smiled before answering, "You two shall be safe so, don’t worry about it. Your safety is my responsibility."

Carlos opened his mouth again but then paused and closed it back again.

"I understand," he spoke instead.

Ocean observed him for a while before he asked.

"Are there any more questions?"

None of them said anything and Ocean nodded before he stood up.

"Please eat something before you hit the road. You will have to reach to your respective territories till dusk." Ocean suggested before he turned to leave.

"You won’t eat with us?" Eric asked and Ocean turned with a smile.

"I’m sorry, I promised my son that I’d have lunch with him. Don’t worry, I’ll be there to bid you farewell."

With that said, Ocean left the room leaving Eric and Carlos.

Eric didn’t say anything to Carlos and after a while there was a knock on the door which made Carlos flinch.

"Come in." Eric spoke but the door didn’t open instead a voice came through.

"Your Highness!" Eric smiled as he recognised the voice. It was Rune.

"Come inside, Rune." Eric hollered.

"I can’t enter the room, Your Highness. It’s enchanted, Marquis will know." Rune hollered standing outside and Eric rose from his seat before he walked up to the door and opened it.

Rune stood one step from the threshold with a smile.

"How are you feeling?" Rune asked and Eric shrugged.

"I’m fine, how are you? And how are things with Miss Konstantinos?" Eric asked.

Rune chuckled, "I’m good, and well, she was a little worried but she’s also fine now. Besides, how about you?"

Eric chuckled, "Well, Master has forbidden us from meeting till the Trials are done. How far have you gone?"

Rune’s face turned slightly pink and he answered, "Well..."

The two young men kept talking in low voices while Carlos sat inside just then the maids arrived.

The maids bowed their heads to Eric who stood at the door, Eric watched the trays in their hands and stepped aside letting them enter.

He watched the maids walk in and place all the food on the tables and started serving wordlessly.

"Go and eat now." Rune said and Eric shook his head looking to him.

"I still have some time. Besides, please continue." Eric smirked and Rune shook his head, the tips of his ears going red.

Carlos sat inside quietly watching the served hot meals. After the maids were done they bowed to Carlos and then left the room. Carlos watched them leave, he had expected his mother or someone to send someone again for him but thankfully that wasn’t the case.

He looked at the lamb stew and the hot soup before his mouth watered. He glanced once at Eric who looked like he wasn’t coming any time soon so, he started eating first.

Besides that, he was hungry. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Ah, this soup is good. Taste that as well, and that after it."

Carlos hadn’t told Ocean about it but the voice had returned just an hour after Ocean had left. The pendant kept him sane and clear headed but he couldn’t shake away this voice that spoke now. But strangely enough, it seemed like this voice was only trying to guide him to win this Trial.

Carlos ate well and the voice sounded excited to eat and laughed along. The voice seemed that of a man who was older than him, and his strength was quite clear from his deep, husky voice.

At first Carlos was scared of him but that night, he had a dream in which he saw a man.

The man was quite tall and he had a well built buff body, though he was dressed in what appeared to be rags he had a large sword with him. His form was too blurry but Carlos could make out the long, shaggy hair of the man and his scarred face.

"Do you want to be the king, son?" The man had asked him.

Carlos had no answer and the man laughed.

"What do you want to do then, son?"

"I have no idea."

The man smiled thought there was a strange glint in his eyes.

"You seem like you were scared of me when I tried to let you know of my presence." Carlos flinched hearing that.

The man laughed again, "Your mother wishes for you to be the King, but you have second thoughts."

Carlos nodded.

"Then let me guide you." The man offered.

Carlos looked up at him, "You will guide me?"

The man nodded, "Yes, and I will help you find what you want to do."

Carlos stared at the man with awe, he had thought that his mother had done something bad to him but, now that he saw this man before him he kind of wanted to believe that his mother had something good in her mind.

"So, first of all, do you agree to let me guide you?" The man asked.

Carlos didn’t answer right away as he thought about it and the man shrugged.

"If you need time then you can take it, I’ll be here, waiting for you."

Carlos looked up and then spoke, "You will really guide me through everything?"

The man laughed, "I am here to help you, son. And I have been trying to do that since I came but I guess I scared you too much. You see, I even tried to help you during that duel. I would have won but..."

There was a dark expression that flashed over his face for a moment before he smiled.

"But worry not, I shall help you and nobody could stand in your way."

Carlos pondered over for a while before he decided and said, "I agree to it."

The man grew silent for a moment before he asked, "You swear that you accept me to guide you?"

Carlos smiled, "Yes, I swear."

The man reached his meaty hand ahead to Carlos, "Give me your hand."

Carlos reached out and the man grasped his hand before he pulled out a dagger making Carlos flinch.

"What are you..."

"I will need some leverage, son. I can’t just help you without having anything in return."

Carlos gulped, "Wha-What do you want?"

The man smiled, "Don’t be scared, son. I only need a little bit of your blood."

Carlos’s face paled and the man laughed, "You really are so cowardly, son. But don’t be so worried, a little pain to have a big gain is fine."

Carlos watched as the man sliced his palm and the drops of blood ooze out and Carlos clenched his teeth before he watched the man bring his bleeding palm up to his mouth.

Carlos’s eyes widened as he felt the man lick the blood off his palm. Carlos shuddered as he saw the man’s eyes turn black for a moment before they returned to their scarlet hue.

"The deal is made now. I shall guide you on the path that’s right for you."