The rain slowly came to a stop and Eric and Drac stood at the embankment watching as the drainage trenches held and the excess water flowed away from the fields flowing back toward Casmere river.

He was happy to see the people starting to interact, albeit reluctantly, but after the blow from the morning, this was a blissful change.

"I’m glad this worked out before I had to leave." Eric chuckled and Drac smiled.

"Would you have accepted defeat and faced Master?" Drac asked.

Eric shook his head, "I can’t dare disappoint Master after everything. But this time... the problem didn’t even need me. These people knew what they were doing so, they probably didn’t even need me."

Drac frowned a little, "I’d request you to not make me punch you again, Your Highness." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Eric instinctively put his hands over the spot on his head which now had a bump.

"Why?"

"They fixed their problem because they needed someone to tell them what the problem was and how they could fix it." Drac spoke and Eric opened his mouth but then closed it back again.

"You cannot be like Master," Drac said, "Master hides his actions because of who he is. You need to stand by yours because of who you are. Master is Master and you are you- a King."

Eric felt warmth in his chest listening to his friend’s words and he smiled at him.

Just as they were talking, Eric noticed some of the youngsters from the crowd approaching them.

"Your Highness," one of them called.

Eric turned his attention to them as they exchanged glances with smiles.

"The time is less, so, shall we start fixing up the venue for the festival?"

Eric blinked, surprised at the suggestion before he grinned.

"Then let’s fix everything before the festival begins tomorrow." Eric announced.

Before long the people were hurriedly working to put everything together as they only had that night to fix everything. Everyone took turns, making sure no one was exhausted as they all were excited to participate in the games the next day.

The twilight was settling in and Earl Castermere sat in the parlor still worried on how to fix the problem of his territory when Chelsea and Lysanne came running to him.

He was taken aback watching their pale faces and asked, "What’s wrong? Is there-"

Before he could finish, Chelsea spoke, "It’s His Highness! He’s not in his room- or anywhere in the mansion."

"E-Even his guard isn’t here. The supervising panel members also don’t know where they went." Lysanne quickly added.

"What?" Thaddeus quickly rose to his feet.

Various thoughts started running in his head, he knew that Eric was a righteous person and for him to turn a blind eye to what the Hillford people done must have had a valid reason but the people probably wouldn’t listen to him. The last time he had seen him, Eric had seemed crushed and disheartened to see all his efforts having an opposite effect.

Thaddeus knew that despair because he had been there, he had been trying to fix the problem between Hillford and Lowmere for a while now but even his efforts were useless. But he also knew Eric wasn’t the kind of person who would give up.

Where could he have gone?

"Could he have gone to talk to the Lowmere farmers?" Lysanne suggested and Chelsea looked at her, aghast.

"I-It could be disastrous, the angry people might say something hurtful to him!" Chelsea gasped.

Thaddeus felt the situation growing worse with each passing moment and just then the supervising panel entered the parlor looking equally harried as they realised that Eric had disappeared along with his guard.

Lysanne suddenly thought of something, "What if the twins know where they went?"

The adults looked at her and Thaddeus nodded, "We can’t be sure but let’s ask them."

Lysanne went over looking for the twins and found them in the kitchen at her first try since she knew they would sneak in there often to finish the remaining snacks.

The two grew alert as they saw her and prepared to bolt but she quickly said, "Wait, I’m not going to scold you."

"Then you’ll punish us." Leo said.

"Yes, punish us." Nico repeated.

Lysanne inhaled and exhaled her irritation which made the twins even more cautious and she forced a smile.

"We need your help," she said and the kids appeared suspicious before she added, "His Highness and Mr Rayburn are not in the mansion, do you two know where they went? Did you see them?"

The twins relaxed a little and then appeared to recall something before Nico announced, "Ah yes, I saw!"

"I saw too!" Leo said.

Lysanne beamed, relieved, "Really? Where did they go?"

The twins shrugged in unison and Nico started, "We don’t know, we just saw them some time ago..."

"I think an hour ago..." Leo surmised before Nico nodded.

"Yes, yes. We were hiding the laundry-"

Leo quickly slapped his hand against Nico’s mouth and added, "They went out on their horses!"

Lysanne frowned a little, it wasn’t enough information-

"They also had shovels and a pickaxe." Nico added and Lysanne looked at them.

She suddenly had an idea on where the two young men must have gone, she quickly turned and ran back to the others, finding this situation more amusing the kids followed her.

After a few minutes, all of them were on horsebacks rushing towards the Lowmere fields hoping to find Eric and Drac safe and sound.

But when they did reach there, the rain had already stopped and the sight before them shocked them.

The people from both Hillford and Lowmere were working at the venue fixing everything while laughing and bickering like they were doing the other day.

"Honey... Is this really happening right now?" Chelsea asked Thaddeus who was watching everything in stunned silence.

"Wa-Was what happened this morning a dream or is this a dream?" One of the civilian members asked.

"What kind of dream are you talking about? I am seeing that the people who were fighting just hours ago are working together again." Hasik spoke.

Thaddeus felt his eyes well up watching as the people were together again. He didn’t know how but he knew Eric must have finally fixed this problem.

The twins jumped down from Lysanne’s horse and ran right up to Eric before jumping onto his back as he worked.

Eric laughed happily as he stood up holding them securely.

"My assistants are finally here!" He grinned making the twins giggle.

Thaddeus and others also dismounted their horses and made their way towards Eric.

"Hold the line there!" Eric instructed before he turned to watch the newcomers.

"H-How..." Thaddeus could only manage and Eric smiled.

"I didn’t do it alone," Eric said, "It was your people who took one step again and understood and apologised."

A tear drop slid down Chelsea’s flushed cheeks and she sniffled burying her face into her kerchief while Lysanne wrapped an arm around her mother. Her eyes ran around the whole venue easily finding the familiar faces working together.

She spotted Reggie and his friends that were trying to lift the huge log that would become the pillar for the tent where Eric and the judges would sit. But it was way too heavy that even the six of them were unable to lift it beyond a few inches.

"How on earth did we fix this one last time?"

"Hell if I know!"

"Put your backs into it!"

The young men were pushing hard enough but they couldn’t lift it beyond a certain point.

Just then Drac walked over carrying the large hammer and the spikes. He watched them struggling and then looked at the twins who had now approached him.

He handed them the hammer and the spikes before he patted on the shoulder of the first guy that was trying to pull up the log.

The first guy got distracted so the log fell back down making everyone glare at Drac.

"The hell are you doing?!"

"Step back." Drac said and the young men scoffed at him.

"Are you going to lift it alone?"

"Hah, trying to act tough because he’s His Highness’s guard."

Reggie who was listening to his buddies egg Drac up only sighed and stepped back clenching and unclenching his palms.

Drac didn’t seem to pay them any heed to the other guys as he simply walked over and grabbed one end of the log alone. The force he exerted made his muscles tense, the fabric of his shirt pulling tight across his frame. His ended up getting ripped as his biceps and back muscles bulged. He didn’t seem to care.

The young men scoffed, pointing at Drac while snickering before their jaws grew slack and eyes grew so wide they could have fallen from their sockets.

Lysanne herself watched, stunned as Drac lifted the log that was as thick as a human adult with being as long as five grown men stacked atop one another.

Drac lifted the log and placed it securely in the hole that was dug for it. The twins clapped cheering for Drac and the youngsters stared in both shock and terror for this buff young man.

The work was going to take long but the people didn’t seem to be worried, rather they were strangely fired up. The burning torches were lit up so that when the dusk fell the people would still have enough visibility.

The women went home after some time and returned with hot meals for everyone that was working.

Eric watched as the people, still bickering, now sat together and shared the meal.

He watched with a smile and Drac approached him. The two didn’t exchange a word but Eric simply smiled at Drac and then brought up his fist, Drac gave a small smile before lightly bumping his own fist with Eric’s.

Eric was happy that he didn’t have to rely on Ocean for this one and he had seen the issue getting resolved and had contributed in his own sense. For the first time, he felt a little more hopeful about himself, he believed that he wouldn’t make Ocean regret his choice and live up to his expectations.