A Journey That Changed The World.

Chapter 749 This Ruffian

With each mouthful, Archer savored the blend of flavors: the sweet tang of the Dragonfire Sauce, the chili's fiery kick, and the meat's succulent tenderness. After an hour of eating, everyone was done eating the food.

Archer and the girls enjoyed the Pasta Bolognese, which caused Ella to question him about its creation. As they peppered him with questions, an idea came to mind. ''Would you two girls like to run a restaurant in Dragonheart City when it's finished being built?''

When everyone heard this, Lucrezia questioned with a curious expression, ''What city is this?''

The other girls agreed and nodded unifiedly, causing Archer to explain everything about Draconia, which amazed, shocked, and baffled them. Once he explained, Nala asked, ''So you're a king?''

''Yes,'' Archer nodded. ''But I don't govern the kingdom that is left to Aisha.''

After that, he explained that he had founded a kingdom east of Hemera and Hecate's homelands. The girls were fascinated and asked him questions until Ella and Halime agreed to run a restaurant in their spare time.

They knew Hecate had Dragonheart Potions in Starfall City, and Llyniel would be getting her Draconia Gardens. Archer told them he would try his best to find something for them all to do, which pleased the ladies.

Once they were done talking, the other girls reappeared in the treehouse. Nefertiti strode up to Archer and kissed him passionately, and the others did the same but were not as intense as Nefertiti as the tattoos effects were mellowing out.

They all started talking among themselves as Archer put on his boots and cloak and stepped through a portal to Starfall City. Then, the twelve girls, all wearing clothes similar to Teuila and Talila's, followed.

After exiting the portal on the road leading to the city, the large group saw caravans of people heading toward the southern gate. They were bundled in thick coats, scarves, and hats.

The sounds of beasts pulling carriages through the snow could be heard above the wind, causing everyone to shiver. He heard people's conversations about the festival and the emperor's reward ceremony, which excited everyone.

Archer watched the travelers pressing forward as their breaths formed misty clouds in the frigid air. The road remained bustling with activity. People hurried along, their faces buried in collars, their footsteps crunching on the frost-covered ground.

While watching the people, Leira appeared beside him. '' The Frostwinter Festival is starting in a couple of hours,'' she explained. We should head to the palace to meet Mother and Father.''

He agreed with a nod and started walking with the gaggle of girls behind him. Most of the girls complained about the cold and decided to return to the domain until they arrived at the palace, which caused Archer to laugh.

Sera, Halime, Ella, Nefertiti, Hemera, Llyniel, and Teuila returned while leaving Kassandra, Talila, Nala, Leira, and Lucrezia, who giggled at each other's reactions to the weather. After they were gone, the group continued.

Soon, they found themselves amidst a sea of people who paid no attention to them, allowing them to get to the gate without anyone bothering them. This surprised Archer, as the empire's famous princess held his right hand while snuggled up against his side.

To her credit, she did have a hood that covered her purple hair and hid her tail within her cloak, causing the group to blend into the crowd while walking. She had become a symbol for the younger generation as she was engaged to Archer, the empire's guardian.

While they walked, Nala appeared and clung to Archer's free arm with a beaming smile, causing his heart to flutter when he saw her sweet expression. He noticed her lion instincts always kept her alert to their surroundings.

Meanwhile, Talila walked beside him, her keen elven senses taking in every detail of the scene while glancing in his direction and smiling occasionally. When he spotted this, he sent her a message through the bracelet.

[I love you Tali]

Archer watched as she stumbled, but a radiant smile appeared on her gorgeous face before looking at him with eyes full of affection. Just after that, he sensed her sending some mana into her bracelet before he received the reply.

[I love you too. I'm happy we met all those years ago. Arch]

His face lit up with a smile of appreciation as he responded.

[So am I]

The two stopped messaging as they approached the gate; the sight before them was breathtaking. A seemingly endless line stretched to the gate, where twenty soldiers stood, checking the people entering the city.

Leira tugged his hand before speaking, ''We can pass by once they know it's us.''

Archer smiled in response, but then Kassandra spoke in a frustrated tone, ''Why not teleport to the palace? Instead of traveling through this horrible weather.''

Before he could respond, Lucrezia did, which shocked everyone there, ''He wants to experience the world, Kass,'' she commented. ''It's like you, who want's to live on the surface instead of under the sea.''

Kassandra nodded and didn't complain anymore. She smiled at Archer before the group arrived outside the gate. They all removed their hoods, which shocked the Avalonian soldiers and the nearby people standing in the queue.

The three guards opposite them kneeled while the commander respectfully addressed them, ''Princess Leira, White Prince,'' he spoke respectfully before continuing. ''Welcome back to the city.''

Everyone nodded in response. The commander then ushered them into the city, explaining that security had been increased before he returned to the gate and his duties. Once inside, Archer saw bustling crowds and vendors peddling their wares.

They offered everything from winter food to souvenirs to the passersby. Despite the cold weather, the people felt a sense of warmth and excitement as they passed by while talking to their families.

The girls rushed to a vendor selling pretty necklaces, which caught their interest. Archer bought fifteen of them for all the girls and would give them to them when they met, but he put one on the five here now, which pleased them all.

Afterward, Archer turned to the stall owner and asked with a charming smile, ''How much?''

''Give me three gold for them all, guardian,'' she replied. ''You saved my family's shop during one of your exploits.''

He was taken aback but gratefully nodded while handing over five coins, ''Thank you, miss.''

Once they bought the necklaces, the group continued walking toward the Avalonian Palace. At the same time, Archer saw colorful banners lining every street they passed and detailed ice sculptures glistening in the sunlight.

When they came to the first square, they saw artists using ice magic to build ice sculptures of dragons and beasts. The air was filled with laughter and music as street performers entertained the lively crowds.

Nala poked his ribs, ''Look, Archer, they have Mystic Mulled Brew, Starlight Chestnuts, and Starfall Sugar Swirls,'' she said. ''We need to try some once we're done in the palace.''

Archer nodded in agreement as they continued to travel through the city and saw many sights that caught their interest, but there was no time as they needed to meet Leira's parents.

They soon arrived at the elevator that led to Avalon's floating island. The six of them were ushered through when the guard spotted Leira, who removed her hood again. They stepped onto the mana elevator, which sent them flying upwards.

Lucrezia, Kassandra, and Nala felt sick when they arrived at the island fort. Archer, Leira, and Talila laughed at the three girls, who snapped back, causing their laughing to increase before they started walking through the garden.

Archer always loved the palace's gardens, as they were well kept and had many winter flowers blooming under the sun. The cat princess spun on the group, ''Let's get going so we can get this over with,'' she said. ''I want to try some of the food and games.''

Everyone agreed and followed behind her as they spoke about everything they wanted to do during the Frostwinter Festival. As she led the group towards the towering spires of the palace, Archer found himself captivated by the winter blooms decorating the palace gardens.

The air was crisp, filled with the scent of snow and the light fragrance of the magical flowers. Leira's graceful steps guided them along the cobblestone paths, her cloak billowing in the gentle breeze.

Archer walked beside her, his gaze drifting to the colorful blossoms that seemed to defy the cold with their radiant colors. He saw clusters of Starfrost Roses blooming in shades of crimson and ivory, their petals shimmering like delicate crystals in the sunlight.

Beside them, enchanted Celestial Whispers danced in the breeze, their ethereal petals unfolding in intricate patterns of blue and violet. As they passed a patch of winter lilies, Archer paused, drawn in by their intoxicating aroma.

With their translucent petals dusted with frost, the flowers seemed to glow with an inner light, casting a soft, enchanting glow over the garden. Soon, they arrived at the palace's entrance and were met by a maid who smiled when she saw Leira.

''Welcome back, Princess,'' the older woman said, ''It's good to see you're doing okay with this ruffian.''

When Archer heard this, his eyebrow raised as she commented, but the other girls laughed. Leira shook her head with a giggle, ''Darling is not a ruffian, Helga,'' she informed the maid. ''He takes good care of me.''

Helga didn't reply while staring at Leira before spinning on her heels and leading them into the palace, causing Archer to become confused. The cat girl explained, ''She's overprotective of me, Arch.''

''It's okay,'' he answered with a chuckle. ''At least she cares about you, unlike the maids in the Ashguard Mansion.

[Please let me know if you spot any mistakes, and I will edit them. Thank you]