The Herb King

Aenwyn stared at Brian with a calm expression, but she was seething with fury in her heart. She really wanted to rip apart his smiling face, but she chose to hold back herself for she had already promised Aethelwolf to pretend that she was still under the Slave Rune's control.

Brian took a quick glance at the balcony and found that Aethelwolf wasn't looking at them. He then turned his gaze back to Aenwyn and wiped off the fake smile on his face as he studied the elven woman from head to foot. "I never thought that you would actually learn the human language." He muttered coldly.

Aenwyn remained silent and just looked at Brian with an emotionless gaze.

"It seems like Aethelwolf values you a lot. Tell me, did he ask you about the Holy Spring?" Brian narrowed his eyes into slits while looking at Aenwyn.

The elven princess calmly shook her head as she replied in a detached voice. "No."

Brian's face eased up after hearing this. Aenwyn was still under the Slave Rune's control so all her words should be true. "Does the Holy Spring truly exist?" He asked in a low voice.

Aenwyn was silent for a moment, but she still nodded her head. "Yes, the Holy Spring is a closely protected treasure of the elves." She answered.

Hearing this, a smile formed on Brian's lips. "Do you know where is it? Tell me the exact location."

There was a look of struggle on Aenwyn's face as she said with great difficulty. "O-Only the Queen knows the exact location... O-Our kingdom, you will reach its borders by following the G-Great Noxus River... Argh!"

Seeing this, Brian cursed in his mind. 'Dammit! This elven woman's mind is actually so strong! She could even escape the Slave Rune's control for a short time!'

"What happened here?" Aethelwolf suddenly appeared and looked at Brian with a questioning gaze.

Brian acted as if he didn't know anything and stood up from his seat as he muttered in a distressed tone. "Miss Aenwyn is trying to escape the Slave Rune's control and it backfired on her."

Aethelwolf ignored him and pretended to check Aenwyn's pulse. "She is fine, but her heartbeat is weak. I'll let her recuperate first." He muttered with a frown.

"I'm so sorry, Sir Aethelwolf. I must have agitated her with my questions." Brian put on an apologetic look.

Aethelwolf sighed and shook his head. "It's fine, Sir Brian, but it seems like we'll have to postpone our discussion."

Brian nodded his head. "In that case, I won't trouble you anymore. Just tell me if you need my help, Sir Aethelwolf. I'll take my leave now."

"Alright. I'll take you outside."

"There's no need for that. I'll go out by myself. Take care of Miss Aenwyn first." Brian shook his head and walked out of the room without waiting for Aethelwolf's reply.

After exiting the room, he smiled coldly as he walked through the hallway. "Great Noxus River, huh?" He muttered.

Meanwhile, Aethelwolf and Aenwyn stared at each other as soon as Brian left the room and they saw a cold glint in each other's eyes.

"He is looking for the Holy Spring!" Aenwyn said in a cold voice.

Aethelwolf patted her shoulders. "Don't worry. I won't let him escape. Now that he has ascertained the Holy Spring's existence, Brian will definitely make his move."

"I told him that he will find our kingdom if he follows the Great Noxus River. We must prepare a trap for him before he finds out that it's a lie."

Hearing this, Aethelwolf gave her a thumbs up. "Good! I'll make the Slave Rune and you'll take care of the traps. Don't let anyone else know about this to prevent us from trouble."

"I know."

While they were discussing how to trap Brian, the victim of their plot was now heading back to his mansion in a carriage. He couldn't wait to find the elves' secret territory, but he had to make some preparations before going into that place. He didn't know the elves' power and he had no idea how strong their strongest experts were.

"I'll gather an army to find the elven kingdom. Hopefully, I can contact the elves and have a peaceful talk with them. If not, then..." There was a flash of killing intent in his eyes, but it soon vanished.

However, Brian felt that there was an invisible force manipulating him from behind the scenes. It was an instinctual feeling and it made him feel a bit worried. "Why am I feeling restless?" He muttered in confusion.

***

Another day passed by and the sun illuminated the world.

Aethelwolf whose eyes were tired and sleepy abruptly stood up. "It's finally done! I've made the Slave Rune as well as Kerrin and Alba's necklaces! I'll give the Slave Rune to Aenwyn later." He laughed lightly as he kept the Slave Rune inside his storage space.

Aenwyn was not in the mansion at the moment. Aethelwolf believed that she was still working on the trap meant for Brian.

Despite the weariness he felt, Aethelwolf was still in a good mood. He jumped down from the balcony and searched for Kerrin and Alba. He was looking forward to the transformation of the two magical beasts. They were Equuses with the King-Grade bloodline and their potential was only slightly weaker than Olivia's. If he trained them well, they would become a fearsome force in the future!

Soon, he found the two horses resting under the shade of a tall tree.

Aethelwolf didn't conceal his footsteps so Kerrin and Alba woke up from their deep sleep.

"Sir Aethelwolf!" The two magical horses greeted him respectfully. This human was strong and he was capable of speaking the language of beasts so they were full of admiration towards him.

Aethelwolf smiled gently at the two. "You two must have waited a long time for this." He showed them a pair of beautiful necklaces. One was embellished with white gems, while the other one was decorated with dark magical stones.