Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 77: The Great White Bear

Chapter 77: The Great White Bear

The unexpected greeting sent a shiver down the princess’s spine, a mix of strange emotions swirling within her. It wasn’t just the welcoming tone to the evening banquet that had such a bizarre effect on her, but also the name that slipped from the lips of the men—Aideen Valentine.

’It doesn’t sound bad...’

With a flustered smile adorning her pink lips, Aideen nodded graciously at the guests, reciprocating the greeting.

"Good evening, dear guests. I am genuinely delighted to meet those who hold such significance for His Grace. I look forward to getting acquainted with each of you and sincerely hope that this evening will be filled with joy for all."

"Now that our previously dull male company is graced by your presence, My Lady, this dinner promises to be more enjoyable than we could have ever imagined!"

One of the mercenaries, a tall and robust man with tanned skin and long, messy, curly brown hair, nudged his companion on the side. The latter only offered a warning look to his comrade and shook his head in unconcealed disappointment.

As both the hosts of this intimate gathering and their guests settled into their seats behind the dining table, Sir Stanis savored the remnants of red wine in his tall silver goblet. He then beckoned the return of the lively conversation that Aideen’s entrance had momentarily interrupted.

"You’ve arrived at a particularly interesting moment, Your Highness! We were just recounting the tale of how His Grace Duke Tillian slew the great white bear at the tender age of twelve!"

"Oh?"

The princess arched her eyebrows, her eyes beaming with a bright blend of curiosity and astonishment.

Avir, whose new haircut indeed turned rather unflattering, leaned over the table, stretching his lips into a proud grin, and nodded in agreement with the knight’s statement.

"This story is a never-ending legend among the mercenaries in the Black Flame Guild! Isn’t this how His Grace earned his noble title at the age of twelve in the first place?"

’He ’earned’ his title? I thought he had the right to it by birth; after all, he is a prince.’

Aideen slid her thumb over the smooth surface of the silver fork, attempting to recall all her memories of Duke Valentine. However, she couldn’t recollect anything related to either him earning the title from the King or slaying the bear beast.

Noticing the princess’s lost expression, Stanis released a brief chuckle, cleared his throat, and hastened to explain,

"It appears Her Highness is not aware of the tale of that great adventure. Well, I never tire of retelling this story, so allow me to begin. It was thirteen years ago, and I remember it as if it happened yesterday. His Grace accompanied me on my patrolling routes ever since he turned eight years old. Despite his somewhat arrogant demeanor, I couldn’t resist his persistent pleas to join me, as he had already proven to be a remarkably strong and skillful fighter with a strong grip on his sword."

The knight shot his lord a proud glance, then scoffed lightly before resuming his tale,

"So, there we were, in the middle of the eastern passage next to the Dragon Mountain that separates The North from the Kingdom of Utar. The rest of the survey team scattered around to search for monsters that had strayed from their territory, leaving the two of us alone. The land seemed quiet, and we were ready to depart when suddenly, out of nowhere, we heard this horrible, deafening roar that even made the ground beneath our feet shake."

Both the enchanted expression on the curious lady’s face and the childishly astonished looks on the mercenaries fueled Stanis’s storytelling talent even more. Consequently, his calm tone transformed into a more dramatic one. Rising to his feet, he continued, infusing more emotion into his narration as if he were performing on a stage.

"Startled, we both turned around, and there it was—huge, almost as tall as a mountain behind us, stood the great white bear beast. Despite my time spent living in The North, I had never encountered it before. Nevertheless, I recognized it right away. How could I not? Its thick white fur shone brightly, as if dusted with tiny sparkles of stardust. Its paws were massive, causing the ground to shudder like an earthquake with each step towards us. Its claws and fangs resembled sharp sabers, and I could swear they were dripping with a mysterious blue venom!"

Stanis redirected his excited gaze to the Duke, but Tillian merely dismissed his overhyped description of the beast with a careless gesture of his right hand and clarified,

"There was no venom, Stanis; his saliva had a blue tint because of the smaller beasts it ate before encountering us. It was their blood."

"Oh my..."

Aideen covered her mouth with both hands, widening her eyes in fear, which only encouraged the knight to continue his story.

"Anyway! Venom or blood, the creature was truly menacing, and it didn’t even give us time to think about our options. The moment the bear noticed us, it charged at the young Duke, running with such speed that for a moment, I thought His Grace was about to be struck by a bolt of lightning!"

The man stood behind Tillian, placing his hand on top of his shoulder and grinning widely.

"But this young man did not get scared. He drew his individually crafted black sword and pointed it at the bear, ready to defend his life. It took the beast a mere second to cover the boy with its entire body. I rushed to help but had to stop midway as what I saw next paralyzed me right away."

He paused again, clearly for a dramatic effect, which worked on Aideen like a charm. Arching her eyebrows, utterly charmed by the intrigue of the story, she turned to face the knight and asked, unable to contain her curiosity,

"What? What did you see, Sir Stanis?"

"Blood! Dark, almost black blood flowed like a river from underneath the colossal beast! I was scared to death. I thought His Grace met his end right there, but I was completely wrong. The blood I saw was not human; it was the blood of the bear! It finally dawned on me –– when the creature pounced on the boy, he, without a second thought, in one swift and precise motion, ran his black blade through the bear’s stomach, killing it on the spot. It was the power and skill I had never witnessed before but it was before me. It was the true power of the last Valentine!"