Chapter 78: Her Turn To Speak
"Your over-exaggeration makes me look like some sort of a hero, Stanis."
Tillian looked at Aideen with a hint of embarrassment in his eyes, but the princess remained immersed in the overwhelming blend of astonishment and awe. She had heard many tales of brave princes slaying strong magical creatures to save the princess they fancied, but they were nothing but mere fairytales; figments of someone’s imagination.
Here, right next to her, was not a fictional character from a made-up story; Tillian Valentine was real. He was a real hero. He was a real prince.
"But of course, you are a hero, Your Grace!" another mercenary’s voice seeped through the thick veil of the lady’s contemplations, pulling her back to the noisy reality of the dining hall. The man, whose name was Gunnar, nearly jumped from his seat, banging his palms on the table, his eyes blazing with excitement and pride.
"How many times have you slain monsters in one motion after that? Your strength, indeed, has no match in the entire Geraldion, perhaps even beyond, and I will fight anyone who dares to think otherwise!"
"I wonder if you’ll be able to win, though!"
Avir patted his comrade on the shoulder, forcefully assisting him in retaking his seat by pressing him down with his strong hand. He then turned to Stanis and decided to contribute to the common accolades a bit more.
"This is precisely why the King could not reject His Grace’s visit to the Capital and bestow the grand title of the Duke upon him! Have any of you ever heard of a case like this? Nobody from that Royal bunch of Knights had the guts to come here to defend these lands from beasts; it was always the daredevils or the mercenaries with the death wish who could barely keep the creatures in check. If you are not a hero, Your Grace, then who is?"
Stanis, too, returned to his chair, poured himself more wine, and nodded, agreeing with all the praise.