A Journey That Changed The World.

The soldier nodded before standing up and pointing down one side street. ''Brew & Bites is down on River Street. Take that street, and when you see the Blacksmiths, it's just close to there.''

Leira smiled and thanked the soldier as the group started walking down the small street. While walking, someone called out to them, causing Archer to turn around and see Nala's brother, Lioran.

He approached them with his fiances Leonora and Nalika alongside Cian, Maeve, and two other girls they didn't know.

Archer grinned as he spotted the group, and Lioran approached him with a big smile to greet him. The lion boy spoke. ''Arch! Where have you been? We still haven't hung out. It seems like you're avoiding me.''

''No, I'm not. I get into trouble all the time, but now I'm free until the end of the tournaments that are coming up.'' He answered Lioran.

The blonde boy was about to talk when Cian greeted him. ''Hey Archer. The headmistress said you've already entered the tournament. Maeve and I look forward to watching you.''

That's when the orange-haired girl started speaking with a big smile. ''Yes. I've seen some of your fights from the mana crystals, but I wish to see one in person.''

Archer glanced over at the girl, surprised to see her after such a long time. Her hair was a vibrant shade of orange and had a lovely curl to it. While she had a muscular build, it wasn't entirely on the same level as Teuila or Talila.

He couldn't help but notice her voluptuous figure, emphasized by her large boobs. However, what caught his eye was the sword she had by her side, emitting a faint aura of mana.

Archer shook off his astonishment and greeted her warmly before conversing. ''Well, you can watch me in the tournaments. But I'm sure during that time I'll probably fight again.''

While he was chatting to them, Ella and the others were talking to Leonora, Nalika, and the other two girls. Once they all caught up, Archer told them they were heading to a cafe, which the Lioran and the others joined.

As the large group started walking to the cafe, Lioran pulled Archer aside and asked. ''How's Nala? I haven't seen her much.''

''Let me see if she's awake.'' He replied, getting a nod from the lion boy.

Archer sent a message to the lioness, who answered that she was ready to join them, and when he heard that, he opened a portal to the domain so Nala could step through. When she did, her brother smiled.contemporary romance

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[Lioran's POV]

Nala saw Lioran and spoke with a grin. ''Hello, big brother. I'll be back for a while.''

When the lion boy heard this, he was happy and told the couple. ''I'm glad you found someone who loves you. Just look at the way he looked at you.''

Archer looked away when hearing this and spotted the cafe they were going to. This caused Lioran to laugh, but he was generally happy, as in the Lionheart Kingdom, marriage is more for political reasons than love, as Nala found.

But he thought he received a message saying Nala's fiance was coming to the Frostwinter Festival. When he heard that, he panicked as he knew how Archer would react. He told his father, who hadn't answered for a while.

When the group entered the cafe, his father replied. [I didn't have much of a choice, son. Duke Silvermane has been pushing for this for years and has done much for the kingdom to ignore, but if Archer wants to, he can challenge the Silvermane boy who will be in Avalon on the first day of the festival]

Lioran gulped and quickly replied after sending mana into the communication device. [He will kill the boy's father. Nala loves Archer and won't accept this like our sisters. You know what she's like]

[Has she mated with the dragon?]

The young lion felt anxious as he glanced at his sister, completely smitten with Archer. She clung to his arm, her tail playfully finding its way into the back of his shirt.

Lioran sighed before providing a straightforward response. [Yes, she bears the same tattoo as the other girls. Please inform the Duke that Atlas now has a challenge when he gets here. I understand you don't want to be involved, Father, but the Courtship Battle is a tradition we can't overlook. The Silvermane family can't raise objections if Archer wins.]

[Okay. Tell the two about it when you can, and tell that playboy I want to fight him when I arrive in the empire. If he can't put up a good fight, then neither boy will marry her, and she can join the army and go on a campaign to the Wildlands]

[Yes, father. I'll do it now] Lioran replied before looking at Archer.

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[Back to Archer]

Archer found a seat, and Llyniel took the space to his left while Nala stole the right from Sera, who growled at the lioness. This caused everyone to laugh, but the dragon girl wouldn't give up and jumped on his lap.

The whole cafe went quiet, but when her ruby-red eyes narrowed at them all, causing the other customers.

Ella chopped the dragon girl on the head before warning her. ''Don't look at them like that, Seraphina. Do you think they could take a dragon staring daggers at them? No, they will feint.''

When Sera heard this, she rubbed her head, causing Archer to laugh as he wrapped his arm around her thick waist. Afterward, a waiter approached the table and took everyone's order, ranging from hot cocoa to tea and a drink similar to coffee.

But when Archer saw the list of treats he could purchase, his eyes widened, causing Ella, Llyniel, Leira, Nala, and Sera to start laughing when they saw his reaction. Once the waiter was done taking everyone else order, he asked. ''Can I get three of everything, please? Even the things that are not on the menu.''

After speaking, everyone at the large table they sat at went quiet and stared at him with wide eyes. The waiter shook his head and asked in a confused voice. ''Three of everything?''

Archer nodded. ''Yes. How much?''

The waiter started thinking and shrugged. ''I'm not sure, young master. But the manager will bring the bill.''

Nalika started laughing and commented. ''So you're a playboy, treasure seeker, bandit, and now a glutton. What's next? You're going to marry my grandmother?''

Lioran, Cian, Maeve, and Leonora started laughing before Archer commented with a chuckle. ''Not yet. I have enough girls for now. But so what if I like food? It's not like I'm going to get fat.''

As he watched Lioran's fiancées, he noticed the striking similarity between the twins. Both possessed dark brown hair and deep yellow eyes. Shifting his gaze to the two newcomers, he observed they were human.

One exhibited fair, porcelain-like skin with blonde hair and beautiful green eyes. The second had an alabaster complexion, complemented by dark blue hair and gentle light blue eyes.

They noticed Archer was looking at them and quickly introduced themselves. The brunette spoke first. ''I am Rachel Avaloch. Cian and Maeve's cousin. It's nice to meet you.''

He nodded at the girl with a smile before the blonde introduced herself. ''I'm Cassie Bromwich. Cian's fiance.''

Archer smiled, and Ella introduced them. ''I'm Ella Wyldheart; the little redhead is Sera Wyldheart.''

As those words left her mouth, a piece of bread flew at her, and the half-elf dodged it with a grin as the dragon girl snapped. ''Stop calling me little, you cheeky elf! You're only a little bit bigger than me!''

Everyone laughed at her outburst, but Ella continued. ''The cat girl is Leira Avalon, the empire's third princess.''

She pointed at the last two girls. ''This is Halime Nagendra. A princess from the Nagendra Kingdom on the southern body and the elf is Llyniel Oakheart. Another princess but from the Oakheart kingdom in the north.''

The four girls greeted Archer and started chatting before Lioran leaned over with a nervous look. ''Arch, can we talk in private, please? And bring Nala.''

Archer grabbed Nala and took her to the empty table Lionran was sitting at. When the couple sat down, he started speaking to the lion girl. ''Do you remember Atlas Silvermane, sister?''

Nala's blue eyes narrowed as she remembered the nobles in the Lionheart kingdom and the old Duke and his family who were bugging her to marry their young master before she left for the College of Magic.

As the realization dawned upon her, she inquired urgently, "What's the matter, Lio? If they're causing trouble for Father, let him know that I'm already engaged."

Lioran heaved a sigh, a weight clear in his voice as he revealed, "Father has arranged a union between you and Atlas. The Silvermane boy is arriving for the Frostwinter Festival."

The lion boy's words hung in the air, stopped by a dreadful atmosphere that suddenly enveloped the cafe. A chilling aura swept through, freezing everyone as if a ravenous, ancient beast was watching them.

[If there are any mistakes, point them out, and I'll edit it. Thanks]

done.co