CHAPTER 268: THE VERDANT PROPHECY, AND ITS GUARDIAN [PART 2]

"W-What is this cute thing?!" Kara rubbed her cheek against Dim Dim’s cheek, which made Alex scratch the back of his head.

Even Latifa was taken aback when she saw that the Guardian of the Royal Family was actually the little bun—the very same childish creature who would not hesitate to poke her nose if not for the promise it made to her back then!

"Kara, why are you acting like this?" Runa said in a serious tone before taking Dim Dim away from her hand. "Time’s up. It’s my turn now!"

Runa then rubbed her cheek on Dim Dim’s cheek, making the latter giggle as it felt very ticklish.

The television Dim Dim was watching on a while ago had vanished without a trace, same for the bag of potato chips it was eating from just a while ago.

Clearly, they were things that shouldn’t exist in this world, which might be the reason why Dim Dim took them away as soon as it recognized Alex and Latifa.

While the two maids were fighting for the little bun’s attention, the young man and the fox lady explored the stone chamber, hoping to find clues about what to do next.

They already thought of the possibility that Dim Dim might be playing the part of the "Guardian" of the Verdant Royal Family, but just to make sure that they didn’t miss any clue, the two explored every nook and cranny of the stone chamber.

Unfortunately, they didn’t find anything, making them sigh in disappointment.

"It’s no use," Alex muttered as he inspected every nook and cranny of the stone chamber. "There’s nothing here but moss and dust."

Latifa sighed before frowning deeply. "Could the prophecy have been... wrong?"

"I don’t think so," Alex replied. "I think we just haven’t understood the prophecy properly. In order to clear this trial, we must defeat the Barbarian King. Finding the Verdant Throne is an optional mission.

"This means that even if we don’t find it, as long as we defeat the Barbarian King, we will meet the requirements to clear this trial."

"So, you’re saying that it is easier to just defeat the Barbarian King instead of doing the optional mission and solving the prophecy?" Latifa inquired.

"Actually, I think defeating the Barbarian King will be easier if we complete the optional mission first, then solve the prophecy," Alex answered in a serious tone. "Right now, the Defenders are barely holding the Barbarian Army back. Once the Barbarian King joins the fight, we might not have a chance to defeat him."

Latifa then glanced at their "little giggling guardian," whom the two maids were fighting over and pondered for a while.

"Since Dim Dim seems to be the Guardian, does that mean that it has the power to defeat the Barbarians?" Latifa asked.

"Well, it will be best to ask it directly," Alex shrugged as he walked towards the two maids. "Okay, girls, let me borrow Dim Dim first. I need to ask it a few questions."

Kara and Runa were about to say no, but Princess Yvraine looked at the two of them with her hands crossed over her chest.

Clearly, saying no wasn’t an option.

The two girls reluctantly handed the little bun in Alex’s hands, making Dim Dim smile faintly.

"You’re Dim Dim right?" Alex asked.

"Dim!" Dim Dim nodded.

"Are you playing the role of the Guardian right now?"

"Dim!"

"Then, do you have any fighting abilities?"

Instead of answering, Dim Dim simply reached out to its side and took out a brittle vial from its dimensional storage, which it proudly showed to Alex.

"Ahem!" Dim Dim raised its body, as if waiting for it to be praised.

Alex didn’t know if he should laugh or cry. By the looks of it, the little guardian’s fighting abilities revolved around throwing brittle vials and alchemy bombs at its enemies.

Something that Dim Dim already did in their adventures.

Latifa covered her mouth, trying not to laugh at Dim Dim’s smug expression, while Kara and Runa exchanged troubled glances.

"...That’s it?" Runa asked in disbelief. "Our Guardian throws glass bottles at enemies?"

Dim Dim puffed up its cheeks, clearly offended by the lack of appreciation for its brittle vial.

As if to give the little dwarf a demonstration, it threw the brittle vial into the air.

Before it could hit the ground, a burst of green energy caught it, suspending it mid-air.

A second later, the vial exploded, but instead of simply unleashing powdered red chili peppers and black peppers everywhere, a powerful shockwave demolished the side of the stone chamber, creating a big hole in it.

The power of the shockwave also pushed Alex, Latifa, Kara, and Runa away, making them look at the giant hole in the wall in shock.

"Ahem!" Dim Dim once again raised its body proudly before giving Runa the "do you now understand the greatness of my brittle vials?" gaze.

Runa’s eye twitched as she stared at the gaping hole Dim Dim had just casually blasted through what was supposed to be an indestructible stone chamber.

"I..." Runa opened her mouth, then closed it again. "...I apologize for my earlier comment, Guardian Dim Dim."

"Dim!" Dim Dim nodded firmly, forgiving the dwarf who thought that its brittle vials were just simple bottles.

"Good job, Dim Dim!" Alex said. "My partner is so strong!"

"Ahem!"

Latifa smiled faintly because this proved that Dim Dim was indeed the Guardian of the Verdant Royal Family and had the strength to back it up.

"Dim Dim, do you know about the prophecy of the Verdant Throne?" Latifa asked the little bun, who looked very satisfied after it was praised by Alex.

Dim Dim nodded. "Dim!"

"Then do you know where the Verdant Throne is?" Latifa asked.

Dim Dim nodded once more.

"Great! Then tell us where it is," Alex urged the little bun to tell them its location, so they could acquire it as soon as possible.

"Dim!"

Without any hesitation, Dim Dim pointed in the direction of the Verdant Throne, which made Alex, Latifa, Kara, and Runa look in the direction where it was pointing at.

The fox lady blinked once then twice because Dim Dim was pointing in her direction.

As if to make sure that the little bun was pointing at something else, Latifa stepped aside and looked behind her.

Hoping to see where Dim Dim was pointing at.

But when she stepped aside, Dim Dim’s hand moved to follow her direction.

"Dim Dim!"

"Eh? The Verdant Throne is inside Latifa?"

"Dim!"

The young lady finally confirmed that Dim Dim was indeed pointing at her, not at something behind her.

"The Verdant Throne is inside my body?" Latifa asked in confirmation.

"Dim!" Dim Dim nodded.

A pin-drop silence descended within the chamber for nearly half a minute before Latifa broke out of her daze.

"Then, how do I bring it out?" Latifa asked. "Do you know the way, Dim Dim?"

This time, Dim Dim shook its head.

It only knew that the Verdant Throne was inside Latifa. As for how to summon this power at will, it knew nothing about it.

"Let’s go outside first and reread the prophecy," Alex proposed. "Maybe the answer is there."

Latifa nodded in agreement, so they left the chamber and closed the mithril gate behind them.

After that, they once again pressed their hands on its surface, allowing the runes to rearrange themselves, making them hear the prophecy once more.