A small white boat floated in a narrow waterway hidden deep within the park. The waterway, concealed behind dense shrubbery, would have been easy to miss had they not looked closely. Siegfried peered through the thick foliage, trying to see where the channel led.
It appeared to wind deep into the lush, densely wooded areas of Dunne Royal Conservatory. Unsure what to do, Siegfried debated whether to wake Chang Long for her input or to row around the lake again to check if there were other hidden channels. He decided to wait until she woke up to discuss their next steps.
As he pondered, Chang Long stirred. She blinked slowly before opening her eyes, the first thing she saw being Siegfried's face, smiling shyly back at her. His face was so close that Chang Long froze, wide-eyed with surprise. Her shock grew when she realized she had been lying snugly against his broad chest.
"Sorry!"
Chang Long quickly pushed herself up and sat straight, her face flushed crimson as she apologized.
"It's fine. No need to apologize, Chang Long. I didn't mind,"
Siegfried replied softly. It was the first ti he had seen her so flustered, her face glowing red. The sight only made him feel even more nervous and awkward.
"Uh, so… have you found anything interesting?"
Chang Long asked after an awkward pause. She pretended to examine the lake around them with interest, avoiding Siegfried's gaze.
"I spotted a waterway over there. I was thinking about exploring it. What do you say, should we check it out?"
Siegfried asked, trying to regain a sense of normalcy.
"Sure,"
Chang Long answered curtly. Siegfried rowed the boat toward the waterway, stopping by the nearby shore. They tied the boat securely before climbing onto land, as the water was too shallow for the boat to pass through.
The two made their way through the thick shrubs to reach the narrow channel. It was about a ter wide, with clear, shallow water that revealed a bed of pristine white sand and gravel. They followed the stream quietly, walking side by side. Chang Long found it increasingly difficult to et Siegfried's gaze.
She had felt her heart race in his presence with only just the two of them before, but it had always cald quickly. This ti, though, was different. No matter how hard she tried to steady herself, the reprieve was temporary. The re sight of Siegfried's profile or the sound of his voice sent her heart into a chaotic rhythm everyti.
"The path widens here,"
Siegfried said, breaking the long silence as they had walked for over an hour. Chang Long nodded silently. Ahead of them, the channel opened into a marsh filled with lotus leaves and a riot of colorful blossoms in full bloom. On one of the leaves lay a single white feather. Curious to see if it belonged to a white swan, Chang Long stepped into the water to retrieve it.
"Well, well, visitors to our little marsh."
A small voice greeted them from a nearby lotus leaf.
Startled, Chang Long turned to see who had spoken. She had not expected anyone else in the park aside from herself and Siegfried, who had been granted special permission for the quest. Her eyes landed on the source of the voice, and she froze in shock.
"Chang Long, are you alright?"
Siegfried asked worriedly when he noticed her frozen in silence.
"Oh, it's you, our lovely darling from before."
A cheerful voice called out, clearly delighted to have recognized Chang Long. The speaker then turned to alert its companions hiding beneath the water. Monts later, more voices erged as several figures surfaced from the marsh, startling Chang Long so much that she leapt onto Siegfried's back, clinging tightly to him.
"C... Chang Long! What's wrong?"
Siegfried asked, alard by her uncharacteristic behavior.
"My beloved. It really is you. I never thought we'd et again here."
Another voice exclaid excitedly. Siegfried turned toward it and was greeted by the sight of a small frog wearing a golden crown and a red velvet cape.
"It's really her. Oh, beloved, have you finally decided to help us break our curse?"
"What are you even talking about? Why are you beasts dressed like that? And why can you talk?"
Siegfried demanded, his tone sharp. Five frog princes turned to look at him in unison after pretending they had not seen him for so long.
"Beasts? How dare you. We are princes cursed to beco frogs!"
The first frog prince exclaid indignantly, eyeing Siegfried indignantly because of the proximity between the young man and its lovely darling."
"That's right. Insolent man, release our beloved at once." The second frog prince croaked, glaring at Siegfried with a shrill voice.
"Indeed. Don't you dare lay a hand on our beloved. Fear not, dear one; we shall band together to free you from this ugly brute."
The third frog prince joined in, pointing accusingly at Siegfried. Their mocking tones caused Siegfried's eyebrow to twitch.
"Alright, everyone, let's combine our strength to save our beloved from this ugly villain."
The fourth frog prince rallied his companions, for their size was much smaller than the enemy before them. Without combining their strength, victory would be difficult.
"Yeahh."
While the four frog princes were roused, filled with courage, and ready to fight to the death to save their beloved from Siegfried's grasp, the fifth frog prince let out a lackluster cheer that imdiately deflated the morale of his eager companions.
"You fool!"
The first four frogs chorused angrily, turning on the fifth prince who did not understand what had he done wrong. He agreed with them.
"Shut up, you."
"You're such a mood killer."
"Everyone was fired up, and you just had to kill the vibe!"
"I told you not to chi in. Now we've got to build up our montum all over again!"
As the four frog princes berated their companion who rolled his eyes in frustration, Siegfried's patience finally snapped. The young man, now fuming after being repeatedly insulted as ugly, let his murderous intent radiate outward. Freezing the frog princes in their tracks with dread. Even Chang Long, who was holding Siegfried's neck tightly, shuddered in alarm.
"Who are you calling ugly…"
Siegfried's voice was icy, his words sending shivers of fear down the spines of the frogs. Trembling, the five frogs turned their eyes toward him, all traces of their earlier arrogance vanished. They threw themselves flat on the lotus leaves, crying out for rcy so loudly that Siegfried nearly laughed despite himself.
Soon enough, Siegfried realized the frogs were far more irritating than they were at first. They followed him incessantly, showering him with endless praise. This persistence kept Chang Long firmly on his back, burying her face against him in mortified silence.
"Boss, where are you headed? Let us guide you."
The first frog prince offered, hopping onto a lotus leaf in pursuit.
"Indeed. A man among n like you—wherever you wish to go in this park, say the word, and we'll lead you there."
The second frog prince spoke with a serious tone, his eyes sparkling as he stared at Siegfried, who was suppressing his growing irritation.
"You guys should just leave. Where I'm going is none of your business,"
Siegfried said, annoyed by the frog princes' relentless pursuit.
"Oh, co on, boss. Let us help you. It seems like you're searching for sothing. Tell us—we know every animal and every place in this park."
The third frog prince declared proudly.
"Every animal, huh?"
Chang Long, montarily forgetting her fear and dislike of frogs, raised her head with interest.
"Oh, beloved. You're speaking to us?"
The first frog prince exclaid with joy, echoed by the other four.
"What? Who are you calling beloved!"
A shrill voice rang out from behind them, making the first frog prince jump in alarm. He turned to see another frog, standing with its hands on its hips atop a lotus leaf not far away.
"Who's that now? The sixth frog prince?" Siegfried asked, confused.
The other frog princes fell silent, their gazes shifting nervously between the newcor and the first frog prince, who hesitantly addressed the frog with a timid voice.
"D… dear wife…"
"What?"
Chang Long and Siegfried exclaid in unison, astonished.
"Well, as you can see, he's got a wife to keep him in check. Without her, we wouldn't have been able to enter Dunne Royal Conservatory in the first place,"
the fourth frog prince explained with a resigned sigh, looking sowhat sympathetic toward his brother.
Chang Long and Siegfried watched the first frog prince slink back to his frog wife with a mix of pity and amusent. Seeing him stand ekly as his wife berated him incessantly nearly made them burst out laughing.
"Anyway, you guys said you know all the animals in Dunne Royal Conservatory, right? So, do you know where the white and black swans are?"
Siegfried asked, turning his attention back to the remaining frog princes. They grinned confidently before answering.
"At the central lake, of course."
Chang Long and Siegfried gaped at them, dumbfounded. Siegfried sighed in frustration and began walking away, deciding not to waste any more ti with the frogs.
"Wait, boss. We know the swans aren't at the central lake anymore. Everyone's been searching for them, but no one's found them. We don't know where they are right now. But we do know one thing," the second frog prince called out urgently, stopping Siegfried in his tracks. He turned back with a piercing glare, silently warning them that another misstep would be their last.
"Well, in the evenings, just before sunset, the swans sing. Their songs co from two different directions, as if they're calling out to each other. The singing lasts for almost three hours before it fades. If you want to find them, you'd have to follow the sound of their song,"
The fourth frog prince explained seriously.
After hearing their advice, Siegfried quickly bid farewell to the frog princes, praising them as noble protectors of the marsh and lotus blossoms. The frogs swelled with pride at the complint. Siegfried chuckled softly at their enthusiastic promises to guard the marsh until his return.
It was said that the swan pair raised by Queen Anna in Dunne Royal Conservatory symbolized the love between her and King Duck. Every day, Queen Anna would watch them swim together in the central lake, listening to their duet of love songs. Sotis, she would row a boat out onto the lake with them.
One day, however, the swans failed to appear at the central lake. They had vanished mysteriously. Despite search efforts, no trace of them was found. The strict rules of Dunne Royal Conservatory—where every living being had to enter in pairs and stay together—made the search especially challenging. The deeper one ventured into the park, the more confusing and maze-like the paths beca, with dense trees forming an almost impenetrable jungle. Getting lost was all too easy.
"Hey, Siegfried, why are you walking so confidently? Aren't you afraid of getting lost?"
Chang Long asked as they moved on from the frog princes' marsh. She had finally decided to walk on her own, and the two continued forward as if they already knew their destination.
"If we go much deeper, I can't guarantee we won't get lost. Right now, I'm just looking for direction signs and the main stone-paved path,"
Siegfried replied, addressing her curiosity.
"Oh, right. This is a royal conservatory, not a forest,"
Chang Long said, realizing her mistake. Siegfried smiled, then doubled back to walk beside her as she scanned the surroundings for paths or signs.
"By the way, Chang Long, I've been aning to ask—don't you need to wear the Reaper King set anymore?" Siegfried could not help but ask, noticing her elaborate outfit. While reminiscent of the frog king's attire, hers was white and black. Chang Long seed taken aback by the question. Looking down at herself, she realized she had not changed her outfit mode since leaving the Land of the Dead.
"Oh, that's true. Wait, let see how many modes this outfit has."
Chang Long opened the outfit status nu to check the available modes for her Reaper King set.
Chang Long's outfit modes were divided into several categories, each tailored to different scenarios. The King Mode activated automatically when she was in the Land of the Dead, showcasing a regal ensemble complete with a luxurious cape and crown. The Combat Mode removed the ornate cape and crown, replacing them with a sleeker design that enhanced mobility and was suitable for all forms of movent. The Stealth Mode transford the luxurious velvet cape into a black hooded cloak, concealing the wearer's face and attire. This mode also allowed the user to hide their na and level from other players. Lastly, the Freestyle Mode enabled players to customize their outfits within the restrictions of the Reaper King profession, with all clothing being limited to shades of white, black, and silver. This mode allowed players to wear event-exclusive.
"This is amazing. I should've switched modes ages ago. I've been wearing that silly king outfit for way too long,"
Chang Long muttered to herself as she navigated the outfit nu. She selected Combat Mode, which gave her newfound freedom of motion.
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Read 'Adventure World Online (AWO)' before anyone else with more chapters at sjinovel/en
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