The Invincible Young Master

Bronn's eyes widened in surprise, his mouth forming a big O-shape.

The sight of his huge figure frozen in shock was almost comical, especially given how intimidating he usually seemed. But then, as if a switch had been flipped, his expression changed to one of pure delight.

"Well, why didn't you say so earlier? That's great news, Sparky!" Bronn boomed, his wide grin stretching from ear to ear.

Spark struggled to suppress his laughter, especially as Amelia stood beside him, nodding along with a straight face despite the absurdity of the situation.

The entire scene was so surreal that he almost wanted to let the joke continue indefinitely, just to see how far it would go.

"What did you mean when you said he is your boss?" Amelia suddenly asked, her eyes narrowing as she glanced between the two.

"He's the strongest out of all of us!" Bronn beamed with pride, puffing out his chest. "That's why Sparky is the boss."

"Strongest?" Amelia echoed, shaking her head slightly.

The memory of Spark's boast in the cave resurfaced in her mind—how he had claimed to be strongest, even as they faced the unknown dangers of that abyssal place.

Did he coax this barbarian the same way he had managed to handle the chaos? She wondered.

Before she could ponder further, Bronn turned his attention to Spark, a confused expression crossing his face. "Hey, Sparky, why can't I sense any aura from you? Did you not eat anything?"

Amelia sighed, rubbing her temples as Bronn continued to barrage Spark with questions.

She glanced at Spark, half-expecting him to answer with one of his usual cryptic or evasive replies. But Spark just stood in silence, clearly exhausted by Bronn's relentless curiosity.

As Bronn continued to press Spark with question after question, Amelia suddenly felt a shift in the air—a wave of energy was heading their way, rapidly closing in on their location.

Her eyes flicked to the horizon, where several tiny figures dotted the sky, gradually growing larger as they drew closer.

Soon, the newcomers landed near the icy crater. Amelia could see that they were a group of powerful barbarian warriors, their presence commanding and their gazes sharp as they surveyed the battlefield.

"Your Highness, please don't charge in alone next time," a worried voice called out, belonging to an older barbarian who stepped forward, his concern clear.

"You guys are just slow," Bronn replied casually, shrugging off the concern.

The elderly barbarian hesitated, clearly wanting to correct Bronn but unsure how to do so without offending him. "Well… Your Highness, you were just too fast, not that we were slow."

The elder's gaze then shifted to Amelia, his eyes narrowing as he took in her presence. The overwhelming energy and chilling aura she emitted were impossible to ignore.

"Are you the one who froze this place?" he asked, his tone rough and direct.

"Hey, watch your tone," Bronn cautioned the elder, his voice firm. "She's the one who took down the giant."

The barbarians exchanged surprised glances, their expressions a mix of disbelief and awe.

The idea that a seemingly delicate woman like Amelia could have single-handedly defeated such a terrifying creature was hard for them to grasp.

The elderly barbarian was the first to regain his composure. His tone was more respectful this time as he asked, "Did you find anything on the giant?"

Amelia remained silent, her expression unreadable. She didn't feel the need to answer, especially to a group that had arrived late to the battle.

Sensing her reluctance, the elder quickly added, "We only wish to see it. No harm will come to it, we promise."

After a moment of hesitation, Amelia retrieved the orb she had found on the giant and handed it over to the elder.

The barbarians gathered around to examine the orb, their eyes widening in astonishment. Murmurs of shock rippled through the group.

"This… This is incredible," one of the barbarians muttered, barely able to tear his gaze away from the orb.

The dense concentration of energy within the orb, combined with its rare material, made it an invaluable treasure.

A gleam of greed flickered in their eyes, but it was quickly extinguished by Bronn's next words.

"Just so you know," Bronn said, his tone casual but with a clear warning, "She is Sparky's mate."

"Sparky?" the barbarians echoed in unison, their confusion obvious. "Your Highness means that Lord Spark from the academy?"

"Oh, you've never seen him in person, have you?" Bronn asked, pointing toward Spark. "That's him."

The barbarians followed Bronn's finger, their eyes landing on Spark, who stood calmly beside Amelia.

His golden hair glinted in the light, and his green eyes held a cool, indifferent look—a sharp contrast to the nervous energy crackling among the newcomers.

The elderly barbarian quickly stepped forward, bowing his head slightly in a gesture of respect. "Lord Spark, we welcome you to Grimhold."

The other barbarians followed suit, bowing their heads and greeting him with deference. "His Highness has told us much about you, Lord Spark."

"Oh, he did?" Spark replied, his tone light, though he could barely contain his amusement at the way things were unfolding.

Amelia, watching the barbarians' reactions, couldn't help but feel a flicker of confusion.

Was there more to Spark's background than she had initially thought? The way they treated him with such reverence made her wonder.

The elderly barbarian, remembering his earlier inquiry, quickly turned back to Amelia.

His tone had completely shifted to one of respect as he handed the orb back to her. "We didn't realize you were Lord Spark's mate. Please forgive our earlier conduct."

Amelia nodded as she took the orb, not making a big deal out of the gesture. The earlier tension had dissipated, and she wasn't one to hold a grudge over minor offenses.

Still, she couldn't shake the growing curiosity about Spark's true identity.

Beside her, Spark was barely holding back his laughter, his lips twitching as he tried to keep a straight face. The entire situation was so far from what he had expected when he first arrived here.

But for now, he maintained his composed expression, letting the charade continue just a bit longer, all while secretly enjoying Amelia's bewildered glances.

As the survivors barbarians approached, their faces showed the toll of exhaustion and slight fear.

They began recounting the events to the elderly barbarian and his group, their voices steady despite the fatigue.

They didn't leave out a single detail, describing the fierce battle, the emergence of the giant, and how Amelia had ultimately taken it down.

The elderly barbarian listened closely, nodding now and then, his sharp eyes flicking between Spark and Amelia.

When they were retelling the story to the elderly barbarian, Spark finally Spoke, his tone casual but tinged with curiosity. "What are you doing here in Grimhold, Bronn? Shouldn't you be at the academy?"

Bronn straightened up, his massive form towering over everyone else. "I got a message from my father about a ruin appearing in Grimhold. He said I had to return quickly."

Spark raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What kind of ruin would need someone like you to handle it?"

Bronn scratched his head, looking momentarily puzzled. "Not sure, but my father mentioned it could be a greater ruin."

Amelia, who had been quietly listening, perked up at the mention of a greater ruin.

"A greater ruin?" she repeated, clearly interested.

Bronn nodded, still a bit confused by her sudden interest. "Yeah, that's what he said. But we don't know for sure yet. That's why we're heading there—to see if it's actually a great ruin."

In a place as vast as Grimhold, ruins could go unnoticed for weeks, even months, because of the dense forests and dangerous terrain.

If it truly was a great ruin, the opportunities it might hold were immense.

"Has anyone occupied the ruin yet?" she asked, her tone more urgent.

Bronn shrugged his broad shoulders. "No idea. That's what we're trying to find out."

As their conversation continued, the interrogation on the other side had come to an end.

The elderly barbarian, having gathered all the necessary information, approached Bronn and whispered something into his ear.

Bronn listened carefully before turning to the survivors who had just shared their story.

"You all can go to my Thunderfang Tribe and settle there," Bronn offered, his voice warm and reassuring. But the survivors hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances with each other.

Noticing their hesitation, Bronn added with a confident grin, "Don't worry. Just tell them I sent you. You'll be accepted."

The survivors seemed somewhat reassured by this, but the hesitation still lingered.

Life in Grimhold was harsh, with barbarians living in separate tribes, constantly struggling for survival.

They weren't united, often fighting each other for resources. Only the strongest survive in this brutal environment.

But when a crisis threatened all of Grimhold, they would unite, setting aside their differences to face the threat together. This was a strange practice of theirs.