After Robert led them over ten kilometers eastward, he stopped.

"I'm tired," Robert muttered.

"What?" Grant, following close behind him asked as if he heard wrong.

"I'm tired. I want to go back. The trail is too far." Robert replied.

There was a nerve visible on Grant's forehead as he was about to lash out on the lazy detective. Before he could do so, Braum stepped in.

"Please, Detective Robert. We need your help. Finding this missing elf...it may impact the lives of our kingdom and our king." Braum said.

Robert smiled. " Why should I care? Really though?" He said arrogantly.

In the blink of an eye, Grant closed the two-meter distance between him and Robert and had a dagger on Robert's neck.

"We can have you executed under the pretense of insubordination and treason against the King. I am the head of the intelligence department and constitutionally, I have a right to uphold justice against you right now without any judicial proceedings or the approval of the King. Now, are you sure you want to back out of this?" Grant said with a cold voice and an equally chilling face.

Robert still had a poker face plastered but one could see drips of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"That's enough," Braum said again calmly.

"Former general Braum..." Grant said while looking back.

Braum took a step forward and grabbed Grant's arm to lower it. Braum then put his mouth near Grant's ear. "Listen. The king doesn't like you either. Who kidnapped those elves when your agents saw them for the first time?" He whispered.

"That's for security reasons..." Grant replied.

"Doesn't matter. The King doesn't see it that way. To him, you put a sword on the neck of a potential ally. The King is still a bit naive and soft right now I understand but he is still the King so you should do your best not to anger him any further. Let me deal with Robert." Braum whispered.

"Got your little dog under control?" Robert said with a mocking smile.

Grant sharpened his gaze and exuded pressure with his magic for a brief second but then walked away. Robert felt that pressure and had a flash of a terrified face but after it was gone, his face turned back to normal.

"Detective Robert, how about this; We will go back now but early tomorrow, you'll be ready to head out again. This time, we'll have a team of soldiers accompanying you as with servants that will serve you as many drinks as you want. I will personally ask the King for some wine from the castle's cellar. How about that?" Braum said while smiling.

Robert's face lit up. "Deal. If you just said that in the first place I would've continued. That dog of yours was being rude. Let's head back for now then. I swear I will see to it we would find the missing elf tomorrow." He replied.

Braum's smile twitched a bit. 'He's not an infamous detective for nothing' Braum thought.

--

"Your Majesty, may I ask what is that....clothing you are wearing?" A dignified grey-haired man in sophisticated Vathrian clothing said to King Adrian.

"It's called a suit, Blake. Do you want one?" King Adrian replied.

"Your Majesty...usually I would politely decline but this....suit....it's magnificent," Blake replied.

"I'll get you one. Don't worry, this clothing will be a staple of Vathria from now on and you'll be one of the first to wear it." King Adrian replied while smiling.

"My biggest gratitude, Your Majesty....now, shall we start?" Blake said and motioned the King to enter the room in the castle.

Blake Doug was the royal stylist. He was the man royalties would go to if they want to cut their hair, apply skin care, grooming, and other forms of self-care. The Doug family had been the royal stylist for the royal family going back generations. Blake was also the royal stylist for the previous King and all the Princes and Princesses. However, Blake's favorite client had always been the young prince Adrian as he was the easiest person to talk to out of the others. Talking to Adrian for Blake was like talking with his own child rather than a member of the royal family. Blake was also the person King Adrian was most close to as Adrian always cared deeply for his appearance so he visited Blake's workshop quite often.

King Adrian entered the room and underwent various treatments from head to toe in order to be the best version of himself.

"Your Majesty...the usual haircut?" Blake asked.

King Adrian's current hair was black and up to his shoulder. It had been a while since his last haircut as everyone in the kingdom was busy with the war against the evil forces. In the last few months, King Adrian was also too busy with the re-development of Vathria in this new world so he wasn't able to visit Blake. King Adrian had finally finished laying the groundwork to be done by the department heads so now he had some down time where he can take care of himself.

"Hmm...No. Give me a side-parted sleek gentleman look this time. I'll let you fill in the blanks since you know my hair so well." King Adrian said while sitting in front of a large mirror.

"As you wish. I think the hair will look fabulous with this...suit." Blake was standing still for a while admiring the suit he was seeing in the mirror.

King Adrian giggled at the sight. "Don't worry, Blake. I'll send Morgan Randolph here to get your measurements and make you a suit. Can you do sign language?" King Adrian asked.

"Unfortunately, no, Your Majesty. He is from the Randolph family of designers? The mute one? I see. I have one servant who can use sign language so I'll have him translate what I want to him." Blake replied.

"I see. That's good." King Adrian responded.

The haircut went on for a while with the two of them sharing conversations like a friend would. King Adrian's hair was being shortened and one could feel a brand new regal feeling from this new haircut.

"Your Majesty...The development of the new city has been great so far. What are you planning next?" Blake asked while cutting King Adrian's hair.

"I am planning a major announcement event in three days where I will be announcing our next step as a nation. The infrastructure is not there yet but I must let the citizen know of our next plans. It'll be mostly about the re-starting of the local economy." King Adrian answered.

"But knowing Your Majesty...this next step we'll be taking won't be something usual wouldn't it?" Blake stopped cutting the hair and looked at the mirror while smiling.

"You know me so well, Blake. How's your husband, by the way?" King Adrian asked.

"He's doing fine. He wants to open his own restaurant in this new world. You know how he always wants to be a chef when he was in the military." Blake replied.

"That's great. My next step planned will make him happy then." King Adrian responded.

The haircut went on for quite a while. By the end of it, King Adrian's shortened, side-parted hair made him looked like a bona fide gentleman. If it weren't for the crown he was required to always wear, one would just think of him as a foreign noble with his foreign-looking clothing named 'suit'.

"Thank you again, Blake. I'll send Morgan here as I promised and I'll drop by again soon." King Adrian did not just shake Blake's hand but rather hugged him deeply.

"You're welcome, Your Majesty. I'll be looking forward to those things." Blake replied with a bright smile.

The King then left the room and an escort of royal knights and servants followed him through the castle's hall.

"Your Majesty...Mister Grant Holmes wanted to let you know that they are planning to have the elven rescue mission tomorrow morning with the help of Detective Robert Bedford. The elven side will be joining them as well." One servant walked up next to King Adrian and whispered to the King while walking.

"I see..." King Adrian gave a brief reply and walked even faster than the whole group, leaving them behind. The knights and servants were surprised but then hastened their pace to catch up with the King.

King Adrian's face was full of conflicted feelings and anxiousness. But with his new suit and haircut, there was newfound confidence he didn't have before. Within his exterior nervousness, a slight hint of conviction could be found.