An hour after the generals of the Ichi Army set of to Gilam, the Cross Heart Adventurers had docked their ship on the outskirts of Ruksha. The crew stepped out of their ship, clad in their dessert robes.
"How long will it take us to get to Gilam?" Paolo asked as the rest of his crew brought our bags and wagons of lunch boxes.
"Half a day tops," Luna said, unrolling her map. "Right now, we're in Ruksha the last town on the island and the closest to Gilam, the capital city. It's known to be one of the flourishing towns because of how close it is to the capital."
"I'm already hot," Octavius mumbled.
Luna ruffled his hair. "It'll be okay, Shinzo will take care of you if it's too hot."
Shinzo nodded, pointing at one red wagon out of three that wasn't empty. "I'll use this to pull you if you get too hot."
Aziz adjusted his sister's headscarf. "Cover your face well, we don't want people recognizing you. It'll cause an uproar."
Once they unloaded everything, they walked towards the small town of Ruksha in the distance. The town known to flourish was a sight to say the least. Unlike its name, it simply withered into obscenity.
Aziz frowned at the dilapidated buildings, people seated on the hot ground and the overall gloomy nature of the town.
"This place is a mess," Anisa mumbled.
A woman in a tattered Kaftan knelt at the prince's foot, rubbing it. "P-please, some food."
He looked at Aline and she nodded. "I probably packed too much. There should be enough to share."
She moved to one of the wagons piled with about twelve lunch boxes wrapped in cloth and handed one to the woman.
Tear spilled from her eyes. "Thank you, thank you so much."
"What happened here?" Aziz asked.
"Ever since the prime minister got elected, we have been economizing our food. He always holds parties, so the food goes to serving his guests."
"The first half of the island seemed pretty okay," Aline said.
The woman sniffled. "Because we're the closest to Gilam, we get more of the abuse."
"Can't you report to the king?" Shinzo asked.
She shook her head vigorously. "We would get killed if we tried. Gilam has the only adventurer's guild who are totally loyal to the minister on the island and every messenger bird that leaves the town goes through them." She clutched the hem of her kaftan. "People are starting to doubt the king's love for his country since he does nothing and stays in his castle all day." She looked at Aziz with tears in her eyes. "But I believe in the royal family of Alba who made us the prosperous nation we are today."
Aziz couldn't stop staring at the woman with her smile, bile rising to his throat. She bowed to thank them once more before disappearing into the town. Aziz clenched his fists. "I'm the worst. My people have been suffering, but I had been sheltered in the castle on Musk Island."
"Brother," Anisa mumbled, placing her hand on his back.
His shoulder shook as sobs escaped his lips. "I thought Alba was fine. I didn't think to check if things were actually okay. I'm the heir to the throne, but I can't even see when my people are suffering. I always saw the government as pure and blameless…I never thought they'd do something like this."
Paolo stood in front of the prince. "So your highness, what do you want to do?" he asked. "Do you want to let the evil Alba government to continue their tyranny or let the Ichi Army kill them and take over?"
Aline glared at Paolo. "How can you even suggest that to the prince?"
"If he doesn't make a choice, we're dropping this quest." The eyes of the crew widened, Aline opening her mouth to speak again, but Shinzo raised his hand so that Paolo could continue talking. "As a leader of my crew, I'm willing to drop my way forward if it means my crew members make it out alive. Indecisiveness and a shaky conviction are going to lead to our deaths. I'm a hundred percent sure."
"The captain is right," Shinzo said. "We need to clearly hear what he wants to do. If he can back it up with his conviction, then we'll happily continue."
"I don't want you to have any misconceptions about my personality. I'm not a good person," Paolo said. "I don't help or befriend people with no clear paths. If you can't see the future of your kingdom, how would you expect me to risk my life and my dream on it?"
"The prince is trying his best," Luna said.
"His best isn't going to be good enough," Paolo snapped. Luna moved back at her captain's harshness, the tone not one she was used to. "Aziz don't decide as someone who will soon take the throne. Take this decision as someone who is already a king."
Tears filled Aziz's eyes, the prince clenching down hard on his bottom lips. "For the future of Alba, I want to take down the Ichi Army as well as the minister who causes pain to my people. As the king of Alba, I will make sure my people remain smiling." He cleaned his tears, voice coming out strained. "And with the help of the Cross Heart Adventurers, I'll bring peace to Alba."
Paolo grinned. "Nicely said your highness."