Eiden looked into her eyes, searching for any hint of fear or hesitation. He saw none, and candidly, he liked it.
He sighed, closed his eyes and smiled. DoHyun wants to rewrite her destiny and become a warrior which most consider foolish or amateurish but she's going to do it anyway.
"If you're sure about what you want to do then I'll help you out," said Eiden.
"You don't have a choice," she giggled, "if I leave you guys here you'll be beheaded"
Running his hand through his hair, he chuckled "I forgot about that".
Peach blossoms…. Eiden pondered, his mother loved that flower as well as its fruit. No wonder he thought she smelt very familiar.
"Where will you go once you've escaped?" He asked
"To the Imperial Palace" she sighed
"Huh?" He arched his brow in confusion. The imperial family owned the night bloom garden, why would she escape here just to go to their residence?
She found his expression funny, his furrowed brows and slightly parted lips, his face was literally a canvas of curiosity.
"Let me explain. You see, Jingwu and three other distant kingdoms are the remaining districts because of how the world is infected with monstrous beasts.
Every now and then, knights from our kingdom bravely explore outside the walls to keep these beasts from multiplying over humanity's population…..but each time they venture outside, half of their army are taken.
Fewer people are willing to join and fill up the space because of fear of dying and the trauma of watching their brothers get devoured"
DoHyun paused purposefully, the information might have been a bit overwhelming and Eiden looked like he needed the ones said to sink in first before she continues.
His brows creased….he recalled back to when he was saved by that strange man, he said that the weird animal that chased them was called Hexamyths….. could it be the beast that DoHyun talked about?
"Have you ever seen the beasts before?" He asked
She shook her head "I've never been outside the walls" she replied
Her response made him wonder, if she had seen the monster that chased them, would she still want to be a warrior?
"Shall I continue?" She asked and he nodded in affirmation.
"Our Emperor, Emperor Zhou, came up with a cunning solution. He has declared that whoever makes the Upper ten after trials will have their wishes granted by the goddess' wish orb"
This sudden piece of Intel caused Eiden's eyes to widen in disbelief. In his stunned silence, his mind warped around what DoHyun just said.
To get their greatest wish granted, as of now, he only had one desire….to return back to his timeline and back to his mother.
It was the perfect chance. He had been brainstorming ways to return home, this was perfect!...If he could pass their trial and make the Upper ten then he could wish that he and his friends would return home safely.
Eiden's mind had long trailed, he decided within himself that he would join also…..he had to give it to the Emperor, awarding the ten with wishes, such a cunning way to get people to sign up for their deaths.
"I'm going to wish to be a normal girl and no longer a flower maiden"
Eiden's trailed mind snapped back at the sound of her weary voice, he looked at her
"I'm going to give it my all, with the help of my ability, becoming a warrior can't be that hard" she smiled, her voice raw with hope as her only motivation.
She knew she was being selfish, she planned to wish that she would be normal without thinking of other girls and women who have to suffer the same fate as her but in reality, she's the only one who's working hard enough to be what she wants to be,
Other maidens seem comfortable with life as lowly as a Kisaeng.
"The Emperor's declaration is for all, right?, Both citizens and refugees right?" Eiden asked
She was shocked "you want to partake as well?"
He nodded, "I have a wish too, to be reunited with my mother"
DoHyun's expression softened "such a noble wish. It's possible for everyone to partake, if we get through the trials we can get our wishes granted".
With a short yawn, DoHyun stood up. She felt refreshed after speaking her true intentions to Eiden. She had no one to confide in, her Jie would always warn her about the consequences of leaving the garden
She had to keep everything a secret but now, no more. In five days, her coming of age ceremony will commence which meant that she had four days to leave her cage.
Eiden stood up as well, he would need some quiet time to strategize how life would be from now on.
They stood, facing each other…. although Eiden was taller.
DoHyun offered her hand for a shake "As a stranger in a foreign land, I Kora DoHyun, welcome you to the kingdom of Jingwu" she smiled widely
Eiden took her hand, it felt warm and somewhat comforting. Is this the hand she would use to become a warrior?
Though her determination was pure and she had no hesitation in her eyes when speaking her mind, Eiden couldn't help but feel she wouldn't be able to achieve her dream.
He would've told her but her face, that look on her face…..he wouldn't want to be the one to crush her dream.
They waved goodnight and went to their separate beddings to sleep.
Eiden laid on his back facing upwards. With a thought, his system appeared before him.
Unlike Gabbie, he was yet to do anything with his system or his special ability.
"Still level 1 huh" he sighed out.
His system suddenly beeped
[Quest__ player use special skill_2 coins, 5 points]
It startled him at first but he slowly found his composure. He analyzed the screen for some minutes before exhaling.
In a way, he felt lucky. Being a Knight or a warrior especially in the past isn't all that difficult. They are obliged to be skilled as swordsmen and quick as a fox.
His special skill just happened to be 'best swordmaster', it seemed even without training, he would be able to pull it off.
With hope, Eiden decided to try something "system logout" he whispered softly.
Nothing happened at first, causing Eiden's hope to rise from 1 to 2.3 but it all disappeared when the system made a buzzing sound with the notification [invalid command] glowing red.
So much for trying. He closed his system and slept.