Congratulations on completing the quest!
Reward: 3 x seraphic stones
Rune-Crafting level 0 -> Rune-Crafting level 1
I fiddled with the dark stone in my hand, feeling its weight as the rough surface pressed into my fingers.
"Fritz!" I called out, my voice echoing through the damp canal. A small candlelight flickered to life in the distance, casting long shadows on the slick walls.
Above, droplets of water continued to drip down, merging with the steadily growing stream that wound through the centre of the canal. The horrid stench had faded, replaced by the overpowering scent of humidity that clung to everything. The candlelight grew closer, eventually illuminating Fritz's figure as he stood before me and the prince.
"Yeah?" Fritz muttered, his gaze still fixed on the walls behind me as if searching for some hidden message in the grime and decay.
"Do you know how runes work?" I asked, holding out the Seraphic Stone. "What can I do with this?"
He took the stone, turning it over in his hands, knocking it lightly against the wall as he examined it. "I can't remember what they call this… but you can craft runes on it. You need either a medium or an inscribing tool to do it." He tossed the stone into the air, caught it deftly, and handed it back to me.
"This is a medium. Just trace a rune on it, and the stone's natural mana will activate it. But it's got limited uses."
"Ah! Let me try!" The prince exclaimed, snatching the stone from my hands with eager excitement. He found a relatively flat side and began tracing a few lines onto its surface. Each line glowed faintly, gradually forming a symbol that was unfamiliar to me. The stone started to hum, a faint glow spreading across its surface, growing almost as bright as the candlelight.
"My mum used to love runes!" the prince exclaimed, his voice filled with a fleeting excitement before his expression turned solemn. "She was always experimenting, trying out new symbols to see what would work."
His gaze dropped to the ground, and I followed it, watching Fritz as he moved farther down the canal, still checking our direction. Something about his hurried steps told me the outcome wouldn't be good. But I needed to ask—I was just as curious about this world and what lay ahead.
"May… I ask what happened?"
The prince's voice wavered as he responded, "She fell ill. It was a few months ago… Mother was never really healthy, but she could still get around the house and do a few chores… But one day, she got worse. She was bedridden for months."
He handed the stone back to me, a subtle sob escaping as he did. "Before she died… she told me one thing. She said that today, I would be assassinated. So I ran. I ran as fast as I could… through the alleys all day, but they eventually caught up. Until I met… you."
I placed the stone on the ground, watching its glow fade to dust, plunging us back into darkness. The only sounds were the steady drip of water and the distant rumble of thunder.
"What do you want to do now? There's no way you're getting back into the monarchy, are you?"
I glanced up at the drain cover, but I could feel his eyes on me, burning with an intensity that made me uneasy.
"You have strange powers, right? Mr. Ubuian?" he said, leaning in far too close for comfort. I shoved him away, but he pressed on, "I've seen you pull those stones out of thin air! That's definitely something out of the ordinary!"
"Guys! I found it!" Fritz's voice echoed from across the canal. We both stood up, the sound of our steps splashing against the wet ground as water continued to flow beneath our feet.
The prince stopped before me, his arms outstretched to block my path. "Mr. Ubuian… No, what is your name?"
I sighed, feeling the weight of the moment. "Matthijs Geiger."
"Matthijs!" he called after me as I continued walking, ignoring his pleas. "Help me become the king."
The word 'king' made me pause for a split second. I turned back, kneeling so we were eye-level, the rushing water soaking into my muddy shorts.
"King? How old are you?" I asked, studying his youthful face.
"I'm 15!" he declared.
What? He certainly looks younger and smaller than those usually of his age. I narrowed my eyes, scrutinizing his features.
"Look... What's your name?"
"Joshua! Joshua Langs!"
"Look, Joshua," I grasped his shoulders firmly, forcing him to meet my gaze. "You're the second prince. Unless the first prince dies, you'll never be able to ascend the throne."
"That's what I need your help for." His eyes bore into mine, unwavering. The damp, echoing silence of the sewer tunnel seemed to close in around us, amplifying the gravity of his following words. "We are going to overthrow the current monarchy."
My heart skipped a beat. Overthrow?! He's asking me for help? How will we take down the entire regime if it's just us? This is madness. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts.
"And how do you suppose we do that?" I asked, straightening up and taking a step back. Fritz had moved even further ahead, his shadow barely visible in the dim light.
"We have you!"
The absurdity of it all struck me, and I burst into laughter. The sound of my hands clapping against each other reverberated through the narrow, grimy tunnel, echoing off the cold stone walls. Fritz's hurried footsteps approached with a muted thud as he skidded to a stop beside me and grabbed my hands.
"Oi, what are you doing? You're attracting attention, dumbass."
"I was just... too amused." I chuckled, shaking my head. "Fine, I'll humour you on one condition. Tell me, what are your plans, king?" I started walking, crossing my arms as I waited for his response.
Joshua took a deep breath, his young face set with determination. "I want to unite the 12 Nations."
…This boy…he has ambitions. Interesting. Alright.
As I listened to Joshua's ambitious plan, a heavy silence settled over us. Joshua's plan involved overthrowing the monarchy and uniting the 12 Nations. It was grand, audacious, and, frankly, terrifying.
I couldn't shake the image of countless battles and bloodshed that lay ahead. The thought of leading a revolt of numerous lives lost gnawed at my conscience. I had seen too much of war's brutal reality and had taken too many lives. The scars were still fresh, the nightmares persistent.
Joshua was young, driven by ideals and a hunger for power. But I was older, jaded by the cruelty of conflicts I'd been a part of. Joining him would mean diving headfirst into a vortex of violence I had no desire to be part of. Could I really walk that path again? Could I endure the weight of another blood-soaked war?
"That's a lot of wars you're waging," I said finally, my voice echoing slightly off the stone walls. "I don't want to have to take another life."
Joshua's expression faltered momentarily, the weight of my words sinking in. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying this isn't just a grand plan. It's a bloody, ruthless campaign. I've been through wars before. I've seen what they do to people. I don't want to dive into that again." I began to turn away, my mind already weighing the path of least violence. "I'll think about it, but I need to know what I'm getting into."
Joshua's voice, filled with frustration and desperation, called after me. "I don't intend to take a single life!"
I paused, my back still turned. "You're insane."
"And so are your skills, Matt." He stepped closer, extending his hand toward me. "Be my advisor, my closest aide. My mum always told me I had an eye for people. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew it—you're the one who will stick with me. Why else do you think I dropped my guard so easily? So, how about it?"
You stand at a crossroads on your journey.
To refuse the future king is to king forsake your destiny. The path of the main quest will vanish, and you shall walk the shadowed roads as an Ubuian fugitive, forever hunted by those who fear you.
The choice lies in your hands.