I was thrilled when I first entered the gate to the royal castle. The gate was made with expensive stones, and gold were laced there as if it was only natural. I was in love with the gate. Gold! How I wanted to rub my face with it.
Can I steal it, somehow?
That kind of though did visit me. Unfortunately, I cannot do that. I was happily strolling in the vast corridor. Every turn, pillars made with gold caught my eyes.
"Are you pleased with the sight, sir?"
"I sure am!" I answered hastily. The person in front of me was an old man wearing expensive clothes. He was probably passed fifties, but he looked dandy.
"I'm glad." He said smiling, leading our trek to the next turn.
I was happy. Truly, I am! Gold were everywhere. The garden was looking good. The palace was vast and clean. Unlike my home base, this place was clean and actually livable, if not needlessly big.
But…
What the hell is this?
"What is the meaning of this?" I frowned as soon as I entered the most extravagant room that I had ever seen. To call this a room would be stupid. What the hell is this? A hall, to be precise. They call it an audience chamber, apparently.
And what was it that irked me?
Well…
***
"Do any of you morons know what the word discreet means?"
The boy asked in a low tone. Intimidating even the adults in the chamber. The boy was around fifteen, if I trusted the information slip from the guild, he should be. He wore a tattered black robe, and his lower face was concealed by a strangely neat red scarf; which was out of place since most of his clothes were dark and were proven to endure more time to be worn than not.
It was forbidden to bring weapon on the audience chamber, but he scowled at any person trying to strip him of his blades. One of the knights had ended up having an arm cut off when he tried to force him render his swords. Not until I allowed him that the ruckus only stopped. This brought all the knights at edge while watching from the side of the chamber. In the end, the long sword strapped on his waist were left untouched and remained by his possession. As well as the short, slender sword sheathed on his back.
He was not surprised, nor even baffled that he was in front of I, the king of this kingdom, Alfred Altruist Maecenas.
He was frowning hard that it would be difficult to say how old he was exactly. His aura was spilling from his body and he was obviously annoyed if not angered. His pure black irises were staring directly at me, as if searching for where my soul was.
"If you don't know, then shall I take my time explain it to you, dumbasses?" he went on. I see he also had a nasty tongue aside his disrespectful attitude. But personally, I don't mind. Knowing where he came from, it is I guess the most expected character. I also once did my derring-do. I also commissioned a mercenary to join my hunt a long time ago before becoming the king. I understand where his attitude was coming from.
However, this and that were different, and alas, I was not the only one here present—the ministers were here and the nobles as well. Unable to hold it any longer, a vasal—a Count, from the audience exploded and shouted towards the boy.
"Impertinent brat! You are in front of his majesty, Alfred Altruist Maecenas! The king of Maecenas! Your king! Bow your head and beg for forgiveness for your rudeness!"
"'My king,' you say?"
I don't know but I surmise it made the mood of the boy turned to worse. Forget scowling, he was literally glaring holes to everyone in attendance.
"What's with this kid?! He's beyond insolent!" Lucas said, standing on the side of the throne. Andrew was having fun, but Marcus, my serious child was having some of his veins bulge before his forehead. The whole chamber was beginning to be filled with murmurs and painful words of slander.
Different kind of insult were thrown to the boy. I was about to raise my hand to silence my subjects, but before I could even try to do so, it happened...
"My king, eh?"
The boy repeated but this time it was tone lower than his first. His voice chilling the whole chamber, making anyone who hear them tremble from something different than fear.
"This boy is a riot." the first prince chuckled. He, too, was trembling. Though, in his figure, there was a hint of happiness.
"Him? My king? Kek."
The boy pointed a finger towards me, snickering. Normally, this kind of act should warrant him a trip to the gallows. But, for some reason, no one in the room pointed that out—instead,
"You knave!" another vasal from the audience shouted. If I remember correctly, he was a viscount.
"Me a knave?"
The boy snorted. The place he was standing on cracked, and sunk a little. Maybe dented by the density of his aura? I don't know. But looking at him now is certainly… unnerving.
"Okay then, morons," he said, still chuckling, "mind explaining what it means to be a king? 'cause I've seriously no idea what it means"
"The King is the ruler of this land! He was born with the responsibility to impart law and instill the order for peace and safety of his subjects. He leads this country to prosperity!"
"The king owned the land that you lived in, no matter where it is inside this kingdom!"
"It will never be understood by a brat like you who don't even know how to show respect. Someone! Seize this guy and execute him—now! He must know his place!"
I never would have the slightest thought that they would seriously answer the boy. I remained silent. There was something I don't comprehend. However, it is within me, nagging to me that I needed to hear what he had to say after hearing those words.
"I do not have a land to live in, nor a house to call home," the boy began, his voice filled with both intensity and coldness, "I did have one. Had. But now it was gone. It was burned to the ground." The audience chamber was filled with unbearable silence when the boy paused a little. He looked around, then lastly, he fixed his gaze to me.
"My parents, I remembered, were peasants. They were murdered in front of my eyes," his eyes were dried and they lacked emotion, but his voice conveyed his message, "where were you that time?"
The pang of guilt suddenly visited me.
The pain that I never felt for a long while.
"My father, I vaguely remember his face, was asking for help. Oh, and there were knights present there that time. They helped. Yes, they did. Laughing at us, that is."
The queen began crying. Her silent tears fell slowly down her face. My sweet, kind queen. She must have felt the sorrow in the boy's story.
"Oh, how cruel a life this boy had lived…" she murmured for only both of us to hear.
"Oh, well. Your silence is enough to fill me up that all of you, fools, are the ones who do not understand. I am a mercenary; I have no king. No lord. No home. My boss is the money I am paid with. My lord is the money I receive."
Such boldness. No one was brave enough to say such strong words to my face. He was no mere boy. He is a man.
He was a knave. That is why he was strong.
***
By time, I was getting irritated. If I had known it would turn to this, I should have decline in the first place. If not baited with gold coins for a reward, I'll never even consider coming here. And now, here I was. Trying to lecture these bunch of buffoons. 'My king,' my ass. I'd love to cut down who said that right here, right now. I'll hold myself back a little. Would only dull and stain my blade doing so.
Oh, and that 'wailing sad' backstory? I just made that up. I don't even remember my childhood. But hey, it seemed convenient, so why not?
I stared at the king who remained silent the whole time. He was looking at me but his sight was somewhere else. Is he trying to measure me by looking far beyond? He's crazy then if he does.
"I came here to do the mission you are going to ask. Talk or I will take my leave."
I heard groans from the audience. Seemingly, lots of them had something to say. But with just a single raise of the king's hand, they went off silent.
Finally, he decided to speak.
"My child. My daughter, the second princess went missing," he said solemnly.
Missing? Missing, eh? Looking around the buzzing room, I realized. This person must have known that her daughter was not simply missing. She was abducted. And an abduction should be held as a case with a top-secret label. Especially when the royals are the ones involved (or what Liana told me). Why was he making a public request for this one? What is he planning?
Let's test it a bit.
"I don't accept vague request. She's not missing, is she now?"
Most of the people in the chamber had more to say. The hall was filled with buzzes and chatters. Most likely from disbelief that the princess was missing despite the being inside the safe and peaceful walls of the kingdom.
"How could it be?!"
"The princess is missing? How could that even happen?!"
"Did someone plan this all along?"
"We can't see their intention by doing so."
I heard the nobles talk to themselves.
Seeing as they don't plan on stopping with their chats, I laughed, purposely loud for them to hear. A hearty laugh, if I say so myself.
"What luck you have, oh, king," I said mockingly. To my surprise, it was not the king to reply but his first born. A man with long braided hair. I guess he was called And, uh, Andre… uh, yep, something like that.
"What do you mean?"
"What, you don't know? Come on, prince. You ought to know this. There are traitors here in this chamber. Right here, right now. Probably laughing at you for sitting on your hands and not being able to realize." I said nonchalantly. It doesn't concern me after all. I shifted my gaze to the king after fixing my face from smiling to my default one (though, it must be hidden with my scarf), "more importantly," I said trying to continue the talk about mission. To my dismay, I was impeded from talking.
"What do you mean 'more importantly?!' What's more important than the talk about the traitors?!"
The one to deter my speaking was the bratty prince with a spiky hairstyle. Is that kinda hair a trend nowadays? I can't imagine wanting mine like that. What's his name again? Uhm, Lucy? I guess?
"Calm down, pipsqueak, think about it more."
"What did you just called me, hah?!" oh, that comment may have hit hard, his face was reddening—in anger, that is. I can see he wants to talk to me more, but I have no time for that.
"What's more important is your sister, duh, are you imbecile or something?" I said, rolling my eyes. When I pointed that out, he was even more incensed. He was clenching his hand and had things to say. Probably. But what a good boy he is. He stopped himself from derailing the topic.
"Here's the question, king," I said, staring back at the throne. "what is it that you want me to do? Make it simple." I said. I saw the first prince smile while the second one was slightly looking troubled. When the youngest, Lucy, tried to speak, exploding from irritation, the king raised his hand and spoke.
"My daughter. I implore you save her." I smiled at his answer. While most of the people in the chamber was rattled by the king's demure tone, I was quite please.
"Very well," I nodded, "I shall honor your request."
"I will forever be grateful, young mercenary." he was the king, no, he is the king. But by his kind words, even I would feel a little bit guilty for being such a bastard.
"Gier is fine. But before I accept your request, I want to ask one more thing," the most important thing.
"What is it?" he quizzed, expression grave. Come on, it's not that big of a question. But you better really take this seriously.
"What would be the reward?"
With my words the room was once again engulfed with noise even louder and rattled than the once before. The nobles who had been the only muttering until now stepped forward. He was the same person as the one who talked about the nonsense 'king this, king that before', he directed his glowing hand towards me probably to conjure magic, and then…
"I will not allow you disgrace the king even more!"
"Yep, that costs you an arm."
…blood spurts, his arm fell down.
"Wha-?! Ugh! Ahhhh!"
"You think you can just attack me out of nowhere and scoot free without being countered? Are you a brain-dead or something?" I mocked, "Using magic is the same as having an intention to kill. If you decide and wish to continue, I can dance with you. Well?"
The man glared at me, holding his arm where his lost limb was.
"That is quiet enough," the king warned, "healers please tend to the Count." He then shifted his gaze to me. "What my count did was rude, but I ask you to refrain."
"I will not bite when not asked to." I answered. The king nodded as he understood.
"As for the reward, as I do not know what you desire. I will present you the rank of knight."
"My king!" Protested one of the nobles, "you cannot just go and make this knave a knight! He was in no position nor the character to become one!"
Knave? Me? Aw, come on! That comment was quite offensive. But I am someone with a benevolent heart, so I would let it pass.
"I agree with the marquis. You're majesty. Will you please reconsider?" Agreed another noble.
Is it just my imagination or the first prince was smiling at me? Wha-?! Don't tell me he is thinking something weird about me?! Is he gae (word leant from Liana)?! Is he?!
While I was lost in a little thought, the king spoke. His tone firmer and more dignified than the usual, "Are you saying that saving my daughter, the second princes of this kingdom, a feat not worthy of such reward? Is being a knight after saving the princess held more than merit to equal the deed?" the plump marquis and the thin whomever they were, were silenced by this. I don't know much about being a knight, and why those two corrupt looking officials were flustered by such thing being a reward. If there's no plot twist, this duo makes a good villain. That knight thingy seemed important. But for me?
"Tsk. Boring," I turned away and tried to leave. Who was it that said that I wanted to become a knight? Are they misunderstanding me? Are they an idiot? A complete moron? I don't need that. What I want was…
"And also, a thousand gold coins in addition."
…Money!
I turned back almost instantly with the mention of the word "gold". Ahh, what a beautiful word it was. Gold!
"Talk." I said completely serious. As I supposed this, the second prince who was only giving a troubled look from the beginning begun to laugh.
"He really is a riot!" he said, chuckling while pushing his glasses up. I don't know what his problem was, but I guess, that's fine. It's not bad finding a grumpy man laughing. I'm not hinting anything here, okay?
"I will bestow upon you the tittle of Knight and—"
"No, no, I don't need that one. Just the gold is fine," he was saying nonsense again so I tried to stop him. He nodded.
I paused.
"Oh, and by the way…"
"What is it?" The king asked with another serious expression.
"Uh, uhm, how many would be… a 'thousand' gold coins?"
I… cannot count what goes past tens.
"…"
The hall was silenced for a moment, and after that silence, the laugher of the first, second, and to my surprise the bad-tempered third prince echoed throughout the chamber. I'll get them back for this! I swear!
Before the deal was sealed, my face burned red with embarrassment.
***
In a certain room within the palace.
"What shall we do?"
"It has become a brewed trouble indeed."
Said the shadows, muttering in the darkness. They were in the murky room lit only by a single candlelight. A silhouette of two people whose frame were big and small.
"Increase the security. It will only be that brat, right? Adding 20 or 30 more people will do. Just add more guards. Never let them take the princess back. We need her royal blood for our greatest cause."
"I will do as you say, sir."
"Head now. Warn the bandits we hired about the brat. Tell them to tear him to shreds. It will be a full payment for the embarrassment he did us."
"Consider it done, milord. I shall now head back to the hideout."
"Godspeed."
With that, the thinner silhouette disappeared into the darkness, leaving the big one alone.
"This kingdom is nearing its end. Enjoy your last reign, Maecenas!"
With a grinning shadow, a disturbing laugh echoed around the empty shadowy room.