"What's your name, kid?" the king asked.
"Mav. Mav Rose."
"Mav, thank you. I do not know how to repay you. But our promise stands—ask me anything within my power, and I will make it happen," the king said, his voice solemn.
"Well, for now, I could use a gold coin," Mav said, his tone light. "I need to buy a mana potion, and I didn't bring enough with me."
The king paused, then burst into laughter. "With the serious look you gave me earlier, I thought you were going to ask for half my kingdom. And here you are asking for a single gold coin."
"What? Should I have asked for more?" Mav thought, taken aback by the king's reaction.
"Voithos!" the king called.
"Yes, your majesty," Voithos responded, stepping forward with a small pouch in hand.
The king handed the pouch to Mav. "Here are five gold coins. Unfortunately, that's all I brought with me. But tell me where you live, and I'll have the rest delivered to your home later. How does five hundred gold coins sound?"
Mav's eyes widened in disbelief. "Five hundred gold coins? That's too much, your majesty!" he exclaimed, his voice wavering slightly.
Five hundred gold coins... The number echoed in his mind, almost too large to comprehend. His hands felt clammy, and he wondered if the king was testing him somehow. What could a simple villager like him do with such a fortune? The thought made his stomach churn with unease.
The king looked at him, his expression serious. "It's nothing compared to the life of my daughter."
Mav hesitated, then let out a sigh. "Alright, but please give some of it to my master," he said, glancing at Ana with a wink. He hadn't forgotten how she had lied to the knight earlier to keep him out of trouble, and he wanted to repay her for her kindness and for the disruption he had caused in her shop.
"Of course. I'll take care of it," the king assured him.
"Thank you, your majesty," Mav said, bowing his head. As he did, he noticed Adelfi watching him curiously, still holding her father's hand. He knelt before her, his gaze softening as he took in her small, delicate features. The pale sunlight streaming through the window bathed her in a gentle glow, making her appear almost angelic. Her wide, innocent eyes met his, full of curiosity and a touch of fear, and Mav felt a pang of protectiveness stir within him.
"Your highness, you must be feeling hungry now, right?" he asked gently.
Almost as if on cue, her stomach growled, and she nodded with a shy smile. Mav patted her head, then looked up at the king. "You should hurry home before she loses her appetite."
"You're right. Voithos, let's go," the king agreed, turning to leave. He paused before stepping out and turned back to Mav. "I will never forget this, Mav Rose. If you ever need anything, just ask, and I'll do everything in my power to grant it."
Mav nodded, acknowledging the king's words. As they moved toward the door, Mav suddenly remembered something. "Your Majesty, do you happen to know where Her Highness Chloe is?"
"If I recall correctly, she's currently fighting on the frontlines. Why do you ask?" the king replied.
Mav sighed inwardly. "I really might have to fight that thing alone now."
"Nothing, I was just curious why she didn't come with you today," he said.
The king nodded and turned away again. As Voithos opened the door, the familiar bell chime rang out, and Princess Adelfi waved goodbye to Mav before the door closed behind them.
Mav watched them leave, a strange mix of relief and disbelief settling over him. Five hundred gold coins, he thought, still trying to wrap his mind around the king's offer. The room felt eerily quiet after the departure, the only sound the distant chatter of the marketplace filtering through the closed windows. He turned to Ana, who stood silently beside him, her thoughts seemingly far away.
"So, can I have a mana potion now?" he asked, breaking the silence as he extended four gold coins towards her.
"What?" she replied, snapping out of her thoughts.
"A mana potion," Mav repeated patiently.
"Oh, right." Ana retrieved a mana potion from the shelf and handed it to him in exchange for the coins.
Mav examined the potion for a moment before deciding, "Actually, I'd like to get another one." He handed her his remaining gold coins.
"Sure," she said, giving him another bottle. But then she hesitated. "Are you sure about this? Didn't you say these were your last coins? Do you live nearby?"
"I live in Oraios Village," Mav replied, carefully placing the bottles into his item box.
"Oraios Village? That's so far away! Even if you start walking now, you won't get there until tomorrow. And it's going to be dark soon—it'll be too dangerous," Ana said, alarmed.
Mav smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about me. I have my ways."
"By the way, thanks for earlier," he continued, his tone earnest. "For not getting me in trouble with the King's knight. And I apologize for the disturbance I caused. I was just really desperate, you know? I hope whatever reward the king gives you will be enough as an apology." He scratched his head, a sheepish grin on his face.
Ana smiled back. "I think it will be more than enough. You didn't cause me much trouble anyway—in fact, you saved me by stepping in when I couldn't heal the princess. Thanks for that. And about my reward, I'll make sure to direct it your way too. I'll tell the king's men to find you in Oraios Village when they return to my shop."
"No, please, I insist," Mav said quickly, feeling a pang of guilt. "I don't want to take all the credit. Besides, you're my master now, aren't you? If I get everything, they might start to doubt us."
Ana sighed but eventually nodded in agreement. "Alright, thank you, my assistant," she said playfully. Then, more sincerely, "Seriously, thank you, Mav."
"No problem, master," he replied with a grin.
"I should get going now," Mav said after a moment. "My parents will be worried if I'm gone too long. I'll come back to buy more potions from you next time—and I promise I won't threaten you like before," he added with a chuckle.
"Alright, alright," Ana chuckled along. "But next time, you have to tell me more about your skill, okay?"
"Sure thing," Mav said, heading to the door.
________________________________________
After leaving the capital's walls, Mav made his way to the secluded spot where he had first arrived. Once he was certain that no one was around, he took out a high-tier potion. "Alright, let's see what this can do," he whispered to himself, eager to test it out.