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– Elisha POV
I don't know if it was guilt, nerves, or just my body being a traitor, but I ended up sleeping far earlier than usual. Normally, I'd be awake till the middle of the night, staring at the ceiling and complaining to myself about life being unfair. But this time, I went to bed before the lamps in the street even went out. Maybe it was the thought of Madam Lucky lying injured, maybe it was the crazy rumor about the king rewarding a "courageous man" that haunted me. Either way, my eyes had shut, and the next thing I knew—
I was up.
And not my usual lazy, half-dead waking where I groan for ten minutes before rolling out of bed. No, this was different. My eyes snapped open while it was still dark outside. The rooster hadn't even started yelling its lungs out yet. When I checked the old clock hanging in the corner, the hands pointed to five in the morning. Five! Me, awake at five. If this wasn't a sign of impending doom, I didn't know what was.
I dragged myself out of bed and got to my chores. The floor wasn't going to sweep itself, and the tables in the restaurant always had crumbs no matter how much you cleaned them. By the time I'd finished washing up, the sun was finally awake too, spreading its orange glow over the roofs of the town. My bath left me refreshed, though I won't lie—I considered going back to bed.
But no. Today wasn't a day for naps. Today, apparently, was the day I was supposed to waltz into the palace, bow to the king, and hear whatever suicidal nonsense he had cooked up. My stomach grumbled, reminding me that a man doesn't face royalty on an empty stomach. So, I ate. Bread, soup, whatever was left from last night. I chewed slowly, as if I could somehow delay fate by dragging breakfast.
When I stepped into the restaurant, I noticed things were already moving without Madam Lucky. The head of the girl servers had taken over, bossing the others around with a sharp tongue. Madam Lucky herself sat near the counter, counting coins with shaky hands. She still looked pale, bandaged, weak. I didn't dare say anything; if I did, she would probably scold me for worrying about her. So, I just muttered a quick goodbye and slipped out before I could change my mind.
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The road to the imperial castle stretched forever. Two hours on foot. Two hours under the blazing sun, the dust sticking to my boots, and my mind telling me to turn around every five minutes. By the time I reached the massive palace gates, my shirt was sticking to my back and I was sweating like I'd been chased by hounds.
But what really got my attention wasn't the heat—it was the people coming out. Dozens of them. Men who looked like they had been dragged through hell itself. Some wore expressions of pure horror, like they had stared death in the face. Others looked broken, as though all the hope had been sucked out of their souls. I even saw one man trembling so badly he could barely walk straight.
I stopped, staring.
"...What in the world?"
Were they… the other fools who came for the king's so-called reward? If so, why did they look like they had just watched their mothers get eaten alive? My pessimistic side—the one that always whispered in the back of my head—told me this was a bad idea. Maybe the king was a monster. Maybe his "request" was something so ridiculous that even grown men cried like babies.
But then, the image of Madam Lucky flashed in my mind. Bandaged. Weak. Dying, unless someone found enough money for her treatment. My jaw clenched. I couldn't back out now. Even if the king asked me to fight a dragon, I would at least hear him out.
So I walked toward the gate.
And of course, the guards immediately blocked my path. Two of them, in shining armor that looked more decorative than useful. They crossed their spears right in front of me like I was some thief sneaking into a bakery.
I raised my eyebrows. "Really? Do you take cocaine this early in the morning, or what? If I were a spy or assassin, do you honestly think I'd stroll up to the front gate like this?"
They frowned, clearly offended. One of them barked, "State your purpose."
"My purpose?" I asked innocently, then smirked. "To kiss the king, obviously."
The look on their faces was priceless. Their brows furrowed, their lips pressed tight, and for a second, I thought they'd actually skewer me right there. I sighed dramatically and rolled my eyes. "Relax, I'm here because of what the king announced yesterday. About rewarding the courageous man? Ring a bell?"
That made them pause. They exchanged a look, then stepped aside reluctantly. One of them muttered, "Don't try anything funny."
"Funny?" I said, walking past. "If I wanted to be funny, I'd bring a chicken dressed in royal robes. Now that would be funny."
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The palace was… something else.
I'd never seen so much gold in my life. The walls glistened with jewels, the floors polished so clean I could see my own reflection. Massive pillars carved with dragons reached the ceiling, and long carpets stretched as far as the eye could see. Guards stood at every corner, staring straight ahead like statues. The air itself smelled expensive—incense, flowers, perfume, all mixed together until I felt like sneezing.
And me? I felt completely out of place. My boots were dusty, my shirt creased, and I was sure I smelled like sweat. I walked through those glittering halls like a stray dog accidentally wandering into a temple.
A servant led me to the throne room. The doors were huge, carved with golden lions. When they swung open, the sight nearly made me stumble.
There he was. The king himself.
Sitting on a throne that looked more comfortable than my entire bed, dressed in robes so fine they could buy half the town. His crown glittered with rubies and diamonds, but it was his eyes that got me. Cold. Sharp. Like he was already peeling me apart layer by layer.
I forced myself to bow slightly. Nothing too deep. Just enough to say "I respect you, Your Majesty" without groveling like a worm. See? I thought. Going well so far. I haven't insulted him yet.
The king's voice echoed in the hall. "State your purpose."
I straightened and said, "I heard yesterday that you wanted a courageous man. So… here I am."
He studied me silently, then asked, "And what do you think my request is?"
I blinked. "How should I know? But I did see some people leaving earlier. They looked like they'd just chewed shit."
The words slipped out before I could stop them. My hand twitched to cover my mouth, but it was too late. My sarcasm had betrayed me again.
The king's lips curved—not into a smile, but something sharper. "You speak carelessly."
"Yeah, well, it's a bad habit." I shrugged.
He leaned forward slightly. "Tell me, are you interested in traveling?"
"Traveling?" I repeated. "Sure. Why not? Only problem is I don't have anywhere to go."
The king's eyes gleamed. "Do you know of Mei?"
"The goddess?" I nodded quickly. "Yeah, yeah, the one who did all that bla bla bla… No offense, of course."
He ignored my rambling and said, "The reward for fulfilling my request is fifty million gold coins."
I froze. Fifty million. Fifty. Million.
I could almost see it—Madam Lucky healed, her restaurant flourishing again, me with enough gold to never work another day in my life. My lips stretched into a grin I couldn't control. "Fifty million, huh? Alright, I'm listening. What's the catch?"
The king's voice dropped, heavy. "Join the four raiders. Retrieve the Heart of Mei. Do this, and not only is the reward yours, but much more besides."
Silence.
I blinked once. Twice. Then let out a laugh. "Oh, so that's it. Now I get why everyone was walking out like their lives ended. You want me to chase after some mythical artifact that's killed hundreds before me. Great. Wonderful. Perfect."
I turned on my heel. "Forget it. Keep your gold. I'm not dying for a rock, no matter how shiny it is."
"Stop."
The king's voice cracked through the hall like a whip. I froze mid-step.
"Elisha," he said, and my blood ran cold.
How… how did he know my name?
"You have sins," the king continued, his tone calm but cutting. "Crimes. Burdens you carry. Would you rather be sentenced for them now, or fulfill my request and walk away cleansed, rewarded?"
I clenched my fists. My back stiffened. "Blackmail? Really? You think I'm that stupid? I refused to join those other fools years ago, and I watched four hundred men die for nothing. You want me to follow them into their graves?"
The king didn't flinch. "You are a low-ranked raider. Perhaps the lowest. But perhaps… fate has called you."
Fate. I hated that word. Fate had never done me any favors. Fate had only dragged me through dirt, through hunger, through chains. And yet… Madam Lucky's face flashed in my mind again. Pale. Bleeding. Dying.
I exhaled slowly, glaring at the king. "Fine."
The word tasted bitter on my tongue.
The king's lips curved slightly, satisfied. He gestured, and a servant hurried forward with a rolled map. I snatched it from his hands.
"You set out on the third day," the king said. "Do not fail me."
I said nothing. Just turned and walked away, my boots echoing against the polished floor.
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As I stepped back into the sunlight, I muttered under my breath. "Third day… that's tomorrow. Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. Couldn't avoid it this time, Elisha. You walked right into it."
And for the first time in a long while, I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh, scream, or just collapse on the palace steps.
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