Chapter 5: The King's Suspicion
The sun rose over the Aurelius Kingdom, painting the palace towers gold.
Servants rushed through the halls with nervous eyes.
Something was wrong.
The royal treasury guards had discovered that a portion of the gold was missing vanished without a trace.
No doors were broken, no magic traps triggered. It was as if the gold had simply evaporated.
Inside the throne room, King Alden Aurelius slammed his fist against the armrest.
"Fifty thousand gold coins gone overnight, and not a single thief caught?" he roared.
His generals bowed low, trembling. "Your Majesty, the vault was sealed. There were no signs of entry."
"Then how?" the king demanded. His eyes burned with fury.
Behind him, the royal advisor whispered, "Your Highness, perhaps… it was someone inside the palace."
The king's face darkened. "Someone close…"
He turned toward the royal portraits hanging on the wall. His gaze stopped on one the image of a golden-haired, crimson-eyed boy smiling proudly.
"Find Prince Leon," the king ordered. "Now."
At the same time, Leon sat calmly in his private study, sipping tea as if nothing had happened.
Elira stood nearby, reading the morning reports.
"Your father has noticed," she said softly. "He's furious."
Leon smiled. "As expected."
Zarath's voice echoed faintly from the shadows. "You planned for this?"
Leon leaned back in his chair, eyes half-closed. "Of course. Every empire needs a spark to start its fire. Let the king hunt for thieves while I take his throne."
He raised his hand, and gold shimmered into existence, swirling around him like liquid light.
[Skill Activated: Golden Dominion]
Form: Armor of the Sovereign
Gold solidified over his body, forming elegant, divine armor that gleamed like a sun. His crimson eyes burned brighter than ever.
Elira stepped closer. "You're declaring war on the king?"
Leon smirked. "Not yet. I'm just reminding him that even kings bleed gold."
The door burst open as a squad of royal knights rushed in, blades drawn.
"Prince Leon!" their captain shouted. "By order of His Majesty, you are to be detained for questioning!"
Leon rose slowly, his golden armor reflecting their fear. "Questioning?" he said softly. "Then allow me to answer with power."
He snapped his fingers. The floor glowed gold, and the knights' swords melted into coins before their eyes.
They dropped to their knees, trembling.
Leon walked past them calmly. "Tell my father," he said, his voice like thunder wrapped in silk, "that his gold now serves me."
That night, the entire kingdom whispered the same words:
The prince has awakened something divine.
And the age of kings is ending.