Across the country, our heroes pressed on without rest. The girl, perched upon blankets in the wagon, was singing. The Black Witch grew restless; the half-wolf glanced back every ten paces.
The village of the White Mages lay behind them. Ahead, a vast rocky valley rose—a narrow pass between two mountains: the perfect place for an ambush.
"I don't like this place," the half-wolf whispered.
"Let us cross quickly," the hero replied.
But they had barely advanced a few meters into the valley when a dark shadow materialized before them. It was the Black Sorcerer. The girl clung to the Black Witch.
Behind them, on the road, another figure rose. A shadow larger and more imposing: the S-Rank Adventurer. The hero's heart nearly stopped. And, as if fate sought to seal a perfect trap… from the valley's entrance, behind the adventurer, the combined army appeared: hundreds of armed soldiers.
From the other end, behind the Black Sorcerer, the Paladin arrived with his knights. Every pursuer. All in one place. All at the same time.
The Hero of the Sword looked at the girl, then at his friends. There was no way out. No escape. No possible miracle.
They were completely cornered.
THE CLASH OF ARMIES
The imperial convoy escorting the 117 queens moved slowly along a wide road, bordered by mountains whose dark shadows draped over the path. The imperial carriages of the Kingdom of the White Sorcerer formed a long, silver column, guarded by shadow soldiers, officers, nobles, and secretaries. To the naked eye, it appeared to be a regal parade, elegant and solemn; however, inside one of the wagons, a dangerous conflict was brewing.
Three sisters from the Kingdom of the Fang—two twins and their elder sister—traveled comfortably among white cushions. They were half-wolves, and their sense of smell was so acute they could distinguish a scent from miles away. Suddenly, one of the twins stopped speaking and grew tense.
"Sister… do you smell it?" she whispered, wrinkling her nose. "That scent… it can't be."
The eldest looked at her with concern. "What scent?"
"Kai's aroma," the twin replied, almost offended. "That is his perfume! The one he always wears. He is right up there, on the plain!"
The other twin opened her eyes in surprise. "It can't be. Kai promised he wouldn't follow us. He promised to let us go alone this time!"
"Are you sure?" the eldest asked, trying to remain calm. "Perhaps you are mistaking it for something else…"
"Smell it for yourself," the twin insisted, annoyed.
The three half-wolves inhaled deeply. And then they felt it: an unmistakable scent, warm and protective, yet mixed with something strange—almost spiritual.
"It is Kai," the twin said with contained rage. "He is right there, watching us as always!"
Indignation spread among the three. The eldest, the leader of their small group, ordered the wagon to stop and summoned all the other queens in the convoy. Within minutes, more than a hundred women descended from their imperial vehicles, every one of them a majestic warrior. What they heard sparked a general murmur.
"The King has broken his promise," the eldest announced. "He is following us!"
Many queens crossed their arms, offended. Not all believed Kai was capable of such a thing, but the mere possibility that he was violating his word was enough to ignite a collective anger.
"We are going to see for ourselves," they decided.
Alequei, the vampire and governor, pressed his hand to his face. He did not perceive the scent the half-wolves claimed to feel, so he tried to maintain reason.
"My Queen, that alternate path is dangerous. We should continue along the secure route…" Alequei tried to say, but he was not heard. The half-wolf queen interrupted him sharply:
"Do you want to be the one to tell all of them no?" she responded, pointing toward the group of furious queens.
Alequei understood instantly that it was a lost battle. He sighed and gave the order to divert the entire convoy toward that alternative path.
Meanwhile, a few kilometers away in a narrow mountain valley, our heroes were about to face the worst situation of their lives.
The Black Sorcerer appeared first, emerging from a dark shadow as if rising from hell. Behind them, closing off the exit, an even more fearsome presence manifested: the S-Rank Adventurer, walking slowly with a disturbed smile. The echo of his footsteps made the earth tremble.
As if that were not enough, an entire army descended from the opposite slope: six hundred men, including High Humans, humans, and White Mages, all ready to reclaim the girl. Finally, the Paladin arrived as well, mounted on his sacred steed and followed by his seven elite knights.
The four fronts closed in on the Hero of the Sword, the Black Witch, the half-wolf, and the girl. They were literally surrounded. One of the soldiers from the human kingdom shouted upon seeing the S-Rank:
"You! Retreat this instant! The girl will be returned to her father by us!"
The S-Rank turned around, amused, as if the bravery of those men was adorable to him.
"Do you really think you can order me around?" he laughed. "Even if there were ten thousand of you, you couldn't stop me. That girl is mine."
The soldiers prepared for combat. At the same time, the Paladin pointed his radiant sword at the Black Sorcerer.
"Fiend of hell! Stay away from the Prince!" he roared. "Prince, come to me! Your father sends me!"
The Hero of the Sword stood paralyzed. He could not abandon the girl; he knew that if he took a single step, both the demon and the S-Rank would capture her. The Black Sorcerer growled:
"I am tired of such stupidity…"
He vanished in a blink and reappeared in front of the Paladin. Before the holy warrior could react, the sorcerer struck him with such force that he was sent flying into the stone walls of the mountain, leaving a massive crater. The seven knights fell silent. The S-Rank burst out laughing.
"Now that was beautiful!" he said. "But he is no ordinary sorcerer… he is a demon."
The men of the army trembled. No one had seen a demon in ten years.
The Arrival of the Kingdom of the White Sorcerer
The earth shook once more. From the alternate path where the queens were traveling, an entire army appeared: nine hundred shadow soldiers, six hundred elite soldiers, the vampire Alequei, the Fire Mage, and the Axe Warrior. And, above all, the 117 queens of the White Sorcerer, accompanied by the sword Solarael and the shield Voraghún.
The Black Sorcerer, taken by surprise, opened another portal and summoned a thousand more demons to his ranks. The queens stood petrified at the sight of that hell opening before them. The nine hundred shadow soldiers moved forward first; their steps made no sound, yet the ground vibrated beneath their supernatural presence. They formed a dark wall against the demons.
Behind them, the elite soldiers and the six hundred men from the human kingdoms regrouped alongside the Paladin and the S-Rank Adventurer. Despite their past, the former rivals united instantly, understanding that only by fighting together would they survive.
In the midst of the chaos, Alequei led the queens toward the Black Witch, who was protecting the girl with her own body. The little one was huddled, frightened, but curiously, she did not cry; she watched everything with eyes that held a supernatural glow. One of the queens—a White Witch of solemn bearing—approached slowly, her face filled with doubt.
"Excuse me, little one..." the White Witch asked, leaning in gently. "What is your name?"
The girl blinked. Her small voice came out calm, sweet, oblivious to the surrounding horror.
"My name is... Aliarda," she said with a slight tilt of her head. "Aliarda Killerman."
The 117 queens felt their souls freeze. The scent they had perceived, the warmth that troubled them, the strange energy... everything suddenly clicked. It wasn't Kai who was there. It was an energy identical to his. "Is she his sister?" they wondered in silence, stunned. The girl the entire world was searching for was there, cornered among demons, heroes, and villains.
THE DESCENT OF THE BLACK KNIGHT
The queens were stunned; it was too much information in too little time. They had discovered that the small girl with golden eyes was not a simple creature of the forest, but Aliarda Killerman, sister of the White Sorcerer King and, therefore, Princess of the Peninsula. However, while the entire valley trembled before the presence of thousands of demons, they seemed more concerned for the child than for the hellish horde surrounding them.
The heroes, soldiers, and adventurers, on the other hand, could not tear their eyes away from the demonic creatures. The air was thick with fear. Only one appeared completely calm: Alcay, the vampire and governor of the Magic Lands. His face remained serene, as if everything were under control.
The Black Witch—the young woman who had accompanied the Hero of the Sword from the beginning—held Aliarda in her arms, clutching her tightly. She trusted no one.
"I won't let her go," she said nervously. "You don't know what is hunting her. You don't know..."
The girl rested her forehead against the witch's chest and spoke with supernatural calm.
"It's okay," the little one whispered. "Don't worry. They won't hurt me... they are my brother's wives."
One of the queens stepped forward: Isabela, the Black Witch. Her presence commanded immediate respect.
"Do not worry," she told the young heroine. "We will not harm you or her. You are safe with us."
The young witch shook her head, glancing sideways at the demons roaring in the distance.
"And those hordes?" she asked. "Does no one see what surrounds us?"
Isabela smiled with a confidence that threw everyone off.
"Do not worry about that, child," the queen replied. "You are about to see what happens to those demon hordes."
Some soldiers overheard her words; the heroes did as well. It was then that the five strongest warriors present—the Paladin, the S-Rank Adventurer, Alcay, the Fire Mage, and the Axe Warrior—looked at each other and realized the grim reality: they could, perhaps, defeat a few demons. They could face the generals with great difficulty. They could fight to the death... but they could not defeat the demonic Black Sorcerer, let alone protect the queens, the nobles, and the child all at once.
A drop of cold sweat ran down the S-Rank's forehead. The situation was desperate. Then, one of the queens, originating from the Kingdom of Heaven, stepped to the front. She was a winged woman, possessed of a beauty that seemed to belong to another astral plane. She stood before the heroes and the army—something none of the 117 queens had ever done in public.
"I am the legitimate daughter of the King of the Falcon Kingdom," she said, raising her voice. "Listen to me."
The murmuring died out instantly.
"Do not worry, boys," she continued, looking at the Paladin and the S-Rank. "I am only going to ask one thing of you..."
"What thing?" the adventurer asked, still on the defensive.
"Step back. Take a few steps back."
"Back?" he asked, indignant. "Don't you see what's in front of us? Those are demons! And you're asking us to retreat?"
The winged queen looked at him with a mix of compassion and firmness.
"That is precisely the problem," she replied. "They are demons. And they should not be here."
THE ARMOR AWAKENS
Far from there, in the throne room of the Palace of the Magic Lands, Kai sat in silence. The hall was vast, illuminated by blue crystals, but suddenly the light shifted. The room began to grow dark.
Kai's eyes glowed with an abnormal, almost blinding deep blue intensity. The ring on his hand began to emit a crimson light, red, as if a miniature volcano had ignited within the gem. From the ring, like living liquid metal, the armor of the Black Knight began to pour out, slowly covering Kai's body: from his hand to his shoulder, his chest, his legs, and finally his head.
That armor had not been summoned for more than ten years, not since the Great War. Its presence filled the room with a suffocating pressure. The Sorcerer King vanished, and in his place remained the weapon: The Black Knight.
He was not the husband. He was not the brother. He was not the son. He was the war-tool of the heavens.
He took the blue sphere, the transport crystal, and tossed it into the air to activate it. The moment he detected the location of the demons, he vanished in a flash. The Black Knight, upon stepping onto the earth, could instantly sense any demonic presence on the planet. Prince Astaros's mistake was opening portals and manifesting the army of hell in the mortal world.
That mistake had just sealed his fate.
THE BLUE LIGHTNING
In the valley, the clouds tore open with a roar. A blue bolt of lightning pierced the sky like a spear. The winged queen, with a calm smile, looked up.
"Marvel at the will of the Lord," she said.
The bolt struck with the force of a lightning strike multiplied a thousand times. It hit the ground right in the middle of the battlefield. The rock split; the earth cracked. Stone melted like wax beneath an impossible sun.
At the same time, from one of the wagons, the shield Voraghún shot through the air as if possessed by a will of its own, flying straight into the left hand of the figure emerging from the impact. From another chest, the sword Solarael flew toward his right hand, as if it had been waiting for this moment for years.
The Black Knight stood up.
A horrific pressure filled the valley. It felt as if gravity had suddenly doubled. Soldiers, queens, heroes, and even the demons felt their knees tremble. The air grew heavy; many had to strain with all their might just to keep from falling to the ground.
The Black Knight thrust the shield into the earth at his side and gripped the sword with both hands. His black silhouette stood out against the shattered valley, and the flames sleeping within the blade ignited like a contained sun. When he spoke, his voice was not a shout. It was a command:
"Solar flares."
The sword obeyed. They were no common flames, nor magical fire, nor sorcery of this world. From the blade erupted a solar flare, like those that burst upon the surface of the stars: a torrent of white and blue fire that swept across the entire valley.
The two thousand demons vanished in an instant. No bodies remained. No bones were left. No visible ashes remained.
The Shadow Soldiers on the front lines were also caught in the blast and destroyed along with the demonic horde; their bodies of darkness were consumed as if they had never existed. Voraghún, however, remained firm, vibrating with a contained demonic fury under the Black Knight's control.
Only four remained standing before him: the three Demon Generals and the possessed body of the Black Sorcerer, with Astaros within. The battlefield had been reduced to molten rock, fissures, and the marks of eternal fire.
Astaros, an Archdemon and Prince of Hell, was the one possessing the body of the Black Sorcerer, granting him devastating power and controlling his every move. From within his vessel, Astaros attempted to raise his arm to order the generals to attack.
He never finished the gesture.
The Black Knight vanished from his position. A sigh of wind; a flash of blue light. Suddenly, the heads of the three Demon Generals rolled across the ground, bouncing over the scorched rock without anyone having seen the movement.
The Black Sorcerer, his will suppressed by the Demonic Prince, looked around without understanding.
"You..." he growled, his voice distorted by Astaros. "Cursed Black Knight! Do you think you can defeat us...?"
He did not finish the sentence. The sword Solarael pierced his chest.
It was a sharp, perfect movement, passing completely through heart, ribs, and spine. The body trembled like a puppet with its strings cut. In that moment, the being dwelling within the sorcerer understood: this was not an angel, nor a demon, nor a mortal. It was a weapon. A weapon created to destroy anyone who stepped onto this planet without the permission of the Living God.
The Black Knight twisted the sword inside the sorcerer's chest. The sound of breaking bones and tearing organs was clearly heard. Then, a new power flowed through the blade, and the sorcerer's body began to burn from the inside out.
In a matter of seconds, he was incinerated. There was no blood, no flesh, no remains. Only ashes, swept away by a hot wind. The last thing heard, as the body turned into nothing, was Astaros's laughter, fading like a malevolent echo retreating into the depths of hell.
"Hahahaha..." and he vanished.
The Black Knight withdrew his sword, flicked it to clear the last sparks, and, in a flash of blue lightning, he disappeared.
AFTER THE HELL
The valley fell silent. Heroes, villains, queens, nobles, and soldiers from every kingdom stared at the scorched earth with a mixture of terror and awe. Not a single demon remained. No Shadows were left on the front line. The ground was charred and cracked, with rock melted into glass in some places. They had witnessed impossible speed and strength—something none of them, not even the most powerful, could match.
The Winged Queen looked at the five great warriors before her: the Paladin, the S-Rank, Alcay, the Fire Mage, and the Axe Warrior. She smiled calmly.
"See, boys?" she said. "There was nothing to worry about."
Alcay let out a deep sigh. The vampire, who had remained composed the entire time, bowed his head toward her.
"Please," he said wearily. "Let's just go home."
No one argued. At that moment, everyone—including the foreign armies—began the journey toward the Kingdom of the White Sorcerers. The confrontation was over. The valley had witnessed something that would be told for centuries... and the whole world still did not know that the monster in black armor, that living weapon... was the same man they called the White Sorcerer King.
THRONE ROOM: THE KING, THE CHILD, AND THE INSOLENT QUEEN
The doors of the Great Throne Hall swung open with a majestic roar. King Kai sat upon his high throne, his blue eyes distinguishing him even among gods. On either side, his 117 queens stood like living walls: fifty-nine to the right, fifty-eight to the left.
The three heroes—the Hero of the Sword, the Half-Wolf, and the Black Witch—walked forward, supporting little Aliarda, the girl with the winged eyes. Behind them came the nobles, captains of the allied armies, the Paladin of the Human Kingdom, and the S-Rank adventurer. It was an ordered chaos, a meeting filled with tension and distrustful glances.
The Black Witch was the first to step forward. She bowed slightly but did not hand over the girl.
"Your Majesty," she said, "we will only hand this little one over to you, in person."
Kai arched an eyebrow. The girl stared at him without fear. He leaned forward slightly.
"Little one," he asked in a deep voice, "who is your mother? And what is your name?"
The girl replied with unexpected seriousness:
"My name is Aliarda Killerman. We have the same mother. You are my brother."
The queens whispered. Some captains turned pale. The Black Witch released the girl, who walked firmly toward Kai and took his hand.
"See?" Aliarda said, looking back at the three heroes. "He is my brother!"
In that instant, Isabela—the most troublesome of the queens—stepped forward, annoyed.
"Your Majesty, could you move back a bit? You are scaring them."
Aliarda immediately frowned.
"My brother doesn't scare anyone," the girl retorted. "You are the scary one."
And she stuck her tongue out at her. A deathly silence fell over the Throne Room. The Hero of the Sword suppressed a laugh; the Half-Wolf coughed to hide his own. Isabela, red with rage, pointed at the child:
"Your Majesty! That creature...!"
Kai raised a hand, and the entire hall fell silent.
"Isabela," he said with a blood-chilling calm, "do not dare to disrespect a potential princess of this kingdom."
The queen fell silent. Kai continued:
"From this moment on, the girl remains under my direct care. She will be moved to the Beach House. Later, I will speak with all of you about what has occurred, and about the unilateral decision you made regarding the Olympics."
The queens bowed their heads. The King's words were law. Aliarda, happy, embraced the three heroes before leaving.
"I'll be back with you soon," she told them, as if she owned the palace.
Kai watched her be led away. Finally, he addressed the audience:
"From this moment, no soldier, noble, or captain shall ever refer to these heroes as kidnappers again. They protected a girl of golden eyes. Your lives are pardoned, and you shall be rewarded for your bravery."
Aliarda's appearance had turned the world upside down. Kai had made his decision: to recognize her, protect her, and discover why her eyes held the same energy as his.
INTERROGATION OF THE HEROES
When the queens left the hall with Aliarda, a thick tension remained. Kai straightened on his throne.
"Hero of the Sword. Half-Wolf. Black Witch," he said. "Come forward. You have been accused of kidnapping a child. I want to hear from your own mouths... exactly what happened?"
The Black Witch spoke up, her gaze steady despite her exhaustion:
"Your Majesty, we found the girl in the forests of the High Elves. She herself asked us to bring her to the Peninsula to find her brother. As adventurers, we accepted the task and were granted a Siris award as payment. All this time, we have fled from hunters who offered two chests of gold for her. The Black Sorcerer you eliminated set that price. We fled through the Kingdom of Humans, the High Humans, the Church, and the White Mages. We didn't know you were her brother until we reached the last kingdom. Beyond that, we know nothing of her."
The Half-Wolf spoke up, serious:
"We protected her as best we could. She clung to us and asked us to bring her to you, Majesty."
Kai looked at the Hero of the Sword:
"And you?"
"Your Majesty... we didn't know who she was. We only defended her. I ask your forgiveness if the situation offended you."
Kai looked down for a moment, seeing the truth in their gestures. Finally, he spoke:
"I have heard enough."
THE KING'S PROTECTION
The nobles held their breath. Kai stood up, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.
"I declare publicly," he said, raising his voice, "that these three adventurers are not kidnappers. They defended a girl whose identity neither they, nor any of us, knew."
The captains bowed their heads, and the nobles murmured in approval. The Paladin breathed a sigh of relief, while the S-Rank smiled as if watching a fascinating play.
"Their actions prevented the girl's death," Kai continued. "They prevented the Black Sorcerer from obtaining her and averted a greater disaster. For this, they shall be rewarded. They will be housed in one of my mansions in the capital, under custody, but with every luxury and comfort, until I thoroughly investigate who Aliarda truly is."
The half-wolf and the Hero of the Sword bowed deeply. The Black Witch maintained her solemn calm.
"For now… you may withdraw. You are not under arrest. You are under my protection."
As the three heroes were escorted out of the hall, Aliarda's distant cry could be heard:
"I'LL BE BACK!! WAIT FOR ME!!"
The three could not help but laugh as they crossed the threshold. But as they left, the true political storm was only beginning.
INTERROGATION OF THE PALADIN
The Throne Room filled once more. A herald announced in a powerful voice:
"The Paladin of the Human Kingdom requests an audience!"
Kai made a gesture, and the Paladin entered with a firm step. Despite his gleaming armor, his eyes betrayed evident tension. He knelt before the throne.
"Your Majesty Kai," he said solemnly, "I come in the name of my King. I must take the Prince back to his kingdom. That is the order."
Kai descended one step from the throne. His aura shifted; it was not the violence of the Black Knight, but that of the Judge of the Realm.
"Paladin, I have investigated the facts. Your Prince did not kidnap the girl. According to Aliarda, he protected her. And according to the reports from the White Mages, he also defended her against the demons. Therefore, the Prince cannot leave my capital yet. He must remain here, under my protection."
The Paladin swallowed hard, stunned by the resolution.
"Your Majesty… who is that girl?" he asked in a thin voice.
"According to her own words," Kai replied, his words falling like a storm over the hall, "she is my sister. If that is true… then she is a Princess of this realm. The first Princess born in centuries."
The silence was absolute. The Paladin stood petrified.
"A Princess…? The sister of the Sorcerer King?"
"Therefore," Kai decreed, "the Prince will stay here until everything is cleared. I will not prevent him from returning to his kingdom later, but I must guarantee the child's safety. If he protected her… he shall receive honors, not punishment. The youths who cared for the girl will be named Heroes of the Nation during the festivities. Including your Prince."
The Paladin was breathless. To be named a "Hero of the Nation" of the Sorcerer Kingdom was a title as powerful as it was uncomfortable for other kingdoms. Kai smiled with surgical precision.
"I trust your King will have no objections."
"No, Your Majesty… none," the Paladin lied, knowing he could not defy the man who ruled from that throne.
The Paladin withdrew with military rigidity, a single thought haunting him: "If the Prince now belongs to the Sorcerer King… will he ever return home?"
THE CAPTAINS AND THE S-RANK
The Throne Room was given no respite. As soon as the Paladin left the hall, the heralds announced the next groups:
"The captains of the Human Kingdom, the Kingdom of the White Mages, and the Kingdom of the High Humans request an audience!"
Kai gave a gesture, and the doors swung wide open. Three captains advanced together: the Captain of the Human Army, the Captain of the High Human Kingdom, and the Captain of the White Mages. They knelt deeply before the throne.
"Your Majesty," the human captain said in a solemn voice, "we come to offer our sincerest apologies. We should never have allowed the queens to become involved in the pursuit. It was never our intention for them to be in danger."
The captain of the White Mages immediately added:
"Nor did we anticipate the appearance of the two thousand demons. The situation regarding the child completely overwhelmed us."
Kai looked down at them. There was no anger in his eyes, but there was an authority that commanded absolute silence.
"Do not worry," the King said. "I have already sent letters of gratitude to your respective sovereigns. What occurred is not your fault. It was a maneuver by the Black Sorcerer... and he is no longer a problem."
The captains exhaled with evident relief; the weight of a possible war with the Sorcerer King vanished from their shoulders. Kai continued:
"The reward of the two chests of gold will be distributed among all the adventurers and armies that participated in the pursuit, including your troops."
The three captains bowed their heads with deep gratitude.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," they replied in unison.
"You may withdraw," Kai ordered.
The men rose, gave a final bow, and left the hall. As the doors closed behind them, the atmosphere in the room shifted once again.
THE S-RANK ADVENTURER
The herald announced in a loud voice:
"The S-Rank Adventurer requests an audience!"
A smile crossed the King's face. He already knew this conversation would be much more... interesting. The S-Rank entered without any excessive formality. He walked with a relaxed stride, like one who is completely sure of himself. Upon reaching the throne, he gave the slightest tilt of his head—no more than the bare minimum required.
"Your Majesty," he greeted.
Kai spoke bluntly:
"Adventurer. According to the testimonies, you defended the child during the battle against the demons."
"I did," the man replied naturally. "But I did it for the two chests of gold. Not out of heroism."
Kai narrowed his eyes, measuring the man before him.
"I can grant you those chests as an official expression of gratitude, if that is your wish."
The adventurer smiled, shaking his head.
"I don't want that gold, Your Majesty."
Kai leaned an elbow on the throne, intrigued.
"Then tell me… what do you want?"
The S-Rank responded with absolute honesty:
"I want to work for you, Sorcerer King."
The entire hall whispered. The nobles nearly choked at the man's audacity. Kai stared at him, maintaining silence for a few seconds.
"Work for me?" he repeated, curious.
"Yes," the S-Rank replied. "I was observing everything. Your posture. Your energy. The way you took up the sword. Your speed in decapitating demons. You are the Black Knight... you don't need to put on the armor for me to know it. I only want to follow the strongest."
For a moment, silence reigned in the Great Hall. Kai finally spoke:
"I am... looking for staff," he admitted. "So, I will accept your request. But you must wait a few hours. I have matters to resolve first."
The adventurer bowed his head with satisfaction.
"Then I shall wait, Your Majesty."
He withdrew from the hall with a smile that revealed his ambitions, leaving behind a murmur of astonishment among those present.
KAI AND THE S-RANK IN THE GARDENS (English Version)
Night had already fallen by the time Kai finished speaking with ministers, nobles, and messengers. He had sent missives to all the kingdoms clarifying the truth: the Prince, the Hero of the Sword, and their companions had not kidnapped anyone. On the contrary, they had all protected the girl with the golden eyes.
Exhausted after hours of statecraft, Kai walked toward the main hall connected to the royal gardens. There, waiting patiently, was the S-Rank Adventurer. Kai sat across from him.
"Very well," the King said. "Now we can talk. Why do you want to work for me?"
The S-Rank responded without hesitation:
"Because you are stronger than the Hero King. And stronger than any warrior I have ever seen. You defeated demons without blinking. I want to serve the one who stands at the top of the world."
Kai raised an eyebrow, measuring the man's ambition.
"And what makes you think I need you?"
"Because I am useful," the adventurer smiled, brimming with confidence. "And because I know you seek to expand your kingdom."
Kai let out a light laugh.
"Fine. I can offer you a position... but it is no ordinary post."
"I'll take it regardless," the man replied.
"You will be the General Commander and Governor of the Southern Coastal City," Kai continued. "The city is protected but lacks leadership. I need someone experienced. According to your record, you are the best candidate."
The S-Rank's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and excitement.
"And what does that position include?"
"A mansion, a hundred servants, twenty secretaries, several noblewomen interested in marrying you, and a massive sum of gold," Kai listed indifferently.
The adventurer was speechless for a moment.
"Why give me so much... when you don't even know me?"
"I am not 'giving' you anything," Kai responded coldly. "That is what the position entails. Whether it were you or someone else, the reward would be the same. It is what the office demands. If you do not want it, you will leave my lands."
The S-Rank's expression changed. He realized that to Kai, power and wealth were simply tools of management.
"I'll accept... on one condition," he said finally.
"And what is that?" Kai asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I want to fight you one day."
Kai gave a half-smile.
"Very well. But you will fight one of my parts."
"One of your parts?" the S-Rank asked, confused.
"You shall see," the King replied. "If you defeat one of my parts, then you and I shall fight."
The S-Rank burst out laughing, accepting the challenge.
"Deal, Sorcerer King."
They shook hands. The adventurer walked out through the gardens, laughing loudly.
"He's a damn monster! What a crazy king!"
Kai took a deep breath as he watched him leave. Something even more complicated than demons, adventurers, and paladins awaited him: facing the truth about Aliarda.