The path to the king

I woke up and looked around, I was in the bed and it was still early in the morning, Mr. Tarue was getting ready and I stood up.

“Oh, did I wake you up?”

“No, I just can’t sleep that well in a bed that is not mine”

“I get the feeling, Hikari”

“Are you… leaving?”

“Yeah, I got plenty to do, following the path to the king’s castle is not that difficult so you will be fine”

“I understand…”

I was looking down and Tarue gave me a small bag with some coins

“Tarue…, I can’t…”

“Take it, Hikari, is not that much to be honest, you can buy breakfast and some food to the way up there”

I took the money and nodded.

“Hey, don’t tell me you got attached to this old man, I like you but not in that way, young man”

I started laughing and Tarue laughed with me.

“Is not that, I was just thinking about what you said yesterday… I want to think that nobody is missing me but… something in me tells me that my parents at least worry a bit…”

Tarue patted my back and smiled.

“You can always come back to your town, can't you? Give your parents a big hug when you arrive, they will sure appreciate that”

I smile and grab the money into my pocket.

“Thank you, Tarue”

“Don’t mention it, Hikari, take care, young man”

Tarue grabbed his things and left the building, I watched him leave by looking at the window, I sat down in the bed and opened the bag of coins.

“How much is this?...”

I went down after a few hours to order a breakfast, a nice soup and garlic chicken, I started eating and when I finished I paid with a silver coin, in return they gave me 15 bronze coins.

I would need to memorize the economy here…

I went outside and looked at the castle on the hill, so I just started walking to make my way in there. Fortunately nobody suspected me and my clothes thanks to the cape that Tarue gave me.

I really need to compensate what the old man did for me

As I walked, I moved my eyes everywhere, not for being suspicious about everyone that walked around me but because I was excited, the classic clothes, the people selling, the kids playing, everything felt so unnatural but at the same time so magical.

“Young man! Buy this amazing powder, it would make your body never get itch ever again, come on, it is only a few ones available”

“My body won’t get itchy, are you sure?”

“Of course, ma'am”

A lady came before I could ever talk with the merchant so I took my chance and left.

“Buy these apples that are in discount, only 15 coins”

“This cream would take any injury like if you were using healing magic”

“That cape looks a bit old, you want a new one, young lad?”

I was running from these merchants and I sat down near a store, the store owner came out of it and yelled at me.

“IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BUY ANYTHING, LEAVE!”

“S-Sorry… what do you sell?”

“Gems! Are you interested?”

“No, thanks”

I got up and left as the store owner went back to his store angry, slamming the door, I laughed nervously as I continued my way to the king’s castle. An hour passed and I was just getting out of the commercial district, but before doing that I noticed a small store that had food in it, I entered and looked at the sandwiches they were serving.

“Excuse me”

“Yeah?”

A gorgeous lady came, she was wearing a traditional maid outfit as she bowed in front of me.

“Y-Yeah I want to know how much are you selling the sandwiches?”

“Sandwiches?”

“Ah, I mean, those filled bread things”

“Oh, those are 10 bronze coins”

“How many for 1 silver?”

“A silver?! Oh, those are 10 pieces of bread coming right away!”

“Thanks!”

So, the equivalent of a silver is 100 bronzes, sounds pretty simple

The girl gave a bag with the sandwiches along with two recipients with water and milk

“Uhm, I didn’t ask for this…”

“Is in the house, Mister! If you like the bread, make sure to come again!”

“Ah… haha… sure…”

I’m sure my face was a bit red from the enthusiasm and cuteness of the waitress. I left as I said my goodbyes and ate one of the sandwiches.

“This is good…”

It was filled with cheese, tomatoes, meat and lettuce, along with a cream that made the bread smooth and easy to chew.

I drank some milk as I went through the path to the king, the commercial district ended and now I was walking around houses and water channels. As I walked, I also took some of my pills, I already felt better but I shouldn’t miss that if I don’t want to fall again.

I don’t know how effective the medicine is here so it is better that I get a cure from this than not. So far, my luck has been good, I continue walking up the hill until I sit down in the middle of the dazzling sun.

I drink some water and get myself into a hallway to rest a little bit, I close my eyes a bit and shake my head as I open another sandwich.

-Is the middle of the day and I think I still have halfway to the king’s castle…-

I bite my sandwich and then I saw a shadow nearby, I grabbed my things and exit the hallway fast but I was hit with wooden, I fall into the ground unconscious and when I woke up the day was ending, I woke up with a horrendous headache and the pain increase more when I saw the things in front of me.

Parts of the sandwiches that I bought into the ground, my pills tossed and pulverized in the ground, the bottles broken and my bag was nowhere to be seen.

I touched my body and saw how the bag of money was gone too; I sigh and try to stand up as I hold my head.

My luck was supposed to end at some point… of course they are thieves… I should consider myself lucky if they only steal my things but there’s something they didn’t steal…

I touch the pocket inside the pocket of my pants and feel a circular object in there, I smile and walk holding my head.

When I was counting the bag in my room I notice a golden coin inside of it, I knew it was the most expensive one just by looking at it in comparison of the other ones so I took it and save it inside my pocket.

I was out of the residences and was on the last path and getting to the castle, it was already late, I felt cold, I was hungry and I was a bit sleepy, I was really tired already but I needed to push forward.

My legs were shaking and at one moment I fell down, I tried to stand up but my legs were killing me, I sat down in the grass and started to rub my legs as I took deep breaths, I let my whole body fall and saw the clean sky.

Dark sky filled with a ton of stars reflecting in my eyes. I couldn’t describe how beautiful it was, I know that the sky hasn’t changed in years but for some reason, this time, it felt different, the cold breeze hitting me and the sound of the grass moving.

It was really nostalgic, I felt like a kid again for a brief moment, and before I noticed, I fell asleep, when I woke up, I stood up with lances in front of my body, I flinched, jumping a bit.

“WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!”

“I… uhm… I… I want to speak with the king…”

I was nervous, not even a minute after waking up I was already sweating, the knights looked at me weird and one of them tried to make me stand.

“Come on, weirdo, get out of here”

I couldn’t stand up but it seemed that I didn’t want to stand up and the knight looked at me. I didn’t say anything and I just received a hit in my face, making me lose consciousness, everything was black, blurred images and vague conversations.

When I finally recovered my consciousness, I was looking at the bricks made of rock and the sound of a little door being open, there was bread and water and when I looked at the person that brought it up, it was a knight in his full armor.

I was behind prison bars; I grab the bars and look at the knight leaving and sigh while I look at the plate