Chapter 11 : So I Became A Coward to Hunt A Coward

One of the guards asks, "What do you want?" I reply, "I want to have an audience with the king." The guard says, "Not at this hour. Come tomorrow morning." I say, "I have something valuable to sell to him." The guard says, "Your Majesty doesn't see outsiders after evening. Go back and come here tomorrow morning." I say, "I have to depart for my hometown tomorrow morning. Alright then. I'll sell my valuable things to another king. The next kingdom will give me 18,000 gold coins at least." 

I turn around and start walking. The guard says, "Wait. I'll talk to your majesty." I stop and turn around. He goes inside. After a while, he comes back and says, "Your Majesty will see you now. Come with me." I smile and say, "Sure."

I enter into the royal palace with the guard. 

We walk through a long, massive hallway. A giant can walk here with head held high. There are many stone statues on both sides of the hallway. All of them depicting the king in different poses. As a saint, as a scholar, as a warrior, etc. He is a high-level narcissist then. 

After the hallway, we walk through the stairs. The long stairs take us to the second floor. Then we take a left turn, and we are in Royal Court. The room is massive and very decorative. There are some ministers standing in the room. And at the end of the room, the king is sitting on a seven- or eight-step raised throne. 

His age is maybe 55-60. He is wearing a white robe, but his body is covered with golden jewelry. That must be heavy. There is a crown on his head, which is too large for him. His eyes are made of greed alone.

I stand before him. He is not even looking at me. He is looking at the box I am carrying and maybe guessing what could be hidden there. If he asks me for my name and origin, I will be more than surprised. I look to my left. There is a balcony at the left. That is helpful.

The king says, "I heard you have something that is worth 18000 gold coins. Show me. Put it in front of me." He didn't even ask me to kneel before him. So much for a king. I smirk. 

I put the box in front of the throne's steps. The king says, "Open it." I push off the floor with my toes and get close to Elinshor in the blink of an eye. He startles. I grab his one leg and drag him from the throne to the floor. He is shouting, "You dare to hurt me! Unhand me, you filthy...guards! Guarrrr...." Others present in the room are going to attack me. I activate my flame on my left hand and say, "If you don't care about your life, then dare to touch me." Nobody moves hearing that. 

I tighten my grip on his leg. I start dragging him toward the balcony. He is still shouting, "No...no, wait. Listen to me. We can talk. You want gold? I will give you as much as you want." I lift him over the edge and hang him upside down. His is dangling in the open air. He shouts, "NO....NO....Don't drop me. Please tell me what you want." I say, "I want your throne, your crown, and your kingdom." 

- "No! They are mine. They belong to me." 

- "Like they belonged to your father?" 

- "I deserve the throne. Only I!" 

- "Name me the king now. Or else I will be the king over your dead body."

- "Never. My guards will hunt you down. Guards...."

I look down at the palace gate. The gate is open, and all the guards are lying on the ground. Have they been killed? By whom? 

He says, "You coward! You tricked me!" I say, "I had to. I have enough strength to break into the palace and kill you. But if I tried to do that, you would have run away at the first moment. And I don't know where your bedroom is. It would be a hassle for me to search for you while you would be hiding like a coward. So I had to lure you with your greed and then hunt you."

I swing him a little. His shouting increases. Now he is just cursing me. I don't want to kill him. The people of this kingdom have been suffering because of him for a long time. So he has to suffer in prison, being tortured every day. I say, "If you say one more word, I will toss you to the main gate." He shuts his mouth. 

- "HEY FILTHY COMMONER!" 

I look to my left. Near the door of the royal court, a man stands with a sword. Judging by the dress, he is the prince. Elinshor somehow sees him. He says, "Now my son is here. He will kill you." I say, "So, you are curious?" Corlious says, "Don't mock me, commoner. I am Corlious. And I will kill you with this holy sword. You have magic powers, right? This sword devours magic powers. You didn't know. Did you?" 

So, this family does business with The Sanctus Dominion. I say, "So you don't mind if I let go of his leg from here?" Elinshor shouts, "NO...." Corlious says, "No, I don't. After his death the throne will be mine. So, I'll kill you now. And my father will fall to the ground. People will know I avenged my father's death. And I will be the king of Alnovir." I swing Elinshor by his leg and say, "You must be proud as a father. Your son is following your path after all." Elinshor shouts, "CORLIOUS, STOP, LISTEN TO ME!"

Corlious starts running towards me with that sword. Alright, change of the plan. I'll toss this insect from here and dodge the baby insect's attack. I prepare myself. Elinshor is shouting.

Suddenly, just before Corlious can take a step onto the balcony, a woman with a sword appears at his left. As if she just teleported from the doorway to his side. She swings her sword at Corlious's neck. His head is severed from his body.

I am surprised to witness what happened. Elinshor stops shouting. The woman says with a cold voice, "Anyone who tries to kill his own father doesn't deserve to live."

That voice! 

My heart starts beating like crazy. I almost shout, "Princess Vaelya!"

Vaelya looks at me. She smiles beautifully and says with heart melting voice, "Yes, Hero Agni."