The huffing and puffing of the only remaining adventurer Wiley was the center of attention for the other 6 surviving members. After running off in separate directions they did all eventually meet at the portal.
After crossing the portal however and seeing the wide boss room, Wiley seemed to start hyperventilating.
"Agalia!" Occasionally he would scream the name of his party leader and companion while remaining in a fidgety state.
A couple of the knights shot each other glances before one finally stepped up. He took off his helmet revealing a man in his early thirties.
"Hey kid" The man said after putting a hand on Wiley's shoulders.
"Wh- What?!" Wiley turned back and asked still gravely agitated.
After exiting through the portal the first thing he did was drop Agalia on the ground as lightly as possible and forcing her to drink a couple of potions. After she started to turn purple from asphyxiation Wiley had to make her puke out the contents of the potion sending money down the drain.
Money wasn't the real problem though. Agalia had not woken up even after all of Wiley's back and forth.
"Life can be tough sometimes but… you signed up for thi-" The middle-aged man froze for a moment feeling that someone was likely giving him a cold stare.
"I mean, we should focus on getting her out of here if she is to have any hope of survivin- What?! That's wrong too?" He turned back and asked exasperated.
"Pfttttttttt, hahaha…" Wiley released a strange laugh hearing the words and seeing the actions of the knights. It was comical. But his spirits were not lifted in the slightest.
"Prissy…" She wasn't just annoying, she was his… she was his… she was his crush. He hated to admit but at some point the annoying woman had become a necessary everyday dynamic. Without her, his suicidal words were useless.
Was that when he first developed the tendency to seek death? When he was first reproached heavily by Prissy? Wiley could not remember. It was testament to the time he knew Prissy for.
While Agalia and he did not share such an extensive and colorful story, she was still someone that Prissy sacrificed herself to save. To let her die would leave a heavy burden on his shoulders.
"Wiley" A new and younger voice said causing Wiley to turn around and meet the person's gaze.
"I admired your fearlessness since our first meeting" Wiley's reckless words seemed more like friendly banter to the knights when they first met him. Nevertheless, Wiley proved that he was indeed not afraid of danger in this battle.
He was one with his spear and at the forefront of the fight against the monstrous orcs. It was a duty that none of them could willingly say they would step up to hold.
"I- I agree" Somebody else echoed this opinion.
"So what are you afraid of now?" The young man asked Wiley in continuation.
"I'm afraid…?" Wiley said confused.
"Is this your first time experiencing the death of your party members?" Someone else asked. This question was met with awkward silence. It had to be his first time.
The other party members now knew more than ever that Wiley's fearlessness didn't come out of bravery but out of bravado. That his lightness of death came not of pain and sorrow but out of naivety.
The party was silent for a good while but they did eventually gather their wits and left the boss room. The drop item was still safely within their hands as the cart had been nothing more than an afterthought. Its true purpose was to carry some simple back up weapons and serve as a decoy.
That meant that although they took a heavy loss, it wasn't all in vain. As long as they could bring the item back to the prince, they would be able to earn some favor with him.
Yes, as long as the prince had some common sense and was the tiniest bit of understanding they'd be able to get off not just scott free, but with even a substantial reward.
That was all it took.
***
The Bosque Kingdom's situation was becoming increasingly worse. The Volcan's had forced their way past the border and into Bosque territory. It was no joking matter.
Rift city which was located near the three-way border of Bosque, Galeburst and Volcan. That had made it ideal for the Monte Auction house to receive important guests but that was what now made this key point liable to the effects of war.
It was not that the Bosque military was weak, it was simply in disarray. The company commanders did not have complete control over their companies due to a variety of reasons outside just rules and regulations.
People like the king, ministers, important nobles like dukes, etc. all had a higher position than these army commanders. They could do all manner of things to set them up or slow them down and these commanders would have to simply take it.
This was what was plaguing Bosque. It wasn't just corruption, it was espionage and double agency. The war situation had always been in the emperor Mite Volcan's hands.
To address this issue, there was only one person in Bosque fit for the job. That was of course the king. The mighty and powerful existence that took on the burden of managing the country and its people.
But in the case where this key figure was missing, one had to settle for the regent, or the crown prince. It was just a pity that this person was incompetent.
"I advised you your highness to-" The advisor to the king was still having a hard time.
"Hey! Stop it already!" Brennan Bosque's son, the prince, Adelio Bosque II shouted to the advisor.
"But-" The advisor was adamant this time. They couldn't brush this off.
"Judas, lead him out" Adelio said batting an eye at a figure beside him in the throne room.
This was a tall figure with lightly tanned skin that seemed to carry a permanent face of indifference and at times, scorn. Though the latter was skillfully hidden from the prince.
Judas didn't have to say anything. He stepped away from the prince and approach the advisor with slow methodical steps.
The sound of his steps echoed in the vastly empty room. It was odd really. The king would always be guarded quite tightly but the prince's throne was almost always empty. Brennan only dared take this action when Eon was expected to visit.
Did Adelio not fear death?
"Judas…" The advisor said audibly before his words turned into a fearful whisper.
"Ah… I see" Judas said before nodding.
"You- Your highness!" Judas suddenly knelt down and said.
Adelio narrowed his eyes seeming to sense that Judas was about to do something annoying. But Judas did not say anything in the end.
"What?" Adelio was forced to speak up.
"Please show royal advisor Monico some mercy and allow him to commune with you for just a moment! What he wants to say this time is vitally important!" Judas said imploringly something that seemed to be entirely against his personality.
"Why are you making such a fuss? Hey, Monico just speak up and stop wasting my time. Sigh... " It was all really quite a bore. Were it not for the fact that it was Judas' request, a person who had helped him to the throne, he wouldn't bother listening to Monico utter a single other word.
"Yo- Your highness… I- I need to get closer to tell you!" The advisor said trembling. Beads of sweat were forming on his forehead from the pressure.
"Sigh… You already made me get rid of the knights to avoid alarming the populace, what secret is enough that you don't trust my arrangement?" Adelio asked seemingly declining the action in a roundabout way.
"But your highness, no, your majesty, It'll be troublesome if others like the Galeburst dynasty catch wind of it. Plus, from what Monico has informed me this comes from the Harvest March" Judas said in persuasion.
The advisor only continued to tremble silently. He felt as if he would suffocate from anxiety.
"Hmmm… The Harvest March has treated me well..." It would be rude not to treat any news from there as a priority. At the very least, Adelio did have some gratitude towards those that assisted him.
Being already on the throne, he could afford to do these small favors.
"Th- Then?!?!" Monico stuttered and asked with anticipation.
"Damn are you deaf? Has my father's voice been so harsh on your ear?! Well, he was pretty annoying hahaha" Adelio said stirring up an awkward atmosphere. Once the prince's laughter died down, Monico grew closer.
"Your Majesty" The advisor said shooting a glance at the throne.
"I am very sorry for the disservice I've done to you" The advisor continued.
"Hey, did I say I want to hear your apologies?" Adelio said harshly as Monico finally came face to face with him.
"No, your highness, you did not" The advisor continued with surprising calm. He was starting to feel, liberated?
"Your highness?" Adelio repeated looking down pensively. There was something strange. He lifted his chin to look at the advisor directly but before he knew it…
"Wh- What the hell?!" Adelio exclaimed in surprise. A cold feeling brushed into his body. This feeling was not merely that of being stabbed!
It was bone chilling, life sucking, deathly!
Adelio could no longer find words to utter. This cold spread throughout his body and in his confusion he sought an answer but no one responded to his questioning eyes. The wide grin of Monico left him lost.
What happened?
It was dark.