The lead judge’s voice echoed through the silent arena, his cold, emotionless tone delivering the final verdict that would change the fate of the Doom family forever. “King Hoom Doom, the final price is calculated.
In addition to the initial 500 million superior mana stones and one thousand carts of elemental crystals, the value of the Treasure Trove Palace is several times the annual revenue of the Frost family.”
King Hoom Doom’s face paled as the weight of the words crashed over him like a tidal wave. His hands trembled as he struggled to maintain composure. “How… how much?” he managed to stammer, his voice barely audible.
The judge didn’t blink as he replied, “One billion superior mana stones and five thousand carts of seven elemental crystals, in total.”
A collective gasp rose from the spectators. It was a price so astronomical that even the wealthiest kingdoms would struggle to pay.
“One billion! That’s… that’s more than an entire kingdom’s treasury!” Someone from the Doom family who stood in line behind King Hoon Doom, muttered in a shocked tone.
“They’re done for. The Doom family will never recover from this.” The crowd’s murmur became louder.
King Hoom Doom’s world seemed to spin. His vision blurred, his body swayed, and before he could even respond, his legs buckled beneath him. He collapsed to the ground with a dull thud, his consciousness slipping away under the overwhelming realization of his defeat.
“Father…!”
“Majesty!”
Princess Chuli screamed in shock and horror, rushing to her father’s side, trying to shake him back to reality. But her own mind was clouded with despair. This was a catastrophe. Everything they had worked for, everything they had built, was about to be reduced to ashes.
The judges, standing tall and unmoved by the scene, exchanged glances before one of them stepped forward. His gaze was cold and unsympathetic as he addressed the fallen king. “As per the agreement, King Hoom Doom, failure to pay the total sum will result in further penalties.”
The weight of those words fell like a death sentence. Princess Chuli, her voice shaking, asked, “What… what penalties?”
One of the other judges turned to King Ragnar, who was still watching the scene with a calm, regal expression. “If the Doom family cannot pay the betting amount, a part of land or a big city from the Doom kingdom will be awarded in compensation. Is that acceptable to you?”
King Ragnar’s response was immediate and firm. “Yes, it is. I will be more glad to receive their land.”
A stunned silence fell over the arena.
“They’re going to lose their land too…” a voice whispered in disbelief.
“Is there anything the Doom family won’t lose today?” another muttered, shaking their head.
The Doom family’s ministers huddled together, their faces crumbled as they realized the enormity of the situation. King Hoom Doom slowly regained consciousness, his face a mask of despair. He called upon his ministers, motioning for them to approach. The Minister wizards, trembling themselves, gathered around their king for a hurried discussion.
“We can pay Ragnar’s debt, Your Majesty,” The senior treasury minister said quietly. “But we don’t have the resources to pay Kent. Even if we sold everything—the palace, the royal holdings—we would still fall short.”
King Hoom Doom’s hands clenched into fists. “We… we can’t sell everything! That would leave us with nothing!” he hissed in frustration. He turned to his ministers, his voice shaking. “What… what can we do?”
A younger minister spoke up hesitantly. “Your Majesty, instead of selling everything and risking the collapse of the kingdom, we could offer them a part of our land.”
King Hoon Doom glared angrily at him. “Do you think I don’t know about it? But losing a part of land will make that fellow a City lord. Also, they might use that land to place our enemies. What if he encouraged all rebels and Black Sword Gang who were a constant harassment to our kingdom?” Ling Hoon Doom retorted in a frustrated tone.
The senior minister nodded. “There is one solution, my King. We can offer them the Dead Island City, situated in the Northern Sunken Desert.”
Hoom Doom’s eyes lit up momentarily as the idea took root. Princess Chuli’s lips curled into a faint smile, the hint of relief creeping onto her features. Experience tales with empire
‘Dead Island City’ was a barren wasteland with a wild population and little revenue, Poor and nearly impossible to cultivate or develop. Offering it as compensation might allow them to escape total ruin while holding onto their core lands and resources.
One of the judges, after hearing King Hoon Doom’s proposal said, “If you intend to offer Dead Island City in the Northern Sunken Desert, we must first see if Kent agrees.”
The judge’s cold voice cut through the air, drawing the attention of the crowd and Kent himself, who had been lazily feeding his baby dragon with an air of disinterest. He finally looked up, his eyes locking with the judge’s.
The judge raised his hand. “Kent, if you agree to this deal, the Dead Island City in the northern reaches will be transferred to you, and you will be named its lord.”
A murmur spread through the arena.
“Who’s going to accept that dead city?” one spectator whispered. “It’s a barren wasteland! What use is that to anyone?”
Another voice interjected, “He’s not just taking their money… now he’s going to take their land as well?”
King Ragnar leaned in toward Kent, his voice low but firm. “Kent, I advise against accepting this deal. Dead Island City is nothing more than a desolate ruin. There’s no revenue from that place.”
Kent, however, smiled slightly. There was something about the idea of commanding his own land, even if it was a barren wasteland, that intrigued him. His mind worked quickly, considering possibilities that no one else seemed to see.
“I accept,” Kent’s voice came decisively.
The crowd erupted in disbelief. “He accepted?”
“Why would anyone take Dead Island City?”
“He’s a fool! There’s nothing to gain from that land!”
–
PeterPan 😉