The once-chaotic Arena, now controlled. As the emperor, Ryon, turned to leave after passing commands to the palace wizards on what to do next.
But suddenly a playful voice stopped him.
“Majesty, are you forgetting something?” Kent’s voice carried across the arena, cutting through the air like a blade.
The restless crowd, on the brink of dispersing, froze in place, their eyes wide with dumbfounded expressions. The emperor, seething with fury, stopped in his tracks and turned, glaring at Kent with burning eyes.
“You are free to go. Leave now before I change my mind,” Ryon spat out through gritted teeth, barely able to contain his growing irritation.
But Kent didn’t stop there. “Are you forgetting something,
your majesty
?” he asked again, his voice light, almost teasing.
The emperor, now visibly exasperated, shot back, “What is it this time? I said you are free to go!”
With a casual smile, Kent replied, “The Queen suggested a reward, remember? I saved her life. Twice, in fact. And I spent some torturous time in your prison without proper cause. Surely, there must be a reward?”
The crowd erupted into murmurs as they watched the scene unfold with disbelief. They couldn’t understand how Kent, after all that had transpired, had the audacity to ask for a reward in front of the emperor.
Ryon’s face twitched as if he’d been slapped. He clenched his fists but forced himself to respond. “What do you want?” the emperor asked, his voice strained with frustration.
“Declare the Dead Island City as an independent territory. It won’t be part of any nation and I would be its sole ruler.” Kent said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
“Agreed,” the emperor said curtly, eager to leave.
But as Ryon took another step to depart, Kent’s voice rang out again, “Majesty, you’re still forgetting something.”
Ryon spun around, his fury now boiling over. “Are you playing games with me?” he roared. “Do you know the consequences?”
Kent just smiled, unfazed by the emperor’s fury. “I saved the Queen’s life again. Second time,” he said, emphasizing the ‘second time’ with a playful tilt of his head.
Ryon was dumbfounded. “So?” he asked. Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire
Kent didn’t answer, only gave him a teasing smile, his eyes glinting with amusement. Realizing what Kent was hinting at, Ryon’s shoulders slumped. “What do you want now?” the emperor asked, utterly defeated by this game.
Kent’s smile widened. “I want to see the royal treasury.”
“What?!” The entire arena gasped in unison. Spectators stared at Kent, their jaws hanging in shock. Even the emperor seemed caught off guard.
“Nothing much,” Kent said, shrugging innocently. “I come from a small, poor planet. I’d like to see the treasury of a mighty royal family, you know, to broaden my horizons. I promise, it’s purely for knowledge purposes.” His expression was the picture of honesty, but his words dripped with sarcasm.
The emperor stared at him, flabbergasted. He had expected demands for treasure or lands, not a tour of the royal vaults. A tense silence followed, broken only by the emperor’s deep sigh.
“Agreed,” Ryon muttered through clenched teeth. Without another word, he stormed off, his robes billowing behind him.
As soon as the emperor disappeared from sight, King Ragnar, Kent’s uncle, approached from the crowd. Seeing her uncle, Lily quickly stepped back from Kent, putting distance between them.
“Where did you go?” Kent asked with a raised eyebrow. “I thought you’d left me to die.”
King Ragnar smiled warmly, holding out a lionhead-shaped gold pendant. “I brought this from my father,” he said, showing Kent the seal. “The Lionheart Seal. It’s the royal family’s most powerful tool. With this, I could have saved you even if my brother had ordered your execution. I was waiting for the right moment to show it. But you handled the situation on your own.” Ryon replied with a helpless smile.
Kent chuckled, his hand resting on Lily’s shoulder for a moment before she shyly stepped back. “Good to know I have a get-out-of-prison-free card.”
—
Far Away in the First Realm… 32nd gathering of Sworn Wizards…
In the depths of the First Realm, on a hidden island controlled by the Spear-head members of the sworn wizards, a gathering that could shape the future of all nine realms was underway.
Nine wizards, each representing one of the Nine Realms, sat in a circle within a grand stone chamber. At the head of the table was none other than Madam Clark, the head of the Fist Faction and Kent’s mother.
“So, are you all saying that wealth is our only issue? We have the numbers, we have powerful allies, and we have experts sworn to fight with us.”
A murmur of agreement passed around the room, but the leader of the wand faction, an elder from the 8th Realm, leaned forward, tapping his wand on the table. “Madam Clark, wealth will decide the outcome of this war. You know as well as I do that powerful wizards are essential, but treasures… treasures win wars.”
The Wind Fan, faction head from 2nd Realm nodded. “He’s right. The war of the Nine Realms will be fought with spells and magic, yes, but treasures and artifacts will determine the victor. Without them, even the most powerful wizard is vulnerable.”
Another Staff faction wizard, representing the Fourth Realm, spoke up. “We have allies, but they need to be equipped. If we’re going to face the combined might of the 9 realms association, royal families and their forces, we need to fund this war properly. We need treasures that can turn the tide.”
Madam Clark listened intently, her fingers clenched in determination. “Then it’s decided,” she said after a moment of silence. “We gather wealth. As much as we can. We’ll leverage our alliances, trade for treasures, and seize what we need.”
The mace faction head from 9th Realm chuckled darkly. “Gathering sounds like the right approach. After all, the royal families won’t just hand over their treasures.”
A tense silence followed. The room was filled with a sense of urgency, the weight of the upcoming war looming over them all.
“The treasures will come on their own. We started this sworn wizard’s faction with nothing. But look at our strength now. Gather the wealth, amass the treasures, and prepare for war. This is the moment that will decide the fate of the Nine Realms. We cannot afford to fail. If it is wealth that is stopping us from victory, We will get it. Understand!” Madam Clark declared, rising from her seat.
The wizards exchanged determined glances, each keeping their trust on Madam Clark.
–
Thank You All…!