We finally entered the palace through a discreet side door. Lyrieth had been silent the entire time, which was unsettling in itself. Her usual quips and sarcasm were conspicuously absent.
“Cat got your tongue?” I asked, glancing at her as we walked down a dimly lit corridor.
“You told me to keep my mouth shut,” she replied flatly. After a beat, she added, “I did not know you were a sword master.”
“I’m not a… What are you…?” I started, but then shook my head, deciding it was better to let it go. “Look, just stay quiet unless it’s a life-or-death situation, okay?”
She arched an eyebrow but didn’t respond.
We reached a tall set of double doors, and a guard gestured for us to enter. Inside, we found ourselves in a lavishly decorated sitting room. A gold and white leather sofa dominated the space—a gaudy piece of furniture that screamed wealth but managed to look distinctly uncomfortable. We sat down, and a stunning maid appeared, offering us tea with a graceful smile.
My stomach twisted with hunger, a reminder that the only thing I’d eaten recently was a boiled potato. I was tempted to ask for something more substantial but kept my composure, not wanting to seem desperate.
The doors opened again, and a striking young woman walked in. She had flowing blonde hair and eyes as blue as a summer sky. Her elegant blue dress hugged her figure in all the right places, accentuating her curves with effortless grace.
I could really go for two juicy melons right now, I thought.
Anyhow, she sat down across from us on the other equally ugly sofa, her movements as graceful as the dress she wore. The maid appeared again, this time bringing her a fresh cup of tea.
Lyrieth leaned in close, her voice barely a whisper. “The tea is poisoned.”
I nodded and took a sip of my own tea, smiling at the woman across from me. “This is some really good tea,” I said, my grin widening as she smiled politely back.
An awkward silence stretched between us.
“Her tea is poisoned, you absolute buffoon,” Lyrieth hissed, this time loud enough for everyone to hear.
The blonde woman froze, the cup halfway to her lips. The maid standing behind her went pale, her hands trembling as she clutched the tray.
A side door flew open, and a catwoman sprinted toward the blonde, who had just lifted the cup to her lips. I leapt up and positioned myself between them, shouting at Lyrieth to secure the cup.
But the catwoman didn’t even glance my way as she darted past me, tackling the maid to the ground in a flurry of leather and fur. For a moment, I couldn’t tell if she was a security guard or just a particularly committed pervert. With the way she was straddling the maid, pinning her wrists to the floor, it definitely looked like the latter. I struggled to regain my composure.
Before I could fully process what was happening, the main doors burst open, and the king stormed in, his presence filling the room like a thunderclap.
At that exact moment, the wolfman lunged toward me, shoving me roughly away from the blonde woman. “Stay back!” he growled.
The king’s voice boomed through the chaos. “What is the meaning of this?!”
Lyrieth, ever the opportunist, lunged at the wolfman, ready to fight. I had to wrap an arm around her waist to hold her back, struggling to keep her from adding to the mayhem.
The blonde woman, seemingly unfazed by the commotion, took a step forward and spoke with a radiant smile. “Please, your majesty, there is poison in the tea, and we are merely trying to uncover the culprit behind this affair.”
The king’s face flushed crimson, his eyes blazing with fury. “Scandalous!” he roared. “Off with her head! Right now!”
“Can we maybe not do that?” I chimed in, reclining back onto the ugly sofa. “It might be wiser to hear her out first. I don’t think maids just go around poisoning people without a pretty compelling reason.”
The catwoman’s green eyes narrowed as she turned her glare on me, her voice low and edged with suspicion. “And what makes you think she has a good reason?” she hissed, her breath warm against my face. “Are you suggesting there are good reasons to poison princess Elara? It’s a grave offense, punishable by death. Why should we listen to a traitor’s excuses?”
I met her gaze, refusing to back down. “Because jumping to conclusions is how you end up making mistakes,” I replied. “Shouldn’t there be due process before we start lopping off heads? And where’s the evidence she even knew the tea was poisoned?”
“She froze,” the catwoman snapped, her voice rising. “I saw it, and you saw it too.”
“That’s called circumstantial,” I said dryly.
“The word of the king is absolute!” she shot back, practically spitting the words.
“That’s called tyranny,” I countered, unable to help myself. Yeah, I was probably pushing my luck. But if I was going to dig a hole, I might as well make it deep.
Before anyone could react, I picked up the cup and raised it to my lips. “Let’s settle this,” I said, then pretended to take a sip. In reality, I used my storage ability to transfer the contents of the cup into inventory.
With a flicker of concentration, I separated the poison from the tea by storing each in a separate slot.
I held up the empty cup with a grin. “See? Perfectly fine.”
SKILL ALCHEMY UPGRADED 1/10
I put three points into it.
Nightrift Venom, it even gave me a description:
Nightrift Venom
It is derived from the rare and deadly Nightrift flower, which only blooms under the light of a blood moon. This poison is a slow-acting agent that targets the victim’s nervous system, causing gradual paralysis and ultimately leading to a painful death. What makes Nightrift Venom particularly dangerous is that it binds to the body’s cells in such a way that it cannot be neutralized by conventional magic or antidotes. Once ingested, the only known way to stop its progression is a complex and risky procedure involving the extraction of the venom through a rare alchemical process or complete extermination through holy magic.
“Tastes like Nightrift Venom,” I said, setting the empty cup down. “Not exactly something you’d find at the corner shop, is it?”
The room fell silent, the weight of the revelation settling over everyone like a heavy blanket. The king’s expression morphed from shock to rage, his eyes blazing as he slammed a fist onto the armrest of his throne. “Nightrift Venom? Impossible! Who would dare use such a thing within my palace?”
“Your Majesty,” I began, standing up from the gaudy sofa, “if I may be so bold as to suggest a course of action?” The king gave a curt nod, his eyes still seething with anger. “As of now, no one outside this room knows about the failed attack. If this maid cooperates, we could turn this to our advantage. Follow the chain of command, trace it back to whoever orchestrated this. All we need is the maid’s motivation and—”
“Consider it done,” Lyrieth interjected, suddenly kneeling in front of the maid and locking eyes with her. The maid trembled, and within seconds, she collapsed in a faint.
“She was ordered to poison the tea this week,” Lyrieth continued, her voice calm and matter-of-fact. “If she didn’t, they threatened to kill her sister. She has agreed to cooperate; she will do whatever you ask.” Her golden eyes, which had been glowing with an unsettling intensity, seemed to dim as she turned to look at me. It was as if the entire room had collectively forgotten to breathe for a moment, the air thick with the remnants of Lyrieth’s command.
She rose gracefully and sat down beside me, as though nothing unusual had happened. Silence hung in the air, leaving everyone in a state of suspended disbelief.
The king finally found his voice, his tone steadier but still edged with fury. “Very well,” he commanded, his gaze shifting to the wolfman and catwoman. “You two, carry out his plan. Ensure that no word of this leaves the palace.”
With swift bows, the wolfman and catwoman left the room with the maid in tow, the heavy doors closing behind them with a resounding thud. That left Lyrieth, the princess, the king, and me facing each other in the empty sitting room—this time, notably without tea.
“Well,” I said, breaking the silence, “that escalated quickly.”
The king looked tired and the princess started introducing the king as his majesty Karleman III of Eldoria and herself as Elara. I introduced myself as Wolf and Lyrieth as Lizzy, because bringing a legendary creature into a castle could be against the law, who knows.
Elara then addressed me directly: “Wolf, are you the promised hero?”
“Princess Elara, I am most definitely not a hero.”
“You defeated the kingdoms second strongest swordsman”
“Princess Elara, I did most definitely not”
Princess Elara raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of curiosity and skepticism. “Oh? Then how do you explain your apparent prowess in combat and your uncanny ability to identify Nightrift Venom by tasting it? Those are not the skills of an ordinary traveler.”
“It was just a short mock battle, and we stopped after the first round. And it was Lizzy who identified the poison, she likes plants and insects”, Lizzy I mean Lyrieth was trying so hard not to speak.
Princess Elara’s eyes flicked to Lyrieth, a hint of amusement dancing in her gaze. “Ah, I see. So, Lizzy is the true expert here? How fortunate for you to have such a knowledgeable companion. But tell me, Wolf, if you are not the promised hero, what brings you to our kingdom? Why would you register as a candidate, if you are so sure about not being the hero. Tell me, Wolf and Lizzy, who registered as Wolf and Lyrieth, where were you born? Who are your parents? And why in the world would you register in writing under the name of a legendary calamity and later lie about it?”
I froze, my mind scrambling for an explanation.
Princess Elara leaned closer, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone. “Well?” she said, the room seeming to shrink around us. “I await your explanation. Here in Eldoria, truth is a valuable currency, and deception is not taken lightly. If you wish to earn our trust—and perhaps avoid further complications—you had best start by telling us the truth.”
She paused, letting her words sink in, her gaze unwavering as she studied both me and Lyrieth. The weight of the room seemed to settle on us, every eye waiting for our response.
The king, who had been distractedly admiring a painting on the wall behind us, finally turned his attention back to the conversation. “Ela, please,” he said, his tone softer. “Do not be rude to our guests. I know this is your project, but I cannot allow you to offend the strong.”
“At least someone in this family has some sense of—” Lyrieth began, but stopped mid-sentence as I pinched her leg under the table.
“What my companion meant to say, Your Majesty,” I interjected quickly, “is that we are not offended in the slightest. We understand and respect the princess’s concerns.”
The king’s shoulders relaxed slightly, though his eyes remained sharp.
Princess Elara tilted her head, still scrutinizing us. “Very well,” she said, her voice cool. “If you have nothing to hide, then let us continue.”
I took a deep breath. “Princess Elara, I’ll be completely honest—on one condition. You must swear to keep our identities hidden.”
Elara’s eyes narrowed, and she shook her head. “I’m afraid I cannot promise that. The hero belongs to the kingdom and its people,” she replied, her tone resolute.
“Then at least allow us to conceal our faces from now on,” I suggested. “If we’re to participate in anything public, some degree of anonymity would help.”
She considered this for a moment, then nodded. “This I can agree to.”
I glanced at Lyrieth before beginning. “Alright, then. Here’s the truth, or at least most of it. We came from another world.” I glanced at Lyrieth again. “Which is also true for my companion, in a manner of speaking. We didn’t have enough money for the city’s entry fee, so we registered under some fake names. We don’t really know anything about this world’s customs, politics, or what it means to be a hero.”
Princess Elara’s expression softened slightly, though it was clear she was still evaluating every word.
“Will you help us, then?” she asked, her voice more earnest. “There is an army of demons marching toward our borders. They will reach us within days. They bring destruction, suffering, and terror. Please, lead us to victory, hero.”
I held up a hand. “If you want me to play hero, then we set some rules of engagement,” I said firmly. “I won’t have a part in needless bloodshed. No rape, no torture of prisoners, and no targeting civilians. If I’m going to be your hero, I need to know we’re fighting righteously and for the right reasons. So tell me, Princess… are we the good guys?”
Elara exchanged a glance with the king, who gave a solemn nod. “War is chaotic,” she admitted, “and I cannot guarantee the actions of every soldier. But I swear to uphold and enforce these rules, regardless of rank or status. Our kingdom is founded on principles of justice. All are equal before the law.”
She extended her hand. “Do we have a deal?”
I met her gaze, then took her hand in a firm grip. “Yes, Princess. What do you need me to do?”
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