Arnold Krauz, the second villain that I had introduced in my novel. He's a detective from the Kraelion Empire, a loyal man to his nation. And because of that loyalty, he killed the mother of the protagonist. The reason being because Helena, the protagonist's mother, was suspected of being in cahoots with a demonic ability. She was originally from the Kraelion Empire and one of the greatest mages from there. She fled the empire when she got pregnant by a man who was rumored to be a demonic ability user.
Arnold Krauz, being the loyal man that he is to the empire, started to take on a mission to find out the truth and clean the dirty image that Helena had made. The word that spread that they were an empire that nurture people with demonic abilities has made his heart sink, and he couldn't take it until he found the truth.
Arnold found where the place Helena and the main character were living in—somewhere in the rural areas of the Vellian Empire, the one bordering the Solaria Kingdom at the eastern side of the continent. Arnold first tried to talk with Helena, but that didn't end well. He found nothing about her having demonic ability, but when Arnold mentioned that the main character should at least meet his grandfather in the Kraelion Empire, Helena ran wild. Arnold, who couldn't restrain her, decided to end her life. The main character, who was away from home, later found out that Arnold Krauz was the killer, then got his revenge.
...
At least that's how the story is supposed to go.
I'm now here lying on a bed in what seems to be a very noble looking place... A golden chandelier dangled from the ceiling, walls with hand-drawn intricate patterns, and furniture of silver. The room is so expensive just by the look of it. It's grand and spacious. The bed that I'm lying on is also high quality—the bedding sucking me in like falling into the clouds.
Beside me is Lisa, sleeping by the silver chair. I do not know why she's here, but she's saved now. But I can't move my whole body—there's bandage all over me. Even just the slightest movement brings a seething pain throughout my whole body that makes me frown.
Suddenly, someone barges in the room. The golden-painted doors slammed to the side, and Lisa jolted from her sleep when she heard the commotion.
"Hello, great guests, dinner will be here soon," a butler announced. "The king will be here soon also to address you two great heroes."
"The king!?" Lisa shouted in shock.
Well, it's to be expected. I had confronted a monster that would've grown to be a threat to a country when left alone. The king must've recognized my bravery and decided to give a reward. I don't know why Lisa is still here though—it's supposed to be that guy Arnold Krauz, but I don't see him anywhere.
Maybe he fled. Well, overall we can keep the rewards to ourselves, so it's not like it's a bad thing. Soon, the meal arrived. It was fancy, all came in covered in silver covers. The maids helped me sit up; my mouth twitched as the sting of pain shot up through my body. They prepared a table beside the bed, putting food all over.
Lisa's mouth dripped saliva as she watched the cover being uplifted, revealing the scrumptious foods inside. The fragrance was so good—enough to make you feel full while not having eaten. Seasoned grilled meat, all kinds of edible meat was there at the table, topped with some vegetables and fruits.
It was like a banquet but just for the two of us. The butler left; the maids stood at the side, watching us awkwardly eat. But we ignored them as the appetite of our stomach washed over us. We ate deliciously. The tender, juicy meat melted on my tongue as I bit through it. The small vegetable on top added some minty taste to it.
Before you know it, we ate up the whole menu, not leaving even the fruits behind. It was a blast—our stomachs bloated like balloons, making a contented face as the feel of relief washed over us. After some time, the butler came in and announced:
"I present to you, His Majesty the King of Arkan Kingdom."
The king stepped in, his royal-like robes on the floor. Caressing his long white beard while he smiles towards us. Lisa immediately stood up and bowed. I followed, but my legs trembled and forced me to sit down.
"It's okay, oh great hero. You've done enough; you can rest," the king said politely, waving his hand, his voice showing signs of old age. Lisa sat nervously.
"I apologize, Your Majesty," I bowed. "And thank you for the delicious meal. We had a great time eating."
"Hoho! I'm glad the food's to your liking," the king said, sitting down in a chair that was offered by the butler. "Now, let's be brief. I want to reward you for defeating that monster that came out of nowhere. But I heard the monster came from your friend that was traveling with you. Is that true?" the king asked, his right eyebrow raised.
"Yes. In fact, they had been planning to summon a monster here with the intention to get your recognition," I answered calmly. "They wanted to infiltrate the hero's party. I heard this by eavesdropping and made a plan to kill the monster."
"Oh! Then I will surely give you a big reward for this," the king said enthusiastically. "Not only did you save my kingdom and its citizens, you've also saved everyone from preventing a disastrous occurrence. How truly remarkable!"
"Oh please, you're flattering me, Your Majesty. It was something I should do. It is my duty," I said. "I have also heard something from them—they've mentioned that they were serving the First Demon King Urdok. Maybe they were from a cult."
"Ah! Then those people must be from the Demonic Cult. We've been hunting them down ever since their appearance fifty years ago," the king said. "They've been pestering us since."
Fifty? Hah! This world has truly diverted from the story I wrote. It wasn't supposed to be fifty years ago; it was supposed to be three years from now. That's the time I had introduced the demonic energy/ability. Only the high rankers of the kraelion empire should know this, as the first demonic ability user appeared in their empire long ago but kept it a secret.
Me, Lisa, and the king chatted for a while.
"How about this—since you don't want yourselves to be recognized as heroes of the people, I'll give you VIP treatment. If you wear this necklace, you'll be treated nicely by the guards or any officials from the royalty once they see this necklace. I only have one, so you choose who gets to have it," the king said. I pointed to Lisa, making the king give her the necklace.
"Of course, that's not the only thing. I'll also give you 10 Argentum each."
Lisa's jaw dropped.
One Argentum is at least a hundred Aurora, making it one thousand Aurora.
This money is enough to feed me three fancy meals a day for at least five years.
We finished our chat, then the king left. He said that I'd be able to move once three days passed, so I'll be staying here for a bit.
The next evening.
I opened my eyes, the window beside me was opened revealing a man sitting on the ledge, his monocle glinted in the moonlight. It was Arnold Krauz. His robes flailed in the air.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," I said. "Tell me, who are you and what do you want."
"I had observed the fight between you and that monster. Although you almost died, you fought well," Arnold said with a nonchalant tone. "My name is Arnold Krauz, and I plan to recruit you as my student. And with my guidance, you will definitely be a polished mage. How about it?"
What is he doing? Why is he not investigating about Helena? He should still be at the Kraelion Empire, still finding for some clues. I clenched my fists. My heart raced. I had so many questions—why is he out here recruiting someone? What is his goal now? Thoughts flashed in my brain. Should I accept his offer?
I had no idea of where to go from here anyway, so I might as well accept it. I also really need to train my body and get disciplined, so I guess I should.
"Sigh. It seems you're still not ready, kid. No matter—I'll go find someone else," Arnold said in disappointment. He summoned a spirit horse, but just when he was about to ride it, I gathered my energy and stood, frowning from the pain of my body. "Wait!" I grinned. "I don't know what you're planning, but if it's exciting? Then count me in."