Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Desires

            With the reign of the new king, Laios Touden, the Golden Kingdom was once again established in the world after a thousand years in isolation. The island slowly grew into a continent, with the hidden lands revealed through the dungeon. Many clans and races slowly formed around the new king, pledging their allegiance to him.

But the sheer amount of responsibilities and political drama was taking its toll on Laios.

In the early years of the Melini kingdom, many conflicts occurred between the clans for land usage and other economic prospects to strengthen the newly established kingdom.

What will happen to the newly formed land that came out of the ocean?

Becoming a king is a lot more difficult than I imagined.

Laios sighed as he ran through some documents that were needed for another proposal that day about what to do with the territory. Some forests had magically sprung up as a miracle in renovating the salted wastelands, leading up to more debates and opportunities.

“Your Majesty, are you feeling well?”

“…”

He looked up with dreary eyes and spotted Kabru next to him, looking over his paperwork. He was now one of Laios’ advisors, aside from Marcille, who wasn’t available on certain days. She had left with Falin as they went together to study the lands in nearby countries for the current land renovations.

“Kabru, do I really need to go to the clan meetings? All they talk about is their territories and what they want to do with it. If this goes on, nothing will ever get resolved.”

Kabru chuckled and slid another document in front of him.

“Well, that’s your call. You’re the ruler of this kingdom now. It’s not like you have a body double or someone to take your place for them. Are you really not good with this?”

Laios sweated nervously, nodding slightly.

How did he know what I want?

“I-It’s fine. Who knew that politics involved so many more problems than just getting everyone’s basic needs met? Every race wants their piece, and sometimes even more. Especially the long-lived races, I don’t know what I can do to appease them.”

“That’s how it’s always been. You’ll get used to it.”

“…”

As if that’s going to help a lot. If only someone else could resolve these issues for me.

Laios felt nauseous before he felt his stomach growling back at him. He always felt hungry and nothing less than forty percent full. The unending desire to eat and eat despite that.

Groan. Groan. Groan.

He quickly rubbed his stomach to ease the noise.

“Are you hungry? Dinner is almost ready for you, your Majesty. Come right this way.”

Kabru leaned over and spotted Laios with the guard’s schedule and a magic book in his hands. Laios stood up and organized some documents on the desk and rushed to put his books away. Kensuke was in the corner of the office, barely visible. Kabru then escorted Laios from his office to the dining room, that was slowly being renovated and refurbished into living quarters within the castle.

 A spacious room fit for a king. The dining table was filled with many delicious dishes from the island and the farmlands nearby. Plates filled with meats, cheese, bread, and delicacies and preserves from other regions.

Laios ate in silence, shoving morsels of food into his mouth with his hands and chopsticks. The walls of the castle looked so dull and plain, with nothing much to look at.

“You don’t look so good, Laios. Do you want me to make something else for you?”

Senshi poked out of the door and approached Laios, who continued eating the food.

“I don’t know. I’m just sick of the constant meetings every other day. It’s getting tiring talking to them when they all want the same things! Senshi, when are they going to appreciate the monster dishes you cook up? Has there been any experiments done with the food?”

Senshi shook his head.

“But the last time we did that, you got food poisoning. They’re not used to cooking with unfamiliar ingredients. Are you sure you want to do that again?”

Laios shoved a piece of bread into his mouth before responding.

“That’s fine. Better than being stuck in diplomacy talks all day! It gives me an excuse to get out of it for some time. Ugh, if only Falin and Marcille were here. This would be more bearable.”

He stopped eating for a bit and rested on his chair.

After eating so much, Laios needed his rest. There was still a lot of work to be done, especially as a newly established country. Despite Kabru helping him with everything, it is still essentially overwhelming and complicated. He had to continue making decisions on everything.

Trade, regulations, budget limitations, taxes, etc.

There were just so many things to do.

Will it ever end? Is this what a ruler does running a kingdom?

 This is so getting exhausting…

…

Hm, what’s that smell? It smells so good!

Immediately, a waft of a nice broth hit his nose and he opened his eyes to find a hearty bowl of soup in front of him. A smooth silky broth filled with noodles and boiled monster mushroom slices on a heartwarming bowl. The sensation helped relieve his stress and fatigue from overwhelming him.

Laios’s eyes widened with surprise and happiness.

“Did you really have to make it for me? But there’s already so many dishes in front of me.”

Senshi nodded. He swiftly put a special soup spoon in front of him.

“You have to eat well, Laios. You also need to take more breaks and rest periodically. Eat as much as you can and go to sleep as soon as possible. Fatigue will eventually get to you.”

“…”

Senshi is right. Maybe I do need a rest when I have some time left.

If only I had any.

My schedule has been packed for months now. There’s no time to take a break.

Laios sighed and quietly finished the soup. He gently smiled back at Senshi as he got up and prepared for the evening. He patted Senshi on the shoulder as he left the room.

“Thank you for the food. It was delicious.”

Later that night, Laios continued reading through his magic book while in bed. Before they left, Marcille had given him some magic books to study from during his spare time. Minor spells and incantations for daily activities and simple exercises in manipulating the mana in their surroundings. He sometimes looked around the room, to check if there were any late-night visitors coming in. A suit of guard armor on display was beside the door, on the lookout for any intruders. Beside him, there was a stack of Kabru’s notes, reminding him of tomorrow’s meeting and what to do.

He picked up one of the notes next to him.

A meeting with the clan leaders again? These representatives are really persistent in getting their race’s interests to heart. But I have to consider everyone’s opinion, no matter who and what they are.

Laios flipped over the notes, checking for any written remarks in the margins.

He didn’t write anything here. Maybe I’ll remain silent and let Kabru talk to them just like before. But it feels like I’m not contributing to anything. Is this really the right job for me?

The king’s room felt empty and dull compared to his vibrant home that was on the side of the Island. The bed side was enough to fit at least three people, but Falin and Marcille weren’t here to enjoy it. He added some minor decorations to fill up his room, with a pile of monster study books and monster body parts hidden nearby.

His old dungeon armor remained on a table next to Kensuke, unused but maintained.

If only he could use them again. It would just be like the good old days.

Where did everyone go? Before I knew it, I became the king of a long lost kingdom. But am I really fit to rule such vast lands in front of me? Am I really fit to be a ruler?

He closed his eyes and fell into a vast space. The sounds and noises of the meeting room with the clan leaders on the current land renovations. On how to divide them between the races and how it will be used to benefit the kingdom. On how the current budget was going to be used.

The meeting room was in a large room inside the castle, with a circular table in the center.

Kabru was beside him, checking up on him before the start of the meeting.

“Laios Touden. King of the Melini Kingdom. Present.”

“Palladol. Representative for the elves. Present.”

Everyone said their representative counterparts as they gathered around the table for the meeting. Marking them as present allowed Laios to keep track of information and those missing and left out during the continual discussions on many different current issues and problems.

The gnome representative is absent today. I’ll have to talk to them later…

Laios sighed and wrote some notes and gave them to Kabru.

Based on their different magic systems and opposing beliefs, the gnomes and elves wouldn’t get along well with each other right now. The mages want to use the intense mana around this land for their own purposes but are willing to offer their assistance to the kingdom in times of need. The dwarves want to build their facilities underground, but there isn’t enough designated space for them to do so. A certain amount of land is also left to orc settlements in the surrounding area. There’s also been many suggestions for a magic academy, but that’s for another matter.

Laios continued listening to everyone’s opinions and viewpoints as best as he could.

His eyes started to droop little by little.

I want to sleep. I just want to sleep. What’s taking the meeting so long?

Conversations turned into blurry noises, with arguments blending together. They slowly became noise to his ears, making him fall asleep. His head was leaning closer to the table as he tried to head rest on it.

“Your Majesty?”

Kabru.

Kabru quickly shielded him from the other members, who were still arguing among themselves. He gestured his hands in a cross hand manner, signaling Laios to stop talking.

“You don’t look like you were paying attention. Let me help you discuss what you wanted to say, Laios. Is that fine with you?”

Did I say something wrong?

“Go ahead.”

Kabru smiled and turned around to face the members around the table. Before he knew it, Kabru blended into the crowd within the circle. All Laios could see was just conversations blended in and out into rhythmic noise, ringing into his ears.

How is no one attempting to wake me up? I can’t even understand what they’re saying!

Laois blinked many times, making sure that he was awake.

Something didn’t feel right.

Wait. Am I actually dreaming?

His eyes widened in surprise and disbelief.

“Was there a nightmare under my pillow? But this doesn’t feel like a nightmare at all.”

In general, I don’t believe any monsters can even get close to me. So this is already impossible.

He sighed in disappointment. He pinched his cheeks to see whether or not he was awake.

“Ouch! Ah, I guess I can’t wake myself up so easily. But out of all the things I could have dreamed about, it had to be work, huh? All I think about is work, work, work these days. Can I ever get a break?”

Laios rubbed his eyes and felt sleepy again.

If only someone could take my place. Then I could be free and not worry about all these things…

I’m not fit for this kind of job.

I can’t read their minds. I can’t be upfront with very persistent people.

If only I could be the king that everyone wants.

I just want to rest.

The meeting room slowly blurred together into a blinding white light, demolishing it into nothingness. Laios suddenly find himself floating in the air, enveloped in a bright angelic light.

“Do you truly desire that? Is that your wish?”

Huh? What? Who is speaking to me?

There was a tiny speck of light before him, radiating pure mana energy.

“What is this? Who are you?”

Where have I seen this before? This feels oddly familiar.

“No need to be afraid. I’m only here to grant your wish.”

His eyes widened, studying it closer. It was just a ball of pure energy, being sentient.

Is this the Winged Lion? But he just looks like a sentient ball now. Is it really safe to talk to it?

“Uh. Well. I-I don’t really need it. I’ve got no desires right now!”

“No desires? Don’t you want a body double for the task? You can be free to do whatever you want afterwards. A king version of you that is up to the job.”

“…”

“You’ve also been very tired and overworked lately. I can sense that from you. You look like you could faint at any moment. Your doppelganger will give you all the rest you need.”

He’s got a point there…

Laios sweated nervously, thinking about what to do. Does he want to continue the mundane lifestyle filled with meetings and political debates? Falin and Marcille aren’t here to support him right now. Kabru usually takes over the meetings whenever he is out of it, with no end in sight.

He didn’t want to feel useless.

But he was tired.

It was hard to think clearly, making it much more difficult to make decisions.

I just want to sleep. I need rest.

He struggled to keep his eyes open as his mind felt drowsy and lightheaded.

Before he knew it, he fell into a deep sleep.

“I see that you have made your decision. Your wish has been granted.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: Laios

8:30: The king gets out of bed and dresses himself for the day.

9:00: Attendants lead him into the dining room for breakfast.

10:00: A presentation on the current land renovation project.

11:00: A quick early lunch, before a meeting.

12:00: The meeting with the clan leaders, followed by appeals, debates and proposals.

Kabru happily checked off Laios’s activities for the day, making sure everything was in order. Most of the time, the basic schedules were very similar to each other. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Go to this meeting. Go to that meeting. Everything was mundane and predictable.

So far, so good. There’s been no mishaps so far. There should be no issues while those two are away. I can take care of everything that he needs! Everything will be fine.

But today was an important day. Today, King Laios will finally make a decision for the clan leaders on the new lands, and on how to divide them. Everyone will be present there.

Hopefully all of my suggestions helped. After this, Laios can finally rest for a bit.

Kabru grinned and patiently waited for Laios near the dining hall. Many attendants and servants walked past him, seemingly in a hurry. Then there was a deafening silence. Kabru quickly looked inside to check up on Laios, who should have been inside the dining room.

“Is the King here? What’s taking him so long?”

Did I come too early this time? Laios should have come out by now.

Instead, he was being greeted by Senshi. Senshi peeked through the door, who was drying off a plate with a piece of cloth. Through the door, the tables had already been cleaned up with the dishes already put away. Laios was nowhere to be seen.

“Laios already left the dining room. Did you miss him going past here?”

“He already left?”

Did I miss him finishing up his lunch? But I don’t think I even saw him come in either.

“Thanks for telling me that. I better get going and catch up to him now!”

Kabru turned around and immediately sprinted to the designated meeting room.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Your Majesty.”

“…”

Laios looks a little different today. Was he mad about something? Maybe he’s tired.

Before him was a strange alluring aura around Laios, complete with his crown and cape. Everything radiated around him, with that of a king. Laios’s face was stern and serious, facing away from Kabru. His composure was much more open, with a lot more dignity. Kabru was in awe before Laios interrupted his gaze.

“What are you doing? The meeting is about to start.”

Kabru swiftly composed himself.

“Ah! You’re right. Ahem. Let me make sure everyone is present.”

This time, all the clan leaders and representatives were at the circular meeting table. After many weeks and debates about the land surrounding the kingdom, King Laios would begin designating certain areas and lands for the races under him. The elf, gnome, half-foot, dwarf, orc and tallman representatives were all here, willing to hear their king’s final decision and proposal.

What is Laios going to do? He should be trying to accommodate everyone so that they can all use the new land resourcefully this time. We still have tallmen representatives from the Island, so that everyone is still given a voice to speak out.

What is your verdict?

Laios put his arms out to silence the crowd, before letting everyone speak again.

“Let’s hear everyone’s proposals one more time. What does everyone want from this? How should a king divide the lands equally among the races so that they can benefit from each other?”

The dwarf representative rose up from his seat.

“To let us have the ability to dig underneath the land for our resources and materials in order to build our communities. It would be useful to expand from the Island.”

The tallmen representative from the Island rose up.

“To let us keep power from the original island, and to have a considerable tax so that the kingdom can prosper and grow. As well as establish trade relations.”

The elf representative rose up.

“To be able to use the dense mana in these lands. It is perfect for research and let the elf mages practice their advanced crafts here. There should be a system set up for us, no?”

The gnome representative glared at the elf right before he rose up.

“Hmph. The gnomes should be able to use the mana as well. There are many natural dungeons surrounding these lands, with a large variety of monsters. We also want some designated land to practice our religion in peace.”

Lastly, the orc representative stood up.

“We just want a place to live in peace. A large plot of land that is filled with fertile soil and near the woodlands. From there, we can also hunt and gather for trade and other necessities. We also want our own rule but will be under the Melini kingdom as a province state. That is all.”

Everyone seems to have reasonable demands. Would he be able to appeal to everyone with his answer? The land doesn’t need to be divided equally, it only needs to be based on their wants and needs.

What would Laios do?

“Silence. I believe that I have heard everyone’s matters and will give my judgement on them. Kabru, you don’t need to be so close to me. You’ll get in the way.”

“Sorry about that. I’ll take my place now, Your Majesty.”

Can’t stand out too much right now. Let him speak.

Laios cleared his throat before giving his answer towards the meeting table.

“Here’s what I believe should happen to this land. The elves and gnomes should live next to each other, since they both share a similar basis around using the mana here. Dwarves. It’s best that you don’t build anything underground. There should be other alternatives in mining resources for that.”

Huh? What is he saying?

Laios continued speaking.

“For the people originally from the Island, their resources now belong to me. These new lands encompasses the Island as well, creating a viable continent between other countries here. For a trading port, the one on the Island will do until further notice.”

That sort of makes sense. He isn’t saying anything too strange.

Was I just overthinking it?

However, things began heating up rather quickly.

The gnome representative immediately slammed his fist on the table at Laios’s answer. He glared at the elf representative for a moment before making a plea. The atmosphere turned tense and awkward.

Kabru could sense the potential drama in the air.

“What’s the meaning of this?! Living next to them? I understand that you mean well, but how could you come up with such a conclusion? This is preposterous!”

The elf representative turned her nose on him.

“Fine. I can probably accept that, but I don’t know what the others would think. If King Laios proposed this to us, there should be some added benefits in doing this.”

The gnome glared angrily back at her.

“What?!”

“Listen. There’s nothing wrong with learning from each other. Since we’re both interested in the mana here within these lands. Is that why you proposed this?”

Laios merely nodded.

“Yes. Even if there might be infighting in the beginning, it could work well for both of you in the long run. You could even create an even more complex magic system here, blending your magic systems together. Does that work?”

“Ugh.”

“Do not worry. Everything will be accommodated to help your kind. Is that all?”

Did Laios manage to convince them about the arrangement that easily?

Kabru interjected between them and tried to talk to Laios directly.

“His Majesty is trying to make sure that the land will be used efficiently by everyone. If you have any questions about them, please let us know so that we can make sure everyone is on even grounds. Is that clear?”

“Y-Yes.”

Afterwards, Laios sternly turned around to face Kabru with an annoyed expression.

“You don’t need to interrupt me like that, Kabru. It wasn’t needed.”

 Did I make a mistake?

Kabru immediately apologized with a gentle smile.

“Pardon my insolence. I am just trying to help mediate between everyone.”

Laios didn’t respond but simply nodded before focusing on the others’ reactions to the proposal. Before long, the tallman representative stood up and gripped Laios by the collar, clearly agitated.

“Do you not understand? The Island should be its own state, not under the rule of some newly formed country that popped up out of nowhere! We’ve been here longer than you and have already established our own customs on this land.”

“…”

“So you have nothing more to say?”

Slap.

Laios’s serious face showed no remorse.

Laios! Stop! Don’t provoke them like that!

Kabru immediately gestured his hands in a crosshanded manner, signaling Laios to stop.

“I am the ruler here. You are to do what I say. I’ll make that perfectly clear for you. You may not agree with my rules, but you are to follow them. The law is the law. If you don’t agree with them, get out and don’t get involved in my kingdom.”

“Laios!”

Kabru tried to grab Laios and drag him out of the room, but he wouldn’t budge at all.

“Please forgive him! He didn’t mean it. M-Maybe he ate something strange again. Don’t take his words to heart. The meeting is officially over. You may all leave now.”

Come on, Laios! Don’t make the situation any worse than what you’ve already done!

But Laios didn’t seem fazed at all and pushed Kabru out of the way, smacking him into a wall.

“Get out of the way. You have no right to decide that.”

Laios...

You really are stubborn, aren’t you.

Meanwhile, a familiar looking half-foot walked closer and closer towards the castle. While carrying a heavy bag, he continued looking back on a sheet of paper in his hands. Chilchuck checked his surroundings, making sure that he was heading in the right direction.

Behind him, there was a busy market street filled with vendors and merchants.

“This looks like the right place. Melini isn’t looking too shabby these days. It’s a lot more crowded compared to the last time I’ve been here. Surely Laios and everyone else has been working hard on improving this country.”

Chilchuck smirked as he thought about his friends.

“Maybe I’ll check up on them after I’m finished with my meetings at the castle.”

Within the castle walls, an assistant offered Chilchuck many different assortments of tea and cookies at a waiting table. The staff was running around all over the place, hurriedly getting to their destination in the castle. There were meetings everywhere, so a lot of rooms were full to the brim.

“Seems like it would be a lot harder to get into a meeting room today. Did something happen?”

Chilchuck sipped on his tea, looking around the room.

His bag kept weighing down on him, so he set them aside on a nearby chair. A clash of armor and jingling sounds could be heard amidst the commotion in the waiting room. Chilchuck went past the door to check up on what’s going on inside the castle.

“What’s the commotion? I know that the castle seems busier than usual, but this is strange. It looks like they’re frantically searching for someone.”

He paused for a moment.

“Who are they searching for?”

The hallways suddenly turned silent.

Except for a strange looking guard armor statue standing in the corner.

“Has that always been there?”

Chilchuck quietly walked closer to it, checking to see if it was even alive. He can hear the armor’s breath go in and out, with a regular heartbeat. He poked around the statue, glaring at it. It flinched a few times, attempting to stay still.

“Are you trying to be a living armor?”

It flinched at that remark.

“…”

“Not saying anything, huh. That’s smart.”

He turned his head around the hallway to check if anyone was coming through.

“Doesn’t seem like anyone would come through here for some time. Maybe I’ve got some time to—”

The statue was gone.

“Huh?”

How could such a large, armored statue vanish like that?! Where did it go?

Chilchuck gasped in shock before quickly settling himself down.

“Think. Think. Don’t panic here. From the looks of it, it wouldn’t have run off that far. I should try to catch up to it, but I don’t know where it went. Let me see…”

He closed his eyes and raised his hands near his ears to amplify his hearing.

Footsteps.

Breathing.

Echoes and jingles from the armor.

I’m definitely getting something. What would a monster do?

The mysterious guard arrived at another part of the castle, clinging to his helmet as best as he could. The helmet felt bulky and heavy, and it hindered his breathing from running so quickly from one end to the other. The hallway became narrower and went through a zigzag pattern. A couple shiny lines lined the floor, unbeknownst to the guard.

Until he tripped over a line.

“Ah!”

He fell down flat on his face.

Oof.

Chilchuck sprang into action, grabbing the guard by his legs. The two of them were in a hidden area within a section of the castle, away from prying eyes. The guard was now unable to move, with Chilchuck’s weight on top of him. He kept holding onto his helmet, trying to prevent Chilchuck from taking it off.

“Take off your helmet! Let me see who it is that everyone’s been looking for.”

“No! Don’t do it! It’s to keep my identity a secret!”

“What secret? What kind of guard suspiciously walks around the castle like that? It looked like you were trying to sneak out.”

“Pretty close.”

“So you were going to do that!”

“Gah!”

Chilchuck continued to tug off the guard’s clinging hands with as much force as he could. After a lot of tugging back and forth, the guard’s hands gave out from exhaustion. Chilchuck could see and smell the sweat that was coming off of the helmet. With a swift popping sound, the helmet got taken off with the sheer force of Chilchuck’s might.

It looked to be someone familiar, with sweat and dirt all over his face.

“Laios.”

“…”

“What are you doing here?”

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: Like a Dungeon

What is Laios doing here?

Isn’t he supposed to be working, especially with the meetings going on right now?

Chilchuck gasped in mild shock, with the two of them now looking at each other on the castle floor. There was an awkward silence, with only the sounds of their beating hearts and deep breaths. There was some noise and footsteps here and there, but nowhere near where anyone could discover them. Laios rested headfirst on the floor, patiently waiting for Chilchuck’s reaction to subside.

“I can explain—”

But Chilchuck wasn’t in the mood to listen, looking around the area before angrily pointing his finger at Laios.

“Not in here! This isn’t the right place for this. Keep your mouth shut.”

Laios looked around the area that they were in and had an idea. With his face facing the ceiling, he snatched the helmet out of Chilchuck’s hands and put it back on his head.

“What are you doing?”

“…”

“Where are you going?”

But Laios only smiled through the helmet, before gently picking Chilchuck up by the waistline. It looked like he was carrying a small dog, while making sure Chilchuck was in a comfortable position.

Then Laios quickly ran off, dragging Chilchuck along.

“Laios! S-Stop it…Aah! Ahh! Put me down!”

They disappeared into another part of the castle.

Meanwhile, Kabru was monitoring Laios in his office, checking over paperwork and many other documents for their daily tasks. He sighed in disbelief, remembering the disastrous meeting that almost caused an infighting between the races. He rubbed his nose, trying to make himself relax with other topics.

I hope it wasn’t a bad idea to have the servants search around the castle. They keep mentioning a suspicious intruder, but it’s probably some creature again. Food keeps going missing. Laios always tries to bring home strange things. What is he thinking?

He glared back at Laios, who was reading some files on hand. Upon a closer look, he looked a lot more well-rested, and alert compared to the last time he saw him. There was also a constant lingering allure around him, which felt different than usual.

Sometimes, he couldn’t help but admire him.

It was hypnotic.

“You don’t need to keep looking at me like that. Shouldn’t you be doing something else, Kabru?”

“Hmm? Pardon me, I didn’t mean to look at you while you’re concentrating on your work right now. I can leave you alone and go somewhere else.”

But Laios harshly stopped him in his tracks.

“No. You stay here with me. Don’t move an inch away from my office.”

Gulp.

“There is no need for the king’s trusted advisor to leave, especially while I’m here at my office. You can always give me suggestions and advice on what to do. I’ll need some help.”

Kabru paused for a moment before answering back.

“Alright. I’ll stay.”

He looked over Laios’s shoulder and noticed that he wasn’t looking at any magic books or the guard’s schedule today. Laios was fully concentrating on his work, organizing, and filling up the paperwork and documents that were on his desk. His desk was better organized and neater than before.

Laios is being a lot more competent today. He’s not even attempting to fool around with Marcille’s magic books this time around. But at certain times, he can be a little off. Maybe I should send Marcille and Falin a message just in case.

“Kabru. Are you paying attention? Give me some insight into this country’s laws and its system for me. You are overthinking things again.”

Kabru sweated nervously, turning his head away from Laios’s stern face.

“W-What? No, I’m not. I’m perfectly fine.”

“Your hands are shaking.”

What’s with him? He sure has a lot of nerve talking back to me like this!

But Kabru quickly stopped his hands from shaking and hid them behind his back.

“Kabru. You have already displeased me today. First, by interrupting my meeting with the other representatives. That is unacceptable. I’ll let you off this time, but you shouldn’t continue to test my patience.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty. I won’t do that again.”

Kabru clenched his fist and lowered his head in frustration.

Did Laios eat something weird? I don’t know what’s going on at all!

Within the corners of the castle, Chilchuck was being dragged into a secretive entrance that was covered in monster parts and animal fur. His cries were silenced by the room’s soundproof walls, which were covered in a veiled protective spell.

“Ouch!”

Chilchuck bumped his head after getting pushed through the hole in the wall. He quickly rubbed his head to mitigate the pain. He opened his eyes to find himself in an unfamiliar room.

“Where am I? What is this place?”

The mysterious room was filled with many different ornaments and shelves stacked in a neat pile. In the middle of the room, there was a small area for cooking and a table set. A small library of books was organized neatly in another corner, with more stacks of notes. Many monster accessories adorned the place, greeting him with a warm welcome.

A couple of blankets and pillows were hidden away in the shadows.

I never knew a castle could have a room like this. Does Laios live here?

Clang.

His feet touched something metallic and saw the familiar-looking helmet on the floor. Upon a closer inspection, it just looked like an ordinary guard helmet. But it was definitely the helmet that Laios wore, with the same scratches and marks on it.

“What’s so special about this? I can’t believe I would get fooled by a simple helmet. Did Laios put a spell on it? But I’ve only seen him use healing magic.”

A strong smell of delicious food and delicacies hit his nose.

“Are you hungry?”

Laios’s wholesome smile shined through as he carried various breads, meats, and cheese into the room. Chilchuck immediately noticed his eye bags and tired expressions hidden behind his cheerful tone. Laios yawned as he tried to hold back his exhaustion around him.

“You don’t look so good. Should you really be doing this?”

But Chilchuck paused for a moment, reflecting on the situation at hand.

“Never mind that. Were you seriously trying to sneak out of the castle by wearing a guard’s uniform? I can’t believe you haven’t been caught yet!”

“Well, you did manage to find me.”

“I could tell it was you due to your footsteps and the sound echoes inside the castle! Maybe try to hire some half-foots as guards for once! They can help you discover the little things in the castle.”

Chilchuck annoyingly kicked Laios in the legs.

“I’ll think about it.”

Laios then saw Chilchuck turning over his helmet and happily explained his technique.

“Oh! You were wondering about that? I put some minor illusion magic on it. It changes your voice if you wear it! Why don’t you give it a try? Let me put these away first and I’ll show you.”

“Eh?”

Did Laios teach himself illusion magic? That’s new.

Laios continued speaking, rambling about what he did and how he did it.

“I learned them from the magic books Marcille gave me. I was surprised at how illusion magic can be used for many different things. Most effects are temporary, but it’s nice to make your own image of yourself. You can even make others see your illusions!”

“But why would you do that for? Playing make believe.”

“…”

Laios blushed and turned his head away from Chilchuck, twisting his fingers.

“I-I sort of want to pretend that I’m a monster sometimes. Is that enough?”

Laios being Laios. Of course he would. Who would have guessed?

Chilchuck scratched his head as Laios put a plate of food in front of him. He took a piece of bread with meat and cheese on top and munched on it. He rested on a chair next to Laios, who was also enjoying a meat-filled sandwich.

“So, how did nobody notice you until now? It doesn’t look like anyone is looking for King Laios at all. Is there someone in your place? Wouldn’t Marcille notice you trying to sneak out?”

“She isn’t here.”

“What? She’s not?”

“Marcille and Falin aren’t here right now. It’s just Kabru watching over me. But don’t worry, he doesn’t know anything about this. I have a body double for him to look after instead. Chilchuck, maybe—”

“Ah! I forgot something!”

Laios looked down to find Chilchuck empty-handed. He wasn’t carrying anything.

“Your tools. Did you leave your bag somewhere in the castle?”

“More important than that. It should still be somewhere in the waiting room. It’s where I left it before I went searching to see what the whole commotion in the castle was about. All the meeting rooms were full today. I should have left instead of being stuck in here with you!”

Chilchuck roughly dropped his meal and set them aside on a nearby bench. He sped out of the room with his nimble feet and agility. Laios quickly finished up his sandwich and put on his helmet.

He rushed out as fast as he could, catching up to Chilchuck.

“Wait for me! I’m coming with you!”

Chilchuck’s bag ended up in a basket near the waiting room, with a large sign written for the lost and found. There were piles of miscellaneous things in there, ranging from simple handkerchiefs to pristine well-made jewelry. Some missing items looked like they were left by the dwarves, due to their strange high-tech looking exteriors. As well as random magical items left by the elves and gnomes.

All of them were patiently waiting to return to their owners.

 “You have an area for the lost and found?! Since when did you have that?”

“Kabru suggested it to me. At first I thought it sounded silly, but it’s actually useful for lost and missing items that were left around the castle. I’m glad that you found your bag, Chilchuck. I’m really glad.”

Laios smiled as he wiped a tear off his eye.

This isn’t meant to be some heartfelt reunion for a lost item.

Chilchuck shivered in embarrassment.

After some time, he opened his bag to make sure that all of his contents were still there.

“Did you manage to find your tools?”

“Laios, I didn’t bring any of my tools with me! I was supposed to have a meeting so that the half-foot union can be legalized here. All I have is the paperwork and documentation for it. Did you forget that I’ve been running a shop this whole time? Traveling from Kahka Brud to my hometown, then coming here through sea travel.”

Chilchuck angrily glared at Laios as he spoke, through teary eyes.

“Do you not understand how hard it was to even get here?! The sea next to the Melini Kingdom were full of krakens, sirens, and sea monsters! My daughters were worried about me! Please, there are a lot of more important things to worry about than just my tools!”

Surprised by Chilchuck’s seething remarks, Laios quieted down and didn’t say anything for a while. They quietly went back to Laios’s hideout, with Laios leading the way through many different shortcuts and passageways.

“…”

Did I say too much in front of him? He isn’t rambling as much as before.

Chilchuck sighed and tightly held onto his bag. Through the windows of the castle, it looked to be almost late evening, with many guests leaving for the day. The rest of the staff had disappeared to help prepare dinner for the king, so there were less people walking around.

It would be too late for him leave the castle for the day.

At the hideout, Chilchuck felt the room get warm and humid all of a sudden. In the center of the room, Laios had prepared boiling water from a pot with some simple heat conductor magic on the floor. He was rubbing himself with some heated wet towels. He turned around and offered some to Chilchuck.

“You must be tired. Have some warm towels and rub them all over your body. This will keep yourself clean for a few days.”

“Thanks.”

Chilchuck gently grabbed some towels and rubbed them all over his head and neck.

Laios is copying the same process that Marcille did back at the dungeons. Did he learn this from her as well?

He then rubbed the rest of his body with another warm towel, rubbing his arms and legs. Afterwards, he neatly folded them and offered them back to Laios.

“I’m a lot better now. Sorry about what happened earlier today. I’m done using the towels. You can have them back.”

“…”

Chilchuck went to the corner of the room and grabbed his bag. He revealed everything from the bag to Laios, showing all his paperwork and documentation for the union. Sticking out of the edges of the bag, a thin notebook stood upright on top of it.

He pulled the notebook out and showed the cover in front of Laios’s face.

“Look. I don’t have my tools in my bag at all. And this is my personal notebook. Are you satisfied now?”

Laios’s eyes widened in surprise and happiness.

“Chilchuck! You’re not mad at me anymore!”

Laios immediately hugged Chilchuck and snuggled him on his torso.

“I-I wasn’t mad at you in the first place! Don’t hug me so tightly—I can’t breathe!”

After they finished explaining to each other about what was going on, the two of them were finally on even terms. Chilchuck complimented Laios’s knowledge on the castle layout, since he memorized them by heart from exploring it so much during his free time.

Laios blushed and rubbed his nose in slight embarrassment.

“The castle is similar to a dungeon. It may be smaller and have less floors, but it’s also full of secret passageways and chambers. That’s why I was able to find a room like this one within the castle. It’s also conveniently next to the kitchens, so I can take some food and supplies when I’m running low.”

“Huh. Is that why you can bring food in here without raising any suspicions? How did nobody catch you all this time?”

Laios thought for a moment but didn’t say the reason.

“It’s a secret.”

Chilchuck sighed with a disappointed expression.

“Secret this. Secret that. At this rate, you’ll get fat and put on weight from never-ending hunger. You might not be able to fit inside that hole to come into this room!”

“I’ll figure something out.”

Laios then eyed Chilchuck closely before picking him up.

“You also look a lot chubbier the last time I saw you.”

“Hey! I’m not that fat! Put me down!”

“Not like that. You felt a lot heavier when I carried you here. It’s great that you don’t need to worry about setting off traps with your weight anymore. You can live in peace now.”

“I know that!”

Chilchuck squeezed out of Laios’s grasp and quickly tidied up his own shirt from the entanglement. He raced towards his bag again and double checked his surroundings. The air suddenly turned cold, signaling that it was nighttime. It breezed through the hole in the wall, reflecting the castle’s temperature and atmosphere.

I’ll have to send the letter out tomorrow. It’s already dark outside.

Laios went to prepare a simple meal with some of the ingredients he got earlier and activated the heat conductor magic on the floor once again. The hideout was now dim, with only the pot and heat magic giving it some light.

“Laios?”

“Yes?”

Chilchuck cleared his throat, sounding as formal as possible.

“W-Well, I need to ask you for a favor. Can you do it for me?”

Laios smiled, ready to listen to his demands. He continued to make a simple bready ham, and cheese stew from their leftovers, stirring them inside the pot with a ladle.

“I need you to bring me to the closest watchtower inside the castle. I have to send a message to my family that I’ve arrived here safely. There should be one, right? There’s usually watchtowers for letters all over the country in other nations, but I’ll be satisfied if I can just borrow a messenger bird from the castle.”

Chilchuck muttered his request once more.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know where it is. There should be a shortcut within the castle that can take us there faster. All I want to do is send a message out to my hometown.”

Laios turned his head to face Chilchuck and nodded, accepting the favor.

“Alright. I can take you there tomorrow. Let’s go there first thing in the morning, so that there are fewer people to watch out for when we climb upwards.”

He started to scoop the stew out of the pot and gave a bowl to Chilchuck.

“Here you go.”

Laios then looked back on the ground, with a regretful expression.

“Sorry about everything. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you here in the first place. Because of me, you have missed your meetings and lost your belongings. If you want, you can also leave the castle tomorrow.”

Chilchuck flicked his finger at Laios’s head.

“Ouch!”

“No need to be so gloomy! I already found you and that’s that! I’ll have my meetings after I help you get everything cleared up. I can’t leave this place unless the half-foot union is officially legalized. Otherwise, what was the point of coming here?!”

“Chilchuck…”

Laios shed a tear in his eye, grateful for Chilchuck’s kind words towards him.

The rest of the night were spent like a typical campfire hideout, reminiscent of the long sleepy nights in the dungeons. But only now it was peaceful, with no monsters daring to go near them.

The trek to the watchtower was a long one, but Laios and Chilchuck managed to avoid contact most of the way there. Some passages led to circular stairways, while others led into cramped areas. There were so many twists and turns that anyone could get lost in it.

Laios wasn’t joking when he compared it to a dungeon. It really is like one.

Chilchuck looked outside the windows as they continued climbing. He could see the dense forests below the castle, and many birds flocking over the rooftops. The morning breeze cooled them as they continued climbing the stairway.

“You know, there’s something that I’ve been meaning to say.”

Laios stopped walking and listened.

Chilchuck immediately raised his voice, filled with annoyance and confusion.

“Why are you still wearing that stupid helmet? Are you sure the people inside the castle can’t tell that it’s you? Also, why didn’t you let me wear something as a disguise? I will stand out so much!”

Laios scratched his head, tempering Chilchuck’s questions.

“I did try to find something you could wear, but they were all too big for you. Plus, it looks less suspicious if I was just a guard that went with you. Just say that you’re a guest in the castle and they will provide you with a bird from your hometown. It’s that simple!”

“Will that really work? It sounds like you just came up with it.”

“Don’t worry about it! Sending a letter shouldn’t be that hard.”

Laios looked up and pointed to the watchtower close by. Not too far from them, they could see a large bell hanging on top of it. The castle had many different bells for many different purposes, but the ones on the watchtowers were special.

Apparently, their ringing sounds can be heard throughout the whole castle.

“I haven’t actually heard them ring before. Yaad said that the bells had always been there even before his time. It would be nice to be able to hear what they sound like. Every bell tends to sound differently from each other. Just like the sounds of animals and monsters.”

Laios elbowed Chilchuck once they reached the watchtower, with just a door in front of them. Soon, most of his family’s worries will be subsided with a letter home.

“Go in. The birdhouse used for sending messages and letters are really unique.”

Chilchuck gripped his hand on the doorknob.

“If you say so.”

Inside the watchtower, they were met with rows and rows of birdcages surrounding the room. There were many floors above them, just filled with never-ending birdcages all over the place. The birds came in many different shapes and sizes, indicating many different regions and climates from other parts of the world.

It was like a giant habitat for birds, caged inside their own little worlds.

Laios looked around and squinted his eyes through his helmet.

“Doesn’t look like there’s anyone around. Let’s go deeper inside. There should be somebody to help us if we go further in.”

They walked further and further in, surrounded by birdcages everywhere. Laios could barely make out a shape of a figure in a corner of the room. He was frantically checking every single birdcage, as if he was trying to remember where to send it to. In one instance, Laios curiously went and touched his shoulder. Chilchuck followed behind him.

“Did you need any help?”

The figure turned around, revealing himself to be Kabru.

“Kabru?!”

“Who are you?”

The three of them looked at each other in shock and confusion.

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: The Throne Room

Kabru looked to be just as shocked as they were. Laios and Chilchuck tried to get closer to him, but he treated them like strangers. He reacted defensively, confused on why there are people inside the watchtower.

“There shouldn’t be anyone here. Where did you two come from?”

Eh? Did he expect nobody to come to the watchtower this morning? Was he trying to send a letter in secret? Laios, stop scaring him. He doesn’t recognize you.

Chilchuck came forward, trying to mitigate the situation.

“We also came here to send a letter. Is there a problem?”

But Kabru wasn’t accepting any of their reasonings. He angrily pointed at Laios, suspicious of his motives and position within the castle. He only saw him as just another guard, due to the illusion magic placed on his helmet.

“Why aren’t you in the throne room? Everyone should be there!”

Laios and Chilchuck looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders.

“Laios, is there something that’s supposed to be going on today?”

“I’m not sure. I haven’t really thought about it.”

“Are you kidding me?!”

Chilchuck rubbed his own face in frustration. But before he could do anything else, Laios quickly took off his helmet and threw it towards him. He caught the helmet in his hands, speculating what Laios was going to do now. Kabru had just left the watchtower.

“Chilchuck! Hold onto it! There’s something wrong with Kabru!”

“What?!”

Laios sprinted and caught up to Kabru, holding him hostage with all his might.

“There’s another Laios?”

Kabru lay there, speechless. Meanwhile, Laios approached him carefully and checked his face and eyes. They looked dazed and clouded, yet Kabru was acting normal. It was like he didn’t even notice it himself. Laios sternly turned around and explained what’s going on.

“Chilchuck. Kabru got charmed. This is serious. What is going on here?”

“There shouldn’t be any monsters in the vicinity of the castle. Do you think a person could have done it?”

Laios nodded his head. But he was focusing on other things at the moment.

“But it doesn’t look like he got charmed at all. I don’t see any vacant expressions on him. Are you sure he got charmed? Laios, what if you’re wrong—”

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

Laios attempted to shock Kabru by clapping his hands together.

“This isn’t working. Maybe I should try something else.”

Chilchuck turned around just to see Laios about to slap Kabru in the face.

“Laios! Stop! Stop right there! What are you doing to him?!”

“Trying to remove his charm. Tallmen aren’t as sensitive to sound as half-foots, so I figured this probably wouldn’t work very well. Direct interference might work better. Something that can directly impact the mind.”

Chilchuck looked closely at Kabru, but still couldn’t think of anything.

Apart from tallmen’s affinity to music.

“Music. That’s it.”

Laios was dumbfounded.

“Music?”

“You can’t remember that tallmen are more attuned to music? You are one! Fine, I’ll try to explain it to you. We need something that’s loud enough to change the frequencies in the air that will distort the charm enough to break it. It doesn’t need to have a melody, just some form of a rhythm would be enough.”

Laios closed his eyes, trying to think of something resembling music.

“Music. Music. Music. What can make music around here?”

Both Laios and Chilchuck exclaimed at the same time.

“Bells!”

Not too far from them, the watchtower bell hung above them. They would have to climb the watchtower with Kabru on their backs. They tried to cover Kabru’s cries for help as best as they could, but fortunately, nobody was there. It was just the three of them near the rooftop of the castle. Laios. Chilchuck. And Kabru.

“This is bigger than I thought.”

Laios was in awe at the large bell in front of them. It was more than twice his size, and it made Chilchuck look like a midget next to it. From the looks of it, they wouldn’t be able to budge it, let alone ring it. The bell appeared to be very ancient, with rust all over it.

Chilchuck gently knocked on the bell, checking its sound.

“Is it possible to bang it with our hands? This bell is enormous. We need someone with the strength and endurance to ring it. But we’re only testing it on one person.”

Laios inspected the bell closely, and noticed a large gap that they could squeeze through.

“Let’s try getting inside the bell.”

After some time, they managed to get inside the bell. But everyone felt cramped in its tight, narrow circular space. The only light source was from the cracks all over the ancient but sturdy bell. All that was left was to make some sounds within the bell, so that the echoes would break Kabru’s charm.

“Let go of me! What are you going to do to me? I’m not charmed!”

But Laios and Chilchuck ignored Kabru’s pleading cries.

They both went to the opposite sides of the bell, preparing to make loud sound beats.

Bong. Bong. Bong.

Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong.

Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong.

The sound waves echoed throughout the inside of the bell, affecting everyone inside. It was loud and deafening, but they continued banging on it for a slight chance that it could work. The sounds slowly blended into a rhythmic tone, directly affecting Kabru’s charm.

“What…are…you…doing…to…me…”

Kabru’s mind was cracking from the pressure. His head hurt, crackling from the pain emitted by the bell’s minor sound waves. The charm’s frequency was slowly breaking apart inside him, one by one. All that was left was ringing in his ears.

Kabru went limp and fell down from agony.

“Did it work?”

Laios slowly went closer to Kabru to check his condition. Chilchuck quickly covered his ears, recovering from the loud sounds they created with their fists. It was loud enough to trigger his eardrums. Kabru lay on the floor, wincing in pain.

“W-What is this. Ugh. My head hurts. What did you two do to me?”

Kabru rubbed his head to mitigate the pain and tried to get up. He opened his eyes to see Laios staring straight into his eyes. Laios’s curious expression made him suspicious and uncomfortable.

“Laios? What are you doing here? Why is it so dark in here—Ouch!”

Kabru hit his head from standing up too fast inside the bell. Chilchuck grabbed his hands and led him outside the bell. Laios followed behind him, observing Kabru closely.

“Kabru! Kabru! Are you in there? I’m Laios’s friend and he is right behind you!”

“Huh? What? Who are you? You look like a half-foot I’ve seen somewhere before.”

“Chilchuck! It’s Chilchuck! Remember that!”

Chilchuck angrily screeched at his face, before turning his back away from Kabru in frustration. Kabru’s mind was slowly becoming clearer by the minute as the atmosphere circled around him. It was like waking up from a dream. But it was such a mundane dream.

Kabru yawned and rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of what happened to him.

“Ugh. I think I forgot something. What was I doing at the watchtower again?”

Laios and Chilchuck were curiously looking at him, waiting for a response.

“…”

“Ah! Where did you two come from?! I was supposed to send a message to Marcille and Falin—”

Kabru gasped in shock, and quickly rushed back to the watchtower to send in his letter as soon as possible. He continued frantically searching for the right birdcage that would lead them to their current location.

A warning letter about how Laios is acting strangely again.

“Wait! We need your help to send in his letter too!”

Laios grabbed Kabru’s shoulder and directed his attention to Chilchuck. Chilchuck came forward with a neatly wrapped paper scroll in his hands. There was a few stamps marked around it, indicating its destination.

“Can I borrow a messenger bird that can be sent to my hometown?”

Kabru grudgingly paused for a moment and scratched his head at his request.

“F-Fine. I’ll help you send in your letter from the watchtower. Just tell me where to send it to. Make it quick. There will be a lot of letters coming in soon.”

Chilchuck’s family worries can finally be relieved. He happily responded back.

“Thank you very much. It would be greatly appreciated!”

Kabru then focused on sending the letters as diligently as he possibly could, checking every single birdcage within the watchtower. Eventually, he was able to find a bird that could be sent to Chilchuck’s hometown and quickly prepared his scrolls tightly for departure.

One by one, the birds flew away into the mountains nearby.

They were let go on top of the watchtower, right next to the ancient bell.

“So, now that’s out of the way. Laios, what are you doing here? And why are you in that guard uniform?!”

Kabru glared suspiciously at Laios, who was too busy looking at the birdcages and making them chirp. Chilchuck was watching the scenery next to Kabru, enjoying a breath of fresh air from the watchtower.

Laios turned around and was confronted with Kabru’s anger towards him.

“Ah! Kabru! Well, uh…I can explain. I-I just wanted to go outside and take a walk. Something like that. And Chilchuck just happened to find me, that’s all. There’s nothing to worry about!”

“…”

Kabru grabbed Laios’s collar, as if he was ready for a fight.

Chilchuck immediately sensed some hostility between them.

“No! No fighting! Don’t fight here! Kabru—!”

Fortunately, they overheard a guard coming near the watchtower, calling out someone’s name over and over. Kabru paused and let go of his grip, looking for a way to answer him. He glared at the two of them, giving them a stern warning.

“I’ll deal with both of you later. Don’t cause any more problems for me!”

Laios and Chilchuck looked at each other and didn’t say a word.

They could overhear Kabru’s conversation with the guard, and they ran off together from the watchtower and went inside the castle. It seemed like the guard was looking for Kabru and was calling out his name near the watchtower. Based on Kabru’s reaction, he was late for the throne room meeting that was about to start.

Chilchuck breathed a sigh of relief, resting on a nearby bench.

“Whew! We barely managed to get away from that! The guard saved us.”

But Laios was looking onward from the watchtower balcony, deep in thought.

“Laios? Are you still there? What’s wrong? Are you worried about something?”

“I don’t know. But something feels off about the guard. I believe that he is also charmed. Maybe, just maybe, everyone inside the castle was charmed. It wasn’t just Kabru. This isn’t looking too good.”

Chilchuck shook his head, thinking about Laios’s theories and guesswork about the charm caster. But there wasn’t any lead to anything. They had no proof. There was an intense ominous atmosphere surrounding their thoughts. It was otherworldly.

“Say, what happens when a person gets their charm broken, but they still return to the charmer? Does anything happen to them? Laios? Hello? Are you listening?”

“…”

Laios was sweating nervously, thinking about Chilchuck’s question. But he had to answer it. There was no other way around it. They had broken Kabru’s charm without thinking much about the consequences.

“Chilchuck. They see their true colors. The charm only clouds your mind and judgement about them. It’s similar to mermaids and sirens with their hypnotic voices.”

Chilchuck was startled by this information.

“Then we better hurry and stop him! Laios, let’s go to the throne room!”

“But—”

“There’s no need to worry about getting discovered. We’ll blend in with the crowd. Just give me a good disguise. Can you do it for me?”

Laios happily nodded to Chilchuck’s request.

“Leave it to me.”

The throne room was located deep inside the castle, followed by many chambers leading to it. It was the largest room within the castle, due to its importance as a royal court and as a place for important ceremonial events. Today happened to be one of those days, with an important court case to be decided by the king.

Sometimes, disputes can end up in the king’s court if there was no set agreement between the two parties. The final decision is usually left to the king to decide whether or not they are innocent in this case.

I can’t believe that I forgot about the throne room meeting that was happening today!

Kabru hurriedly organized some paperwork and scrolls in a nearby storage room.

Am I tired? I don’t remember what those two did to me. Everything feels so hazy right now. Everything is like a dream. Did someone mess with my head?

He casually picked up some scrolls and could see from the corner of his eye, the throne room and its many attendants preparing for the court case. He could see the king talking with other people before heading to his seat. There were some important figures in the crowd.

“The preparations are almost ready, Your Majesty.”

Laios approved of Kabru’s report. But he continued to look like a blur in Kabru’s eyes.

All of a sudden, there wasn’t any clear image of him.

 Am I hallucinating? What is this? I’ve never experienced this around Laios before.

Kabru quickly rubbed his eyes and ignored the implications surrounding the king.

He gripped the scrolls tightly, with some paper sticking out of the pages. Everyone was slowly congregating to the throne room, preparing for the trial. They would have to judge whether or not the defendant was guilty of his crimes.

Based on the documents, the case was simple.

It was just a difference of power, wealth, and influence between the two parties.

Hope it’s not the same parties fighting over the same plot of land again. They always end up taking this case to the throne room every time. It would have been easier if it was dealt with from the Island, but Laios already insisted that they are part of his kingdom…

Kabru sighed and got ready to meet up with Laios, officially with a large audience this time. But something wasn’t right. This wasn’t Laios. His aura manifested differently this time; it was like a demon had taken his place.

It was something from another realm entirely.

A gruesome, otherworldly being.

A sickening black aura was surrounding this Laios.

What is this? What is he doing siting on the throne? This isn’t Laios at all! This isn’t him!

The scrolls and paperwork slowly fell out of his hands.

Thud.

Thunk. Thud.

Thud. Thunk. Thud.

The scrolls scattered all over the floor, with papers flying all over the throne room.

“…”

There were no words.

Only deafening silence.

How did I not notice him all this time?! He clearly isn’t Laios! Nothing is making any sense! What is going on here?! Did I really get charmed by a monster without noticing?

Kabru covered his mouth in horror and shock.

What am I supposed to do? There’s nothing I can do right now!

He could feel everyone staring at him, especially since he dropped all his scrolls and paperwork all over the floor. He tried to keep a straight face and quietly picked up the scrolls as fast as he could. It wouldn’t do him any favors at this current time.

“Sorry! I’m very sorry, your Majesty. I’ll clean up right away!”

“…”

Laios’s expression was stern and stoic, but he looked clearly displeased about it.

Is he angry with me? Does he know? I better not act out in front of him this time and get this case meeting over with. His decisions can impact everything here. Whatever it is, someone’s life is on the line!

Kabru gripped the scrolls tightly around his hands.

I need to prevent that!

Meanwhile, Laios and Chilchuck was sneaking around the castle in their makeshift disguises. Chilchuck continued to adjust his helmet around his head. It was a lot smaller than Laios’s own voice changing helmet, but it was the best that they could find.

He was also wearing a short robe on top of his clothes.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? This helmet looks so dorky on me. These robes are too big. Couldn’t you think of anything else?”

Laios scratched his head as he walked alongside him in his guard uniform.

“But there’s no other way for me to cast illusion magic on you. You would have to wear them for it to work. I can’t cast them on humans. It’s way too risky and I don’t want anything happening to you!”

“…Alright. I can accept that. I’ll just have to cut them down and sew them to fit my size if it comes to that. We need to hurry and blend into the crowd before they notice us!”

As the two of them slowly approached the throne room, they saw a large crowd surrounding the throne. Everything had been prepared for the court meeting, with the two contestants arguing over their issues side by side.

Kabru was frozen next to King Laios, without saying a word.

Chilchuck elbowed Laios and whispered into his ear.

“Was it really a good idea to break his charm in the first place? Out of everyone, did it have to be him?”

“He doesn’t look happy standing next to the other me. Maybe he’ll forgive us.”

“If you say so.”

Chilchuck felt something coming from the other Laios but couldn’t pinpoint what it was. It was his first time seeing the body double that Laios had mentioned before. His presence was anything unlike he had ever seen. It made him feel drowsy and nauseous.

Laios noticed Chilchuck’s symptoms and kneeled down again to check up on him.

“Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine. It’s probably the charm that’s surrounding this whole room. I can get through this. We need to focus and make sure Kabru doesn’t do anything reckless.”

They continued onlooking the throne room court case that was now in session.

The court case wasn’t anything special or interesting. It was between two long-lived races fighting over a piece of land and accusing each other of stealing it. The dwarf and the elf were seated on the opposite ends of each other, arguing over the territory.

Kabru looked back and forth between them, while keeping an eye on King Laios.

So it is the same two people fighting over the territory again. Would this Laios make a decision for them once and for all and stop this charade or not? I’ll need to observe and hope for the best…

The elf and dwarf continued their debate once again, pleading to the king about the plot of land that should belong to them. Their glaring expressions and hatred reeked of a family feud that’s been going on for generations and generations.

“Your Majesty, the plot of land should be rightfully ours. Our family has been living off the land since the ancient elven war. However, the stinking dwarves took it and never gave it back! We have an ancient seal that proclaimed the land as ours!”

The elf took out a rusty looking necklace, with a sealed scroll encased in it.

“This is proof that the land is ours. We have a formal magical agreement to the land treaty with this device. Would it satisfy you, Your Highness?”

King Laios gently grabbed the necklace and observed them carefully.

But the dwarf wasn’t going to let the elf plead his case and directly gain approval from the king. He immediately brought up his own evidence to show in front of them that the land was his as well.

He slid out an engraved marker piece, covered up with a simple handkerchief.

“Your Honor, my family has had engraved markers for centuries. They mark your territory in the dwarven lands as a proof of ownership. This was also on the land and passed down to my family through many generations! Please take this as well.”

King Laios also took the marker piece and observed its materials carefully.

“Hmm. Two long-lived individuals fighting over a piece of land for generations. This would really be a hassle if this went on forever. These pieces of evidence are genuine, so it would have to be based on the events that happened the plot of land and on how did you two acquired it.”

He turned to Kabru, who was flabbergasted by his response.

“Kabru. Give me their family’s history on the land.”

“A-Ah! I will do so, sir.”

He immediately opened up the scrolls and simplified the contents within them.

“According to the elf, this plot of land belonged to him before the elven war with the dwarves. The necklace is from that ancient kingdom that used to rule the lands here. So it may or may not work in consideration for the many kingdoms that came after it. For the dwarf, the land markers can also be used as farmland territories within their territories. So neither of their proof of ownership proves much of anything.”

Aren’t we going to repeat this over again? It would probably check how many generations owned it and used the land instead. I’m not sure if they would be too keen on sharing the land. Can land even be returned to its original family after so much time has passed?

Kabru looked down on the floor, in deep thought.

Then wouldn’t the land belong to the elf? They live twice as long as dwarves…

“The land should go to the dwarf.”

“Huh?”

What is he saying? Did he read my mind?

King Laios turned a side eye towards Kabru while he sat on the throne.

“What made you think that it should go to the elf? You seem to have an unconscious elf bias on all of your decisions. Were you raised by them? Do you sympathize with them the most?”

“Well…”

He is going off track! That’s not what I’m talking about!

Kabru clenched his fist and quickly held them behind his back.

“Your Majesty, that isn’t what I meant. Wouldn’t it be logical if the elves originally owned the land first? They had the land for generations until the dwarves took it during the elven war. Why would you want to give it to the dwarf instead of the most obvious choice?”

“Kabru. You really don’t understand anything.”

“What are you talking about? I just explained to you my reasonings! What more do you want?!”

The nerve of this thing, pretending to be Laios in front of me! But I can’t do anything now.

King Laios threw the necklace and marker piece back to the elf and the dwarf, who were waiting for his judgement and answer to his verdict. His presence was menacing, sitting on top of the throne in front of everyone.

“The land should go to the dwarf. Although the elf may have originally owned it through his family over many generations, the land was not currently being used at this time. Is it being used to mine for resources right now?”

The dwarf happily nodded.

“Yes, Your Honor. The land is currently being used by my family, and we’re using the resources from the land to establish our position here. At least it won’t be left abandoned like what that elf did.”

The elf didn’t take the insults too well.

“So your family really did take it away from me! The land is ours! This sounds like an invasion of private property, not something that you can easily ignore! Why would you allow such a thing?!”

King Laios raised his hand to silence the elf.

“Do not worry. You will still receive a form of compensation as well. The dwarf may currently own the land, but you can still receive products and materials from it. But it will be nullified until the day you die. Your family and your descendants cannot inherit it afterwards. Is that clear?”

“I-I…I understand.”

Kabru gripped a scroll in his hand, surprised by his revelation about the case.

Wait, is he really going to resolve this issue just like that? That fast?!

He looked awkwardly at King Laios, who was side eyeing him before announcing the result to the rest of the crowds inside the throne room. His authoritarian power was immense, with no one saying a word or objecting to his answer.

“No objections? Very well. Then the court case is done for today. Everyone may leave.”

“…”

I don’t understand what this person pretending to be Laios is, it was very hard trying to talk against him. Even with everyone looking at us. But he already made his verdict before I could say anything else. He looks exactly like Laios. There’s no mistake about it.

There were no distinct features that would be able to tell them apart.

Even if he acted a little off, nobody would be able to tell.

On top of the whole castle being charmed.

If those two succeeded in breaking my charm, I wonder where they are now.

Kabru slowly walked away from the throne, backing away from the other Laios.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Gah! He is staring down at me like a hawk. I need to think up something quick!

Kabru tried to come up with an excuse as best as he could.

“I-I just need to check something very important, Your Majesty. I’ll have someone else escort you the rest of the day. Are you fine with that?”

“…”

King Laios gave him a stern look before nodding to approve of his actions.

But he didn’t look very pleased with him at all.

How is he so angry at me? I didn’t do anything to him.

“Then I’ll be off now. Thank you for your approval.”

Kabru rushed out of the throne room as fast as he could. Large crowds were leaving the throne room and going back to their duties one by one. Many conversations and whispers among them were about how the king resolved the case so quickly, compared to his previous attempts in the past.

Where did they go? There’s too many people here! How do I find them?

Tallmen, orcs and dwarves were everywhere. There was an occasional elf now and then, but they weren’t as common inside the castle. Some of them were guests that stayed for the short term for their businesses and meeting opportunities.

But half-foots were extremely rare.

He never considered them to protect the castle unlike the other races. They were small and weak and looked like children. They were too sensitive to sound, making it harder for them to tolerate the loud noises within the castle setting.

They were known for lockpicking, dealing with traps, and guiding people inside the dungeons.

But those days were over now.

Wait a minute. Wasn’t Chilchuck a half-foot? I should be able to spot them if I can find him first. I need to keep looking…

Kabru ran into the crowd, checking for any half-foots.

Chilchuck restrained his ears as best as he could, but everything was way too noisy and disruptive. Laios tried to pick him up, but Chilchuck quickly slapped his hands away. The two of them had a hard time getting away from the crowd to find a nearby resting spot.

Everything was hazy with the charm affecting his mind.

“My head hurts. Why is everything so noisy around here? I’m going to feel sick!”

Chilchuck bent his knees, trying to throw up on the floor.

“Gah! Don’t do it here! Let me pick you up and take you to the toilets real quick.”

“B-Be careful with me. I don’t feel so good…”

Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to stay there the whole time. The charm is impacting me more than I thought. We should have just waited for Kabru somewhere else…

Chilchuck held his breath as Laios rushed him to a nearby lavatory.

Meanwhile, Kabru began asking everyone if they had seen any half-foots that they hadn’t seen before. One of the tallman guards raised his hand, vaguely remembering something that he had seen rush past him.

“A half-foot, huh? I saw a guard carrying him on his back a moment ago.”

“What?!”

So they were just here recently. Why would they come to the throne room for?

Kabru put his hand on his chin, thinking about it.

But the answer was right in front of him.

“Tell me where they went! Quickly! Now!”

The castle toilets were located on the edge of the castle walls, situated near the moats. Many water fountains laid nearby, for rinsing and washing afterwards. Many booths lined up the toilets, with doors covering them so that everyone could do their business in peace.

The sounds of water drippings and funky smells surrounded the area.

Laios rushed Chilchuck to a booth as fast as he could, carrying him so that he wouldn’t leave a messy trail once they got there. Thankfully, there was no one there to watch them.

“Take your time. I’ll be holding you, so you don’t fall down in there.”

“…Thanks a lot. Ugh. Please give me a minute.”

After some time inside the throne room, they finally felt how strongly the charm effects were all over the castle. Laios gripped Chilchuck as tightly as he could while he let it all out. It was as if the castle was enveloped in a wide blanket of hypnotic mind control.

“Blegh. This charm is serious! How are you not being affected?!”

Chilchuck rubbed his mouth, which was full of saliva and vomit.

“What do you mean?”

“You! I meant you! Don’t you feel dizzy or anything?”

“…”

“I’ll take that as a no. Ugh. How are we going to get out of this? Almost everyone is under the charm!”

Chilchuck continued to feel nauseous and couldn’t speak any longer.

Laios held onto Chilchuck so that he could let it all out.

Until they heard a couple knocks on the door.

Bam. Bam. Bam.

Ugh. Who is making all that noise at this time of day? Give me a break.

The door then blew open with a sudden burst of energy.  

“Laios! Chilchuck! So that’s where you two were hiding!”

Kabru’s heated expression was immediately followed by covering his nose.

The toilets’ funky smell stopped him from going near them.

Laios slowly put Chilchuck back on the floor so that he could rinse his mouth and face with the water fountains in the area. The smell of vomit slowly went away as Chilchuck cleaned himself as fast as he could.

“Alright. I’m feeling a lot better now. Now that Kabru is here, we should be able to come up with a better plan against the other Laios.”

Chilchuck shakily walked, leaning against a nearby wall.

“M-Maybe after I get something to drink first.”

“Chilchuck…”

“Will you quit it? Laios, we need a better place for discussions other than this stinky place. Somewhere far away from prying eyes within the castle. Maybe…”

“Wait, are you seriously going to tell him?! No! Anything but that!”

Laios grabbed Chilchuck’s legs, slowing down his movements towards Kabru.

“Shut up! We can’t have other people listening in our conversations! Did you forget that the whole castle is charmed?! We saw what your body double is like. What he can do. You don’t have any power here! We’re the intruders, not guests! If we get caught, who knows what he will do to us!”

“…”

“Do you understand?”

Laios pouted but didn’t disagree with Chilchuck’s statement.

His hideout would get discovered by Kabru eventually. Considering the circumstances, there wasn’t much that they could do right now, except to discuss and plan in secret. It was now or never. Chilchuck fell down on the floor, struggling to get up.

“I-It would be nice to get something to drink from the kitchens. Like alcohol.”

“…”

Laios turned around to face Kabru, who seemed clueless on the whole situation and the circumstances surrounding them. Laios hid his frustrations and anxiety as much as he could.

“I’ll tell you where the hideout is.”

“You have a hideout?! Since when?”

“Don’t ask so many questions.”        

“Are you hiding things from me? Laios! What is going on here?!”

“Grr.”

After leading the way, the three of them managed to get there without any suspicions or close calls. Laios carried Chilchuck on his back, carefully dragging him around. The hideout was left untouched, giving Laios a huge relief about being followed. He quickly laid Chilchuck down with a pillow and some blankets so that he could rest properly.

However, Kabru was not pleased by this. He was baffled by such an intricate room inside the castle.

“Explain yourself! Did you come here to avoid your duties as a king?”

“…”

“What’s wrong with you? Tell me everything that’s going on, now.”

Laios gritted his teeth, trying to make Chilchuck comfortable before saying anything else to Kabru. It’s been a while since he seen Kabru so angry.

“Will you give me a minute? What’s the rush. We’ll discuss everything together once Chilchuck wakes up. I should go get him something to drink.”

But as he was about to leave, Kabru grabbed his collar to restrain him.

“Are you listening to me? I’m your advisor! Why don’t you tell me anything?!”

“…”

Laios looked away from Kabru before giving him his response.

“…Because I don’t trust you.”

Kabru immediately slammed Laios to the floor. The hideout slightly shook on impact.

“Trust?! You don’t trust me? I worked so hard to take care of you and make sure you don’t do anything stupid in public! Did you hate work so much that you got a body double to make me suffer?! What even is that thing?”

Laios slapped Kabru right in the face in retaliation.

“You don’t understand anything. Let me have some privacy for once! There’s no need to follow me everywhere! I can do things by myself. You act like I’ll cause a catastrophe if you’re not around.”

Kabru then punched Laios in the gut.

“Didn’t you just cause one? What kind of monster did you create with that thing?! If you didn’t think about running away so much, maybe I wouldn’t have to watch over you so often! You need a lot more discipline!”

Kabru continued kicking Laios in the shins.

“How would Marcille and Falin feel about this? They wouldn’t want you to escape your duties like this! How would you explain yourself to them? Are you that inconsiderate of others?”

Laios turned around and tripped Kabru’s legs, knocking him to the ground.

“Give me a break! That’s all I have asked for! You don’t need to keep overworking me like a minotaur! Let a king have his rest. I’m not that stupid!”

The two of them continued to brawl and knock each other out with each punch, slap and kick. The hideout rumbled with loud noises from time to time, stabilized by the castle’s weight.

Some monster parts dropped off from the shelves.

The pot in the center of the hideout shook from the constant vibrations and fell down.

The hideout shook for some time, caused by Laios and Kabru brutally beating each other up through sheer force of anger and will. Drips of blood scattered all over the floor as they gave each other a punch to the mouth and face.

The loud sounds eventually caused Chilchuck to wake up, drowsy and annoyed.

“Will you two keep it down?! I can’t rest with everyone making so much noise!”

He coughed right afterwards, but his mind was a lot clearer than before.

Laios shook off Kabru covering his mouth and the two of them continued to hit and smack each other in the face. After some restraint, he quickly yelled out his response.

“Don’t worry! The hideout is soundproof! They wouldn’t hear anything—Gah!”

“Don’t get distracted by our fight!”

Their brawl eventually died down, with Laios and Kabru covered in minor injuries and bruises. They heaved and heaved, laying down to rest on the hideout’s cold hard floor. Chilchuck was given a fresh red wine bottle as he settled down to discuss what was going on inside the castle.

Kabru didn’t seem pleased with Laios’s explanation on how alcohol could mitigate the charm effects. It looked like another excuse for Chilchuck to get drunk rather than help.

Chilchuck chugged a bottle and wiped his mouth as he lectured Kabru.

“Alcohol also affects the brain! Do I need to say anymore, Kabru? It works so it works!”

“Chilchuck sir. Whatever you say. If you want to drink and Laios doesn’t say anything against it, I’ll let you. J-Just stop pestering me about it! I understand already!”

The two bickered with each other as Laios quickly set up their hideout for their meeting about the other Laios. Chilchuck just witnessed his body double for the first time, while Kabru had dealt with him for the past three days.

With some hot tea and snacks in hand, he was prepared for the inevitable.

Chilchuck sipped on some hot tea and munched on a cracker, glaring back at Laios.

“So, you haven’t told us where the body double came from. Care to elaborate?”

“…”

Laios twisted his fingers, trying to figure out what to say.

He couldn’t hide it anymore, especially with Chilchuck and Kabru intensely questioning him about it.

“Well. Um. Please don’t get mad at me about this. It’s complicated.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

They’re not going to like my answer.

“I-I wished for it. The Winged Lion granted my wish for a body double. That’s all.”

Chilchuck and Kabru screamed together in unison from Laios’s response.

“What?!”

See? They aren’t going to be happy about this. What else should I even say to them?

Chilchuck jumped and grabbed Laios’s collar after hearing it.

“Are you an idiot?! Didn’t you defeat the demon before? Why didn’t you reject him immediately?”

“It’s much more complicated than that. He granted my wish without me saying anything. When I woke up, I was already inside my hideout. So my body double could just take my schedule without any issues. I was too tired to think about anything else. I was already beyond exhausted. I just wanted to rest.”

Chilchuck let go of his collar and crossed his arms.

“And what did you wish for? It can’t be as simple as just wanting a body double right?”

“About that…”

Laios could feel the seething anger and frustration from the two of them. They had every right to be mad at him for what he had done, but the wish had already been made. More problems on top of problems. Partially caused by his wish and its consequences.

There was no turning back.

Kabru angrily glared at Laios before turning his back on him and sipping some tea.

“Not only did you forget your wish, but we also don’t know what your body double really is either. This is the very reason I have to monitor you! You shouldn’t be doing these things at all! Is being a king really that much suffering to you?!”

“Y-Yes…”

“…”

After some awkward silence, Chilchuck broke them up so they wouldn’t get into another fight. The three of them sat around the center of the hideout, with a gloomy Laios looking down on the floor.

Chilchuck crossed his arms, deep in thought.

“There’s also the issue of the whole castle being charmed, so nobody would believe us about this situation. So it’s on us to resolve this problem, front and center. Do you all have any ideas on what we should do?”

Laios slowly raised his hand, with a serious expression.

“How about trying to break everyone’s charm? Then, we can have more support against the other me! I just need to figure out how to make a loud enough sound—”

“No! Rejected! That is such an awful idea!”

“How come? You seem to feel better after some alcohol, and we made enough noise to break Kabru’s charm. The more the merrier—”

“No! No! No!”

“But—”

“Don’t you understand the reality of our situation, Laios? If people find out about this, the Melini Kingdom is doomed. You won’t be trusted to run the kingdom anymore. Plus, anyone can spread rumors about you and ruin your reputation! This is serious! We have to keep this a secret between the three of us.”

Laios pouted at Chilchuck’s response but understood what he meant.

But they were also lacking information about the Laios clone that Laios had created from his wish. Whether or not it was even human was up for debate. Even if it was a monster, it would have been impossible given Laios’s curse.

Where no monsters would come near him within a certain radius.

But there are exceptions for everything.

Kabru gritted his teeth in frustration at their very limited options.

But there was no other way around it.

Especially something as important as gaining information about what that thing is.

“Why don’t we just quietly get rid of him?”

Laios and Chilchuck looked at him in confusion.

“Quietly get rid of him? What are you talking about?”

Kabru sighed before shiftily appearing behind Laios, with his fingers pointing towards his neck. His fingers imitated a gruesome knife slice to the throat. His eyes glinted like an assassin.

“Murder assassination.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 5: The King’s Assassination

Murder assassination.

An art form of quietly killing and getting rid of an enemy in an instant.

Many kings and queens expected this over the centuries.

Body doubles, poison testers, close advisors…

They were all meant to protect their lives from getting cut short.

“Of all the things we should be planning, are we seriously going to plan a murder assassination?! This just keeps sounding more and more absurd.”

Chilchuck sighed and rested on a nearby chair, dumbfounded at what he heard. He gripped his wine bottle firmly in his hand as he slouched around. He grunted at the prospect of something so unlawful.

But Kabru stood firm on his statement about his ideas.

“Well, do you have a better plan? We’re already outnumbered compared to the people inside the castle. We could easily get caught by the guards if they discovered who we are. He has to be dealt with. There is no other way around it.”

“…”

Chilchuck took another gulp of wine before settling down on Kabru’s decision.

“Okay, I understand. We’ll do that. But keep in mind, that is a very risky thing to do. We don’t know what we’re up against. We still need to figure out what kind of thing the other Laios is.”

“Then ask Laios about it! Shouldn’t he have an encyclopedia of monster knowledge?”

Kabru glared at Laios to make him speak. But he wouldn’t budge.

Chilchuck took another sip before dragging Kabru away from Laios.

“How about give him some space? He would tell us once he gets comfortable enough.”

“Fine!”

Laios eventually allowed himself to accept their dire situation and agreed to help them by guessing what the other Laios could be. Fortunately, there weren’t many options due to his curse. But it didn’t make their situation any better.

“Well, for starters, there aren’t a lot of guesses on what he could possibly be. Very few monsters can wander inside the castle to begin with. The only exceptions are those who aren’t fully monsters. But it could also not be a monster. It can go either way.”

Kabru grunted at Laios’s statement.

“Is that really the best you got? That it could or couldn’t be a monster?”

“Something like that.”

Laios shrugged him off and turned to Chilchuck instead.

“What do you think? What do you think it could be?”

“Hmm.”

Chilchuck closed his eyes, trying to come up with what kind of monsters could replicate someone’s appearance and fool others inside the castle. Based on Kabru’s observations, it would need to be a physical being since it could eat Senshi’s food.

Plus, it followed a very particular pattern every day.

“A golem. It’s possible that it’s a golem. They can also be controlled by somebody else, so the Winged Lion could be using him against you. The other monsters tend to be spirits or related to objects in order to get close to them. Is that a good guess, Laios?”

Laios nodded in approval.

“That could be it! And other kingdoms already used golems for other labor-related activities before. Especially ones that hire gnomes. There usually is a magical object that controls their behaviors and movements. We might just need to get it out of him.”

“But how you are so sure it could be a golem in the first place? It’s all just guesswork.”

But Laios shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s the only available physical monster that is the closest match to the other me. All the other monsters that can copy other beings do so to prey on them. We need more information on him first.”

Kabru didn’t say much during their discussions, but he keenly listened to them with a question.

“Alright. I got it. But do you have any backup plans in case this fails?”

“I didn’t think about that. It’s just a guess on what it is.”

“Of course you didn’t! That’s why we need to get Marcille and Falin back here as soon as we can. They should be skilled enough to deal with this mess. I’ll have to send them another letter again. But they might not get here in time.”

“What?!”

“Even if they rushed back here immediately, it would take at least two months to return to the Melini Kingdom. We don’t have enough time to wait for them! He could cause a war in your place! Do you understand?”

“…”

Laios sort of understood what he meant. The three of them would have to resolve the issue themselves, one way or another. But he didn’t like Kabru judging him, especially with what he had done with the wish. It was better to do what they can in the meantime.

“W-We could try that, okay? There’s no need to watch over me like that, Kabru.”

“This is all your fault that we’re in this mess to begin with!”

“That’s not going to change anything right now.”

“Your fault!”

“Stop pestering me about it! I get it already!”

Chilchuck took another sip of wine. It would take some time before they could figure out a plan and on what to do about the other Laios, who was now seated as the king within the castle.

They still need information.

Especially vital information about the strange being imitating Laios.

“Laios, we should still have some backup plans in case that we’re wrong. There should be come measures on whether or not he has anything inside him. Does he even have organs? We’ll have to check up on that.”

“Yes, we’ll have to get close to him sooner or later. I get it, Chilchuck.”

Might as well take a chance with Kabru’s idea.

It was better than nothing and the most logical sounding plan so far.

Despite being risky.

“Let’s just do this, Chilchuck. Might as well try.”

“Are you kidding me?! You too?”

“We don’t have any other better ideas, and we lack information. This could be our chance.”

“So, we’re really doing it…”

He chugged another bottle of wine and stared at the floor in shock. He turned to Kabru before making his request. He set aside his wine bottle as he looked for a large sheet of parchment paper inside the hideout. It was hidden among the bookshelves.

“First. I’ll need to borrow some tools from the castle. I didn’t bring anything with me when I came here by boat. We need a proper layout of the castle as well, so that we can check up on his movements. Kabru, are you fine with that?”

“Alright. I’ll let you borrow them, but don’t try to use it for anything else.”

“What do you take me for? Do you think I’ll steal something?!”

“It’s for safety reasons! Calm down!”

Laios rested on the hideout floor while they argued with each other. It would take some time before they could get their plans in order to take out his other self. They would need to plan ahead and find a time and place to do it. They would have to stop him before he creates more issues.

The next day, Chilchuck was checking things with a map when he started to hear some strange noises inside the castle. He could hear the sounds of raindrops here and there, even though it wasn’t raining. Whatever it was, it didn’t sound stable or safe.

“Laios, do you hear something?”

But Laios was too busy checking up on any other routes or shortcuts within the castle. They were going to meet up with Kabru in the evening, when King Laios would be having dinner.

There wouldn’t be much downtime, but it was better than nothing.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

“Something is definitely leaking somewhere. Has there been any sort of castle maintenance?”

“I don’t think so. We haven’t had anything like that this whole time.”

“Are you kidding me?! Then we’ll have to check where it comes from! Kabru better hurry up and not keep us waiting.”

Kabru eventually came, checking behind him to make sure that nobody was following him. He arrived to find Chilchuck frantically looking around the castle, trying to find something. Laios was right behind him, shaking his head.

            The noise was getting louder and louder.

            “Hurry up! There’s something wrong with the castle! It’s so noisy in here.”

            “What are you talking about? I don’t hear anything.”

            “Of course you don’t. You’re tallmen. Now follow me!”

            He dragged Laios and Kabru near the top of the castle to find the source of the sound. Near the rooftop, many small holes were all over the walls with leakage everywhere. The pipes near them were full of mold with many layers of dust. Animal droppings were all over the place, stinking up the area. Chilchuck held a handkerchief to his nose to prevent the smell from making him nauseous.

            “What is happening here? The castle is falling apart!”

            He turned around to glare at Kabru and Laios, waiting for an explanation.

            “So much for taking care of the castle. You aren’t as smart as you think, Kabru. This is why we need half-foots in the castle! It’s been three years and this whole place turned into a trash dump!”

            Laios tried to interject.

            “I-It’s not all his fault. I also didn’t realize that the castle could get so dirty. We’ll fix it as soon as possible. After we deal with the other me.”

            “All these noise can make them notice us! We’ll have to be more careful sneaking around. But you better keep your word, Laios. Hire half-foots after this so we can renovate this place!”

            “Yes, sir!”

            Kabru didn’t speak to Chilchuck about the castle’s issues afterwards. They would have to make do with what they had and what they could do. They had to stop King Laios before he arranged anything large and important inside the kingdom.

            Laios curiously planned each route that he would go along inside the castle, estimating where his counterpart would go. The common routes were always near the corners of the castle, with some risky escape routes and the guards around it.

            “Here, here and here. I usually go this way. And maybe over there too.”

            Kabru wasn’t pleased with Laios’s many hidden routes around the castle, but didn’t say anything. He crossed his arms in frustration, looking back at the map.

            “What kind of king are you, fooling around all over the castle? You should take things more seriously. This wouldn’t have happened if I kept a closer eye on you.”

            “…”

            Chilchuck immediately interrupted them, stopping them from having another fight.

            “Now is not the time! We should hurry up. The other Laios looks like he is planning something big. We better act quickly. Is everything ready yet?”

            Kabru nodded to Chilchuck’s question.

            “It’s almost done. We should be able to do it soon.”

            Everything had to be meticulously prepared, since Kabru was the one who wanted to assassinate the fake Laios in his place. Chilchuck couldn’t fight, while Laios couldn’t risk such a public appearance out in the open.

            Chilchuck gave Kabru a couple of notes and a copy of the map, and rehearsed what he should do to the other Laios. They had to be careful and make sure he could follow the right path around the castle so that he could assassinate him without anyone nearby.

            “Try not to go too far. We don’t know his weaknesses. This mission is extremely risky, so don’t get too reckless, Kabru. The fake king shouldn’t be underestimated.”

            “I know, I know. I just don’t need to get caught. And no witnesses.”

            “I-It’s not as simple as it looks.”

            According to their plans, Kabru was going to get the king alone with him inside a hidden corner of the castle before attempting to kill him. But the king’s constant schedule changes was messing up their timing.

            Kabru would have to take a chance before things get too hectic.

            “We’ll get rid of him, once and for all.”

            The next evening, Kabru was sent to organize some documents before coming over to check up on the king and follow him on his duties. He kept a low profile while he continued to work for him, trying not to say anything suspicious.

            I’ll have to take him somewhere with no witnesses. But it’s going to be tricky if I just keep following him. Should I lead him there instead?

            Kabru gripped a book as he followed the king all over the castle.

            Only for King Laios to stop in his tracks and look back at him from time to time.

            “Oh, what a beautiful day. This kingdom will change in time, for the better. Don’t you want to improve the kingdom as well, Kabru? Don’t give me such a dirty look.”

            Huh? Did he suspect me already? I need to be careful. Remain calm and don’t do anything suspicious.

            Kabru gave a slight cough and steadied himself. Thankfully, nobody was watching them.

            “I-It’s nothing, Your Majesty. The Melini kingdom will prosper with your guidance.”

            “I see.”

This faker with Laios’s face. How dare you try to control the kingdom and charm everyone in the castle! I hope I won’t have to deal with this nuisance anymore.

He took out a copy of the map to check where they were. They weren’t far from where he had to lead him.

A quiet and secluded area within the castle where there would be no witnesses.

Laios. Chilchuck. Where are they? It’s getting too quiet around here.

Kabru continued walking behind the king as fewer and fewer people followed them.

Meanwhile, Laios and Chilchuck were inside the hideout, double-checking everything. Chilchuck was frantically cleaning his borrowed tools with a soft towel and boiling hot water near the heated magic circle.

Scrub. Scrub. Scrub.

“That should do it. I can’t believe these tools were so dirty.”

With a few pinches of red wine, he used them as rubbing alcohol to gently remove any dust and dirty particles all over the tools. With a wet towel, he wiped them clean with his nimble fingers.

Now, he can finally use them.

“Chilchuck, should we go now? Kabru should be leading him somewhere by now.”

“Give me a minute, and I’ll lead the way. Go get our disguises ready.”

“Got it.”

They quickly dressed up, with their illusion magic activated. They needed to keep an eye on Kabru, one way or another. Just in case something happens, they had to make sure he survived. The fake Laios could do something to him.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Chilchuck tapped on the walls until he found a small passageway near Kabru’s position.

“This should do it. This way, there will be less guards we’ll have to avoid.”

Clank.

Laios’s helmet hit the low ceiling.

“Shh. Be quiet. Don’t be too loud!”

“It’s going to be hard staying quiet inside this crammed space. The guard’s uniform is very clunky.”

“You can use magic to disguise yourself yet can’t make your uniform less noisy? You have got a lot to learn as a rogue. It’s harder to fit inside small spaces as a tallman, so just keep trying.”

“Ugh.”

The two of them continued on, anticipating Kabru’s movements.

Everything slowly became quieter and darker inside the castle. Kabru could see the fake Laios attempting to evade him as they walked further and further away. He needed to take him to the area quickly, before he did anything else.

We’re almost there. I need to trap him soon…

Kabru glanced back and forth to check for any onlookers before making his move.

The coast is clear. This is my chance!

He reached for the wall and pressed onto a brick, activating a hidden room.

“Have a rest, Your Majesty. You may need it.”

He quickly twisted his arms and dragged him into the dark room, without much light shining through. The king fell down on the floor, ragged and slightly shook.

Now all I need to do is to see what’s inside him. But first, it’s probably better to kill him first. That way, Laios can replace him as soon as he can…

Kabru took out a dagger out of the book and pointed it at the other Laios.

Nobody can hear him. Nobody can find him. He was trapped in here with him.

It was a perfect place for an assassination.

“According to the schedule, you should be studying inside a room. So I’ll make this nice and quick. You won’t feel a thing. You faker. Just what are you? How dare you take the king’s place and charm everyone inside the castle!”

He gripped his dagger and took a closer look at him.

Everything looked real. Hair. Skin. Facial structure. Body posture.

I can’t believe he isn’t human. He could fool anybody with that look.

Kabru inched closer and closer, checking to see if the fake had any reactions towards him. The fake turned around and kneeled before him, with eyes filled with sadness and disappointment.

“Do you not believe me? I am the King here. Have mercy. Why would you believe the other one? I am the real Laios. Laios Touden. Would you kill your own friend?”

Pleading with crocodile tears. That’s not going to save you.

Kabru looked at him in the eye and raised his dagger.

He immediately felt a sharp pain in his head.

“What are you doing—”

His vision switched between seeing a monster to a genuine Laios. Back and forth. Back and forth. It was messing with his mind. Hallucinations clouded his vision, distorting Laios’s look.

It must be the charm. He is trying to charm me again!

Covering one of his eyes, he ran against it and concentrated on Laios’s neck.

His palms were sweating.

The charm was making him dizzy.

No matter what he saw, he was going to murder Laios one way or another. Even if it was a fake monster dressed up in his skin. All he saw was Laios. Laios the King. He was going to kill someone he knew all these years.

A monster with his face and voice.

“Take this!”

Stab.

He punctured the neck.

Stab.

He tried to feel for any meat or bones, but his dagger was now stuck inside his neck.

“T-There’s no blood? How is this possible?!”

Wham.

He got slammed into a brick wall by an immense force.

Struggling to get up, he spat out some blood before wiping his mouth.

“Ack! So now he revealed his true colors. About time you showed your true form, you monster…”

Restraining him isn’t going to be easy. I’ll have to fight this thing first.

With one swift movement around his legs and shoes, he took out two more daggers from the sides of his feet. He gripped them tightly and aimed for Laios’s limbs.

Let me try disabling him…

Slash. Slash. Slash.

But he couldn’t cut it. Nothing was going through.

“You little—just what are you made of?!”

Wham.

He got smacked into the wall with each attempt, holding his ground.

His body hurt, and he was covered head to toe in blood.

The fake Laios stood before him, angrily staring back. His robe and cape were now torn apart, but his body remained intact and hardened from many of Kabru’s strikes.

Nothing was working.

Why won’t he die?! Did Laios guess wrong? I can’t find anything inside that’s controlling him! Not even behind his neck! Or the legs. Or his shoulders. There’s…nothing.

Grip.

Kabru felt it grabbing him tightly by the neck and raised him up from the ground.

I can’t. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe—

Choke.

There was no way to beat him, let alone kill him.

Chapter Text

Chapter 6: Treason

Crash.

Slam. Wham. Crash.

“Laios, did you hear that?”

Laios pressed his ears onto a nearby wall.

“I don’t hear anything. Did something happen?”

“…”

Chilchuck grabbed him by the hand and pulled him away to a nearby hiding spot.

“Be quiet! Something feels really off. Kabru must have angered him too quickly. This is bad. Really bad.”

“Wait!”

“We’ve got no time to wait! He is going to get himself killed if he fights it alone. Ugh, that stubborn idiot. He should be stalling him, not fighting him. We still don’t know what thing is!”

The two of them hurried along, rushing towards the secret room where Kabru and the fake Laios were in. There was no time left to think. Kabru could get himself killed if he went too far with him.

Grip.

Is this the end? Am I going to die here? Strangled by some monster copy of Laios?!

Kabru couldn’t hold his breath any longer. King Laios was choking him, blocking his airways. He was going to die if someone couldn’t get there in time. His hands caked in blood; he tried to remove Laios’s chokehold on him as much as he could.

Somebody.

Anybody.

Help. Me.

I can’t hold out much longer…

Smash.

A brick suddenly hit near them.

King Laios released his grip temporarily, dropping him to the ground. Struggling to breathe, Kabru spat out some saliva and blood that was stuck in his throat. Through his bloodied eyes, he could barely make out Chilchuck and Laios coming towards him.

“What were you thinking?! Didn’t we tell you not to fight him? Ugh, what’s done is done. We need to get out of here!”

“He doesn’t look so good.”

“He’s heavily injured. Laios, help me pick him up before—”

But the other Laios was one step ahead of them.

Instead of attacking them, he moved to the side of the room, pressing onto something.

The hidden room was being opened up before their very eyes.

Chilchuck tried to shake Kabru awake to no avail. With his injuries, he could barely move, let alone get up. His bloodied daggers were flung all over the brick walls, which dripped blood everywhere. Kabru would easily be considered the culprit right then and there.

“Kabru! Say something! Now isn’t the time to sleep! We need to go—”

“N-No. I-I can’t get up. Leave without me.”

He pushed Chilchuck aside, leaving a bloodied handprint on his clothes. Laios slowly drew out his sword to defend himself from the other Laios nearby. Yet he didn’t attack them at all.

What was he planning?

“Laios! Look out!”

“What is it?”

They were immediately surrounded by many castle guards. The hidden room had now disappeared, leaving them wide open. Now anyone inside the castle can see them. There was no place to hide. No place to run. No excuses for an attempted assassination at the fake king.

Their plan backfired.

Horribly.

Kabru continued berating them, keeping his eyes open as long as he could.

“Just leave already! I told you to go!”

“But—”

“Run! I can’t hold on much longer. Do you want to get us all killed?! Get out of here!”

“Kabru...”

“Now!”

With the last bit of his strength, Kabru took out his bloodied dagger and swung at the incoming guards. It left a small opening, letting Laios and Chilchuck get a chance to escape from the crowd. Except Kabru.

He immediately got overwhelmed by the guards and was captured on the floor.

“Two of them escaped, Your Majesty. Should we go look for them?”

“Search for them later. There’s one traitor right in front of me. He must be dealt with first.”

“Very well, Your Majesty. Take him in for interrogation.”

A team of castle guards dragged Kabru away as Laios and Chilchuck hid nearby. They could barely see anything with the chaos going on around them. They had to hide somewhere, before they got caught.

“Laios, where are you going? Stay put!”

“I-I think I got a better idea. Follow me.”

“Then don’t make so much noise. They’ll hear us.”

What is he thinking?

The two of them scurried along the corners of the castle, avoiding the guards and suspicious looks. Through many narrow passages and tunnels, they came across an attic room with a small window near the rooftop. Laios picked up Chilchuck and closed the trapdoor below them after they climbed up through a hidden ladder.

“There was an attic up here? That’s new. You surprise me every time, Laios.”

“I only thought about it just in case the plan failed. I can’t tell Kabru everything about the castle, okay? I need to keep some places to myself.”

“Huh. That again. I get it, you two have problems with each other. We’ll figure something out later. But first, what’s going to happen next?”

Chilchuck glared at Laios with a judgmental look, waiting for an answer.

Laios looked away, glancing between the small window and Chilchuck.

“Well…”

In the meantime, Kabru was being tortured and interrogated by a few castle guards on his actions towards King Laios. He kept pleading his case again and again, but nobody would listen to him. They were all under his charm, impacting the vast majority of the castle.

All they had ever known were his actions.

And what he did to the King.

They couldn’t believe that the King’s closest advisor could do such a thing.

But it was to be expected, since many people wanted to control him for many reasons, such as power and influence within the newly formed kingdom. Every race wanted their own priorities met and wanted to influence the King one way or another.

This was no different.

One of the interrogators spit on Kabru’s face, amused that out of everyone, he would end up being the culprit of such a blatant crime. Usually, it was Kabru that would interrogate them with his charisma and sweet talk to get them to admit to their actions.

“You, out of all people, should know better than assassinate the King. Are you out of your mind? Did something happen between the two of you? Or were you just another power hungry grabber that you accused everyone of being—”

Kabru bit his lips and didn’t say anything. He sat stagnated on his chair, looking away.

“You wouldn’t understand. There’s no need to say more.”

“Wouldn’t understand? What are you talking about? You attempted to murder the King inside a secret room near a long narrow passageway and tried to prevent witnesses near the scene. Fortunately, he survived and was able to fight against your attacks. What was your motive for attacking him?”

“…”

“Keeping quiet, aren’t we? Smart move. How about those two accomplices that were there at the scene? Do you happen to know them? One of them appears to be a half-foot, while the latter is a tallman.”

“…”

“Very well. Maybe someone else can make you talk instead. This is what you asked for, former Advisor. Better reveal your motivations for treason, or else he will.”

“He?”

The interrogator slowly opened the door, revealing a muscular orc holding a large, spiked mace with one hand. He was also carrying various weapons on his back, waiting to be let inside. He stared down at Kabru with a grim expression, not saying a word.

The silence was deafening.

This is getting ridiculous. I’m getting punished by my own subordinates using my own methods! But if I say anything else, I’ll get suspected even more…and Laios and Chilchuck could face an even worse punishment than me. Tch. That charm is annoying to deal with.

Kabru stared back at the orc, with a determined look.

“Not like I have a choice. Guess I’ll try to wake you up, somehow. Don’t take this personally, orc. I’ll set you free…”

The interrogation room was shut behind them.

On the other side of the castle, King Laios was looking outside through the balcony porch that revealed the sounds of the bustling castle town below. Everybody was going about their daily lives, not knowing about what happened at the castle that day.

Many bandages covered his wounds, on both his face and sides of his body.

A bodyguard watched over him, concerned about his wellbeing.

“Your Majesty, is it really alright for you to be outside in the open like this? His accomplices could still be inside the castle. Should we call off the meetings for today, since Kabru got captured?”

The king looked sternly at him but didn’t say a word. Instead, he was reminiscing about his plans for the future. The future of the Melini kingdom and its show of power to the world. Something to showcase to the world after Kabru’s betrayal towards him.

“You’ve got a point there. It’s better to not kill him for his betrayal right now, since there’s more important matters at hand. Maybe he would be useful for something else. Something that would greatly showcase the power of the Melini kingdom.”

“What shall it be, Your Majesty?”

The king grinned with glee, anticipating on some spectacular machine that could kill traitors in one hit. A mechanical machine that can slice one’s head off in an instant, without of a need of an axe man. An invention from the dwarves that could be used for political and diplomatic reasons.

“The guillotine. That way, it will show my resolve towards the other kingdoms around me. They would take me seriously with this.”

“Very well, Your Majesty. It shall be done.”

Meanwhile, Chilchuck grabbed Laios by the collar, frantic and irritated.

“Did you just realized what you have done?! Someone might die at this rate!”

Just what kind of rules did you two make?! This isn’t going to end well…

But Laios shrugged it off, clearly unaware of the severity and potential consequences.

“Relax. We’ll figure something out. There’s no set timeframe for when it will occur. We’ll have plenty of time to plan things out.”

“That’s not comforting.”

“…”

Things just keep getting worse and worse.