The Refuge of Fate

Chapter 41 - Hero

The cold winter winds blew harshly. It was about to turn into a blizzard soon.

Yet his face remained unfazed. His head was slightly lowered as he walked through the thick snow.

There were many thoughts running through his head and inside, he wanted to scream; he wanted to lash out with how the things have turned out.

It was then that the sound of horses neighing echoed through the silent environment which made him lift his head.

In front of him was a large door. Too large for his liking but he paid no mind to his own afflictions. There were much more pressing matters than judging a door by its size and its accordance to his preference.

"We have come to bring the hero!" The knight that held the chains tied around his neck spoke. He almost spat at the knight's face but he needed to control himself. There was no need to make a scene.

He needed to tell the emperor.

Soon, the enormous double doors of the building started to open and from the inside revealed a spacious path that had bricked floors and interiors.

He recognized the place quite well. It was the same place he always passed by when he was bound to carry duties designated by the emperor.

"Hurry up, hero!" The knight pulled the chain and with an emotionless face, he followed.

As they started walking inside, the people working inside the palace immediately turned their eyes towards him and gasped in surprise.

It was far from what he usually wore.

The once valiant appearance he had now turned into that of a beggar on the streets. His shirt was dirty, his pants were full of smudges of dirt from working in the prison, and his hair was unruly.

Their whispers reached his ear and he ignored them.

He did not mind whether the people were talking about him even though he used to remember them looking up at him from outside his window while he waved and made sure everyone saw him.

It was now different.

Once he passed by the people of the first tower, he was once more lost in his train of thoughts that he blindly followed the knight pulling the chains tied to his neck.

Like a dog being guided by its owner, he followed quite obediently.

Clack!

He was brought out of his own world when he heard the closing of a door and the soft carpet greeted his bare, cold feet.

Looking up, the hero instantly recognized the room.

The ceiling was dimly lit by a giant chandelier and there were expensive vases placed on top of statues. The long curtains that covered the enormous windows looked like they could be used to create the flag of the empire.

His eyes shifted towards the center where the throne was placed and he saw many people lined up.

Yet his gaze was focused on a single person sitting in the throne alone.

"Bring him here," the man sitting on the golden seat responded and the knights bowed down before pulling the chains and practically dragging him to the middle of the throne room.

New pairs of eyes gathered around him and he recognized the stares.

It was different from the looks he got when he entered the first tower. Those were the stares of the common people who work for the higher class.

This time, it was the higher class looking at him.

Yet he remained silent and obedient.

When they were finally in the middle of the throne room, the knight pulled him one last time and he grunted by the sudden force. He fell face first on the carpet and he could feel the gazes getting more intense as they looked at him.