"By now, you should give me a name to call you by, or would you rather I create one for you?" the king asked, his voice firm but not unkind. "How about Argyra?"
'What kind of name is that?' I thought, Should I just go with Ruth again, the same name I once gave Areb? But remembering Areb only brought back the sadness of his death and the anger I felt toward Fulgur. It's been weeks, and I'm starting to think he's full of lies. He claimed the choice was mine, but when I tried to decline, something conveniently happened at the perfect moment, cutting me off before I could finish. It feels calculated-like he's pulling strings, trapping someone in this dangerous world against their will.
And what's worse, he hasn't shown up since the incident. Or maybe somwthing did happen to him. I hope its the latter.
"Argyra... I recall you mentioned a name. Fulgur," the king continued, eyeing me closely.
Knight Evan stood silently by the side, his lips pressed together tightly. I could tell he wanted to speak but was holding back out of respect for the king. He waited patiently for permission to voice his thoughts.
"Your Majesty, please, just call me Ruth," I replied, cringing internally at the thought of being called Argyra.
"Ruth it is then. Did someone teach you etiquette?" the king asked, his tone becoming more direct.
"No," I answered curtly, not offering any further explanation.
"For someone from a line of commoners, you have good manners and seem to know how to conduct yourself in the presence of a noble. Evans, did you retrieve the records from Gunta Village?"
"Unfortunately, sir, there was nothing. I couldn't find any birth records for anyone from Gunta," Evans reported, his voice steady.
Knight Evan's expression remained tense, his eyes flickering with something unsaid. The king noticed and prompted, "What is it?"
Taking a deep breath, Knight Evan finally spoke, "Your Majesty, we've just discovered a lingering presence of something chaotic-it's like a chaotic mana- in the Prysk Forest. It's causing some of the weaker Class E monsters to mutate, increasing their strength to peak Class D. Thankfully, only a few small monsters have been affected so far, but the Musco Goblin village was raided by these beasts, resulting in twenty casualties on their place. The goblin chief are requesting support from our kingdom. Sir Khanz is currently staying in the village to protect them from any incoming monster raids. This incident is eerily similar to the Gunta village massacre, but on a smaller scale."
The king nodded, taking in the information. "This just doesn't end. This is the first time this has happened in this region, last time we thought of it as nothing caused the death of hundred"
Knight Evan glanced at me, his eyes reassuring me silently-not to worry.
The king's gaze lingered on me for a moment before shifting back to Evan. "What do you propose we do about the situation in the forest?"
Evan paused, carefully considering his words. "Your Majesty, if I may speak freely, I would suggest relocating the goblins closer to our fort. They would be better protected there. But this is just my opinion, born out of pity for their situation. I recommend consulting those with more experience in these matters to form a proper strategy."
After a moment, he added, "I just believe their current location is no longer safe. I don't want the same incident that happened to Gunta Village to occur again, resulting in another total wipeout."
The king fell silent, deep in thought. His eyesMajesty."
Why am I here again? That, I do not know.
YOU ARE READING
Fiction Forger
Fantasy> is a beloved story about a young hero that captivated many. But then, inexplicably, it vanished from the face of the earth. All traces of its history and existence disappeared, leaving no memory of it-except for one person. A young aspiring noveli...
