ALL MAKER

The day before 1000

ALL MAKER

Chapter 15 - The day before 1000

The night of the day 998.

In the throne room of the castle, the King is sitting, listening to the Hero's words. The chamber is quiet, save for the Hero's steady voice as he speaks, the weight of his message hanging in the air. The King's expression remains unreadable, his hand resting lightly on the gilded armrest of his throne.

"So... that means you went outside without permission," the King said, his voice measured but carrying a sharp edge.

"But Father, the people of the kingdom are going missing. We must take responsibility for this," Rinkai replied, his tone firm and resolute.

"Missing people are not something to waste time on, Rinkai," the King said, his tone cold and dismissive.

"So, are you still going to do nothing?" Rinkai asked, his voice tinged with frustration.

"I have already answered that. And don't wander outside of the castle without my permission," the King said, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument.

"...I understand," Rinkai said, his voice quiet, though his eyes betrayed a simmering resolve.

As he said that, Rinkai left the throne room, his footsteps echoing in the vast hall. As he turned the corner, he nearly collided with Arthur, the castle's ever-dutiful butler, who had evidently overheard their conversation. Arthur's usual composed expression flickered with concern as he stepped aside.
"Master Rinkai, I suggest not to pry too much into that matter," Arthur said, his tone low and careful, as if weighing each word. His eyes lingered on Rinkai with a mix of caution and concern.

"You... too?" Rinkai said, his voice barely above a whisper, a mixture of surprise and frustration creeping into his tone.

"Sir, if you are done talking with the King, then may I?" Arthur said, his tone polite yet firm. Without waiting for a response, he stepped past Rinkai and made his way into the throne room.

Rinkai's frustration bubbled up as he watched Arthur disappear into the throne room. *Why aren't they doing anything?* he thought, clenching his fists at his sides. People were disappearing from the kingdom, yet all the King and those around him seemed to do was dismiss the situation, as if it were a mere inconvenience. His heart burned with a desire for action—something, anything—to stop the growing fear in the streets. But no one seemed to care.

"Three years, and you did nothing!!" The voice of that girl echoed in Rinkai's mind, sharp and accusing. Rinkai's fists tightened.

He looked down angrily, the frustration building inside him, but he could do nothing. After a long moment, he exhaled slowly, forcing his thoughts into clarity. "If Father isn't going to do anything, then I'll have to take care of this," he murmured, his voice steady but filled with resolve.
___
Meanwhile, in the throne room, Arthur stepped in, his demeanor as composed as ever, though there was a subtle tension in his eyes. He approached the King, who remained seated, his gaze distant as if lost in thought.

"Your Majesty," Arthur began, his voice low and respectful, "I bring word of an important matter that requires your attention."

"What is it?" the King said, his voice cold and dismissive.

"The ruler of Velmora has passed away, and the new 'Dark One' has taken over," Arthur said, his voice measured but carrying a weight of concern.

"He has cut off all trade with us, including the supply of mana stones."

The King's expression shifted, his gaze narrowing as the news sank in.

[Before they stopped the trade only Velmora was trading to the kingdom of Isolvar. Vemora was neutral to all kingdoms. There are 7 kingdom in total.

Isolvar - Almost cut off from the outside world.

Solencia - Humans live together with dimi-humans.

Velmora - Velmora was neutral to all kingdoms.

???

???

???

???
]

"Is that so?" the King said, his voice flat, though his mind raced with the possibilities. "Is there any other heir to the throne?"

"There is one, His Majesty. The daughter... the Princess," Arthur replied.

"Then eliminate the Dark One. Do anything it takes. Use his weakness against him, like you always do," the King ordered, his tone growing colder.

Arthur paused for a moment, weighing the implications.

"Wouldn't the Princess of Velmora bear a grudge against the Kingdom of Isolvar?"

The King leaned forward, his eyes sharp.

"Make sure to not let your face be recognized. Wear the fake crest of the Kingdom of Solencia. They will hate Solencia more than they would Isolvar. It would be two dragons with one arrow."

"I understand. I shall leave immediately," Arthur said, bowing low before turning to depart, his mind already working through the plan.
___
The morning of the day 999.

In the bustling medieval street, White stood with his arms crossed, his gaze drifting to the restaurant's nameplate as he waited for Zoey to arrive.

"How long do I have to stand here doing nothing?" White muttered under his breath, the impatience flickering in his eyes.

After I mentioned what happened between me and the King, their eyes widened, staring at me as if I'd just confessed to having fourth-stage cancer.

They agreed to grant me a few days of leave, though the fight is tomorrow.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Leave or not, the fight's still tomorrow...and I have to go."

At last, Zoey emerged from the building.

"You're late," he said.

"I'm not late, you're just too early. Are you that excited to check your mana?" she replied.

"Not exactly excited, but, I mean, who wouldn't want to use magic, right?" he said with a shrug.

"Hmm... well, you're not wrong," she admitted with a small nod.

"Oh, by the way, I just noticed the restaurant's name. They named it after you," he teased.

"Zoey's Restaurant."

"Shut up!" she snapped, shoving her hands into her hoodie pockets and glancing sideways, her cheeks faintly pink.

"Ugh... I told them not to do that," she grumbled, her voice tinged with embarrassment.

White sighed and asked, "Luna's coming too, right?"

"She should be here around this time," Zoey replied.

As if on cue, Luna appeared in the distance, waving enthusiastically. "Hey! I'm not late, right?" she called out.

"You surely are," White said.

"No, you're not," Zoey said.

Zoey glanced around before turning to Luna. "Mia didn't come?" she asked.

"Oh, she said she's going to play," Luna replied casually.

Hhm.. she probably went to scam more people, I feel bad for her next target.

"Will she be okay on her own?" Zoey asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"It's fine. It's not her first time alone," Luna reassured her.

"So... shall we?" White said, ready to move on.

END OF CHAPTER

[author] Hey sorry the chapter was a day late, the device I used to draw some pannels is kinda destroyed so I won't be able to draw the pannels of the fight (It's annoying I really wanted to do that .) I will try to upload the chapter on time. Sorry again for that. [/author]