Under the darkness of his room, Sol laid on his bed, eyes open. 

After the rather heavy discussion, none of them were particularly interested in continuing the date so they decided to go back, each of them heavy with their own thoughts. 

"Well, agonizing is useless. I need to pay attention to tomorrow. But–" 

He didn't really need any more preparation for tomorrow's fight in the coliseum. Of course, he could have entered Edea's world but it wouldn't have helped much. He needed to relax. He needed to rest. 

Rousing from his bed, he walked out of his bedroom and began to walk toward the maid quarters. More precisely Milia room. He needed her help to alleviate the suspicions he had. 

The maid quarters were at the west of the large floor dedicated to Sol. Reaching it, he turned a little and finally reached the door of Milia's room. 

'Now that I think about it, I have never entered her room.'

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

"Milia. It's Sol. I need to talk to you." 

"Yo-you're highness! Kya!" 

Advertisements

*Crash* *Bang*

"Milia! What happened!?" 

He tried to open the door but was surprised to find it locked. 

"Wai-wait! your highness! Everything is alright! Do not force open the lock!"

Hearing the begging in her voice, Sol hesitated a little before ultimately not forcing his way. Everyone had right to his or her own privacy. Even if said person was his lover. 

The ruckus in her room continued, with his acute hearing he could even hear her cursing. 

'Just how full of bazaar her bedroom is?' 

He waited like that for 5 minutes before the door slowly opened to a Milia wearing her nightgown. Her breathing rough and her face a little pale as if she had done some great sacrifice. 

"Haha~! Your highness. What brings you to this poor maid room at this time of the night?" 

"..." He opened his mouth to ask, before finally closing it. "Forget it. I am not interested in what you are doing in your room."

He could practically see relief oozing from Milia at those words. This made him even more curious, but his instincts were screaming at him to let the matter be and he liked to believe in his newly acquired instinct. 

"Well, discussing in the hallway is slightly problematic. Let's go back to my room then." 

"Your highness?" 

Feeling the somber tones in Sol's voice, Milia gradually calmed down and asked with worry. 

"Well, it's about my aunt…" 

Sol clenched his fists. He wasn't the smartest alive, but he believed that one shouldn't discard any worrying signal coming from someone close to them. The discussion with Lilith didn't just bring him a new outlook on life, but also basically screamed death flag at him. It was like the last will of a person ready to die. 

Sol didn't believe in coincidence and he refused to leave the god to throw the dice. He would rather act first in preparation for anything that could happen. Even if in the end it was just a false alarm, it was better to be safe than sorry. 

The reason he chose Milia was that she was the leader of the greatest dark organization of the kingdom, one seemingly entirely dedicated to the king. She was also one of his most trusted aid. 

------

While Sol was busy worrying about Lilith's tendency, the shadows were moving in the kingdom. Each busy acting for their own interests. 

The next day would be the day the crown prince was revealed to the capital and officially to the world. Everything would be captured and recorded. His appearance, the way he acted, the way he thought, his talent, his actual strength. Everything would be judged inwardly both by the citizens and the nobles. 

Of course, as long as another blessed didn't appear, no one could take the throne from Sol. But, there were many ways to destroy the power of a king. A king could never reign without the support of his nobles. 

----

"Take this." 

A large pouch full of coins was thrown on the table in a room illuminated by just a mana fueled lamp. A low-class magitek gadget that was rather easily disseminated through the kingdom. 

"What does it mean?" 

The bearded man seated observed the pouch without moving to take it as he observed the black-clothed man in front of him. 

"Hundred Gold lust coins." 

The bearded man breathed sharply, the scar on his face wriggling as he tried to control his jaw from hanging open. 

Lust coins were the currency of Lustburg. 

The coins were divided into, copper, silver, gold, and platinum. 

Each country had its own currency, but they all answered to the same rules. 100  copper for one silver. 100 silver for one gold and 100 golds for one platinum. One silver coin was enough for a commoner family to live for a few months without worry. 

Calculating in his head, the man gulped before asking with trepidation. 

"What do you want me to do?" 

"Not much. Tomorrow during the test against the prince–don't hold back."

The man immediately felt all the hair on his body stand in fright. He also knew that depending on his answer, he would either walk away with the money or never walk out of this room alive. 

"Do not worry. I am not asking you to kill him or anything. But, we just need the prince display to be catastrophic. So, rather than probing him like it's done each generation, I want you to go all out and make him appear as miserable as possible."

The gladiator closed his eyes. He was in no way stupid. He knew that while what he was asked to do seemed simple, it was in reality something riddled with danger. How could the royal family be casually disgraced? 

Finally, Clenching his teeth, he finally asked, "I am the only one involved?" 

"Of course not. Aside from the queen of gladiator, pretty much all those who were scheduled for the ceremony were given a price. Of course, we aren't dictator. Those who refused–were simply given the occasion to visit the astral Netherlands ahead of their time."

The gladiator gulped at the naked threat. Sighing, he finally opened his eyes and asked. 

"But what if the prince is strong enough to not be embarrassed?" 

The black-clothed scoffed, "Prince or not, he is just a non-awakened kid. Even if by some miracle, he really awakened before the ceremony, he would still be a newly awakened with no practical training nor contract. What do you have to fear? Now, your answer?"

"I…accept." 

Advertisements

He would simply act as he was told and flee from the capital once he was done. Hundred GLC were enough for him to live for a few years. 

"Glad to have you."

----

During this night, many scenes of the like were occurring all the other the capital. It was clear that it was an operation of great undertaking and anyone having his hand behind it was without a doubt someone rather high placed. 

How will this turn out? The answer would be clear to all at the end of the day.