Agreement

Kael sighs, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Can you stop messing around for one second?" he asks, his gaze narrowing as he takes in the prince's disheveled appearance. 'Did something happen? Why are his clothes torn?' Kael wonders, noticing the dirt smudged on the prince's pale skin and the fresh cuts on his arms. The once bright golden hair now has a darker, dirt-streaked shade, and the white tips are almost indistinguishable from the grime. "Where's Itto?" Kael finally asks, his voice laced with suspicion.

"Oh, that man?" The prince taps his chin thoughtfully, then grins as if recalling a private joke. "After you decided to leave, we traveled through several floors until the damn dungeon made us split up." He speaks as if it were a minor inconvenience, but the relief in his voice is evident. "I was so happy alone until you decided to show up and ruin the mood," he adds with a theatrical sigh.

Ignoring the prince's sarcasm, Kael walks past him, scanning the area with sharp eyes. 'I can't see any movement. How strange—there's usually some kind of activity in caves like this.' "Have you found anything here?" he asks, though his tone suggests he already expects a disappointing answer.

The prince watches him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "You're a weird kid. You don't react how a kid should," he muses, trailing behind Kael with his hands casually clasped behind his head. "The tunnels are stupid, they're just full of traps." Suddenly, the prince grins mischievously and shoves Kael toward one of the tunnels. "Pfffahahahahaha!" he laughs as Kael jumps back, nearly tripping.

"I'm joking, well, not really," the prince continues, still chuckling. "There are traps, but they won't activate until you go deeper. I nearly died to one myself."

"Tsk, maybe you should've died," Kael mutters, rubbing his forehead in exasperation. "Go back in there, maybe you'll die this time." He smirks and gives the prince a kick, sending him stumbling back into the tunnel. "I bet your sister will give me a nice reward if you end up dead."

With a forced smile, the prince stands and dusts himself off. "You are a frustrating piece of meat," he mutters under his breath. Then, louder, he asks, "So, where did you go for so long, little boy?"

"I was sent to a test floor with Ryua," Kael replies, his tone distracted as he peers into the river. "It was a weird floor, for sure. The time and space were warped in some kind of loop." 'Once I return, I'll make sure that cube implements a room like that in the dungeon. Of course, it won't be a test but more of a storage room I can use,' Kael thinks, already planning.

"Pff, Ryua? That crazy bitch?" The prince smirks as he walks past Kael, giving him a condescending pat on the shoulder. "Hmhmhmhmhm, well done surviving around that scary woman."

'What's the point of this floor?' Kael scratches his head in confusion, his mind racing. 'I haven't received a notification yet. This is strange—there should be some creatures. Back in the room, the system window mentioned dangerous monsters.' With a heavy exhale, Kael stretches his back, trying to shake off the unease creeping up his spine. "So you haven't found a thing?"

"Nah," the prince shrugs nonchalantly, continuing to wander around aimlessly. "This is one of those floors where you wait for the monsters. I'm guessing they'll be here soon since you decided to attract all the attention with that artifact of yours."

Kael rubs his chin thoughtfully, peering into the murky water below. 'There's nothing special about this river,' he muses. 'Hey, system, how much longer until the festival starts?'

[18:16:12:47]

'That's plenty of time,' Kael scratches his head, standing up and stretching his limbs. 'We should be near the lowest floor by now. The only thing worrying me is Leena. Why hasn't she made a move yet? What the hell is her plan?' He sighs, resigned to the uncertainty, and mumbles, "We'll just have to wait, then."

Reaching into his pouch, Kael begins setting up his portable kitchen. The prince watches him with a hungry gleam in his eye, licking his lips as he sits down, leaning back as if he owns the place. "Make me something good. I've been eating fruits and bread like some pathetic commoner," he demands, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, and make sure to give me lots and lots of meat."

"Oi, shut the fuck up," Kael snaps, pointing his knife at the prince before turning back to his task, slicing tomatoes and peppers with expert precision. "I thought elves were supposed to go on a vegan diet 60 days before and after the festival."

"Augh! Fuck that shit," the prince gags dramatically. "Why would I go through that torture? Mother Earth never told us to do that; it was some random ass elf thousands of years ago that decided to add that rule just to mess with us." He takes a deep, exaggerated breath and looks up at the dark sky. "I do what I want, when I want. That's the life I chose."

"The life you chose, huh..." Kael mutters, lighting the stove and tossing the sliced vegetables into a pan. "Hey, when did you realize it was a lie?"

The prince chuckles, twirling a needle between his fingers. "Almost instantly. Your acting isn't bad, but I know that brat better than anyone. Every time she lies, the corner of her lip twitches twice." He laughs, a sharp sound in the stillness of the cave.

"You're a dick," Kael murmurs under his breath, flipping the vegetables with a practiced hand. "I know the truth and what you're planning." He pauses, letting the smell of sizzling meat fill the air. "She doesn't know."

The prince's playful demeanor shifts in an instant. "So who are you if you're not with her?" His voice drops to a dangerous whisper as he vanishes from his spot, reappearing beside Kael with the needle pressed against his neck. "I doubt I can kill you, but I'm more than capable of taking a limb," he threatens, his breath hot against Kael's ear.

Kael smiles calmly, not pausing in his cooking. "How funny. You say you can't kill me, yet you target my neck." He sets the knife down and grabs the pan, the scent of caramelized onions mingling with the seared meat. "I have no intentions of interfering with your devious plan, Prince. Or should I refer to you as king?"

The prince's eyebrows twitch, and he withdraws the needle, his expression a mix of irritation and intrigue. "Tsk, you really know everything, damn human." He tosses the needle aside and slumps back into his seat. "So what is it? If you're not her pawn, who the hell are you?"

Kael shrugs, as if the question is of no consequence. "Does it matter?" he says, taking a seat and slicing into his food. "Taking the throne, huh? What a genius plan. Do you like that ending?"

"As long as I get what I want, why would it matter?" The prince watches him carefully, his eyes glinting with calculation. "Do you think that stupid brat of a sister can take the throne? Pff, as if. She's a weak-willed, immature girl. That's why I must be king, regardless of the ending."

Kael hands over a plate and sits across from him, stabbing his fork into the beef. "The others won't take it so well," he says between bites.

"So what? They'll have no choice but to understand," the prince replies coldly, his gaze never leaving Kael's. "Tell me what you're after. If it's the flower..." He grips the edge of the table, sending cracks through the wood. "I can't give it up."

"This... this table is expensive," Kael sighs, rubbing his forehead. 'Damn, what a waste.' "Listen here, you selfish piece of shit. I will help you with the issue. You have no clue how to use it, so leave it to me. The other royals will question your intentions if you use it. In return for helping you, I want access to 'that'. You know it works."

There's a moment of tense silence as they stare each other down. Then, the prince closes his eyes and, with a short knife, slices his palm open. He extends his hand to Kael. "Once it's over, you need to help deal with the aftermath."

"I was planning on that," Kael smirks, slicing his own palm and gripping the prince's hand, their blood mingling as they seal the pact.