Odale

As Kin reached the climax of the story, he looked to the crowd and saw a young woman holding a smoke pipe. She was staring at Kin with a suspicious glare, and the two men standing beside her didn't help matters. He would have used Ra's eyes to check if Hana was ready to know how to proceed with the plan—his own version of it, that is—but he couldn't risk creeping the crowd out. The last thing he needed was people mobbing him, saying he was the spawn of the King of the forest. Kin continued his narration as if the stares and glares never existed.

"I know you've all heard different stories about the night of the fallen sun in the desert. Perhaps, what happened to the Prince of the Sun also happened to our prince. A lot of rumors claim he was present that night, including King Jai. But who knows, maybe he's alive or not. Maybe he'll come and save us one day. Who knows?"

"We don't need a savior. The Sulten is enough, and he's all we need," a voice said from the crowd.

Kin looked up and saw a woman coming towards him with two of her guards.

"No one believes your dumb story about the Prince of the Sun or whatever you call it. As far as we know, the prince is dead and Jai is in charge. Even if he wasn't, I heard the prince was an obese, distasteful, good-for-nothing fool. What can that damned brat do against a mighty god sword, except get himself killed?" the woman said.

"Now, as for you, your presence here is disturbing my business, and unless you want me to cut off your tongue, you'll take your stupid show far away from me and my establishment," she added, her voice cold and frightening.

"Show's over, everyone." Immediately she said this, the crowd began to disperse, everyone back to their own business.

"Well, my lady, you're an unbeliever, unh," Kin said as he approached the woman.

"It seems I didn't make myself clear enough," she said to Kin once again when she noticed he was still there.

"Don't be like that, my lady. I might look like a lowly nobody, but trust me when I say, I'm more than just a regular kid. And besides, I have something interesting to tell you," Kin said.

The woman took a smoke from her pipe before speaking. "Waris, teach him a lesson," the woman said in annoyance and started walking away.

One of the guards that stood beside her stepped forward. The guard got closer to Kin and tried to grab him. Before his hand could get to Kin, Kin used his swift movement, dodged, and knocked the man out in a single breath.

"You would need stronger guards if you want to catch me," Kin said, and the woman stopped in her tracks.

She looked back and saw her guard at Kin's feet, unconscious. "How..?" she said in confusion. Her face turned grim, and she looked at Kin with a serious expression. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Like I said, I'm more than just a regular kid," Kin replied. I do have an information you would be interested in," Kin said.

"And what might that be?"

Kin walked up to the woman. Immediately her guard saw Kin coming, he held his sword, but she signaled for him to stand down. Kin stood in front of the woman and signaled for her to bend down to his level, and she obliged. She brought her ear close to his mouth, and he whispered to her.

"You have a traitor in your establishment, and if I'm correct, she's currently dealing with your guards now, trying to access the tunnel."

The woman widened her eyes in shock. She looked at Kin one more time with a suspicious gaze before speaking. "If I find out you are playing games with me, boy, I'm going to tear you into pieces," she said and walked hurriedly back to the warehouse. Kin followed behind alongside the remaining guard. The last guard was left lying in the middle of the street. Immediately she entered the warehouse, she made her way to the room where the tunnel was located, and when she entered, she saw Hana, the child Lord Bassam (Rashid's second son) had told her to hire, with two guards on the floor beside her, dead.

Hana looked at the woman in charge of the tunnel and was shocked. It wasn't until her eyes met Kin's that she finally realized she had been betrayed.

"Did you really have to go through all that just to end up betraying her?" Ashell asked.

"Nope, but the show was quite fun. It was something I should have done earlier. Planting my possible survival in their hearts will help me in the future. People will gossip about what they hear today, and my return will spread like wildfire."

"You know she was right, though. Can you face your uncle in battle? Isn't he one of the… what did you call it… god sword?"

"Yes, he is, but with you, my chances of winning are no longer zero," Kin said.

"I know from your memories that this Jai is quite strong, but to think even with me you still have little chance hurts my feelings," Ashell said.

"It is exactly how it is," Kin said, trying not to hurt the beautiful maiden anymore.

"Well, since we are being honest with each other, are you really sure you want to face all this danger just to get back your kingdom? Your people might be better off with someone like your uncle. Maybe you should forget all this and stick to acting; you do have a talent for it."

"What? So you think I should give up on trying to get my kingdom back and be an actor instead?"

"Well, you do have good acting talent, and I don't really see you doing better as a ruler," Ashell mocked.

"What happened to doing this for my parents?" Kin probed.

"Well, you said you were doing it for your harem instead. You have shown yourself to be an irresponsible ruler, and you've not even taken the throne."

"How?" Kin asked.

"Do you even care about your people?" Ashell asked. "You're not ruling animals like in your story, you know. If you take back your kingdom, I wonder what would become of your people."

"Should I just give up and let Jai take over?"

"I'm not saying that, but if your people would have a better life under him than under your rule, then maybe you should consider a career in acting instead."

Ashell's words hit Kin hard. "Would I be able to rule this nation?" he thought. "Well, that will only matter if I can take back what's mine. Thinking of the complicated things won't bring any solution," Kin thought.