As dozens of guards approached, I briefly entertained thoughts of fighting them and attempting a daring escape from the city, akin to those vagabond heroes. But such notions quickly dissipated; outnumbered and facing soldiers armed with spears, I wouldn't last more than a few seconds in combat. Alchemist wasn't exactly a fighting class, at least not until I was able to make some better potions.

I reluctantly dropped my weapon, Budas followed my lead and did the same. I glanced at Auto, locking eyes with her, and gestured towards the pouch I had dropped on the ground, indicating the door. She understood my signal and nodded.

As far as the guards were concerned, the young girl was innocent. Moreover, I suspected that these thugs had assistance. All I could do now was hope that Auto wouldn't seize the opportunity to run off with the money. While she hadn't displayed ill intentions thus far and seemed to be a victim of circumstance, I could only remain cautiously optimistic. She wasn’t a bad kid, but seeing the situation I could understand if she decided to play it safe.

The guards tightly bound my hands with a rope and confiscated my spear. Fortunately, unless one of them possessed the Transmutation Skill, they wouldn't be able to change the spear like I could.

"I am nothing more than an innocent merchant. Why are you detaining me instead of dealing with these thugs?" I grumbled, attempting to appear angry, though it was clear that we were all destined for a dungeon. "You can verify with the king himself. He granted me permission to open my shop, and these thugs came to rob me!"

"Silence!" barked one of the guards, striking me in the stomach with the butt of his spear. The blow sent me sprawling to the ground, groaning in pain. "You will have your audience with the king. But keep quiet, or we'll say you resisted arrest and dispose of you right here."

This was better than nothing, but this situation left a lot of room for misunderstandings. After all, when they entered, I was the one standing while the thugs lay on the ground.

How could I possibly turn this situation in my favor?

As they escorted us to the cells which were under the king's palace, on the way there I took a cursory glance at the surroundings. During my previous visits, I had paid little attention to the palace itself, as the king would meet everyone in the outermost building. But the inner palace was filled with gardens, fountains, people talking, and some beautiful ladies walking about. There were even scantily-clad ladies dancing and entertaining some guests.

However, the area we were heading to was devoid of such things. Instead, the underground cells were dark, damp cells infested with rats. Wait, did certain diseases exist during this era? A rat bite would still be unpleasant, particularly for those dwelling in such filth.

But if it came to that, I would have to transmute the iron bars of the cell to open. I still had the piece of chalk in my pocket. Even if they took the chalk, I could use blood, dust, or anything else. Transmutation was a versatile form of magic where almost anything was possible. However, the requirement of drawing a transmutation circle made it less suitable for sudden battles. Traps were more within my expertise when it came to transmutation.

Perhaps I should consider learning blacksmithing? Transmutation and blacksmithing could complement each other well. However, before that, I needed to earn some funds to secure lodging and food.

Well, those were thoughts for later. I had more pressing matters at hand, such as the likelihood of the thugs intimidating witnesses. No doubt, they would. There was no point dwelling on ‘what ifs’. Fortunately, justice in this place wasn't solely determined by the common person.

I had to find a way to convince the King that keeping me alive was worthwhile. How could I make myself appear more useful, even if it meant the King had to confront the thugs? There was also the possibility that these thugs were part of a larger organization, which the King might not want to offend. In that case, I would be in serious trouble.

…

Time passed, and I wasn't sure how much. However, the thugs I had injured and knocked out had regained consciousness, except for one who had developed an infection from his wounds and was now groaning in pain.

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At least now I could say that we would probably be treated equally in any trial. Equally shit, of course.

"So, do you guys have some powerful gang backing you up?" I asked.

"Shut the hell up, you bastard!" yelled one of the men, whose voice I recognized as the one I had cut behind the knee. He was quite talkative. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"If you had asked for ten or even twenty out of a hundred of what I made, I might have agreed to play along. But demanding half of my earnings? Yeah, anyone would fight back after such a ridiculous offer," I frowned.

I noticed Budas grunting in agreement. I was concerned about his thigh injury; it was only a matter of time before an infection developed in an environment like this. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of any way to hasten our hearing with the boy King, who would act as the judge, jury, and executioner.

…

Three days passed, and I kept track of time by the meager meals of gruel soup they provided daily. During this time, I pondered how to navigate the situation and come out on top, though I knew that reality had a way of disrupting even the best-laid plans.

Then, an elderly voice spoke up, revealing himself as the King's trusted accountant. “Get ready, scoundrels, you're all going to meet the King."

The young ruler seemed to value the advice of this old man, suggesting he held considerable influence behind the scenes. Perhaps it was him, rather than the King, that I needed to win over.

Satisfying a teenage boy was a simple task, but since I lacked certain assets, it proved impossible. However, this experienced old man held a deeper understanding of the world and court politics, having reached such a position and survived through the years.

My objective became clear—to convince him that my worth lay in staying alive, rather than meeting my demise. As we were led out of our cells, the putrid stench of urine and feces no longer consumed my senses. Instead, the fragrance of the garden permeated the air, a welcome change.

Unlike the previous encounter, we were not presented before the King and his grand throne. Instead, we found ourselves in a larger room resembling a theater, complete with viewing balconies. The affluent audience, adorned in lavish attire and indulging in their drinks, scrutinized us while engaging in conversation.

It seemed that the wealthy elite of this era surpassed even the modern-day breed of insufferable snobs. At least the modern ones had to feign decency, or at least pretend to be human.

The King, occupying his own balcony, sat on a silver chair, peering down at me and the other prisoners. The thugs, visibly battered and worn, mumbled and appeared half-dead. This confirmed that they were not connected to any major criminal syndicate, or if they were, it was evident that the organization held little regard for their well-being.

As soon as my eyes landed on the King, I bowed my head and went down on one knee. Budas followed suit after seeing me.

"My King, it is an honor to behold your majestic presence," I began, putting on a show.

"Majestic presence?" The King arched an eyebrow, appearing curious and somewhat amused, likely due to the court ladies giggling at him.

"Indeed, they say that Kings are chosen by the Gods to rule. You, too, have been divinely chosen to reign in glory. So, I merely referred to it as heavenly glory. My apologies if my words are inadequate," I humbly stated, keeping my head bowed.

"Amusing, peasant," he addressed me condescendingly.

Though he spoke down to me, my life was at stake, and I couldn't afford to be emotionally affected.

"Well, we have come to witness an execution," the King shrugged, and my heart skipped a beat.

Should I take my chances and attempt to escape? If I did, Budas would likely die, and I would be risking my own life as well. Even if I managed to get out of there, it would not be without fatal injuries. What if the King had its own superhuman warriors, maybe he even had its own mages? I had too little information to work on.

"Guards, kill those who did not bow," the king stated nonchalantly.

Immediately, the guards entered, encircling us. The thugs pleaded for mercy, but before any of them could react, they were impaled by spears. One of the spears pierced the leader of the thugs in the throat, and some of his blood splattered onto the corner of my face. However, I maintained my position without flinching.

"Aghh!"

"P-Please!"

Blood pooled around me, and some even trickled down, touching my hand. Though fear gripped me, my mind shifted into fight or flight mode.

Using the blood that had reached my fingers, I sneakily drew a transmutation circle. Now, I simply awaited the King's next words.

What was it gonna be?