“Hey! I leveled up—four levels!” Roy exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement as he dumped all his newly earned skill points into strength.

Xhiva groaned from across the room, his voice cutting through the jubilation. “Are you serious? Put them into magic instead! It might stabilize your skill!”

“But a strong skill needs a strong wielder!” Roy shot back, puffing out his chest.

Xhiva’s jaw dropped. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard!” he snapped, and before long, the two were bickering like toddlers. Name-calling, wild gestures, and even a spit attack from Xhiva escalated their argument, their titles of Summoned Champion and Prince forgotten in favor of petty squabbling.

“You wanna fight?!” Roy yelled, pushing back his chair with a dramatic scrape.

“Anytime, anywhere!” Xhiva fired back, standing from his stool, his confidence radiating.

“Fine! The time is when I’m fully charged, and the place is in front of my cannon!” Roy declared, crossing his arms triumphantly.

A pause hung in the air.

Xhiva blinked, processing the absurdity of Roy’s challenge. “...You’re an idiot!” he deadpanned, utterly unimpressed.

On the bed nearby, Niles stirred, his eyes fluttering open as he groggily registered the chaos. His head lolled to one side, spotting Xander leaning casually against the wall. The prince was freshly cleaned and patched up, wearing soft, unassuming clothes.

Xander gave him a gentle smile, and Niles returned it with a slow blink before rolling back to stare at the dark wooden ceiling above. He placed a hand on his stomach, where his wound had been. The pain was gone, replaced by a faint scar. His leg, too, was healed from the arrow’s bite.

From across the room, Gustavus’s lament broke the moment of reflection. “If only I had real healing powers like that dragon-helmet woman, then I could’ve done something useful!” he wailed, brushing away a tear. “All I did was take away the pain for a little while, and then—”

“Then Niles woke up screaming like a dying pig, cursed you, and passed out again?” Roy interjected, his grin wide and merciless.

“You could at least try to make it sound better!” Gustavus protested, his voice cracking with indignation.

Xander, ever the diplomat, smoothed over the conversation with a calm tone. “I’m sure we’ll find plenty of good uses for your skill. For instance, easing the pain of women during childbirth. I’ve heard that can be... challenging.”

Gustavus looked up at the ceiling, his soul visibly leaving his body. “So I’ve been summoned to a new world... just to become a midwife?”

Roy clapped him on the back, grinning mischievously. “And not even a good one, since the pain comes back anyway. You’d just be the warm-up act!”

Gustavus groaned, slumping in defeat as the others burst into laughter.

Niles joined in the laughter, despite the ache it brought to his battered body. Each chuckle reverberated through him, sending sharp reminders of the injuries he’d endured. But he couldn’t resist savoring the schadenfreude, even if his own skill wasn’t much to boast about.

“Niles! You’re awake!” Gustavus exclaimed, his face lighting up with relief. “I thought we lost you.” He hastily wiped his teary eyes with his sleeve.

Xander stepped forward, his composed demeanor tinged with concern. “It’s good to see you awake, but remember—healing doesn’t replenish lost blood. You need rest, at least until tomorrow.” His voice softened as he added, “Our father was... merciful enough to extend your banishment by one day.”

The words hung heavy in the air. Xander’s expression was apologetic, almost regretful, as he delivered the harsh truth.

“Truly, a master of mercy,” Xhiva said, his voice swelling with pride, though the sarcasm was unmistakable. Then, in a brighter tone, he added, “Which means you need food. A lot of food. Meat especially!”

Clapping his hands, Xhiva summoned a court assistant into the room. “Bring us every kind of meat you can find—chicken, fish, beef. Everything,” he ordered with dramatic flair. The assistant nodded and turned to leave, but Xhiva stopped him mid-step. “And I mean everything.”

Satisfied with the assistant’s obedient nod, Xhiva grinned. “Perfect! We’ll have a feast to celebrate your recovery!”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Niles pushed himself upright, his back resting against the headboard. Sunlight streamed through the slightly open window, bringing in a fresh breeze that carried the warmth of the day. For a moment, it almost felt peaceful.

But peace was fleeting. Niles broke the calm with the question lingering in his mind. “What happened... after?”

The room shifted, the lightness evaporating. An uncomfortable gloom settled over the group.

Roy spoke first, his tone almost apologetic. “I’m sorry to tell you this.” He hesitated.

Xander took over, his voice steady but grim. “Snake Eyes—Zacharias—and many of his soldiers escaped.”

Niles nodded, his expression unreadable.

Xander continued, his words heavy with loss. “A lot of our nobles and court assistants were murdered... along with the two representatives from the Golden Bank. You might remember that.” He paused, locking eyes with Niles before delivering the final blow. “They also took Aurelia.”

Niles stiffened. “Why? Do we know why?”

Xander shook his head. “We have guesses, but no confirmation.” He hesitated, his next words almost painful to say. “And we’re not going after her.”

“What?” Niles’s voice was sharp, disbelief coursing through him. “You’re not serious. We have to save her!”

The room fell into a tense silence. It lasted only seconds, but it felt like an eternity before Xander spoke again.

“Our father, King Xerxes, has deemed it unnecessary,” he said carefully. “She has... served her purpose.”

Niles’s gaze dropped, his hands clenching into fists.

Xander tried to explain. “We don’t even know where they’re taking her. If they return to Zairule, it’s halfway across the world. The distance is enormous, and the risks—”

Niles didn’t let him finish. “How can we just leave her?” His voice wavered, not with anger, but with a quiet, aching sadness. The words seemed to hollow out the room, carrying a depth of sorrow that made everyone else falter.

Xander looked away, his silence louder than any response he could have given.

Xhiva’s gaze darted toward the door, desperate for the arrival of food to puncture the suffocating tension in the room.

“What about Felix?” Niles asked, his voice breaking the silence.

Xander blinked, caught off guard. “The moat guard?” he asked, hesitating.

Niles nodded.

“He’s in the other room,” Xander said slowly. “He’s tough, but… we found him too late. He’s lost too much blood. He still has a pulse, but it’s faint, and it isn’t improving. Our best doctors don’t believe he’ll wake up. It’s only a matter of time.”

The weight of his words settled heavily in the air.

“The doctors have already made the decision,” Xander added quietly.

Niles stiffened. Something about the way he said “decision” felt wrong. “What decision?” he pressed, dread creeping into his tone.

Xander sighed, reluctant to continue but knowing he owed Niles the truth. “We all carry experience points,” he began, his voice careful, measured. “The one to deliver the final blow… receives them. Felix would, at least, benefit someone else. Someone still alive.”

"Like an organ donor," Gustavus muttered, his voice a touch too loud, earning a few awkward glances.

Niles’s stomach churned, but Xander wasn’t finished. “And… since Felix hasn’t woken, the king couldn’t interrogate him. There’s suspicion he might’ve been a traitor. The paperwork already reflects his banishment.”

“This is madness!” Niles burst out, his voice cracking with disbelief. “Felix isn’t a traitor—he’s a good man! There has to be a way to save him!”

Summoning every ounce of energy he had, Niles forced himself upright, swaying slightly as he locked eyes with Xander. “You promised me one gift before I leave,” he said, his voice firm despite his trembling legs.

Xander’s expression turned grave, understanding the weight of the moment. “You may ask for anything,” he replied solemnly.

Niles cleared his throat, steadying his voice. “Alright, here’s the plan,” he began, his tone serious. “First, we need everyone on board.”

Xander nodded immediately. “Consider it done.”

Xhiva, however, raised a hand. “Excuse me, I’m not in on this!”

Xander’s hand shifted to the hilt of his blade, the metallic clink reverberating through the room. Xhiva gulped and quickly changed his tune. “Okay, fine, I’m in,” he said, leaning in with a nervous smile.

“Also, my planet buddies are in on this too,” Niles continued, gesturing toward Roy and Gustavus.

Gustavus let out a resigned sigh. “As always, you drag us into your harebrained schemes.”

Roy smirked, leaning forward. “It’s not like we have anything better to do.”

With a grin, Niles looked each of them in the eye, then pressed on. “Step one: we bring Felix to this room. No one else is allowed in here except you three.” He pointed at Xhiva, Roy, and Gustavus. “You’ll stay behind, enjoy the feast, be loud and cheerful, like you’re trying to wake him up.”

Xhiva perked up, nodding eagerly. “If it’s eating and speaking loudly, I’m your man!” he rhymed, visibly excited by the task.

“Step two,” Niles continued, “Xander and I will head to town to find the crystal that shows people’s status windows and skills. We’ll use it to locate someone with the ability to save Felix.”

Xhiva’s eyes went wide. “The priceless artifact?!” He shook his head, trying to contain his panic. “It’s heavily guarded, only authorized by the royal house, and people pay a fortune to use it. This plan is insane—we need something more realistic.”

Xander’s calm voice cut through the tension. “Brother.”

Xhiva turned to him, his expression a mix of disbelief and expectation.

“We are the royal house,” Xander reminded him, his words carrying weight.

Realization dawned on Xhiva’s face, his anxiety giving way to a mischievous grin. “Excellent!”

“And finally,” Niles said, his voice rising with anticipation, “the third and most important step—”

The group leaned in, their excitement palpable, but before Niles could finish, a sharp voice interrupted.

“What are you idiots plotting now?”

They all froze, their collective enthusiasm deflating as Xemena stepped into the room, her arms crossed and a disapproving glare fixed on them.

The room fell into an uneasy silence.

“Fine, keep your little secrets,” Xemena said coolly, tossing her long dark hair over one shoulder with a sharp flick of her neck. Her piercing gaze settled on Niles, locking him in place.

“You have a visitor,” she announced, her tone as cold and unyielding as ever.

Niles blinked, confusion etching lines across his face. A visitor? He couldn’t fathom who it might be—he’d only been in this world for a few days.

Xemena let out a soft sigh, the barest hint of exasperation, before raising her voice. “You may come in.”