Prince Xhiva stood naked in the throne room, his bloated, overweight body an awkward centerpiece in the grand hall. The sight was strange, but given the events of recent days, it wasn’t entirely out of place. His wide, bewildered eyes scanned the room, which was filled with soldiers and vassals of the crown. On the throne of a thousand crowns sat King Xerxes, his fingers pressed into his temples as if he could knead away his growing frustration.

“My son,” the king began, his tone heavy with disappointment, “you promised to hang the two criminals. And yet, here you are telling me that not only did a mere child slip through your grasp, but the other criminal—who was already secured in the pillory—escaped as well. Explain.”

The naked prince fidgeted, clearing his throat. “The second criminal managed to convince the executioner to let him go.”

Xerxes froze mid-massage, then slowly let his hands fall. “And how, pray tell, did he manage that?”

Prince Xhiva shifted uncomfortably. “He told the executioner that deep down… he’s a good person.”

Silence followed, broken only by the faint shuffling of boots as some guards struggled to keep their composure. The king’s fingers dragged down his face as though trying to peel away the sheer absurdity of the situation. Finally, he turned to Dragon, the commander of the Xargian Guard.

“Dragon,” Xerxes commanded, his voice a low growl, “walk me through this circus of failures. I can’t even look at that slob.” He waved dismissively at his son, whose face flushed as the room erupted into a ripple of poorly stifled chuckles.

Far from the center of attention, Prince Xander leaned casually against a pillar, a faint smile tugging at his lips. His amusement, however, was short-lived as Princess Xemena elbowed him sharply in the ribs. “Behave,” she hissed, her tone icy. “The last thing we need is more punishments from Father.”

Xander raised his hands in mock surrender, his smile shrinking but not entirely vanishing. “No harm meant,” he murmured.

Dragon stepped forward, his voice as steady and cold as steel. “My king, after a thorough investigation and numerous interrogations, we have identified a primary suspect.”

Xerxes’ brow furrowed. “And who might that be?”

Dragon’s words sliced through the hall. “We believe Sir Niles is responsible for today’s chaos.”

The declaration landed like a thunderclap, sending ripples of shock—or something resembling it—through the room. For Sir Roy and Sir Gustavus, however, the impact was less devastating and far more comedic. They exchanged quick glances, their faces strained as they bit back their laughter, the sheer absurdity of the details threatening to crack their composure.

Dragon began recounting the day’s events and laying out the evidence they had gathered. Her voice was steady and deliberate, carrying the weight of each revelation.

“To begin,” she said, “one of my soldiers overheard Sir Niles discussing a second attack on our castle. He claimed it would take place during the public hanging and would be signaled beforehand.” She paused briefly, allowing the gravity of her words to sink in. “This soldier immediately reported it to me, and we issued warnings to the castle. Shortly afterward, the commander of the castle defenses informed us that another individual—none other than the father of the banished castle assistant—had also come forward, confirming Sir Niles’ warning. This prompted us to heighten security measures further.”

Dragon stepped into the center of the hall, her armor glinting faintly under the throne room’s chandeliers as all eyes followed her. She resumed, her tone unwavering.

“While Sir Niles roamed the city, there were several moments when he slipped from our sight. When we relocated him, he was heading toward the harbor and boarded a ship. At that moment, the two Xargian Guards assigned to monitor him inexplicably chose to split up.” She let her gaze sweep across the gathered nobles and soldiers. “One of those guards, Wolf, returned to the castle. As he approached the moat, he noticed something unusual: the flag hanging on the stone wall above the moat bridge had been replaced with a flag from Zairule.”

A collective gasp echoed through the throne room. Whispers of “How?” and “Could it be true?” rippled among the crowd. Dragon raised a hand to command silence and continued.

“We don’t yet know how this was accomplished. Regardless, when Wolf demanded to be let into the castle to report directly to the king, he was denied entry due to heightened security protocols. The castle commander insisted on verifying his identity through the holy crystal to ensure he was not an imposter posing as a member of the Xargian Guard.”

Dragon paused, her voice dropping lower as she delivered the next revelation. “But when they went to retrieve the holy crystal… it was gone.”

The room erupted into chaos. Gasps and shouts of disbelief filled the air.

“Impossible!” someone shouted. Others demanded, “Who was the last to handle it? There must be records!”

Dragon let the noise die down on its own before speaking again, her words measured and precise. “According to our records, the last person to borrow the holy crystal was…” She hesitated, the weight of her next words palpable.

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“…Prince Xander.”

The throne room fell deathly silent, the accusation landing like a thunderbolt. All eyes turned toward Xander, who remained leaning casually against the pillar, though his scarlet eyes now glinted with a hint of tension. Xemena, standing beside him, stiffened visibly, her fingers curling into fists.

Xander arched a brow, a faint smile playing at his lips. “Well,” he said softly, breaking the silence, “that’s certainly inconvenient.”

Dragon’s voice cut through the tense air as she continued her report. “However,” she added, “we did interrogate Prince Xander, and the king has used his skill, Veritas Gaze, to confirm that Xander speaks the truth, he did return the holy crystal.” Her gaze swept over the room. “I understand that some of you remain skeptical, especially since there was a skill used during the midnight attack at the ball that could interfere with others’ abilities. We suspect that individual was aligned with the Zairulian assassins.” Dragon took a deep breath before pressing on. “Regardless, the holy crystal is missing. We will conduct more interrogations with the king to uncover the thief. If we cannot recover it, we must consider the possibility that this was Sir Niles’ plan all along. How he might have executed it remains unclear.”

A nobleman, his finger thrust forward, interrupted with a sharp accusation. “The culprits must be Sir Niles’ summoned companions!” His words drew scornful looks from Roy and Gustavus, who glared at him in silent disdain.

Dragon sighed heavily. “Those two are innocent. They were among the first we interrogated.”

She resumed her account. “Returning to the sequence of events: when Wolf was denied entry to the castle, he feared a coup had taken place. Acting on instinct, he sounded his war horn and stormed the gates. The commotion caused the fortress security to ring the castle bells, summoning aid. When my guards and I abandoned our posts in the city center to return to the castle, we encountered the Zairulian flag on the stone wall and found our loyal subject, Wolf, bleeding on the ground. Naturally, we assumed the worst. This led to me confronting Prince Xander, who appeared...confused.”

From his place in the room, Xander smirked and interjected, “A fine sparring session, if I do say so myself.”

Xemena, standing beside him, jabbed another elbow into his ribs. “Stop it. You’ve spent too much time with that jester. Don’t interrupt,” she hissed, referring to Niles’ influence on her brother.

King Xerxes leaned forward on his throne, his voice low and demanding. “What do we know about the flag? How did it get there?”

Dragon continued, “We questioned merchants in the commercial district. One saleswoman claimed to have sold a flag of Zairule earlier that day. However, it wasn’t specifically requested—she said it could have been any flag. She described the buyer as matching Niles’ appearance.” She exhaled, her frustration evident. “Still, we have no explanation for how the flag was placed on the wall outside the gate.”

Nearby, Roy and Gustavus whispered to each other.

“Do you think Niles just pulled off a false flag operation?” Roy asked, his tone incredulous.

Gustavus stroked his chin in thought. “I don’t see what he’d gain from it...aside from annoying the king, of course.”

Their whispered conversation was interrupted when Prince Xander stepped forward, his expression thoughtful. “Dragon, this might seem like an odd question, but during all of this chaos, was there a bird involved?”

Dragon blinked, caught off guard. “A bird? Well, yes. According to reports, a bird was seen flying around the city and occasionally landing on Niles’ shoulder. Why do you ask? Is it significant?”

Roy and Gustavus exchanged pale, exasperated looks. “Yup,” Gustavus muttered, “it’s definitely Niles behind all of this.”

“No doubt about it,” Roy agreed, both looking mentally drained by the revelation.

Xander smiled faintly, shifting topics with ease. “And what of the burned-down building in the poor district?”

Dragon nodded. “The Adventurer’s Guild. Apparently, an internal fight broke out. Candles were knocked over during the commotion, and the building was quickly engulfed in flames.”

The room murmured in disdain. “No surprise there,” someone muttered. “They’re nothing but ruffians. That place was a dump anyway.”

King Xerxes rose from his throne, silencing the chatter with a commanding gesture. His voice boomed through the hall. “Enough. I’ve heard enough. I’ve made my decision.” He stood tall, his arm outstretched like a spear, his presence demanding absolute attention.

“Based on the evidence, I command that Niles be brought back here to give his testimony. If he is proven guilty, he will face the gallows. Go and retrieve him at once.”

Dragon saluted. “At once, my king. We’ll prepare a ship immediately.”

The king raised a hand to stop her. “No. Wait until after the hearing. Our top priority remains finding the holy crystal.” His voice grew darker, a fire burning behind his scarlet eyes. “Many of you may wonder why we bother pursuing someone who is heading to Monster Island. Niles will likely meet his end there. But anyone who dares to make fools of us must be punished!”

A meek, wounded voice interrupted. “Father...I feel like a fool already. Would it be fair if I returned to my chambers to dress?”

Xerxes pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling deeply as he remembered that his youngest son, Prince Xhiva, had been standing in the hall without a stitch of clothing the entire meeting. Waving a hand in dismissal, he said, “Fine. Go.”

Xhiva bowed awkwardly, his overweight frame wobbling slightly as he did. “Thank you, my king. Your mercy knows no bounds. I shall strive never to embarrass you again.” He waddled out of the throne room like a fat penguin, eliciting muffled chuckles from the crowd.

King Xerxes sank back into his throne, his expression darkening as he muttered a string of unflattering remarks about his children under his breath. Before the silence could settle, a figure stepped forward, clad in the sharp attire of the naval military.

“My king,” the officer began, his voice steady and resolute, “I propose that the fleet pursuing Sir Niles depart at first light. The rocky cliffs beneath our coastal waters have protected us from countless naval attacks, but they’re treacherous to navigate, especially at night. We’ll be ready to set sail with the dawn.”

King Xerxes nodded curtly. “So be it. I entrust this mission to you. Coordinate with Dragon on the preparations.” His voice then rose slightly as he issued a broader command. “This will be a long meeting. Food and refreshments have been prepared in the adjoining chamber. Take this time to rest and gather your thoughts. When the bell sounds, you are to return here promptly.”

As the attendees murmured their acknowledgments and began filing out of the hall, Xerxes turned his gaze toward the painted glass windows. The night outside was cloaked in darkness, the stars twinkling faintly above the city. His expression hardened, his scarlet eyes gleaming like embers.

“I’ll make you regret this, Niles,” he muttered under his breath, venom lacing every word.

Far across the sea, on a distant, rocking vessel, Niles shivered unexpectedly, the sensation running down his spine like an icy caress.

“What is it?” Winston asked, watching him with a raised brow.

Niles rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. “I don’t know...just got a bad feeling all of a sudden.” He laughed it off, though the uneasy sensation lingered.