"Why are no inns accepting me?!" I said as I put my head between my hands and then felt a sharp pain behind my right eye.

"Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse." I looked up ahead to see a wall of rain heading in my direction.

I started running in all directions, asking every single person if they knew an inn that was accepting people. Only to be met with the same cold reaction.

At some point, even the most stubborn of people would have given up, but not me, I kept looking around instead of looking for a better, more likely solution. No surprise, after zero success, the streets emptied. Leaving only a lone idiot with the sounds of the raindrops hitting the ground and the heavy fog started to take over.

'If it were not for that old man, I would've been utterly soaked.'

"We're just going to have to settle for the streets." I laid my bag on the ground and after many hours of walking, I finally got to sit down and rest my legs.

'Should probably get some sleep, or else I won't be able to do much tomorrow.'

As my eyelids closed, I was met with a very familiar scene. A room filled to the brim with paintings, but the one that stood out the most is a large portrait of a young blond woman that hung on a wall. A homey feeling filled the air, a sense of safety. But just as all the other dreams went, the scene didn't last long.

Just as fast as it came, it got ripped away. And all that is left is darkness, but the sense of safety still lingers. As I floated in the endless darkness, a feeling of warmth embraced me.

"How could I be mad? It's the exact opposite, I'm happy that you've never had to go through what I had to go through."

Even though I've been through this so many times, this last part never fails to cut me deep. The sense of safety disappeared and with it the warmth.

"I didn't want this!." A shout rings out and the overwhelming feeling of vulnerability started to rear its ugly head.

"Stop it, your existence is unnecessary." Those words started to reverberate throughout the darkness, echoing and resonating. It felt as if it was being drilled into my brain. Each time it repeated, it pierced my heart, shredding it to pieces.

But the noises started to get overtaken by a sweet voice that called out to someone, "Hello? Are you even alive?" I felt a warm touch around my neck.

My eyes opened to see a red-haired woman with golden eyes staring curiously at me with her fingers on my neck. Although it was still dark, there was no mistaking it, she was as beautiful as they come, "Good, you're not dead. I thought I was going to have to bury you on my way out." The thought of being buried alive by some idiot sent some shivers down my spine.

"Very funny." She let out a laugh at my annoyance.

"It was just a joke, but seriously? Sleeping at a graveyard? Weird place to get some sleep wouldn't you say, creep?" I pushed her hand away which was still on my neck.

'Graveyard?' I took a look around and with the heavy fog subsided, I saw that I was indeed at the gateway of a random Graveyard.

"Yes sure, but did you really have to wake me up? You people-" she cut me off by pointing at my sword.

"Nice sword you got there, you're a swordsman?" I was startled by her sudden question, I remembered what the old man said and just shook my head.

"I see, then how much for it?" I stood up and got a good look at her. She also had a sword and she's got some nice clothes on, but then I noticed the most glaring thing about her, she's absolutely drenched!

"First of all, lady, why are you out this late? Second, why are you out in the rain?" Is she messed up in the head or something?

"Oh, I just like the rain. Anyways, how much for the sword?" And we were right back to this question again.

"Not for sale. Now, please leave me alone." She clicked her tongue and pulled out a small pouch that seemed quite heavy.

"A pouch of gold?" I shook my head, which left her mouth agape.

"Huh?! But you're sleeping on the streets, this much gold could solve all your problems!" I sighed and shooed her away, but she seemed to be a very stubborn individual.

"Come on, I'll even make it two pouches?" Maybe scaring her away would work? Wouldn't hurt to try… no, it would if she reports me, but at this point, I don't care. I just want to get some rest.

I pulled my sword out of its sheath "I'll do you one better, I take both pouches and your life?"

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

She stared blankly at me and in a blink of an eye, "Threatening a customer isn't good for business don’t ya think?" I felt the cold steel grazing against my throat. For the first time in a long time, I felt the unforgiving sensation of danger.

"Tch, just leave me alone, lady. I'm tired." I put my sword back. I’ve had more than enough fights with crazy women for a lifetime.

She does the same, "But come on, you're being unreasonable." I ran my hand through my hair taking off my hood. Maybe if I entertain her for a bit she'll leave? At this point, I'm out of options.

"Why do you even need a sword? You look young and you're clearly well off, so why?" She let out a haughty laugh at my question.

"Why I'm glad you asked, my good sir. Well, you see, it's because I am aiming for the throne." A few seconds passed by in silence. I just needed a second to comprehend what she just said.

"Haha, kids shouldn't be joking about this type of stuff, run off back home." Come on, making these types of declarations out in the open? Only an idiot would do that. My brain automatically chalked it up to it just being a bad joke, but there was one thing that stopped my thought process completely and it was her eyes.

Those eyes. They were the eyes of someone who fully believed every word they said and would act upon said words. They were the same as the eyes that I was all too familiar with.

"You want to be king and therefore you want a sword?" She nodded. This would be interesting...

"Well, I'm a swordsman in need of some work, how about I be your sword?" She muttered under her breath that I was a liar.

"Great! Then it'll be fun working with you." She reached out her hand and I shook it. It can't possibly be that easy. She began to walk off.

“Wait a second, I'm not working unless I'm getting paid," I said with a stern voice and she seemed to be taken aback and abruptly stopped. Don't tell me she expected me to work for free?

"Seeing how you're the one in need of my services and that you seem to be well off. I will be the one who decides how much I get paid."

She turned back with a strained smile, "How much?" I put up one finger. Seeing that she let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness, I thought you were going to name an ungodly amount, but one silver coin? I can handle that." She wiped what might be sweat or raindrops off her forehead.

"One pouch of gold, every month." And it seemed like that shattered her whole world.

"B-But I don't have that much money! These two pouches are all I have!" This struck me like a brick being dropped on my head.

"But that's what you offered for my sword?!" She looked away.

"It seemed like a really nice sword…" She might actually be an idiot.

"Alright, then ten gold coins per month." I tried highballing before, but clearly that didn't go well. I'll just go with a normal amount.

"Can't do that either." She answered candidly.

"Alright… then I'll settle for five." She happily nodded. Little did she know that was the amount I was aiming for from the beginning.

"Alright, just to make it official. I, Sebastian, son of the lady of the sun. Swear my undying loyalty and will act as the sword of…" I stopped because I realized I didn't know her name.

"What's your name?" I whispered because otherwise the ceremony would get canceled.

"Pandres," she whispered back. Pandres? A bit of a masculine name for a woman to have, but I'm not here to judge.

Thus I continued "The future king of Spurcius, Pandres, and will do as she says as long as the payments are made!" A circle of light surrounded us but then quickly fizzled out.

"Huh?" It was supposed to work… did I do something wrong? No way, all I had to do was swear on my name and her name…

"Your name isn't Pandres, is it?" She, who was surprised by the sudden light quickly regained her composure.

"How did you figure that out? Yes, my name isn't Pandres, obviously." I don't bother to entertain her question.

"What's your real name? The contract will stay unfinished until I swear on both our names." She waved her hand to dismiss me.

"The contract is unnecessary. I'll pay you on time and if I don't, may the Hell Beast take me to the underworld." She skipped over the name part.

"What's your name? We can't trust each other when one of us can't even trust the other with their name." She turned back around and continued to walk down the road.

"I'll tell you when I become king." And with that, she turned a corner and disappeared.

I grabbed my bag and ran after her. I can't just let a great job opportunity slip through my fingers due to something as stupid as trust.

I turned the corner just to find her waiting right there, "I knew you'd follow, I take it you accept the job?" I begrudgingly nod.

I honestly don't know how I'll handle her as a boss. She seems like the worst type of person; a person who you can't understand. Throughout our exchanges, I just couldn't get a good grasp of what she was like, she was like… I just don't know how to describe it.

"Anyways, do you have an inn that you stay at?" She shook her head. Great, we're drenched and we don't have a place to stay.

She then started to have a sneezing fit. It would be bad if she or I got sick and so I had to use it even though I was opposed to it.

I grabbed her hand which was freezingly cold and pulled her into an alley, "It should be fine here." Strangely, she didn't ask a single question and let me do my thing.

I focused all my energy on the ground and the ground rose creating a wall, so we wouldn't be seen and a roof.

I opened my bag and pulled out some firewood, I neatly set them on the ground and then used my magic to light them on fire. I looked up at her expecting her to be surprised, but no, she immediately began to take off her clothes!

"Hey! At least give me a warning or something!"