-PRESENT DAY-

-In the Sea Kingdom of Juiyo, in the dungeon beneath the castle-

Bewilderment overtook me as I gazed upon the figure standing before me. My mind immediately leaped to the tale that had been on everyone's lips in recent times - the story of the general who had once been the most powerful man in the kingdom and a close confidant of the king.

"Or are you the general mentioned in that much-talked-about story?" I ventured to ask.

"A story?" he echoed, seemingly bemused by my question.

"The story about a general who once ruled this land with an iron fist, and was a trusted confidant of the king?" I clarified, my curiosity piqued.

The man's lips curved upwards in a slight smile, and he turned his gaze towards me.

"A story? Oh, my dear boy, that's not just a story. It's a reality too harsh to be called a tale. When they end happily, then and only then do they become stories. Otherwise, they're just a sequence of events that have taken place," he replied, his tone laced with a sense of wistfulness.

"How long have you been here?" I asked, my curiosity deepening as I sought to learn more about this enigmatic figure.

"Too long to count," he responded with a sigh, his eyes seeming to stare off into the distance.

Desperation creeping in, I pressed on, "Surely there must be something I can say or do to convince the king to release me and my friends?"

A shadow seemed to pass over the man's features at my words, and he shook his head slowly.

"I'm afraid not. The king's heart has hardened towards all pleas for mercy, especially since the tragic loss of his beloved wife. Even his daughter, whom he treasures above all else, cannot sway his stubborn heart," he explained, his voice filled with a sense of resignation.

Frustration building within me, I tugged at my chains, my heart racing with the knowledge that my friends' fates were uncertain without my intervention.

"I have to find a way out of here. If I can't break free, I can't help my friends," I pleaded, desperation driving me forward.

But the man's expression remained implacable. "Your efforts are in vain, boy. These chains are as elaborate as the hardest sea stones and imbued with powerful magic. Even an Epic would struggle to break free."

Despite his words, hope burned within me. I would find a way out of this prison, no matter the cost. For the sake of my friends, I would not give up.

Baffled and disheartened, I stared at the immovable chains that bound me. Every ounce of strength I had poured into my futile attempts to break free, leaving me gasping for air. My mind raced as I struggled to find a way out of my predicament.

"If there's no way out of here, how am I going to save them?" I muttered, feeling the weight of despair settling in my chest. The iron bars that caged me in seemed insurmountable, a looming obstacle that threatened to crush my spirit.

"I think it was my fault that I dragged them into this from the beginning," I continued, my voice heavy with guilt. "I should have known these things would happen. But still...even so...I wanted to help those people."

The man opposite me lifted his head and regarded me thoughtfully. "Fighting the Epics? Is that really what you want?" he asked.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

I nodded, but before I could speak, he interrupted me. "Do you really think it's going to be easy? That there won't be obstacles along the way?" His voice was stern, but not unkind. "Your head is full of naive thoughts, kid."

He went on to explain that if it hadn't been for me, others who shared my vision would have been drawn into the fight, and that obstacles were necessary to make us stronger. "If your soul and will get tested by these events, you can't give up, because they have just started getting stronger," he said, his eyes alight with conviction.

"And finally," he added, "think of your friends the same way. You just only need their one thing."

I leaned forward, eager to hear what he meant. "What is the thing I need?" I asked.

"Their respect and loyalty towards you," he replied, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

His words resonated with me, and I felt a renewed sense of purpose. Yes, the obstacles were great, but so was my determination to overcome them. I wanted to be a hero like my father and earn people's respect. I thought if I could help people like him, maybe I could achieve something. I straightened my back, taking in a deep breath, and resolved to find a way to break the chains that held me captive.

With a determined spirit, I slowly lifted my head and acknowledged the man's words, "Yeah, you're right." I realized that complaining without taking any action was futile. As I turned my head towards the window, I shouted at the top of my lungs, "Lezlie! Babu! Hiroshi! Can you hear me!? Answer me!"

Despite not being able to see her, Lezlie heard my voice and responded with equal intensity, "I am here! I can hear you!" I knew that I needed all the help I could get to escape from our confinement and pleaded with my friends, "I need all of your help to get out of here!"

Hiroshi's voice boomed from the darkness, "Hey, Ryuu! Can you move?" But my attempts to push my chains proved futile, leaving me to declare, "I can't! These chains are so strong!"

However, Lezlie, ever resourceful, had an idea. I could hear her reaching for her bag and she called out, "Here Fluffy, you can come out now!" Babu was taken aback by this, "Hey! Who is "Fluffy", and why haven't we heard about it?"

Lezlie introduced her furry friend as a little bunny and explained that if Fluffy could find the key to the dungeon, we could use it to escape. After some searching, the man in the shadows revealed that the keys were hanging on the hanger at the entrance to the door. Lezlie then urged her bunny to go fetch the keys.

At first, the task seemed impossible, with the keys hanging high up and out of reach for the little bunny. Babu skeptically questioned Lezlie's choice of companion, "Are you really sure she can get the keys?" But with a determined attitude, Lezlie replied, "She really can! She just has to try!"

In the midst of the tense situation, a sudden burst of action took place. Fluffy, the agile rabbit, sprang into action and leaped high into the air, snatching the keys with remarkable precision before bounding back into the cell. Lezlie, quick to react, seized the keys from the rabbit's grasp and promptly set to work unlocking the others' cells. Even though I couldn't see what was going on, I understood what was going on by hearing what was happening.

Babu, elated to be freed, clutched the furry creature in his arms and held it close. "I really liked this rabbit!" he exclaimed with a wide grin.

Hiroshi, ever the strategic thinker, issued orders to our companions. "Give the rabbit back to Lezlie and go to the door and look around. Lezlie, you save Ryuu. And I'll try to get our weapons back."

As I watched Babu and Hiroshi being freed from their cells, I knew that it wouldn't be long before it was my turn. Lezlie approached me with the keys in her hand and unlocked my cell with lightning speed. I rose to my feet, relieved to be out of that cramped space.

Despite the pain and bruises that covered my arms, I managed to offer a smile of gratitude to Lezlie. "Well, thank you," I said, appreciating her quick action. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot to me in that moment.

Lezlie replied warmly, "No problem at all, Ryuu."

I stood there with the others, liberated from our cells, but unsure of what to do next. Then an idea struck me. "Can I take the keys for a moment?" I asked Lezlie.

She looked at me quizzically but handed over the keys without hesitation. With the keys in hand, I dashed towards the shadowy figure that had been locked up with us. I worked quickly to release him from his cell, and as he stood up, he looked at me in disbelief.

"Even though I'm the guy in the story, you're saving me, huh? Why did you do that, kid?" he asked.

I replied simply, yet with conviction, "Because a man who faces everything for love and respect deserves to be saved for me. You didn't do anything wrong, you defended what you wanted and what you had. Besides, we could really use your help. You know the second Kingdom and the shortcuts of it a lot better than we do. If you can help, we can still save the Princess."

The man's expression softened, and he smiled at me. "All right, kid, I'll help you, but first we gotta get outta here."