The center of the Third Kingdom, Hurk City;

I had been searching for the city of Hurk, the center of the third kingdom, for about four days straight. After four days with short rests, I finally found the big city. It was quite crowded compared to other cities I had seen.

Although I had not yet fully entered the city, I could see from the outskirts that people were walking in droves. There were people of all ages and bloodlines. Another reason for the density, I think, was the preparations for the feast for the tournament. Children had toys in their hands and adults carried decorations.

As a wanted person, it wouldn't take long for me to stand out here, so I had to disguise myself. I put on a black cloak I found and covered my head so that people couldn't see my face. Compared to the first feast I attended, there was more variety of food and entertainment here. All kinds of good smells of food, different weapons, clothes, and more were gathered in one place.

I blended into the city, passing through the crowds without losing my focus. It would not be easy to find the person I was looking for as the place was crowded, but I was sure he was here. A paladin is always with the king, and the king is usually in his palace. Another thing I saw at the very beginning of the city was the huge palace at the end of it. It was hard not to see it even though it was a long way away.

I was sure that the paladins would not leave the king alone at a time like this, so I had to keep looking. Not only were there many soldiers around the palace but they were also milling around the city. The soldiers were fully prepared, heavily armed, and very crowded. I passed them slowly without looking up. Fortunately, due to overcrowding, they did not have time to check people.

In the midst of the slow-moving crowd, I thought it would be even more difficult to find her. But then I heard a girl's voice coming from an alley where the soldiers weren't patrolling. Despite the noise of the crowd, I decided to investigate.

As I entered the alley, I saw three soldiers standing in front of me. They were taking a pouch full of gold from a little girl. "Come on, little one," one of them said. "Stop screaming and get out of here or we'll hurt you."

Tears filled the girl's eyes as she pleaded with them to return her money. "Please," she said in a shaky voice. "Give me back my gold. I haven't eaten anything for days."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

But the man just took the bag of gold and pushed her to the ground. "We told you to get lost, little one," he said.

"I'm not leaving until I get my money," the child replied defiantly.

"What did you say?" the man sneered. "You must have a death wish."

I quickly intervened and seized him by the nape of his neck, hurling him against the wall behind us with ease. With another swift move, I punched the soldier on the right, causing him to keel over onto the ground. However, the soldier on my left had already fled the scene in terror.

I picked up the bag of gold that had fallen during the commotion and handed it to the girl, who had risen to her feet.

"Here you go, this is your gold," I said.

"Thank you, sir. You are just as brave as the knight who gave me this gold," the girl replied gratefully.

Realizing that it would not be difficult to locate the person I was searching for, I knelt down and asked the girl, "Was she a paladin?"

"Yes, and she had a beautiful rose on her sword," she responded.

"Thank you. Did you see where she went?" I inquired.

"Yes, she turned left down the street," she said.

"Thank you for your help. Please go home before you get into any more trouble," I said.

"But I don't have a house!" she lamented.

"Well, what about your family?" I inquired further.

"I don't have a family," she replied, her voice breaking.

"It must be hard. Here, take this," I said, handing her the last bag of gold in my pocket. "You can manage with these for a while, and I will speak to the kings to see if we can provide further assistance."

The girl suddenly hugged me, saying, "Thank you, sir. You are a truly good man."

As much as I hated to leave her in such a vulnerable state, I had to continue my quest before it was too late. I replaced my cloak over my head and said, "You're welcome, but I must go now. Please be careful, okay?"

"Alright," she replied, watching me disappear into the distance.

I left the alley and followed the path the girl had mentioned. Just as she had said, the paladin was standing right in front of me. At first, I hesitated to approach her as she could attract a lot of attention. So I followed her stealthily until she reached a quiet place. After glancing behind her, she turned off the main road and entered a secluded alley. I seized the opportunity to follow her into the alley.

I had intended to speak with her, but things didn't go as planned. When I arrived, the alley was empty - there was no sign of her. It was as if she had never been there. As I walked to the dead end of the alley, I realized I was far from the town square and its bustling crowds. It seemed unlikely that anyone would see me here.

I knew I had to leave, so I turned towards the wall. Suddenly, I sensed a sword strike approaching quickly from behind me. I dodged the blow by stepping back, but vines quickly wrapped around my arm and pulled me towards the paladin. She punched me in the face and pressed her sword against my throat.