The World Is Mine For The Taking

Gaspard raised an eyebrow. "Is this person trustworthy?"

"Trustworthiness isn\'t her strong suit. A few scraps of meat, and she\'ll do whatever you ask. She\'d even betray her own kin for a morsel. You\'ve probably encountered her before, in the royal throne room."

Gaspard pondered for a moment, trying to recall who I was referring to.

"I\'m considering Sword Saint Whitlock, but I doubt someone as righteous as him would agree to kill two skillless brats at your behest. It\'s unlikely to be someone from the Magic Knights either... The only person I can think of is the King\'s executioner," Gaspard pondered aloud.

I grinned, and Gaspard\'s eyes widened in shock.

"Seriously? You\'ve managed to tame that mentally deranged woman?" he exclaimed.

As soon as Gaspard uttered those words, a voice erupted from behind us, followed by a sudden blur of movement heading straight for Gaspard, blade aimed at his neck. Reacting swiftly, I used my skill to halt the attack just in time.

"Who are you calling a deranged woman?" came the sharp retort.

Gaspard barely glanced back and sighed. "See? This woman is so unpredictable. She\'ll just come at you with a knife."

"Well, she\'s been behaving herself lately," I interjected, looking at Miss Sara. "Miss Sara, please put away your blade."

"Grrr..." Miss Sara grumbled but complied. She was like a wild beast, easily tamed with the right approach.

"Did you catch what we were discussing? I need you to take care of two individuals for me," I informed her.

"And what\'s in it for me?" Miss Sara demanded.

"I\'ll arrange a reward for you from the Black Market," I promised.

Miss Sara grinned eerily from ear to ear, her smile reminiscent of a serial killer fresh from a kill.

"I understand. I\'ll take care of whoever you want me to," she declared with a chilling confidence.

***

Robyn\'s POV

Our unit received summons to the throne room. Each member, including our captain, Captain Angelica, knelt in deference to our king, who sat regally upon his throne, his hand resting against his cheek while his elbow found support on the armrest. It was customary for monarchs to look down upon their subjects, so his demeanor wasn\'t unexpected.

We were his subjects, after all, and such behavior was only natural. Yet, despite its conventionality, our captain seemed perturbed.

The only figures not kneeling were the royal knights, adorned in golden armor, stationed on either side of the red velvet carpet. Among them stood two individuals who, unlike the royal knights, wore attire befitting magic knights. Notably, they remained standing, their lack of kneeling adding to our captain\'s annoyance.

It seemed they considered themselves superior, elevated above even us, their fellow magic knights.

Well, actually, those two held higher positions in the magic knights than us. One served as the commander, while the other was the vice-commander. Interestingly, the latter was notably younger, reportedly just eighteen years old. It left me pondering how someone so young managed to rise to such a rank in the magic knights. And to think she outranked me...

As these thoughts crossed my mind, the King addressed us, "I reckon you already have an inkling as to why I\'ve summoned you here. My second son, Julius, has decided to throw his hat into the ring for the King\'s Game, aiming to snatch the throne from me should he emerge victorious.

Naturally, I have the prerogative to deny him that opportunity, but I fear he might resort to even more drastic measures if his desires are thwarted. Hence, I need you all to participate in the King\'s Game, masquerading as referees while secretly impeding Julius\' progress."

So, that\'s the gist of it. Not entirely surprising.

"Though I mentioned referees, your role is simply to observe Julius\' progress," the King elaborated. "You needn\'t intervene excessively, like preventing killings. The game doesn\'t necessarily demand fatalities for victory. Disabling opponents or convincing them to forfeit suffices. However, killing isn\'t expressly forbidden either. Even if you witness a murder, refrain from intervention.

Your duty is solely to disrupt Julius\' path to victory."

I heard the sound of teeth grinding and cast a glance at the captain, noticing her clenched jaw nearly drawing blood from her gums. The King\'s words must have struck a nerve with her. It was understandable, really. A ruler should uphold values that ensure the well-being of their subjects. Allowing murder without intervention was hardly kingly behavior.

"I entrust this matter to you two," the King declared, addressing the Commander of the Magic Knights, Lilia Silverblade, and the Vice Commander, Veronica Eclair.

Both women bowed before him. "Yes, Your Highness."

The King nodded in satisfaction. "Very well. You may all depart now."

With that command, the magic knights filed out of the throne room. Our captain, still gritting her teeth, exited alongside us. Once we were a good distance away, she spun around, fixing Commander Lilia with a fierce glare. No words came from her, just a searing stare. Commander Lilia, however, responded with a serene smile.

"What\'s on your mind, Angelica? If you have something to say, speak up now."

Captain Angelica clicked her tongue and turned her gaze away from the commander.

"You know, Angelica," Commander Lilia began, "I don\'t appreciate your tendency to unleash your bloodlust on those who vex you. If the King orders it, I\'ll have no choice. Though personally, I\'d rather not spill the blood of my own subordinates."

I felt a shiver run down my spine at the commander\'s ominous words. Her abilities were beyond formidable. Just a simple utterance from her could spell the end for anyone. Captain Angelica\'s prowess was nothing to scoff at either, but the commander operated on a whole different level.

"I have nothing to say to you, Commander," Captain Angelica retorted. "I trust you to lead us well and ensure none of my unit members meet their end in this operation."

"You don\'t need to fret. I\'m quite skilled at giving orders, you know? Who knows, I might have even ordered you to kill yourself," she quipped with a smile, though her words hardly warranted one. She chuckled gracefully. "Just kidding. Like I said, I\'d rather not see any of my own subordinates perish.

I don\'t wish for any of you to meet such a fate. I\'ll do my utmost to issue orders that ensure everyone\'s safety."

I could sense the sincerity behind the commander\'s words. It provided some measure of reassurance, at least.

"Well, if that\'s all you need from me, Angelica, then I\'ll be on my way. I need to make preparations for this operation," she concluded before departing.

Commander Lilia strode past us, with Vice Commander Veronica trailing behind. Captain kept her gaze fixed on them until they disappeared down the corridor. Then, with a growl, she punched the wall.

"That woman!" she spat.

The rest of our unit remained silent, as did I. I couldn\'t comprehend why the captain would resort to such language toward the commander. Nothing in their conversation warranted such hostility.

"Why are you reacting this way, captain?" I inquired. "Didn\'t the commander already assure us that she\'ll do everything in her power to ensure no one gets killed during this operation?"

"Don\'t believe a word that woman says," she growled. "Have you not figured out why they\'ve assigned us, the lowest of all units, to this operation?"

We were clueless. I simply assumed it was because we were the only available unit, given that all the others were occupied with maintaining public order.

When we remained silent, she continued, "They\'re trying to purge us."

"What...?"

"P-Purge?"

"T-That\'s insane. Why would they want to purge us?"

Restlessness spread among the members of our unit. Indeed, this revelation was deeply unsettling. Why would they even consider purging us? What possible reason could there be?

"A-Are you absolutely sure you\'re not jumping to conclusions, Captain?" I ventured, seeking to gauge her certainty. Personally, I hadn\'t sensed any impending doom looming over us.

"I\'m not mistaken, Robyn. That woman and the King are plotting our demise. As for the reason behind it, I\'m clueless," Captain asserted.

Captain possessed a keen intuition. She had a knack for sensing things before they unfolded. While she was often right, occasionally she missed the mark. That was only natural. Her intuition wasn\'t some form of clairvoyance; it stemmed from her instincts as a woman. I couldn\'t predict the outcome of this situation.

Would it merely be a case of her jumping to conclusions, or were we truly in danger during this operation?

Honestly, I hoped it was the former, because regardless of the reason, we were still obligated to go.