— Adel —
"How annoying. I shouldn't have waited for it to dry."
I rubbed my hands hard in the stream, feeling the icy water wash away the stubborn blood stuck between my fingers. I watched it slip away, as if it could drag my dirtiest thoughts along with it. However, unfortunately, it never worked that way.
The truth was that last night I was furious. Maybe I overdid it, or maybe not — but what else could I have done?
Try to understand, my sister was off limits.
She spent her whole life taking care of me, staying pure in this twisted world. I couldn't let some worthless scum become the reason for her suffering.
When I saw the scene yesterday, I had to use every ounce of patience not to tear off that filthy arm. But I didn't want to scare Lena, a scene like that would've been too much for her.
So I had to wait a bit before I could satisfy my anger, and I had to admit, the final result was more than satisfying.
"Not that I'd call myself an artist... gods, I'm really messed up."
A bitter laugh slipped from my lips as I shook the water off my hands. In the trembling reflection, there were no more traces of blood, and I combed my hair back with my still-wet fingers.
The reason I was controlling myself so much was that I had an important meeting to attend, one that would kick off my plan if everything went well. And a good first impression was always important.
Once I finished washing up, I grabbed my jacket, definitely not stolen, that I'd left on a rock nearby, and put it on calmly. Then I headed toward the bay, where several boats, from the smallest dinghies to large fishing vessels, were busy at work.
Despite the hour, the area was buzzing with people. I walked toward a modest boat, where a man who looked like a fisherman was preparing to cast off.
"I need a ride to Valren Island."
The man looked at me for a moment before speaking. "Fifty valis."
"...Are you a comedian by any chance?"
"No?"
"Then stop talking nonsense. I'll give you twenty, and thank the gods I don't feel like using your arms as oars."
I saw him open his mouth, as if still wondering what kind of kid he had in front of him. But when I tossed him the coins, he just smiled and made room for me on the boat.
The island wasn't that far, and in less than ten minutes, we were already there.
In front of me stretched Valren Island, one of the main strongholds of the Merchants, an important faction, even if considered the weakest. They called themselves the links between the various factions, keeping the economy alive and opening doors to outside investors.
The island wasn't big, but it was in better shape than many others. The buildings were elegant, the warehouses practically endless, and people moved around with an air of arrogance.
You could smell the money in every alley, but I didn't care. With the alien races' invasion, the only real currency was survival. Not that I thought they were useless, money was still a good means to an end, but I hadn't come here to get rich.
Taking down the other factions was only part of my plan. I wanted the entire archipelago under my control, but I knew I wouldn't have time to manage it all. That's why I needed someone to do it for me. And I already had the perfect person in mind.
I kept walking along the road until I reached a residence surrounded by a metal fence guarded by several watchmen.
I approached the gate, but before I could even take two steps, two of them blocked my way.
"This is a private area."
"I would've never guessed... Anyway, I'm here to see the boss of this place."
The two guards looked me over for a moment, then exchanged a glance and burst out laughing.
I watched them, annoyed, as they almost doubled over with laughter. Looking like a sixteen-year-old didn't help in situations like this.
"Haaaah, no. Now scram," one of the guards said.
"Can you at least pass along a message? I'm sure he'd be more than willing to listen."
"Listen, kid, do you have any idea how many people come here with the same excuse, just to beg for a few coins? Don't waste our time."
Okay, Adel, be patient. They're just doing their job, so with patience and calm—
"Do you have mud instead of brains?"
As I expected, patience wasn't one of my virtues.
"Do you think I came all the way here to beg? Right to the boss of this island? I get that you've got mental problems, but doesn't it seem more logical that I'd just be out on the street asking for spare change?"
One of the guards tried to argue, but I shut him up with a gesture.
"Shut your mouth and listen. Have you ever seen a kid like me show up here for something so stupid? If I'm here, it's because I have something serious to discuss with your boss. So, if you don't want your poor heads rolling on the ground, be smart and pass along my message."
The two guards stared at me for a long moment, their eyes growing more threatening by the second.
"If this is a joke, know you'll lose a hand."
"Yeah, whatever you say. The message is: if he doesn't want the other factions to find out that the crown of the archipelago isn't lost, we'd better have a chat."
For a second, they looked at me as if they didn't understand what I was referring to. Then they exchanged another uncertain look, until one of them finally went inside.
Now, all I had to do was wait.
— Third Person —
Adel was left waiting outside for over an hour, but it was something he'd fully expected, so he waited patiently.
"Hey, doesn't that cloud look like an exploded head?"
The guard left on duty with him turned the other way, visibly uncomfortable. During the wait, Adel had tried to make small talk to pass the time, but all he'd managed to do was make the guard suspect he was mentally unstable.
Luckily — at least for the guard — his colleague finally returned. He motioned with a short nod.
"You can go in."
Adel stretched his arms as if he'd just woken up from a nap. "Finally! They sure took their sweet time, huh? Lucky for me, I had someone to chat with. Right?"
The guard looked away, hoping to forget that lunatic as soon as possible.
Adel stepped through the gate confidently, taking in the details of the inner courtyard: a well-kept garden with various exotic plants, a few statues shaped like sea creatures, and a paved path leading to a decorated entrance. Two armed men eyed him as he passed, as if they were just waiting for a signal to blow his head off.
Inside, they brought him to a large hall, tastefully furnished: shelves full of accounting records, maps of sea routes hanging on the walls, glass cases holding rare gems and precious figurines. Behind a polished desk, a man was waiting for him.
He wore a dark silk suit, decorated with thin gold threads. A massive ring shone on his index finger, and a smile, cold as steel, was frozen on his face. His hair, slicked back, was streaked with gray, and behind his small, round glasses, his eyes gleamed sharply.
The man didn't speak immediately. He simply stared at Adel, as if he wanted to pierce right through him. Adel, for his part, met his gaze with a lazy smile, sitting down without being invited.
They stayed in that stalemate for several minutes until Adel sighed.
"If you keep staring at me like that, I'm gonna start thinking that my ass is in danger."
The man's eye twitched just barely, but his expression never changed.
"So," the boss finally broke the silence in a low voice. "I heard you mention a certain crown. What I don't understand is what exactly you're referring to."
"You're funny, you know," Adel laughed mockingly, then turned serious, as if the smile had never existed. "We both know you wouldn't have let me in if we were talking about a piece of metal to put on someone's head. Blood is the truth — it's what gives someone the right to rule."
The history of the archipelago was long, and it hadn't always been a den of criminals. Once, it was a powerful kingdom: the Kingdom of Agorath, whose navy ruled all known seas. The soldiers hunted ocean creatures, drawing strength from their remains, so there was no shortage of natural resources or valuable materials from the monsters.
Separated from the continent, Agorath had no external force close enough or bold enough to limit it. And so, the kingdom kept growing stronger, richer, and more feared.
Obviously, such power couldn't be tolerated for long by the great continental powers. So, generations ago, the crown prince was assassinated. The old king, desperate, had no choice but to name his second son as successor — a fool — and that was the beginning of the decline.
When that prince took the throne, outside forces began to corrupt him with luxury and vice, poisoning his mind until he dragged the kingdom to the brink of collapse. That's when the first criminal factions began to form — nothing more than proxies for the various kingdoms on the continent.
In the end, the entire royal family was wiped out, and the archipelago was kept as neutral ground.
What no one knew was that, before he died, the old king had another son. A boy who managed to escape the massacre, as if the gods wanted to grant one last hope.
But that hope was short-lived. The boy grew up, but his life was marked by misfortune, dying relatively young without ever claiming what was rightfully his. However, before he died, he left behind an heir.
All of this led to the current situation.
"You're hiding the grandson of the last true king of Agorath."