"But first!"
Maximus turned his gaze to the king just as he started to push himself up from the bed, pausing mid-movement to look directly at him with a serious expression.
"Where is the dark orb? The weakness orb I had in my sack. What happened to it?"
The king paused for a long moment, his face tightening as if he was wrestling with something he didn't want to admit. He'd always prided himself on being truthful in every situation, never keeping secrets from those who deserved to know the truth. Even so, there was clear regret in his voice when he finally spoke up.
"Alright, I'll tell you the whole truth. I took it from your things, and in the end, I threw it and it broke."
"You... what?"
Maximus's eyes widened, and a flash of anger flared across his face as he stared at the king in disbelief. But before he could say anything more, the older man held up a hand to stop him, his voice firm and urgent.
"But wait, before you get angry with me, let me explain everything. It wasn't the assassin you fought earlier that I was dealing with. Long story short... that man you faced? He wasn't just a regular killer. When he transformed into a massive, grotesque spider creature, I knew we were in real danger. Its only vulnerability was the weakness orb, so while you were unconscious, I took it from your sack. I had to throw it to make the orb's power seep into the creature's mana core, that's the only way I could defeat it fair and square."
"But... you should've just... placed it on his chest, near where his mana core was. You didn't have to break it."
"I would have died if I got that close to it!" the king said sharply, his voice carrying the weight of the fear he'd felt in that moment. "Throwing it was the only safe option I had. There was no other way to make it work."
Even after hearing the explanation, Maximus still felt a pang of frustration. The orb had been a gift from Jyle, and it had already saved the king once before. He knew he couldn't stay angry forever, but he still needed to ask the question that was weighing on his mind.
"So what are you going to do to repay me? That orb was important to me, and it's gone now."
The king was quiet for a moment, thinking carefully before he offered what he believed was a fair exchange.
"I have my own collection of orbs. I know none of them can replace your weakness orb, but some are very powerful and useful. There's a regeneration orb that can heal any minor wounds almost instantly, a strength orb that will make someone far stronger than they've ever been, and an agile orb that lets you move as quickly and gracefully as a cat."
Without hesitation, Maximus made his choice.
"I want the regeneration orb."
"Coming right up!"
The king didn't waste any time fulfilling his promise. He called out to the hallway outside, and two maids appeared at once, bowing deeply with respectful expressions before listening to his order. He told them to retrieve the regeneration orb from his private royal chambers, and they nodded in understanding before hurrying away.
"The maids here are really well-trained, aren't they?" Maximus said, watching the door close behind them.
"Hah! Of course they are. It's all because of me!"
The princess stepped forward, placing both hands on her hips as she spoke with obvious pride and a wide, bright smile on her face. Maximus couldn't help but let out a small laugh at her confident tone.
"Well, that is quite surprising coming from you. I didn't know you were the one who oversaw their training. Speaking of which, I was thinking I'd like to find a book to read while I'm here. Something that teaches me about this world – important stuff, not just the kind of nonsense that doesn't matter."
The king scoffed lightly, crossing his arms over his chest as he shook his head.
"Unfortunately, most of the books in the kingdom are just trash and empty words about politics and pointless revolutions. Even though people have always loved books that draw them in with real information and knowledge – the kind you're looking for – the government keeps replacing them with boring, official texts. What you see on those shelves is pretty much all that's left from the last hundred years."
Maximus listened closely as he scanned the nearby shelf, his eyes eventually landing on a thick book that caught his attention. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up easily, walking over to grab it before settling back onto the soft, comfy mattress.
He began flipping through page after page, his eyes moving quickly as he read through the text. Then suddenly, something made him stop and look more closely.
"Distances? Mathematics? Wait a minute..."
He read through every section carefully, his mind racing as he tried to take it all in. The mathematics in this world was far more complex than anything he'd ever learned before – it was almost extraordinary, and even though he'd always considered himself a smart student, he knew he had his limits. Still, he managed to grasp the basics of how they measured things. Jyle had mentioned "rucks" before, and the book confirmed that it was their version of feet, shortened to "rk". Meters were called "hungs" here, shortened to "hng", and there were other measurements that were completely new to him.
"This is really complex to be honest – I don't think I'll be able to memorize all of it right away. But it's so astonishing and immersive! Everything from the mana cores and special orbs to the way they measure distances... every time I learn more about this world, it feels like I'm being given a gift."
He allowed himself a small moment of pride, leaning back against the pillows as he held the book in his lap. He'd never imagined his journey would take him this far – from being thrown into dangerous situations where he had to fight for his life, to finding a place where he could finally relax and let his guard down.
"Interested in what you're reading?"
Maximus looked up to find the princess leaning close to him, her face only inches away from his own. But he didn't flinch or pull back in surprise, instead, he looked at her with calm eyes and a genuine, warm smile spreading across his face.
"Yep! I really am. I want to learn everything I can about this world, just as it is!"