Ixion whistled and hummed in glee as he sauntered through the halls of the Royal Palace with his entourage.
Many he passed by gave terrified looks as they studied the scantily dressed woman walking next to the king, whom they'd never seen before.
While it was nothing out of the ordinary for Ixion to have a random woman at his side from time to time, this one was certainly out of the ordinary…
She wore thin pieces of cloth tied together by black-dyed leather strips that covered only her most vital bits.
Long, sleek black hair that hid her face. A calm demeanor as she walked with the king.
And most importantly…
She had multiple daggers sheathed on her thigh and a curved sword at her side.
While onlookers knew not who she was, they at least could discern the order she belonged to, and that was enough for rumors to quickly spread throughout the palace.
These rumors spread so fast that they reached the kitchen staff before Ixion even arrived.
Rumors that were only fueled by Ixion's recent proclamation of vacation…
Unlike Sebastian, they didn't know who Zabaniyah was, but it was safe to say people were a little more than unnerved at whatever their king was planning.
Ixion kicked open the double door leading into the kitchen, then shouted:
"Hello! Hello! I, your humble and very noble king, King Ixion, have a request of you. Make me a cake. And not just any cake, but the largest cake in the world! Spare no ingredient, and spare no time. At once now! Get to it!"
Ixion clapped and cheered at his own words as all the culinary and baking specialists looked at each other in horror.
They'd just learned Ixion was reportedly walking around with an assassin, and now he'd walked in ordering a massive cake?!
It was almost obvious that if they failed to please the King, their lives would be forfeit.
The kitchen servants, who had been enduring harsh, regimented rationing to save food for the last year, quietly shared looks of fear.
If they made this cake as requested, it would be them who'd be starved tomorrow.
Whatever portion they would've had instead would be given to the nobles or the king himself.
Ixion paid them no heed as he spun and slammed the door behind him, then made way to the dining hall.
Still humming and whistling as he walked.
"Seb, my friend. What's your favorite type of cake?"
The chamberlain with slicked back black hair, who looked like he wanted to cry, quietly chirped back:
"I've never had cake before."
Ixion stopped.
A single tear trailed down his cheek and fell to the floor.
Ixion's voice began to tremble as he spoke:
"Sebastian… you pitiful soul. To have never known the rapture of sugar and flour. We must correct this cosmic injustice!"
The trio reached the dining hall doors, which Ixion flung open with a burst of power, causing one to fall off its hinges and crash to the ground.
As the intact door crept to a halt, Ixion screamed out to the maids who'd been cleaning.
"Set the table at once!"
The jester sprang out from under the tablecloth with a rapier in hand and began striking at the air above the table.
"My, my, Jester, what are you doing with such a weapon?!"
The busty jester jumped on the table and began fighting the air as she shouted her resolute response:
"Your assassin nearly killed me last time I met her. Oh, how horrified and scared I was. To think I almost died before being whipped! The travesty that would be! The disservice to a poor, poor jester! I've sworn myself to the sword so I may survive long enough to be properly punished if she shall challenge this mighty jester again!"
Ixion began to clap, then cried:
"Bravo! Such devotion to survival and discipline! Truly, the spirit of the court lives on in you, my dear fool! When I die, you shall inherit my legacy!"
He laughed, loud and unrestrained, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye as if the jester's speech had moved him deeply.
The jester continued to duel shadows as the maids tried to set the table she was dancing on, all while Zabaniyah watched with a blank face and Sebastian shook in absolute fear and horror.
Finally, Runa entered the room with Lord of Truth's cage in her hand.
As Ixion looked over the odd assortment, he thought to himself:
'An assassin, king, and jester walk into a dining hall to eat a big cake…'
Ixion scratched his head.
'There was to be a joke there.'