Chapter 110: Fool
"You worthless piece of trash! You’ve brought shame upon our family! You couldn’t even awaken a Legendary-grade talent and secure us a place among the nobles!"
A man in his forties, with pitch-black hair and sharp facial features, gripped a long whip and lashed the body of a boy who had barely reached the age of fourteen.
Blood poured from the boy’s body like a waterfall. The whip had torn away chunks of flesh, leaving gruesome wounds that disfigured his appearance.
Yet even so, the Chief of the Dark Clan’s heart did not soften in the slightest upon seeing the miserable state of his own son.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The shrill whistle of the whip tore through the silence of the dark room as it repeatedly struck the boy’s body, until the Chief of the Dark Clan was finally satisfied, and the boy lost consciousness from the unbearable pain.
Anyone who saw him now would be unable to tell whether he was dead or alive.
The Chief of the Dark Clan turned around and looked out through the glass window at the sky.
"It’s fine... It’s fine... I won’t lose anything.
Once that damned king falls, everything will return to normal!"
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Back in the Throne Hall.
"Let the celebration begin."
Rios smiled and gave the signal. Servants entered, pushing carts filled with juice, fruit, sweets, and cakes.
The Elves were overjoyed at the sight, especially the commoners. Taking part in something like this had once been nothing more than a dream for them, but now it had become reality before their very eyes.
The Elves stood up and began forming groups to get to know one another, while some had already started proposing marriage.
The celebration continued joyfully among the Elves, carrying the title of... the New Era of City of Light.
At that moment, Rios stood before three people.
Ethar, Ayat, and Ayat’s mother.
Ethar was a complete orphan. His father had died in the war, while his mother had succumbed to starvation.
As for Ayat, she had lost her father in the war as well, leaving only her mother.
"You both did well. I expect great things from you in the future. From today onward, this royal palace will become your new home. You don’t have to worry about anything else. And just as I promised little Imris, the two of you will also receive personal guidance from me."
Rios patted Ayat on the head before turning toward Ethar.
Ayat looked at her mother in surprise and delight, and her mother returned the same look. Pride radiated from her eyes as she gazed at her daughter, and a few tears nearly escaped, but she held them back because she was standing before His Majesty the King.
On the other hand, Ethar frowned, looked directly at Rios, and bluntly asked,
"How much will you pay?"
"...Excuse me?"
Rios was taken aback by Ethar’s response and looked at him in astonishment.
Meanwhile, every Elf around Rios instinctively stepped back and looked at that foolish boy with fear and pity. At the same time, they glanced nervously at Rios, afraid he might become enraged and reduce the boy to ashes.
Beside him, both Ayat and her mother looked at Ethar in utter horror. At that moment, they wished the ground would split open and swallow them whole.
"You need me, but I don’t need you. I can rely on myself and earn my own food without your help. If you want my services, then you’ll have to pay.
A fair deal, isn’t it?"
Ethar crossed his arms over his chest, looked at Rios defiantly, and spoke with complete confidence.
"You’re speaking to His Majesty the King. Do you realize that?"
Ayat’s mother tugged at Ethar’s robe from the side and hurriedly warned him. She truly wanted to cry this time, but she barely managed to hold herself together.
The Royal Guards wanted to step in, but Elena stopped them.
"I know. They call me king in my territory too."
Ethar nodded as though what he had just said was the most obvious thing in the world.
I really want to run away from here right now!
Ayat’s mother could no longer hold herself back, and a few tears slipped down her cheeks.
"So then, how much do you want me to pay to obtain your services, Your Majesty?"
Rios barely suppressed his laughter as he asked Ethar.
"I’m not the king here. You’re the king, and I’m the subordinate.
I’m only a king in my own territory."
Ethar said with absolute certainty before raising his head proudly.
"As for my payment, I deserve at least ten gold coins every month."
"What?!"
After hearing Ethar’s words, Rios stared at him as though he were looking at the greatest fool in history.
When Ethar saw the shock on Rios’s face, he immediately grew nervous, and sweat poured down his forehead.
"If that’s too much... then what about just five gold coins?"
Ethar waved his hand frantically.
"But let it be clear, I won’t accept anything less than that. If you don’t pay me at least that much, then I won’t work for you."
After hearing those words, Rios was finally convinced...
This boy was a genuine fool.
"Hahahahahahahahaha!"
Rios covered his face with one hand and burst into laughter at the sheer stupidity of this fool.
"Haha... Hah... Hahahaha!"
The Elves looked at one another, barely holding back their laughter. They had no choice but to laugh as long as His Majesty himself was laughing.
Deep inside, however, they were cursing Ethar. He had scared them half to death, and their backs were soaked with sweat from worrying about how Rios might react to that fool’s stupidity.
"Hahaha... Heh..."
Rios finally stopped laughing and looked at Ethar with amusement.
"Five gold coins? Really?
Do you even realize that the suit you’re wearing is worth at least a thousand gold coins?"
Rios’s words echoed repeatedly in Ethar’s mind, and for a brief moment, time itself seemed to stop.
When he finally regained his senses, he looked back and forth between his suit and Rios several times. In the end, he hugged himself tightly...
Or rather, he hugged the suit.
"Stay away! It’s mine! No one’s taking it from me!"
Ethar said anxiously as he looked around like a madman, ready to fight anyone who dared approach it.
"Don’t worry, you little fool. No one is interested in stealing your suit. It belongs entirely to you, and you can even get another one just like it every single day."
Rios looked at Ethar and said mockingly.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
At that moment, the sound of the clock bell rang, announcing the end of the celebration.
"I’ll see you both again very soon, you two little heroes."
Rios nodded toward the two children and patted them on the shoulders before looking at Ethar with a teasing smile.
"And you... make sure you take good care of your suit. I’m afraid someone might get greedy for it once you’re outside."
"I will!"
Ethar nodded vigorously and sneaked out of the celebration, afraid someone might stop him.
The commoner Elves didn’t even spare him a glance, as they were too busy examining their own suits and dresses, wondering about the unbelievable prices they had just heard from His Majesty King Rios.
Meanwhile, the nobles looked at him with ridicule, pitying the Heaven-grade bloodline for ending up in the hands of such a fool.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty!"