I was surprised after hearing Quinn’s story.
“What happened next?” I asked.
Everyone in the group turned to look at me.
One of them chuckled.
“You’re usually the quietest person here.
Why are you suddenly so interested?”
Before I could respond, Noctis walked over and casually wrapped an arm around my waist.
He leaned closer and whispered into my ear.
“After hearing that story, Nucky, have you fallen in love with Alice?”
I glared at him.
Unfortunately, with my eyes covered, nobody could see my expression clearly.
Nobody except Noctis, who seemed to understand exactly what I was thinking.
He immediately burst out laughing.
“All right, all right!
I’m just joking!”
Noctis was the only person who could read me so easily.
We had been together for nearly two months.
During that time, he had learned my habits, my personality, and even the smallest changes in my behavior.
Sometimes, I wondered whether he knew me better than I knew myself.
Of course, I would never admit that aloud.
The others soon returned to their conversation.
This time, I remained silent.
However, Quinn’s story had given me something to think about.
Alice and Arthur were still in this desert.
And sooner or later, our paths might cross again.
I wondered what kind of expression Alice would make when she saw me.
Would she still look down on me as she had before?
Or would she finally realize that the person she had once abandoned in the desert was no longer the same?
I smiled faintly beneath my blindfold.
Let’s see what happens.
Arthur’s Plan
Several days earlier, Arthur had visited the king.
“Your Majesty, I’m planning to hunt in the Beast Forest today.
I’ll need some soldiers.”
The king looked at him with a satisfied smile.
“Of course.
Take as many as you need.”
Arthur bowed respectfully before leaving.
The king had no reason to suspect him anymore.
After all, Arthur had fulfilled his promise by delivering Alice into his hands.
The woman the king desired was now imprisoned beneath the palace, completely under his control.
As far as the king was concerned, Arthur was a useful subordinate who had earned his trust.
Unfortunately for him, he had trusted the wrong person.
Arthur gathered approximately five hundred soldiers and led them toward the Beast Forest.
“Today, we’re going deep into the forest,” he announced.
Nobody questioned his decision.
Arthur had taken soldiers hunting many times before.
They assumed he intended to hunt another powerful monster, perhaps even a Two-Star Beast.
No one imagined that their commander had already decided their fate.
They continued deeper into the forest.
The familiar paths gradually disappeared, replaced by twisted trees and dense vegetation.
The farther they traveled, the more uneasy the soldiers became.
One of them finally spoke.
“We’ve never come this far before, have we?”
Another soldier glanced nervously at the surrounding trees.
“Are you sure this is the right direction?”
Arthur didn’t answer.
He simply continued walking.
Several minutes later, he abruptly stopped.
“Everyone, halt.”
The soldiers immediately obeyed.
Before them stood a massive cave.
Its entrance was wide enough for several people to walk through side by side, but the darkness inside made it impossible to see what lay beyond.
One soldier swallowed nervously.
“There might be a Two-Star Beast in there.”
Arthur bent down and picked up a stone.
Then he threw it into the cave.
Clang!
The stone struck something inside and bounced against the rocky ground.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
ROOOOOAAAAARRR!
A terrifying roar erupted from the cave.
The surrounding trees trembled.
Birds scattered into the sky, and smaller beasts fled in every direction.
The soldiers froze.
Before they could even understand what was happening, an overwhelming aura swept through the forest.
Their bodies became rigid.
Their legs refused to move.
Their arms trembled helplessly at their sides.
Some tried to retreat, but their feet remained rooted to the ground.
Slowly, a massive creature emerged from the darkness.
The moment they saw it, every soldier’s face turned pale.
Three Stars.
It was a Three-Star Beast.
The creature resembled a wolf, but only in the broadest sense.
Its face appeared horribly deformed, as though someone had crushed its skull with a hammer and forced the broken pieces back into place.
Its skin twisted unnaturally around its body.
Mosquitoes circled its grotesque face, while several crooked teeth protruded from the sides of its mouth.
Its enormous body radiated an aura so oppressive that even breathing became difficult.
The soldiers wanted to scream.
They wanted to run.
But none of them could move.
The beast slowly approached the nearest soldier.
The unfortunate man stared at it in absolute terror.
The creature raised one massive hand.
Bang!
The soldier’s head was crushed instantly.
Blood splattered across the ground.
Nobody could move.
Nobody could escape.
Five hundred soldiers stood helplessly before a monster they had no hope of defeating.
And the person who had led them here?
Arthur was already gone.
He had fled before the beast emerged.
He hadn’t brought these soldiers here to hunt.
He had brought them here to die.
One by one, the beast slaughtered them.
Their screams echoed through the forest, mixing with the creature’s monstrous roars.
Soon, the ground was covered in blood.
And eventually, the forest fell silent.
Not a single soldier survived.
Except Arthur.
The Rebellion
Meanwhile, back in the desert kingdom, the people had finally begun to rebel.
Years of oppression had pushed them beyond their limits.
With Alice imprisoned and the king’s attention focused elsewhere, they finally saw an opportunity to fight back.
The streets erupted into chaos.
Civilians attacked the king’s soldiers, while those who had secretly supported Alice began gathering their allies.
The king’s forces were already limited.
With so many people rising against him at once, his soldiers struggled to maintain control.
When the king’s remaining supporters realized how serious the situation had become, several of them rushed toward the palace basement.
They intended to protect the king’s most valuable prisoner.
But when they arrived, they discovered that Alice was already free.
The king stood nearby, his expression twisting with fury.
“Arthur!”
“You betrayed me!”
“I’ll kill you!”
He drew his sword and charged.
Arthur immediately raised his own weapon.
Clang!
Their swords collided, sending sparks into the dimly lit basement.
The king attacked again, but Arthur deflected the strike.
With a sharp movement, he forced the older man backward.
Alice rose to her feet.
Although she still looked pale and exhausted from her imprisonment, her ocean-blue eyes remained cold and composed.
Arthur glanced at her.
“Go upstairs.
I’ll handle him.”
He turned his attention back to the king.
“You take care of the people above.”
Alice didn’t argue.
She picked up her sword and walked toward the stairs.
The king watched her leave, his face contorting with rage.
“You think you can simply walk away from me?”
Alice didn’t even turn around.
She continued upstairs without sparing him a glance.
That only made the king angrier.
Soon, the basement was left with just two men.
The king suddenly began to laugh.
“Hahaha!
So this was your plan all along!”
Arthur remained silent.
The king’s laughter gradually faded, replaced by a murderous expression.
“But don’t think you’ve won. Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
I’ll take you down with me today!”
Arthur raised his sword.
“Then come and try.”
The king’s eyes narrowed.
“Do you think I simply sat here and ruled this kingdom?
I was once like you!”
He stepped forward, gripping his sword tightly.
“I fought.
I struggled.
I survived everything this world threw at me!”
His voice grew louder with every word.
“And now, after everything I’ve done, you dare to take my kingdom away?”
He pointed his blade at Arthur.
“I’ll kill you first.
Then I’ll kill myself!”
Arthur stared at him without changing his expression.
“You’re talking too much.”
The king roared and attacked.
Their swords collided once again.
And the final battle for the kingdom began.
The Battle Above
By the time Arthur reached the upper floor, the rebellion was already in full swing.
The streets were filled with shouting, clashing weapons, and desperate cries.
Arthur immediately joined the fighting.
However, he didn’t attack the civilians.
Instead, he targeted the king’s soldiers.
Whenever a soldier was about to kill an unarmed civilian, Arthur appeared and struck the soldier down.
His movements were swift and precise.
The king’s forces rapidly lost their advantage.
There were simply too many people rebelling against them.
Suddenly, a Two-Star fighter rushed toward Arthur.
Bang!
A powerful kick struck Arthur directly in the chest.
He flew backward and crashed into a wall.
Dust fell from the damaged stonework.
Arthur slowly straightened his back and shook his head.
“That actually hurt.”
The Two-Star fighter sneered.
“You’re distracted!”
Arthur looked at him.
Then he disappeared.
Slash!
A flash of steel crossed the air.
The man’s expression froze.
His head fell to the ground before his body collapsed.
Arthur didn’t even look back.
He immediately returned to the battlefield.
But the situation became more difficult as the battle continued.
Seven Two-Star fighters eventually surrounded him.
They spread out, blocking every possible escape route before attacking simultaneously.
Arthur’s expression turned serious.
Fighting seven opponents of that level at once was no easy task.
He knew better than to allow himself to be surrounded.
Unfortunately, they had already trapped him.
Their swords flashed from every direction.
Arthur parried the first attack, dodged the second, and countered the third.
But there were simply too many opponents.
A blade cut across his shoulder.
Another opened a wound along his side.
Then a deep slash tore across his chest.
Blood soaked into his clothes.
The seven fighters exchanged confident smiles.
“He’s finished!”
“Keep attacking!
Don’t give him time to recover!”
They rushed forward together.
Arthur lowered his head slightly.
Then, despite his injuries, he smiled.
They had made a mistake.
They had mistaken his apparent weakness for defeat.
And worse, they had allowed their confidence to cloud their judgment.
The moment their attacks became reckless, Arthur moved.
He vanished from their encirclement.
Before the nearest fighter could react, Arthur appeared directly in front of him.
Slash!
The man’s head was severed.
The remaining six froze for a fraction of a second.
Then their expressions twisted with rage.
“You bastard!”
They attacked even more aggressively.
Arthur’s smile widened.
Exactly as expected.
He used their anger against them, allowing their impatience to create openings in their defenses.
One fighter overextended his sword.
Arthur slipped past the blade and struck his throat.
Another attempted to attack from behind, only to be caught by a sudden counterattack.
A third tried to retreat after realizing the danger.
He wasn’t fast enough.
Within moments, three more fighters lay dead.
The remaining three finally understood that they had chosen the wrong opponent.
Their confidence vanished.
They turned and attempted to flee.
Arthur didn’t give them the chance.
He moved through the battlefield like a ghost, appearing behind one fighter before the man could even turn around.
Another fell moments later.
The last tried to surrender.
Arthur’s sword flashed once.
Silence followed.
All seven Two-Star fighters were dead.
Arthur took a brief breath, then turned toward the remaining soldiers.
He had no time to waste.
The civilians were still fighting for their lives.
He immediately returned to the battle.
The king’s soldiers continued to fall.
Some attempted to escape, but those who had spent years oppressing the people found little mercy from their former victims.
Arthur helped wherever he could, cutting down hostile soldiers and protecting civilians from their attacks.
After nearly half an hour, the fighting finally came to an end.
The streets fell silent.
The rebellion had succeeded.
Arthur stood amid the aftermath, his entire body covered in sword wounds.
Blood trickled down his arms and soaked through his clothes.
He took a long breath.
Then he slowly walked toward the palace stairs.
He had one last thing to check.
The king.
When Arthur reached the basement, he stopped.
Alice stood in the center of the room.
Her feet were planted firmly on the ground, and both hands gripped the hilt of her sword.
She was using the weapon to support her exhausted body.
In front of her lay the king’s severed head.
For several seconds, Arthur simply looked at the scene.
Then he walked forward.
Without saying a word, he kicked the king’s head aside.
He reached Alice just as her knees began to weaken.
She swayed slightly.
Arthur caught her in his arms before she could fall.
“You did well,” he murmured.
Alice didn’t respond.
She had spent too much strength fighting the king after enduring days of imprisonment.
Arthur lifted her carefully and carried her upstairs.
He placed her gently on a bed, then called for someone to bring medicine.
Only after ensuring that she was receiving treatment did he finally allow himself to rest.
The king was dead.
The rebellion had succeeded.
And the desert kingdom had entered a new era.
A New Kingdom
Alice and Arthur needed several days to recover from their injuries.
During that time, the people began rebuilding the city.
The king’s oppressive rule had finally ended, but nobody knew what would happen next.
Would another tyrant rise to replace him?
Would the kingdom descend into chaos?
Or would the people finally be allowed to live freely?
When Alice had recovered enough to stand, she and Arthur summoned everyone in the kingdom to gather in the central square.
Thousands of people arrived.
Some still carried the wounds of battle.
Others stood with their families, uncertain about what the future would bring.
Alice stepped forward.
Her reddish hair moved gently in the wind as she surveyed the crowd.
“From today onward, everyone in this kingdom will be allowed to live freely.”
A murmur spread through the crowd.
Alice raised one hand, and the people gradually fell silent.
“But there is one condition.”
Her ocean-blue eyes swept across the gathered people.
“There must be no injustice within this kingdom.”
Her voice was calm, but there was no room for misunderstanding.
“No one will be allowed to abuse their authority, oppress the weak, or use their strength to take away another person’s freedom.”
She paused. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“If anyone commits such an act, they will be held accountable, regardless of their position.”
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then someone in the crowd began to cheer.
Another person joined in.
Soon, the entire square erupted in applause.
Some people cried openly.
Others bowed their heads, unable to express the relief they felt.
For years, they had lived under the king’s oppressive rule.
Now, for the first time, they could imagine a different future.
Under Alice and Arthur’s leadership, the kingdom slowly began to improve.
The old system of oppression disappeared, and the remaining resources were distributed more fairly.
The kingdom had lost many soldiers and citizens during the conflict, leaving it weaker than before.
However, that weakness also created new opportunities.
With fewer soldiers available, the kingdom could no longer rely entirely on a powerful army to protect itself.
More people began training, learning to fight monsters, and developing their own strength.
Gradually, the kingdom began to change.
It was no longer simply a place ruled by fear.
It became a place where people could work toward a better future.
Noctis’s Opinion
“So, in the end, they defeated the king and took control of the kingdom.”
Noctis leaned back with his hands behind his head.
“If it were me, I would’ve attacked the king directly from the beginning.”
The moment he said that, several people turned toward him.
“What?”
Noctis looked completely unconcerned.
“Those two won because they relied on betrayal and complicated plans.
If I had been there, I wouldn’t have needed to go through all that trouble.”
The atmosphere immediately changed.
The people in our group had suffered under the king’s rule for years.
To them, Alice was practically a savior.
Hearing Noctis dismiss her struggle so casually naturally annoyed them.
Quinn frowned.
“It’s easy to talk when you weren’t the one suffering.”
Noctis shrugged.
“Well, I’m not responsible for other people’s suffering.”
“You’re unbelievable,” Alex muttered.
Noctis grinned.
“Thank you.
I try my best.”
Nobody knew how to respond to that.
After a while, the tension gradually faded, and everyone returned to their usual conversations.
Then Heli smiled.
“Still, Lady Alice and Arthur make a perfect couple.”
Noctis immediately sat up.
“Perfect couple?
What about me?”
Heli blinked.
“What about you?”
“I’m not inferior to Arthur in any way!” Noctis declared.
“In fact, Arthur is just a child compared to me.”
The entire group burst into laughter.
I remained silent, watching them from the side.
Everyone assumed Noctis was simply joking around.
That was understandable.
He acted foolishly so often that people rarely took his words seriously.
But I knew better than most that there was something strange about him.
His cheerful behavior was only one side of his personality.
The other side was far more difficult to understand.
Noctis turned toward Heli again.
“Tell me honestly.
Do you really think Arthur is more handsome than me?”
Heli pretended to consider the question.
“Hmm…”
Noctis stared at her expectantly.
Finally, she smiled.
“You’re more beautiful than Arthur.”
Noctis immediately looked satisfied.
“See?
At least someone here has good taste.”
Then, as though a new thought had suddenly occurred to him, his expression changed.
“Wait a minute.”
He looked at Heli suspiciously.
“What does Arthur actually look like?”
The others burst into laughter again.
Arthur’s Appearance
Heli patiently began describing Arthur.
“Arthur has golden hair.
It’s not particularly long, unlike Lady Alice’s reddish hair.”
She thought for a moment before continuing.
“His eyes are similar to hers.
He’s slightly taller than Alice, and his complexion is fair.”
Noctis listened with growing interest.
“His facial features are sharp and handsome,” Heli continued.
“He almost looks like an actor.
And his physique is well-trained.”
She shrugged.
“Honestly, he looks almost perfect.”
Noctis’s smile gradually disappeared.
“Almost perfect?”
“Yes.”
“Golden hair?”
“Yes.”
“Handsome face?”
“Yes.”
“Well-trained body?”
“Yes.”
Noctis crossed his arms.
“Then he’s still not more beautiful than me.”
Heli laughed.
“You’ll understand when you see him.”
Noctis immediately shook his head.
“Impossible.
Someone with black hair and black eyes doesn’t necessarily look bad.”
He pointed proudly at himself.
“In fact, people like that can be even more beautiful.”
Then he smiled.
“Just look at me.”
I ignored him.
Noctis turned toward me anyway.
“So, Nucky…”
I could already tell that whatever he was about to say would be ridiculous.
“Would you have a problem if I took Arthur for myself?”
I remained silent.
Noctis waited.
I continued to ignore him.
After a few seconds, he seemed to realize that he wasn’t going to get a response.
He clicked his tongue and turned back toward the others.
“Fine.
I’ll ask him myself when we meet.”
Then he casually resumed his conversation with the group, as though he hadn’t just said something absurd.
I shook my head slightly.
This idiot…
Still, there was something worth remembering.
Noctis wanted to meet Arthur.
And knowing Noctis, he might actually do something about it.
Beyond the Desert
Eventually, I left the others behind and continued my journey.
The endless desert had finally come to an end.
Ahead of me stretched a vast jungle filled with towering trees and dense vegetation.
The distance between this area and the desert city was roughly five kilometers.
Compared to the endless sea of sand, the sight of greenery felt almost unfamiliar.
I stood at the edge of the jungle for a moment.
Then I stepped forward.
The ground beneath my feet changed from loose sand to firm earth.
Tall trees surrounded me, their branches spreading overhead and blocking much of the sunlight.
The air was different here, too.
It was cooler and carried the faint scent of leaves, damp soil, and unfamiliar plants.
For the first time in a long while, I was no longer walking through an endless desert.
However, I wasn’t foolish enough to assume that the jungle was safe.
In this world, danger could hide anywhere.
A beautiful landscape meant nothing if something powerful was waiting behind the trees.
I adjusted my blindfold and continued forward.
My footsteps were quiet.
My senses remained alert.
Somewhere beyond this jungle lay a world I had yet to understand.
And somewhere in that world, Alice and Arthur were moving toward their own future.
I didn’t know when we would meet again.
But I was certain of one thing.
The next time Alice saw me, I wouldn’t be the helpless boy she had abandoned in the desert.
I would be stronger.
Much stronger.
And when that day came…
I wanted to see whether she would still look at me the same way.
With that thought in mind, I disappeared into the depths of the jungle.