Aldes walked down the palace corridor toward the training ground. The rooms he passed looked majestic. The high stone walls were painted with a combination of dark blue and gold accents that reflected the morning sunlight. His footsteps echoed rhythmically on the marble floor.
In front of the iron gate of the training ground, two guards stood tall. Upon seeing Aldes' arrival, their eyes widened. Both hurriedly straightened their backs and saluted. Their weapons clattered against their armor.
"Master Aldes!" greeted the first guard with a loud voice.
"Morning, Master Aldes!" added the second guard.
Aldes glanced at them and nodded slowly. "Morning."
The first guard gathered the courage to ask. "Are you going to train, Master?"
Aldes frowned. He stared at the guard's face with an expression of wonder mixed with disbelief at the stupidity of the question. He cleared his throat softly.
"No. I came here to kill you," Aldes answered flatly.
The first guard instantly went pale. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead. His mouth opened slightly, holding his breath. "M-m?"
"Yes. I know you are corrupt. I know what you did," said Aldes.
The facial muscles of the two guards tensed. They glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes. Their hands trembled on their spear shafts. Both lowered their heads, casting their gaze to the stone floor, not daring to look into Aldes' eyes.
Oi oi don't tell me they are actually corrupt? The fuck? Aldes thought in surprise.
Aldes fell silent seeing their reaction. He thought for a moment to find a way out of the situation he had just created himself.
Aldes let out a long sigh. He looked up at the ceiling briefly, then glared sharply at the two guards. He lowered the tone of his voice.
"Run seven laps around. After that, return double the amount. With that, I might forgive you."
Aldes paused his sentence. "I give you seven days. Put it back where you took it from."
The first guard opened his mouth to protest. "M..."
The second guard immediately elbowed his partner's waist and shook his head quickly. Both immediately nodded obediently. They turned around and started running away from the gate.
Aldes stepped forward past the iron gate and entered the corridor area. He chuckled softly. "Truly ridiculous."
The area behind the gate was quiet. The walls were decorated with intricate stone carvings. The air inside felt cooler. There were no other guards there.
Still empty. Am I the first to arrive? Am I late?
Aldes walked down the long corridor. Along the corridor walls hung a row of large paintings in thick wooden frames. Aldes stopped walking. He was amazed by the details of the paintings.
The first painting showed a man riding a black horse. The man raised his silver sword high into the air.
The second painting showed a red scaled dragon flying in the sky. A human sat upright holding the reins on the dragon's back.
The third painting displayed a golden crown. A thick red liquid dripped down, staining the edge of the crown. Three pairs of disembodied hands reached up from below, jointly supporting the bloody crown.
Art in this world is not too bad. What is the meaning of these paintings? Aldes thought, feeling amazed and curious about the meaning of the paintings in front of him.
"Beautiful, isn't it."
A voice cut through Aldes' thoughts from behind.
Aldes' back tensed. He immediately turned around.
A man stood only a few steps away from him. The man had long red hair. A burn scar was clearly visible stretching across his left cheek. He wore all black clothing. His right hand gripped a sword. The man's red eyes stared at Aldes very calmly.
Aldes held his breath. Since when was he there? Teleportation? His aura cannot be felt at all.
The original memories of this body responded instantly. Aldes recognized the man in front of him. He was Laurtius. His biological brother, and also the second most likely person to become the successor to the kingdom's throne.