After two full days, they finally reached the Disail Kingdom. Veder stepped down from the horse carriage.
"Thank you for bringing me this far," Veder said.
Ava was still sitting inside. The merchant looked at him.
"No problem. You saved my life back there anyway," the merchant replied.
Ava was still thinking about Niya.
"How do I even convince myself...?" Her lips felt dry.
The merchant bid farewell to Veder and went inside the Disail Kingdom.
Veder looked ahead. The reflection of a massive gate filled his eyes.
"Disail Kingdom..." His gaze slowly moved upward.
A huge wall stood before him. Beyond that wall lay the Disail Kingdom itself. A grand gate where people were entering continuously.
A few soldiers stood near the gate, checking everyone who entered. Veder joined the line of people waiting to go inside. After some time, it was his turn.
"To enter, you need one silver coin," a soldier said, extending his hand.
"One coin..." Veder checked his clothes but found nothing.
"Hurry up! People behind you are waiting," the soldier raised his voice, his face firm.
The soldier wore armour. Spears in their hands, swords at their waists. Veder looked behind him. People in the line were staring at him silently.
Veder showed his teeth awkwardly and stepped out of the line.
"Isn't there even a single coin...?"
While searching his clothes, the letter given by Sien slipped out and fell to the ground. Slowly, the line became shorter. Veder picked up the letter.
"How was I supposed to know you need money to enter? That stupid merchant didn't even tell me... And why are these people staring at me like this?"
He felt uncomfortable. His fingers moved restlessly. The soldier approaches him.
"Did you find the coin or not?" the soldier asked.
Veder looked at him.
"Why is he so obsessed with this coin...?"
"Looks like I dropped my money somewhere. It must be here... I'll search," Veder said, pretending to look around.
The soldier's eyes fell on the letter in Veder's hand.
"A letter... show me," the soldier said.
Veder handed it over.
"This has the seal of the Ocean Organization..." the soldier thought.
"Oh... so you're here to deliver a letter. You should've said that earlier," the soldier returned it.
"You may go inside."
"Thank you," Veder said and walked in.
---
"Oh... such huge houses..."
As far as his eyes could see, there were massive stone houses. Veder walked forward. The road beneath his feet was stone as well. Houses lined both sides.
People moved everywhere. Horse carts passed through the streets.
"This kingdom is huge... Working here might actually be fun," Veder said
"But where is the royal palace? I'll have to ask someone."
He stopped walking.
"Who should I ask...?"
Just then, a girl was running towards him from the front. She had covered herself with a cloth.
Veder looked around and continued walking.
Suddenly-
She crashed into him.
The girl fell to the ground, but Veder didn't even budge. He looked at her. She quickly stood up.
"Did you get hurt?" Veder asked.
Hiding her face, she replied, "No..."
"Why is she hiding her face? Probably a thief... Whatever. I'll just ask her about the palace," Veder thought.
"Where is the royal palace?" Veder asked.
"Um... of course I'd be the one he runs into..." she thought. She frowned, biting her lips.
"I don't know. Ask someone else," she said and started to walk away.
Veder grabbed her hand.
"Hey... I'm a thief too, so don't be scared," he said softly.
"Thief...? He thinks I'm a thief." She looked at him.
The wind blew the cloth off her face.
Short but think black hair. Green eyes. Blue dangling earrings. Red lips. She wore white clothes, clearly meant to hide herself.
"And why do you think I'm a thief?" she asked sharply.
People around them stopped and stared at them.
"Why are they all looking at me? Did I catch a famous thief? Must be a huge reward on her head," Veder chuckled internally.
"Because you were running while hiding your face," Veder replied.
Some soldiers were approaching Veder from the front.
"Looks like they're coming to catch her. I can already see my reward, Veder thought, staring at the soldiers.
"Oh! I'm not a thief!" she said.
"Come on... quickly." Veder ignored her words.
She looked straight into his eyes.
"Soldiers—" She tries to run away, but Veder holds her hand.
"Wait, where are you going? Let the soldiers come, thief," Veder said.
"I am also a thief. But not from today," he told himself.
"Let me go, idiot! I'm not a thief! Let go!" Anger filled her voice.
"Let the soldiers come," Veder said, eyes fixed ahead.
She struggled harder as the soldiers got closer, but his grip was strong.
Suddenly-
She raised her hand and slapped Veder hard across the face. Veder, who had been staring at the soldiers, turned toward her. Veder lets go of her hand.
His cheek turned red, fire burnt in his eyes, his eyebrows tightened, and deep lines formed on his forehead. His fists clenched. For a moment, it felt like he would react.
But then, He noticed the people watching. He controlled himself. The girl ran away. Her hand trembled. Her heart pounded wildly, and she calmed herself.
"I won't let you go," Veder thought, staring after her. Anger weighed heavily in his head.
The soldiers reached him. Veder looks at the soldiers.
"Why did you let her go?" one soldier asked.
"Can't you see? She slapped me and ran away," he thought.
"I had to catch her. But she escaped my grasp," Veder said, with a fake smile on his face.
"We'll have to search for her again..." another soldier sighed.
"Who was she? A big thief?" Veder asked.
"No. She's not a thief. She's the princess of this kingdom," the soldier replied.
"What? A princess? Veder's eyes widened. Even so... I won't let her go."
"Alright. We'll search for her." The soldiers moved on.
"I'm new here. Can you tell me where the royal palace is?" Veder asked.
One soldier stopped.
"Go ahead. I'll escort him to the palace," he told the others.
"Thank you," Veder said, walking with him.
"Tell me... why was this princess running around hiding her face like that?" Veder asked, eyes on the stone road.
"If she runs around like that, anyone would think she's a thief. First day in the kingdom, and I get slapped by a princess..."
"Whenever the king brings marriage proposals for her, she runs away from the palace like that," the soldier replied tiredly.
Veder looked at the soldier's left hand.
"Your thumb..."
"A thief attacked me once. I lost my thumb then," the soldier said. "But there's no worry now. Thieves and bandits have reduced. Thanks to the Ocean Organization."
"The Vice-President of that same Ocean Organization sent me here," Veder thought.
---
The sun stood overhead. It was noon. Above blue sky. Below is a beautiful royal palace.
"This is the royal palace. I must go now."
"Thank you for bringing me here," Veder said.
The soldier nodded.
"What's your name?" Veder asked.
"My name is Finn," he replied and walked away.
Veder watched him leave.
Blond hair, Around thirty years old, black eyes, missing left thumb. Armour covering his body.
"What a good man," Looking at the palace.
"So... my first job begins here."