Days passed quietly, one after another, until an entire month had slipped by before anyone realized it. The morning was bright, the sunlight warm, and birds chirped in the sky. Leo woke up in clothes that resembled the nightwear of common people. He was lying on a bed with a white blanket in a big, quiet room filled with silence. There were two chairs in the corner next to a table, and a red carpet on the floor. Three large windows lined the right side of the room. The ceiling was red, but the flooring was white. Both his trousers and shirt were white, though the shirt sleeves were longer than his hands.

  He stood up from the bed and rubbed his eyes as if he had just awakened. He walked toward the wall on the left where a giant mirror was hanging. Leo stopped rubbing his eyes and looked into the glass. His hair had changed; it was still black, but the length was shorter now. It reached his shoulders, shaggy and cut into messy layers that refused to lie flat. His body also seemed larger, as if he had been training; while not exactly muscular yet, he was fit compared to how skinny he had been before. Leo looked at himself in the mirror.

  'Hmm, I think the shorter hair looks good. It's easier to move around,' he thought.

  He turned to leave the room. As he reached the door, he opened it, but before stepping out, he looked back one last time.

  A thought crossed his mind.'Seems like time really passed fast.'

  Then, he left the room, still in his nightclothes. He walked through the hall alone, going straight, then left, then right, and left again. He kept walking until he reached a giant door on his right where two knights stood at the corners. They saw Leo and he saw them the knights glanced at each other, nodded, and opened the door.

  Leo entered the room—the throne room of Rustalia. Aurelius sat on his throne wearing a golden crown with no diamonds. It was a simple crown for a king. Aurelius was talking to a knight beside him until he noticed Leo.

  "Oh, you're awake?" he said in surprise. "How was your sleep?" he asked casually.

  Leo replied, rubbing his hair, "Normal... But what are you doing?"

  Aurelius replied mockingly, placing his fingers on his chin, "Hmm... Since when did you start taking an interest?"

  Leo gave him a deadpan stare and asked, "Are you going to tell me or not?"

  Aurelius chuckled. "Alright, alright," he said.

  Leo suddenly remarked, "Oh? So you can smile and laugh too?!"

  The comment made Aurelius stare at him, but he sighed and tried to keep his composure. "Well, it’s been a month. I was actually trying to find some constructors who could help us build the kingdom without informing the national court."

  Leo asked curiously, "So, did you find any?"

  Aurelius lowered his head and replied, "Of course. In fact, they’ve already started working. But you know what?"

  Leo narrowed his eyes.

  Then Aurelius continued, "You also need to help us build this kingdom."

  Leo turned away and waved his hand dismissively. "How can I?"

  Aurelius stood up. "Why don't you come with us, sign for the properties, and... start making alliances?"

  Leo turned back to Aurelius. "Alliances this soon?"

  Aurelius sighed before answering. "Well, not that kind of alliance. You just need trading partners—people to invest and build up your kingdom so we won't face problems with the National Court in the future."

  "Are you really that afraid of the National Court?" Leo asked curiously. He sighed, his gaze meeting Aurelius's. "I mean... I’m not going to ask why you’re scared of them, but you’re a king. You should have an entire currency or a treasure, right? Or are you just a poor king?"

  Aurelius answered, "Yes, I am a king. I do have treasure, and I have currency that I can create. But the treasure we have is unusable because..."

  Before answering, he shifted his gaze toward the knight standing beside him. Aurelius nodded in approval, and the knight left the room. Once the doors closed, Aurelius approached Leo.

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  "The kingdom's treasure—the gifts we receive from other nations—cannot be used. They bear the seal of the National Court. To use them, you need the Court’s approval."

  "Why would they do that?" Leo asked, surprised.

  Aurelius replied with a grin, "According to the Court, gifts from other kingdoms are historical artifacts. They don't allow kingdoms to sell them. If a kingdom tries, the National Court puts a 'Kingdom Bounty' on us. It means anyone who wants to rule this land simply has to kill the king. If you’re wondering why other kings follow their orders... it’s because the National Court was the first great structure in history. Those who rule it were the ones who introduced the concepts of kingdoms and kings. No matter how powerful a king becomes, they can never be superior to the Court. The current ruler is a direct descendant of those founders. Now, do you understand why I am doing everything in secret?"

  Leo put his fingers to his chin. "Hmm, that clarifies why you're afraid of them."

  Aurelius gave him a deadpan look. "If I were afraid, I wouldn’t be helping you this much. You owe me."

  Leo grinned. "So, you want me to handle trading on a national level?"

  Aurelius nodded.

  "What exactly am I supposed to trade?"

  Aurelius walked toward the large windows of the throne room, looking out over his empire. "You have mountains, right?"

  Leo shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

  "Ever heard of Kryoxite crystals?" Aurelius asked with a smile.

  Leo waved his hand. "No, never."

  "The empire that the Hero ruled—the one you destroyed—was rich because they had mountains containing mines of these Kryoxite crystals."

  Leo’s eyes widened. "You mean..."

  Aurelius turned. "Yeah."

  "But... what do you want me to do?" Leo asked with uncertainty.

  "You must learn to handle meetings, and you have to understand how to create trading plans for your crystals," Aurelius answered.

  Leo let out a mocking laugh. "You want me to handle all that? How the hell am I supposed to handle that bullshit?" Leo turned to leave the throne room, waving his hand over his shoulder. "I’m not doing it. You know I’ve never studied. No one is going to teach me anything at my age—"

  Aurelius smirked. "You're forgetting that I am a king, Leo."

  Leo’s eyes widened as he turned back. "Hey! I’m not studying."

  Aurelius closed his eyes and stretched out his hands. "Who said you were going to study? You just need to be a teacher at an academy for a while."

  Leo narrowed his eyes. "How am I supposed to teach others when I haven't even studied myself?"

  Aurelius walked up to Leo and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You will understand in time. But we also need an advisor for you." He began to walk away, leaving Leo behind.

  "Hey!" Leo called out. "How am I going to find an advisor? Can't I just use Lili?"

  Aurelius didn't turn around. As he reached the giant doors, he looked back over his shoulder. "Are you sure about that? Advisors need deep knowledge of laws and history. Is she not the same witch who only taught you magic and ignored your studies?"

  Leo gave a nervous smile. "Hehe, okay. I see your point."

  With that, Aurelius left the throne room.

  Later, Leo was outside the castle, wandering the streets. People chattered as the summer sun beat down. He was wearing a loose blue shirt and grey trousers.

  Where should I go now? I don’t even know how to find an advisor. Just then, he saw Lili carrying three or four books. Their eyes met, and she headed his way. She was wearing a tight white shirt and black pants, her black hair tied in a high ponytail.

  "Oh, Leo... OH, Leooooo!" she called out.

  Leo narrowed his eyes. "What's with that?"

  She chuckled. "It’s been a long time since I last saw you. You look different."

  Leo’s mouth hung open for a moment. "What do you mean? We’ve been in the castle together for months."

  She shook her head slowly. "You don't understand. Actually..." She looked down at the ground, her smile fading. "You’ve been keeping your distance from us. You’re always alone; you don't talk to me or Lyra, you eat by yourself, and you’re missing all the time. It’s been like this ever since Lia..."

  Leo realized exactly what she was saying. He forced a smile—a fake expression that anyone truly looking could see through. But Lili didn't realize it was a lie because she trusted him too much. She was simply too relieved to see him smiling again to notice the coldness in his eyes.

  "Oh, no, it's not like that, it's just..." He couldn't finish the sentence. He hadn't expected to be confronted like this.

  Lili looked into his eyes for a moment. "It’s alright. Anyway, I have to go now. So... see ya—"

  "Hey!" Leo interrupted. "Where did you find those books?"

  She stopped and turned back. "From the library."

  Leo stepped closer. "Where is this library?"

  Lili paused, then looked away. "Not telling you."

  Leo stretched out his hands. "Why not?"

  She smiled without turning around. "If you promise to come back and have dinner with us, then I'll tell you."

  Leo hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Okay. I'll come tonight and have dinner with everyone."

  She turned back, beaming. "Sounds good."

  She gave him directions to the library and left. Leo followed her instructions until he reached the building. The library was massive. Students were bustling in and out to the left were houses, and to the right were food stalls.

  'Okay, maybe I can find a book here that will help me find an advisor,' Leo thought.

  With that, he stepped onto the wooden stairs of the library.