(CHAPTER 25: THE TEACHER)

Hero walk down the corridor of the palace. The marble floor beneath him gleamed as the sunlight shone through the colorfully tinted windows beside him. The pillars holding up the structure were made out of pure gold, with diamonds, rubies and emeralds embedded into it, hinting the amount of wealth and power possessed by the royal family. "You ain't one lucky fellow eh." Arthur who was alongside the guards chuckled and gave him and huge pat at his back. "I guess that's karma then." Hero shrugged his shoulders and continue walking. The moment they arrived at the huge dark oak door. The door was carved with various mystic pattern, the high quality oak gave a light forest scent when get closer. And behind this door was the king's own room. Hero grew nervous, he know he had done nothing wrong but the sheer amount of pressure was making him a wreck on the inside. "What should I do, do I need to kneel, bow or something?" He asked. "Just follow me alright." Arthur pointed at himself, Hero nodded and the guards push open the door.

As Hero step into the room, he gasped. For his entire days, he have never met, been or imagined such majestic room. The floor were covered in glistering gold, diamond pillars stretch up the roof of the room, which is painted into a breathtaking night sky. The bed was huge and fluffy, as if it was made out of the wool of the fluffiest sheep alive. Beside the bed was a dark oak study table while on the other side are shelves the size of mountains, filled with books of all kind and genre that you could imagine. What was even awesome was the aquarium behind the bed, through the glass panel and clear blue water, various tropical fish can be seen swimming among the coral reefs.

"You like my room?" The king appeared, he was wearing a huge bathrobe, he is old and wrinkled, with barely any hair left. He is short, skinny and small, just like any old man. But something tells Hero that this old man, is not the average old man. He senses power and danger within him. "My lord." Arthur kneeled down and bow his head low, Hero immediately followed, clumsily.

"At ease." The king spoke, and both of them stood up. "What brings the boy here my lord?" Arthur help Hero ask his doubt. "I wanted him to be well fed and trained. I wanted him to be a knight." He sat onto his bed and spoke. "Me, why?" Hero doubted. "I've heard about your plans before, two of your friends are kidnapped by the illagers, one are buried under ruins. I can help you get your revenge, as long as you are willing to cooperate." He replied. "How can I help?" Hero asked once more, this all happened so quick, he didn't even have time to react.

"You need to be a knight if you wanted to led my men against the illagers." The king spoke and paused for a brief moment. "But there is a catch, you need to do it in one month, so that you could catch up with the annual knighting tournament. I will provide you with everything you need, your friend I will search and gave treatment, the illagers I will track and pin down. All you need to do is pass the test" "A month!?" Hero's head spun. "That's barely possible my lord. He didn't even had proper training, others had been taught for life!" Even Arthur is against with the king's idea.

"He can, I am sure about that." Hero and Arthur was about to protest but was silenced by the king with a wave of his hand. "I need to talk with Sir Arthur personally. " He tell the guards. "Bring the boy out for a while." The guards nodded and Hero was escorted out of the room. Arthur was about to ask further but the King spoke first. "Do you know, how I became king?" He walk calmly towards the balcony of his room, Arthur followed. "I am a wanderer, an adventurer. I was given many names, the tramp ,the walking trash." He chuckled, as if it was other person's tale. "I am a very lucky and perhaps also, an unlucky man. When I arrived at the Plain's country back then, it was being raided, the largest raid ever."

He look at the sky and memorized the scene. "The sky was lit on fire, illagers were falling from the sky like raindrops, if not me the kingdom's legacy would be over. The king and his men hide cowardly while the people suffer. I can't bear seeing innocent souls dying over the hand of these foul beasts, you guess what I did?" "You fought back?" "No, I gave the people faith." He shook and continue. "When the army were about to crumble, when knights were about to flee, I stood out. With nothing but a broken hilt. I fought, and the others followed, even the peasants joined the war, we chased those bandits out of the kingdom, and they made me king." He smiled.

"And you remember the day I met you?" He asked once more. "Yes my lord, I remember." Arthur let out a bitter laugh. "That's right, and this boy right here, has the two things both of us have, he had bravery and the thirst of revenge." He walk towards Arthur and patted his shoulder. "Now I wanted you to train him the way I train you, alright?" "Of course my lord." Arthur smiled and bowed. "Very well then." The smile on the king's face broadens. "Now go meet your first disciple." Arthur nodded and bowed once more before backing off and back to the corridor where he met Hero who was waiting for him.

"Follow me." He signaled Hero to keep up with him. "Let me show you where you will be staying."