Chapter Five: The Dashin Empire’s Promise

Gold.

For all the knowledge I sought, for all the magic I chased, in the end, it was gold that I needed most.

Wandering the world with nothing but ash-covered clothes and empty hands is a quick way to starve. I learned that fast. Books don't feed you. Spells don't buy you shelter. And in a world where power rules all, I had none.

That was when I heard the rumors.

The Dashin Empire—a rising kingdom in the east, still young but expanding fast. And at its heart, a desperate king.

King Olsareth, a man who had conquered more land in a decade than most empires had in a century, was now at war with something he couldn't fight. His wife was dying. No blade, no army, no wealth could stop it. He had summoned healers, priests, alchemists—anyone who claimed they had a cure. None had succeeded.

And now, in his desperation, he had made an offer: whoever could save her would be rewarded beyond measure.

I had no interest in saving queens. But I did need gold.

I had no healing magic, no divine gifts. But I did have something those fools didn't. A hunger for knowledge. A mind that wasn't limited by laws or morality. If there was a cure, I would find it. And if there wasn't… I would find something close enough to convince the king otherwise.

Because gold meant survival.

Gold meant power.

And power… meant I could keep searching.