"Your name is Jack, isn't it?!" asked the King calmly.
Jack jumped slightly, startled.
"Eh—how do you know that, Your Majesty?!" he asked in confusion.
"Long ago, your group was featured in the newspapers across the entire region, including this kingdom. What happened to you, Jack?"
"I didn't know we were that well-known."
Jack took a deep breath and began to explain.
"I escaped from a kidnapping… managed to get away and return to my village. I didn't expect everything to have changed so much after all this time."
The King gave a slight smile.
"You know, losing all of you one by one from Iceland left those trapped there waiting for your return," he said, relieved.
"You seem very sincere, Jack. Please, tell me more."
"That organization…" Jack clenched his fists. "They kidnapped my friends—Carla, Isabella, Zeco, and Hiro... He told me he was a user of the earth element. I don't know what he mean that day, but they took him away to who knows where."
Upon hearing that name, the young man in the cloak beside the King reacted quickly.
"Hiro?" he asked quietly. "The Earth Element user?"
Jack nodded.
"You know him?"
The cloaked man looked down.
"Not personally. But... I know about the Earth Element. It's one of the 20 primal elements. And its users... are incredibly rare."
King Edward glanced at his son, then looked back at Jack.
"His name is Belzeebub," the King said, introducing him.
"My son. He is also one of the Elemental Bearers. He is the Water Element user."
Jack looked at Belzeebub, puzzled.
"So... you're blessed with something unclear too? You people are really strange."
"Hahaha, no, Jack. It's not like that," Belzeebub laughed.
"I told you, you're far too innocent, Jack."
"So… what should we do, Your Majesty?!" Jack asked, his voice growing serious, eyes burning with determination.
King Edward gazed out the tall palace window, sunlight flickering softly in his weary eyes.
"We… still don't know what action to take. We avoid recklessness. The only thing we've managed is to endure… and hide behind a single piece of parchment."
"A piece of paper? An agreement?!" Jack raised an eyebrow, curiosity and frustration mixing in his voice.
"Yes. That parchment clearly states: this land cannot be claimed as they please. It is a legacy handed down by my ancestors… a promise of peace, not conquest."
Jack closed his eyes briefly, deep in thought. Then, a spark of an idea ignited within him. His eyes opened, now burning with purpose.
"I understand… All you've done so far is defend, right?" he said, barely able to contain the intensity of his thought.
"That's right," the King replied. "Then… what are you suggesting?"
"Do the opposite…" Jack's voice grew louder, his eyes fierce.
"Strike them first!" he shouted, raising a clenched fist.
"Huh?!" Belzeebub narrowed his eyes at Jack.
"This isn't child's play, Jack," the King said gently, trying to calm the fire.
Without hesitation, Jack stepped forward, standing firm before the King, his expression unwavering.
"I want to declare war against that Dark Organization. I know this isn't a game… but please… for the sake of my friends."
King Edward let out a long breath and lowered his gaze.
"Your request… is heavy, Jack. This kingdom protects peace as part of the honor of the Water Clan. If we act carelessly… it could trigger a much greater war."
Jack's shoulders slumped, disappointment weighing him down.
But before he could speak again, a calm yet resolute voice broke the silence.
"Father…"
All eyes turned to Belzeebub.
"Allow me… to go."
"Belzeebub?" the King turned, startled by his son's resolve.
"I have to bring him back. Hiro… he cannot be left in their hands. If we don't move now… they'll realize he's returned. And when they do… everything will get far worse."
Jack looked at Belzeebub. For a moment, they weren't strangers—they were allies bound by loss and hope.
Jack's gaze sharpened, and he took a firm step forward.
"I'm going with you…" he said softly, but with unshakable resolve.
-Finish.
This Story will continued in new Novel, Infinity Chaos by Rafidal.