"Why do you two seem like you don't get along?" Elric, the only guy Luna knew, asked. The two of them had gotten acquainted by chance, mostly because Elric had been the one treating Luna's wounds while she was still recovering. But today felt different. She felt healthy, no longer needing any medication as her injuries had dried up.
"I don't believe in his ambition to survive in this place," Luna replied curtly. She just wanted to go home. Honestly, Luna felt like she was the only one who still longed to return to her real home.
"You're just the same," Elric said, making Luna shoot him a sharp look. She laughed bitterly at Elric's claim that she and Darren were alike.
They were different. Luna had ambition, sure, but she had calculated plans that made sense to her. She didn't want to be lumped together with that overly ambitious guy.
By the light of the campfire, Elric examined the wound on Luna's arm. It showed real progress — the skin had dried and there were no bruises left, just a few more days to fully heal.
While Elric was occupied assessing her physical wounds, Luna couldn't stop thinking about his words. They were not the same—not even close. Luna and Darren were nothing alike, no matter what Elric said.
She glanced over toward the man she was thinking about. Darren had already fallen asleep, a little farther from the fire. He lay under the house frame, sheltered beneath the portion of roof they'd completed.
"Why do you think Darren and I are the same?" Luna asked, knowing there was no way Darren could overhear her voice. He was fast asleep and wouldn't wake unless she screamed.
"Before we decided to stay here, Darren was the most stubborn about wanting to leave," Elric said. "He believed this place had no future, exactly like you've been saying these past few days. Meanwhile, the rest of us believed we could make something here. Besides, Prince Richard already threatened our boss not to return to Narima Beach."
Luna froze when she heard the name Elric had just dropped.
"Prince Richard?" she repeated. The only Prince Richard she knew was the son of Emperor Alric — the heir to the throne. "Why would Prince Richard travel from Narima Beach to a place like this?"
"Um..." Elric looked conflicted. Luna watched him avert his gaze. Whether he'd said something he shouldn't have, or was just reluctant to go on, she couldn't tell.
"I'm getting sleepy," he muttered, trying to stand up.
But Luna grabbed his arm, keeping him in place, insisting he stay and answer the question she still didn't have a full answer to. She wasn't going to let him brush her off while her curiosity kept growing.
"I'm not finished talking, Elric." She held onto his arm and locked eyes with him, refusing to let him escape.
"The imperial family must have some kind of conflict, right?" Of course, Luna knew the imperial family was full of problems.
Darren... That name — it was too familiar. Luna had heard it before, over and over.
Could it be... He was the prince King Finn had been looking for?
If he was, then she had just found a high-value target. Who would pay the highest price to see that man killed?
****
"We couldn't do it because they suddenly attacked us with several blows, Your Highness!"
Kneeling before a man cloaked in royal authority, John expressed deep regret for his failure to escort the Everglow family safely to Narima Beach.
Halfway through the journey, after just one day of travel, John had lost the carriage along with the four daughters of Everglow, who were rescued by two unknown individuals. He had run to Mierre-Park accompanied by a single guard, both of them bruised and beaten — the work of the two strangers who had nearly killed them.
"Just two people, and you couldn't handle them?" John didn't dare look Finn in the eye. His gaze remained fixed on the prince's polished black leather shoes.
"I admit I was negligent, Your Highness. I ignored your advice to hire the bandits to escort the carriage. I thought everything would be fine if I traveled alone," John said in a trembling voice. Understandable — he had just lost the most valuable target. "But I'm certain those two weren't our bandits, Your Highness. My guess is they're not ordinary men. Besides, I heard a rumor that a merchant has been convincing people to take a shortcut through the wastelands to save travel time."
"Every merchant knows there are a lot of bandits out there," Finn responded.
"That's true, Your Highness. Most of them are our people. The problem is, I've heard more merchants are becoming interested in using that route. Some are still hesitant because many bandits are still camping in the forests." King Finn listened carefully to John's words.
There had been many rumors that Darren — the younger brother of Prince Harry Richard Vadenburg — had left the imperial palace and been exiled by his father. But for now, those were nothing more than whispers coming from within the empire. Until now, Finn had never taken steps to investigate, even though the two of them were geographically close.
"My theory is, they're planning to build a community and trade route that's more direct, Your Highness. Wouldn't that benefit Mierre-Park? I think Mierre-Park could become a thriving hub by next year if that merchant community grows," John added.
Finn actually agreed with John. He now had two strategic options:
He could gain favor and climb closer to the throne by killing Darren.
Or, he could cooperate with Darren to secure the future of his business ventures.
Mierre-Park stood to gain the most if this new trade route was developed.
Now, Finn found himself tested — forced to choose between power and profit.
He believed Darren's exile might be nothing more than a fabricated tale. That's why he had sent the entire Everglow family — including Luna — to Narima Beach. Luna had lost her value to him, especially if the money-obsessed woman was only good at draining his funds to eliminate his enemies.
But now, Luna Everglow had become the most potential asset he had. Finn smiled mysteriously. He had an idea — a way to make all his desires a reality.
"We'll send a few merchants to that place. They'll investigate, especially to find out the truth about Darren, who has been so quiet in the imperial palace," Finn said confidently as he turned and sat upon his grand throne, basking in the opportunity laid before him.
"Hey, John," he called out, amused. "What should I choose? Should I work with Darren to make more money… or kill him and climb one level closer to the imperial throne?"