Chapter : 1333

  The wedding celebration was finally over. Most people were sleeping, recovering from the food, the dancing, and the terrifying attack by shadow monsters. But for Lloyd, there was no sleep. There was never any sleep. He found himself walking down a long stone corridor in the Royal Palace. His feet hurt. His head hurt. He just wanted to find a soft chair and sit in it for three days straight. But King Liam had summoned him. When the King calls, you do not say, "Can we do this next Tuesday?" You go.

  Lloyd entered a room that was deep underground. It was a secret room. There were no windows, obviously, because it was underground. The walls were made of thick stone blocks. In the center of the room was a round table. King Liam was standing there. He looked tired, but his eyes were sharp. He looked like a man who had just played a very dangerous game of cards and won all the money.

  "Come in, Lloyd," the King said. His voice was calm.

  Lloyd walked to the table. "Your Majesty. I was hoping this was a breakfast meeting. I really like pancakes."

  The King smiled a little. "Not today, Lloyd. Today we talk about war."

  Lloyd sighed inside his head. Of course. It was always war. Why couldn't it be about tax reform? Or building a new park? It was always fighting.

  "The attack on the wedding was a message," the King said. He placed his hands on the table. "Our enemies are bold. They are not afraid to strike at us in our own home. We need to answer them."

  "I thought we did answer them," Lloyd said. "With swords and fire. It was very loud."

  "That was defense," the King corrected. "Now we need offense. But we cannot use the regular army. The army is big. It is slow. It makes a lot of noise when it moves. If we march an army to the border, the enemy will see us coming from a hundred miles away. We need something different."

  The King reached into his robe and pulled out a scroll. It was a fancy scroll. It had a red ribbon and a wax seal with the royal lion on it. He slid it across the table to Lloyd.

  "What is this?" Lloyd asked. He didn't touch it yet. He had learned that touching things the King gave him usually led to more work.

  "Open it," the King ordered.

  Lloyd picked up the scroll. He broke the seal. The wax cracked with a satisfying snap. He unrolled the paper. It was covered in fancy writing. It looked very official. It had words like "Authorization" and "By Royal Decree" and "Top Secret."

  "This is a charter," the King explained. "It authorizes the creation of a new unit. A special unit. They will not answer to the generals. They will not answer to the council. They will answer only to me. And to you."

  Lloyd looked up from the paper. "Me?"

  "You," the King confirmed. "You have a talent for... unconventional solutions. You think differently. You do not fight like a knight. You fight like a person who wants to win quickly so he can go take a nap."

  "That is a very accurate description of my fighting style," Lloyd admitted.

  "This unit needs a name," the King continued. "We will call them 'The Wraiths'."

  "The Wraiths," Lloyd repeated. "Sounds spooky. I like it. It sounds like a group of ghosts who haunt bad people."

  "Exactly," the King said. "This document gives you the power to recruit men and women for this team. It gives you the power to go anywhere in the kingdom. It gives you the power to do things that are... technically illegal for anyone else. If the regular army does something bad, it is an act of war. If the Wraiths do something bad, the kingdom can say, 'We don't know who those guys are.' We can deny everything."

  Lloyd looked at the document again. It was basically a "Get Out of Jail Free" card, but for war crimes. It was a terrifying amount of power.

  "So," Lloyd said slowly. "You want me to lead a gang of secret spies and assassins. You want me to go behind enemy lines. You want me to do the dirty work."

  "Yes," the King said simply. "We are fighting monsters, Lloyd. We cannot be clean. We need to be effective. And you are the most effective person I know."

  Chapter : 1334

  Lloyd felt a heavy weight settle on his shoulders. He didn't want this. He wanted to make soap. He wanted to sell salt. He wanted to be rich and lazy. But he knew the King was right. The enemy wasn't playing by the rules. If they wanted to survive, they had to break the rules too.

  "I accept," Lloyd said. He rolled up the scroll. "But I have conditions. I pick the team. I pick the missions. And I get paid a lot."

  The King laughed. "Of course. I expected nothing less."

  Lloyd looked at the scroll in his hand. It felt heavy, like it was made of lead instead of paper. This was it. He was no longer just a lord or a professor or a businessman. He was now the kingdom's shadow. He was the guy you called when you wanted someone to disappear. It was a cool job title, but the hours were going to be terrible.

  "So," Lloyd said, trying to lighten the mood. "When do we start? Do I get a cool uniform? Maybe a cape? I feel like a Wraith needs a cape."

  The King shook his head. "No capes. They get caught in doors. But there is one thing, Lloyd. You cannot start immediately."

  Lloyd blinked. "What? You just gave me this speech about how urgent this is. You gave me this fancy scroll. And now you say wait?"

  "Yes," the King said. His face became very serious. "Power is dangerous, Lloyd. This team will have a lot of power. We need to be careful."

  The room was very quiet. The only sound was the flickering of the torches on the walls. King Liam looked at Lloyd with a gaze that was sharp enough to cut glass. He walked around the table, his footsteps echoing on the stone floor.

  "Lloyd," the King said. "Think about what I just gave you. I gave you the power to act outside the law. I gave you the power to kill enemies of the state without a trial. I gave you the power to start wars or end them in the shadows. If the wrong person gets into this team, they could destroy the kingdom from the inside."

  Lloyd nodded slowly. He understood. If a traitor joined the Wraiths, they would have access to all the kingdom's darkest secrets. They would know where the bodies were buried. Literally.

  "So," the King continued. "We need to vet them. We need to check them. Every single member of this team must be loyal. Not just loyal to the kingdom, but loyal to us. Loyal to the mission. We cannot have spies. We cannot have people who can be bought with gold. We cannot have people who are weak."

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  "That makes sense," Lloyd said. "So, how long is this going to take? A week? Two weeks?"

  "Two months," the King said.

  Lloyd's jaw dropped. "Two months? That is a long time. The enemy is not going to wait two months. They are probably planning something right now. They are probably baking evil cookies and plotting our doom."

  "Let them plot," the King said calmly. "We will use this time. We will prepare. My spymaster will investigate every candidate you choose. We will look at their history. We will look at their families. We will look at what they eat for breakfast. We will make sure they are clean."

  Lloyd leaned back against the table. "Two months," he muttered. "That is a lot of paperwork. I hate paperwork. I thought being a secret agent meant jumping off rooftops and exploding things. I didn't know it involved background checks and filling out forms."

  "It involves both," the King said. "But think of it this way, Lloyd. This time is also for you. You have been running non-stop. You fought a duel. You fought assassins. You fought a giant fire demon. You saved the wedding. You are tired. I can see it."

  Lloyd rubbed his eyes. The King was right. He was exhausted. His bones felt heavy. His brain felt like it was full of cotton. He had been operating on adrenaline and caffeine for weeks.

  "Maybe a little break isn't a bad idea," Lloyd admitted. "I could use some sleep. I could check on my soap factory. I need to see if my workers have accidentally blown it up while I was gone."

  Chapter : 1335

  "Exactly," the King said. "Use this time to stabilize your other affairs. Make sure your business is running smoothly. Make sure your family is safe. Because once the Wraiths are active, you will not have much free time. You will be a ghost. You will be living in the shadows."

  The King placed a hand on Lloyd's shoulder. It was a rare gesture of warmth. "You are the secret weapon of this kingdom, Lloyd. We need you sharp. We need you ready. Do not rush this. Build the team right. If the foundation is weak, the house will fall."

  Lloyd looked at the King. He saw a man who carried the weight of millions of lives. He saw a man who had to make hard choices every day. And now, he was sharing that burden with Lloyd.

  "Okay," Lloyd said. "Two months. We check everyone. We make sure they are solid. No traitors. No weak links. Just the best of the best."

  "Good," the King said. "Start making your list. Who do you want? Who do you trust?"

  Lloyd thought for a moment. He thought about Ken. He thought about Habiba. He thought about the crazy people who worked for him in the factory. He realized he actually knew quite a few dangerous and capable people.

  "I have a few names in mind," Lloyd said with a grin. "Some of them are a little... unconventional."

  "Unconventional is what we need," the King said. "Just give the list to my spymaster. He will start the process."

  The meeting was over. Lloyd rolled up the scroll and tucked it into his jacket. He felt different. Before, he was just a guy trying to survive. He was reacting to things. People tried to kill him, and he fought back. But now, he was proactive. He was part of the government. He had resources. He had a license to hunt.

  He walked out of the secret room and back into the corridor. The palace was still quiet. But Lloyd's mind was loud. He was planning. He was strategizing.

  "The Wraiths," he whispered to himself. "Cool name. Really cool name. I wonder if I can get a budget for secret hideouts. Every good secret team needs a secret hideout. Maybe inside a volcano. No, too hot. Maybe under a waterfall. That would be damp. I'll figure it out."

  He walked towards the exit of the palace. He needed fresh air. He needed to think. Two months seemed like a long time, but he knew it would go by fast. He had a lot to do. He had to build an army from scratch.

  As he stepped out into the cool night air, he looked up at the moon. Somewhere out there, his enemies were hiding. They thought they were safe. They thought they had time. They didn't know that Lloyd Ferrum was coming for them. And this time, he wasn't just a lonely traveler. He was the King's blade.

  "Enjoy your safety while it lasts," Lloyd said to the darkness. "Because in two months, the ghosts are coming to get you."

  He walked towards his carriage, his step a little lighter. He had a mission. He had a purpose. And for the first time in a long while, he felt like he was the one in control of the game. The prey had become the predator. And the predator had a government-issued license to bite.

  The morning sun shone brightly on the capital city. It was a beautiful day. The birds were singing. The flowers were blooming. And the King was busy turning a near-disaster into a massive political victory.

  Lloyd stood on a balcony overlooking the main square. Below, thousands of people had gathered. They were cheering. Flags were waving. It looked like a festival. But it wasn't a festival. It was a show of power.

  King Liam stood on a raised platform in the center of the square. Next to him was King Yuto of Muramasa. They looked very different. King Liam was tall, elegant, and wore refined robes. King Yuto was a giant of a man, wearing armor that looked like it had seen a hundred battles. He had a beard that looked like it could scrub pots.

  "People of the Kingdom!" King Liam shouted. His voice was amplified by magic so everyone could hear. "Yesterday, darkness tried to destroy our joy! But light prevailed!"

  The crowd roared.

  Chapter : 1336

  "We stand here today, not as victims, but as victors!" King Liam continued. "And we do not stand alone! Our brothers from the East, the brave warriors of Muramasa, stand with us!"

  King Yuto stepped forward. He raised a massive fist into the air. "Muramasa stands with Bethelham! We will crush the demons together! We will drink their tears! We will use their bones as toothpicks!"

  The crowd went wild. They loved it. It was simple. It was violent. It was reassuring.

  Lloyd leaned against the stone railing of the balcony. "Wow," he muttered. "He really knows how to work a crowd. 'Bones as toothpicks.' That's vivid. A bit unhygienic, but vivid."

  This was King Liam's genius. The attack on the wedding could have been a sign of weakness. It could have shown that the King couldn't even protect his own palace. But Liam had flipped the script. He used the attack as proof that the enemy was scared. He used it as a reason to unite with Muramasa.

  Now, they had a public military alliance. Muramasa had a strong army. They had samurai. They had cool swords. Having them as allies made the kingdom look twice as strong. The average citizen looked at King Yuto's muscles and thought, "Yeah, we're going to be fine."

  Lloyd watched as the two kings shook hands. It was a firm handshake. It was a handshake that said, "If you mess with us, we will punch you."

  "It is a good show," a voice said beside him.

  Lloyd turned. It was Prince Linkon. The groom looked tired but happy.

  "It is," Lloyd agreed. "Your father is very good at this. He took a pile of lemons and made lemonade. And then he sold the lemonade to the crowd for a profit."

  "That is his way," Linkon said. "He never wastes a crisis. The alliance with Muramasa is now stronger than ever. My marriage to Princess Arisa is not just a union of hearts. It is a wall of steel against the dark."

  Lloyd looked down at the square. Soldiers from both kingdoms were marching together. It was impressive. It sent a clear message to the rest of the world: Don't mess with us.

  "But it's all theater, isn't it?" Lloyd asked quietly. "I mean, the soldiers are real. The swords are sharp. But the real war isn't happening in the open. It's happening in the shadows."

  Linkon nodded. "Yes. This is to keep the people calm. It is to make our enemies hesitate. But the real work is being done elsewhere. That is why we need you, Lloyd. You and your Wraiths."

  "I know," Lloyd said. "I'm the guy in the back alley with a knife while everyone else is watching the parade."

  "Something like that," Linkon smiled.

  The ceremony continued. There were speeches. There were trumpets. It was loud and colorful. It was exactly what the kingdom needed. They needed to feel strong. They needed to feel safe.

  Lloyd watched King Yuto laugh and slap King Liam on the back. Liam looked like he was in pain but kept smiling.

  "They are an odd couple," Lloyd observed. "One is a refined politician. The other is a bear in human form."

  "They respect each other," Linkon said. "And they both hate devils. That is enough."

  Lloyd looked at the flags flapping in the wind. The Lion of Bethelham and the Dragon of Muramasa. It was a powerful image.

  "So," Lloyd said. "We have the muscle. Muramasa brings the brute force. We bring the strategy. It's a good team."

  "It is," Linkon agreed. "But muscle is not enough. We need eyes. We need to know where to punch."

  Lloyd nodded. He knew what was coming next. The public alliance was just one part of the web. There was another part. A quieter part. A part that involved whispered secrets and hidden letters.

  "Zakaria," Lloyd said.

  "Yes," Linkon confirmed. "That is the next piece of the puzzle."

  Later that day, Lloyd sat in a quiet garden with Princess Amina. The noise of the celebration was far away. Here, it was peaceful. There were fountains and nice bushes.

  "My father sends his regards," Amina said. She was sipping tea. She looked very elegant and very dangerous.

  "How is the Sultan?" Lloyd asked. "Still enjoying his games?"

  "Always," Amina said. "He was very impressed by the wedding. Or rather, the failed assassination at the wedding. He likes chaos. But he likes order more."