Elliot wasn't sure when he fell asleep. It took a lot of effort to open his eye, but when he did, he realized he was in a small room, or rather, a cottage.

The cottage was cozy, with only a double bed tucked in a corner and a kitchen to the right. A simple dining table with two crudely carved chairs rested in front of the bed.

Elliot stared at the ceiling for a while as he listened carefully. It was dead silent as if a bubble engulfed the cottage and left him alone. Some might find it comforting, but he felt uneasy.

Elliot struggled to get up from the bed. Contractions on his muscles begged him to stay still, but he forced himself to sit up. A window not too big was beside him, giving way to the fog that clouded the outside, making it hard to discern where exactly he was.

But, assuming the visible trees were similar to the ones that surrounded Jasmine's estate. Elliot figured he was still in the forest. He narrowed his eyes to the trees in a slight daze.

"You look serious." Flynn walked in with a bag slugged over his broad shoulders. He languidly tossed it onto one of the chairs as he lifted a brow. "How are you feeling?"

Elliot didn't notice when he came in. He stayed silent. So it wasn't a dream. Elliot narrowed his eyes at him.

"Is this not serious?"

Flynn nodded, "no, you're right, it is serious. You should be resting."

"No, not that. My- the queen." He couldn't bring himself to say, mom.

Flynn watched the prince with complicated eyes, "you mean the assassination. It is a serious issue, but you don't have to worry. I will protect you this time."

His words were sincere as his eyes vehemently burned. Elliot couldn't tell the emotions behind his gaze. He just felt his hands grow cold.

How would you feel if I disappeared?

He couldn't bring himself to say anything. He was soon going to say goodbye to this man. So, he shouldn't get too attached.

Elliot sighed, returning his gaze towards the window. "We can take advantage of this chaos. We don't have time to go into hiding."

This time Flynn stayed silent. It was a little too quiet. Elliot nearly couldn't bear it. He subtly looked over and noticed Flynn ignoring his gaze.

Flynn went towards the bag on the chair and rummaged through it. He pulled out some rice, vegetables, and chicken before heading toward the kitchen.

"Flynn, we don't have time to -"

Flynn slammed the chicken onto the counter, making Elliot flinch. "You still need to rest. You act like you didn’t throw up blood just now!"

Taken aback, Elliot watched Flynn prepare to cook before letting out a huff. “Flynn…we don’t have much time…” Flynn didn’t answer, or more like, it took him a while to understand the meaning behind those words.

He paused and quietly glanced at Elliot, bewildered.

Elliot ignored the warning in his gaze and continued, “I know my body more than anyone else...I want to sit on the throne. Even if it is for just a moment.”

Flynn felt his hands grow numb at each word. His eyes darkened before he spat out a harsh, “no.”

Elliot furrowed his brow, “what do you mean?”

Flynn fiddled with the chicken, "You're not fit for a king."

Elliot shivered, "Flynn!"

"Why risk your life so much?!"

"My people are suffering! You should know how bad that feels!"

"What can you do when you're dead?!" Flynn growled with a cold glint in his eyes. Elliot couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat as he bit down on his lip. Flynn continued, "not much time? Do you think your kingdom needs a temporary king? Saying you want to sit on the throne for a moment. Are you thinking for your people or about your pride?!"

Elliot's face paled; he couldn't retort. He said the wrong thing. He avoided Flynn's gaze. His hands clenched onto the sheets.

"I…I know it's selfish. But if not me, then who? Mathew?"

Flynn didn't answer.

"Once I'm on the throne, I can figure out who can take my place…I have someone in mind."

Did he? Of course not. No one came to mind. But he decided not to think about it. Once he ascended the throne, the mission would be over. According to the system, he will move to the next world. Whatever happened afterward meant nothing.

He needed to remember that.

Quiet covered the air like smog, suffocating the two. Elliot kept his head down, refusing to look over. His breath hitched in his throat. 

Flynn finally sighed as the movement in the kitchen resumed. He didn't answer, but that sigh was like fresh air pushing through.

Elliot finally let go of the sheets. There was a silent understanding. Flynn may not believe him, but he accepted this answer.

After a day of rest, Elliot finally understood what Flynn was up to when he was away.

Just outside the cabin was a unit of soldiers camping around.

They were well organized and well prepared. Elliot knew they were trained soldiers from their rugged aura as they brandished and polished their weapons around the camp. Their dark garbs looked light and easy to move in, with little to no iron plates versus this kingdom's almost full plate armor.

They were likely soldiers from Flynn's kingdom. How he managed to get them to cross the border unnoticed was beside Elliot.

Seeing this, Elliot was a bit alarmed. Flynn noticed his hesitation and spoke softly. "They won't hurt any civilians. They're only here to aid you. They understand your goal for peace between our kingdoms."

Elliot watched Flynn with bewildering praise, making Flynn smirk.

"They are soldiers loyal to Flynn. He was their general, after all. They'll listen to him."

Elliot glanced over and realized that Dr. Phelps was sitting not too far away. His hand held onto a warm bowl of chicken stew. He hunched over as he slurped up a spoonful.

Elliot held back a smirk, "You're here too."

"You don't seem too happy about that. I thought I was of great service to you?" Phelps frowned before shaking his head, "just take and take."

Elliot looked over at Flynn, connecting the dots. "You attacked the Earl's home, leaving them to believe you were Uriel's men."

Flynn smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Or else how will I get you back without Mathew finding out?"

Elliot knit his brows, "He'll realize soon."

With a nod, Flynn hummed, "Which is why we must hurry."

Phelps then coughed, trying to clear his throat of some soup. "He's right. We don't have much time."

Suddenly, he felt cold dead air surround him. Why was Flynn glaring at him?!

It was clear that Flynn was still sensitive about yesterday's conversation. So, Elliot cleared his throat, trying to disperse the tension. "I need to understand what exactly is happening. I've been in the estate for too long."

Flynn quietly glanced at Elliot, making the boy feel a slight chill. But luckily, he just gestured for him to sit before, pulling out a map.

Elliot skimmed it. It was a well-detailed map of the mainland. Marked up and noted anyone who had significant power. The map was like a sea of colors swallowing the cities and towns like a plague.

But the map was dominated by a collage of red and purple, representing the two powerhouses of the kingdom. Mathew and Uriel. Elliot was surprised to see the Earl's green markings were significantly smaller. It seemed powerless as it struggled in its tiny little corner of the map.

Flynn pointed to the purple markings that heavily covered the upper map. He patiently explained, making sure to hit the main points. "Uriel's men have already taken over parts of the mainland. Ever since the assassination, the castle has been in turmoil. But considering that Uriel's men are still guarding the castle and that there hasn't been any movement on Uriel's part, it's safe to assume that the king is still alive and well. There has been word that Mathew is getting ready to infiltrate the castle and fight against Uriel, but I feel we won't have much time."

Elliot nodded, "Once the king is dead, it'll be a free game. Whoever takes his head first will have the upper hand. I suspect that Mathew will take that chance and blame it on Uriel."

Flynn nodded and pointed at the green speckles on the map that quietly mixed into the cluster of purple. "Right now, the earl and his men are in the castle. I believe they're trying to relocate the king, but we don't have enough information if they were successful or not. Even though the castle is still in chaos, it's obvious who has the advantage here."

Elliot bit his lip, Uriel may have caused chaos for the upper hand, but Mathew's influence was more significant. Mathew's sea of red indicators covered most of the map, nearly swallowing Uriel's purple markings.

Elliot stared at the map before glancing at the mere 20 soldiers around the camp.

Phelps sighed. "We're outnumbered. There's no way in hell we can win against them. You're sending us to a death trap."

Flynn nodded, "we may specialize in stealth, but even if we managed to kill the king first. The other princes won't just stand by." He glanced over to Elliot, "we need more people."

Elliot frowned, "you have an idea..."

"You won't like it."

Elliot thought for a moment and nodded for Flynn to continue.

Flynn carefully spoke, "Your people are sick and tired of being ruled. They're quite hasty. The only reason some follow behind Mathew is that he built enough rapport throughout the years. But once they find that he's just like the previous king, they're likely to revolt."

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "You want me to rally my citizens to fight against trained soldiers?"

Flynn sighed, "They're great in numbers, enough to overwhelm Mathew and Uriel's men...It's either that or assassinate the two main powers before taking the throne."

Neither were easy tasks.

Elliot bit his lip. "I would be putting those I want to protect to their deaths."

Flynn stayed silent before softly stating, "we'll follow whatever orders you make."

Elliot knew that this task wasn't going to be easy. Rallying up people wasn't easy either. He thought back to the book the earl gave him. The Book of Revolutions was highly detailed and gave a great history of the people's suffering and want for change. If Elliot wanted to, he could utilize the book's main points and fan the flames that have been seething amongst the people.

All it'll take would be some manipulation and spread of rumors. Anger is always great fuel.

But would this work? If done right, then yes. Elliot recalled reading about an old revolution in a different country, where the people rose and killed off all the people in power. To the point where the revolutionary leader was killed off himself by the people.

If they did this, they could use the chaos to kill Mathew, fulfilling that strange side quest.

But...this took a lot of preparation and organization. Who knew how long it would take. Would it be too late if they did this? Perhaps not if they started now.

The assassination was also tempting, but it was also harder to achieve. They don't only have to kill the princes, but those that would assume power after them. Like Mathew's trusted knight, Sir Edward, or the remaining four brothers that would try to upheaval the throne.

Elliot knew they wouldn't have enough manpower. Instead, they would need to slowly break the princes' guards. Find ways to assassinate them, or better yet, help them kill each other off.

Elliot couldn't help but feel that no matter what, they were bound to lose men. They needed to prepare, and fast. Still, one option may be faster than the other, and one option may be an utter failure. He just needed to choose one of the lesser faults.

Elliot let out a deep sigh.

[Please choose one~]

> Revolution

> Assassination