Odyssey Of Survival-Chapter 137 - The King’s Demand II

Meni, despite his usual wariness, did not hesitate for long before finally giving a nod of agreement to the king's demand. His decision was met with an approving murmur from the rest of the hunters, who had been waiting for someone to step up and take charge of the situation. From what had been explained, it seemed to be nothing more than a simple escort mission—an opportunity to guard the king on his journey to a scheduled meeting. The way it had been framed made it sound easy, straightforward, and without unnecessary complications.

But Nate wasn't convinced. He had been through enough by now to know that things were never as simple as they first appeared, especially when it involved someone as high up as a king. There was always a hidden layer beneath the surface, an angle that hadn't been revealed, and something about the whole situation felt off.

The king, however, smiled as if nothing was amiss. His gaze swept over them, a glimmer of satisfaction in his expression, as he clasped his hands together. "Of course, there will be a reward when you return," he said, his tone warm and rich with promise.

At those words, the hunters straightened, eyes widening slightly. The very mention of a reward—especially one granted directly by the king—was enough to send a spark of excitement through them. The murmurs of approval quickly turned into visible enthusiasm, and even those who had seemed uncertain before were now fully on board.

The king, satisfied with their reaction, lifted a hand in a graceful wave, signaling the end of the meeting. "Then it is settled," he continued. "Three days from now, you shall present yourselves at my palace. Be ready."

As the words settled in, the hunters immediately dropped into a deep bow, their backs bending forward, faces nearly touching their knees in a display of unwavering respect and submission. All except for one.

Nate, standing amongst them, did not move. He simply stood there, arms still crossed, his gaze fixed on the king with an expression of quiet defiance.

A silent scoff left his lips as he glanced at the others. To him, it was a little amusing how quickly they humbled themselves before a man simply because he held a title. While he understood the logic—respect for authority, fear of power, the consequences of disobedience—he had never been one to bow so easily. He had faced greater dangers, had walked through fire and fought battles far deadlier than anything these people could imagine. A simple king did not impress him.

The moment passed, and as the hunters slowly straightened back up, the king merely smiled, as if he hadn't even noticed Nate's lack of reverence—or, more likely, as if he had simply chosen to ignore it. Without another word, he turned on his heel, his long robes flowing behind him as he strode away, his servants immediately following like shadows.

Meni and the others, however, were too caught up in their own excitement to care about anything else.

Their attention had been fully captured by the reward they had just received—bars of electrum, gleaming under the flickering torchlight. The way their fingers traced over the smooth, golden-silver surface spoke volumes about just how rare and valuable the metal was to them. Their voices buzzed with admiration, and for a moment, it was as if nothing else existed except for the fortune now in their hands.

Nate observed them quietly, and after a while, a thought crossed his mind—perhaps he had underestimated just how precious electrum was in this era.

To him, it was valuable, sure, but their reaction made it seem as though they had just been given a treasure beyond their wildest dreams. It became clear that, for these hunters, this wasn't just payment; this was the culmination of their entire life's work, the kind of wealth they had likely never even dared to dream of holding in their own hands.

Despite the excitement, one among them remained notably composed.

Djer, ever the calculating one, inspected the metal for a moment before speaking. "If the king is willing to give us this much simply for providing him with beast crystals and a few live creatures, then imagine how much he will reward us for ensuring his safety during this meeting."

His words carried weight, and the rest of the group immediately paused, their expressions shifting as they considered his point.

The realization hit them like a spark catching dry wood—what they had received now was just a fraction of what they could gain. If they were being given such riches for a minor task, then the rewards for something as important as escorting the king himself could be beyond their wildest imaginations.

Excitement lit up their faces once more, and suddenly, the journey ahead no longer seemed like just a job; it had become an opportunity for something much greater.

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As the group buzzed with anticipation, Tiaa suddenly turned toward Nate, her expression shifting slightly as she asked, "Are you going to join us?"

Nate, who had been watching everything unfold with an amused smirk, met her gaze before finally giving a small, knowing smile of his own.

"Of course," he replied smoothly. "I wouldn't want to miss out on the excitement."

Meni stood at the center of the group, his sharp gaze scanning each of them as he exhaled deeply, the weight of their current mission pressing down on his shoulders. His voice, firm and unwavering, cut through the tension in the air as he addressed them.

"We have three days," he stated, his tone brooking no argument. "Three days to ensure that we acquire the best armor and the most lethal weapons we can find. I don't care what it takes or how you do it, but when the time comes, we need to be fully prepared."

A murmur rippled through the group as they exchanged glances, each one silently acknowledging the urgency in his words. Without wasting another moment, they began dividing the electrum amongst themselves, ensuring that every member received their fair share. The glimmering metal pieces, a currency of immeasurable worth, passed through rough hands, each recipient accepting their cut with quiet determination.

When it was Nate's turn, he accepted his share with an air of complete indifference, as if the metal held no true value to him. His fingers barely tightened around it before he turned away, already disinterested. As the others dispersed to handle their individual preparations, he stood still for a moment, his gaze flickering toward Tiaa, who was adjusting the strap of her quiver with practiced ease.

Without hesitation, he walked up to her and, without a word, tossed the electrum towards her. She instinctively caught it, her fingers curling around the cool, solid weight of the metal, her eyes widening in shock as she realized what he had just done.

"What are you doing?" she asked, brows furrowing in confusion as she looked up at him.

Nate, ever composed, simply shrugged. "Consider that me repaying you for the weapon. You covered me before—this makes us even."

Tiaa blinked, still staring at the substantial amount in her hands, her expression shifting between surprise and disbelief. "This is too much," she murmured, shaking her head. "I didn't expect—"

Before she could finish, Nate took a step closer, his gaze steady, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Just take it. You don't have a choice."

Tiaa opened her mouth as if to protest further, but the unwavering certainty in his expression made her pause. With a resigned sigh, she tightened her grip on the electrum, knowing there was no use in arguing with him when he had made up his mind.

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