Asher stood amidst the ruins of the battlefield, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. The dust was still settling, and the echoes of his battle with Talon seemed to linger in the air.
A strange emptiness settled in his heart.
Was this what victory felt like?
He had won—but at what cost?
His mind was filled with the image of Sellina's body collapsing, the spear buried in her chest, her fading eyes…
The pain was unbearable.
"Asher…"
His breath caught in his throat.
That voice—
It couldn't be.
Slowly, he turned.
And there she was. Sellina.
Standing beside him.
Alive.
His eyes widened in shock. "How—?"
Sellina smiled weakly, touching the spot where the wound had once been. "I was revived by Lyria. She gave me the potion you made… and surprisingly, it worked."
Asher felt his heartbeat slow, the crushing weight in his chest lifting slightly. "You… you're really alive?"
She chuckled. "You sound disappointed."
"No" he said with a light smile and commanded them to bury the dead body, somewhere no one will realize.
Talon's the bucther groan form the corner and said.
"Haaah… it's weird," he muttered. "Having the same name as someone who your trying to kill you." tolan expressed as they carried the dead body
Asher's deep anger for Talon still burned, but seeing Sellina alive softened the rage, replacing it with something else—relief.
Selena has always been by his side ever since his was born, and her death awoke something deep inside him even he didn't realize.
Lyria, always obsevant, glanced at the ruins around them. "I think we should take all the goods, riches, and artifacts left in this kingdom."
Asher shook his head. "No. I am not like my father." His gaze fell on Talon's lifeless body. "We will only take the dead."
---
Later that day, news of Talon's death spread across the land. The King of the Northern Kingdom, Colovia, called for a grand ceremonial gathering to discuss the victory.
However, there was one issue—no one knew who had truly killed Talon.
Colovia's king stood before the gathered rulers, his voice full of confidence.
"It was my soldiers who assassinated the One-Handed King," he declared, standing tall. "Therefore, this kingdom belongs to me, and the remaining kingdoms may share its treasures."
The hall erupted into cheers. The rulers were pleased.
Everyone—except Sellina.
Her hands clenched into fists, her expression dark with frustration.
"Are you kidding me?" she whispered furiously facing asher. "We're the ones who risked our lives to bring him down, and now this fraud is taking credit?"
Asher, standing beside her, placed a calming hand on her shoulder.
"Let them have their petty victories," he said. "As long as our territory is safe, that's all that matters."
Sellina gritted her teeth, clearly unsatisfied, but she sighed, letting go of her anger.
---
As the ceremony continued, one of Colovia's nobles took the stage, beginning the process of distributing the treasures.
But rather than a peaceful discussion, the ceremony quickly turned into chaos.
Greedy nobles argued over who deserved the largest shares.
Some claimed they worked harder.
Others argued that their soldiers had suffered greater losses.
Some even tried to say that the dead king's forces deserved the most, since their leader had perished.
The room filled with shouting, insults, and bitter accusations.
Asher watched in silence, completely unmoved.
This was the nature of nobles.
They spoke of glory, duty, and honor, but when the war was over, they only cared about wealth and power.
He had no interest in these petty squabbles.
Silently, he turned to leave the ceremony.
---
Asher with Selena walked down the grand hallway, his mind still processing everything that had happened.
Then—
They bumped into someone.
Looking up, he found himself standing before the Queen and the Princess.
The Queen, upon seeing him, immediately looked away.
She turned, avoiding his gaze, clearly wanting to ignore him dragging the princess by the arm to leave with her.
But the Princess?
She hesitated—then reached out, gently leaning straight.
"Greating" she said; to Asher who recently had an emotionless reaction upon sighting the queen he gave out a fake smile.
Then, she looked directly at Asher, her eyes filled with curiosity.....