Axel Lynch wasn’t a creature of the morning. He found it immensely tiring to wake up at dawn and always tried to stay in bed as much as he could.

Usually, this meant an extra fifteen minutes of sleep before being rudely dragged away by his friend Marvin to do their community duties; running the Feeding Shack.

Every day was the same, and the young adult had grown used to this routine since his arrival in this god-forsaken town. Today, however, was a bit different.

Young Axel was wide awake well before the crack of dawn. He had already gone about and finished his morning routines before arriving at the town’s square.

He first looked at the raised wooden platform, which was currently empty, and then at the small crowds of people around it. While he had come early, it appeared that some people were even earlier.

“Oi, Axel!” A voice called out to him, causing Axel to turn towards the speaker.

Seeing that it was his dear frenemy, Marvin, he waved his hands and replied, “You’re early.”

“Look who’s sayin that,” Marvin teased. “I just dropped by your home ‘cause I thought that ‘someone’ would need good, old me’s assistance to wake up.”

“Haha,” Axel monotonously laughed before proceeding to ignore his friend. Marvin let out a chuckle before walking up to him and putting his hairy arms around his shoulder.

“Someone’s awfully cranky. Did the morning child get to ya?” he teased, only to have his arm shoved away and receive a curt reply.

“Go ‘nd bother somebody else, Marvin.”

Sensing the strangeness in his friend’s tone, Marvin asked with a face full of worry, “What’s wrong, Axel?” He then respectfully took a step back to create some distance and waited.

“It’s jus–I’m just worried,” Axel honestly spoke his thoughts.

“Worried about what?” Marvin asked, unable to comprehend his partner’s thoughts.

“About the dwindilin’ food rations, the new Prince…I’m just worried about the future, I guess.” Axel faced Marvin and bitterly said.

Truth be told, ever since the Baron’s announcement last night, worry and anxiety had been gnawing at the young adult’s mind. He had begun to doubt his decision of coming to this place and started to second guess every choice that he had made.

His doubts were so great that he found himself unable to sleep last night; part of the reason behind his early arrival.

And looking at the rapidly ballooning crowd, Axel was willing to wager his life savings that he wasn’t the only one with such doubts.

Facing his friend’s deep question, Marvin breathed deeply before asking, “Do you trust Sir Baron?”

“Of course, I trust Sir Baron. He was the one who gave me this job and saved me from starvation after my parents died. I owe him my life.” Axel faced Marvin as if he was facing some idiot.

“And not just you. I reckon that at least half the people within this town are indebted to Sir Baron one way or another,” Marvin pointed out a fact while gesturing at the crowd. He then continued, “I owe the Baron my life too.”

“What does that have to do with anythi–”

“Therefore, I’m willing to follow the Baron till death,” Marvin declared, interrupting Axel. He then solemnly stared at his friend and spoke. “Look Axel, I agree that we haven’t had the greatest of beginnings with this town as far as beginnings are concerned. It’s only been a month and things are already looking very grim.”

“Still, I willingly followed Sir Baron while knowing the risks. Sure, I could’ve survived by myself by choosing to run away or surrender to those invaders. But, I chose not to.”

Marvin paused for a second before concluding.

“My life and my future are with Sir Baron. Where he goes, I go. What he tells me, I do. It was never a matter of survival for me. It was a matter of repaying a life debt. And until I do so, I shall go nowhere.”

Axel processed his dear friend’s words. Marvin was right.

He hadn’t followed the Baron into these swamps to survive; that could’ve been done easily by surrendering to the enemies. No, he had followed that gentleman because he hoped to repay him for everything that he had done.

“For som’one as stupid as you, you sure speak some wise words, ol’ fool,” Axel joked.

“You calling me a fool, mate? You know that I’m more educated than you, right?” Marvin rebutted, but Axel wasn’t impressed.

The two young adults argued back and forth, soon breaking into a fit of laughter.

Marvin’s hairy arm recovered its rightful place over Axel’s shoulder. The latter superficially struggled before letting the former do as he pleased. After being silent for a few moments, Axel quietly spoke, “Thanks, Marvin.”

“Anytime,” replied the good-natured youth.

At that moment, the crowds filling up the public square suddenly stirred.

Raising his head, Axel saw the large, hog-faced Baron make his way through the crowd and climb up the elevated platform. Following behind him was a young child with dirty golden hair and dressed in coarse peasant clothing.

Looking at the child, Axel, and many others like him were struck with a profound sense of sympathy.

His terribly malnourished figure, short stature, and slumped shoulders combined with his youthful age immediately invoked the ‘protective’ instinct amongst many adults and most mothers.

The young prince, named Atlas Constantine, looked less like the haughty, arrogant, self-entitled brat that they imagined him to be and more like a precious, hurt doe seen in the wild.

Suffice to say, Atlas’ Charisma stats were off the charts.

Just by appearing before the crowd, he had reduced their discontent by seventy percent and caused even the harshest of skeptics to reconsider their views.

‘This beautiful child is the one burdened with the responsibility of leading the town?’ Axel thought to himself and felt his face burn with shame.

Even a pitiful child stood up to shoulder a responsibility far, far greater than what his shoulders allowed him to carry. And here he was, a grown adult, doubting his choices and thinking about running away.

Axel wasn’t the only one with such thoughts as more than half the people within the crowd lowered their heads with shame.

“What a beautiful-looking lad,” Marvin muttered absentmindedly. Axel found himself agreeing with his friend, for he had never seen a lad quite like the young prince.

Atlas Constantine, even in his unkempt state, was the most beautiful child that he had ever seen. There was little doubt within his mind that the young prince would grow up to be an absolutely handsome man.

“Order! Order! Hiss Royal Highness, Prince Atlas Constantine is about to begin his address.”

Baron Helm loyally announced, quieting the crowd and giving the young prince the stage.

Axel watched as the little prince stepped forward, blinked his watery, doe-like eyes at the crowd–instantly melting the hearts of most mothers with his cuteness–opened his small mouth and spoke.

“Everything is meaningless and we are all going to die.”

‘What?’ Axel’s mind, and the minds of every single one of the two-hundred and something people gathered around the square blanked and did a double-take.

“You heard right. Everything is meaningless and we are all going to die!”

Of all the things that he, and everyone else, expected the young prince to open his address with, this was not one of them.