The third set of bells of the morning echoed throughout the city-state of Aquinox. The boy woke up from his slumber, wondering why there was a voice belonging to no one who spoke to him as he slept. Somehow, he felt different, like he gained a new talent overnight. No, it was more unusual than that: it seems like something now resides within the deepest recesses of his subconscious, stirring his very being. That feeling had vanished without any memory of it within a second as he blinked. He had forgotten it entirely.

Like normal, he walked down towards the stairs and joined Lascze downstairs.

"Morning." Lascze greeted him.

"Morning." Lewis greeted back.

"Come and eat. We've got a long day ahead, after all."

They sat on the counter, eating butter pasta."

"So, Lascze..."Lewis called his attention.

"What is it?" Lascze asked him, concerned.

"Why do I keep hearing a voice in my head when I slept."

"You mean the level-ups?"

"Level Ups?"

"Yes."

"Sounds like a video ga-"

The boy had forgotten what he is going to say. As if his memories were blocked somehow.

"What?" Lascze asked.

"Never mind. I forgot." He shrugged. "What are Levels anyway?"

"It is the level of your Class. It shows how proficient you are in that occupation. The more levels you have, the more Skills you can earn."

"I understand, but it does not make any sense."

"What does not make sense?"

"The whole Skills, Levels, and Classes stuff...It doesn't make sense."

"Hmm..." Lascze scratched his chin. "I heard the same thing from an Otherworlder."

Lewis slurped the pasta and chewed idly.

"So, what level are you now?" Lascze asked.

"Level 5 [Hawker], and Level 10 [Apprentice Shopkeeper]." The young boy instinctively answered. "What?" Lewis blurted out. It was like the words forced themselves from his mouth. There was a subtle inflection when he mentioned them, a static mechanical cadence to it.

"I see, I see." Lascze approved of his growth. "Have you got any Skills?

"[Loud Voice], [Friendly Smile], and [Sales Talk]." Lewis instinctively answered. Again, the words jumped out of his mouth with that same static inflection.

"Good job for gaining these Skills." He patted him on the shoulder. "You know how to use them?"

"Yes." He answered instinctively.

"Let's get those Skills to work then." Lascze finished his bowl of pasta. Someone knocked on the door. Lascze knew who it is, but he still opened the shutters to verify his identity.

It was Colarbo, the white Garuda [Accountant]. Today he wore a red tunic and brown pants, messily shriveled.

"Good morning." Lascze patted him on the shoulder.

"Morning." Lewis waved as he ate his pasta.

"Here." Lascze handed him a bowl of buttery pasta. "You must be hungry."

"Yes," Colarbo admitted.

He smiled. He remembered why he continued working here, despite having better options. The blinds were unfolded, the goods displayed on the wooden shelves were wiped clean and organized. The floor was immaculate.

And the store is officially open.

Customers had walked in, mainly due to how famous the Leviathans' Bane is. They are only there to meet with the hero himself and not buy their goods. Lewis, with his new Class, noticed that his voice was louder than ever. His voice can be heard, even in the middle of the crowd. But he still was beaten by the louder voices of the other [Hawkers] selling goods.

But he still did his job well.

Lascze tended to half of the customers in the store, while Lewis tended to the others. He tried to use his Skills to manage the customers. The boy noticed that when he used his Skills, he has gotten people to trust him. When he used [Friendly Smile] and [Sales Talk] together, he felt like a different person. They make the chances of the customers trust him more. Make the person more likely to buy his goods.

He was unnerved by the power of Skills. But somehow, he was compelled to use them. He noticed that he cannot use a Skill instantly after using the same Skill, and he must wait for a minute or two to be available again.

After four bells of the day, they temporarily closed the store. For the age-old tradition of siesta, of course. At the "Bells of Siesta," which lasted for the sixth bell of the morning to the first bell of the afternoon, establishments were closed, trade temporarily stopped, and the streets were empty so that the people could take a break without worry.

But Lascze had other plans.

"Lewis," Lascze called the attention of the boy.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Want to come with me for a bit?"

"Where?"

"I'm going to visit an old friend of mine."

And so, they walked out of the empty streets. People were resting inside their houses and apartments. [Shopkeepers] were rewinding inside their stores and behind their stalls. A few groups of [Guardsmen] roamed about, saluting Lascze as they passed by.

They headed towards the Southern Grand Canal, where most of the boats traveling within the city of canals sailed. The ships were docked, the [Rowers] retire on their boats, drinking low-quality wine and eating bread.

The two walked on the docks and approached one of the boats.

"Oi, it's siesta! Boat rides will be opened later!" A fish-headed Seafolk [Rower] shooed them away.

"Oi!" The other Human [Rower] punched him in the shoulder. "You're talking to the Leviathans' Bane!"

"Sorry!" The rude Seafolk bowed.

"Sorry for my friend's rudeness." The tanned Human man gracefully bowed. "As an apology, the ride is free of charge."

"Oh, thanks...I guess?" Lascze looked at them in confusion.

"Where are you going, my good sir?" The tanned man asked.

"To the Sapphire Palace." Lascze nonchalantly answered.

"He is joking, right?" The Seafolk uttered in disbelief.

"No." The Human answered.

"Well, we can't just-"

"We can. This guy is the former [Royal Champion] after all."

They hopped inside the boat and sat comfortably on the wooden seats. They accelerated and rowed towards the center of the city. The clear grand canal was full of fish and sea plants. There are even fish that are the size of boats. The grand canals themselves were giant rifts between the island clusters that made up Aquinox. And under the splits are Seafolk cities.

As they rowed, the sapphire-hued roofs of the Sapphire Palace came into view, along with the white and blue walls and towers and the sapphire moat around it. Ceremonial galleys emblazoned with blue sails and flags. The Sapphire Sentinels of the Sapphire Palace stood at the amidships, with their enchanted blue turtle armor and halberds, along with the [Battlemages] with staves, rods, and wands.

"Halt!" The [Sentinel Captain] of the Sentinels at the bow of the galley. "None shall pass!"

"Wait-" Someone tried to tell the [Sentinel Captain] something.

"Sentinels! Apprehend this fool!"

But it's already too late.

And the elite guards jumped out from the galleys.

Mistakes were made.

The guards walked on water with their enchanted sabatons and lunged with their halberds in hand synchronously. Lascze jumped, stepping on their blades. With a step, he shattered their swords instantly.

He landed on the water, walking on it with a Skill.

"It was a misunderstanding-"

Before Lascze tried to speak, he was attacked by a flurry of blades. The halberds stabbed and slashed, but Lascze's movements were like a blur, creating afterimages as he dodged. They were fifty of them, but all of their attacks were fruitless. He simply blocked and parried the blades with his bare hands.

Lewis watched Lascze in amazement as he fought off the fifty [Sentinels] effortlessly. The two [Rowers] watched in shock and fear as they thought they would get killed after the [Sentinels] were done with Lascze.

"Summon the [Sentinel Commander]! The foe is too high-level!" The [Sentinel Captain] ordered the [Battlemages] to send a [Message] spell to their [Sentinel Commander].

"I'm here, you dimwits!" A Half-Giant landed on the water, making waves. The [Sentinel Commander] stood on the water, floating despite his heavy armor and gigantic shield and mace. He was imposing, towering over Lascze.

But then he realized something.

"YOU IDIOTS!" He yelled towards his troops, blowing their sails away and making their ears ring. "You are ignorant of our heroes!"

The [Knight Captain] is shaking on his boots, sweating bullets. Not only him but his fellow [Sentinels] were afraid for their lives for their mistakes.

"You dare attack the 32nd [Champion] of Aquinox, Lascze Vela, the Leviathans' Bane!"

The name echoed throughout the grand canal. Those who had heard the commotion watched in curiosity.

"We apologize for our insolence, my lord!" The Sapphire Sentinels bowed towards Lascze.

"It's fine, it's fine," Lascze reassured, embarrassed. This is why he left the royal palace in the first place. He doesn't want to be called a "lord" or be exalted as an [Champion] of Aquinox. He just wanted to live everyday life, after all.

"Please, sire, do your business here. We are waiting for your return, my lord." The [Sentinel Commander] bowed.

"I'll just visit the [King], don't worry," Lascze reassured them.

"Let us escort you, my lord. As an apology for our mistake."

And so, Lewis and Lascze hopped on the galley, together with fifty [Sentinels]. The ceremonial galley sailed towards the palace and raised a golden flag.

-

A humanoid orca in royal garb, a very muscular one, sat on a gilded throne.

The 33rd [Fisher King] of Aquinox sat on his throne, seemingly dissatisfied.

The Waverender, as he was called back then when he was an adventurer of a Famed-Rank team, sat in his throne, powerless. He had taken the burden of being the 33rd [Fisher King].

After his diplomatic trip from Amos, when the [Pharaoh] asked for letting his warships stay at Aquinox's harbors in exchange for tributes of gold, the court had grown into a battlefield of politics and wills. The factions of [District Lord] Jalieri, the man who has the most territories within the city-state. [Harbor Lord] Ciriaco, a noble who owns most of the harbors and docks in the city-state, and [Merchant Lord] Mortarano, who owned the numerous merchant companies in the city-state, had joined forces against him, as reported by his faction.

Back then, they were at each other's throats, vying for power within the Council of Canals. He wondered how did they join forces. How do they set aside their differences in the first place?

But he knew the answer. Power. Greed. The most important of all, discontent with his rule due to being an illegitimate heir to the throne. And the worst of all, he knew that the 10th Fisher Prince, his younger brother, will be the tool to solidify the anti- [Fisher King] faction to rule over the city-state.

He sighed. He missed being a simple prince who ran away from home and became an adventurer.

He knew that he was losing political power within the court. At this rate, he would be easily overwhelmed by their collective political power. If they come together in this very room, impose their collective Auras against him, he will be forced to oust himself out of the throne. And they could easily do that, under the reason that he was not originally royalty. He was a bastard child, born within the [Fisher King] affair and a Seafolk [Maid].

His brothers were already killed by assassins or the War of the Bloody Tides years ago. Now he and his brother were left to inherit the throne. He earned the right to inherit the throne after passing the Fisher King's Trial by a miracle.

But in exchange, the relationship between his little brother, who has the true lineage of the past [Fisher King], soured.

And now, he will come to take the throne away from him. Part of him wants to give up the throne to his brother. But he knew that he couldn’t. He has a responsibility to hold the throne against those who are unworthy. He was saddened at the fact that his brother was warped with jealousy. He knew that he would be a corrupt ruler and lead the country into ruin if he doesn’t change. He sighed and looked back at the times where times were simple. He would escape the palace and disguise himself as an adventurer; he wished that he would be with his friends again.

A Grouper Seafolk in a fancy blue tunic embroidered with patterns of waves, wearing a necklace that kept him wet, entered the room and kneel in front of the [King].

"Sire, your [Champion] has arrived." His trusted [Steward of the Waves] bowed.

"[Champion]?" He asked. The [Fisher King] stood up from his throne. "Lascze?"

"And a kid." The steward interjected.

"His?" He asked.

The [Steward] smiled in amusement and gladness. His Majesty was in a bad mood after all. "Probably."

"My dear [Steward]!" His voice boomed, filling the air. "Tell the best [Chefs] of this palace to prepare for a feast fit for a [King] and his [Champion]!"

"As you wish, my Majesty." His [Steward] gladly followed his order.

"May the waves stay gentle." The [King] added.

The [King] himself opened the double doors of his palace. The two stood at the portico, with water surrounding them.

"Welcome, welcome, my dear friend." [King] Iguino Venecia of the Kingdom of Aquinox greeted Lascze with a hug.

"How's the [King]'s life?" Lascze asked.

"Court's getting wild." He answered. "We'll talk about it in the private banquet room."

The Seafolk [King] notices that Lascze has a child with him.

"I never expected that Lascze had a child already." The [King] mused.

"Why does everyone assume that Lewis is my child?" He asked.

"You look like a father."

"Speaking of which, have you had an heir yet?"

"No." The [King] told the truth. "We'll talk about it later at the table."

They followed the [King] to his private banquet room. The grand blue hall was full of murals depicting the first Fisher King's journey to this land. The hall's tinted-blue windows transformed the room had an atmosphere resembling that of the deep blue seas enveloping everything in a blue hue. Tables and chairs made out of coral and marble were lined up in countless rows and four columns, majestically displaying themselves within the hall as centers of elegance and power, fit for royalty. The pillars supporting the sapphire dome were sculptures of men, sea creatures, and kelp, made from the stones within the sea's depths, crafted by [Master Artisans]. The high dais was made of marble, topped with a green carpet.

The gilded cushioned throne sat in the dais center, decorated with marble, gold, and coral.

They entered the blue corridors. Servants bowed as the [King] passed them by. The sunlight from the expansive windows illuminated the room with a warm glow.

Iguino chanted something under his breath, and a part of a wall opened up. A spacious, big slab

"Cool..." The boy was amazed at what he saw. He was amazed by the whole palace, from the outside to the inside.

They entered a hidden hall, smaller than the grand entrance but significant nonetheless. There is a long marble table packed to the brim with food. Small and thin decorative stone arches lined the carpeted walls.

It was a lavish feast for two people, with the centerpiece being the gigantic Roasted Baby Dragonshark. There were a lot of meals, including bowls of paella, bowls of seafood soups and stews, tuna, bass, bluefish, carp, catfish, char, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, herring, orange roughy, mahi-mahi, sardines, salmon, trout, caviar, roe, roasted giant shrimp with colorful sauces, colossal crabs packed full of spices, boiled lobsters, barbecued octopus, and squids raw and roasted clams and scallops and salads. Aside from that, they were also salted and pickled sushi rolls and sashimi plates, food imported from the far eastern lands of Azuma.

Lewis felt overwhelmed by all of the food on the table, but they looked tasty. His mouth watered as he saw the seafood feast.

"Feel free to partake in the feast. It is an honor to have you back, my friend." The [King] gestured.

"Damn, that's a lot," Lascze remarked.

"You are a dear friend, after all. My doors are always open for you all. I wish that you invited Orbetto, Gemmeni, and Vonn, too, though."

"I forgot to invite them. Oops." Lascze scratched his head, smiling.

And so, they ate. By the first two meals, Lewis was already full. He was amazed when the two ate dozens of dishes like it was nothing. Lewis just stared at the window as they talked, disinterested in adult conversation. He stared at the window as four men suspiciously sneaked around the palace gardens.

"So, what happened to the Fisher's Court?" Lascze asked.

"You know the three factions that are fighting each other?" [King] Iguino asked.

"Yeah."

"They joined forces against me. Under my brother. They will usurp the throne using my brother as their banner."

"Why didn't you kick them out then?"

"I wish politics is that easy, Lascze. If I did that, the people under them would be unemployed, and the people will think that I'm a corrupt ruler for doing that."

"Oh."

"You're still a [King], right? So, repel them with your Aura. You outrank [Lords] anyway."

"They would overwhelm me by their numbers and influence. Currently, the anti-king faction has the support of the majority of the [District Lords]."

"Man, politics is hard. Can't you just duel your brother?"

"They would think that I'm bullying him due to my Levels in [Waverending Swordsman]."

Lascze sighs. "Now I know what you feel every day."

"Yeah. Good thing I have my advisers with me." Iguino mentioned. "Let's change the topic. How's the [Shopkeeper]'s life?"

"All well and good, waves are calm as always."

"Having trouble with finances?"

"Yes," Lascze admitted.

"I want you to give me money, but that would be a political risk."

"I don't need the money. As long as I could live as a simple man, I'm good."

They talked for some more. About daily life and told times. Things and events are shared between them. Lewis just roamed around the room, gawking at the paintings around the room, bored. The secret door opened, revealing the grouper-headed Seafolk [Steward] from earlier.

"My liege." He called the attention of his [King], bowing. "An assassination attempt against our [Diplomat] has been thwarted.

"Ah, how did he escape?" The [King] asked.

"Via his Ring of Teleportation."

"Handy thing."

"Also, I detected decently-leveled [Assassins] of some sort sneaking about, with my [Eyes of the Domain]. Should I call for a lockdown?"

"Yes." He spoke. "Lascze, still got that fighting spirit?"

"I was fighting with your guards earlier." Lascze bragged.

"Hah, really?"

"Yeah. It's not exactly a 'fight.'"

"Ah, so it’s a massacre."

"Nah," Lascze uttered. "I just dodged all of their attacks."

"Still got it, I see," The [King] remarked. "You'll come with me to deal with the [Assassins]."

"To the men and women of the Palace. We have been compromised. Protect yourselves and hide. [Sentinels], be on the highest alert." The [Steward of Waves] announced throughout the whole palace with his Skill, [The Steward's Announcement]. "And most of all, may the waves favor you."

Servants stopped doing their duties and ran for their safety. They ran towards the secret rooms throughout the palace and waited for the storm to pass. [Sentinels] and [Battlemages] were assembled and deployed towards the palace's entrances and exits. [Diviners] were scrambling to scry out the [Assassins], coordinating with the rest of the security forces to find the intruders.

"Lewis, stay here," Lascze instructed. He felt the danger looming in the air. He obediently stayed hidden, staying away from the windows.

And so, the three walked out of the room.

Countless [Assassins] burst out of the corridor's two ends as the secret door closed. They held daggers and swords, enchanted with a myriad of magical effects. They menacingly blocked the away.

"What's does your [Eye of Appraisal] see?" The [King] asked Lascze.

"They are mostly in their Level 70's." He answered.

"I see." [King] Iguino remarked. He released his kingly Aura, [Aura of the Ocean]. As if enveloped by the depths of the ocean, the [Assassins] struggled to move. His presence grew more enormous, encompassing the whole corridor.

"BOW TO YOUR KING."

The [King] ordered them with [Authority of the King]. The [Assassins] were forced to bow with his sheer presence, dropping their weapons in fear.

And the [Steward of Waves] decapitated some of the [Assassins] with a saber.

-

He heard screams and yells from outside, the sounds of blades clashing with each other.

Then, he felt a presence from behind him. He ran, but his foot was grabbed by a hand from the shadows. A long, outstretched hand, emerging from a shadowy hole from the corner, slowly tugged. He tried to kick it, but it didn't budge.

Then he was dragged to the shadows.