The Kingmaker System

Keira woke up in an unfamiliar place, she had only a faint memory of what had happened during the time of the Trials but after that she couldn’t recall much. Her memory was blurry and filled with holes.

But she could remember the parts where she faced the First Princess and with those memories surfaced the overwhelming feeling of terror.

The jumbled words and the deep gravelly voice that echoed in her head back then.

KILLKILLKILLKILLEATEATHUNGRYIMHUNGRYSOHUNGRYRIPKILLHERFINDTHEKINGDEVOUREVERYTHING

Keira shook her head and gripped her arms as her body trembled violently. Cold sweat dripped down her back as she kept her eyes firmly open focusing on the sunlight that streamed from the windows.

While that creature was alive, she could feel the strange connection to it. It was like her body wasn’t her anymore, she was nothing more than a puppet who had no sense of self anymore. She was a mere weapon who was being thrown in for attacks even when she didn’t want to.

If it weren’t for the First Princess, she would have died too.

Keira slowly calmed down and almost jumped out of her skin when she heard the knocks on the door.

Before Keira could answer, the door opened and a middle-aged woman walked in.

She almost flinched watching Keira awake but then smiled brightly before approaching her.

"Oh my, Miss Mayek, you’re awake." She said, her voice carrying the maternal warmth.

"Ah... Yes," Keira spoke, her voice hoarse.

"How are your feeling now? I’ll call the doctor and you must be hungry, right? I’ll quickly get you something to eat."

After a few minutes, Keira sipped some warm water while the doctor checked on her injuries.

"Fortunately, it’s not serious, but you will need to refrain from any strenous activities, Miss. Also, the bandages will need to be replaced regularly since there are chances of infection." The doctor said and Keira hummed.

She had suffered wounds worse than this so, she wasn’t going to let that stop her. She had to train more to be stronger, if she kept staying in bed for longer periods of time her body might start growing stiff and it would be harder to get back in shape again.

Keira ate well and stayed in bed for the whole day but as the dusk settled and she heard the household slowly growing silent she got out of her bed.

She stretched her arms, feeling the stinging pain in her back, it made her wince but it was still bearable.

She glanced at the small clear crystal pendant that sat on the table beside her bed. It was the pendant given to her by Ocean, it was the mana stone that she had for emergency purposes to call for help. She knew it would directly connect her to Ocean himself.

Even now, she knew she was at one of the Underworld Lords’ house because she was a witness to one of the gruesome secrets that would easily cost her life. And the owner of the house was also quite infamous in the Underworld for being one of the most trusted and lethal Executioners of their Master.

Even now she knew that the mansion was surrounded by the assassins who were experts in camouflage and hiding their presence.

She almost felt envious of their skills.

She stood near the window glancing outside at the lush garden while her mind drifted until she saw the gates opening and three figures entering on horseback.

She kept eyeing them until they entered the mansion.

Zach hadn’t slept for more than three hours ever since the siege, he had been busy making preparations to help the Lords of the neighbouring territories that approached him for help. He wasn’t obliged to help them but considering that he was affiliated with Oasis Foundation and these nobles were ready to do anything in exchange for help he had agreed.

Kai had delivered Ocean’s message to him that if there were any noble families who sought aid from them then they would help, though it wouldn’t be for free as they would need to be prepared to keep their side of the deal as well.

Zach leaned over the large table as the representative of another neighbouring small territory arrived late at night to ask for food and medicines.

"We will provide for it," Zach announced, "But first tell me how is your territory faring? Are there any illness or variables that we must be aware of?"

The representative shook his head.

"No, My Lord. Our granaries are almost empty and we don’t have many physicians that’s why our Lord asked me to come to you."

Zach sighed, "Fine."

He turned to his aide, "Send a team of physicians and rations with him."

"Yes, My Lord."

The aide showed the representative a way out and Zach watched them before he ran a hand through his platinum blonde hair. He had grown it out till they brushed at his shoulders but with the way his strands stood wildly on his head, it resembled the mane of a wolf. The dark circles were forming under his eyes from all the overwork.

He stood there for a moment before he spoke, "How long are you going to just stand there, Miss?"

A figure standing right outside the window nearly fell off from the first floor where she had been standing on her toes.

Zach walked over and opened the window to find the intruder or rather the eavesdropper trying to quietly sneak away.

She froze as she met his eyes and he shook his head before he reached out and grabbed her arm pulling her inside the room.

Keira’s feet barely touched the floor before she felt Zach throwing her over his shoulder.

"Wha-What are you doing?!" She nearly shouted.

"What do you think? You’re a patient, you shouldn’t be walking around or climbing on the walls of my estate." Zach responded in a deadpan tone.

"I-I can walk back to my room, I’m fine enough." She flailed.

"Be still, I don’t want to hit an injured person."

"This is embarrassing!"

"You should have just stayed in your room then."

"Urgh!"

Zach didn’t say anything as Keira kept hitting his back, but it didn’t seem to be having any effect. She had met him years ago for the first time when he had arrived in her tiny territory, Cozane, the territory known for its rugged terrain and for being one of the territories that fell in the path between Frosthail and the capital.

Zach had basically scouted her so, she knew he was extremely skilled but to think there would come a day that he would be carrying her around like a sack of potatoes was unthinkable. Her fists clenched with embarrassment, he was walking at a leisure pace without causing any movement on her side so, her wounds weren’t affected.

"Why were you eavesdropping?" Zach asked as he climbed the stairs, his gait and breathing weren’t the least bit affected even after carrying a human being on his shoulder.

Keira didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

"My territory is also in the northwest, I wondered if that person was from there."

Zach hummed before he said, "I’ve sent people and supplies to your territory already so, worry about yourself."

Keira fell silent and Zach stopped for a second before the door to Keira’s room before opening it and walking inside.

Once close to the bed, he leaned forward and gently sat her down careful to not touch her back.

Keira tried her best to not let her embarrassment show on her face as Zach leaned in close enough to look her in the eyes.

"Keira." He spoke, "You do realise why you’re here, right?"

Keira gulped, holding her breath.

Zach continued, "Stay put here for the time being until Master returns."

He then glanced over her shoulder, "Those wounds on your back, they’re not normal so, don’t go prancing around... Understood?"

Keira nodded stiffly feeling the air around her thicken with tension.

"Good."

She felt him pat her head twice before he straightened up.

"Good night." He said before he turned and walked away.

Keira sat still for a while after Zach left, listening to the fading sound of his footsteps in the corridor.

Only when she was certain that he had gone did she finally release the breath she had been holding.

Her shoulders slumped.

"That was scary..." She muttered under her breath.

She gingerly leaned back against the pillows before her eyes drifted towards the window.

Cozane.

He had already sent help there.

Keira’s eyes slowly drifted towards the crystal pendant resting on the table.

Ocean had done the same thing.

She had received that pendant years ago and had been told to use it whenever she was in danger. Yet, she had never needed to.

Somehow, before things could reach that point, help would always arrive.

Sometimes it was information, sometimes it was money and other times, people would simply appear as if they had been waiting nearby all along.

Keira had never thought much about it, she had simply assumed that was what working under Ocean Ryujin meant.

Keira lowered her eyes, now that she thought about it.

The people of the Underworld were feared by almost everyone before the new Overlord took over, after that the whole thing was replaced with a systematic network which carried out tasks that didn’t have to gain anything from any inhumane practice.

Sure there were assassinations, information trades even various underground deals but none of them were under the radar of either of the three Underworld Lords.

People who lived in the shadows and dealt with bloodshed as naturally as others dealt with trade. Even Zach was known as one of Ocean’s Executioners.

And yet, while the nobles argued over their damaged territories and calculated their losses, these people were sending physicians and food to places that didn’t even belong to them.

Keira recalled the First Princess standing against the creature that had taken over her body and trying her best to not hurt her while she was under its control.

The other ladies who were trying to help in their own ways and all the forces that were fighting outside to keep everyone safe.

Zach, who hadn’t slept for days, was still accepting requests for help.

Keira stared at the pendant for a long time.

All her life, she had thought strength was simple. The stronger person won, the weaker person was protected and those who couldn’t protect themselves had to find someone stronger to stand behind.

But perhaps that wasn’t entirely true because strength itself wasn’t what decided anything. It was the person who wielded it.

Keira slowly reached for the pendant and curled her fingers around it. She didn’t know what would happen after Ocean returned.

She didn’t know what he would decide to do with her after learning everything about the creature that had been controlling her and she didn’t know if she would ever be able to completely forget the feeling of losing control over her own body.

But for the first time since waking up, Keira didn’t feel like she was merely waiting for someone else to decide what would happen to her.

Her fingers tightened around the crystal. Perhaps, she could choose for herself too.

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