The royal guard’s arrival had not come as a surprise to Zorat. He had been expecting them.

So he followed along behind them both as they moved through the palace grounds all the way to the familiar throne room.

And on entrance, there were a few notable differences from all the times Zorat had been brought or summoned here.

First, King Helion Starfall was already seated on his throne this time; though he appeared disturbed, he brightened a little as he saw Zorat enter.

Aside from the king, there was the princess and a familiar veiled figure holding a cane, seated in an impressively carved, fanciful seat on the side.

Zorat noted the absence of the saintess and the knight commander, as well as the absence of the entire opposing faction to the royalists.

Only the royalist faction (The princess faction) was present, standing on both sides of the space as they observed the newly arrived Hero with varied expressions on their faces. But most of their expressions appeared positive....

And almost intended to please as most nodded, smiling warmly at Zorat’s entrance.

"Dear Hero..." King Helion’s regal voice reverberated through the space as he smiled in address to Zorat.

Dear?

Zorat mused inside.

Though the king had never directly addressed Zorat... he was certain he would never have used such a term of endearment were it not for the present circumstance.

"The entire kingdom of Ursula and I owe you a great debt of gratitude."

"Were it not for your timely warning to the princess... we might still have been left in the dark."

King Helion Starfall wasn’t exaggerating and meant every word he spoke. And the other minister nodded in agreement, sharing in the king’s sentiment.

The document that ’Caleb’ had provided the princess, which reached Helion at the perfect time.... allowed for the justified immediate capture and or execution of all the forces that had been in cahoots with the grand vizier...

Though the royal faction had not been completely in the dark regarding Victor and his faction’s schemes, they still couldn’t make any decisive moves

Were it not for Caleb’s early warnings, alerting the royal family... Victor might just have absconded with the treasury, and no one would have been the wiser.

King Helion was also particularly satisfied because he had used this method to justifiably get rid of all the forces that had stood in opposition to his family’s continual rule through his only living child... his daughter.

Even if they had yet been able to recover any of the kingdom’s treasury... and Victor had even escaped.

They knew that in due time, both Victor and the treasury would be recovered in full.

Moreover, with all the assets seized the previous night from Victor’s mansion and from all the other treasonous ministers and high ministers alike....

The kingdom can still sustain for a while.... granted a war doesn’t break out with a rival kingdom.

As for the individual who had delivered all the proofs and warnings...

An infamous, useless hero who had only arrived in the kingdom for just over two weeks.

Helion had learned from his daughter that this hero was actually more than meets the eye... Someone with a ’blessing’...

And he had shared this splendid news with his royal court.

So Helion intends to draw this hero closer by issuing a deserving reward.

None was more insistent about this than the Ancestor of the Starfalls, who was also present in his signature ashen veiled robe.

"Though we’ve been dealt a heavy blow by the treasonist, Victor..." Helion continued in his usual imperial eloquence.

"We would still like to reward you for your immense contributions."

"Name any request, benevolent hero..."

"As long as I am in a position to fulfill it ....It shall be done."

Zorat grinned into a slight bow in acknowledgement to the king, and at the fact that he had put the weight of his position behind a promise....

Hehehe....

How very magnanimous of you.

Why was the king, princess, or any of the royalist faction not suspicious that Zorat might have had a role in Victor’s scheme?

Why were they being so nice to him?

It could be argued that the hero who had only just been summoned into the world of Arleria would not be involved in any meaningful way with such a complex scheme...

But Zorat knew too much.... And everything he had done from an observer’s perspective was indeed suspicious.

At least he should have been captured and interrogated (tortured) for all the good he’s done.....

That would have been their course of action, were it not for a little detail Zorat had intentionally included about himself when he had talked to Princess Elowen.

Zorat had come to understand that the denizens of this world of Arleria hold their goddess to a terrifying degree of reverence.

Aside from the Saintess and the holy sea, certain individuals are said to be ’touched’ directly by the goddess...

Not quite equal to the position of the Saintess or the holy sea, but coming up close second...

They hold special exalted positions in whatever kingdom they are discovered and are as rare as the most precious of gems...

Seers.

Those with varying types of special skills that could manifest in different forms, and allow for almost accurate precognition abilities.

Of course, Zorat is very much ’not’ a seer....

But that doesn’t stop him from using this to his advantage to accord himself a reasonable explanation for all that he had done and would, in fact, continue to do without appearing suspicious.

That’s why he left that passing statement to the princess; basically insinuating that he had seen all that would transpire, in his dream.

And it played out as he had said. Someone did strike at the royal palace, and that person was Victor Malverin, just as he had warned.

A Hero having a special skill of their own was not unheard of.

Ava, the hero of stealth, is a prime example.

Her actions during his fake accident had made Zorat curious...

So, he had run his abyssal gaze on her, and was not surprised to find that she had awakened an innate special skill as well as being bestowed a divine skill....And it was of the highest grade as well, in terms of this world’s grading system.

All things considered, it mustn’t have come as much of a surprise to find a hero possessed a special skill other than their bestowed divine skills.

It only provided a valid explanation that made perfect sense, how a hero who had only been in their world for just half a month was able to do all he has done.

Now, Caleb, the hero, was like a new treasure they had discovered, and just like the king, the other ministers were just as eager to please this new Seer.

After a moment of feigned contemplation on Zorat’s part ... he wore a face full of reservation and uncertainty as if he was feeling truly guilty of what he was about to request, before asking...

"Can I truly request his Majesty for ’Anything’ I want ?" He said, unsurely.

"Of course. Don’t be shy... Go ahead and state your request, dear hero." Helion encouraged kindly.

Hehehe.....

Very nice.