The royal residence was far less extravagant than Kai expected.
After hearing the words King Akshay, he had imagined golden halls, endless servants, and enough luxury to feed a city.
Instead, the residence felt more like a fortified command center.
Maps covered the walls.
Stacks of reports occupied every table.
Military officers hurried through corridors carrying documents.
The entire place felt busy.
Stressed.
Alive.
It looked less like the home of a king and more like the workplace of a man buried beneath responsibility.
---
Kai and Andre were escorted into a large room.
Akshay entered shortly afterward.
Without his soldiers.
Without ceremony.
Without even wearing his crown.
He tossed the crown onto a nearby table.
The metal rolled in a circle before falling over.
Andre pointed.
"That's why nobody respects you."
Akshay immediately pointed back.
"And that's why you're unemployed."
---
Kai sat between them.
A position he was beginning to regret.
---
Akshay dropped into a chair.
For several moments nobody spoke.
The king looked exhausted.
Not physically.
Mentally.
Like someone trying to solve ten problems at once.
---
Finally he leaned back.
Kai gave him the letter.
"So."
His eyes settled on Kai.
"Tchoco Lee."
Kai nodded.
"You know him?"
Akshay laughed.
"Unfortunately."
Andre snorted.
Akshay ignored him.
---
"Lee and I arrived in this world around the same time."
Kai immediately became interested.
Another drifter.
One of the older ones.
---