Chapter : 11

  Ken saw his chance. This was the moment. He had to convince her that he was a mistake.

  "Well, Princess," Ken started, putting on his best 'pathetic' face. He let his mouth hang open a little and widened his eyes to look confused. "It’s not that I don't want to help. It’s just that… look at me. I’m nobody. I get winded walking up the stairs. I’m scared of the dark. I think you might have the wrong file. Maybe you wanted Ken the Bodybuilder? Or Ken the Wizard? I’m just Ken the Potato Eater."

  Iris chuckled softly. It was a nice sound in the gloomy room. "Please, sit down, Ken. We have a lot to explain. Maybe once you hear the details, you will understand why you are here."

  She pointed to a wooden chair in front of her desk. Ken sat down. The chair was hard and uncomfortable.

  "Perfect," Ken thought. "Uncomfortable chair, creepy house, tired Princess. This job is the worst. I need to get out of here fast."

  Iris sat back behind her desk and clasped her hands together. Her expression changed. The smile faded, and she looked serious. The air in the room seemed to get heavier.

  "Ken," she began. "You know about the Succession War, right?"

  "Sort of," Ken said. "Princes fighting. Big explosions. Scary stuff on the news."

  "It is more than that," Iris said. "It is a game. A cruel, calculated game designed by my father, the Emperor. There are twenty-one of us. Twenty-one children fighting for one throne."

  She picked up a piece of paper and slid it across the desk toward Ken. It was a chart. It had names and numbers on it.

  "This is the Point System," she explained. "Every Prince and Princess starts with zero. To win the throne, we must earn points. We earn points by completing missions given to us by the Imperial Council. These missions involve hunting dangerous monsters, solving ancient puzzles, or capturing territories."

  Ken looked at the paper. It looked like a video game scoreboard. But instead of high scores, it was about real life and death.

  "Wait," Ken said, pointing at the paper. "Hunting monsters? You mean real monsters? Like, with teeth and claws?"

  "Yes," Iris said calmly. "Dragons. Hydras. Demon beasts. They are all real, and they are all dangerous."

  Ken sank lower in his chair. "Nope. No thank you. I have a strict 'no eating by dragons' policy."

  "It gets more complicated," Iris continued, ignoring his complaint. "We are also allowed to interfere with each other. If I fail a mission, I lose points. If another Prince sabotages me, I lose points. And if my Servants are defeated in a duel… I lose points."

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  She looked at Ken intensely.

  "That is why I need a team. A team of nine Servants. You are the final member. You are my Ninth Servant."

  Ken felt a headache coming on. This was worse than he thought. It wasn't just guarding a door. It was active combat. It was fighting monsters and other super-powered servants. It was exactly the kind of "Main Character" drama he had spent his whole life avoiding.

  "Princess," Ken said, his voice pleading. "Listen to me. I am telling you the truth. I barely passed my magic exams in school. My mana capacity is tiny. If you put me in front of a monster, I won't be a shield. I will be a snack. You need a knight. You need someone like that big guy over there." He pointed at Finlay.

  "Grandmaster Finlay is my Advisor," Iris said. "He cannot participate in the games directly. The rules say the Servants must be under the age of twenty-five. I need young talent."

  "Talent!" Ken exclaimed. "I have no talent! My only talent is sleeping through alarms! Please, let me go home. I will just be a burden to you. I will drag your score down to negative numbers!"

  He looked at her with desperate, puppy-dog eyes. He was begging. He really, truly wanted to go home and eat his potato chips.

  Iris didn't blink. She stood up slowly and walked around the desk again. She leaned against the edge of the table, crossing her arms. She looked down at Ken.

  "You say you are weak," Iris said softly. "You say you are scared."

  "I am!" Ken insisted. "I am terrified! My knees are shaking! Look!" He shook his knees intentionally.

  "But," Iris said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I saw the report. I saw the footage from the Iron Rose District yesterday."

  Ken froze. "Uh oh."

  "I saw an old man fall in front of my brother's convoy," Iris said. "I saw thousands of people freeze in fear. I saw grown men cower. I saw a Royal Guard raise his fist in anger. And then… I saw you."

  She leaned closer. Her violet eyes locked onto his dark eyes.

  "You didn't freeze, Ken. You walked under the barrier. You walked up to an Imperial Guard—a man who could crush you with one hand—and you put your hand on his shoulder. You spoke to him. And somehow, you made him stop."

  Ken gulped. "That… that was just luck! I was just asking him to be nice! I didn't use magic! I’m just a guy who likes old people!"

  Iris shook her head slowly. A small, mysterious smile played on her lips.

  "It wasn't just luck," she said. "I have an instinct, Ken. It is my only gift. I can sense the true nature of people. When I look at you, I don't see a weak, lazy boy. I see something else. I feel a potential that is buried deep down. A potential that feels… limitless."

  Ken’s heart skipped a beat. Not out of fear, but out of surprise. She was good. She was very good.

  "I don't need a killer," Iris said firmly. "I have plenty of warriors who know how to destroy. What I need is someone who has the courage to step forward when everyone else is afraid. I need someone with a heart. That is why I chose you. I trust my instincts."

  She stood up straight and extended her hand again.

  "So, Ken Eliot. I am not letting you go. You are my Ninth Servant. Will you help me survive this war?"

  Ken looked at her hand. He looked at her determined face. He looked at Finlay, who was blocking the door.

  He realized he was trapped. There was no way out. If he refused now, after she gave such a nice speech, he would look like a total jerk. And Finlay would probably throw him out the window.

  ________________________________________

  ----

  Ken stared at the Princess’s hand for a long moment. The room was silent, except for the ticking of a grandfather clock in the corner. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

  Inside his mind, however, there was a storm of thoughts.

  "This is bad," Ken thought. "This is really, really bad. She thinks I have 'potential.' She thinks I’m a diamond in the rough. If only she knew."

  Ken wasn't just a normal guy. He wasn't even a talented mage. He was an anomaly.