A few years ago, I thought I had reached the pinnacle of my ideal life.
I might not be the King of the Sumatran Kingdom, who reigned over all Tigerkins, but I still held power that only fell behind him.
I prided myself as the smartest and most cunning among the Nobles of our race.
When the King was still a Prince, I was among the Nobles who supported him. With that, I even managed to push my daughter onto him, allowing her to become our kingdom's Queen.
With her influence, I managed to form a lot of connections.
Everyone wanted to become my friend.
Everyone wanted to become my ally.
Everyone wanted to become my tool, hoping that in the future, I would return the favor and help them in their time of need.
There was no doubt in my mind that I was the King of the Underworld.
With a single word from me, the mercenaries and the assassin guilds would move.
With a wave of my hand, the other nobles would stand behind me.
I was fine with that kind of power.
I was content with that kind of influence.
But that all changed when I was approached by a person, who had been tasked to visit the Valbarra Archipelago exactly four years ago.
At first, I wasn't interested, but when the person showed me a mirror that allowed me to communicate with his Master, it was then that I realized that everything I believed in could be destroyed in a heartbeat.
The Tigerkin King and the Barbarian King had the rank of Thrones.
But, even if they joined hands and worked together to fight the being who appeared before me, their chances of winning were non-existent.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that even if the Army of the Tigerkins and the United Alliance of the Barbarians and Orcs were to stand on the same side, we still wouldn't be able to defeat the being who had set his eyes on the Valbarra Archipelago.
I was born with a very powerful sixth sense, allowing me to know which side was the winning side.
Although I felt bad for my daughter and my King, I decided to become that being's pawn in exchange for his assurance that my people wouldn't be enslaved or mercilessly killed.
That being also promised me the throne of the Sumatran Kingdom.
A position that I once dreamed of having.
I was a very ambitious person, you see, and yet, I didn't feel excited about betraying my people.
However, I didn't have a choice in the matter.
If I declined the offer, that being would choose another person, and the end result would be the same.
Since that was the case, why couldn't it be me instead?
A verbal promise was forged between us.
A verbal promise which held no power, but, what choice did I have?
An insect that could easily be crushed didn't have the power to negotiate better terms. All I could do was wish that the one who desired to make the Valbarra Archipelago part of his conquest would honor their word.
When I asked my new Master if he had also sent a messenger to the side of the Barbarians, he laughed and praised me for being smart.
But the praise he gave me chilled my heart to the core because it meant that someone else had been chosen to commit the same betrayal toward the Barbarian Race.
Although they were our rivals and enemies, the Tigerkins had come to respect their strength.
We were a race who worshipped the strong, and toward the race who managed to defeat us in battle, we admired them as much as we hated them.
Even if I wasn't good at fighting because I specialized in office work, I, for one, wanted to face them on the battlefield and fight a glorious battle.
It didn't matter what the result would be.
I would have accepted the result as long as the battle was done with honor and dignity.
But, there was no dignity to be had in the upcoming war.
We were merely puppets who would wage a war against each other for the sake of that Being's entertainment.
We were only actors in a play who would perform according to his whim.
If he wished for the Tigerkins to win, we would win.
If he wished for the Tigerkins to lose, we would lose.
For this reason and this reason alone, I dedicated my life to becoming a loyal subordinate, with the hope that he would spare my people from such a fate.
If there was one race who should survive, I prayed fervently that it would be my race.
With determination in my heart, I went above and beyond my means and used everything in my power to push the war to completion.
My daughter never forgot to listen to my words and constantly whispered in her husband's ear that this war was something that must be fought and won by the Tigerkins.
Everything was going smoothly.
We already had the necessary means for victory.
But, all that hard work vanished under the blazing flames that raged during the night of the Harvest Festival.
All my hard work….
All my sacrifices….
Burned…
Until only ashes remained.
As I opened my eyes, I found myself in the darkness, bound by shackles.
The anger I felt several hours ago was replaced by heartache and loss because I had failed to protect my race.
I had failed to protect my people.
It was highly possible that news of what happened would reach my Master, and he would be disappointed with me.
Now that the Tigerkins were vulnerable, my counterpart in the Barbarian Kingdom would surely make his move to ensure his people's victory.
I knew this to be true, for I was the same.
If the one whom my Master chose from the Barbarians also loved his people, then he wouldn't spare us any mercy now that we had fallen to our knees.
While my tears fell like rain and my anguished voice echoed within the walls of the prison I was in…
I suddenly realized that I wasn't alone.
I could feel someone looking at me, which made me raise my head.
Through my blurred vision, I saw them.
A pair of green eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
The prison was dark, but this wasn't a problem for the Tigerkins because we had Dark Vision.
However, I couldn't see properly, so I forcefully blinked my eyes to push the tears away, allowing me to see clearly.
When I was finally able to gaze upon the owner of those glowing green eyes, my body subconsciously shuddered when I realized that it didn't belong to some wild animal that had been placed in prison to watch over me.
No.
They came from a little Human boy, whom I believed to be no older than eight years old.
Human eyes didn't glow in the dark.
It was impossible for it to happen.
And yet, the boy seated in front of me, whose chin was resting over his intertwined hands while looking straight at me, made my heart tremble.
Under his gaze, I felt vulnerable.
Under that stare, I felt that he was able to see through everything that I had done and more.
Suddenly, the world around us disappeared.
Both of us were trapped in a truly dark place.
A place where not even my Dark Vision could penetrate.
And yet, I could still see them.
That pair of glowing green eyes, which seemed to have fought countless battles.
Those eyes that had seen their share of misery, hardships, and heartaches.
Those eyes that looked like they held all the knowledge in the world suddenly grew in size until I felt like I was being looked down upon by a creature that didn't belong to this world.
In the face of those eyes, thenBeing, whom I served suddenly felt like a harmless creature that would easily be crushed if the owner of these eyes were to step on them like the insect that they were.
I was certain that I wasn't looking at a God, for I couldn't sense any Divinity in his gaze.
But, this person was bigger than life, and I wouldn't be surprised if he had fought against a God before due to how powerful his gaze was.
Under that powerful gaze, my vision started to blur as tears returned to my eyes.
For some reason, I didn't feel sadness or desperation.
My tears were filled with relief, knowing that there might be a chance to turn everything around.
With this Human boy aiding us, there might be a chance for survival.
I, who trusted my instincts my whole life, knew then and there, that this child would use me as a pawn.
He would treat me like a tool.
He would work me as a slave.
And yet, I didn't feel afraid.
If it was him, I was willing to kneel and offer my services with all of my heart.
For he alone could contend against that Being, whom even the Tigerkin King and the Barbarian King couldn't hope to defeat.
"Please save us," I pleaded through tears. "Please save us, I beg of you."
I broke down and cried in front of the Human boy, who continued to watch me with those calm green eyes, which were still visible through my blurred vision.
"I'll do anything. I'll give you everything that I have. So please, save us!"
I, the second most influential person in the Sumatran Kingdom, begged a Human boy, whom I could easily kill with a flick of my finger, to save our race and kingdom.
I threw away my pride and dignity to ask for help, for I knew that this was our chance.
Our only chance for survival.
As my cries echoed within the prison walls, a calm yet unyielding voice reached my ears.
"Paven Merdosk, raise your head."
I hurriedly obeyed and looked at the seven-year-old, who was now standing in front of me.
"Originally, I planned to make you my slave, but I changed my mind."
The boy then crouched down, bringing his face close to mine, allowing me to see his face.
"Paven Merdosk, I have heard your pleas," the human boy then crouched down and rested his right hand over my shoulder. "Do you wish for me to save you?"
"Not me," I replied. "Save my people!"
A chuckle escaped the boy's lips, and not long after, I felt the chains that bound me to the wall suddenly break apart, freeing me.
"Very well." The Human boy nodded. "But, in return, you will give everything to me. Your life, your honor, your dignity, and your loyalty. Surrender them all to me."
"They're yours!" I declared, wrapping my hands around his frail body, which I could easily crush if I wished for it. "I, Paven Merdosk, am yours to command."
In that dark prison, where I felt that all hope had been lost, I found someone who made me feel young again.
Someone who reignited the courage that had disappeared after a life of comfort and leisure.
Someone who lit the flame of a Tigerkin in my heart.
Someone who would take my hand and lead me down a path I didn't know existed.
"Stop crying, Old Man," the Human boy said before lightly tapping my shoulder, signaling me to let him go from my clutch. "Wipe your tears. We have work to do."
I obeyed and wiped the tears from my eyes.
When I was done, I looked at the child who would carry our fates on his very small shoulders. But, I knew that he could carry them, for my instincts were telling me so.
"My name is Zion Leventis. Welcome to the winning team, Paven Merdosk," Thirteen said and crossed his arms over his chest. "I know this is a bit sudden, but there is something that I need from you."
"What is it, Zion?" Paven asked. "Even if I don't have it, I will get it for you no matter the price."
"Good. Since that is how you feel, I will not hold back." A faint smile appeared on Thirteen's face as he looked at the King of the Underworld of the Sumatran Kingdom.
"Do you perhaps have a Five-Leaf Clover?"
Paven chuckled before roaring out in laughter.
The boy in front of me could have asked me for anything, and yet, he only asked me for a Five-Leaf Clover, which numbered in the dozens in my personal collection.
