Strongest Pawn Of The King Project

In another part of Valtharen, nestled in a vibrant little plaza filled with the clatter of cutlery and sounds of conversation, a small restaurant had grown unusually quiet around a single table.

There, a girl with bright pink hair and sparkling blue eyes was utterly destroying plate after plate of food with alarming enthusiasm.

Locals and travelers alike had paused mid-meal to watch her in awe.

"How is she still going?"

"I think that's her fifteenth plate—no, wait, sixteenth!"

"Is she part dragon?"

A sharp-eyed elf finally whispered, "She's wearing the Academy badge. Must be a new student. Gods help her roommates…"

The pink-haired girl, completely oblivious to the attention, was humming with joy as she polished off the last crumbs of a sizzling meat skewer.

At that moment, a waitress arrived, carrying a carefully decorated slice of cake topped with sugared petals.

"Just as you asked, Miss. Here is your cake."

The girl gasped. "Really?! Yay! Thank you!"

She immediately clasped her hands together, gave a delighted wiggle in her seat, and began eating with such joy that a few onlookers clapped softly without even realizing it.

Forkful after forkful disappeared until only a smear of cream remained on the plate.

She leaned back, stretching slightly with a satisfied sigh.

And then the bill arrived.

She blinked.

Then looked again.

"Wait—there's no way this all cost that much!" she blurted.

The waitress gave a sheepish smile. "I'm afraid it did. Everything's listed right on the menu."

"But I didn't order that much!" she cried, pointing wildly.

The waitress glanced aside, then gently pointed at a table nearby—stacked so high with plates it looked like a sculpture.

"That's also your table, miss. All of it."

The pink-haired girl turned her head slowly.

Her eyes widened. "No…"

Her lips quivered as she reached into her purse with trembling hands—only to pull it open and stare into its hollow, echoing abyss.

She shook it upside down.

Nothing.

Not even a single copper.

She gasped. "No no no no no no no! This can't be happening! That was all the money Mom sent me yesterday!"

In a frenzy, she stuck her head under the table, lifted the tablecloth, and began patting the floor.

"Maybe I dropped a coin! Just one! Come on, Lady Luck, don't fail me now!"

The restaurant had gone utterly silent, watching her roll around under the table like a raccoon.

When she popped back up, disheveled, panting, eyes wide with panic, she clutched her now-definitely-empty purse to her chest like a lifeline and looked around desperately.

"Is… is anyone willing to help a fellow student in need?" she asked with an innocent smile, a bit awkwardly, hands clasped in a dramatic plea.

Silence.

A man coughed.

"She just ate enough to feed a cavalry unit... now she's asking someone to pay?"

Another woman whispered to her friend, "She asked for help? After devouring three dozen plates like a bottomless beast?"

"Is she trying to scam the place?"

A child gasped, pointing. "Mommy, the glutton girl's crying!"

The waitress awkwardly leaned in, clearing her throat. "Miss… the bill still needs to be paid."

The girl let out a tiny squeak and slumped forward on the table, dramatically smashing her face into the empty cake plate with a plop. Whipped cream stuck to her cheek as she whimpered:

"I'm doomed, spend all my money on food and I haven't bought any equipment... I won't be able to take the entrance test tomorrow... I'm gonna get expelled before orientation…"

Suddenly, a young man spoke up.

"Allow me to help with that."

The voice came from just behind her.

The pink-haired girl slowly turned her head, cream still stuck to her cheek.

Standing there was a young man in a long white coat trimmed with a fur collar, his expression calm and faintly amused. A few strands of dark hair fell loosely over his eyes, which were sharp, calculating, but not unkind.

He stepped forward, producing a handful of silver coins and placing them neatly on the table.

"This should cover everything," he said smoothly. "And perhaps a little extra for the trouble."

The waitress blinked in surprise before nodding gratefully and scooping up the coins. "Of course, sir. Thank you!"

The girl's eyes widened as she slowly sat up, clutching her empty purse like a shield.

"You're… helping me?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly, unsure whether to be relieved or suspicious.

Lucian smiled faintly, an expression that looked kind but never quite reached his eyes.

"Well... I wouldn't necessarily call it that. Let's call it a show of sincerity and a little favor."

Aris shifted in her seat, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve. She hated being seen as a burden, Lucian noted instantly. Good. The type who apologizes for existing is the easiest to offer salvation to.

He straightened, extending his hand. "Lucian Greyveil. And you're Aris, right?"

Her brows shot up. "Wha—? How do you…?"

"Let's just say you piqued my curiosity, and I like to do my homework," Lucian replied smoothly, watching the confusion in her eyes turn to uncertainty. Perfect. She's not used to being noticed for anything beyond her appetite.

She gave a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her neck. "O-okay, that's… weirdly specific. But seriously, why are you helping me? Just being nice?"

Lucian chuckled softly. "Not exactly. I want to start a guild—with you."

Aris blinked at him as if he'd just grown horns.

"…Huh?" Then she laughed nervously again. "I—sorry, but that's ridiculous. I'm just a broke first-year who can barely pay for food. You could have your pick of actual warriors or nobles or… I don't know, anyone who isn't me."

Lucian tilted his head slightly, like a predator circling its prey, calm, patient. He stepped closer, lowering his voice just enough to make her lean in without realizing it.

"You think I don't know exactly who you are?"

Aris stiffened.

"Your parents… they run a farm just outside Trelith. And your little brother…" Lucian's voice softened, almost empathetic. "He's been sick for months, hasn't he?"

Her breath caught. Her eyes darted away as her hands curled tightly in her lap.

'There it is,'

Lucian thought.

'The secret she hoped no one would notice. And now she knows I see her.'