Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part Two]

CHAPTER 258: Tear of Mercy

Inside the newly pitched tent at the Twinkle Orphanage, a moment of silence lingered like a physical presence. Lumielle stood frozen, staring at the frail figure laid upon the bedding. Her lips quivered as she finally stepped forward, eyes wide with disbelief. She fell to her knees beside him.

"Father..." Her voice came out on an uneven breath. "I thought... I thought I'd never get the chance to see you again."

Her hand gently brushed his cheek, fingers shaking as they ran through the gray wisps of his hair. Tears spilled down her flushed cheeks, dripping onto his blanket. Beside her, Lyndoria knelt quietly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She didn't speak—there were no words that could heal this kind of ache.

The others watched from a respectful distance. Sister Aeliana stood with her hands clasped solemnly in front of her. Zephyr whimpered softly at Daisuke's feet. Midnight sat perched atop a stack of crates, olive eyes unblinking. Tiphanna, Josephine, and the members of the Slum Sprites were also present, eyes glassy with sorrow.

Aeliana turned to Daisuke. "When you said you needed a place to lay someone to rest, I didn't expect you to bring the king himself," she murmured. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

The Slum Sprites looked from the monarch to Daisuke, mouths agape. First it was the princess and now the sovereign himself.

"That's really him?" Ribbit whispered, tilting his head with a raised eyebrow. "He's a bit... skeletony for a king, isn't he?"

Garrett elbowed him sharply in the side. "I swear to God, if you fart or say something stupid that gets us tossed in a cell..." he muttered, voice laced with warning.

Ribbit awkwardly covered both his mouth and his butt with his hands. Meanwhile, Brek's eyes narrowed pensively.

Haxks... This guy. It's wild to think that just a year ago, we were swiping fruit off vendor stalls and barely scraping by. Now we've got the king of an entire kingdom in our care. What's next—getting knighted?

"...That's really him, isn't it?" Tiphanna whispered, barely able to find her voice. "This is unbelievable... I've only ever seen him in paintings..."

Josephine nodded, pale and wide-eyed.

"I thought I was being invited over for a nice homemade dinner, and instead, you bring this to our doorstep?" Tiphanna turned to Haxks, eyes full of disbelief. "Even by your standards, this is insane."

Daisuke offered an awkward smile, cupping the back of his neck. Then he looked to Aeliana. "...How is he?"

The nun sighed softly. "I've done all that I can," she said, her voice gentle. "There are no external wounds... but internally, his body is ravaged. A constant war between harmful drugs and healing brews has left him fragile. I don't even want to imagine what that's done to his mind." She looked over at the mourning princess. "He's holding on. But barely."

Daisuke's smile faded.

His gaze drifted back to Lumielle. She was slumped and sobbing quietly. A knot formed in his chest as he watched her. I was right to go when I did, he thought, eyes narrowing as his mind drifted back to a memory.

The king's bedchamber was as dreary as Midnight had expressed in his psychic depictions. There, hunched beside the monarch, was the newly appointed doctor. The man's lips curled into a deranged smile as he prepared to administer a slow-acting toxin, whispering madly under his breath.

Before Daisuke could even draw his blade, a cloaked figure emerged from the shadows and there was a flash of steel. The doctor's body hit the floor before he could even scream, blood splattering across the walls. Then the assassin turned on the king.