The royal palace of Edevane was so absurdly large that Arthur immediately hated it.
Everything gleamed. Marble floors polished enough to reflect faces. Massive chandeliers hanging from ceilings high enough to fit dragons comfortably. Servants moved around with terrifying efficiency while armored royal knights lined every hallway like decorative statues.
Greed looked around once and whispered quietly:
— There’s enough money in this building to solve every problem I’ve ever had.
Lyra immediately answered:
— Don’t say that out loud.
— Why? They already know.
Annya tried desperately not to laugh while the royal escort guided them through another enormous hallway.
Selene looked calmer than everyone else, though even she seemed slightly intimidated by the scale of the palace.
Arthur adjusted his collar awkwardly.
— Just try not to embarrass us.
Greed looked genuinely offended.
— Arthur, please. We are guests of royalty.
Five seconds later he tried to estimate the value of a gold statue by scratching it with his nail.
The throne room itself was massive.
Sunlight poured through gigantic stained-glass windows, illuminating rows of nobles standing on either side of the chamber whispering about the famous adventuring party that had recently become impossible to ignore.
“The ones who cleared the cursed catacombs.”
“The ones who stopped the famine village.”
“I heard the silver-haired one bit a tax collector.”
“I heard that was justified.”
At the far end of the chamber sat Queen Ashra.
She looked younger than expected. Long dark bronze hair flowed over one shoulder in elegant waves, and her crimson-and-gold royal attire looked less decorative and more militaristic than most nobles probably preferred. Sharp amber eyes studied the party carefully from the throne with the expression of someone permanently exhausted by politics.
The second Greed saw her crown, his eyes visibly sparkled.
Arthur noticed immediately.
— No.
Greed didn’t respond.
Which was worse.
The party stopped before the throne and bowed—well, most of them did.
Lyra barely lowered her head.
Greed stared directly at the jewels embedded in the crown like a predator observing prey through glass.
Queen Ashra rested her chin lightly against one hand.
— So these are the adventurers everyone keeps talking about.
Arthur stepped forward professionally.
— We’re honored by the invitation, Your Majesty.
Greed stepped forward immediately after him.
— Your ceiling alone could fund a small nation.
Arthur closed his eyes slowly.
Annya physically grabbed her own forehead.
Selene looked up toward the heavens as if asking for strength.
To everyone’s surprise, Queen Ashra laughed.
Not politely.
Actually laughed.
— Good. At least one of you is honest.
Greed placed a hand over his chest dramatically.
— Finally, royalty that understands me.
Lyra muttered quietly:
— Dangerous sentence.
Ashra motioned for the group to rise.
— I summoned you because the kingdom has a problem that requires people… unconventional enough to solve it.
Greed nodded proudly.
— We are deeply concerning, yes.
Several nobles looked offended.
Ashra looked entertained.
She explained the situation quickly: another kingdom to the east had abruptly gone silent. Trade routes vanished. Entire caravans disappeared. Even magical communication stopped functioning near the border.
Multiple royal squads had already failed to investigate.
Arthur listened seriously.
Selene immediately started asking practical questions.
Lyra stayed quiet but attentive.
Annya looked worried.
Meanwhile Greed had somehow acquired parchment from nowhere and was writing things down suspiciously. Ashra eventually leaned back slightly.
— Naturally, the kingdom will compensate your group generously upon completion of the mission.
Greed’s head snapped upward so fast it looked painful.
Arthur noticed immediately.
Panic. Real panic.
— Your Majesty, before we discuss payment-
Too late.
Greed smoothly stepped forward with terrifying elegance.
— Actually, regarding compensation, I took the liberty of preparing a revised contractual structure.
Silence.
Arthur turned pale.
— You WHAT.
Greed produced an entire scroll seemingly from another dimension.
Ashra blinked once.
Then narrowed her eyes with interest.
— You drafted a royal contract?
— Several.
Arthur whispered toward Selene:
— Why does he have several.
— I don’t want to know.
Greed walked directly toward the throne while opening the document dramatically.
— Considering the mortality rate, political sensitivity, psychological damage, transportation costs, emotional burden, sword maintenance, emergency meal requirements—
Lyra stared at him.
— Emotional burden?
— Arthur exists.
Arthur looked ready to die.
Somehow, against all logic, Ashra actually began reading the contract.
At first she looked amused.
Then impressed.
Then increasingly concerned.
The room slowly fell silent except for Greed casually explaining clauses like a demonic lawyer summoned from the depths of capitalism itself.
— And this section guarantees hazard compensation in the event of divine intervention, eldritch corruption, dragon-related property loss, or emotional betrayal.
Ashra slowly looked up.
— Emotional betrayal?
Greed nodded solemnly.
— It’s happened before.
Annya whispered quietly:
— He’s talking about when Arthur ate his emergency pudding.
— IT WAS ONE TIME.
Shockingly…
Ashra signed it.
Arthur nearly collapsed.
The royal seal pressed into the parchment with a loud stamp.
Greed smiled.
Not his normal smile.
Something worse.
A slow, victorious smile of absolute evil.
Ashra handed the contract back calmly.
— Very well. You leave immediately.
Greed bowed deeply.
— A pleasure doing business with you, Your Majesty.
The party was escorted toward the royal carriage shortly afterward while Arthur continued trying to process what had just happened.
— There’s no way that contract was normal.
— It seemed fine to me, — Greed answered innocently.
Lyra grabbed the parchment from his hands.
Read three lines.
Stopped walking.
— …Greed.
Selene looked over her shoulder.
Then immediately covered her mouth.
Annya blinked repeatedly.
Arthur slowly turned white.
— WHY DOES IT SAY WE RECEIVE FINANCIAL COMPENSATION FOR “EXCESSIVE EMOTIONAL ATMOSPHERE.”
Greed looked offended.
— Have you met us?
The royal carriage doors closed behind them.
And the exact moment the wheels started moving—
Greed finally lost composure completely.
He burst into hysterical laughter.
Not normal laughter.
Full villain laughter.
Absolutely unhinged
He collapsed backward across the carriage seat clutching the signed contract against his chest while laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
— SHE SIGNED IT—HAHAHA—SHE ACTUALLY SIGNED IT—
Arthur grabbed the document desperately.
— THERE’S A BONUS PAYMENT IF SOMEONE IN THE PARTY “LOOKS COOL DURING SUNSET LIGHTING”?!
— CINEMATIC VALUE MATTERS—
Annya was crying laughing now. Even Lyra looked stunned.
Selene adjusted her glasses slowly.
— …I think he legally robbed the crown.
Meanwhile, back inside the throne room, Queen Ashra calmly continued drinking tea while reviewing copied documents.
Then she paused.
Silence.
Her eyes slowly moved back toward one specific paragraph.
Long pause.
Another page turned.
Then another.
The queen’s expression changed for the first time all evening.
— …What.
A nearby royal advisor cautiously stepped forward.
— Your Majesty?
Ashra stared at the contract in complete disbelief.
— Why are we financially liable if they experience “dramatically tragic rain conditions.”