Kitanna
Chapter 241: LOST ROYAL SEED

Chapter 241: LOST ROYAL SEED

[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: ROYALTY ~ EGZOD]

Back at the Oleka mansion, the Supreme King’s personal aide closed the door after a maid served them breakfast. He carried the tray to the balcony where Venantius was basking in the warm morning sun.

"That woman is so generous with her food. What did she serve this time?" Venantius asked, taking the soft bread that was still hot. He took a little bit, nodding in approval, then waved for his aide to dig in.

Dominique, who was apprehensive about the whole situation, picked up one bread ball and took a bite. Then he said, "Supreme King, why did you choose to stay in this woman’s house of all places?" The man asked worriedly. The woman they were staying in her house looked like a very kind woman, and he didn’t want anything to happen to her.

Venantius twitched his lips, "Was it not obvious? She’s kind and wouldn’t deny two poor travelers the accommodation they need." He grinned, but his aide was not buying this answer. He had worked for the man right from when he was a young boy, and he knew just how scheming the man could be.

Venantius raised his brow, "Is that the look of doubt I see on your face? I should make someone else my aide if you no longer believe me." He sucked his teeth.

"I do believe you, Supreme King. Forgive my actions," Dominique bowed.

Venantius waved his hands dismissively, "I don’t care about her kindness. In fact, I find it stupid that someone would help a total stranger they met for a first time," The man finally spoke with a sneer on his face. Then he continued, "It’s because she’s connected to everyone, which makes her a perfect cover. She mentioned my son’s name yesterday..." The man’s voice trailed when he noticed the look on his aide’s face.

Venantius scowled, "Why, is he your son then?" The man asked the question that was running through Dominique’s mind.

His aide shook his head, keeping his thoughts to himself. For a man who tried everything to kill his own child, he assumed the father role very easily. But he wasn’t going to say that so his head won’t leave before his feet. Instead, he asked, "How did you know that the name is his own? Cortez?" The man asked.

Venantius grinned, "Because Hash is a very simple woman. She is moved by the simplest things of life. I used to hear her talk with her husband that if they should ever have a child, that would be the name given if it’s a boy. It’s a foreign name she picked from one of her travels," the king replied.

Dominique peeked at his master. If he didn’t know better, he would say that the Supreme King was obsessed with Lady Hash. Again, he wouldn’t say it to the man.

Venantius pushed himself up from his chair, "Tomorrow would be our second day. We have to leave before day breaks on the third day. First, pay some of the drunk men in the village to carry rumors until it gets to the my son. Second, keep an eye on the woman of this mansion. Lastly, let’s take a stroll." He said finally.

Dominique bowed, "I’ll get everything ready," the aide said diligently.

Inside the market, two men engaged in a fistfight. People gathered around to watch them, but nobody tried to separate them. Some even created another group among themselves, making a bet on who would win.

Cortez, who had come to check his goods in the market, passed the crowd without turning to look at what was happening. He was used to this kind of thing; the two men who were fighting sometimes were just a decoy. People enjoy watching bloody fights like this one, all their attention goes focused on the men throwing punches. Then another person acting like a spectator moves around pickpocketing people’s money.

Just then, the fight ended, and a woman’s shout was heard, "Where is my purse! It was just here; did you see my purse? My mother-in-law will kill me if I don’t come back with the bronze plate." The woman cried, but nobody stopped to listen or even assist her. Soon the crowd dispersed, and wails of people who had lost their money continued to ring.

Cortez, who was far from the place, shook his head. He didn’t know when people would learn their lessons. This was not a new thing, yet people fell victim every time. When he got to the warehouse, his goods were packed. He stepped inside. His assistants rushed to greet him.

"Welcome, Chief Cortez," they bowed.

Cortez nodded his head, taking a look at his goods. "Get me the record for the sales," he requested. He had been away for too long; even when he came back, he wasn’t able to leave his house. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t losing any of his goods without making a gain.

The record book was a long scroll, held with strong wood at both ends. Cortez glanced through it; he was really impressed with the sales. "Great, to celebrate this, I’ll treat you all to beef soup and any wine of your choice. You can all close early for today," he remarked, receiving a loud cheer from the people who worked for him.

Soon the merchants of Cortez’s crew were gathered in an inn, occupying every space. As they ordered more food and drink, cheering happily.

Cortez sat alone at his own table, watching every member of his crew. For a moment, he remembered Axilla’s innocent reaction, and he smiled.

One of the merchants suddenly dropped his cup with a loud thud, and he stood up to say, "I heard a rumor yesterday when I was leaving the warehouse. I heard some persons discussing something very important." He paused for a moment to make sure he was being listened to. When he saw that only half of the men paid keen attention to him, he raised his voice making it louder.

"I heard that there’s a royal blood living among commoners!" The man revealed, his eyes scanning everyone in the crowd.

Another merchant chuckled, "What nonsense are you saying? It’s always you who spread false stories."

The man shook his head, "This one is very true. The men talking about it were noblemen. They said that even the royal blood is not aware of his identity. He was lost as a child, now his poor father is old, and he needs an heir so he’s going around searching for his son." The man declared with a loud voice.

Soon murmurs erupted from the crowd, and everyone now paid keen attention to what the man was saying.

He continued, "I even heard that the king put up a price of two bags of gold coin for anyone who finds his heir!"

"Two bags of gold? That’s absurd!" The crowd shouted in disbelief.

The man who was selling the story raised his hand dramatically, "What’s absurd? The king is very rich. What is two bags of gold to his heir? Do you know what an heir means to a king?"

One of the merchants stood up and asked, "How is it possible for a king to lose his heir?"

The man replied, "According to what I heard, the men said the child’s mother tried to escape with the child when he was still very young. But the mother was later found dead without the child!"

"Why would the mother want to escape from the palace? The king must have done something wrong." Another merchant chimed to get a nod of agreement from others.

At this point, Cortez, who was not interested in the small talks of the merchants, raised his face. The story sounded familiar, making him remember his past. He sipped from his wine and sighed.

The merchant who was sitting closer to Cortez said in a small voice, "Chief Cortez, what do you think of finding the heir first and keeping the two bags of gold to yourself? We all know you have eyes of great luck."

Another merchant chimed in, "That’s right. If Chief Cortez could find the heir, we can add the money to buying more goods! Or even better, he can be the heir."

Others joined in and laughed as they continued to drink, enjoying the show of the man who didn’t stop telling them what he heard.

Not too far away from where the merchants were drinking, Venantius covered his face with a hood and walked away from there.