The atmosphere in the throne room was chilling. The echoing giggles seeped through the walls like a wind whispering words of malice.
"You want to return?" Emperor Happy leaned back against his throne. "You've already abandoned us once. You're not a very popular person around here."
"I know, but all I ask is for a second chance," Galahad said. "You might know, but I've been in the slave business for a while. I was born to be a pirate."
"Of course I know," Emperor Happy said. "You were one of the captains of my fleet, yet you betrayed me, and I don't know if I can trust you again."
"That's alright," Galahad said. "All I wish is to be part of your fleet again. I don't have to be a captain; I just want to serve you faithfully."
"You're ready to abandon a well-respected captain position?" Emperor Happy narrowed his eyes. "I know you, Galahad. What are you planning?"
"I don't know what you're talking about, my Emperor." Galahad lowered his head even further. "Why else would I have come here if not to return to you?"
Emperor Happy stood up from his throne and stood over three meters tall, casting a shadow over Galahad, who looked like a child in comparison.
"That's what I have been wondering. Why did you come here, I wonder…"
"What does it take for you to trust me again?" Galahad asked with cold sweat rolling down his face.
The Emperor's shadow brought him a strange kind of pressure that threatened to crush his organs, and he could feel the weight of the world bearing down on him.
"Heh," Emperor Happy walked past him and went straight towards the lottery wheel of fate.
With his right hand, he spun the wheel, and it landed on "death," but he simply chuckled and turned back to Galahad.
"Last time, you didn't spin this wheel. This time, you must, and take your punishment like a man!"
Galahad's face turned pale, and he slowly stood up from the ground, his legs clearly shaking. It was the worst punishment that he could imagine.
He walked to the lottery wheel and stopped right in front of it. He looked at every fate, unable to decide which one was the worst.
One would think that the "death" was the worst, but he couldn't be quite sure after reading a couple of them.
The "life" was very tempting, but it was the smallest one in the wheel. It seemed impossible to get it.
"Spin it!" Emperor Happy ordered.
"Gods that speak, please give me fortune!" Galahad grabbed the lottery wheel's edge and then spun it around as strongly as he humanly could.
The lottery wheel started spinning rapidly, making that strange clicking noise that echoed throughout the throne room.
Galahad closed his eyes and kept listening to that clicking noise that would definitely keep him alive for years to come if he happened to survive now!
Emperor Happy crossed his arms and just watched with amusement.
The lottery wheel started to slow down. It went past the "death" fate and then kept turning until it went past the "life" fate.
It happened another couple of times.
The lottery wheel was now slowing down so much that it was barely moving. With a few more clicks, the wheel came to a halt and landed on one of the fates.
"Oh?" Emperor Happy uncrossed his arms and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You shouldn't have run away if this is your luck."
Galahad hesitantly opened his eyes and saw his fate.
The lottery wheel had stopped at "life."
'Yes!' Galahad's heart raced like a racing horse.
"It seems you are able to escape all punishments; well, lucky you!"
Emperor Happy then grabbed his shoulder and leaned closer to whisper into his ear.
"You may join my fleet once again, but if you disappear again without a word, there won't be a hole big enough for you to hide in.
"I will find you, no matter where you go. If you think you're safe in the Mortal World or even in the Dead World, you are sorely mistaken.
"This world is big, but not big enough for you!"
"I understand…" Galahad kneeled on the ground and kissed Emperor Happy's boot. "I am yours to command."
"…" Emperor Happy's eyes behind the mask looked cold as ice.
In the barracks, within the dining hall, a large feast had been put together. There were all sorts of delicacies laid out on the table, the aroma making everyone's mouths water.
Meat, fish, alcohol, and delicious desserts filled the table.
However, there were only two young men enjoying the feast. The feast was in their honor after all.
"So good!" Julian stuffed his mouth with food.
After victory in the fighting pit, they were given this feast to enjoy. It was a nice surprise since they hadn't been eating that well for the past few days.
They were slaves, after all, and their food rations were usually meager and unappetizing.
However, they clearly made Otto very happy with their victory and gave them this nice present to enjoy.
While enjoying his food, Kiernan fidgeted with his phone and sent messages to his father, who was asking his whereabouts.
"What are you doing with your phone?" Julian asked out of curiosity. "Those bastards took my phone. Shit, I should've hidden it inside your Spatial Ring!"
"I am sending messages to my father. He is very concerned about my well-being after not answering for a couple of days.
"Yeah, you had to shit out that Spatial Ring to receive your phone, after all!"
"Yeah…" Kiernan said with a long sigh.
It was just an excuse. He could've messaged it any time, but it was possible for someone in the slave quarters to find him using his phone, and he could've lost it.
Now, in the dining hall, it was only two of them, so he could use it more freely.
It was pretty hard for him to convince his father, but after exchanging a couple of messages, he stored his phone back in his inventory.
"We've now made a name for ourselves, but we're still only 2-Star slaves, and becoming 3-Star slaves is a faraway dream. You wanted to get out of this place in two months, right? We can't win our freedom in that time frame, so what's your plan?"