The palace was quite lively this morning. The bustling of the servants running around to meet the preparations, the tense commanders shouting to put their soldiers in order, and even the shouts of the people gathering at the outer gate could be heard. Flarka couldn't bear the noise any longer and sat up in bed. Holding his aching head and grumbling, he got out of bed and faced a wall where he had a gigantic map specially made.

On the map, each region of the Lacra kingdom was meticulously detailed. He had placed the map right in the middle of his room when it was made. That way, the map was always in front of his eyes as long as he was in the room. Every day, he would stand in front of the map and check if he had missed anything. He had set a goal for himself to reach even the most remote corners of the kingdom, and he believed he could achieve it with this map. When he saw the map, he wanted to review the route they would follow today one last time, but he couldn't focus. He slowly got up, thinking he had overindulged in alcohol the previous night. His headache had worsened due to the noise in the palace and its surroundings. Clutching his head tightly, he walked to the balcony.

The balcony overlooked the Dawn Forest directly. Although his room faced the back of the palace, he could hear the noise of the people gathered in front of the palace. After watching the Dawn Forest and the raging waters of the Gray Ocean stretching to the horizon for a while, he turned back. Stepping on the red floor cushion placed on the balcony, he entered the room. The wine bottle from the night before was still on the table. He tried his luck to drink the remaining two drops of wine in the bottle and then carelessly left the bottle in front of the mirror. He washed his face and stood motionless in front of the mirror, half-naked, with a towel hanging on his shoulder for a while when the doorbell rang. Then it rang again. And once more. However, Flarka continued to stand unresponsive in front of the mirror. Then the door was opened forcefully, and his sister, Flavia, suddenly rushed into the room.

"It seems like you're already awake. Come on, hurry up, everyone is getting impatient," she said in a hurried tone. At that moment, the palace attendants also entered with her. After taking a deep breath, Flarka said with a tired tone, "How could I not notice?" But Flavia didn't care about her brother's weariness in his voice.

"I'll be waiting right in front of the door. If you don't come out of this room ready within 5 minutes, I'm barging in. The time has started," he said mischievously, laughing, and quickly left the room again.

Flarka sighed deeply and started getting ready. Flavia had already sent the palace attendants in. Accompanied by his soldiers, Flarka put on his armor and took his sword. After examining his sword for a while, he walked out of his room with heavy steps. The corridors of the palace were wide and long. There were war depictions and artistic motifs on the walls. Torches placed on the columns were waiting for the sunset, ready to fulfill their duty of illuminating the nights. At the end of the corridor, stairs to the lower floor extended from both the right and left sides. Flarka waited for a while at the beginning of the stairs, sniffed the air, and then continued towards the direction where his sister was. Flavia greeted him as he descended the palace stairs. She had also put on her armor and carried her bow on her back. The furry black chest armor she put on made her look like a true Amazon warrior. Her brother greeted her with a nod and she accompanied him from a step behind in the king's group as they walked out of the palace together.

After leaving the palace gates, Flarka observed his surroundings for a while. He could now hear the noise of the crowd waiting in front of the gate more clearly. Palace attendants on both sides of the stone pavements in front of the gate had bowed in a gesture of respect, waiting for their king to pass. After gazing at the sky for a moment, Flarka took a deep breath and started walking towards the area where the soldiers were waiting.

The Royal Palace was constructed in a circular layout, consisting of three structures. The building where the royal members resided was known as the Royal Castle. It was located at the far end of the palace gardens, covering a considerable area. Watchtowers rising from its four corners added a grandeur to the castle. While one part of the building had an elevated roof, the other part opened up to a terrace. Along the edges of the terrace, statues of all the kings who had ruled the kingdom since its inception were lined up. Upon climbing the stairs, the first statue one encountered was that of Helia, the founding king of the empire. The subsequent kings were arranged on the right accompanied by inscriptions describing their accomplishments. Therefore, only members of the dynasty were allowed entry to the terrace, excluding everyone else. However, when a new king was to be announced, only palace attendants appointed by the previous king were permitted to ascend to the terrace. Once the future king was declared in the presence of the former kings, they would be announced to the public, and a coronation ceremony would take place in the Garden of Kings.
statues of the and left sides, The Garden of Kings faced the Royal Castle. In the middle of the garden, there was a large fountain and water was gushing out from its taps. Surrounding the fountain, there was a wide walking path. The path was enclosed by trees, serving as the boundary of the garden. The left side of the path belonged to the royal members, and it was strictly prohibited for anyone other than them to enter. In this area, the Royal Guards were constantly patrolling.

On the right side of the path, you would find the Military Building. The Military Building was constructed in a simple and oval shape. Its outward-facing windows were tightly secured with sturdy bars to prevent any potential attacks. The building was visibly divided in half by a thick column. The right side of the building was the area where the Royal Guards were stationed. The windows on the interior of the building overlooked the training area located at the back. The soldiers' training and the selection process for the Royal Guards took place in this area. It was designated as the gathering point for the soldiers in necessary situations. Those wishing to enter the palace had to pass through the gate located on the left side of the building. This gate was the only exit leading outside, and anyone desiring entry into the palace had to undergo a rigorous security check at this gate.

Flarka observed his surroundings for a while before starting to walk. As he passed through the garden, a gust of wind splashed water from the fountain onto his face. Lost in thought, Flarka continued walking while gazing at the pool. The Royal Guards, noticing his arrival, paused their patrol. Flarka tapped the shoulder of the nearest soldier and continued walking.

Before setting out for the hunt, he met with his soldiers at the training area. As soon as he appeared in the training area, all the soldiers snapped to attention. General Rhadam and Commander Marek of the Royal Guards stood at the forefront of the soldiers. As the King, accompanied by his entourage, walked towards the courtyard, his imposing presence was on full display. The gathering crowd at the entrance of the palace once again showed their respect for the King's majesty, even from a distance. The armor specially designed for the hunt was adorned with silver colors throughout, glistening in the sunlight. While the armor covered his entire body, it was lightweight and allowed for ease of movement, with exposed joints. The chest armor tightly embraced his figure and boasted intricate detailing. The scabbard of his sword featured a motif of a thorned rose. Flarka had donated a small fortune to the skilled craftsman who crafted the armor.

"My King, we are ready to depart whenever you wish," he said with a confident demeanor. Rhadam was a highly disciplined commander and held his soldiers in high regard.

"If I've learned anything from our years spent together on the battlefield, it's that I should trust your instincts, my old friend. Thank you," he replied, patting his shoulder and continued to move forward.

The old man leaning on the stairs felt embarrassed, akin to a child. He could do nothing but bow his head. Before taking two steps forward, Flarka turned to his vizier, Keraika, with his hand still on Rhadam's shoulder.

Then, he turned his face towards the group. Meanwhile, the commanders had returned to their positions. At the forefront of the group stood Kierra. Kierra was the King's personal guard. If Flavia hadn't sent him down to join the soldiers, Kierra would have continued standing guard at the door until Flarka awakened. He had determined the route for this hunt. Once Flarka mounted his horse, he quickly mounted his own and took his place behind him. Soon, the sound of the horn signaled the group to move.

The people had lined up along the roads, waiting for their kings. When the palace gates opened, everyone began shouting and cheering. The square in front of the palace was decorated, and a group of people danced at the forefront. The enthusiastic crowd had turned the entrance of the palace into a festive scene. The departing group walked through the jubilant crowd with pride on their faces. The throngs of people lining the roads pushed and jostled each other to get close to their kings, but the guards tried to keep the path clear, not allowing anyone to interfere.

Of course, this crowd had not gathered solely to show their love for the king and throw flowers at their path. Hundreds of people who wanted to convey their troubles, complaints, expectations, and desires to the king gathered, putting their written requests in envelopes and striving to deliver them to their kings. The soldiers at the roadside tried to collect as many envelopes as they could. Every year, before the hunt, the people's requests were collected in these envelopes, and after the hunt, each envelope would be carefully examined in search of a solution.

However, no matter how careful they were, it was impossible to examine each envelope individually. Therefore, Vizier Keraika would pre-examine these envelopes and present the ones he deemed more important to the king.

First, Flarka and the soldier carrying the royal flag emerged from the palace. The royal flag consisted of a white lion design on a green background. Immediately following the soldier, Flarka and Flavia emerged together. Then, Marek, Rhadam, and the remaining soldiers of the group followed in order. The ground soon became obscured by roses. The roses were not only reaching out to the king. Young girls were trying to deliver their roses to Kierra. However, Kierra continued on his path without looking at any of them, without hearing their voices, and without accepting the roses and love letters they extended. In the rear area, the soldiers, having received roses from their wives, began to walk through the crowd, sniffing the roses with smiles on their faces.

Those disappointed by the crowd were not only young girls carrying love letters. Elderly aunts and uncles who wanted to convey their complaint letters, farmers, or people who had been expelled from their shops and left unemployed also had to leave without delivering their letters. Because today, no complaint letters were being accepted.

As the group continued to quietly progress along the flowercovered roads, the noise of the city gradually faded away. The density of roses on the roads diminished, and the asphalt surface reappeared. After passing through the monumental historical arches placed at the entrance and exit points of the capital, as well as the approximately 10 square kilometers of empty land at the city's outskirts, they finally reached the city of Artel, located about 30 kilometers to the west of the capital, where they would stay overnight.