The King Bears It!

Renji Abarai felt he must have lost his mind.

To think he had let his head get the better of him and agreed to such an outrageous proposal from Gilgamesh.

He wanted to back out, but his meager pride would not allow him to do so.

With no other choice, Renji Abarai could only put on a brave front: "Let me be clear, I agreed to follow you and become your subject, but if you fail to fulfill your promises, I will leave at any time."

Gilgamesh smiled. "Very well."

As he spoke, Gilgamesh felt his foot step on something, and he couldn't help but stop and look down.

Rukia, standing to the side, looked over with curiosity just as Gilgamesh moved his foot.

Rukia saw a pristine gemstone ring lying quietly on the ground.

With an expression of disbelief, Rukia instinctively picked up the gemstone ring.

Renji Abarai was walking in front and had not noticed anything unusual.

It was only after Renji Abarai had walked a fair distance that he realized Gilgamesh and Rukia were not following, so he couldn't help but turn his head to look.

At this glance, Renji Abarai saw Rukia holding a gemstone ring that looked incredibly valuable.

With a look of astonishment on his face, Renji Abarai walked over and asked, "Rukia, since when did you have that gemstone ring?"

Rukia shook her head gently and replied, "It's not mine, it's..."

"It's something Gil accidentally stepped on just now."

Rukia had originally wanted to say "the King," but after trying a few times, she still couldn't bring herself to say it.

Like Renji Abarai, Rukia had agreed to Gilgamesh's proposal on a whim and became his first subjects.

Therefore, Rukia had not yet truly acknowledged or accepted Gilgamesh's status as a king.

Renji Abarai was the same; for now, they still addressed Gilgamesh directly as "Gil."

Gilgamesh did not mind this in the slightest.

Renji Abarai, however, was dumbfounded after hearing Rukia's words.

He never expected that such an absurd stroke of luck could happen to the same person twice in such a short time, and each time more exaggerated than the last.

Although Renji Abarai didn't know how much the gemstone ring was worth, it had to be far more than 100,000 Kan.

Most importantly, in this remote, impoverished, and chaotic 78th District of South Rukongai, who would possess such a priceless gemstone ring?

And who would be so careless as to drop it in this desolate, sparsely populated wilderness?

If they hadn't heard there were precious water resources here, they wouldn't have come to this place either.

Yet, such an incredible thing had happened to Gilgamesh.

At this moment, Renji Abarai was starting to believe that Gilgamesh's previous humble-bragging was actually true.

Perhaps it really was a blessing from the heavens that destined him to be surrounded by wealth his entire life.

But what kind of person would receive such a blessing from the heavens?

Could it be that he truly was once a king?

Thinking this, Renji Abarai suddenly felt a strong urge to learn about Gilgamesh's past and wanted to know about his deeds during his time as a king.

Gilgamesh spoke up then: "Rukia, I will give this gemstone ring to you."

Rukia was stunned; she clearly hadn't expected Gilgamesh to give her such a valuable ring.

After coming to her senses, Rukia hurriedly waved her hands. "No, you were the one who found this gemstone ring, I can't take it."

Gilgamesh only said calmly, "I said I would grant you a lifetime of glory and wealth; this gemstone ring shall be the beginning."

As he spoke, Gilgamesh smiled slightly. "Besides, don't you think it suits you?"

Rukia, who had originally wanted to refuse, found that after hearing these words, she could no longer bring herself to say the refusal.

Initially, Rukia had felt an affinity for Gilgamesh due to his inherent skill, Charisma of the Beautiful Boy (C), and this affinity had only grown deeper with time.

Under these circumstances, Rukia associated the ring with its special meaning, and combined with Gilgamesh's words about it suiting her, her heart was thrown into chaos, and a blush gradually appeared on her face.

Perhaps because she was naturally thick-skinned, or perhaps due to her age.

Renji Abarai not only failed to notice Rukia's unusual behavior, but he even reached out to take the gemstone ring, saying, "Rukia, if you don't want it, give it to me."

"I think this gemstone ring suits me quite well, too."

Seeing this, Rukia immediately put the ring on her finger and protected it carefully, looking at Renji Abarai with vigilance. "Don't even think about this ring; Gil said it's for me, so it's mine."

Although this gemstone ring was found by chance.

Neither Gilgamesh, Rukia, nor Renji Abarai had any intention of looking for the owner.

Because the setting of Rukongai was equivalent to the Edo period of the human world, it was far too backward.

Furthermore, the area they were in was extremely chaotic and disorderly, and there were no law enforcement agencies like the police stations of the human world; finding the owner in such a place was simply impossible.

Moreover, in a place like this, one must never show off wealth, or it would inevitably invite disaster and even endanger one's life.

Renji Abarai still wanted to say something more.

Before he could even open his mouth, a voice dripping with greed rang out: "Hey, you brats over there, did you steal my gemstone ring?"

Renji Abarai and Rukia turned their heads at the sound, only to see three men dressed in tattered rags, looking like vagrants, staring greedily at the gemstone ring on Rukia's finger.

Having lived in Inuzuri for years, Renji Abarai and Rukia's expressions shifted violently; without a second thought, they grabbed Gilgamesh's hands, intent on making a run for it.

Renji Abarai and Rukia were only children of eleven or twelve, and having spent years without enough to eat, their bodies were far from sturdy, making it impossible for them to be a match for these three men.

If they didn't run, having the ring stolen would be the least of their worries; far more terrifying things awaited them.

One had to remember that in the chaotic district of Inuzuri, the act of killing and being killed played out every single day.

But just as Renji Abarai and Rukia turned to flee, they discovered that two more men, looking just like the others, had appeared on their path of escape.

Their faces were likewise twisted with greed.

It was clear that these two were part of the same group as the previous three.

Not only that, but the five of them moved as if well-trained, closing in on Gilgamesh's position and cutting off all other routes of retreat.

The expressions on Renji Abarai and Rukia's faces turned ugly in an instant.

In truth, if it were just the two of them, they might have had a chance to escape, given their years of survival experience in Inuzuri.

But that was impossible if they had to bring Gilgamesh along.

In their eyes, every move Gilgamesh made carried an air of nobility, as if he were a noble residing in the Seireitei.

And in this world, such people were always pampered and spoiled; how could he possibly possess the wealth of survival experience that they did?

The only chance now was to abandon Gilgamesh...

As if sharing a telepathic connection, Renji Abarai and Rukia exchanged a glance, both seeing the same resolve in each other's eyes.

Abandoning a companion was something they would never do.

That was right; Renji Abarai and Rukia had already come to view Gilgamesh as their companion.

Renji Abarai gritted his teeth and said, "Gil, listen well."

"In a moment, Rukia and I will hold off the two men in front. You find an opening and run, don't look back, and don't try to help us."

Rukia added, "Once you've run away, find a safe place to hide. Renji and I will come find you."

As their voices trailed off, Renji Abarai and Rukia prepared to move.

It was then that Gilgamesh's youthful, yet inherently majestic voice rang out: "Renji, Rukia, I have received your sentiments."

"But I am a King; how could I allow my young and weak subjects to stand before their King?"

"All of this is something the King should bear."