The God-Tier Commoner

Center of Attention

Lex arrived back at the inn, exhausted and with another shirt ripped to shreds. Borin looked up from polishing a mug and let out a long, weary sigh.

“Again, kid? What happened to the strong and shining armor? Did you trade it for a fight with a thorn bush?” He said with a mocking tone.

“Just give me a shirt,” Lex said, slumping against the counter. “I gave you a fortune in gold crowns, right? The least you can do is keep me in shirts.”

Borin shook his head in disbelief but reached under the counter. He tossed a simple, coarse linen shirt at Lex. “At this rate, I should buy stock in a rag-maker. Here.”

As Lex pulled on the scratchy new shirt, Borin leaned forward, his voice dropping to a gossipy tone. “Oh, right. Have you heard the news? We’ve got someone important making a big event in the Main Town. Whole kingdom’s buzzing.”

“Main Town?” Lex asked, buttoning the shirt. “Where’s that?”

Borin stared at him. “You are really, truly not from around here. Look. Aurelia has five major towns. There are two fishing towns on the shoreline, they are named Seaspire and Brinewater. Then there’s our town—Ironstead, and Oakhaven to the north. Four decent-sized spots.” He spread his fingers on the countertop like a map. “But all of them are small compared to the center. Crown’s Seat. That’s where everything important is. The King’s palace, the grand markets, the fancy academies… the real money.”

Lex nodded, finally getting a picture of the realm. “So what’s with this event?”

“Royal drama,” Borin said, his eyes gleaming. “Heard it’s a marriage proposal. Some stuffed-shirt, land-rich duke from the Heartland wants to marry our Princess Lyra. Looks like it’s going through, because the King is throwing a public feast to celebrate. If you’re curious, you could visit. You’ve got the coin for the trip now. Might be a sight.”

Lex thought about it for half a second. A royal proposal? In his past life, he’d been the star of expensive, flashy parties. The idea of being a spectator at one, especially for something as boring as politics, held zero appeal. “Hard pass,” he said, waving a hand. “Seen it, done it, got the boring t-shirt. I’m going to rest.”

He turned toward the stairs, dreaming of his lumpy bed.

Ping!

A blue panel snapped into existence right in front of his face.

[Quick Quest: Civic Curiosity.

Objective: Find something valuable in Crown’s Seat (The Center).

Time Limit: 10 hours.

Failure Penalty: Cannot take a bath for one (1) week.

TIMER STARTS NOW!

09:59:59…]

“Oh, come ON!” Lex yelled, startling a man drinking ale in the corner.

“What is it now, kid? You’re yellin’ at the air again. Stop that, It’s weird,” Borin grumbled.

Lex spun around, his desire to sleep utterly vaporized by the terrifying prospect of a week-long stink. “How do I get to Crown’s Seat? Fast!”

Borin blinked. “Changed your mind, did ya'? Carriage is fastest. Or a horse, if you can ride. Which I doubt.”

“Carriage. Where?”

“West gate. Couple of drivers always waiting. It’ll cost you. Maybe ten gold coins.”

Lex didn’t care about the cost. He just needed to move. He shoved two of his remaining Gold Crowns across the counter to Borin. “Give me coins. Small ones. I can’t pay a carriage driver with this.”

Borin happily exchanged the two large crowns for two hundred regular gold coins, which he poured into a small pouch. The coins jingled with promise. “Try not to get robbed,” he said, not sounding very concerned.

The carriage ride was bumpy, dusty, and took a couple of hours. Lex spent the time staring out at the changing scenery. The simple farmlands and forests around his starter town gave way to larger estates, then proper stone-paved roads. The traffic increased—more merchants, more guards, more people dressed in finer clothes.

Finally, the carriage crested a hill, and Lex saw it.

Crown’s Seat.

It was surrounded by a high, white stone wall. The main gate was a massive archway of carved marble, guarded by two soldiers in full, gleaming plate armor. They held elongated spears and watched everyone who entered and exited with stern, unblinking focus.

“Okay,” Lex whispered to himself, impressed despite himself. “I get it now. This is the center.”

He paid the driver and stepped through the gate.

The inside was like another world. The buildings weren’t just wood and stone; they were grand structures with columns and carved facades. The streets were wide and clean. And towering above it all, on a hill at the city’s heart, was the royal palace. It was made of pale marble and sun-bleached granite, with towers that pierced the sky.

But today, the city wasn’t just grand. It was a festival. Colorful silk buntings hung between buildings, fluttering in the breeze. The air smelled of roasting meat and sweet pastries from countless food stalls that lined the streets. Entertainers were everywhere: jesters tumbled, musicians played lively tunes, and even a few low-level wizards performed harmless flashes of light and illusion for cheering children.

The entire city was flowing toward a vast central square. In the middle of the square was a raised platform, decorated with gold cloth, fresh flowers, and the blue-and-silver banners of the royal family.

Lex moved with the crowd, his quest ticking down in the corner of his vision. Find something valuable. He looked around at the jewelry stalls, the weapon displays, the glittering goods. It all looked valuable. How was he supposed to know what the System meant?

Suddenly, a series of deep, resonant notes echoed from the palace walls. A royal fanfare.

The effect was instant. As one, the entire bustling crowd in the square fell silent and then bowed. It was a wave of motion—thousands of people dipping their heads in unison. Lex, caught off guard, was the only one left standing straight, looking around in confusion before hastily ducking his head, only halfway.

When the horns finished, the crowd rose. All eyes turned to the long, ornate balcony of the palace.

The doors opened. The royal family emerged.

First came the King. He was an older man with a kind but weary face, wearing robes of dazzling white silk trimmed with silver fur and a simple, elegant crown. A younger man, the Prince, followed. Both of them had a striking feature: hair the color of a summer sky. A distinctive, pale blue.

Lex’s brain stuttered. That’s familiar.

Then, she stepped onto the balcony.

Princess Lyra.

She wore a gown simpler than the others, a soft blue that almost matched her hair, but it made her look more real, more beautiful. She offered a small, polite wave to the adoring crowd, her expression regal but distant.

Lex’s mouth fell open. He wasn’t looking at a vague memory or a coincidence.

He was looking directly at the girl he had pulled out of a burlap sack in the woods. The girl he had saved and then immediately run away from.

“Now,” he whispered to himself, the noise of the crowd fading away. “That’s more familiar.”

On the balcony, the Princess’s eyes scanned the crowd. For a second, they seemed to pause, sweeping over the area where a dumbstruck commoner in a cheap shirt was staring right at her.

The System timer in Lex’s mind continued its relentless countdown. He had a quest to find something valuable. And he had just found out he’d accidentally saved, and then abandoned, the most valuable person in the kingdom.