The Path Of A True King.-Chapter 4: Your Will Would Have Broken.

Chapter 44

As the last of the gang members left the room, only Elijah and Kai remained.

The dim light from the flickering bulb overhead cast long shadows across the space, the air thick with the scent of sweat and cigarette smoke left behind by the others.

The night outside was quiet, save for the occasional distant sound of a siren or the low hum of the city that never truly slept.

Kai broke the silence, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "I have to admit, I’m impressed.

You managed to reach the Intermediate Knight stage this fast."

Elijah, still leaning against the wooden table in the center of the room, crossed his arms.

His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the dim light. "Don’t try to sugarcoat it, I’m still mad at you."

Kai chuckled, his voice light but his expression serious. "I know, and I’m sorry. But if I had left you, your will to continue would have been broken."

Elijah let out a breath, his irritation fading as he nodded. "Thanks, man. You’re the best."

Kai shrugged, his smirk widening. "I never do anything that doesn’t benefit you."

Elijah rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless.

The tension in the room had eased, though an unspoken understanding remained between them.

He then frowned slightly. "Oh, I didn’t see Lucas. Where is he?"

Kai leaned back against the couch, stretching his arms.

"He went with Ben’s men to make sure those idiots don’t try to attack us without knowing what they’re up against."

Elijah nodded in understanding. "Ben... He’s that rude guy, right?"

Kai scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, that’s him. Don’t mind him too much. For now, he seems to be working with us."

"Then what’s the problem?" Elijah asked, his tone curious.

Kai exhaled sharply. "Think about it.

Those men are in their early to late twenties.

Why would any of them respect a couple of teenagers as their leaders?

Their pride won’t let them.

That was a mistake on my part."

Elijah’s expression turned serious. "That makes it my mistake.

Everything you guys do represents me.

Your strengths and also your weaknesses."

Kai raised an eyebrow, looking at Elijah with an amused yet skeptical expression. "What did you do to my friend?"

Elijah blinked. "Huh?"

Kai shook his head with a chuckle.

"You probably don’t even realize it, but your focus was always just on money before."

Elijah gave a small laugh and then changed the subject. "By the way, how did you create the gang symbol so fast?"

Kai’s smirk returned. "You like it?"

Elijah’s eyes lit up for a moment. "Yeah. It’s exactly how I imagined it."

Kai chuckled. "Didn’t cost much, either.

Ben already had his men wearing suits, so putting the symbol on them only cost about $2,000.

We’re making a lot of money now, but after paying everyone, our profits as leaders are only around $1,000. I’m not sure what to do next."

A heavy silence settled between them, the weight of responsibility pressing down. Elijah stared at the floor for a moment before a thought struck him. "How about this?"

Kai perked up. "I’m listening."

Elijah leaned forward, his voice more confident.

"The happier the people, the more money they’ll be willing to pay. So, let’s invest in the community.

Buy up the shops in this area, clean up the streets, and make it a place where more people will want to come and do business.

Also, have Ben’s men help the people—not for free, but in a way that makes them seem like protectors rather than extortionists. That way, there’ll be less resistance."

Kai stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. "So those night lessons weren’t a waste after all. If it’s like this, then let me sleep while you handle the rest."

Elijah’s eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute... You planned this, didn’t you?"

Kai was already lying down on the couch, smirking. "You’re the leader. And because of your ’brilliant’ plan, you’ll need to oversee the finances and make adjustments where needed. We’ll start tomorrow once you’ve learned."

Elijah glanced at the stack of papers on Kai’s desk and let out a long sigh.

The numbers, reports, and projections were enough to make his head hurt.

As Kai’s soft snores filled the room, Elijah muttered, "I hate you."

Meanwhile, back at the pool club, Lucas returned just as a new group of men departed with Tristan.

He immediately spotted Mia sitting at the counter, sipping a juice Aurora had handed her.

"Hey, Mia. You’re here. How are you?" Lucas greeted.

Mia gave a small smile. "Doing good. Just came to see Kai, but he told me to wait."

Aurora, who had been listening, suddenly spoke up. "About Elijah... why is he the leader?"

Lucas blinked. "Oh, is Elijah here too?"

Mia nodded but kept her focus on Aurora. "Why do you ask?"

Aurora leaned on the counter, her expression thoughtful. "Well... Kai seems more suited for the position, doesn’t he?"

Mia rested her head on her arms, staring at Aurora. "How long have you known Kai?"

Aurora hesitated before answering, "Since I started dating his brother... about four years ago."

Mia sighed. "Then describe him."

Aurora frowned, searching for the right words.

"He’s cunning, controlling... He likes everything under his control and doesn’t trust anyone. He keeps people at a distance and only sees their benefits."

Mia nodded. "That’s true. But do you know why Kai seeks power so much?"

Aurora hesitated. "No."

Mia’s voice softened. "So that he won’t lose Elijah. Even his brother, me, or my mother—if we were put in front of Elijah, we wouldn’t mean anything.

If it came down to saving Elijah, Kai would kill us all without a second thought because Elijah is his only reason for living.

When his parents died, when he was alone, when his brother was lost in drugs and racing, Elijah was always by his side. Elijah is the reason Kai is who he is."

Aurora’s confusion deepened. "Kai is cold and ruthless, but Elijah is caring and kind. How does that make sense?"

Mia smiled sadly. "Because Kai knows one thing—Elijah may do bad things for the sake of the people he loves, but there are lines he won’t cross. Kai made himself this way to cover for Elijah’s weaknesses."

Lucas, who had been listening quietly, added, "So you’re saying Kai knew that if he became the leader, he’d be too ruthless?"

Mia shook her head. "Not exactly. But yes, Kai didn’t take the position because he didn’t want to become like the rest of the gang leaders—ruthless, emotionless. He believes a leader should care for their members and create a family, not just rule through fear."

At that moment, Jack’s towering figure appeared from nowhere. "Does it really matter who leads? Elijah and Kai are on the same team. They cover each other’s weaknesses."

Lucas groaned. "Do you always show up out of nowhere?"

Jack smirked. "Lucas, do you want to fight?"

"Nope."

"Why not?" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Lucas looked at him like he was crazy. "You’re stronger than me even without using your breathing technique. Go fight Elijah or Kai."

Jack sighed. "They’re busy. Kevin, how about you?"

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to fight so badly?"

Jack grinned. "Because when I felt Elijah’s power, I knew I had to train like hell to catch up."

Lucas chuckled. "Honestly, I still think you could beat him."

Jack shrugged, then turned to Mia. "Mia, the beautiful flower of our team... who do you think is the most handsome?"

Mia just chuckled, refusing to answer.