Chapter 19: Back to the Northern Asura Mountain Range
The last time that I came to the Northern Mountain Range for the fishes, it was with the two Jules, Jily and July. But this time, I am going there with Prince Yui- okay, fine, Yui, I will call you Yui, okay? Stop pouting already! Oh right, where was I? Yeah, I am going with Yui so this time, we are taking the Shadow Horse instead of the two Jules.
Why am I going to the North with Yui? Well, he wanted to meet my brother, Shinji-nii. Why? I have an idea but I sure hope that Yui won't do anything over the top.
Shinji-niisan's mental health right now wasn't very strong. After all, he had just died on Earth, right in front of Yousuke-niisan, nonetheless.
Shinji-niisan might be very strong when it comes to his brainpower, but his heart wasn't as strong as Yousuke-niisan. Shinji-nii's the kind that uses his brain more than his heart so when his heart is in pain like this, he doesn't have any good way of coping with it. Unlike Yousuke-nii, who was good at everything but doesn't have any specialization.
His mental strength is top grade but his heart-strength isn't. That's why he always guiltily loved Yousuke with a passion so simply and yet heart-wrenching pain. Yosuke-niisan had always called Shinji-niisan "Idiot" for it, too.
Still, the pain of losing the one that you love was never a pain that can be recover. It could only be slowly healed as time passed. For Shinji-niisan, the pain of being separated away from Yousuke-niisan might be more than just enough to kill him. I had experienced it myself to know the pain of losing my loved ones, so I know what I'm talking about.
So, I plan on going there to stop him from killing himself.
The roads to the North was a lot more peaceful than before, even without the Shadow Horse. This was due to all the trees that I had planted on the roads back then. The fruit trees that branch out to bear fruits like bells and grapes, the Bellyrina Fruits Trees. The fruits taste like lychee and mangosteen mixed. Slightly sour but about 90% of it is sweet with plenty amount of liquidly sweet nectar. The seeds are pretty small but there are 6 of them in one fruit. The Blood Cherry trees that tasted extremely bitter but are very useful in alchemy when it was not mature. When mature, it will taste extremely sweet and cherry-ing but have no use in alchemy. When not mature, it is very useful in alchemy but once it matures, this variety of cherry fruits cannot be used in alchemy. At all. The Star Apple that looked similar to the Akane Apple from Japan when it was not ripped yet was the last fruit trees that I had planted on the side of the roads. There are other fruit trees that I planted but these three kinds of trees are the ones that I like the most.
The Star Apple trees looked very similar to the apple from Earth. The Akane Apple. However, the leaves are slightly more narrow and thicker while its flower was bright red and looked like Blanket Flowers that are red. When small and unmatured, its taste was so sour that no beast or animal likes it. In fact, they stay away from it. When it ripped and mature, the tastes were very much similar to the Akane Apple from Earth, only far sweeter and juicier. It was less crispy but much softer than an apple from Earth.
The fruits from those trees attracted the "Honey Ball Bee" into making their nests upon those fruit trees. The Honey Ball Bees are non-aggressive beasts. However, this was only toward humans, elves, dwarves, demi-human, fairy, and magical beings.
Monsters such as beasts aren't able to come close to it due to the Bee's natural magic that repealed beasts away.
The bees are really friendly toward travelers, too.
So the roads to the North was getting more and more traveler. I just wonder how many of them reach as far as the Frozen Frost Fortress.
When I said that the roads to the north were getting more and more visitors, I really meant it.
Like right now.
There are five large wagons in front of us and five in the back. Since right now it's in the middle of Summer, even though the temperature didn't change it all in Karnosh City, people still feeling like going on vacations to the north.
Ever since the dungeon opened in Karnosh City, millions of people had already come and gone through this area. The northern people had also started to travel down to Karnosh City too. As a result, countless small roads had already formed from and to Karnosh City. This road was also one of the main roads leading to the north.
The wagons in the front look to be from a noble house so I didn't want to get their attention. As a result, I pull Yui into the carriage, yes, it's a carriage pulling by the Shadow Horse. Since Yui didn't want people to see me, in his words, "You're too adorable, Shin-chan! I don't want some insects to come near you!", or so he said as he summons up a dark red wagon to be pulled by the two shadow horses.
The shadow horse is a kind of large horse, a demon-beast horse to be more specific. It has pitch black skins and its hair is dark red. There are also bloodline magic veins on the legs and head of the horse so it looks very beautiful and elegant. Just one Shadow Horse has the strength of ten Jules. Their speed, stamina, reflexible, intelligence, and innate magic power was already far higher than a Rank C Adventurer.
It required 50 Rank B Adventurers to subjugate just one Shadow Horse. And even then, 49/50 of the adventurer won't come back alive. So, yes, they are a Rank A Demon-Beast, one of the rarest types of beasts in this part of the world. Why was it rare? Well, Arciors Continent is in the middlemost of this world's southern-western sphere so we are pretty damn far away from any part of the world that the demon could come to.
These two Shadow Horses, named Surha and Gurba by Yui, was just a foal, a baby horse when he came to Yui as a form of contribution.
The Shadow Horse lives near Surielsa City due to the dark elemental magic there. Surielsa City was one of the Forbidden Region in this Kingdom. And it just happens to be the backyard for Yui, who live in Bahamut City, the old capital city of this kingdom. So, yes, Surielsa City belongs to Prince Yui, just like how the federal lord Flavius lord over Karnosh City and two other regions. Prince Yui lords over Bahamut City, Burga City, Tasei City, Mainteal City, three other forests, and the forbidden city, Surielsa City.
Yeah, this guy has a lot on his plates and yet, he still has the times to come here with me. Just who is doing this guy's paperwork for him, then?
Yeah, who am I comparing him to? Myself? No way, I am not good with paperwork!
Just the paperwork from my two stores and from the farms was already causing me to sometimes ripped out my hair, there's no way that I am going to compare his work to mine! Why else do you think that I hired people to teach the kids how to read and write for? It is so that they can help me with the paperwork, of course!
Why else would I waste the money to hired people to teach the kids, then? It sure wasn't out of goodwill if that was what you were thinking off.
Anyway, as we continue to travel at a seriously slow pace toward the north, Yui would take every opportunity that he can think of and flirt with me.
For example,
"Shin-chan, say ~Ahhn" As he tries to feed me the fruits that the Honey Bees passed to him, while the Bees themselves giggles- I mean it, fucking damn giggles- as they watch me opened my mouth for the fruits. I can't reject him since it would only make Yui do even more over-the-top action such as kissing me in front of everyone!
Or,
"Shin-chan, your lapses are so soft!" What soft?! My thighs are even harder than steel!
Or,
"Shinichi, can I kiss you?" Oi, why the hell are you asking when you are already kissing me?! And stop that!
Or,
"Shin-chan, feed me, too!" Oi, I am only feeding the horses since it's their lunchtime, what does that have to do with me feeding you?! And, don't get jealous of a horse!
As you reader can see, my life right now was seriously annoying.
The only thing that's stopping me from letting anger get the best of me was due to the fact that if I do, yeah, this world will seriously be destroyed from it.
Cidetal was already begging me non-stop to not destroy her while crying as she begs Yui to not make me mad.
Not only does Yui ignore the Conscious, he even turned off his hearing ability to hear the World's Conscious while he was at it.
Sighs. The only thing that I can do was hand feed Yui to keep this man's power from surging when he's mad.
Still, I guess the truly happy face that Yui has was worth it.
What? I don't hate him, okay? I might not love him, but I don't hate him. He's seriously annoying at the best of times but he really does tries his best to make me the only one in his heart and soul, so the best that I could do in replied to that whole-heartedness of his was not to treat him like an enemy. Even though it was going to take this man a couple million more years to make sure that he truly does love me and only me for me to accept him, he is still going to do that.
This was the reason why I don't really try to avoid meeting this man. Because I knew that his sincerity tries to be the kind of man that would love only one person, for forever, that's why I don't hate him.
I hate man and woman who thinks that it is normal to be able to love two or more person at a time.
Well, if that person truly does love both parties equally, enough to divide his or her soul equally between the two of them, then I can accept that. But the love that people from the old day Chinese Traditional cultures? Not so much. I mean, come on, they have fucking damn concubines and consorts! They even have Di Wife and so on!
My impression of Chinese Culture was... Yeah. I respect their Food Cultural and their Literacy, but their married life was... a bit biased in my opinion. The way that they view women in the older day was just not something that I can accept, even though I am gay.
Not only that, the way that their morals and ethics are a bit contraindicating, their way of separating black and white was just not my thing. Their wisdom was great with plenty of history and their literature was very awesome, but the way that they live their lives is a bit too...
So, for Tian Yuanle, who's Primary Core was only a Black, it made it hard for me to fully trust his heart, as I am someone who's Core was Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and all other colors, even Purple and Black.
That's right. Tian Yuanle's very Soul was a pitch blackness full of Anger and Revenge. His primal instinct was destruction and obliteration. That's why he's the Greatest God that I know of- not counting two other someones because those two aren't even gods. Even though my knowledge of him was only a little, it was still enough to know that this man had never truly love anyone before. Not even himself.
I am the first person that this person got jealous over, and not just because of his ego as a man, but as a person who has fallen in love with someone.
That's why, it was so hard for Tian Yuanle to control his urge, his instinct when he's with me. Acting all childish and cheesy wasn't just his choice, it was also his instinct.
Once he fell for someone, it cost his instinct to be even more active. The feeling of wanting to utterly merge with someone or something until both of you are the same and one being. Yeah, his love was a kind of madness.
This is why I don't hate him. I never really hate him.
So, flirting with him like this, was fine with me. This might actually someday let me fell in mutual love with him, but I don't really mind much of those thoughts.
Even, if, when that happens, both I and he might cease to exist. I don't mind... much.
But for now, let's stop this action of flirting with him.
"Oi, Yui, your nose is bleeding!" What in the world was this man thinking of!
And why are you suddenly crying?!!! Are you looking into my thoughts?!
"Shinichi, you-you feed me for the first time, ever!" A large testy eye was glittering in front of my face.
Eh? Really? I know this guy for what? Nearly twenty million years? No, wait. Twenty-seven million years, already? And I had never fed him like this before?
... well... it's no wonder why he cries, then.
Sigh. Why do I suddenly feel like I am a very bad person? Wait, I was never a good person!
Kacha! Kacha!~
Hmm? Who's causing a commotion?
"What's going on?" The noises from outside was that of fighting but it doesn't sound like monsters since my monster sensitivity wasn't acting up.
That means... bandits?
Oh my god... Now of all time? Just when Yui was this happy? They'd appear?
Yeah, cannon fodder, alright.
Sigh.
Yui's happy face gradually darken as the temperature inside the carriage drop. The two shadow horses tremble in fear as they stop walking and locked down their feet on the road. Not moving a milliliter of movement.
A shadow emerges out from underneath the carriage as it shot towards the bandits.
In total, there were 50 bandits, but within one second flat, those so-called National level Bandits, the ban of merchants from anywhere, drop death with their faces brimming in pain and fear.
"Yui, you used Nightmare Shadow on them?" I asked as I take a peek out to see what happened to the other travelers.
All of the bandits had, unknowingly to everyone else, dropped dead. There was no wound to be found, no sight of attack from anywhere, no trace of curses.
Yep, this man has great control of his mana and strength alright.
[Bandits: 0]
Bel-chan even confirmed it.
This reminded me of when I first got into my first world.
"Hmph!" Yui was really annoyed with them for interrupting him, huh. I don't know why he even bothers wasting his energy on trash like them, for. It was not worth it.
"Who told them to interrupt our time?" The sulking look on Yui's face doesn't match the dark aura around him.
Sigh. What do I expect?
Forget it.
Yui and I didn't go out of our carriage. We left everything to the adventurers that the nobles hired to clean up the bandits.
A couple of minutes later, someone knocked on the door of our carriage.
"Excuse me, my name is Leashin. I would like to ask if anyone is injured inside or needed any help?" It seems to be the Adventurer that the carriage in front of us hired.
Leashin... Wasn't that the Grade B Adventurer knows as the Wind Crusader? I heard from the staffs at the Adventurer Guild in Karnosh City that Leashin's succession rate was 99.99%. Out of all the quests and missions that he had accepted, there was only a grade of A and above succession only. Any lower than that and he would punish himself.
Ah, by the way, his name was pronounced 'Lie-Sin' but spelled Le-a-shin, instead.
This man was really popular in Karnosh City. He also came to my store a couple of times. And every time, he would orders enough for 50 or so people, at a time. My store limited the amount of food that each person can order per day but in his case, he has the Token from the Adventurer Guild stating that he is buying for a whole group, so the limitation doesn't stop him from buying it.
I opened the door and look at Leashin.
Yep, this man has the character of an honorable knight and a great adventurer.
"Shirin-sama! My apology, I didn't know that this carriage belongs to you, sir!" The bright smile on Leashin's face as he said with a blush makes him look like a small child. Why was he smiling this brightly? Well, that's because my food has helped his daughter overcome her illness three months ago.
"It's fine, Leashin. How's the outside?" I asked as I lay my head on Yui's lapse, making him brightened up with happiness and forgotten to be jealous that I called someone else by their first name.
"Everything is fine now, Shirin-sama! Although we don't know why those bandits turn up dead suddenly, we still planning on not claiming it as our work. It has been decided by everyone that the money from their heads will be donated to the orphans." Leashin said as he'd scratch his head.
"Alright. You can go continue your work now. No need to worry about us," I said.
"Of course, Shirin-sama!" Leashin bows and left.
I don't even know why someone who's a Rank B adventurer would bow down to someone like me, who's still a rank C, but oh well. And yes, my Rank is still a Rank C. That's because I don't take quests that are above my rank and so I don't have enough requirements to increase my rank. This was why my Adventurer's rank didn't increase even after all this time. I don't want to change it, anyway.
"Shin-chan! Kisses!" Yui eruptive pull me underneath him and started to kiss me once Leashin left.
Lucky for Leashin that he had a married ring on, and didn't get Yui's jealousy.
Seeing the pure happiness within Yui's blue eyes, I was going to say no but instead, my hand pull his head down to my lips and sealed his smiling face off.
"!"
Licking my lips, I pull away from the frozen Yui.
Yep, Yui's lips do taste like honeyberry- the blood cherry- since he was just eating it. It took Yui a couple of seconds to get out of his state before he pulled me back into his arms and happily snuggle with me.
The rest of the traveling was at a constant slow pace.
Before, I didn't take a break a lot of breaks or stop by all of the villages or towns when I was going to the North, but this time, Yui stopped by a middle-sized town called Crikel Town. About 5 days away from the Frozen Frost Fortress. The largest town before Corles Village- whom was a little bit further North.
This town was a town that had very sweet fruit called the Grell Fruits, which are used in alchemy to make health potions. Beasts really hate this kind of fruits but summoned monsters love it.
So, I summoned up Little White and turn him into a small kitty sized cat, for convenience sake.
We rented a room at the highest class Inn here in this town, the Bell Clock Inn, for one night.
When we got to this town, it was already noon. So, Yui decided that we should go on a date. I didn't even get to say no before he pulls my hand with his and left our room.
I don't even need to turn my alert on to see that I and he are at the center of attention.
I can hear whispered of envy, awe, and surprised that two men are holding hand in broad daylight. However, they didn't dare to stop or say anything else either because Yui was wearing his Royal outfit.
And because Surha and Gurba were right behind us glaring at anyone that comes close with Little White on Surha's head acting totally like a boss with his/her attitude so coolly calm.
"Surha, Gurba, stop scaring them," I said as I pat the two shadow horses' heads before scratching Little White's ears. Little White purred happily as she/he fell into a light sleep on top of Surha's head.
Yui coldly looks at the surrounding people before he smiles brightly at them, causing them to go into a daze.
Yep, this man's charisma wasn't normal. He drew too much attention anywhere he goes.
Hmm? Oh, that stall looks interesting.
Leaving the idiot of a prince alone for a second, I make my way toward a small stall that sells wooden .... something?
Were these wooden planks? Soaked with infusion agent for making Symbology.
"Excuse me, how much are these?" I asked the stall keeper, an old man with a two-sided mustache.
"They are 200 suit⊮each." He answered, completely not allowing any argument.
I turned each plank over and analyzed the line of the grain on the wood planks. 250 lines total, so that means that these planks are made from trees that are at least 2500 years old. And not only that, their grains are very straight, making Symbology more efficiently. Were these planks made from Treant trees? Nah, it has to be from the Elderwolves Trees since it has this natural smell of wolfberry on it.
"Okay, can you give me 300 of these? And another 350 of these darker ones?" I asked, completely not caring that the old man's eyes had already widened in disbelief.
"Young master, are you a symbologist?" He asked as he pulls out three large boxes underneath his stall and one smaller one. After that, he also pulled out three other large boxes that are in darker colors.
"No, I don't know Ancient Magic. I study Magic Circles so these will be great for it," I totally lied. These pre-wooden planks are great for magic circles research, which I know that my brother, Shinji-nii will be interesting in.
The old man's eyes shine with curiosity but before he can ask me any question, a certain jealous Prince places his arms around my waist and look at the old man with a warning looks in his eyes.
I elbowed him. "Stop it." Stumping Yui's feet on his toes just for good measurement.
"That should be 130,000 suit⊮. Would you like me to pay with smaller coins or large coins?" I asked the old man. In small towns like these, it might be better for the old man if I pay in smaller coins size. But I will ask just in case.
Not like, there's anyone in this town that can hurt this old man, anyway. He's too powerful for anyone in this town to even touch him. Excluding me and Prince Yui, of course.
"Small ones please, if you can," The old man didn't hesitate to answer as he cautiously eyed both me and Prince Yui with a slight weariness in his eyes.
"Okay," I nodded as I handed him 130 coins of the Medium Silver Coins, as each one was already 1,000 suit⊮. So, 130 Medium Silver Coins should be 130,000 suit⊮ in total.
"Thank you," The old man said with a wary gaze at Yui. The old man cannot read me but that's fine since I don't have any hostility towards him but for Yui, who was looking at the old man like he wanted to smack him across the face for talking to me? Yeah, the old man was smart to be wary of Yui, alright.
Yui took the boxes into this Magical Bag before I could as he leads me away from the stall.
"Why are you so wary of that old man for? He's not that strong," I said as I slightly leaning into Yui, totally lazing.
"That old man's my so call Father's Teacher. He doesn't recognize me but he recognizes my clothes." Yui answered happily as I feel the right tug from his hand on my waist.
"Oh? That's the Grand Mage of Bahamut?" He doesn't seem much.
"Yep, he's not much," Yui replied back with a tone that said he really don't respect the so called teacher of the emperor.
Well, that was obvious.
Back at the old man,
"The Mad Prince and that man... are they lover? According to rumor, the Mad Prince was courting a Visitor... What a pair of Monsters. Your Highness, it seems like your idea of getting Prince Yui a fiance will have to be canceled. Especially if it is against this man that the so call Fiancee of Prince Yui will be facing. That person that you'd chosen won't survive..." The old man said to himself with a grimed look in his eyes.
"Still... A researcher of Magic Circles, huh." The old man suddenly smiles as his eyes shine with interest.
"Hehehehehe," He suddenly chuckled.
At the inn, Prince Yui suddenly stopped walking upstairs as his eyes flashed purple for a split second, and then a dark smirk grace his face.
Seeing the smirk from the corner of my eyes, I have to sign out loud.
"Yui, leave that old man alone. As for the so-called Fiancee of yours, don't kill her, either." I can hear the old man but I already know that the Emperor of this Kingdom was getting Prince Yui a Fiancee, too.
Only, the Emperor was hesitating because there's no girl that would want to marry Prince Yui due to his personality and his rumor of madness that had already long circulated around this world.
And yet, it seems like the Emperor cannot wait anymore.
According to Cidetal's information, it was a Princess from The Kingdom of Theodore. But, who she was, even Cidetal doesn't know yet.
Sighs. Politics.
"No, can't do. Shin-chan. If that Old-Man tries to get me to marry someone then he better be prepared for war because it won't be pretty." Yui replied with a dark chuckle.
Sigh.
The Emperor of this Kingdom doesn't know his son at all.
Well, not my fault if he made Yui his enemy. The so-called Emperor won't survive if he made Yui into an enemy.
After that, we went to sleep early and left the town early in the morning. Leaving behind all of the other people who were there for vocation.