I got near the king's chamber. I felt uneasy for a bit but still proceeded, I couldn't put my finger on it… I think I know what the problem was… but had no idea of realizing it... There were no guards to look for in the area. It was deserted it seemed. I started to think maybe the king had been moved from here already…
Still, we warily moved toward his chamber and opened the door to get inside but what we saw was only a few men and an old looking man who was lying on the bed. I monitored him and saw that although he was breathing, it was very weak… I also saw that the old man was wearing a gaudy outfit fit for a king…
Near the man, someone who looked rugged and old with the mustache you'd see on an eccentric villain was standing. Behind him only 5 or 6 soldiers were eyeing us with murderous intent. But they were all weak! Even the villain guy looked weak! Their intent to kill felt like a mosquito… What was with these weaklings? I thought there would be a stronger presence here...
They waged a war with these people at the head?!
(Rekka had no way to know that Treastein the country itself was irregular. Merlin and Melinda had filled the country with enough of their students that the Stein, which was their equal power back then, now lacked to fight Treastein and probably would get overwhelmed in a war. What Stein had was only numbers, while Treastein had quality. Had he known the real reason why the overlord didn't want a war… he wouldn't have been missing a huge piece in the puzzle. For now… he wouldn't need the puzzle, as such, he continued without any thought to solve it too.)
"Who are you lot?!... but I see you have brought me the princess!" he said with a scowl…
"Men, grab the princess, she'll be downed with the king too! The Royal family will end with this!" The man was really on his high horse, talking about killing such a cute young girl like it was nothing! But still, I was here on state business. I needed to hear him out first too… but he looked too impatient, since he readily sent his men to kill us.
"You.. ha!… have much less patience than I thought!" I said as I punched the men and thrashed them to the ground. But I saw that the others were having a hard time? Were these guys that strong?
"Ho! You are a strong one! What say you join me! I can give you anything you want!" he said with such confidence as if he was implying I was getting a blessing!
[Kill!] Amanori had already put the guy in her hit list.
"Tell me what your objectives are first." I said to at least get his plans out of him. Hearing me he smiled and started talking with more arrogance… the others were holding the other soldiers off so I listened to the man. Since stopping all his soldiers might make him worry I did not help the others.. The guy wasn't draped in Miasma… thus I took this chance... he just might be a good guy too.
"I am Hitherto Wallenstein. You should be honoured that I gave you a chance to join me…." His name sounded rather familiar… but he didn't give me time for me to fret and started to talk.
"As you can see, I have already captured the king, the Royal knights will be killed shortly. I will take the country under my control and direct the soldiers to each human nation!..." he was saying the practical things a villain would say of course world conquering….
"Then why kill the king?"
"He was weak and old age made him vulnerable, so at this age, he was spewing peace talks. He even wanted to join hands with Treastein! I just wanted to get rid of his responsibility! Now join me, I might even offer you a high ranking post. Your strength is commendable, invest yourself under me and you might find a life worth living." he was bribing me but the things he last said sounded too good to be true! If the king wanted to talk things out! My work may just be possible! As for his self indulgent words… yeah, I never listened to it.
After a lot of trouble, it seemed that I had gotten the sliver of hope that I needed. As I saw that I had just gotten here in the nick of time, I felt that I might actually have been given this impossible mission for my luck… as incredible as it sounded….this situation was probably the best… going forward my gut would be right and something unthinkable would happen when all this was done.
.....
As I finally understood which side I should save, the mind that was in turmoil until now cleared up. With calculative speed not losing to any supercomputer out there, I looked at the enemy and found him more than weak enough to kill.
The man didn't have any miasma on him; it probably said that he was only ambitious. Even if that was true, in the future he might turn out to be full of miasma… as such, I said what came to my mind. The time to be humble and low key was done… It was time to show the arrogance that I had.
"Shut up you fool! You're a weakling, do you think you can conquer humanity just like that?"
"Ha ha ha ha ha you think I am weak? Let me show you, I have what it takes to even kill the heroes!.." As he said that, he came to punch me. Since the battle between the soldiers and my companions had ended in our favour, he was the only one standing. Rose, who should have been much more powerful, looked like she was gasping for breath….. Something smells fishy here…
Hitherto moved towards me with a fist attack but I evaded it and punched him square on the stomach. He spitted out blood. I had punched him to injure him severely but to my surprise, he got up in no time and showed a triumphant smile.
[he has a cursed Item.] That's when Amanori said something which really surprised me.
Are you sure?
[Can you feel it? your comrades are getting weaker but on the other hand he is only getting stronger. He is much stronger from the time you came here, probably sucking of your power too]
What!? I can't feel anything! What kind of item? Do you know?
[don't know? there are a lot of em like that out there.]
{Caution! Individual King has started to lose the last of his life force.}
Then we have to finish this fight fast or! Holly shit the king is practically on death's door I don't have time to dilly dally any longer!
"It seems you have figured it out. I have the immortal bracelet! as long as people are around or any living thing is around! I won't die! Ha ha ha ha ha!" he laughed hysterically but there was no time to waste.
"Rose! We can't stay here any longer, get prepared. I am gonna transport all of you now!" I said without wasting time. Rose with the strength she had left grabbed onto Leilana and Ripple. I got hold of the king with the fastest speed I could muster. I grabbed the king and went towards Rose.
Activate a Portal. Destination my mansion!
{Portal activated}
(I would always be glad that I didn't opt to fight the Hitherto guy right then and there and leaving him alone right now was the best thing to do. Moreover, taking the king from under him was something that would make him do something that would never have been possible for even a hero. These are the times I get to realize just how luck can affect one's destiny… although… when I would actually realize my luck playing a huge part in this… all this would have already finished.)
As the System said, a light circle appeared on the ground beneath us and we fell in immediately. Since everything which happened had only taken a fraction of a second, the villain here didn't have any time to say or even think what was happening. But before I left, I had to leave him some last lines.
"Conquer the world my ass! Just wait until I get back!! I'll kill you myself!" After that I didn't hear what he said cause I had already fallen through and the Portal and had vanished.
"What! Are we saved? Did you really get us out?" the idiot Ripple was shaking me holding the collar. it seemed she could recover much faster. And back there I saw her already foaming in her mouth…. This idiot was one heck of a mystery.
"Shut up! Let me go! can't you see we are out! Now let me see the king, he is dying!" hearing so, not only Ripple but the confused Leilana also looked at the king. He was taking breaths really slowly.
"Hm…." I was concentrating.
System give him life force
{Life force transferring….}
{Subject unstable- Life readings… at 57 %. Body is extremely low on stamina.} The reason he was halfway dead was because of his malnutrition. I think the king was being drugged for some time. This was probably the reason he was so weak and low on stamina too. It was all a conspiracy...
Well he can probably live for now huh… does he have any disease? That villain did say that the king had gotten weak..
{..... No abnormal condition spotted. Alternating theory presents Subject had been under heavy pressure from the cursed item.}
Hmm, maybe it was from that cursed Item…. The king has been caught in a conspiracy.
"Is-is he s-safe now?" Since I had given him life force which normal humans couldn't control or have no knowledge about, it would only seem to others that he was given some light magic to recover energy.
"Yeah he is alright for now.. He needs a lot of rest… let me prepare you all some rooms… or rather I think you'd be more comfortable if given a separate space...hmm.."
As I was thinking, I called for Mai.. I wonder if she has already returned….
"Hey Mai are you there?" I was in our audience room on the first floor… Mai also had some kind of magic. she told me If I were at home she could practically hear me from anywhere in the house…
After a few moments, right on Schedule, Mai entered the Audience room and looked really surprised.
"Master!?"
"Yeah we will talk later, first get these guys a room and set up 3 beds…. Try to…. Make it a bit private for them okay?" They had just gotten out of the enemy's hands. They must have many things to consider… and talk about. At least until the king is back up, I have to hold them here…
The 2 including Rose had become really surprised at seeing someone calling me Master, well they must have no Idea where we were…
"Ripple and Princess you can go with Mai here. She will get you some private space. Until the king wakes up, I will provide you with living arrangements then we'll talk. And don't worry, this is my place, the enemies would not be able to come here."
"Yeah Alright. My lady lets go!" Hearing me Ripple heaved a sigh of relief and proceeded as such.
Hearing her, the Princess also nodded, she was still weak but I saw her get up.. I gotta say, Ripple's idiot side was helpful now, since she took me for my words without any second thought.
I guess if she believed someone, she believed them for life. On the other hand some maids had already come with a stretcher to carry the king to the room they were given. Not before welcoming me though. They had to send me off as soon as I came out of the lost dimension, so I could see that they were happy seeing me come early.
"Thank you sir Rekka, I don't even know who you are but you have saved our lives and even healed my Father, he had told me he was dying. I never thought I could see his face full of light again?!" she shed tears at last… man… this girl was strong willed for her age. all this must have made her emotional. Then to see the king's recovery, her feelings and emotions must be all over the place…. And finally I said her father would live… heh.. So the dam broke after she found a ray of hope.
"It's alright, I just did what anyone would do to people in need. Really, you guys should rest. I will see you after… you settled down a bit. His highness should be up by tomorrow morning. I will talk to you guys after that."
"That's very noble of you sir Rekka. I have to say I never saw an adventurer do all this stuff and still not talk about his rewards. I am glad you came for our help." Ooh? Hey, I guess that's what adventurers are supposed to do…. But I guess it slipped my mind…
"Don't worry Miss Ripple. I also thank you for trusting me and letting me help you."
"Can you please follow us Miss? we will take you to your room." The maids had settled up the king on the stretcher and following them the Princess and Ripple left. The princess even gave me a short bow before she went.
"Huh! Guess princesses can be like that too, but I just had to get a moody one…." I was talking about Alice since she was also a princess but she was nowhere near this tactful. But unruly girls also had their own charm… I guess?
"Master…"
"Nope" I was sure Mai was going to say something about me catching more girls so I said no even before she said something. Also Rose was still here. She would never stop pestering me after this.
"Are we really in your mansion now?" Rose looked like she had gotten up after all this time…
"Yeah it is my transportation magic. We can go back to the place we have been before."
"Amazing! Even Lady Melinda can't move this much distance with teleportation!"
"Whoa really?" That was news to me… but my teleportation spell doesn't really see how far away it is. What it needs to know is where to connect the opening of the portal…. This was like a mini wormhole. The perfect use of void magic. Boy, 3 years of training prepared me for nearly anything!
"Alright Rose, rest here for the night and don't tell anyone what happened here you understand?"
"Yes, I will take my leave then." she said very curtly
"Wow, no talking back?"
"I have seen what you are capable of, even if the situation gets out of hand. I believe you can handle it. so I am just taking orders from you now. My intrusion would probably just hinder you anyway...`` She said very casually, guess It's okay this way. She doesn't know my full capabilities...and this realization was enough for her to stop giving her thoughts… man… this girl was too uptight.
As I said okay, she left with another maid to her prepared room. Only Mai was left with me.
"Master, do you prefer a shower or dinner first. I can even get some maids."
"Yeah I should take a bath. I endured a long journey….." I didn't really over react to Mai. I think I could use some healing moments with hot maids too but I buried those thoughts deep within me.
"Master has learned to guard his mind, I see. I will have to reach a new level too."
"This isn't a competition you know… just let me have a bath…" I said while we went to the bath house.
"Yes Master." I think seeing my tired face made her stop… teasing for now. Although I had thought up plans to stop the war and help the Royal family, it all went downhill.
Somehow the coup started and now things were like an over blown balloon ready to pop. still it wasn't too out of hand. Although I could kill the Hitherto guy then and there… it was risky, if the king died on me then all would be for naught.
I saw many forces in the capital but it was not enough to wage war in a country. That guy is sure to gather many more forces. Also the king's absence might hinder his plans too. Since only the royal capital had been raged by this coup, then the rest of the country would still be intact. I have to stop the war before they get ready… but I need to see what the king wants… all depends on him being able to rule again… I really wish that I could save a prince rather than a princess this time… I could have coerced him into playing king...