~4690 words
"I am telling you; this is too big. It isn't a good fit." Nanahoshi argued, crossing her arms as she stood between Julian and Adam.
Julian was sitting on the sofa in the living room, his head tilted to the side quizzically as he looked up at her, his face grousing visible confusion as he looked at her and then at Adam who was sitting down on the soft carpet, looking at his clothes with sparkles in his eyes.
"He seems quite happy with it. And it's comfortable." Julian retorted, looking back down at the book in his lap. His damp, silky white hair fell on his eyes. Using his fingers, he combed them back, not wanting to argue anymore.
"Of course, he is happy. He never had any good clothes to wear." She retorted. Holding the scruff of Adam's shirt, she pointed out, "This is literally your shirt. How is a little boy supposed to wear this? The shirt alone is taller than him!"
"But he hasn't done anything to deserve clothes. I will buy him whatever he wants once he shows me the results." Julian spoke back, not lifting his gaze up. There were dark bags under his eyes as he constantly read books bought from the school library and the ones Orsted gave him. He was close to finding the cure for his mother.
"How will he do anything in this state?" Nanahoshi spoke again, her voice meek but there was determination in her voice.
"Up to him to figure this out." He shrugged his shoulders, leaning his chin over his knuckles.
"Hmph. Don't be so harsh on him. I am going to buy something for him."
"I am not stopping you. I said "I" won't give anything to him and it's up to him to figure out how to get proper clothes. Seems like he's got on your good side, so he solved the issue already." Julian explained, flipping the page as it made a slight rustling sound.
Adam tilted his head in confusion, no idea what his master was yapping about. After all, his master had a habit of yapping bullshit, non-stop. Or at least, it was bullshit to an ordinary person hearing him.
"Do you want to tag along?" Sighing, Nanahoshi asked as she motioned for Adam to stand up. He stood up but immediately sat back, a tsunami of dread washing over him. His small frame trembled, and he seemed to pull his chest back in, to seem as diminutive as possible.
"Hm? No. Ariel is coming later in the afternoon. You can go." He replied, flipping another page and then pursed his lips, as if stifling a yawn.
"What business does THAT woman have to do with you?" She asked, her voice growling in her throat. Despite the dialogue seething with malice, her softness made it sound much less intimidating.
"A few things." With an air of indifference, followed by a subtle sigh, he mumbled and flipped yet another page.
"I see...." She looked down, "....well, anyways. Adam, wear your previous clothes. We are going outside."
"Hm. Hm." He hummed vigorously before looking back at Julian. He looked up at him, meeting his scarlet eyes before hanging his head back on the book.
"If she says so, you can do it. You don't have to ask for my validation."
With an otherwise blank look, spoiled with a suppressed smile, Adam stood up and quickly changed to his previous tattered clothes. Nanahoshi glanced one look back at Julian, waiting, if he would say something. Adam stood beside her, watching her look at Julian with a sad look who was immersed in the book in his hand.
There was uncertainty in his chest. He wondered, why did she love him? Why this guy of all people? He was absolutely terrified of him himself.
Nanahoshi heaved in a deep breath as she turned on her heel and started walking towards the door that led to the lawn outside. She placed her hand on the knob, turning it counterclockwise and pulled open the double doors, the morning sunlight rushing into her eyes. She stepped to the side and let Adam get out from the door first.
"Take care." Julian mumbled, just loud enough for her to hear while still looking down.
Her eyes shone as a smile, despite how much she tried to hold it in, crept up her face. Happily, she fumbled with her thumbs before answering, "You too."
"Mhmm. Activate the ring if you feel someone following you. I will be there before you know it, ok?"
"Heh. What's this? Are you suddenly worried about me after ignoring me?"
"Not really." Julian shrugged.
Giggling to herself, she closed the door behind her, hopping away happily as Adam ran behind a giddy Nanahoshi---totally forgetting about the fact that Ariel was still coming over.
"Hmm. Only took this much?" Julian murmured to himself, concluding his reading session with a resounding closure of the book, which emitted a thunderous flap as the pages made contact.
(***)
Nanahoshi and Adam walked through the market jammed with an overwhelming amount of gaggle, looking for every kind of thing. Adam shifted uncomfortably, not used to so many people. He had seen many people before but never freely walked amongst them in so long---let alone walk normally.
He wasn't being pulled around or slapped every instant he didn't walk properly. Despite it being a good change, he felt nervous. He inched closer to her, worried he might get lost if he moves away from her.
Nanahoshi, who was in a good mood patted his head and held him by his wrist. "Now you don't have to worry about being lost."
"Hm." He only hummed in reply, his heart feeling much warmer and safer than before.
"When I was little, I used to cling on to my mom's finger in the busy markets. I was so paranoid about being separated and then kidnapped by bad guys that after a while, I stopped going outside altogether. I mean...." her voice trailed off as she remembered her time in Japan, ".... I still went out, of course, but limited it by a lot. Never really liked the outside world a lot to be honest." She kept talking before suddenly realising something, "Oh sorry. I might be boring you to death. I sounded like a grandma, ugh..." She grumbled.
"No...." He spoke out loud for the first time, shaking his head aggressively.
Nanahoshi's eyes widened as she heard him talk, "Oh? You can talk? I almost thought you didn't know how to speak."
Adam looked down, embarrassed.
"So, you want to hear what happened next?" She asked, excited to rant about her childhood to someone since Julian almost never heard her talk excessively. It wasn't like he didn't want to. But rather the tasks with Orsted and the plethora of documents along with the search for cure for his mother left him with next to no time to hear idle chatter.
"Hm. Hm." Adam affirmed.
"Heh. Well, there was this one time...." She reminisced.
She continued to talk about her life before in Japan and after coming to this world. Of course, she did not tell him about her being from another world. Adam noticed how happy she seemed talking about the previous 5 years of her life. The time period when she met Julian.
The initial amusement morphed into confusion. As he began asking himself about something. He then turned to Nanahoshi.
"M-Miss Nanahoshi..." He spoke respectfully after she had finished talking.
"Yes?"
"Do you like master?"
"Err...." She blushed at the sudden question. Coughing, she mumbled, "....ehm, err, well, you know, uhh, yeah, I do."
"Why do you like him even when he is abusing you?" He asked and then placed his hand on his mouth, as if he had uttered blasphemy.
"Abuse?"
"Sorry to say that. I am really sorry. Please don't tell him...." He stopped in the middle of the track, trembling.
"Huh? Oh, don't worry about that, I won't. But what do you mean by abuse?"
Seeing that she wasn't lying, Adam hesitatingly spoke again, "Well.... last night, wasn't he beating you? You were crying and screaming."
Nanahoshi's face flushed in a crimson shade, steam rolling out of her eyes as she suddenly felt dizzy. Like a volcano erupting, her shyness seemed to peak and erupted at the same moment. Her lips opened and closed, trying to form words but she couldn't.
"Miss...?" Adam seemed to be worried about her sudden change.
"Do. Not. Talk. About. That. Again." She spoke, hiding her bright red face as Adam nodded reluctantly. "He wasn't beating me. I fell and was hurting from the wound. It was only that. He casted healing magic on me to help me."
"He....helped you?"
"Hm...uh, yeah, he definitely helped me last night." She mumbled; her tongue heavy as the events played like a movie in her mind, "Anyways." She continued, slapping her cheeks to get rid of those thoughts, "Let's get you some clothes."
(***)
Julian Greyrat
After I had completed the book, I took a quick shower, washing away the tiredness from my limbs and then got dressed. It was about time I talked to Ariel. My meeting with her was long overdue.
There were a few things to consider here. Man God doesn't want Ariel to be the ruler of Asura. In contrast Orsted wanted exactly the opposite.
From a rational standpoint, one might consider this a potential ruse. Yet, the sequence of events had not given me cause to think otherwise. There existed no overt irregularity in the process of the first prince's path to the throne, though an element of suspicion lingered.
There was no anomaly in the conduction of his ascend---almost.
Almost... things seem too convenient these days. Anyways, the main reason was the revolution that each counterpart would bring to the kingdom of Asura. Grabell leading Asura into an era of Knights that would crumble and Ariel into a golden age of magicians that would continue to thrive.
Hence, Ariel needed to become the next ruler. Orsted couldn't think much of how to do it, other than just brute forcing through the First Prince's allies and putting her on the throne.
However, it's worth noting that a monarch placed on the throne through external intervention, lacking the consensus of their worthiness, tends to experience a swift downfall... at the hands of their own subjects.
It was honestly a pain. Although there were a few things one could simply just not run away from. There were a few reasons to help Ariel.
One of them being my personal one.
"Haah... I should grab a bite to eat," I mumbled to myself, my vision slightly blurred from the lack of sleep. I traced my hand along the railing that ran alongside the staircase, making my way downstairs.
My footsteps were muted by the plush carpeting on the steps, causing my feet to almost bounce with each stride.
Glancing at the railing, I noticed it was crafted from polished wood. Its sheen was quite remarkable.
Hmmm.
With a spontaneous decision, I swung one leg over it, settling onto the rail and shifting my body weight forward. The sleek surface and the gentle fabric offered minimal friction as I smoothly glided down the wide railing, evoking the sensation of being pulled on a sled through fresh snow.
Yet, the joys of the moment proved to be fleeting.
Just as a giddy thrill surged through my veins while sliding, the stairs abruptly terminated, and my failure to factor this in led to an unfortunate stumble. I tumbled headlong, plummeting face-first onto the warm wooden floor. The audible crack of my nose bone breaking resonated, accompanied by a disconcerting wet squelch.
Sitting on the floor, I touched my nose as the fingertips got drenched into thick, red blood. I touched the base of my nose and felt a gaping hole. The nose had broken from its base. I touched it once. "Ow."
And then again, "ow."
And once more.
It did hurt. Hmm. It hurts! It really hurts!
Self-inflicted pain seemed to hurt more than the ones effectuated by others. Maybe I should break it even more. Hm.
Grabbing the middle of my nose between my thumb and index finger, I pinched it hard enough. A stabbing sensation went throughout my body.
Ahh.... maybe I should stop.
[Healing Magic]
"You're enjoying yourself." A congenial, dulcet voice cut through the unsettling noise of my nasal bones audibly rejoining and reattaching themselves under the influence of my spell.
I felt my head swivel instinctively towards the source of the sound, the timber carrying a unique duende that captivated my attention as soon as the words echoed in the corridors of my mind.
"Kind of." I replied as my nose fully reattached itself, returning to its former glory as I looked up at her form.
She was not wearing her uniform, so she looked quite different.
Her long, golden locks were meticulously fashioned into an elegant bun at the nape of her neck that seemed to almost shine due to the natural sunlight permeating from the open doors behind her. It wasn't a full bun since the majority of her hair fell down, stopping just below her buttocks while the bun itself was held in place using a pink ribbon.
Two delicate braids cascaded gracefully from either side of her head, flowing like rivers of sunshine to merge with the bun.
Her eyes---a peculiar shade of blue---seemed to mirror the recondite depths of the ocean as they held a captivating allure, drawing one in with their tranquil, mysterious charm.
She adorned herself in a gown of pure white and soft pink, a garment that gracefully enveloped her entire form. Below her bosoms, the dress blossomed with a scattering of delicate frills, lending an air of innocence to her attire.
Her sleeves tapered elegantly as they descended toward her wrists and narrowed down.
Her visage was marked by a cherubic, rounded face, a striking contrast to Shizuka's more angular features. Her figure was modest, with bosoms that possessed a gentle, inviting curvature, just enough to cradle in the palm of a hand.
Ariel Anemoi Asura.
"Seeing you again calms my throbbing.... heart." She said as she tilted to the side, coming closer to me.
"You're dressed up." I replied, standing up and wiping the blood from my face.
"Well, I had to, given I was about to meet my unfaithful puppy." She spoke up, walking closer as she placed her index finger under my chin.
"Unfaithful?" I asked incredulously as I gently gripped her wrist.
"Oh my. Did you forget already?" She spoke and got even closer, not letting her hand be removed from my face, "I wouldn't take it lightly, but since you yourself have let someone in my territory, I can't really do anything about it." Her face was blushing, carrying an ecstatic look on it.
What's wrong with her?
Swatting her hand to the side, I motioned for her to sit on the couch. She giggled and moved past me, walking towards the sofa that had a glass table in front of it. Correcting her dress, she plopped down elegantly, maintaining a royal air that was ingrained in her being since her birth.
As she made herself comfortable on the sofa, I went towards the kitchen. "Tea or coffee?"
"Alcohol would do." She replied, almost immediately, smiling from ear to ear.
"Tea it is." I replied back. While I didn't think of alcohol as a bad thing, I still avoided it. Anything that snatches my rationality away, or even has a chance of lowering my guard was something I had always strived to avoid. At least for now.
"Awww, no fun." She grumbled and leaned back. However, for some reason, she seemed restless as she left the back support and leaned forward this time, playing with the flower vase. She gently caressed the flower petal that was the same shade of pink as her dress as a sombre smile played on the corner of her lips.
Looking back down, I poured the tea into two cups and placed them on the tray alongside two spoons and a transparent container that had sugar in it. Picking the tray up from the sides, I slowly took it towards her. Once I was there, I placed the tray in the middle of the table and picked my own cup.
"You came alone?" I asked, looking behind her as I sensed no mana signature.
"Oh no. I received your letter, dressed up and ran away." She replied in a nonchalant tone, elegantly putting two spoons of sugar and gently stirring it.
"I see." I replied, taking a quick sip from my tea. The hot liquid was quite refreshing, making the heaviness on my eyes slowly dissipate.
"No sugar?" She asked, watching me drink the tea without adding any sort of sweetener.
"I prefer my tea bitter."
"I'd prefer you taste sweet."
"Pardon?"
"Ehm, nothing, nothing." She stammered, wiping her lips, almost as if she was drooling a while ago. Stirring the spoon in her drink, she picked it up and blew the smoke away, taking a quick sip from it. "Mmph~ It's good. Very good!"
She almost moaned. Why does she need to moan though? Anyways...
"So? Why did you summon me here today? I can see you're already satisfied with that girl you're keeping here so it's definitely not because you want to have your way with my body. Although that is a shame"
"You can tell?" I asked, raising a brow.
"I can smell her all over you. I am actually very mad now. Can you tell?" She asked with a very relaxed face, a bright smile over her face.
However, despite how serene her face looked... it gave away. "I can, actually."
"How?"
"You clash your nails together when you're anxious, don't you?"
Her eyes widened and I almost felt her gasp, her grip over the handle of the cup loosening.
"Careful. If you spill the tea, I'll have you wash it. The stains are a pain to remove."
"How do you know that? No, I want to know, how do you know that?" She inquired, setting the tea back on the table and leaning toward me. The lowered neckline of her dress offered an almost unobstructed glimpse of her chest, its gentle sway akin to a pendulum, subtly sagging downward while affected by the pull of gravity.
Ehm.
"You were doing that when you saw Luke fail to kill the monsters when we first met. You thought if he couldn't do it despite being laced with magic artefacts from head to toe, there was no way someone of your age would be able to do it as well. Then again when you were negotiating with me in Milbotts region. Again when you were contemplating whether to kiss me or not"
I laid out the truth. Her already widened eyes widened even more. It almost felt like they'd pop off from the socket.
"You knew about the kiss?"
"I could tell you wanted to kiss me. You had been staring at my lips for quite a while. Just like right now." I spoke as she suddenly blushed.
She blushes quite a lot for someone so bold.
"So you let me kiss you back then, is what you're saying. Why?"
"A man is born with many curiosities." I replied simply. "Some are fulfilled on a whim, some accidently. The motive behind doing so stays the same. To satiate that curiosity."
"Are you satisfied now?" She asked with a grin, folding her hands beneath her bosoms and slightly alleviating them.
"No. That is why I called you here today. I knew you'd come alone."
She suddenly wrapped her hands around herself, blushing until she turned as red as a tomato.
She really can't take a joke, can she?
"Regardless of all that, what I wanted to talk about was the current condition of the Kingdom of Asura." I broke the awkward, mildly sexual tension as she returned to her former way, her face now composed.
"Yes, please."
"Hm. So, the political condition of the Kingdom of Asura," I began, "has taken a dark and treacherous turn since the rumours of your death.... at least as long as it concerns you." I paused, my words hanging in the air, thick with unspoken imminence.
"I see... Do you know anything in detail? I have not been able to contact anyone during this time." She replied, her grip on the cup in her hand twitching.
I observed Ariel closely, her eyes hidden behind a cascade of golden locks that framed her face like a mourning shroud. She put the cup back on the tray, her delicate fingers gripping the armrest of her chair, knuckles pale against the dark wood.
She was a study in contrast—the bewitching beauty marred by the weight of betrayal and loss.
I continued, my words measured, "The first prince—Grabell Asura—will ascend to the throne as the unanimous candidate. The kingdom, despite looking prosperous on the outside, is falling down due to the prince's actions.
"How so?"
"It was said that Ariel Asura, the second princess, was the only threat to his claim, and your death has paved the way for his rise to power."
"Yeah. My death." Her tone was almost bitter, for the first time.
"Hm. Well, that was fine but there is another aspect that is troubling. Something that isn't aligning with the first prince's pattern of action."
"And what is that?"
"The most troubling part is that Grabell is eliminating anyone who once supported you. His agents move in shadows, extinguishing any flicker of loyalty that remains. Friends, advisors, and even common folk who dared to once hope for your ascension have become targets."
"Isn't that a natural thing to do?" Ariel asked.
"It is. But not for the first prince. Remember when you first offered me something?"
"For you to become my fiance or knight?"
"Hm. I looked into your brothers and their habits. While he is much shrewd than you, this doesn't align with his behaviour."
"You mean, someone else is behind him?"
"Just a guess. It can't be taken at its face value." I shrugged.
Ariel's porcelain mask betrayed no emotion, but her eyes revealed the turmoil within. I could almost taste the bitterness in the air as she continued with her usual habit of clashing her nails together.
"But it doesn't stop there," my voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "Grabell is purging the army personnel—common soldiers and high ranking officers who once thought of standing by your side. The soldiers who pledged their allegiance to you are being quietly removed, replaced by his own loyalists."
"I see...." Her voice trailed off, despair suddenly creeping up her face.
As the time passed, the sun moved in tandem, casting shadows that moved in an eerie rhythm on the tapestries.
"I don't know what to do, Julian." Ariel crossed her fingers, plopping back into the soft sofa, "I want to give up. I knew things would take this turn once you told us about an Emperor Ranked Mage who was hell bent on killing us, but I never knew Grabell would be this adamant in removing every obstacle."
"Have you given up on the dream of becoming a ruler?" I asked, looking into her deep blue eyes. There was an allure to them. Soft, yet bewitchingly evil.
"No. But I feel stranded. I can't do enough to overthrow Grabell before our father dies or he kills him. Especially when now everyone thinks I am dead." She said, looking up at the chandelier and placing her hand in front of her face. She looked at her nails, a blank look on her face.
"There is a way to overthrow his kingdom. But it can only work if you're willing." I suggested. She immediately sat up, looking at me with hope.
"Really?"
"Mhmm. Although, it can work only if you're willing."
"Like I said, I am willing, still, but I don't have any allies anymore. Sylphy is a Saint Ranked Magician but that's it. In comparison he has hundreds of soldiers and that Imperial Ranked Magician. I don't even know who that is."
"Numbers won't matter, for now. As for who the magician is...." my voice trailed off as his image played in my mind, "....it is my twin brother, Rudeus Greyrat."
(***)
"I will take care of the rest." I finalised the plan and laid it out to Ariel who had a surprised look on her face.
"I could've never thought about all of it." She remarked, her fingers under her chin.
"You could've done it, given you had the same amount of intel as me. It's nothing much, really."
She laughed out loud, "Well, if you say so, then I guess I can do it too." She laughed some more.
What was so funny, I wonder?
"Well, that's enough for today. You can go back." I dismissed and was about to stand up as she suddenly reached out to my seat.
"What's the hurry? I want to stay here for some more time."
"Uh, ok, feel free to." I replied, however, she suddenly plopped in my lap, facing me, her face mere inches away from mine.
"I want to play a little." She whispered in my ear.
"Are you sure?"
She smirked and whispered again, "Why don't you try m—-, " she squeaked as I picked her up and laid her flat on the table, my hand gently wrapping around her neck.
For a moment she seemed scared, her eyes wide open at the sudden change of demeanor and her body shuddering.
Placing a hand on her leg, I grabbed it, "Spread your legs."
Her entire face flushed. I had noticed it before. She tried her best in making someone awkward using her sadistic and extremely sexual nature, however, she couldn't take it if the same behaviour was directed towards her.
In short, she was a sadist, who liked seeing people get tortured due to her teasing but not the other way around.
Just as I thought that, she let out a.... moan?
"This is strange. The harsher you act towards me, the more aroused I feel."
She's messed up.
(***)
NARRATOR's POV
As Julian and Ariel ended their talks and... activities, Ariel made her way to the door, ready to leave. However, before leaving, she looked back at Julian, "Why do you need 2 months to begin? Your plan seems flawless as it is now."
As luck would have it, miles away, Eris who woke up, completely naked in her bed saw Rudy staring outside the window, his stone cold gaze sweeping over the snow clad expanse.
"Why are you delaying it 2 months?" She asked about a certain thing—her, their marriage ceremony.
Both brothers were asked the same question, albeit in different contexts.
Julian: "The Dragon-God told me something. I can find the Sword-God in the Sword Sanctum."
Rudeus: "The Man-God told me something. I can find the North-God in the Begaritt Continent. I need to enrol in the Magic School in Sharia first though."
The world was changing. A drastic change was about to come forward. The deception, lies and camouflage of identities. Everything was about to come to light. The long game of deception that had started 5 years ago was finally about to come to an end.
The accumulated period of hundreds of thousands of years that continued in a continuous agony of loops between the Man and Dragon God was reaching towards its climax.
Years of aggression and planning, changed due to the appearance of two individuals, was about to plunge the world into an era of either chaos or peace.
However, that is a story for another time.... Or is it?