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-Outskirts, Thalassia Kingdom
Ascella POV*
Fuuh, we have been walking for a few days now. I used those days to complete the gate spell instead of the rough way using it like I did. It has a concrete information and I even made a chant on it. Tania really has talent on it since she immediately grasped the inner workings of the spell leading to her being able to use it within just 2 days of practicing the spell. We didn't get bored because of Genib's reaction to any of our unusualness. I think she is probably the only person here that has a rational mind. We got a former assassin that doesn't treat life dearly, two dark elves who doesn't care of anything else besides spirits. Now that I think about it we really are bunch of weird people forming a party. Our efforts have finally been paid upon seeing the huge walls covering the next town we are looking for.
"Hm, finally. Genib is tired babysitting all of you. Genib can finally relax within this peaceful town of Undine!" Genib sighed in relief as she was finally free from her job. Though she can't say she hated it since it was amusing seeing all of theirs actions. "Wait? Undine? Why did they name the town like that?" Ascella asked tilting his head since that name was fairly familiar with him, it was also a name that was associated with water in his past life. "Master, they named the town to thank the Great Spirit of Water Undine for her protection and blessing in this land" Luna said some useful information that made Ascella understood some things. "Oi, oi, don't tell me the name of the other spirits are Sylphy or Salamander? That would be too cliché you know?" Ascella said with a rather weird expression. "Nope" Ascella sighed at that. "It is Sylphied and Salamandro" Lina finished her sentence dealing a damage on Ascella's rational mind. "They thought that it would be too cliché so they changed some letters..? How stupid.. sigh" Ascella sighed exhaustedly.
"Cheer up... Ascella. We only started… visit to this town right..?" Tania comforted Ascella as he thanked her angelic appearance. "Let's enter the town. We can go to Julius's friend here, considering that he went through the effort of making the letter, not using it would be rude" Ascella leaded them as they walked through the gate of the town. They lined up since large amount of people are entering the town in the same time with them, they could have enter using magic but Ascella stopped them since he doesn't want to ruin the fun. Speed running everything is rather boring so Ascella prefer doing it the normal way, he would only attempt to use cheats when the situation really needed it. "Welcome to Undine, your faces are new. Is this your first time entering this town? We welcome every being that enters our town!" the guard greeted them with a smile on his face. Tania initially thought that it was suspicious but she stopped herself when she realized that the man's smile was genuine. Ascella too could not blame her since even he himself is being weirded out by the easy going attitude of the man.
"Thank you for the warm welcome, we appreciate it. Is there anything that we should be aware of here?" Ascella politely thanked the guard with a smile on his face. "Not that much, almost all of the people living here has an easy going personality so they don't mind a little inconvenience. The only thing I could warn you is do not get closer to the center of the lake… which I pretty much consider impossible. Well, how could a normal human even get closer to it, HAHAHAHA" the guard just laughed it off not knowing that it caught the attention of everyone in the group. "Can you explain more about it sir? What is the dangerous thing that is living in the middle of the lake?" Luna asked the guard to continue his explanation which he did. "Uh… apparently according to the tablets, the child of the Great Spirit of Water is currently living in that place. I also don't know if that is true since no one has ever seen that being for more than a hundred years already. Though it was mentioned that the Sage Zeniah managed to wake the creature up." the guard chuckled while reminscing.
Ascella thought about the name as he felt it was familiar. "Sigh really Ascella? Did you forget about the monument we saw in the second village we visited before?" Genib sighed in exhaustion to Ascella's hobby of forgetting things that doesn't affect their lives. That is why Genib is the one keeping tabs on what they are doing so that they would be able to travel safely without hitting a wall that they don't know. "Oh right! The stone monument that the old man was cleaning… it is also from him that I gained the ability to control weather. How could I forget.." Ascella shook his head before thanking the guard. They entered the town and immediately saw many half naked man carrying huge boxes on their shoulder. "We got a plentiful of harvest today! We will have a feast later, of course the drinks won't be going anywhere!" one of them shouted at the others as they smiled in return. "Hah! That is what great about you Joseph! Oi, bastards. We will have a party later, finish what you are doing!" another one shouted to the others as they began cheering. "Wow, they are really happy here. You can't even see a bad vibes or any miasma around" Ascella smiled at the scene infront of him. "You're right, Genib could not see anything wrong in this place… is it really blessed by the Great Spirit Undine?" Genib thought.
"Well, blessing or not we don't care either way. Let just see all of the beautiful places of this town!" Ascella said smiling at the others. "Ascella.. I heard that they sell.. huge fishes here.. let's buy them" Tani suggested gaining Ascella's attention. "Really?! Now I really am pumped up about this. Its been long since I ate fish, meat dominates this world after all" Ascella said. The walked while observing the surroundings, the quirks of the people here are quite amusing for them to watch. "Master, I see a tavern over there. It would be a good place to eat and gather informations" Luna reported her findings. Ascella looked at the place where Luna was pointing and nodded his head. "Then its decided. Let's not make fishes waiting!" Ascella ran towards the tavern without waiting for the girls. "Sigh, that guy really don't know how to hold back" Genib could only sigh while the other girls agreed.
"Well.. this is how Ascella.. after all" Tania said smiling as the others copied her smile, what can they do? They like him like this. They followed him at the tavern only to see him making trouble. "What?! Why can't I dine in this place? I am really hungry right now.." Ascella asked baffled by the answer of the owner. "I'm sorry sir but special guest will be arriving today. This tavern is already booked for the whole day.. please understand" the owner apologized while shaking his head. "Then I'll overtake that booking. I'll rent the whole tavern too!" Ascella like a child threw a tantrum and took a pouch on his bag. He opened it revealing a bunch of gold coins that made the owner winced from the brightness of them. "G-G-Gold coins?!" The owner exclaimed, gaining the attention of the other workers in the tavern.
"Ascella.. why are you so insistent in eating in this tavern? There.. are a lot of those outside too.." Tania asked confused by his actions. Everyone of them never saw Ascella acting like this before, he was always reserved and would never do a reckless action like this. "Hm, the fishes are calling me" Ascella simply gave a small answer. "Huh? Fishes are calling you? Is it the effect of your skill, Ascella?" Genib asked curious about it. "I don't know? They just said that they are delicious and I should eat them" Ascella said while smiling, he was happy that he gained a skill like this, everyday life is becoming easier. "That is so cool, master!" Lina exclaimed with stars on her eyes. Luna stayed composed but it seems like she was in the same line of thought with her sister.
"I-I really apologize.. but those guest are rather special.. I could not afford to offend them" the owner was clearly drawn to the gold coins but still refused showing just how high the status of the one who rented the whole place. Before Ascella could even talk, a new voice arrived interrupting their conversation. "Hm? Who dares to interfere with this one's stay in this place?" The haughtiness could not be hidden from her tone. Genib and Ascella sighed at this as they thought that another noble with useless pride has come. "No one will answer? This one is waiting" the figure finally appeared revealing a bob pink hair that shows how important she is, along with the shield symbol on her dress. "Its me, I want to eat here" Ascella said while yawning, he was getting tired of this situation.
"Hoh? So someone really dared to mess with this one? This one shouldn't have expected commoners to know their places" The pink hair girl said shaking her head in disappointment. The owner and the staffs finally saw her as they drop into their knees and lowered their heads. "W-W-Welcome to our humble place, 2nd princess of the Thalassia Kingdom. Princess Mariel Thalassia" the owner greeted her while stuttering. This is the first time he has ever seen a royalty. "Hum, better conduct peasant. This one is pleased" Princess Mariel smirked in delight at what she saw but froze when she witnessed Ascella and his group not doing anything. "You.. you won't pay respect to this one?" She asked in bafflement. Usually when someone heared her status, they will immediately go in one knee to pay respect but this group didn't do anything at all.
"I only lower my head at my master" Luna gave her opinion, "That's right! We will only pay respect to our master!" Lina added. "I am a slave of... him so I will only pay respect to... him" Tania refused the princess's words without hesitation. The guards behind the princess are already fuming in anger to the disrespect that the princess is getting. "And I.. only lower my head to my parents. No one else" Ascella simply said before shaking his head. "I lost my interest in this place, the fishes are not talking anymore. Let's go to other" Ascella said as he walked towards the door. But not before the princess took a hold of his hand, "Wait you peasant. How dare you not pay respect to this one. You must be punished!" She said making Ascella sigh. "You know.. I don't have time to play with spoiled brats. If you want to play punish game then do it to your masochists guards.. I am not interested" Ascella said while shaking his head.
Ascella didn't even wait for her to retort as he left the tavern. The princess could only stay there in dumbfounded expression, she couldn't comprehend what just happened. 'Isn't it normal for commoners to lower their head when meeting a royalty?' she thought as her view on reality began to change.
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