One Month Later
Anticipation grew as the castle neared.
It's been quite some time since we were captured. I knew we couldn't just waltz back into Valencia Palace like nothing happened, especially after going missing for two years.
Things wouldn't magically return to normal, no matter how much I wanted it.
We needed a cover for our disappearance and something to justify our return.
Kidnapped? By whom, and for what reason?
Those would be the first hurdles we needed to cross.
We weren't going to hide the fact that the Theocracy was behind everything. Renner and I agreed that muddying the politics between the two human nations was a positive when looking at the grand scheme of things. An isolationist policy was something I wanted to steer the country towards, and this was an opportune catalyst to that end.
As for the Theocracy's motivation for kidnapping us… we could just feign ignorance. We were just 'kids' after all.
Regarding Clementine and Zesshi, it was also a fact that they were Theocracy defectors. Anybody with half a head could easily draw a fitting conclusion that they 'rescued us'. However, they didn't do so out of the kindness of their hearts. Instead, they were seeking appropriate compensation from the Kingdom for their noble deed.
With that, their position in the Kingdom's upper echelon should be secured.
Now, all that remained was my situation. Honestly, it was a precarious one at that. Disappearing along with the Princess would cause no shortage of accusations.
I mulled over my position in all this mess for a while, but couldn't figure out where I should slot into this puzzle. Play the victim? Play the saviour alongside Clementine and Zesshi? I consulted Renner on the subject, and she managed to solve my woes effortlessly.
What Renner suggested was convoluted, but I trusted she could pull it off.
And so, lurking in the winding alleyways of Re-Estize, cloaked in hooded robes and under cover of night, we finally moved to set the stage.
"So, this is the King? Reminds me of the Cardinals in the Theocracy. Old, weak, wrinkly… Say, why do people like him rule again?"
I brought my index finger over my lips.
"Shhhh…"
Clementine was being careless… again. I didn't want to alert any guards, let alone wake the ageing ruler. Doing this quietly was our best bet; things would become troublesome otherwise.
I gestured toward the king's sleeping form.
"Care to do the honours, Renner?"
Pale blue moonlight filtered into the room and illuminated her silhouette as she stood over her father. Across the room, Zesshi and Clementine stood watching.
Renner closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, preparing the procedure.
We managed to sneak into the royal bedchambers rather comically, thanks to the simple use of a Floating Board Scroll. As expected, or maybe unexpectedly, there weren't any wards or security systems in place against such an intrusion method. I couldn't believe it myself, but wouldn't dare pass up the opportunity.
To reiterate, magic defences were indispensable in this world. It was no wonder Fluder, a 6th tier spellcaster, kept Jircniv's political enemies at bay. Opposing that kind of power was just something a regular noble couldn't do.
I was drawn from my musing when a faint light flickered to life, the walls of the room now showered in a pale yellow hue. I found myself smiling once again. She'd activated it.
Downfall of Castle and Country.
On Renner's chest, the golden dragon glowed, a snowy white background to contrast. Her hair wavered in the midnight breeze, a strange aura emanating from the dress. It was an ethereal sight. Her eyes were closed, face rapt in concentration. Yet somehow, she remained calm.
If I were a religious man, there would be no doubt in my mind that before me was the work of an angel. However, I knew that this was not the act of some deity.
This was the work of a human.
The light grew, its brightness intensifying. As if the sun had decided to pay a visit, the entire room almost blinding. My instincts told me to shield my eyes, but I looked on.
Just as in our previous tests, a projection of the dragon surged into the air, snaking and twisting. It circled the room, hugging the ceiling. Guided by Renner, it found its target. Swooping downwards towards the king, he was engulfed in light.
Then, the room returned to darkness.
An anticlimactic end to the ritual.
"Man, that's always fun to watch," Clementine piped up. "Kaire only used it on those wild beasts, so seeing it used on humans for once is a treat." She poked the girl beside her. "Hey, hey, Zesshi~ Don't you agree?"
"Don't touch me."
Flicking Clementine on the head, the blonde was sent stumbling backwards, gracelessly falling to the floor with a clatter, knocking over a table stand in the process.
Knowing the half-elf's strength, I expected Clementine's head to splatter across the wall. Mercifully, that wasn't the case.
Thank you for not killing Clementine so early into our partnership, Zesshi…
The king jolted out of bed, alerted by the noise. Then, just as quickly, his eyes fluttered shut; Renner forced him back to sleep. A terrifying power, especially in her hands. She'd wring every last drop of potential from that World Item; I couldn't help but think I made the right choice back then.
Well… more like, I was forced to do so. I was incompatible with that damn thing. No matter how hard I tried, my build was unsuited for using it. I spent way too long prancing around in that dress, making strange hand-wavey actions to no avail.
Renner managed to effortlessly activate it first-try. Since then, she's kept it on. Whether it was because she was a genius or some other hidden requirement, I was a bit annoyed that I couldn't use the first World Item I got my hands on.
On a less sour note, I had to admit she looked fantastic in it.
As I was admiring the charming mix of Euro-Sino fusion, a firm knock at the door pulled me from my veneration.
"Your highness? Is everything alright?"A gruff voice came from beyond.
Still on the floor, a predatory grin split Clementine's face.
Oh, no, no, no.
I couldn't let the castle become a bloodbath. We've already done what we came for; now we just had to get out. Running over to Clementine as quietly as I could, I tried to apprehend her, but she was too fast. Slipping past my grip, she made a dash towards the door, hands already on her stilettos.
She sliced through the door, her strength pushing the knives cleanly through the oak and out the other side. I watched in quiet horror as the blades dug into the wood until they met resistance with a thud.
…
Yep, she just killed the man. What a first impression.
"Clementine, you absolute idiot!"
She turned to me with a puzzled expression. A moment of silence passed between us, then, she spoke.
"…I didn't hit anything…"
"…Huh?"
She pointed to the entrance.
"The man behind this door… he dodged…"
Oh, that was fine, then.
Wait.
"He dodged your attack? From behind the door?"
She nodded carefully.
Nope. I don't believe her. She was lying, clearly. I saw the speed at which she moved; it was almost instantaneous. She just wants me to think th-
"Coming through!"
The door exploded inward, fragments of wood flying across the room. I shielded my eyes from the splinters, the sound of glass shattering behind me.
Through the doorway, a man stepped out. Scruffy blue hair, a confident smirk. Adorning him, red armour with gold trimmings, and in his right hand, he held a glimmering teal-green coloured sword.
…
No fucking way.
Brain… Unglaus…?
"Oh? Quite the ragtag team you've got here. Come for the king? Sorry, you usually have to book an appointment first. Ah, don't they call that an audience around here? Whatever."
He readied himself, taking a fighting stance. I was too bewildered to reply, standing like an idiot in the middle of the room.
"Two kids and two ladies…" He chuckled to himself. "I'm no gentlemen, so don't expect me to play nice. My employer's life is worth more than yours," he pointed Razor Edge at me. "Ready to face the strongest man in the Kingdom?"
No.
No, I wasn't.
The dissonance I was experiencing was too much for me to handle. My mind raced through the implications.
Brain in the royal castle wearing the royal bodyguard armour. Why? Did he actually win the royal tournament? He didn't beat Gazef because he didn't have the ring. Please... it didn't even matter that much, did it?
Shit.
…
No more Gazef? What about the attack on Carne Village?
Clementine engaged before Brain could get to me, leaping at him with a mad glint in her eyes. I ignored the fight, my head preoccupied with trying to work out what had happened.
What the hell had I done?
Shit.
I knew I wanted to make changes, but this was not it. What the hell? What else changed? We were gone for two years… more than long enough for the butterfly effect to take hold.
Switch Gazef for Brain. Just a minor change. But the consequences…
Over a day… not much. A month? There'd be deviation, no doubt. Now, a year?
Two years?
My breathing hitched.
What of the talks between Zanac and Jircniv?
Geopolitics between two superpowers was decided in a simple meeting. A meeting Renner and I should have attended.
I felt sick. Absolutely sick.
"Climb, wake up. Now's not the time to slip into another one of your trances. More guards will be here soon."
Receiving a light tap on the shoulder, Renner's clinical voice pierced through the clashing of metal.
"H-hold on. I need some more time… to think."
"We can't afford that luxury. Get up." When had I fallen? "We're getting out of here. Zesshi, Clementine! Time to go!"
"Eeeeh? I want to keep fighting! He's strong!" Clementine's protests snapped me out of my stupor.
My eyes focused on the battle in the middle of the room. Slash marks coated the floor and ceiling, wallpaper ripped from the walls. It was like a hurricane had torn through the place. Ornaments and furniture were broken, upside down or lying sideways, papers and documents scattered.
How long was I sitting here for?!
"Not long," Renner spoke up. "About a minute if you were wondering."
…Did I say that out loud?
"You didn't."
Oh.
I should learn to keep my expressions in check. So blatantly displaying my emotions will become an issue later down the line.
…
I looked back to the fight.
Clementine wouldn't stop fighting until her opponent was dead. I couldn't allow that. Brain was still integral to the story, even if the course had shifted.
"Zesshi, please stop them."
The half-elf shrugged.
"…and don't use lethal force," I added.
There were no indications that she opposed being used like this. I gave her more freedom than the Theocracy and did my best to treat her like a real person, but I sometimes felt like she was still being used as a tool. It didn't help that she kept most of her thoughts to herself.
I do my best, but when her leading quality was pure strength, how else was I supposed to involve her? Ask her to knit my clothes? Ah, now there's an idea. Maybe I could introduce her to a hobby.
She flipped her scythe over and held it near the blade. Was she… using it as a lance?
The two were still engaged in close combat, Clementine slashing at Brain, the swordsman doing the same. It was a contest of speed and agility, one that Clementine was winning; the bulky armour on Brain hindered his movement.
Zesshi stepped forth.
"Cease your antics, or I shall do it for you."
They continued fighting, and Brain piped up.
"Even if I'm popular with the ladies, I'd prefer it if you waited your turn, missy… I've got my hands quite full with this one already."
He swung down; Clementine dodged easily.
"Ara? Mister popular, surely you can handle some two-on-one action…"
She giggled as she lunged forward, her stiletto sliding off his armour plating.
Why was I not surprised? Brain was pretentious enough to joke, and Clementine was in the mood for some teasing.
I think I saw Zesshi's eye twitch.
"…So be it."
The room filled with crushing pressure.
Zesshi separated the two combatants by shoving her scythe-now-lance between them. With a wave of her wrist, Brain's body contorted, bending over into a 'C' shape, as did Clementine mirror him.
A confused 'huh?' left Brain's mouth, and there was a brief moment where nothing seemed to move.
And before I could blink, the king's bodyguard rocketed off into the south wall, Clementine crashing into the north.
A thunderous crack roared, and plumes of dust and debris bloomed from their respective landing sites. A droplet of sweat ran down my neck.
I-I didn't even see her move…
"A-Ahaha… Zesshi, I did say non-lethal force, yes?"
Heterochromatic eyes locked with mine.
"If they died from that, then they did not deserve to speak so highly of themselves."
"…"
Well, Brain was being a little arrogant. Winning the tournament would've done no good for his ego. Maybe he'll be a little closer to his canon counterpart after this. Just as Shalltear had turned him into a nail clipper, somebody needed to humble him.
I never expected it to be Zesshi of all people.
Hm.
Brain may not realise it, but he should be the one thanking me for launching this operation. Now, he'll be a more upstanding member of society. I hope.
…
Though, seeing the collapsed man half-embedded in the wall, I'm not sure he'd be capable of speaking for at least a week…
"Climb… Y-You look pleased with yourself," Clementine coughed blood. "Do you e-enjoy seeing your companions… being beaten into walls…?" Oh, if Brain was knocked out, I expected her to be as well. Well, if she could still speak, then she was fine.
Don't tell me…
Zesshi had a soft spot for Clementine?
AN: The timeline has shifted, maybe a bit more than expected. We're back in Re-Estize, with plotting and scheming already in action. Let's hope the long-awaited Valencia banquet lives up to Zesshi's expectations. She's been waiting a month for it.
Next chapter, our intrepid quartet will present themselves before the king… controlled by Renner.