After a minute of Lina's sobbing, she erupted with a scream as though releasing her buried pain: "Yes, I am the worst princess of the Fire Empire! I know that... Don't remind me! I'm sorry, I'm... sorry!" She spoke as if her words were dripping with agony, while tears poured down her face in torrents. She paused for a moment to catch her breath, then continued in a voice filled with fear: "I'm scared... I was betrayed by the people closest to me. My family abandoned me. My brother conspired with a group from the Dark Guild to have me kidnapped. Then I was sold, stripped of my clothes, and... they raped me, took the most precious thing I had—my honor. Even as I screamed... screamed as loudly as I could, no one heard me." It felt like her heart was pouring out with every word.
"One night after the kidnapping, as I was on the verge of closing my eyes from exhaustion, I saw a shadow standing far in the corner. It was my mother...!" She was sobbing heavily, her tears falling like rain. "My mother was there, but she did nothing. Her last words to me were that I had defiled the family's honor. She said I was the lowest! And her gaze toward me was filled with contempt." Lina seemed to collapse more with every moment she recounted what had happened. Her eyes were blood-red, as though her tears had burned them completely.
I stood firmly in front of her, as her story reminded me somewhat of my own. I said with a voice filled with resentment for this world: "Lina, stop crying. The only thing you did wrong was that you weren't the predator in this world. Either you are the hunter, or you are the prey. We are here because we stood on our feet, ready to show the world who the real prey is. Will you continue crying, or will you wipe your tears and decide to become the predator?"
Lina wiped her tears and looked at me while I continued: "From now on, you will be the one making your enemies cry because they underestimated you. All the princes and princesses of the world throughout history ruled with strength and pride, never allowing themselves to cry. So, what about you?"
I looked at her with a challenge in my eyes, as if daring the world to break her again. Yes, my true goal was to see how the eyes of the avengers would look. Lina hesitated for a moment, but then she spoke with a broken voice: "I... I will be the one to prey on the royal family. I will take the throne from them, and I will make them regret everything they did to me—both them and the Dark Guild. I am Kobayashi Lina, and I swear to that!" I thought to myself, "Yes, those are the eyes I love—eyes blazing with rage and hatred. There's no better pleasure than igniting these eyes and adding fuel to the fire. Ah... I really love causing trouble and watching from afar."
As she finished speaking, her eyes filled with tears again before she lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground. I looked at the siblings, who were glaring at me with disgusted eyes.
Julius spoke in a cold voice: "You berate a girl in her weakest moment and press her until she cries again?"
Noor followed up: "Not only that, but you made her resent her family instead of letting her move on."
Both of them said together: "Honestly, you're the worst."
I realized then that I had gone a little too far. But who cares? I'll do what I like. I said arrogantly, "Fine... when she wakes up, I'll think about apologizing to her." Noor glared at me and said sharply: "No, you will apologize. You'd better do it." Julius added: "And don't forget that she might have valuable information for us, so try to win her over instead of pushing her away."
"Fine, fine, I'll do it," I said dismissively, trying to end the topic. But a question lingered in my mind: "Why did the ruling family break the law of language unification?" I asked the siblings if they had any thoughts on the reason.
Julius, looking confused, replied: "Yes, I want to know too. What is this 'language' you're talking about?"
I looked at him in disbelief and said, "How can you be this ignorant? Even if you grew up in an isolated lab, that doesn't explain your lack of knowledge. We study this every year in school."
Julius shook his head, trying to justify himself: "Really... I was training like crazy to adapt to my special abilities. I used to skip classes whenever I was too exhausted."
I wondered to myself what kind of training he had undergone to make him miss school, as he had shown extraordinary healing abilities. So I told him, "Alright, I'll explain everything to you now."
The World's History
Noor sat quietly next to Ali, who began explaining the history of the old world to Julius. The cold wind gently passed through the surrounding trees, as if nature itself was silently listening to what was about to be said.
Ali began: "Let's go back a little, to the birth of Prophet Isa. Before that, humanity didn't have an actual history that was recorded. After his birth, real history began. Humanity evolved over the ages until we reached the year 2094, the year when the old era of humanity ended, and with it, language, technology, biology, physics... everything that had developed over thousands of years of human knowledge ended in that year."
Julius interrupted, feeling anxious: "And how did humanity reach this end?"
Ali replied in a calm but deep tone: "Emotions got in the way of science. Instead of using knowledge to uplift humanity, it was used to destroy each other. Wars started between people over different beliefs and the desire for power."
Noor, as if she already knew the answer, said: "It started with the information war, right?"
"Yes, and then it escalated into a technology war. In these wars, it wasn't just humans fighting anymore; technology itself was used as a weapon. Then came the 'Global War.'"
The place seemed to tremble at the mention of the global war, as if the very echo of the word carried the dread of the past. Ali continued: "The global war was more than just battles between nations. It was the domination of science and weaponry over everything. It caused widespread destruction on a global scale."
Julius asked with fear: "What was the outcome of these global wars?"
Ali responded with a voice full of gravity: "It didn't end as we wished. After the first global war came the second, then the third global war, which wiped out 20% of the planet with nuclear weapons. 99% of humans died. As for the survivors, they gathered in the frozen continent."
He then added: "In that place, a man named Inazam Engram, originally from the M'zab region, appeared. He established six golden laws to restore peace to the world."
"What are these laws?" Julius asked curiously.
Ali began listing them one by one: "First, the unification of language. Second, protecting the planet is the highest priority for every individual. Third, the advancement of science is the second highest priority. Fourth, anyone who points a weapon at a human being shall be executed. Fifth, humans must not separate into isolated groups. Finally, rule belongs to those who prove their competence through the Kings' Test."
Noor smiled faintly, but there was a hint of skepticism in her expression. "Do you really believe peace was achieved with just these laws?" she questioned.
Ali sighed heavily before responding, "At first, yes. But humans remain human. It wasn't long before they violated the fifth and sixth laws, and eventually split into seven empires."
Julius could sense the tension in Ali's voice as he asked the next question. "What happened after that?"
Ali's voice grew cold, like ice, as he replied, "Well, nothing much… except for the Great Catastrophe… the flood. Perhaps it was due to the violation of Engram's laws?"
The group fell into a deep silence, as if the weight of Ali's words had momentarily stunned them. After what felt like a long pause, Julius asked again, his voice filled with concern, "Is there a way to fix all of this? Or is it already too late?"
With confidence in her voice, I looked at him and said, "If humanity stops violating the Founder Engram's laws, there might still be hope."
And with that, I had summarized everything that had happened over the past three millennia. Lina stirred just as I finished speaking. She had been utterly exhausted. After 016 had treated her wounds, he had presented her with a detailed list of medications and foods she needed to consume. She ate voraciously, as though she hadn't tasted food in days. Once she was done, I decided to have a little fun at her expense. "Julius," I said, turning to him with a mischievous grin, "remind me, which of those medicines was actually poison?"
Lina's reaction was instantaneous. She leapt toward the edge of the boat, desperately trying to make herself vomit. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Noor, however, was less amused. She smacked me on the back of my head and scolded, "Stop it, you fool!" She quickly rushed to Lina's side, trying to reassure her, while Lina, now realizing it was just a prank, eyed us warily, clearly unsure whether to trust us completely.
Noor turned toward me, furious, only to find me even angrier than she was. "A girl six years younger than me dares to scold me? You must have a death wish, Noor!" I shouted in mock outrage.
Noor, clearly frightened, stammered, "H-huh? Isn't the protagonist supposed to accept being hit by a girl?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"What kind of nonsense is that? That's humiliating! Why would I accept something like that? And what's all this talk about being the protagonist?" I fired back. Our argument continued, with Noor hiding behind Julius while I kept shouting.
Suddenly, a soft chuckle broke through the tension. We all turned to see Lina standing by the edge of the boat, laughing quietly to herself. Noor's face lit up with joy at the sound, while Julius offered a faint but sincere smile. 016's report interrupted the lighthearted moment: "Miss Lina appears to be feeling better physically. Only the psychological aspect remains to be addressed, although that was clear from the start," he noted in his usual robotic tone.
Lina turned to 016 with a look of amazement on her face. "Did this robot really comment on its own?" she asked, clearly astonished.
Before I could respond, I said, "Before we get into 016, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself first?" I asked, turning my gaze out toward the sea, pretending not to care. Call it pride or childish behavior, but that's just how I am.
Noor, irritated, interrupted, "Didn't you say you'd apologize as soon as she woke up? Go on, apologize now, Ali!" Her frustration was evident.
I turned to Noor, my eyes burning red with anger. "Oh, it seems someone wants to annoy me," I said in a low voice. Noor quickly retreated behind her brother, clearly scared of what I might do next.
But it was Lina who spoke up next, her voice soft and respectful. "I apologize, Sir Ali," she said, bowing her head slightly.
Noor quickly interjected, "No, you haven't done anything that requires an apology, Your Highness."
"I come from royal blood. I have my pride. And I will apologize to my savior for not offering proper gratitude when I was rescued," Lina responded, her eyes locking onto mine with a look of genuine respect.
I, however, remained as cold as ever. "Hah, pride? Just moments ago, you were crying like a child, and before that, you were completely naked. Are you sure your actions are protecting your so-called pride?" I shot back.
Lina's face flushed red, matching the color of her hair, while Noor, now furious, screamed at the top of her lungs, "Damn you, Ali! Don't you have any boundaries?" I ignored her entirely and continued, "And if you want to apologize, do it to this gorilla here," I said, pointing at Julius. "He's the one who pulled you out of the water."
Lina turned to Julius, her eyes briefly scanning his features before bowing her head again. "I'm sorry, Sir, for not thanking you sooner. And may I ask your name?"
Julius, always humble, responded with a light chuckle, "Oh, come on. There's no need for all this formal gratitude, Your Highness. It's a grown man's duty to help as many people as he can in this catastrophe. After all, humans are social creatures by nature. And from what I've seen, I doubt more than a thousand people survived in the Sand Empire."
His comment, though kind-hearted, came across as somewhat awkward, making Lina's earlier apology feel a little less meaningful. The atmosphere grew heavier between them, and Noor whispered in her brother's ear, "You should've just said, 'You're welcome,' Brother."
I rubbed my forehead in frustration at the pointless exchange. "Alright, Lina, can we talk now? Or are you still feeling uneasy around us?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation back on track.
"No, not at all. I trust you guys," Lina replied, though for some reason her face turned red once more, though I couldn't quite figure out why.
"Fine," I said, stretching my arms in a yawn. "Let's save the questions for tomorrow. I'm tired of all this talking. Let's get some sleep, and we'll take turns keeping watch."
Julius, always practical, asked, "But are we really going to sleep without eating or deciding who'll take the first watch?"
Still yawning, I responded, "No. It's obvious the only one who needs to eat right now is Lina. She's been deprived of proper nourishment. As for the rest of us, it's still our first day, so we can manage without food. As for keeping watch…"
I yawned once more, utterly exhausted. "Lina won't stand guard tonight either. Sleep is the fastest way for her to recover. Noor will take the first shift since she's the youngest and needs her sleep to be uninterrupted. After that, it doesn't really matter whether it's me or you who stays awake. Now, please let me sleep," I said as I turned to the left side of the boat and lay down, gazing up at the sky.
The view was truly breathtaking. Every star and every nebula painted a spectacular picture across the canvas of the night sky. All of it was visible thanks to the disappearance of the city lights... Funny how this beauty had always been right above us... Who would believe that?
I drifted into sleep almost instantly.
********* Side Story ***********
While Ali was arguing with Noor because of his poor treatment of Lina…
Kobayashi Lina
I am Kobayashi Lina, and I am alive now thanks to that boy named Ali. He has an unusually sharp tongue, but I think he doesn't really mean what he says. I made a mistake by not thanking him and accusing him of kidnapping me. I need to apologize to him…
After Ali reminded Lina that she had been naked and crying…
After I apologized to him, it became clear that he is extremely rude. How could he insult me in that way? I am the second princess! Kyaa! I am so embarrassed, I wish the ground would swallow me up. My head was spinning from the sheer embarrassment, even after I apologized to Sir Julius. This is a really strange feeling. I am used to isolation because of my status as a princess, and people always flattering and respecting me. But this boy treats me in the exact opposite way. Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by Ali's voice, saying, "Alright, Princess Lina, can we talk now…"
Yes, it is embarrassing and new for someone to call me by my first name. I am really curious about this boy. He speaks our secret language and doesn't care about my status... He is strange and...
Here the side story ends, along with Lina's thoughts.
********************************** Apology to the readers ***************************
I'm sorry, I have personal circumstances that prevent me from continuing the story at the moment. I will return to writing in July 2025.