It took a few days of somber travel, but we finally reached the science kingdom.
The floor of the carriage looked the same as ever. Its consistency was like a tether to reality for me.
Somewhere to the left of me, Roan was talking with the princess about something called the Everpond. Apparently, it's the most beautiful lake in this world or something.
That should cheer her up.
I briefly smiled to myself, but this was enough to attract the attention of the princess.
"Look Roan, he can smile!"
I continued looking down at the ground. "Yeah."
I'm a failure. A complete and utter failure. Some garden variety idiot. I couldn't help my dad, couldn't help mom, couldn't help myself. Why would that change here?
"You know, you don't have to go through this alone. We're all hurting."
At some point during my inner monologue, the princess had sat down next to me. It appeared as if today would be one of her good days. Ever since her father died- saying that like it was an eternity ago- her mood has been extremely volatile.
Myself, I've been drowning in despair.
"Yeah."
Smiling, the princess tapped my head.
"Is yeah the only word you know?"
"No."
I felt the tears forming up but I fought them back as hard as I could. Unfortunately, I'm good at losing fights. My face began to feel wet, drenched in tears the same way it was drenched in blood just a few days ago.
I felt a hug. She was reaching into the darkness.
Why? Why?! Be mad at me DAMN IT!! If I wasn't me, your father would still be alive! Maybe he was an asshole and piece of shit, but I saw you run to save him. I saw it with my own 2 eyes! I saw that love for him, so how the HELL can you tolerate my existence! I failed everyone...
I was shaking.
Why don't you hate me?
She got me on my feet and led me through a drape and to her "chambers." I followed, like a zombie or a dog. We sat down on her bed. The wooden floor of this carriage was beautiful, the way the knots of the wood wove into each other. Off the corner of my eye, I could see the princess's slip-ons. The wooden floor was -
"Hey. Miko."
The floor was turning into my enemy. I needed to study it, but it was pushing me away. I needed to get lost in it, but it was guiding me right back to the problem. Princess. I- I can face her. As I attempted to raise my head, the floor turned blurry, like looking through a windshield when it was raining. I couldn't look at her. She should be the one crying. She has no right to be this strong.
"I- I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Don't be sorry... He- he killed my father. We don't have time to cry, Miko. We have to be angry. We have to kill that man."
She grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to look at her. My confusion helped to clear my teary vision, revealing a stern but sympathetic look from the princess. She smiled as she squeezed my hand. Like before. And again, for only a second. But it is calming.
"Look, I- I understand your impossible task. Y- you're just a school kid. Trust me, I know what it's like to grow up fast."
A painful chuckle.
"Still, I'm going to be selfish. Because the truth is, we need you. It's not fair or anything, but the system chose you, and that makes you our savior. Maybe we go tomorrow and succeed, and everyone lives happily ever after. But even- even if it takes us years of suffering and pain and growth to kill him, I want you to know."
She stared straight into my eyes. "I'll believe in you every step of the way."
Her confidence did pour into me for a bit.
For a second, I felt it in my soul. Vakash. Could I amount to anything more than a pebble, an ant against him?
Maybe.
"Thanks."
The princess chuckled to herself. "You know 3 words!"
I chuckled for a second before we both fell into silence. Taking everything in. We were alive. No matter how hard the road itself may be, that does keep the door open. To avenge everyone we've lost. To save those that remain. No matter how many times I'm defeated, the only acceptable response is to get stronger. Otherwise, what was the point of surviving? But still, the princess is wrong about one thing.
I can't allow her or Roan to be hurt for me. I have to do this alone.
"Can I ask you a question?"
The princess' question shocked me back to the present.
"Sure."
The princess struggled for a second as if she were looking for courage.
After a few seconds, she whispered, "What's that one place you've always wanted to go to? On Earth I mean."
I felt as if she wanted to ask a completely different question, but I didn't want to press the matter too much. Besides, the question unlocked a pleasant memory anyway.
I chuckled. "There was this one place my mom always talked about taking me to. See, back home there's this group called NASA that basically just does a lot of stuff with space."
"What's space?".
At first, I thought she was playing a joke, but when I looked up from the ground to her face I saw that she was genuinely confused.
"Well, basically it's everything that isn't on Earth. You know, moons, stars, other planets. Those kinds of things."
Her face lit up with understanding. "Oh, that's what you call the gods and devils."
I was perplexed for a second but then realized that her people probably don't have telescopes.
"Well, actually we've developed machines that allow us to see even distant planets and stars. Planets are a bunch of rocks like ours, and stars are just huge gas giants."
I laughed to myself for a second before continuing, noting that the princess held a face of wonder.
"If my mom was here, right now, she'd be so happy. She always felt like there was life out there. She- at night, sometimes she'd talk about all the worlds out there in the universe. A vast cosmos of life. How beautiful it was! It was always so amazing, to hear her go on and on about the different versions of us that existed... and I always said that I feel bad for them."
The princess raised her brow in confusion asking "Why?"
I chuckled while I looked her in her eyes. "Well, that was an infinite amount of people who never got to know my mom. Never... never felt her love."
The princess looked down, fidgeting with a bracelet on her left arm. "Oh."
"Yeah, I know. That's kinda cheesy and overtly sentimental."
She shook her head. "No, I actually think it's sweet. It- sounds like you 2 love each other."
Mom-
I felt the tears forming again before suddenly my hand was being squeezed. I looked up to see the princess was crying too. We sat there like that for a bit, until time finally moved forward and we wiped our eyes.
"Sorry."
"Yeah."
Suddenly, she pinched my arm.
OW!
Jumping away from her I exclaimed, "What was that for!"
"Don't tell Roan that I cried just now."
At first, I was going to make a snide remark about doing just that only because she pinched me, but then I saw the fear in her eyes. This wasn't a joking manner.
"Ok. Just next time, talk before you pinch!"
She mockingly kissed me where she had pinched me as if she were a mother consoling a child. Condescending much!
Suddenly, a message repeatedly flashed in front of my eyes.
Quest complete! Accept now, or the reward will be deleted in 10 seconds!
Deleted? Why would a system be created like this? Actually, how would these kingdoms even create such a system?
2 seconds. Oh well, that's a problem for future me!
Wait, didn't the princess say she'd tell me her name after I get the system? I'll have to ask her in a bit.
Accept. Suddenly, a blinding light appeared in front of me and I felt a surging energy within myself.
"MY LORD! REWARD IS HERE!!!" Oh, the cat is back. And now he's being loud for no reason.
"My lord! You can choose between one of 3 rewards. Also, all of your current injuries will be instantly healed!" As a rejuvenating wave of energy hit me, I saw 3 items of text appear in front of me.
Reward 1: The Dragon's Breath- 10 mp: Henceforth, your very breath evokes change. Shoot a beam of fire from your mouth, covering the battlefield with hellfire that burns all enemies and negates any healing aspects.
Reward 2: The Polar Chill- 10 mp: Your presence is one that freezes the very soul. Cover the battlefield with an icy tundra, freezing all enemies for 2 seconds. While frozen, enemies have no defense.
Reward 3: The Fairy's Wind - 10 mp: Every movement challenges even the air surrounding you, forcing all to kneel in the face of your tempest. Create a gust of wind, knocking back all enemies. They cannot use any magic for 3 seconds.
These all sound powerful...
"Well, my lord?" The cat was right next to my face, flashing its crazy demonic grin.
"Why can't I take all 3?"
The cat blinked, then said, "My lord, surely you don't want to disintegrate?"
"Oh, right." I chuckled nervously. "Uh, I'll take the first one then."
"Marvelous choice!" The cat's eyes grew red with sadism. "Burn your enemies to a crisp my lord!" Then in a red poof of smoke, he was gone.
Mp +3.
One-handed +1.
Hp +2.
Stamina +2.
One-handed? Is there a class system then?
Well, I'll figure that out later.
As time returned to the world, I realized that the princess didn't notice anything that had just happened.
I guess she couldn't see the system.
Still, I have a duty to uphold to her and everyone. I'm going to use the system to- to-
For a moment, all thought ceased from my mind except one.
Kill.
I felt no emotion during the rest of our ride to the Science Kingdom, Fae' Ro, even when the princess smiled in my direction.
As strength grows, humanity fades.