Chapter 30: Chapter 30
We embarked on the viceroy's ship two days after Sara left Gururian City. Joining Tolma and his family, Karina and the temple knights, but the ship doesn't feel crowded. The ship is more extensive than I thought, with a large cargo hold for everyone's wagons and enough rooms for us to share. It was at least four times the size of the ship Sara departed on.
"Weigh anchor!"
As a loud whistle sounds, the ship's captain quickly starts giving orders. The ship is filled with activity as the sailors move to follow the command. When I think about all the discrimination beastfolk take in this kingdom, it is surprising to see so many of them serving on the ship. Birdfolk and batfolk are on lookout duty and fly patrols around the ship, while most of the other crew are other races of beastfolk.
Learning over the balcony, I wave at the small group of people who have gathered to see us off. I am happy to see the viceroy, his wife, several knights, and a few other nobles. I wish that they would have dropped the marriage stuff because their single sons and grandsons are not as welcome as a sight. I don't have a problem with those guys, but being put on the spot and asked if I would marry them made our interactions awkward.
"Lord Satou! Lady Hero! Please come and play again and bring lady Mia with you! Oh, and you too, Arisa!"
The viceroy's daughter was one of the more pleasant people we met during our stay in the city. She didn't want anything from us or try to marry me… even if she did try to marry Satou. He is starting to get a terrible habit of making Arisa angry. We were lucky the viceroy's daughter was so cute. I don't know what would have happened if she didn't melt away Arisa's frustration.
She really is a cheerful girl. A bit careless but a good kid. She is around the age of a middle schooler and had asked Mia for magic lessons when she learned that Mia was an elf. But the viceroy's daughter couldn't understand Mia, so Arisa explained Mia's short answers. It was around that time she became attached to Satou.
Still, Arisa is acting very maturer as she waves goodbye to the kid. She's even smiling and promising to meet again someday. This is the first time I have seen her act the combined age of her past life and this one. I guess she can act maturely from time to time.
"Mwa… Ha… Ha! Like I was going to let a new character raise any flags. Disappear from our story forever!"
I take back what I said. Nope. Arisa can't act maturely to save her life. I don't know what she means when she says 'New Character.' If Arisa is thinking about this world as some story, she will only get herself killed. Besides, if this was a story, I would be the main character being the hero and all, and the character to end up with Satou. I should probably not point that out to Arisa. I feel like my life would be endangered if I were to let her know.
We waved and smiled until the dock was out of sight. Arisa continues to chuckle until Satou lightly bops her on top of her head. But then we had to give our attention to Liza as she pulled Pohi and Tama back on board. Those two must have leaned too far. We are not going to be able to let those two out of our sight during this trip.
<0>
"Are there more Wings of Freedom group members in the old capital?"
As we settle in for the trip, Arisa asks the question on my mind. I was planning on asking him privately later tonight when fewer people were around. But this is probably the most private part of the ship. Still, I don't know why Arisa chose to ask at this moment. She currently had Satou acting out Jack and Roses's "I'm Flying" scene from the Titanic.
"Yeah, and it is a bigger group than I first realised,"
I hope they won't try anything. But with my track record with the cult, I doubt I would be that lucky. I wouldn't be surprised if I had to face an army of demons and cultists the moment I entered the city.
"Will you two be clearing them out again?"
Satou and I handled the cleanup in Gururian City. Satou gave me the names, and I joined the viceroy's knights to arrest them. At first, I was going to let the knights handle things, but when Satou mentioned finding something called a "Short Horn," I decided to go too. Just remembering how Mia nearly got killed after a cultist used one of those horns was reason enough to go. Fourtantly the arrests went well as we caught most of the cultists without much resistance. A few escaped, but Satou and I captured them during the night.
About those horns, for some reason, the demons I killed didn't drop them, while Satou's did. We aren't sure what happened, but we put it down to the fact I was using a holy sword during the fight. Those things are still dangerous, though. I don't know why Satou still has the one that the demon dropped, but I can understand that he wants to show the people in power so they know the threats the horns pose.
"As much as we can," Satou and I are both frustrated by this turn of events. "But most of them in the old capital are nobles. Some of them are high-ranking nobles too. It's not going to be as easy as last time."
In Gururian City, the cultist were all commoners or low-ranking nobles that served the viceroy, so we had no problems arresting them. But in the old capital, some of the nobles in the cult have power or connections to make them hard to touch. I was tempted to sneak into their homes and take care of them quietly, but I could never bring myself to carry out an act like that. I'll just have to wait until they give me an excuse to arrest them and pray they can't bribe their way out of whatever prison they are thrown into.
"Will you be showing the duke that horn thing then?"
"Maybe, I want to meet him first and get a feel for him,"
"Yeah, good idea,"
I really want to destroy that thing before it can hurt someone else. But it is too valuable as evidence to waste. I was glad that Satou agreed when I said we should hold back on showing off that horn. We have met some ambitious people, so we have to be careful with something this deadly. One wrong move and some noble could start a war with the short horn.
"I never expected terrorists to appear in a fantasy world,"
"Yeah, no kidding,"
"I thought if they did, they would have used monsters,"
I have read in books and mangas about attacks like these, but the terrorists or evil wizards always used tamed monsters. The only times demons were involved was when they were leading the attacks. The idea that demons could be created and unleashed at a moment's notice is scary.
"Um, sir viscount, that's rather dangerous, so if you wouldn't mind,"
We are being pretty inconsiderate. The woman in charge of meeting our needs during this voyage looked distressed at Arisa's and Satou's actions. They were kind enough to let us come here. This part of the ship is supposed to be off-limits to guests, but at Arisa's instance, Satou got permission. But it was a good view. I have been on a ferry before, but it was too foggy to see anything. Looking out from the bow of the ship was quite the experience.
"That's one thing I can check off my bucket list from my old life,"
We returned to the other at the centre of the deck, with Arisa looking very pleased with herself. But we didn't stay long before our guide led us to our rooms. This is a big ship with three levels, including the deck. The second floor is where we will be staying and contains the captain's cabin and rooms for guests, while the third floor is where the cargo hold and crew cabins are located. It's also fast too. It would have taken us ten days by carriage, but this ship will get us to the old capital in only two days.
We got lucky with seasickness. Only one of Karina's maids and Tolma were only victims so far, which is pretty good considering only Pearl has been on a ship before. Unfortunately, it was a slave ship, and I understood why Pearl didn't want to speak more about it. Anyway, the guild gave the seasick victims some medications, so hopefully, they will recover soon.
The rooms were better than I expected. The large soft looking beds and smooth wooden dressers were a far cry from the cramped room I was expecting. There were enough rooms that we only had to share in pairs. It would have been better if the guild didn't mistake me for Satou's wife. Arisa, Mia and Karina nearly killed me with the looks I was given. Tolma recovering enough to make a joke about the situation didn't help. Is it wrong for me to have wished he took just a little bit longer to recover?
After a few more mistakes, like Satou nearly rooming with Karina, things were finally settled. Somehow it ended with Satou, me, and everyone else apart from Karina, Tolma and his family sharing a room. Karina was nearly included, but she got embarrassed and backed out. Don't ask me how we got to this conclusion. It just happened before I knew it. We ended up using one of the now free rooms to store our luggage before we separated to enjoy some free time.
"I love this breeze,"
"Yes, it smells very nice. Like the river and the flora,"
Satou was sat on a sofa set up for us. It wasn't fancy, but it was water-resistant. As always, Liza is close by his side with her spear. This is the first time in a while that I haven't seen her wearing any armour. But that goes for the rest of us too.
Satou is becoming a pretty good fashion designer as he made all of us dresses with unique patterns. Liza's had a flame pattern, Lulu's a flower one, Arisa's sea blue design and Pochi and Tama had a cute anime paw print pattern. Satou is really good, and no one complained. Pearl, sitting opposite me, is wearing one with a rose embroidery, even if she is wearing shorts underneath. Nana, to her left, is wearing one with cute animals, while Mia, to her right, is wearing one covered in leaves and trees. As for me, I had one with swords and shields on it. The material is so soft and warm, but I have a complaint that she made the skirts too short. Maybe Pearl had the right idea to wear shorts underneath.
It seems everyone has found something to do. Satou relaxes while having a drink, and Liza stays on guard duty. Pearl, Nana, Mia and I are playing some board game similar to ludo but with magic spells and poisonous potions added to the murder pile. The pieces also move by themselves if you provide the board with magic. I was curious about how they worked, but I didn't want to risk breaking pieces, and my analysis skill only told me they were game pieces.
"I guess it is viscount Danion. He did it in the library and used the demonic sword. I conclude,"
With a long list of weapons, spells and potions, this game will probably last a long time. The list of rooms and characters is smaller. According to Mia, all the characters are based on past people. Pearl said she thinks viscount Danion was a big supporter of the ancestral king and helped establish the Shiga Kingdom.
"I have the viscount's card,"
"I have the demonic sword,"
Pearl and I had a card and a list on the top of the board crossed out the two options by itself. I really want to know how it works, but I can't think of a way of finding out without breaking the game. Satou might be able to find out. His analysis skill is far more powerful than mine for some reason. I wish mine would give me even half the information his skill does.
"Ambassador. Office. With the death curse,"
Mia is next, but unfortunately, we all had one of her cards.
"I think it was the king… in the armoury… with the poisoned dagger,"
This game has too many options, but I was surprised to see Pearl hesitate like that. She's typically more confident even when she gets embarrassed by accident. But we all had one of her cards.
"I guess it was the princess in the throne room with the magic spear,"
"Magic spear,"
"I have the throne room master,"
"Hero Kura, I have the princess card. I confirm,"
Unfortunately, all my guesses were wrong, but I am starting to notice a flaw in this game. Its weapons list is too long. We only have five more rooms and two characters that aren't crossed off. It won't be long until we just have to guess the weapon used. Whoever made this game needs to shorten that list or lengthen the others.
"I've nothing to do at all,"
Karina has finally made an appearance. Satou had also made her a dress, but Karina thought it was a wedding dress since it was white. It took us a while to convince her it wasn't, even longer, to cheer her up. But I am glad she wore it since it looks got on her. Even if it shows off how she outclasses me in a particular regard. I can already picture Arisa throwing a towel or something over Karina to block the view.
"Lady Karina, why don't you join the girls and explore the ship?"
"…Am I not welcome here, sir Pendragon?"
"Of course you are. Would you like to have a seat?"
Liza quickly prepares another sofa by taking off the protective cover for her.
"Yes, thank you,"
Karina needs to be more careful. It's like she is close to her chest, and how the movements it makes are causing Satou to sneakily stare.
"My next guess is for the hero in the dungeon with the holy sword, I guess,"
Nana brings my attention back to the game. Unfortunately for her, I had the hero card and Pearl the holy sword. But that leaves only one character and one room left. The priestess Aria and the grand hall. As I predicted, this game has come down to whoever can guess the murder weapon first.
"Would you like some fruit water? It is quite energising,"
"It's… energising…?"
"Certainly. Like nothing you've ever had before,"
"Energising… like nothing I've ever had… before…?"
But Karina's conclusion-jumping mind keeps taking my attention away from the game. I don't know what she is thinking, but she keeps glancing between Satou and the goblet of fruit water. Whatever is on her mind, it is enough to make her blush.
"N… no, thank you… I'm not… I'm not terribly thirsty at present…."
I don't know what she thinks that is making her so red in the face. If anything, she should be blushing at Satou, staring at her chest while it shakes back and forth as Karina shakes her head. She really needs to be more careful. Even a few of the passing crew stares at her. Hopefully, she will calm down soon.
"Mmm. Blowpipe."
After thinking, Mia guesses, but unfortunately, it is wrong. Nana, Pearl and I take turns, but we get it wrong. This is going to stop being fun fast. We make a few more rounds of guessing before Nana finally gets it right. In the end, it was priestess Aria in the grand hall with the flaming sword. This game could be massively improved by taking out a load of weapons. I think having ten swords, five spears and six axes, among other things, is too many.
"We're back!"
"Sir!"
As our game ends, Pochi and Tama return and jump onto Satou's lap. Unlike Karina, they have no problems accepting a drink from Satou.
"So fizzy,"
"It's bubbling in my mouth, sir!"
"Oh, this is carbonated, isn't it? Goodness, it's been so long,"
I was just as surprised as Arisa was. When I first tried the drink, I thought it was something only nobles could use, but apparently, you could buy it cheaply in any city along the river. I wish I had known sooner so I could have bought a bunch before we left. While we are making a stop, only the way and the old capital would probably sell it too, so it isn't too bad. Right now, I am more surprised by Arisa's boldness. Stealing the goblet from Satou's hand and taking a sip. It has been a while since she has done something like that.
Still, I can't doubt Arisa's satisfied look. I have had better back in my old world, but this stuff is still pretty tasty. Nana and Mia agreed, and we drank it throughout our game. Pearl was the only one to have water in front of her. She said she liked the taste but didn't like the fizzy feeling in her mouth.
"Lulu, make sure you only fill it halfway,"
"R… right… waah!"
Lulu makes the mistake so many have made before. She is startled when the fruity drink foams up, threatening to overflow. Luckily Satou is there to prevent any spillage as he slurps up the excess foam before it can overflow. But he did have some of the foam left on his upper lip. I don't think I have ever seen someone with a foam moustache from drinking a carbonated drink before. Lulu quickly wipes the mess away with a soft smile on her lips.
"Well done, my dear sister. Allow me to dispose of the handkerchief for…."
"No, thank you, Arisa. I'll wash it myself,"
Arisa never misses a beat. In the blink of an eye, she is trying to steal her sister's handkerchief, but Lulu is putting up a good fight. As the two of them start to fight a tug of war over the hankie, it is hard to tell who will win.
"Sa… sir Pendragon, could you perhaps spare a glass for me as well?"
Karina finally has gotten over what was embarrassing her and given in to her curiosity.
"Sure, I'll pour you one,"
"Let me take care of that master,"
Lulu seems happy. After defeating her sister in the battle of the handkerchief, she returns with a lively smile. By the time we packed away the game and joined them, Pochi and Tama had already gotten bored with the fizzy drink.
"Together!"
"Sir!"
The sofas were only meant to be two-seaters, but even with Pochi and Tama's small size, they looked pretty cramped sitting together.
"I call the lap!"
And with Arisa jumping into the mix, it is safe to say Satou has no room to move. But as we prepared our own seats, Karina made a big mistake. With her eyes narrowed at Satou, she gulped back the drink in a single swig. Everyone else must have sensed the same thing as they gave her some space. A second later, it happened. A spray of orange liquid entered the air as Karina performed a dramatic spit take, dropping the goblet from her hand.
Unfortunately, Lulu and Nana didn't move fair enough away. They got caught in Karina's spray, causing their bras to become visible. Karina wasn't spared that fate either, as her wrapped chest became easy to see. I'm starting to worry about the dresses. Satou must be having the same worry as he nervously looks around. If they become see-through when wet, they are definitely not the type of thing to wear on a ship. At least Satou was fast to act as he swiftly retrieved three towels from a garage bag to give the girls. Still, I can't forgive the way he sneaks a peak at Nana's and Lulu's chests.
"Miss Nana! You mustn't undress to dry yourself off in public!"
I should have expected this. I guess it was too much to hope the talk I had with Nana about this kind of thing would have any effect. I'm just glad Lulu was there to stop her before she could reveal anything.
"But, Lulu! The fruit water must be removed at once for sanitation's sake, I insist,"
"No,"
Between Mia and Lulu, the two manage to stop Nana from stripping. I don't know why she is looking at me for permission now. I am firmly on Lulu and Mia's side on this matter.
"Nana, I'm ordering you to go back to our room to change and dry yourself off,"
"…Hero Kura… your order has been registered, I report,"
I don't know why she hesitated and looked disappointed. I can only pray she doesn't become the type of person who enjoys stripping in public.
"Lady Karina, you may change clothes in our room as well if you like,"
"O… of course…."
"Lady Karina, please clean me off as well, if you could,"
But Karina doesn't move even after Satou's and Raka's words. She must be embarrassed by what had happened. Or, if the way she is staring at Nana and Lulu is anything to go by, she might be feeling guilty. Satou takes another towel out and drapes it over her making Karina take a step back when she realises how close she is.
"Lulu and Nana aren't angry. And… it's difficult to look at you without being rude without being rude in this state, so… please, go ahead and change clothes,"
That finally got her moving. It may have caused Karina to turn bright red again, but it got her moving for the stairs. But it paused our activities around the seating area as the ship's crew arrived to clean up the mess. But watching the scenery go by at the ship's railing isn't a bad way to pass the time either.
"Look! Look! Mermaids! Mermaids!"
Arisa didn't need to say it twice, but she was right. A group of men and women with fish tales and human upper halves are where she is pointing. The only thing she is wrong about is their name. The identity of those people is a race of water-dwelling demi-humans called finfolk. Still, it is surprising to see Arisa directing Satou's attention towards them since they are topless. I thought she would cover Satou's eyes instead of pointing them out.
The finfolk seem to be fishermen. They dive into the river, bringing their catches to a tiny fleet of small fishing boats. Selling stuff to passing boats must be common since our guild flags one of the boats down, and we quickly get down to buying goods. They must make good money because they have a good selection of products. Molluscs the size of plates, giant pawns as large as lobsters and massive, six-foot-long octopuses are all available for us to buy. I didn't think octopuses could live in this river, but things are different in this world.
"This… this bizarre creature is edible?"
"Yeah, it's called an octopus. I know it looks strange, but it's actually pretty tasty,"
I don't think Liza realises she is holding on to Satou's arm. But Pearl wasn't any better. If I hadn't stopped her, she would have attacked the octopus.
"Sir Hereditary Knight, how much shall we buy?"
We ended up ordering four octopuses, a bucket of molluscs and one filled with pawns. Our order managed to surprise our guild as they told us most people from outside of the territory usually avoid going anywhere near octopuses. It was cheap, too, coming in at only two large copper coins.
"Octopuses!"
"Let's go, sir!"
Pochi and Tama quickly act when a massive octopus tries to escape. The guild must have brought the biggest one in the river, as the tentacles are longer than my height. Unfortunately, Tama and Pochi's actions only led to them getting tangled up in the tentacles. Tama seems like she would be okay, but I am worried about Pochi, who has her arms pinned and has resulted in biting off the octopus. At least Tama is there. It didn't take long for her to free herself and move to help Pochi.
"Kura,"
Even Mia has gotten caught up by another octopus. When I turned around after hearing her call me, I found that she had managed to be captured. With one tentacle holding her right wrist and another grabbing her left wrist, a third is wrapped around her legs while a fourth is winding tightly around her waist. It is probably a mercy that Mia is so young. Otherwise, Mia would have reminded me of the women in my brother's hentai magazines.
In the end, Satou, with Liza's help, went to free Pochi while Nana and I rescued Mia. Arisa could have helped, but all she did was crack jokes about sexy elves. I was tempted to throw an octopus at her so she would get tangled up, but she would probably only use the opportunity to grab Satou's attention. I'll just settle for getting her stick with the stuff on my hands and slivering down between my….
"Huh?"
I didn't even notice it move. Why didn't my danger sense skill warn me about this?! Isn't this something to be warned about?! Somehow one of the octopuses managed to jump onto my shoulder, grabbing hold of my arm and slivering a tentacle down the front of my dress. And it won't let go. No matter how hard I shake my arm or how much Nana and Mia pull. Even with Pearl jumping in to help, it doesn't budge. It just tightens its hold while that tentacle in my dress slivers lower, and… ah, no, it won't go any further.
I grab hold of that tentacle and pull it as hard as I can, nearly tearing the appendage off. Just my luck that I managed to rip the front of my dress and bra in the process. Thank god the tear isn't large enough to show anything. I even scared the octopus with that display of strength s. It let me go and… oh god….
"Ah!"
"Master, permission to use magic arrow, I request,"
"Sticky,"
We all ended up getting covered in black sticky ink. It looks like the same thing happened to Liza, Pochi and Tama. I wonder how Satou managed to… wait, did Pearl scream back then? I thought I heard her, and she is looking embarrassed right now. I'll just forget about it and pretend it didn't happen. But I can't forget about the joke Arisa makes about the situation I just escaped. I didn't hesitate to throw not only the octopus that attacked me at her but also the one that had captured Mia.
"Master! Help! The hero turned on me!"
I didn't bother to lend her a hand as both the octopuses wrapped themselves around her. Satou must have understood my reasons since he took his time to help free Arisa. After everything was taken care of, we had the guild get us some water to clean off in. We had to clean up on the deck since the boat's movements would cause the water to slosh over the side. Instead, we had only a partitioning scene to give us some privacy. I was worried it might be blown over, but Satou had us covered by using wind magic to prevent anything like that.
"Cold,"
Mia was right. The water was cold, but I can't blame the staff. It is probably dangerous to have a fire for warming water on a ship like this. in place of a fire, I gently used the forge spell to heat up the water. It was difficult to control such extreme magic, but I got the job done with only a few scorch marks on the water tub.
"Mmm. Thanks,"
"It's so warm!"
"It's hot, sir!"
"The water has reached a pleasant temperature, I report,"
With a round of praise, we begin to clean ourselves up. Lulu arrived with fresh clothing for us halfway through, but apart from her, no one bothered us. Still, I am worried Arisa might be plotting something. She keeps glaring at me as we wash up. I'm still not sorry for what I did, though. But whatever she is planning, she doesn't do it now. Instead, it is Pochi and Tama who cause the trouble.
They just had to choose that moment to run out and ask Satou to dry them. And Satou had to catch sight of me when they returned… just when I was changing clothes. I guess we are even now. I saw him naked, and he just saw me in my birthday suit. It doesn't make it any less embarrassing, though. At least Satou made up for his actions by cooking us a delicious meal. With Lulu's help, he made an octopus pilaf for us and a vegetable pilaf for Mia. I guess I can forgive him since it tastes so good.
"Pink!"
"Rolled up, sir!"
Pochi and Tama seemed to like the look just as much as the taste this time. They playfully tapped their octopuses before eating them. But Satou wasn't done yet. While eating, Satou started grilling the giant molluscs and pawns, filling the air with a delicious smell.
"Oh, that smells amazing!"
"Can't wait!"
"My stomach is shrivelling up, sir!"
Arisa, Pochi and Tama may have been the loudest, but we all thought the same thing. A few of us even forgot about the octopuses as we watched Satou cook. The smell even attracted Hayuna over with cute little baby Mayuna in her arms. Tolma and the temple knights ran away when they heard what we were cooking, but it was their loss and more tasty food for us. Miss Karina and her maids looked nervous at the food when it was first served, but they soon started to enjoy it.
"Yummy! I can't stop!"
"Tasty, sir!"
Arisa and Pochi didn't hold themselves back. Stuffing their cheeks until they looked like a pair of chipmunks, those two happily ate their fill. Liza and Tama were just as happy eating the shrimp along with their shells. Karina almost copied them, but her maid Pina promptly scolded her.
"Yum,"
Mia was just as pleased with her vegetarian option. Satou even cut her vegetables into different shapes. It was one of the best meals we have ever had together. I even managed to eat so much I could get up because the food was so good. The guy's that ran away really missed out on some tasty food.
Karina's maids ended up handling the cleanup, so the rest of us spread out on some soft furs the guild laid out for us and took a nap. Hayuna even joined us with the bundle of cuteness Mayuna already laying by her side. For some reason, she keeps staring at me. It's probably nothing and just a curious baby, but something tells me there is more to that stare.
<0>
For some reason, I dreamt of home. I haven't dreamt of home once since coming to this world, but here I was in my parent's home. I remember this day. I had come home to visit my parents for their anniversary and bumped into my childhood friend. But I wasn't in my body. Instead, I was an invisible entity able to walk and move around but couldn't be heard or seen by anyone.
Right now, I was just entering my parent's home. I had just been hired at the company I worked for and had pictures to show my parents. They were so worried that I was struggling to find work and kept insisting I return home. I was looking forward to telling them about it, but I forgot when I saw him.
His look is just as it was that day. Short black hair, brown eyes and a tall, muscular body. He used to play in our school's track team and even won national tournaments before a car accident forced him to retire. I can remember how sad he was that day. He was on track to joining the Japanese Olympic team. Then one careless driver on his phone stole that opportunity from him. I remember his anger when the driver got off on a technicality. All it took was one officer forgetting to read him his rights, and the man walked away without a slap on the wrist.
This was the first time we had seen each other in two years, and I couldn't be happier to be reunited. We used to be so close that we did everything together. When I moved away, it felt so weird not having him around.
"It's been a while,"
It's still the same old smile he always wore when he greeted me. The feeling I felt at that moment was one I missed. Trust and safety. My parents gave me those feelings, too, but I never could open up to them as I did with him. Every secret I had, he knew, and I knew his secrets. I have never trusted someone as much as I trusted him. He was the first person I ever loved, after all.
"It's been too long,"
I don't hesitate to hug him. It has been too long since we embraced like this. Growing up, we used to hug as a greeting and farewell. We got teased a lot for it, but we didn't care. It was our thing, and we were both happy. It's so good to feel his arms wrapped around me again. I couldn't help but smile brightly.
"How have you been? I hear you have been struggling to find work,"
"It was rough for a bit, but I finally got a great offer," But both eavesdropping parents and my friend didn't seem as thrilled about the news as I was. "Is something wrong?"
"We want you to return home,"
My dad was the one to break the news to me. He was always a person who got straight to the point and didn't mince his words. He was the perfect person for the job.
"What? Why? I just got my dream job,"
"Let's come inside and sit down," My mother was always so caring. She took me to the living room, where another face from the past was waiting for me. "We have someone else we would like you to greet."
My friend's twin brother. A person I hate. Someone everyone hates. He's smirking as I enter, already acting like he owns my parent's home. I remember wishing to throw him out, but I held back out of respect for my parents. Part of me wishes I did throw him out that day.
"You've barely changed,"
I really, really hate him. His attitude and how he looks at me make me want to punch him.
"Neither has your attitude,"
"Is that any way to talk to me?"
"I don't see why not?"
"Oh, so they haven't told you,"
"Told me what,"
"Honey, listen to me," I didn't like that moment. I can still remember the dread that came over me that day. "Nikko is your fiance."
"What?!"
"You tell her,"
"I had an agreement with his father," I didn't like where my father's story was going. "If we had unmarried children by the age of twenty, we would have them marry each other. Since you are both single, you two are now engaged."
"You can't be serious!"
"Calm down,"
I couldn't stay calm. Not after hearing I have to marry that… that creature. Even watching this from outside of my body, I still feel angry.
"So you aren't joking when you say I should give up my dream job! Move out of my apartment! And! And Marry HIM!!"
"Just calm down. We have already handled everything, and if you give us that company's number can tell them for you,"
"I'm leaving,"
I didn't hesitate to leave. My parent's tired to stop me, but I pushed past them and left. I didn't care what they thought of me. I would never in a million years marry that jerk!!! But I only made it halfway to the train station before I stopped.
"Hey! Wait up!"
He was probably the only person who could have got me to stop. If it were anyone else, I would have boarded the train and never left. But when I saw my childhood friend running after me, I couldn't help myself.
"I'm sorry this had to happen,"
"It's not your fault,"
"It is. If I had managed to convince both our parents to not go through with it, this would have never happened,"
"It's fine. I'm not mad at you anyway. I really wish we could have talked more, but I just can't stay here,"
"I understand. Let me give you my number. When you are next in town, I would like you to meet my wife,"
"You're married?"
"Yeah. My first child is due to be born soon. I was hoping to introduce you, but I guess that can wait for some other time,"
"Yeah, some other time,"
During the train ride out of town, I cried. I'm not sure if it is from the fight or from learning the guy I had a crush on for so many years was married, but I cried. But the strangest thing happened on the train. The woman I was sitting next to gave me a tissue, but her hair kept changing colour. Every time I looked at her, it would be different. She never said anything to me, but I felt comforted by her presence.
<0>
It was a strange dream. I woke up with tears in my eyes as I felt things I hadn't in a long time. But why now? I haven't thought about that day in a long time. I would eventually make up with my parents, meet my childhood friend's wife, and babysit their child. I had no reason to cling to that memory. But it was weird to think about how my life would have changed if it was my childhood friend I was arranged to marry. For him would have quit my job and moved back. I would never have been sent to this world, either. Sitting up, I was just about to get up….
"Kura…."
Before I can move, Mia hugs me looking like she has been crying. She must have had a bad dream. I gently hold her and stroke Mia's hair.
"Hero Kura,"
Nana does something similar. She might not cry like Mia, but her face still looks distressed. She ends up latching onto my left arm while Pearl hugs my right.
"Please don't die, master,"
Did they all have bad dreams?
"Master…."
Everyone else must have bad dreams too. Arisa is clinging to Satou, burying her face in his chest, saying something about Satou and macho dudes in a festival of manliness.
"I don't wanna be cold,"
"I don't wanna be hungry, sir,"
"Master, you're safe,"
The beastfolk girls look like they are going to crush him with how hard they are hugging Satou. Even Lulu is crying as she stares at her master. What are the odds of all the girls having a bad dream? It must have just been a coincidence despite how unlikely it is. If someone used a skill or spell on me, I would have gotten the resistance skill to counter it.
By the time the sunset, we had finished docking at Zurute City. Travel was prohibited on the river at night, so we will have to spend the night here. The journey has been a smooth one so far. We covered just over half the distance between the old capital and Gururian City and were only attacked by pirates once. That attack could hardly be called a problem since the birdfolk and gillfolk took care of them in mere moments.
"You truly shan't be joining us, sir Pendragon?"
"I'm afraid I wasn't invited,"
The invitation was only extended to Karina, me and, surprisingly, Nana, Pearl and Mia. Karina mentioned that the viceroy of this city didn't have the same disdain for beastfolk that most nobles in this world do. But the dress I am forced to wear is a problem. The others got away with not wearing this stuff since they weren't nobles, but I had to wear a dress with heels that were difficult to walk in. I wouldn't be surprised if I tripped and fell multiple times tonight.
Tolma and his family have also been invited and left just a minute ago with the temple knights. Since our group was large, we couldn't all fit in the same carriage. If we were to borrow Satou's one, we could have travelled together, but the ones the viceroy sent us are half the size. As we got going, I found the carriage wasn't nearly as comfortable either. I feel sorry for Karina. She looks like a child being left behind as she peeks at Satou. Maybe one day she could win him over.
"Lady Karina, if you are feeling lonely, you can rest your head here, I suggest,"
"I'm… I'm quite alright… thank you,"
"Nana, you shouldn't put people's faces in your chest without warning,"
"Understood, master,"
I thought I had nothing to worry about with Nana until we reached the party. I just can't let her out of my sight for a second. But at least it seemed to help Karina get over her loneliness. Now she just looks like she might die from embarrassment, so I can't say it was an improvement.
The viceroy's estate is even bigger than the one in Gururian City. It also looks like an older building, with the main building looking like it was once part of a castle. We must be the last to arrive because the room is already packed when the staff guilds us inside. I let out a sigh of relief when I see that the people here are already couples. I would go crazy if I had to go through another round of marriage offers.
"You're here at last,"
The man, I believe is the viceroy, steps forward to greet us. He is a chubby man with a bald head and pale skin. He must be a fan of knights because he has barely squeezed himself into a set of armour. The man smiles when he sees us, but that smile makes me take a step back. Something doesn't feel right here.
"Now we can begin,"
Before we know it, the viceroy's guards burst into the room from every door, and the guests draw swords. Several people in black robes also file into the room holding knives to Tolma's and Hayuna's necks.
"I have the hero and her companions here as promises, master,"
One of the robbed men steps towards the viceroy steps forward holding some kind of orb.
"So you have. You will be rewarded when our lord revives very generously for this." Taking down his hood, the man reveals a badly scared face as he raises the orb into the air. "We can't have you interfering in our lord's reservation. I'm afraid you won't leave this room alive, hero of the false gods."
He suddenly smashes the orb on the ground, but several ghosts appear instead of a mist, glass or even a spray of glass. Raises from the orb's shattered remains five monsters called Unresting Spirtes float above the robed man's head. They aren't big, just the size of my hand and are only level ten. Still, each one of those sprites has the natural ability to paralyse anything they touch.
"A hundred gold to the one who brings me the hero's head!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone