Chapter 8

Rio was on his way back to the shack in a Hurry. Trying to get back before too many people came out and three to steal his poach filled with coins.

"...I smell blood" with Rio doing jobs for the three men, he saw more than a few dead bodies and blood, so he knew what blood smelled liked, and that's what he was smelling now.

Rio walked up to the door bracing his for what he was a it to see.

"Ah" as soon as he opened up the door, he's was pulled and a was almost stabbed through the chest with a knife. But luckily the small poach hanging around his neck with coins saved him, but at the cost of being cut open and the coins fell all across the room.

"Huh" Rio got up as quickly as he can and look all over the room. He saw all the three men were lying dead and Gigi was unconscious.

He the looked infront of him and saw a man in a mask with a knife, who appears to be an assassin walking towards him.

'This is bad'

Rio taught to himself. He then got up on his feet and backing away from, until his back touched the wall. The assassin raised his knife above his head ready to stab Rio, Until—

"Haruto" a mysterious voice said.

"...!" Rio was shocked hearing his name from his past life. But after he heard that everything around him stopped in place. It was like time stopped moving.

Rio looked up and saw a girl with a beautiful girl, with extremely long peach-coloured hair.

"Who are you" Rio asked

"Who I am is koto important right, because we don't have time. I will teach you about od, and how to use your magic power. Learn it by remembering this feeling." the girl said to Rio.

'H-how to use magic?' Rio taught to himself.

"Sharpen your senses. There is light coming for body, isn't there? Use that light to increase your physical abilities and make your body stronger. Take that image and—..." The girl said to Rio before she disappeared.

The next moment everything started moving again. As soon as it does the knife came down on Rio he dodge it successfully with his body enhanced and physical abilities enhanced.

Thanks to Amakawa Haruto's memories he was able to the ancient martial arts he learnt from his grandfather on earth to strike the man in his abdomen which left the men in pain and surprise.

"Enchant physical abilities"The assassin said as he chanted a spell to activate the artifact that looked like a handbag to raise his physical abilities.

The assassin started slashing at Rio to kill him. But with his body and physical abilities raised, It was no walk in the park for the assassin.

He slashed and slashed again, but none of his attacks even touched Rio. All he slashed at his open air, while Rio continued to strike the man until he was down on the ground unconscious.

Rio looked over the room and walked over to Gigi to wake her up.

"Gigi, wake up, wake up. he shook Gigi to wake her up and calling her name. Rio kept doing that until she waked up.

Gigi was shocked at what she saw and nearly throw up. She then asked Rio what happened.

"...Rio what happened here?"

"...I'll explain"

Rio tell her what happened, but suddenly they heard something moved in the room

The looked around and saw the bag in the corner started to move.

"What is that? Gigi asked

'It couldn't be' Rio taught to himself.

He walked over the the bag and untied the string. When he looked and saw the girl and he let out a sigh, seeing some the he didn't want to see.

The girl was young with lavender hair and had on a very high-quality dress. Rio took off the the gag off her mouth and she gasped for air. When she catched her breath she said to Rio—

"P-please, save me! Won't you please take meto the castle?" The girl asked Rio with the gear still in her voice.

"The castle?"

"I beg you. If you speak to my father... he will reward you." She said to Rio with tears and fear in her eyes.

"Your father"

As soon as Rio muttered that he heard a scream. He looked at the girl while she was who was screaming and the next second she lost consciousness.

"Hey!" Rio tried to wake her up, but she was out cold.

"Gigi" Rio said.

"Yes" Gigi who had been watching until now answered.

"There are some people looking around for this girl. I'm going to bring her to them, so I'm gonna need you to leave this place quickly. Rio said to Gigi calmly.

"But, what about you!?" Gigi asked in worry.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be alright, either way you need to follow your dream with your sister, okay." Rio said to Gigi with a calm and warm smile.

"...Okay." She hesitated for a moment and gave her answer. She was extremely worried about Rio, but his calm smile made her gave up easily.

"Alright then. Take of yourself, Gigi."

"Okay, Rio."

Rio said to gigi after untying the girls restraints and lifting her up on his back and walking pass Gigi the door of the know shack and leaving.

◇ ◇ ◇

It was already 20 minutes past the time Rio started looking for Celia's group.

"Hey you!"

"Huh."

A voiced called out to Rio from behind. It was one of the little girls in celias group that called out while running towards him. He finally found them or rather they found him.

"Flora!What are have you done to her?"

the girl askes Rio while glaring not daggers but sword at him. But overall his expression didn't change. At the same time the others came running and Vanessa took Flora and handed her to Celia and the other little girl with blond hair to heal her with magic.

I've done nothing to her . She's just fell unconscious that's all. She actually asked me to take her to the castle. Rio said to the her.

"She did?" asked Vanessa.

"Lies!" shouted the girl accusing Rio.

"Please calm down, Princess Christina." asked Vanessa to Christina.

"I am calm, but she's—" Christina said worriedly and then turn back to Rio and said—

"What we're you planning to do by kidnapping my younger sister?" Christina ask Rio with anger in her voice.

"What? I-its not like that! She asked me to—"

"Are you saying she asked to be kidnapped?"

"No. That's not what I'm saying"

"Enough!"

A slap suddenly came across Rio's face. It was Christina who slapped Rio in the face. But then Rio turned back to Christina and glared at he coldly which send chills down her spine. She reflectively tried to slap him again to stop him from looking at her like that, but Rio caught her hand to stop her from hitting him again with her left hand (she slapped him with her right hand before).

"Please listen to me before you make assumptions."

Rio said to Christina calmly but coldly, while squeezed both of her wrist in his hand.

"Ow!"

Christina shouted in pain. Them suddenly a silver sword was right infront of Rio's face.

"Let go of her, and Princess Christina please stop provoking the boy." Vanessa said to Rio and Christina.

"It's his fault. And how dare you hurt me!"

"This boy doesn't know your from the royal family of Beltrum, so of course he'd hurt you." Vanessa said to Christina give her reason for Rio's brutal response. But Christina was also at fault here. Vanessa turned back to Rio and said—

"Now boy you will came with us to the castle and tell us what happened." Vanessa stated to Rio

"What if I don't want to?" Rio said reluctant to go.

" This is not up for debate. You either come willingly or by force." Vanessa said to Rio with a glare.

'It seems like debating will get me nowhere'

Rio taught himself.

"...All right I'll go with you but only to talk."

"Alright then."

Rio said to Vanessa with a sigh and she agreed without a second thought.

◇ ◇ ◇

Now in the castle Rio hands was chained up, his feet not touching the ground.

"What is this! I thought we were going to talk!"

Rio shouted in confusion.

"We are going to talk. But first admit to you kidnapping Princess Flora."

A man said who was a Knight of the kingdom of Royal Gaurd and its Vice Captain.

"What! I didn't do anything like that" Rio shouted at Charles.

"Hmmm"

Charles squinted his at Rio's response and hit him in the stomach with the club.

"Guh...!"

Rio felt the pain he received from the club hitting his stomach.

"Now, let's try this again.

Charles said with a smirk as he continued to brutally interrogate Rio.

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, on the upper floors of the Beltrum Royal Castle, in Flora's bedroom...

"Zzz... zzz..."

The Second Princess, Flora Beltrum, slept peacefully in a luxurious four-poster bed. A gentle spring breeze blew into the room through her balcony, which overlooked the scenery of Beltrant, the capital.

"Reveles."

Celia chanted the spell for detection, and a circle of light appeared at her hand. She closed her eyes, moved her hands over Flora's body, and focused her mind. After a moment, Celia opened her eyes and exhaled in relief.

"There are no traces of any sorcery being cast. Medicine is outside my area of expertise, but I'd say she'll recover quickly with enough water and rest."

Vanessa sighed with relief after Celia reported her diagnosis.

"Thank you, Celia. If your Reveles couldn't find anything, then Princess Flora is surely safe from any possible curses," Vanessa said, bowing her head at Celia.

"No, I'm glad I was able to help. Now we can all rest easy."

"Yes, but we never found out what the culprit wanted to achieve from the kidnapping..." Vanessa said.

"I think the information we received from Rio will be useful. We may be able to identify the culprit from that."

"...If what that boy said was true, that is," Vanessa added.

"You think he was lying?" Celia asked with wide eyes.

"No... Of course, that might not be the case. It's just an occupational hazard of mine to doubt everything."

"Well, I don't believe he's a bad child."

"I guess if a professor at the Royal Academy says so, then it must be true," Vanessa said with a small smile.

"I'm still a newbie, though," Celia replied bashfully. Then, she noticed something, and asked, "Come to think of it, where did Princess Christina and Roanna go?"

"Oh. They're probably being scolded for abuse of power and leaving without permission by His Majesty right about now..."

Vanessa answered tiredly.

Just then, Flora stirred.

"Uhh... Mmh..."

"Princess Flora!" Vanessa called in a panicked voice.

Flora opened her eyes slowly. She blinked a few times before looking up at Vanessa's face in a daze.

"Is that... Vanessa? Where..."

"You're in your bedroom, Your Highness. You were weakened from dehydration and it caused you to pass out. Please, drink this."

Vanessa picked up a metal jug from the table and poured water into a glass to offer to Flora.

"Thank you." Flora accepted the glass and sipped slowly from it.

After a moment, she lowered it and noticed Celia watching her.

"Oh, umm. Who might you be?" Flora asked.

"My name is Celia Claire, Your Highness. I am Princess

Christina's class instructor at the Royal Academy."

"You're my sister's... I've heard a lot about you."

"I'm honored."

Celia bowed respectfully as Flora gave a weak smile.

"Would you explain what happened to me? I don't..."

"Yes. Please allow me that honor, Your Highness," Vanessa said, and began explaining the situation to Flora. She spent the next few minutes giving Flora the general outline of what happened.

" —which brings us here. The boy claimed he was merely protecting Your Highness. Is this true?" Vanessa asked Flora after finishing her explanation.

"Yes. I faintly remember asking a child my age to save me," Flora confirmed with a nod.

"And that boy's name was Rio?"

"...I'm sorry. I didn't ask for his name, so I don't know," Flora shook her head, eyes downcast. "But I'll know his face when I see him. Where is he now? I want to thank him."

"...He's probably being interrogated right now," Vanessa replied.

"Interrogated? Why?" Flora asked curiously.

"There was a need to confirm whether the boy's statement was true, so..."

"Then please bring him here. He's the one who saved me."

Flora declared Rio's innocence and made her request, but Vanessa seemed troubled as she looked down.

"That's... I'm afraid it's a little difficult to call him to this room."

"Why?"

"The boy is a mere orphan. He'll need to be cleaned up and receive permission from His Majesty first..."

"...Then please do that quickly," Flora requested rather forcefully.

"I won't allow him any more discomfort."

"Understood. Please rest some more, Your Highness. It will be better for your health."

"I know. Please do as I asked."

"Of course. Celia, could you please keep Her Highness company for a moment? I need to get some things ready."

"It would be my pleasure."

"Thank you. I shall return as soon as possible."

Vanessa extended her thanks at Celia's agreeable nod before hurrying off to find Rio.