Chapter 102

"Amelia, check this out," I called out to her while pulling out a book.

It caught my eye as it was much bigger than the rest. Though, one thing that bewildered me is the language… It's quite different.

These are much more Cyrillic than the more commonly used alphabets. Even still, I understand it all. Though I've never seen anyone write or speak this language, I can understand it.

"What is it?" Amelia said as she hopped over to me and on my shoulder.

I opened the book which weighed a fair bit. It was an odyssey. An adventure about sailing beyond the seas.

"This must be the prophecy we need!" I cried, overjoyed by the discovery.

I began to read what it had to say. This isn't a fictional odyssey. This is… a story, not just any story, a recounted story of the ancient civilization. They built boats to cross the sea.

"We misjudged!" I said excitedly. "This isn't a tale with fiction, this is a recounted story!"

"Does that mean all that is written here are… true?" Amelia questioned.

"It's all true! A land out there exists!"

I walked away from the shelf and towards the desk. I wanted to give it a good read before making any proper conclusion.

This may take a while but I have a few days still. I can finish this book in two days if I take breaks to sleep and eat.

I took a seat at the table and delved deep into what this story had to say.

It is already mentioned that a landmass had been found. The story names it "Karra", a difficult yet interesting place to be in. It is a land of trees and mountains. Having sandy shores and rocky mountains.

Between the shores and mountains, a lush and deep forest lay. It's filled with creatures of many colours and behaviours.

A magical and almost mysterious lake lies in the centre of the entire continent.

As I turned to the next page, a map was drawn. To say it aged like fine wine would be an understatement.

It feels like a lost map that points to hidden treasure. But this time, the treasure is the map itself. There is nothing more valuable than this map.

This find is… it's amazing… The only way to top this off would be to find an atlas that has both continents.

I studied the map and memorised it completely. It was engraved in my memory. If I wanted to, I could draw the map with pinpoint accuracy.

"Let's continue to read about it.

The first part of the story talks about preparations. What may be necessary for travel. It mentioned citrus fruits. Seems like the ancients had realised scurvy is an issue before me.

They used large boats that could handle two to three men at once. Only ten people had gone to the land. Five male and five female.

Which means they must've either stayed in the newly found land or moved back.

If they are to stay on the land, they should've procreated to keep the population from dying.

This all… slowly makes sense…

But the more I read, the more I began to feel exhausted. Each page has massive text walls and paragraphs that have no stop in between.

I had only read twenty pages before feeling overwhelmed by the text. The fight with Asim and the lack of food have weakened me beyond my abilities.

"Let's… take a break here…" I told Amelia while throwing my head back. "I cannot keep going like this.

"Let me go bring the rucksack for you then," She said while walking away. "You rest here,"

"Tell me if anything unusual happens. Do not make me worried,"

"Okay~!" She said before bolting away into the hallway.

The lively crimson fox disappears into the darkness of the hallway. My only concern right now is that she won't return and I will starve to death in this library, forced to bite away at the old pages of an ancient text that's worth more than a kingdom's economy.

ALEXANDER'S POV

"Urgh… my… head…"

A horrible headache started as soon as I opened my eyes to the sound of birds. My eyes were trying to see around me but all I saw was a blur.

I rubbed my eyes clearly and tried to understand where I am.

"Sh~it"

Once again I've managed to find myself under the sheets with the princess of Triveni Kingdom, as well as her arms wrapped around my torso while both of us barely have any articles of clothes on.

But… whose room are we in?"

I looked around to see it was her room. Wait… It's her room!

My heartbeat spiked and my mind raced. I'm in the princess' room!

"Mmm, what's the hurry?" Her arms tighten around my torso, putting me in a lock.

"O-Olivia… There is a slight issue!" I said, trying to keep my voice low.

"What is it~" She whispered as she sat upright.

In a daze, she looked around the room. She covered herself with a soft and royal blanket.

"Oh, you're in my room," Olivia giggled as she came to her senses. "Get out of here, silly!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" I said before leaping out of bed.

I hastily wore my pants and took my shirt before hurrying to the mirror.

"Remember, we have a date today," She said while staring at me.

"Oh, right," I said while fixing my hair. "Afternoon, right?"

"Mhm, I'm looking forward to taking you around!"

"I'll be glad to accompany you, princess,"

"Hehehe… Princess…" She giggled to herself.

"What's so funny?" I couldn't help but smile as I looked at her from the reflection of the mirror.

"Oh, nothing," She turned her gaze away. "Hearing you call me 'princess' feels… makes me feel warm inside,"

"I see," I smile and walk away, trying to wear my shirt in the process. "Well, I'll see you in the afternoon then,"

"You're forgetting something~," She said as I was about to leave.

"Right…"

Before I could leave, she would always remind me of our morning routine. I walked over to the bed as nonchalantly as possible and gently held her cheeks.

"If you don't want me to forget our routine, get married to me quick," I said before leaning in.

Our lips met and I held my breath. She fell back on the bed as I was about to pull away.

Olivia pulled me closer and tightened her grip around my back. The moment went on for longer than I anticipated.

After what felt like a blissful eternity, she lets go of me and lets me go.

"Soon, darling, soon,"

Before the situation could get any more intimate, I gave her a wink before sneaking out of the room.

There was still no one around. It wasn't too late but it was just time for breakfast.

I should hurry to my room before anyone questions me.

Before anyone could catch me lurking around, I found my way back to my room and entered–Trying to keep the sound to a minimum.

A deep sigh escaped from me as soon as I closed the doors. If this continues, I will not be able to please my desires. In the end, I will be a slave to Olivia's desires.

It has been four days since Artorius was gone, and this is my second day in my mini holiday. Today is what Olivia has been looking forward to.

Though, it would be a lie if I said I wasn't looking forward to it either. Anyone who has a date with a princess would know that. Unfortunately, only a few can relate to it.

Even when I am lucky, I feel bound by chains by my ankle. As if I'm being used or manipulated.

This cannot continue… I'll go insane if I can't find a way to escape this.

Artorius should be coming back in the next few days. Nearly a week has passed. I hope he comes back with good news.

Perhaps I should wait for him at the camp.

Before I could dwell on my thoughts more, three knocks came from my door, sending a quick shiver up my spine.

"Young master, breakfast will be served in thirty minutes," Windson's voice came through, sounding jolly as ever. "Do you wish to take a bath before?"

"Yes, I do," I told him while jumping onto my bed.

Before he could enter, I needed to mess up my bed. I didn't touch it at night. It would seem suspicious if I left it untouched.

Maybe I took it too far, but I managed to make a mess of my elegant bed and not look like I just snuck out of the princess' room.

"Good morning, young master," The fellow blonde elf greets me. "The water will be ready in a minute,"

"I'll go change into my robes,"

Windson begins to take off his gloves as he walks into the bathroom. I grab my robes and prepare myself for the bath.

"Take out a really matching and nice outfit for today," I told Windson. "It's rather special today,"

"May I know the reason?" He asked me from inside the bathroom.

"I have a date with Olivia,"

"Ooh~ Love is in the air~," Windson said aloud as I changed into my robes.

"Yeah yeah, say what you want,"

Windson does not take long before stepping out of the bathroom. He wipes his hands off and wears his gloves before leaving.

"I'll be back five minutes before breakfast. Please take your time, but not too long."

Just like that, he was gone. Leaving me in the room to take a bath.

My heart suddenly began racing, thinking about what could happen today. Olivia is an unpredictable person. I can never predict what she does next.

She could take me sightseeing. Though I doubt I have yet seen all the popular places. Perhaps shopping is not a bad idea.

But, does she even need to go shopping? She's a princess after all.

With all those thoughts, I entered my cold bath, filled with the same fragrance as Olivia.

"Damn it," I cursed out loud. "Even in the bath, I'm reminded of her,"

I began to reminisce about old times, times that were not that long ago. Only a few months.

After all the scandals Artorius and I have been through, we've never sat down and had a banter like friends. It's odd… It feels like we've been acquaintances for life, yet it's only been a few months.

Both of us have gone through war… in a way. Most of the war was Artorius creating a slaughterhouse.

We've both seen war, we've seen peace. Now we've finished our first project together. In such a short time, I've created a bond with someone so deep. The person is none other than a human as well!

Now it seems we've headed two different paths, separating from each other after a while. Artorius and I have been lodging at each other's places, more often than not, it was me at his place.

Artorius… must be having a hard time right now. Inside a dark cave with Amelia. Having to carry around two swords and a rucksack.

Can't imagine taking a shit in such a situation.

After I had cleared my thoughts, I splash the water on my face to wipe off any dirt. I felt much more refreshed and clear-headed.

I had an exciting day ahead of me. I cannot dwell on the misery of another man.