Chapter 56 - Imagine Being Captured by a Fish (4)

There was a "WHA BAM!" sound as I punched Llyr away from me and almost into the door. It was like watching an anime episode and in the scene, the MC punched some perv away like they were swinging a bat and hit a home run.

"I DIDN'T MEAN FOR YOU TO PUNCH ME THAT HARD!" Llyr yelled, sitting up and holding his cheek, tears swelling in his sea-green eye, "That really hurt!"

"GOOD! I sure as hell hope it did!" I yelled back, my face already pink from the fever, but now with a red hue by my cheeks from anger and embarrassment, "How many damn times do I have to tell you that you can't just up and kiss me like that!?"

About every day from when I first regained consciousness, he tried to kiss me or flirt with me in a manner that involved a kiss. Since two days after the couch incident, I had to tell him that constantly and he never listened, he just said sorry and moved on.

"B-But I just can't help it! Hearing your voice is enough to turn me on, and having your face right before me worsens it! Even though you just punched me, Llyr Jr. is having a hard time staying down!" He exclaimed, standing up and saying that with a defensive and honest stance.

"WHAT THE FUCK?! GET THE HELL OUT YOU FUCKING PERVERT!" I shouted at him, throwing my pillow and gritting my teeth, my face practically red from anger.

"I'M SORRY! WAAHHHH, Stop throwing things at me! DON'T YELL AT ME!" Llyr shouted back, tears now streaming from his face.

"THEN GET THE HELL OUT! IF YOU CAN'T KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS THEN GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" I kept on yelling, not caring that I was making him cry even more. (A-Bro's acting like he didn't lead him on, omg)

"OKAY OKAY, JUST DON'T HATE ME! WAAHHHHH!" He ran out balling, wiping his tears as he ran out. Araluen came in as he left, looking very confused, but soon figured out what happened.

She quickly put the basin of water, cloth, and ice pack she was carrying on the bedside table and picked up all of the pillows, then put them back onto the bed and placed an ample amount behind me to support my head. I laid back down and put the covers over myself, sweating and panting from my burst of anger just now.

"My apologies for His Majesties attitude and behavior. It is unbefitting of him, but I do hope you try to understand where he is coming from," Araluen commented, squeezing water from the wet cloth and using it to wipe the sweat from my forehead.

"Ugh, it's whatever. I just wish he'd clean up his act faster, it's annoying having to be the one to teach him all of these things, I'm not even his tutor!" I exclaimed with a sigh, shifting the blankets to a better position.

"His Majesty never exactly had a teacher, he was pretty much spoiled from birth. You see, in our country, when the previous monarch dies, a new one is born almost immediately from an egg produced by the patron goddess of our Kingdom," Araluen explained, putting the rag back into the water basin and preparing the ice pack.

"That doesn't exactly explain why Llyr acts like a child, shouldn't someone at least teach him how to act in front of other people?" I questioned, turning my head a little to face her.

"He was taught how to receive guests and address his people in ceremonies and such, but…" Araluen paused for a moment before putting the ice pack on my forehead and continuing, "When the goddess Cordelia first bestowed the demi-god eggs of the rulers, she sent a teacher along with them, that teacher was also a divine servant of hers, however, during the reign of the last sovereign, a demon assassinated the royal teacher, so his Majesty never got taught the things he was supposed to."

"But why didn't the goddess just send another teacher? Or why didn't you guys adapt a teacher of your own to teach Llyr those things?" I kept asking, puzzled by the situation and culture of this water kingdom.

"We would have, but mortals are forbidden from teaching the sovereigns how to act, that is strictly the royal teacher's job, they teach each ruler in a way that they turn out unique and rule differently. Before His Majesty was born, a prophecy appeared saying that he would meet someone to steer this kingdom on a brighter path and teach him how to rule properly, thus taking over the role of the royal teacher and queen position…" She soon trailed off, a few seconds later wearing a pained and apologetic face.

"...He thinks that I'm that person, doesn't he?" I commented, suddenly having it all dawn on me. It wasn't his fault that he was like this, it was this crooked and old kingdom's traditions.

"Unfortunately so…His Majesty did also read a lot of fairy tales and story books, so considering how the two of you met, that could also have something to do with it," Araluen added, suddenly having a pensive expression.

"Oh, let me guess, he was so absorbed in those tales that you neglected to tell him that they weren't real and that that's not how love and not the way the world works? I questioned, an annoyed expression on my face.

"..." Araluen stayed silent and hung her head in shame, now properly realizing the weight of her and the other servants' actions.

"...You may leave now, I would like to get some rest. Go and see if your baby king is alright…I can only imagine how heartbroken he must be," I taunted, rolling my eyes at her.

Araluen then bowed and left the door, closing the door quietly behind her. I sat there for a while, my throat sore from all of the talking we did. I finally closed my eyes and drifted asleep, though what awaited me in my dreams was an unfamiliar figure, the figure belonging to a person I had seen in a book while perusing the Alkmenian library.

***

A few hours after Lev "fell asleep", Llyr had gotten himself together, with the help of Koren and Araluen of course. He was currently sitting in one of the cabinet rooms with the leader of the hero's party, the hero himself.

"Your Majesty, thank you for taking the time out of your day to meet this humble commoner, it is truly an honor," The Hero exclaimed, keeping a straight face and bowing with one hand on his heart.

"Oh please, it's my honor to be able to meet such an outstanding hero who has done so much for our poor continent!" Llyr shot back, recognizing his smooth talking as the same kind that Lev would occasionally use.

The hero had wavy short white hair with light purple highlights at the tips of his hair, which was especially brought out by his sparkling obsidian black eyes. He usually wore pale red, purple, and black armor along with a black hooded cape, but was instead just wearing a white button-up with a black suit vest, pants, and a half cape cloak.

His dual blades were at his side like usual, a consistent habit he developed from having to survive in one of the forbidden regions and trying to not die at the hands of demons. The hero was only two inches shorter than Llyr, even though he was wearing slightly heeled boots that went up to his knees, he still looked shorter than him.

"I thank you for your generosity, your grace," He said, taking a seat, "As the navigator had explained to you before, our ship, unfortunately, crashed on the way to the Asmund Kingdom, so I was hoping we could seek salvation here at least until we can repair our ship."

"Well, I don't see a problem with that. However…" Llyr paused for a second, pondering on whether he should mention anything about Lev, "There is another diplomatic guest from the Quare Kingdom, so you may run into him during your time here."

Though in reality, Llyr meant something more like this; 'I hope you don't run into him you heroic bastard, I mean who knows, maybe even just being near you and those angelic swords of yours might harm him!'

It was a known fact among anyone who heard the rumors circling around the continent, about the hero's dual swords that were made out of angelic metal containing the light attribute.

Even though Llyr has been in the palace almost his entire existence, whenever he would give speeches, go out into town on certain occasions, and now when accompanying Lev, he would hear passing rumors. 

One of the latest ones he's heard, not just from the towns folk, but from the palace servants as well, was about a newly found hero and his swords, plus also the people in his party. Though most of the time, the servants would be talking about how one of their friends had been saved by the hero and his party.

"I see…Well, I'll be sure to greet him with my best hospitality and sincerity, that is if I do cross paths with said person," The hero responded, nodding still with a straight and unmovingly blank face.

"Good, now then Mr. Hero, I'll have Muriel outside guide you to your actual quarters. Oh! And my dearest apologies for keeping you in the servant's quarters last night, but I just couldn't have given the actual go-ahead till we spoke," Llyr explained, wearing a fake apologetic expression.

'Yeah right! If anything, I should be keeping you lot in the servant's quarters for interrupting my time with my dearest! Instead, I left him and he caught a stupid cold, then got mad at me for trying to sympathize with him!' Is what he was, once again, actually thinking.

"I once again thank His 'Holiness' for his generosity…well, I suppose I should return to my party now," Atlas expressed with a smug-ish tone, he then shook hands with Llyr and went for the door, but before he left he stopped in his tracks and looked over at Llyr, "Oh, and one last thing. My name is Atlas, Atlas Clyyford."

Atlas then opened the door and had Muriel follow him to gather his party to move rooms, leaving Llyr in the room to throw another silent fit about how annoyed he was at the hero.

***

After I fell asleep, I soon opened my eyes in a dream, or at least what seemed to be a dream. I was surrounded by mirrors, a black floor, and a mirrored ceiling. 

It was a mirror maze, the type of one I was all too familiar with. Back in high school and middle school, Yasuo, Keiji, and Akihito would drag me to them every time we went to a carnival and theme park. The most popular type was the full mirror one with only the floor to guide you.

When I looked to the side to get a good look at my surroundings, I was met with a surprise that shook my very core. Staring back at me was, well, me. Not Lev's body, but the actual me.

Looking at my reflection, I saw that I still had the same old white streaks in my short black hair from stress, my bangs swept to the side as usual, and my amber-brown eyes just as tired.

However, I wasn't wearing the military uniform I was wearing when I died; I was in my more casual uniform: a black button-up, leather pants, gun holsters, a black blazer, and shiny dress shoes.

I was also slightly relieved to see my taller figure, but a bit disappointed to see my pale skin, almost like a ghost's. As well as my usual dark circles and red puffy eyes, not from crying, just from a lack of sleep.

'I'd say this is a relief, but knowing my current situation, it's more concerning.'

I soon started to make my way through the maze, occasionally accidentally bumping my head into a mirror, mixing up the difference between the mirror and a corridor.

Eventually, I found an area that no longer had mirrors and was instead a long dark corridor, leading to a pair of giant doors.

The doors looked similar to the ones belonging to the throne room in Terra Palace. The doors were made of Aquamarine and were lined with aged copper, there were also carvings in gold in the door, containing what seemed to be a birth mural.

'Man, these people sure do like flexing their wealth, huh?'

Pushing the doors open, I was met with a sight that left me in a bit of awe. There was a walkway leading from the two doors I just opened going to the other side of the corridor to an identical door. 

The walkway was made of marble, similar to the walkways in the Terra Palace, except these ones had copper on the sides of them, and instead of marble pillars. Its pillars were made of aquamarine with gold on the platforms connecting them to the ceiling and floor, the platform also seemed to be floating above the water underneath it.

Except for having two walls on either side of the walkway, it was lined with waterfalls, each one going into the water below the walkway.

As I was walking towards the end of the platform, I could smell the clean air from the water, and feel the mist against my skin. I could also hear my footsteps echoing, signaling that the waterfalls were not strong enough to drown them out.

'This clearly isn't just a dream…what exactly is going on here?'

When I reached the two doors at the end, I tried to open them, but the lock and chains on it didn't make it easy. Luckily, my guns were still in their holsters.

'Welp, guess I'll just do it the American way!' [1]

I had to shoot the lock five times for the lock to finally come off, then I pulled the rest of the chain off as well and was finally able to open the doors.

Opening them, I was greeted by something unexpected. There was a woman in the center of the room, chained with her arms hanging above her and being forced to kneel, chains on her feet and neck.

=======

[1]: This is a reference to the old cartoons and stereotype jokes(?) that people like to make about Americans relying on guns for a lot - not trying to offend anyone XD