Quinus sighed, "My uncle has the backing of the minor nobles, while Duval has the support of most of the major nobles. My uncle could make the kingdom fall into chaos if he and the minor nobles took action and tried to start an uprising. But we have the numbers and could put down the revolt in a few months if it came to war. But I know that the Kingdom of Marn, to the north, and the Alliance of the Divine Three, to the south, are itching to start a war. And we're the only thing stopping them from starting one. If the kingdom were to fall into a civil war, both nations would have the excuse they've been looking for. To invade us and claim our lands for themselves.

"Duval didn't want a civil war and wanted a peaceful solution to postpone the conflict. I bet he thought he could weaken my uncle's support from the minor nobles with his funding cut off. But I remember my uncle seemed unfazed by all of this... he must have been bringing in some other funding by hidden means... I was wondering why my mother became overprotective of me the next day and my father seemed to be in the dog house... My father failed to properly punish my uncle and now we are paying the price," Quinus said.

George raised his brow, "Pardon me for asking this, but you were a one-year-old and couldn't speak... how do you know this?"

Quinus didn't realize that he had let it slip that he was a full-grown man reborn as a baby.

"Ummm... I-huh?" Rya reached over and squeezed his forearm.

"Quin, I think it's alright to tell him the truth. We trust him, and it's important that you have the support of the ones you can call a true friend," Rya said in a loving tone. Quinus looked at Rya and felt calm and collected.

George was puzzled, "What are you two talking about? What secret?"

Quinus took a deep breath, "Okay... I'll tell you... How much do you know about reincarnations or transmigration?"

"You mean when a person is reborn or transmigrated into another world? What about it?" George asked.

"Have you heard of someone being a Reincarnation or Transmigrator with all of their memories from their past self?" Quinus asked.

George looked at the prince as if he were joking, "You can't be serious, right?"

Quinus had a stoic face and didn't move an inch. George started laughing, "You two are just trying to fool, poor old George for a laugh. It's not funny!"

"It's true, George," Rya said.

George's laughter quickly ended, "You can't be serious. How does that happen?"

"I don't know how I came to be here. But I lived on another planet called Earth. I passed away on a climbing trip and thought I was in the afterlife at first. Then, I came out of my mother and realized that I was reborn. It's a scary experience feeling your whole body getting crushed before popping out into a new world," Quinus said, "Rya is also from the same planet."

George kept looking at both of them, trying to see if they were joking, but the two didn't crack. "So, the reason why you seem older is because you're an adult on the inside? So, you had the body of a child, but the mentality of an adult?"

Quinus nodded, "It took me forever to learn your language and understand it. Plus, my motor skills took forever to get right. But once I learned to walk and talk. I was able to understand the new world I'm living in."

George was speechless, but he was still thinking about something. "You said Rya was from your home world as well? So, the dark elves are from your world, too?" Quinus smirked, while Rya blushed and shook her head.

"N-No... Earth is a planet of 9 billion humans," Rya said.

George's right eye twitched, "So, there are no dark elves in your old world?"

"Nope, not one. And our old planet doesn't have mana or monsters running around," Quinus said.

George's brain was struggling to comprehend a world with no monsters or magic.

"N-No magic!? So you didn't have magical touches, fae-baths, potions, or enchanted clothes? You're shitting me! How did you survive in such a primitive world!?"

Rya and Quinus looked at each other and tried not to laugh at the knight's reaction.

"We didn't have magic on our planet, but our society was based on science and technology. We made machines that made life WAY more relaxing than Tertius. In most ways... But, we did create the tools for our own destruction. Luckily, no sane person would dare to use nukes," Rya explained.

Sir George had no clue what the hell they were talking about, "I'm sorry, but what is a Nuke?"

"It's a type of explosive weapon that could level a city, a thousand times more powerful than a dragon's breath. The easiest way to explain science is, it's a more accurate form of alchemy," Quinus said.

George had a pleasant surprise slowly appearing on his face, "Ah, I see. So, your society had this technology in the place of magic and mana. How fascinating."

"And the nice thing about technology is that it can be used by people who don't have a mana vein. Like the magical torches are unusable by anyone, that isn't close to a master-level mana vein," Rya said, "Plus, the weapons we created were much more potent and had better range than the bows and swords for common soldiers.

"Hah! You jest, my Lady! Swords and bows are the superior weapons for us Maja. No fancy technology or whatever, could be more superior than a blade or a bow, or even a mage's magic," George said, crossing his arms.

Quinus chuckled, "If you saw an airplane, then you would change your tune."

George gave the prince a doubtful look, "No technology or fancy metal bird is going to outdo a bow. I'll have you know, that a skilled archer can bring down a wyvern or a dragon. I'll take a bow over your plane any day."

Rya shrugged, "Well, enchanted weapons being used by Mages or Maja would make things very interesting. But if we could create a rifle brigade. They could overpower most Majas. Maybe we could look into that, in the future?"

Quinus nodded his head, "Yeah, I was pondering that myself. But I was worried about the cost and the time to mass-produce them. I could probably figure it out with my skills in engineering and mechanics. But the problem is the ammo, which is the biggest issue I'm running into. I'm having trouble with creating smokeless gunpowder."

"So, you are saying that we can only make muskets," Rya asked.

"Yeah, but we can rifle out the barrels and create a bayonet for close-range combat. The real issue is with the ammo, mainly we need a reliable supplier of sulfur, carbon, and potassium nitrate. And I haven't found a mining town with those ingredients," Quinus said.

"Maybe there's a different type of element we could use in their place? I mean, Earth never had Violet Iron, White Obsidian, or Ether. So, maybe we can find a substitute?" Rya said.

Quinus pondered, "True, we have access to different types of resources on Tertius. But it will take some time to get the research and development done. I was planning on starting a research department when I became king. But now with the news of my uncle planning something behind the scenes. I might need to get a head start on my ideas."

George was feeling left behind in this conversation and decided to bring it back to something he could understand, "So, you two were both from the same planet before getting reincarnated, right? How did that happen? I've only heard that when the priests pray out to the Gods to bring them a champion, in a time of need. Is when a reincarnated comes to Tertius with the God's blessings?"

Quinus looked at George and had the same question, "Well, Rya's summoning was different... What was it called?"

"It was called a full Body Summoned. The only reason I know anything about this is due to the Dark Elven Goddesses, Nils, and Nebulus. Most Gods choose the method 'Soul Summoned' because it's faster to get their chosen one to Tertius. Plus, there are other benefits for the Body Summoned, like I can read, speak, and write every language. I also can absorb mana at an even higher rate than Quin," Rya explained.

"Hold on? You were a human when you got summoned to the dark elves?" Sir George asked.

Rya looked nervous. She didn't know if she should tell George about her being a man before the mana started to affect her body. She had gotten so used to being a woman that she didn't want to change back. But she didn't know how other people would take the news.

"R-Rya, was a human yes. And I think that artifact on her neck changed her race from a human to a dark elf," Quinus said, seeing that Rya didn't want to reveal her secret of being a man. So, he was running cover for her.

"U-Umm... Yeah, the dark elves seemed desperate... Because I wasn't alone... There was someone else who was summoned with me and started turning into a dark elf as well..." Rya tailed off at the end as memories of Hiro popped into her head. The sight of him turning to dust before her very eyes because of mana exhaustion still haunts her. When she first met Hiro, she couldn't stand him or his antics and hoped that he would die a terrible death. But when that wish came true due to him saving her from Sir Claudius' attack. She couldn't help but regret her wish.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"You had a friend that was with you? We should get them and~" George stopped himself when he saw Rya closing her eyes, and a lone tear ran down her face. Quinus hurried to her side. That is when George remembered what she said back in the Tomb of the Horde, once they set up the camp.

"Was this friend the one that sacrificed himself to save you from the Divine Three?" Sir George asked with a face filled with remorse.

Rya looked up and nodded. Quinus hugged her.

"I... I should have known... Every time I see one of those zealots. I wonder if they even care about their actions. And how it affects others," George said through clenched teeth.

Rya wiped her eyes and cleared her throat. She looked at the Knight with determination, "That's why I need to keep getting stronger. I know I'm not the strongest yet, but I need to protect myself and the others that are close to me."

Sir George looked at Quinus and Rya with a newfound respect, "I must say, I'm glad I'm alive. Because you two are going to do great things."

Quinus shrugged, "I'm not the King of Fiafyr, yet. Just the Crown Prince."

"Don't be a smartass, Quin. You are going to be a great King," Rya said.

"He's going to be a better King than his father... There's no doubt in my mind," Sir George said.

Quinus felt proud. He couldn't believe that he would have the respect of the Kingdom's greatest Knight.

"Thank you, Sir George. That means a lot," Quinus said with a smile. After a bit of silence, Quinus was thinking about what Rya said earlier about the two different types of summoning. She talked to two Goddesses while he hadn't even seen one God or Goddess, yet.

"Hey, Rya... Do you think a Goddess made me a champion? I mean, the whole being reborn again on a different planet seems odd to not have seen a Goddess at least once in my twenty years of life, don't you think?" Quinus asked.

"Huh? Well, I don't know much about the Fiafyr Goddess, but she seems way more hands-offish than the other Gods... It makes me like her more," Rya said.

George raised an eyebrow at her statement, "Hmm? Isn't it an honor to have a God or Goddess talk to you? Or am I missing something?"

"Well, the Gods and Goddesses seem to think it's okay to mess with people's lives. That was the problem with Nils... Her and her sister wanted to see me crack. It was like a sick game for them... At first... But the last vision I saw of them seemed like they were in a panic," Rya said.

"What do you mean by last vision?" George asked.

"It was when I was knocked out by Nieren's sleeping arrow during the battle of the Roses. I thought they were there to mock me but instead were mad at me for getting collared. That's when Nils gave me the knowledge on everything about Darkly Earth magic. I knew how to create my golems and killed that piece of crap, Jeremiah. If she was worried about my own well being, then why did she put me through so much?" Rya asked.

"Maybe, something has changed. And they need you to live... To fight the Divine Three," Quinus suggested.

"I've been thinking about that, too. But the only reason they would worry about me dying was if they needed me. But they are gods and can easily replace a Champion when another universal equinox comes. They don't seem like the type to worry about someone's life."

George frowned, "But you haven't been on Tertius as long as Prince Quinus. I don't know why you weren't here twenty years ago like the Prince."

"That's one of the cons of the Body Summoned. It takes ten years to reach the planet with an orb then it takes another ten years to get back to Tertius. But with the Soul Summoned, it happens within hours... Unless Nils was lying to me about the Soul Summoned time frame. But that would be silly if she did that," Rya said out loud as she pondered.

When Quinus heard this his body language perked up all of a sudden.

"Rya!? What year was it before you were warped to Tertius?" Quinus asked as he kneeled in front of Rya holding one of her hands with both of his.

Rya looked at him curiously, "It was 2023... Why?"

Quinus' face became determined, 'YES! She might know... B-But she's an American... So don't get upset if she doesn't know, Quin.'

"R-Rya? Do you know if Germany won the World Cup by chance?" Quinus asked, trying to contain his excitement.

Rya looked at him with a raised brow, "Huh? You want to know if Germany won a FIFA World Cup?"

Quinus nodded vigorously with a serious look. While Sir George didn't know why the Prince would ask such a strange question.

"Umm... Well, there was more buzz about it in the States in 2022... And I think I remember them recapping the last two cup winners?" Rya said as she was trying to think back.

"Who was in the finals in 2022?" Quinus asked.

"Argentina and France... Argentina won," Rya answered, making Quinus panic a little.

"A-And the World Cup in 2018?" Quinus asked.

"It was France... Everyone was talking about them defending the title," Rya said.

Quinus wanted to facepalm but he didn't. He still had one chance left. He was excited for 2014. Everyone thought they had a good chance that year to win it. But he died in 2013.

"And the one before that?" Quinus asked with fleeting hope.

Rya was quiet for a moment, and then she looked up at him.

"Oh! I remember now. The news wouldn't stop talking about how Messi hadn't won a World Cup yet and they came close in 2014," Rya said with a smile, trying to tease him.

"W-Who won, my love? Who won the World Cup in 2014?"

"It was Germany... It was a close one too. I believe the score was~WHOA!? QUIN!?" Rya was picked up off the ground and spun around.

Sir George's eyes went wide in surprise when he saw the prince spinning around with a huge smile on his face while a dumbfounded elf, who wasn't sure if she should be scared or laugh at his actions.

"GERMANY WON THE WORLD CUP!!!" Quinus yelled, spinning Rya around in happiness.

Rya laughed as her hair was flowing in the wind. "Put me down, you crazy German!" Rya said while trying to compose herself.

"Never! You're the best thing to ever happen to me, and now I know that you're from the same planet as me!!" Quinus said as he continued to spin her around.

'This is ridiculous... Was I ever like this when my teams won? I feel like I was more composed than this... But maybe I wasn't? God... I feel like a child being spun around like this!'

"Okay, okay. That's enough... Put me down," Rya said, but she couldn't hold her laughter back. Quinus set Rya down and took a knee. He looked her in the eye.

"Thank you, Rya... you've made me the happiest man on Tertius," Quinus said with a tear in his eye.

Rya gave him a stern look, "So, I wasn't good enough for you before now, huh?"

Quinus panicked, "I-I-I-I didn't mean it like that, Rya... I~"

Rya smiled and started laughing, "I know, Quin... I'm just joking... I would be a hypocrite if I were to get mad at you for celebrating your team winning. I know the feeling so enjoy it."

Quinus felt like crying, he didn't think he would find someone from his planet that would be this perfect for him. He hoped he could talk about football with them or anything from his previous life. He got more than he could have hoped for. The only thing he wished was that he could have seen it in person, but this was just as good. And once the excitement of his team winning a world cup, from his past life, faded. He had another thought come to him.

'What if we started our own football league in Fiafyr? Yes, Yes! Why didn't I think of this before!? There are those old battle arenas in the northwest of Tairal. We could convert them and use them as stadiums!' Quinus thought, and then he had a bigger idea.

'Wait, why not bring over other sports, too? There were a lot of games that could be played on a large field. Then, hopefully, we can get rid of the gladiatorial events and replace them with our sports instead. I just need to come up with a good way to implement them into the public sphere.' Quinus smiled as his brain went into overdrive.

Rya was confused by Quinus's expression. He was acting weird, and his facial expressions kept changing by the second.

"Quin? What's going on in that head of yours?" Rya asked.

Sir George looked at him curiously, as well. Quinus snapped out of his thoughts and smiled at the two of them.

"Nothing, my love... I'm just happy," Quinus said with a loving smile. He stood up and gave Rya the most passionate kiss he had ever given.

'Q-Quin!? Aunh! His tongue is~' Rya was lost in the feeling of Quinus' passion. She tried to break free at first, but her arms found themselves wrapping around his neck.

Sir George looked away with a small blush, 'They're really going at it.'

George cleared his throat, "Um, shall we be on our way then, Prince Quinus?"

Quinus stopped kissing her but was still holding her face with his hands. Rya's eyes were glazed over and a trail of saliva was coming from her mouth.

"You're beautiful, my love... Let's get ready to go home."

Rya could only nod, she was still recovering from the kiss.

'M-Maybe I should have told him that Germany won the other two cups... But I'm not sure how long I can take this kind of love,' Rya thought.

Quinus looked at George, "Sorry about that, Sir George. I let myself get carried away."

"W-Well, it's good research for my pillars of courting. But the kissing is a bit excessive. I'll have to make note of that."

"C-Courting?" Rya and Quinus said at the same time.

"Yes, a woman needs to have a strong foundation for a man's advances. Because she needs to have the strength to hold up the house of her future husband and children. If the foundation isn't solid, the house will crumble. That's why, Prince Quinus, is the type of man who needs a strong foundation. Lady Rya is by far the strongest woman I've ever met. You're the perfect fit," George explained.

'D-Did George actually make sense? HOLD ON!? Why do I need to be the stronger one!? Quinus should be the foundation for me!' Rya thought, but she still felt something was off.

"Well... I'm glad we're finally helping you, George," Rya said reluctantly.

"Oh, don't worry. I have different pillars for different men. Like Sir Richard, he needs to find a woman that he can use to satisfy his weak ego and build it up so he can get a better woman. And repeat the process until he gets the perfect wife," George explained.

'And there's the Sir George that we all know and love,' Rya thought while shaking her head.

Quinus was smiling but inside he was feeling a bit awkward that George didn't learn anything.

"I-I see... Well, we should really be getting back," Quinus said as he turned to face the door.

Sir George nodded, "Yes, and I'm finding out the best way to make a harem!"

Quinus shook his head, 'I don't mind a harem, but it's not something Sir George should try to teach. Especially, if he can't get a single woman to like him, without him having to buy a prostitute. I think I should warn him… later.'

"Well, we'll be heading to the carriage, Sir George. You can grab our luggage," Quinus said, dismissing George.

"Very well, Sire."

Sir George went back inside and grabbed Quinus' and Rya's luggage.

Quinus held his hand out to Rya.

"May I, my love?"

Rya nodded and took his hand. Quinus walked down the stairs with Rya at his side.

[author] Hey all!

I just wanted to give you all a heads-up. I will only be releasing one chapter a week from now on until I finished cleaning up Volumes 1 and 2.

Thank you for your understanding.

And if you wish to read future first drafts then visit my Patreon.

Cheers[/author]