Chapter 23 : Escape The Castle !

Suddenly, a cool breeze sweeps across the plain, making the flower petals and leaves of the trees dance around us. It infiltrates my clothes, bringing with it a strange sense of déjà vu. And that's when it happens.

A memory from the past abruptly resurfaces in my mind. A sharp pain takes hold of my head. The voices of people I know well, but had buried deep within my memory, echo once again.

'Aleystria... we all miss you,' the voice resonates in my mind, each word piercing through my skull. 'Veron and Oscar want to see you again. You must grow stronger, faster. Do more S-rank dungeons; the God's Prism should bring back quite a few memories...'

The memories continue to unfold, my head pounding under the pain. The voice persists, relentless: 'Our last battle was for the creation of the Prism. Once you complete it, only then can we resume our plan where we left off. Emissary of humanity, go, and burn the gods...'

The pain becomes unbearable, as if my mind is going to split in two. My entire body tenses under the assault of these visions. Finally, I can't bear the suffering anymore. My body goes limp, and everything goes black.

I collapse to the ground, unconscious, under the worried gaze of Elvaria and Alfira.

My eyelids struggle to open, as if a weight keeps them closed. However, I eventually manage to lift them, and to my great surprise, I discover that I'm lying in a vast room. Wait, this room... It looks like the throne room of the kingdom?! Before I can get my bearings, a voice breaks the silence with an almost mocking tone.

'Sir Aley, what a pleasure to see you open your eyes again,' says the voice, followed by a chuckle.

Turning toward the sound, I see him. Seated on his throne, his face marked by years and scars, is King Almus Si Iveralmn of Iveralm. His piercing gaze leaves no doubt about the tension emanating from him.

'My daughter's request was sudden, I admit,' he begins, fixing his eyes on me. 'But I give you the entire day to get to know her. It is a royal order. Do not leave her alone.' His tone aimed to be kind, but it couldn't hide the coldness that pierced through his words, giving an impression of sarcasm.

'Your majesty, I understand your request, but why Aley?' Suddenly, a familiar voice speaks. Elvaria. She's kneeling beside me, probably having brought me here after I fainted. She casts a dark look at the king. 'He is already by my side.'

I'm barely beginning to understand what's happening, the events unfolding at breakneck speed. Alfira's marriage proposal, my fainting... Everything seems blurry, and I interrupt the conversation, trying to comprehend.

'Excuse me, but what exactly is going on?' I ask, my voice filled with confusion.

The king lets out a sigh and resumes in a more serious voice, slowly rising from his throne: 'Very well, I will explain again, Aley. You were knighted in Aqualida. To your titles, I now add that of royal knight, in service to my daughter Alfira. As a result, I would like you to marry her, to ensure your loyalty. Your strength, you, Aley of Novus Obris, is enough to raze a kingdom. The titan god Chronos, deep within the dungeon of Aqualida, is powerful enough to destroy my entire continent, you see...'

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As he approaches, his wrinkled face contrasts strangely with the beauty and grandeur of the throne room. He is imposing, certainly, but I feel no fear in his presence. If he were to attack me, I could destroy this kingdom in the blink of an eye.

'Aley,' the king continues, getting even closer, 'are you implying that my daughter is not to your taste?' His voice becomes more threatening. He tries to intimidate me.

'Don't threaten him, father!' suddenly exclaims a feminine voice. Princess Alfira enters the room hurriedly, her blonde hair flowing behind her. She runs in our direction, emerging from a hallway leading to the throne room.

Elvaria, however, is not to be outdone. 'You've got nerve threatening Novus Obris,' she says, her gaze dark and full of determination, a striking contrast to her usually gentle and innocent nature.

I feel the urgency to calm the situation and, while placing my arm around Elvaria, I smile at her to reassure her. 'It'll be alright, Elvie, don't worry.' My gesture eases her tension, and she smiles shyly before surprising me with a light kiss on the cheek.

'Thank you, Aley,' she whispers, blushing, but visibly happy.

The king, however, is not at all impressed by our interaction. 'I understand that you are together,' he says coldly. 'But right now, you are in my kingdom, in my throne room, and I have given an order: spend the day with my daughter. Elvaria, I ask you to accept this meeting.'

And that's when everything changes.

— BAM —

A loud noise echoes throughout the room. Before the astonished eyes of the guards, the king himself, and even Elvaria and me, Princess Alfira has just planted her fist into her own father's face. The violence of the blow sends him flying across the room. He crashes against a wall before collapsing, unconscious.

'I swear, my dad is really annoying sometimes,' sighs Alfira, exasperated after hitting the king. Her words leave everyone speechless, including me.

Before I can react, Alfira suddenly turns toward me, her eyes gleaming with a strange light.

'Don't touch Aley!' shouts Elvaria, drawing her sword and instinctively positioning herself in front of me, ready to protect me.

'I'm not going to hurt him... but your display of love has... really interested me,' stammers Alfira, a slightly crazed smile forming on her face. She lets out a strange, almost unsettling laugh. That expression... I've seen it before, in the eyes of certain people in my previous world. The expression of someone... unhinged.

The princess points a finger at me and declares, with a shout that could be heard throughout the kingdom: 'It's decided, Aley! If you win the intercontinental tournament, I will declare our union to all. Not out of obligation, but because I want to be yours!'

'I haven't agreed to anything!' I shout, dumbfounded by the turn of events.

'We haven't agreed to anything!' yells Elvaria, furious.

The scene is surreal. The king is lying unconscious on the floor, the princess seems completely obsessed, and now I might have to participate in a tournament that will decide my future. It's too much for me.

'Elvie,' I say, my voice calm despite the chaos.

'Yes, Aley?' she responds, understanding my intentions.

'Quick Step.'

'Flash Step!'

Without wasting a second, Elvaria and I use our skills to escape the castle. The situation is far too complicated for me to handle right now. As a great master once said: 'When in trouble, run away.'

'Come back, Aley... my fiancé!' The princess's voice echoes through the corridors of the castle, even as we quickly move away.

'Elvie,' I say, running at full speed. 'It's decided. I'll marry you. If I take you as my wife, we're good, right? The Western Church only allows one wife, right?'

Elvaria looks at me, an innocent expression on her face, and calmly responds: 'Mmh? No, the Western Church is polygamous. Archbishop Varilis has four wives. Didn't you know?'

'You're not helping!' I reply, continuing to run. Finally, the exit to the castle is just ahead of us.