Before anyone says anything, Alice was once the daughter of a wealthy family, so she knows how to act dignified in front of others.
[]
It was an hour after we ate breakfast when the royal family of the beast-kins came to visit my mansion. Only two can enter, so the king and his daughter entered, leaving his wife and two sons inside the coach.
Fluffy reverted to his real form and went to the lounge to meet with the visitors. He said I don’t have to go with him, so I went to the garden behind the mansion. I have no interest in people that doesn’t have rabbit ears.
As I walked, I met the other tiger-kin guards. They all seem to be nervous, and apologized when I got near them. If it’s about yesterday, I don’t mind. After filling myself with rabbit energy, how could I get angry?
I told them it was ok and asked them to treat me nicely from now on. It made them see me in a new light. That takes care of another problem, now if only I could get more information about what’s happening.
The garden starts with knee-length bushes on the sides of the pathway of white sands. On other side of the bushes were plants of different shapes and sizes.
Further ahead, the bushes were thicker and higher, the pathway was grassy, and there were concave foundations made from vines, covered in flowers, acting as a cover for the pathway.
On the other end of the covered pathway was a large garden with a small pond in the middle. There were a few benches made from vines that were shaded by tall trees. Instead of bushes, there were flowers on each side of the pathways that separates near the pond and circles around the garden.
Even in the real world, a garden of this level is top class. Every where I look, it’s good to the eye. There are things called over-decorated, but this garden is far from it. This is perfection. Is it because the beast-kin race is nature oriented?
The general races: elves, fairies, and beastkins, are all nature oriented races. They are content with how the world is, and are extremely strict about changing the world through innovations.
Despite wanting to protect nature, they were divided because of religion before. The sun and moon elves believed in different gods, so they were at war with each other, and so were the land and sea fairies, and the different sub-races of the beast-kins.
I sat on a bench and looked around, feeling the gentle breeze of the air, listening to the sounds of moving leaves and small insects, enjoying the mixed scent of flowers in the garden. There was also a faint taste of sweetness in my mouth.
My senses were active before the update, but this is the first time I’ve enjoyed a garden in this game. It’s just so satisfying to stay here. I’ve found my new favorite place in this game, second would be the Elisium forest in the borders between the beast-kin territory and human territory.
[]
The humans have developed a new weapon called magical guns and we are losing the war because of it. As the king, I have to do everything to protect my people, even if I have to give half the country to someone else.
We haven’t asked anything from lord Fluffy even when we were at war, but now I have no choice. This concerns the fate of my kind. I have to make lord Fluffy join the war.
“Lord Fluffy, please reconsider.”
“I only serve master. I will only act based on master’s well being or if master commands me.” He said in a cold tone, with eyes showing seriousness.
He always mentions his master, but we have never met the master that he always speaks of. Me, my father, my grandfather, and everyone before us, none has seen lord Fluffy’s master.
We believe he only says that as an excuse. How can he, one of the six strongest entities, have a master? Whatever the reason may be, we kept quiet as not to anger him, but this time is different. Without him, the beast-kins will become slaves to the human race and the Thena faction.
“Lord Fluffy, please, I beg you, do it for our race...” I said while kneeling in front of lord Fluffy. This is no time for pride, I’m willing to be humiliated a thousand times if it means the safety of my kind.
“I don’t care about you or your race. I only care about master.”
“Our race!? You’re a beast-kin too-” Said Aria, my daughter and the strongest beast-kin after lord Fluffy.
“Aria, stop.”
“...”
“I apologize for my daughter’s actions.” I bowed, and so did my daughter. “Thank you for giving us a bit of your time, and I hope you stay well, lord Fluffy.”
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We walked away from the living room, dejected that we couldn’t get lord Fluffy to our side.
“That selfish monster.”
“Aria!”
“Father, I know you agree. He has all that strength yet he doesn’t use it to help us. He even said so himself, he doesn’t care about his kind.”
“...It can’t be helped.” I'll try to persuade him in another way.
“Your majesty, can I ask a bit of your time.” Said the rabbit-kin behind us.
“You-”
“Aria, stop.” I said with my hand raised to block Aria. “What is it?”
“I heard your conversation with lord Fluffy, and I think I know how you can convince him to help.”
“What!? Tell me! Tell me how!”
“Father-”
“Aria, stop! Even if he wants something from us, as long as we can get lord Fluffy to help us-“
“I’m content with my life under lord Fluffy, I won’t ask for anything in return. I don't want lord Fluffy to be seen as the enemy of the beast-kins for a second time. Everything is for lord Fluffy’s sake.”
“Tell me your plan.”
“Ask lord Alice for help.”
“Lord Alice?”
“Lord Fluffy’s master”
“Lord Fluffy’s master!?”
“Yes your majesty, lord Alice came to this mansion yesterday and she’s currently staying here.”
“Preposterous! Lord Fluffy has no master!” Said Aria.
If that’s true, then we have to meet her; regardless of the reason. If someone that lord Fluffy calls master really exist, then we have see that person with our own eyes.
“Please, lead me to lord Alice”
We were lead to the garden behind lord Fluffy’s mansion, and there we saw a girl sleeping on a bench. The most noticeable feature of hers was her charming face and long white hair that smoothly waved as the wind blew.
Her skin was pale, yet it had a smooth complection. She had an average height and chest for her kind: rabbit-kin; but she looked more fragile because of her thin body. She blended well in lord Fluffy’s garden, like a goddess sleeping in her domain.
I froze from the girl’s beauty, and a sense of responsibility overtook my mind. All I could think of was to protect the fragile beauty from all harm, temporarily forgetting my responsibilities as a king, and as a husband.
Even a king like me, even when I was married, even when I had children, for a few moments, I felt like I wanted to protect her as a man who has fallen in love.
“Why are you here!?” An angry voice came from behind us.
The loud voice made me return to reality, and felt guilty for thinking such thoughts. I quickly looked back and saw a man taller than I, with a solid body honed from countless battles, with eyes that has seen death before.
He had a face that could attract anyone regardless of race, and the charisma to lead people despite his personality being the opposite of a leader.
As the wind blew again, his chestnut hair was pushed aside, and with his hazel eyes he glared at me, with a sword in his hand, with the intention of cutting me, who was considered the most important person of the beast-kin race, if I didn’t answer his question.
“Lord Fluffy, we came to talk to your master.”
“You planned on disturbing master’s sleep!?”
“No, we didn’t...” His speech alone made me realize who the girl, peacefully sleeping the garden, was, but I still had doubts. How can a fragile girl be the master of someone who could fight a god?
“Fluffy, what’s with the commotion.” Said the girl who woke up from the noise.
“Master-”
The moment I heard lord Fluffy’s voice, I turned around and knelt, ignoring the floating sword that appeared out of nowhere, pointed to my neck. “Lord Alice, I came to talk with you.”
Realizing the situation, my daughter also knelt.
“Please stand.”
“!?” I expected a harsher tone, but she spoke in a calm and gentle voice.
I stood up as she wished and looked upwards. Moments later and I saw what I couldn’t see while she was asleep, her crimson red eyes that showed power. She wore a dignified expression befitting a ruler, and even as a king, I felt like I was looking at someone much greater than I.
I have faced a hundred foes, so I could tell what normal people couldn’t. Just one look at her eyes made me understand just how big the gap between our powers were. She was, without a doubt, lord Fluffy’s master.
With a smile, she said “What is it that you wanted to talk about?”
I felt chills on my spine as I realized that the angry lord Fluffy remained silent the moment I conversed with the girl.