I met with Emperor Goto in the cafeteria for lunch as soon as I had finished giving Reya a piece of my mind. No wonder Akahime had come to greet us and apologize, we were her lifeline to a good livelihood in the Metronian Kingdom. I knew she couldn’t have actually been remorseful.
I bowed to the emperor and he waved me off, motioning for me to sit down in the chair beside his. “Thanks for taking me up on my invite.”
I smiled at the aging emperor, and shook my head. “The pleasure is mine, Gotoshi. I still do view you as a friendly figure, one of the few I have in this world.”
Goto smiled, and poked around at his steak. “I appreciate that, lad. I just wish things could have ended out differently than they did between yourself and my daughter. I really felt as though you and Akahime would have a wonderful relationship.”
“She ruined it herself. Instead of trying to get to know me, and build a relationship with me, she wanted the instant gratification of what a relationship could bring. If we could do it over, maybe things would have been different.”
Goto sighed, and finished his piece of meat. “I know. As punishment for her political interference, she has been disconnected from the Phoenix System. This next life will be her last, so long as I choose it to remain as such.”
I stared wide-eyed at the man. “Did you really… you must care about her a lot, then.”
Goto shook his head. “She doesn’t seem to think so. Akahime nearly spent the whole night yelling at me, and telling me how unfair I was.”
“No, it shows that you really do care. You’re giving her an opportunity to see exactly how privileged she has been over her lifetime, and that perspective is probably more valuable than gold at this point.”
“What’s gold?”
“Uhh… just think of it as something very valuable in my world.” Goto nodded, and moved his attention to the glass of orange juice that was at the table.
“Please, please make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid while in your country. I know it’s a lot to ask, but it would mean the world to me to know you were looking after her.” The emperor muttered.
I wanted to shrug, but I stared into the man’s eyes instead. “You have my word that she will be looked after. I really don’t want the death of a princess to be the start of a war between our two countries.”
Goto laughed and held out a hand. “Nor I, young demon. I know that she will be in capable hands. This is a custom in your world, yes? I learned about it from a fallen that I had met during my time at the academy in the Metron Kingdom. I hope we will continue to have a prosperous relationship.”
I smiled as we shook hands, but on the inside I couldn’t wait to leave. Akahime will almost assuredly be in capable hands, but they will not be mine… I wonder how Queen Metron would feel about adding another maid to the palace staff?
---
Several hours later, we were preparing to board the Skyquake plane back to the Metron Kingdom. I had packed several pairs of clothes, including those that I had bought while on my date.
I thought it funny that I was still managing to spend copious amounts of money on clothes, even in another world.
Lucina had purchased several of the tools we had used last night before we left the Aishi building, along with a catsuit, and her casual clothes from yesterday.
When I asked why she bought them here, instead of waiting for when we were back in the Kingdom so she wouldn’t have to carry the extra weight, she replied with, “I had to get them from the source, for authenticity's sake.”
I rolled my eyes, but didn’t press her further. Instead, looking at Lilian, who was in his maid outfit, throwing a rucksack into the cargo hold of the plane. “That’s all you have? Nothing else?”
Lilian shook his head. “Nope. I had nothing but the clothes provided to me by the emperor, and the maid outfit that Lucina bought for me. Besides, these clothes are adorable, and they fit me well!”
The androgynous man was smiling, and did a twirl in his dress before giving me a curtsey. “Regardless, we’ll be in each other’s care from now on, Master.”
Reya was next, and dragged her own suitcase to the back of the plane, giving me a slightly annoyed look in the process. “Help me get this stuff up there! Starlords above, why is there no help today!? I had to drag this thing up the last ten flights of stairs because they were doing maintenance on the elevator!”
I shot the woman a glare, but said nothing as I took the suitcase from her and chucked it into the back with the rest. “I’m utterly exhausted, so I’ll be sleeping on the flight back. If anything happens, or you decide on something, tell me after we land.”
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
She walked away, causing me to raise my brows. What a bossy woman. I thought she was getting better, but I guess all things balance out.
‘Cut her some slack, Master. She is just exhausted and stressed from negotiating with Emperor Goto for the past two days.’
X coalesced beside me, and leaned against my shoulder like a spectre. I’ll agree that she has a reason to be tired, but that’s no reason to take it out on other people. That’s just a deficient character trait.
X gave me a grin and whispered into my ear, ‘That’s the attitude I expect from my psychopathic Master. When we are safely on the plane, enter your subspace. We have much to discuss about the Trials of Damocles.’
I nodded, and she faded out of existence as the last member of our party showed up, wearing nothing but the kimono she had on when we first met her.
I was a bit surprised that she had nothing with her. “Where is your luggage, Imperial Princess Hoshizora?”
Akahime frowned again, and fidgeted in place. “My father told me that all I’ll need are the clothes on my back and my wits. That I need to listen to you or Lucina at all times, and to behave myself while I’m around other royalty.”
I took a deep breath and just motioned to the front of the plane. “The entrance is that way, your highness. Surely you won’t need me to show you the way?”
Akahime turned on her heels and left, leaving me to look at her retreating figure and clenched fists.
‘You could have handled that better, Master.’ X chided, but I ignored her and began to board the plane myself.
---
When all was said and done, we had taken off with very little in the way of problems. Akahime currently sat in the very back row of the plane, while Reya, Lilian, Lucina, and I sat closer to the middle.
Reya and Lilian were having a bonding experience talking about clothes, and Lucina was sleeping while using me as a pillow. Deciding that the long flight was as good a time as any, I sank into my subspace, and opened my eyes to the sight of a bright horizon.
I stood on top of the ruined prudential center, overlooking the sunken city of Boston. “Ah, Master, you’ve finally arrived.”
I heard X’s voice from behind me, and turned to greet her, but the sight before me gave me pause. X looked yet more different than before. Her skin color had changed from the pale hues of that of Lucina’s, to a tanned color. Her hair remained the electric blue it had been before, and that effect had reached to her eyebrows, which were now also blue.
However, now her irises were white, with their black pupils looking like buttons on a white shirt. Her lips had on a blue top coat, while the bottom was colored black.
Her figure had grown a bit more slender than that of Lucina’s, although she still had an hourglass figure. Only, the thing that had shocked me the most wasn’t X’s transformation.
No, that honor would have to go to the bound and gagged Three, who was chained to the floor on all fours beside her. I pointed to Lilian’s Judgment and asked, “What are you doing?”
X looked back at the female A.I. and shrugged her shoulders. “We were discussing before how she needed a punishment for helping Lilian loosen his bindings. I just figured that I would administer it myself. Since she seemed so empathetic for Lilian, I figured that she wouldn’t mind sharing the same punishment he went through when he was first in your subspace.”
Three choked on the foreign object down her throat while trying to respond. Unlike what I had done, X took it a step farther and blindfolded the A.I., leaving her to get by with only her sense of smell, and hearing.
“Well, I guess it’s not too important right now, anyway.” Muffled cries came from Three as she tried to protest, but I ignored them. If the Judgments wanted to self-police, why not let them do it?
“Let me see what you found out on Fallen and Neuromancers.” X nodded, and a myriad of glowing blue screens filled my vision.
“There are around fifty known fallen who also have the title of Neuromancer.” X began, causing me to sigh.
“That blows. I figured it would be a more manageable number.”
“Unfortunately, that is not the case. Among those Fallen are twenty from Earth, ten from Elluna, and the rest are the sole members of their species here on Ethia. Fortunately, a majority of them have made their home in the Primal Kingdom, so that seems to be a prime destination for our next trip.”
“The Primal Kingdom… so Ethia’s version of South America, huh?” I paused to consider X’s words, and came to a sudden realization. “Wait, there are other species besides humans here? Why is this the first I’m learning about it?”
“Often, the most widespread knowledge is the hardest to learn of, since everyone will assume that you know it already.” X said.
I sighed and conjured a seat for myself. I stared at Three and considered everything that X had just told me. “Do you believe that going to the Primal Kingdom will be our best bet at finding a lead on another Judgment User?”
X took a seat on Three’s back, prompting a muffled complaint. X crossed her legs and said, “Statistically speaking, that is the place with the highest chance to find a Judgment User. We got extremely lucky that we found the only Neuromancer in Asahi, and she turned out to be our link to beginning the Trials of Damocles.”
“So in the end, you don’t know for sure?”
“No, Master. Even if there were multiple Judgment Users feuding in the area, they possess the means to create a media blackout on the whole topic. In the end, the only way to know for sure is to go there ourselves.”
“Alright.” I brought up my feet and put them on the back of Three’s head to use as a footrest. “I guess that will be our next destination then. I’m definitely taking Lilian with me, he’ll be a good asset to have there.”
X nodded, and placed her hands on Three’s upper back and rear to stabilize herself on the quivering seat. “I concur, but I also believe you should take someone else, preferably another member of the royal family, along with you.”
“Why is that?” I raised my brow, and folded one foot over the other.
“Because,” X said, “The border issues between the Metronian Kingdom and the Primal Kingdom are highly contested right now. Going there under the guise of negotiating peace talks would be the perfect disguise.”
“Sounds like a plan. Thanks, X.” The A.I. smiled at me and got up from Three just as she collapsed onto the floor.
“My pleasure, Master.”