I yawned as the aircraft flew me back to Palace Rojas, where I was set to meet Princess Reya.

“I’m guessing someone didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. Were you getting it on with your lady friend, Master?” Un grinned, occupying the seat across from me, with Three and the blue orb form of Cin to his left and right respectively.

Meanwhile, X was sitting to my right, with the core of Viina’s Judgment in her hand. We had decided to refrain from reprogramming him now, and wait until we were back in the Metronian Kingdom.

Since no new information about the Trial of Damocles had appeared, X had hypothesized that we needed to connect him to her system first, and doing that in an unfamiliar and possibly hostile territory was just stupid.

“Please, you know the answer to that already.” I said lazily, shifting my gaze from X back to the Strafe Founder. “You have access to my memories, after all.”

Un sighed and placed a hand on his face. “Why can’t you ever indulge me in witty banter, Master? It’s always straight to the point with you.”

“Because you indulge yourself all the time.” I cracked a half-smile. “If I also messed around with you, your head would get too big for its own good.”

Un smiled and nodded, deciding to lay back in his recliner. Which, since he was incorporeal, just consisted of him sticking his head through the back of the seat in a relaxed position. “Well, as long as you don’t hate me, I suppose that works.”

“It took me a while.” I replied.

“It definitely takes a while.” X chimed in.

“I still hate him.” Three sighed.

Cin, on the other hand, just floated over to X questioningly.

Un pulled his head out of the seat and frowned. “Well fine. Fuck you all then.”

---

Landing at the massive spires of the palace, I stepped out of the pod to see Reya already waiting for me on the rooftop.

Whereas I was making sure Viina got out of her country safely, Reya was here to assure that the writ ensuring the winnings from the war game existed. That, on top of making sure the due date was correct, and that it was signed by the Queen herself.

“You’re early. I half expected for me to be the one waiting for you.” I commented as I walked toward her.

She frowned, and said, “Oh you would have been, were it not for my father waking me up at four in the morning just to make sure I didn’t shame our family name.”

She coughed, and her expression morphed into the ever-present frown on her father’s face. “Never in the history of our Kingdom has a crowned prince or princess been late to a meeting with a world leader, and it won’t start with you!”

She imitated his tone, and I couldn’t help but smile. “That was spot on. Please tell me you’ve done that in front of him before.”

“I’ve contemplated it.” She chuckled, before releasing a sigh. “They might try to hide it, but I can see mother and father growing more distant. Mother has hardly paid me any attention this weekend, and father has his hands full negotiating with the other nobles back home over the Judgment messenger.”

“She bet against me and lost then? I suppose that would sour my mood too, if I was stupid enough to do that.”

“No… Joshua, it’s not that.” She took my hand, and together we began our descent down the spire and to the throne room.

“My mother bet everything on you, and won an exorbitant amount of capital, even from a royal’s standards.”

I raised an eyebrow, and said, “Then what the hell does she have to be unhappy about? How can she and your father not be happy with that?”

“Well it’s… it’s more so what my mother has been doing ever since she arrived here.” She looked to me for a reaction, but when none came, she continued.

“Every night, my mother prays to the Starlords for your continued success. My father, sisters, and brothers all don’t know what to make of it. I’m at a loss of an explanation myself as well.”

Now that made me pause. I stood still for a moment, and contemplated what I had seen from the Queen until now.

X, what are the chances that she finally gave up on her petty revenge? I’m tired of dealing with the entitled ruler trope.

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“Hmm… well, if we consider how similarly childish world leaders in Ethia act to those on Earth, then I think you’ll still encounter them yet.”

I wanted to sigh, but X brought it back with, “As for Queen Metron specifically, I can say that she has likely given up on ousting you from the Metronian government, and is now looking for ways to use you that benefit her agenda.”

No doubt our rout of the Primal Kingdom was high up there. Even when I think I’m doing something good, I’m still marching to the beat of someone else’s drum. I’m sick of politics.

“You shouldn’t have chosen to create a floating island with your own government on it then.” X chided. “Preparations for that are almost complete. They should be finished after our next war game.”

I stopped thinking about the future as we reached the entrance to the throne room. Upon opening the door, what awaited me was a sight that made me freeze in place.

“Is that… Viina?” Reya’s voice was soft as she pointed to the center of the room. There a naked woman was chained to the floor with a steel collar around her neck.

There were lash marks all over her body, and some she was still bleeding from. She was crying softly with her back turned to us.

Reya ran up to the girl, and I walked a bit behind, eyeing the rest of the room. X, how many here?

“Eleven, Master. Ten guards and the Queen. They are using some form of technology to hide themselves from your presence. I shall mark them on your AR for you.”

Eleven red circles appeared in my vision, and I took my time to send them a glare before walking up to Viina. Reya had wrapped the princess in a hug, and Viina had stifled her sobs to the point of sniffling.

X, can you remove the collar from her? There was a brief pause, and X replied, “Did you really just ask me that?”

What do you mean?

“Look at the thing. It’s an old-world artifact. There’s no trace of electronics inside. How would I be able to hack a block of iron?”

I nodded sheepishly, and put my hands on the collar. I guess you’re up to bat then, Un.

The Judgment responded to my call, his figure replacing that of X’s beside me. “Sure thing. You might want to tell the princess to step away. There’s a lot of variables when dealing with shrapnel.”

“Reya, step back. I’m going to break the collar.” Reya did as she was told, and got behind a pillar for cover.

Viina looked up at me with pleading eyes. “You can’t.” She whispered, her voice hoarse and nearly gone.

“Camera use detected.” Three’s voice whispered to me. I looked up from my kneeling position with both hands on Viina’s collar.

Sure enough, Queen Secela and her cronies had come out of hiding. The queen had a smug look on her face, while the guards had a myriad of weapons pointed at me.

“So, the scumbag finally shows his true colors. How exactly did you think you were going to get away with enslaving my daughter, right in my own palace?”

I realized immediately the kind of blackmail she was going for. Maybe the articles she forged were correct after all. Maybe she does have some mental illness.

“As if that would hold if brought before the world council!” Reya had come out from behind the pillar, and stood her ground next to me.

“Oh, my, Princess Reya. It’s as you say. Unfortunately, everyone in this room was witness to this man’s crimes, and it’s the word of ten commoners against two entitled princesses. Surely you can see who the public would side with?”

“This isn’t about the public, it’s about the truth!” She shouted back as I used all of Un’s strength to break the clump of iron.

Fuck. I think I tore something. Un shook his head. “I told you we should have trained more with my power. The nanites are working on repairs as we speak.”

“The truth is set by the winners, Princess Reya. Today, that is not you. Paladin Cole will not leave here alive.”

The guards readied their weapons as Queen Laina snapped her fingers, prompting a white box to appear out of thin air.

“Open Judgment support ticket!” She shouted. “Requesting the use of lethal force for an intruder!”

She shouted quickly, and the white box transcribed her words before it disappeared. It reappeared a moment later, and a robotic voice said, “Permission granted.”

I clicked my tongue. So she loopholed the system by forging evidence!? I’m sick of dealing with these assholes!

X, time dilation! Take me into Laina’s subspace! X replaced Un, but she looked a bit hesitant.

“The nanites are working on your muscles right now. If you overtax your brain, then-”

“Just do it!” I shouted out loud, and instantly the world around me froze. A beam of light linked Laina and my Judgment panel’s briefly. Darkness took over my vision, until I stepped out of the portal and into a room.

“The throne room?” I thought out loud. “Why is every person in power only interested in the position, not what comes after?”

I sighed at the manifestation of Laina’s psyche, and gave the startled Queen a glare. “How are you in here!? Guards!”

The things that ran into the room were most certainly not going to save Laina from my wrath today.

I had Un and Three materialize, and make quick work of Laina’s protectors. She shuddered in her seat, and tried to back up on the throne.

“No, don’t! Please! I have children!” I rolled my eyes and walked up to her, creating a copy of my sonic knife into my hand.

“You should have thought about them in the first place. If you did, then this abusive relationship you have with your family wouldn’t have happened.

I raised the knife, but she caught me off guard, pulling a gun out from her bosom and shooting me in the chest.

I stumbled back, and looked at Laina with pure hatred in my eyes. Un broke her arms, and Three kicked the gun out of her hand.

Fuck, that hurt a lot. She began to weep as I raised the blade to end her pathetic existence.