Chapter 26: Perspective and Pastries
In the silent expanse of the white dimension, Kiel and Miyeru sat in the void. Miyeru pouted, swinging her legs over the nothingness.
"Brother, how much longer? This is getting boring."
Kiel smirked, but before he could answer, his face contorted. He clutched his head, a sharp, jagged pain lancing through his skull that forced him to his knees.
Miyeru’s playfulness vanished instantly. She rushed to his side, her violet energy flickering.
"Kiel! Are you alright? Are they forcing you again?"
Kiel looked up, his eyes bloodshot and strained.
"It seems... they’re done waiting. We have to move. Earlier than planned."
[The Royal Palace of Genova]
R98 sat up on the massive bed and stretched, his joints popping. He looked at his arms; the deep gashes, the star-grenade burns,
and the bruising had vanished completely, leaving behind flawless skin as if the trauma had been edited out of existence.
"Wounds are gone," he muttered, yawning.
"Looks like it's afternoon. Better find 76 and 56."
He pulled the heavy chamber door open, only to find the maid still standing there, exactly where he’d left her hours ago. She startled at his sudden appearance.
"You’re still here?" R98 asked, instantly sliding back into his cold, "Alien God" persona.
The maid bowed low. "I apologize for startling you, My Lord. You asked me to wait, so I remained."
She stole a glance at his face and neck—the lethal wounds she’d seen earlier had disappeared without even leaving a scar. She bit her lip but stayed silent.
"You’ve been standing here since morning?" R98 asked, a hint of his real self peeking through. "Don’t you need lunch?"
"I am grateful for your concern, My Lord," she replied softly. "But I ate well this morning."
"Right. Whatever," R98 said flatly.
"Would the Lord like a meal served?"
"Not hungry," R98 replied. "I'm going to my peers' chambers."
"Then let me lead the way—"
"Unnecessary," R98 cut her off. "I’ve already memorized the map of the palace."
The maid stared at him in awe. He hadn't left the room once, yet he claimed to know every corridor.
"I understand, My Lord. Shall I follow behind you?"
R98’s gaze turned sharp, the blue light in his pupils humming.
"That is also unnecessary. I hope I’ve made myself clear."
The maid bowed and stood like a statue as R98 walked away down the hall, his stride confident and predatory.
[Derrick’s Personal Chambers]
The room was a fortress. Heavily guarded by the kingdom’s finest knights, with dark-clad assassins lurking in the rafters, the elite of Genova held their secret council.
"What is the strategy for the ball tonight?" Duke Antonio asked, looking at Derrick.
Before the Prince could answer, a reckless noble leaned forward.
"Why are we trembling? They are just three men. They look plain. I understand they are 'Visitors,' but everyone has a weakness. We should find theirs and exploit it."
Derrick lifted his gaze, his eyes cold.
"That idea is not just reckless—it’s a death sentence."
"Why, Your Highness?"
"Because you haven't looked into their eyes," Derrick said, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"I don't mean the blue light. I mean the weight. When I stared at them, I didn't feel like I was looking at a man.
I felt like I was staring at a mountain... no, something even more immovable. A dying star."
"But the short one was injured," the noble argued.
"He bleeds. That means they are touchable."
"That makes it worse," Antonio interjected.
"As a warrior, I could see the broken bones and ruptured arteries on that man. By all rights, he should have been screaming in agony.
Instead, he acted like the pain didn't even exist. And his allies? They didn't even check on him.
It’s as if physical suffering is too trivial for them to notice."
The Prime Minister cleared his throat.
"There is more. I saw that same man in the hallway just now. There are no injuries. No scars. He is perfectly healthy."
The room fell into a stunned, fearful silence. Only Oralia remained quiet, staring blankly into a silver hand-mirror, lost in her own dark thoughts.
[R56’s Room]
Inside, R56 was a whirlwind of gluttony. He was shoving pastries and roast meats into his face with zero dignity, crumbs flying everywhere.
"This palace food is elite! I’m never leaving!"
The door swung open. R98 stood there, watching his senior ranger eat like a starving animal. The silence was deafening.
R98 didn't say a word. He pulled out a device that looked like a phone, snapped a high-res photo of the mess, and slammed the door shut.
"DON'T YOU DARE POST THAT TO THE RANGER GROUP CHAT!" R56’s muffled scream echoed through the door.
To be continued...
© MYukH. All rights reserved.
Author Note:
Nahh… I was finally thinking they locked in…
Why the hell are they talking about the group chat now??? 💀
And those politicians…
I’m not gonna lie, I’m feeling second-hand embarrassment for them 😭
See you next time....
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