The rest of the party wasn’t nearly as entertaining. After Idyia’s one-sided victory, no one in their right minds dared insult her to her face. Servants from House Kester retrieved their unconscious lord and quietly retreated from the venue as soon as his loss was declared. Once they left, I was crowded by several older noblemen and women who kept asking about my «Class» and my «Status». I gave them all vague enough answers without divulging too deeply about specifics. Apparently having transcendent «Strength and Dexterity» was more than enough to satisfy them. With that declaration, several more nobles volunteered themselves, their children, or their subjects to my cause. They were obviously making early in-roads, hoping I would remember them first and foremost over anyone else who joined my crusade later.
So I’m their meal ticket to higher levels. Am I supposed to power-level them or something?
After greeting and exchanging the bare minimum of courtesies, the party soon ended when Lord Belmond and his family left the venue for a more private and intimate dinner. Idyia and I were invited and I happily accepted any excuse to leave. We gathered around a large dining table and I forced Idyia to sit beside me instead of standing behind me while I ate. Belmond understood the nature of my actions and ordered for another plate so she could join us.
“So, is your little dog and pony show finally over?” I asked after wiping my mouth clean.
“You are quite brazen, even for the future king!” Belmond chuckled and motioned for his servants to take away the plates once the meal was over. “I must focus on rebuilding the towns and villages the demons have destroyed and remedy the refugee crisis along the border. Many of my people were displaced and crime will run rampant if this catastrophe is not properly dealt with.”
“Sounds like a lot to deal with.” I replied along with a noncommittal grunt.
“Will you not stay and enjoy my hospitality for a little while longer?”
“No, my main goal is to kill the demons along the borderline. Idyia and I are going to trace around the border for about a month or two.”
“Interesting. That is a good way for you to get acquainted with the most powerful of the nobility.”
“I thought the most loyal and most powerful would be concentrated closer to the capital.”
“A common misconception. It is only partially accurate, but those most loyal to the crown are stationed along the border in order to secure it. Imagine if a traitor were to surrender their lands to an invading army.”
“If that is the case, why are the border territories having problems with demonic incursions?”
“That is just an example of how badly the situation has deteriorated over the last three decades.”
“Glad we could help, at least.”
Belmond nodded with a grin. “Now then, I would be remiss to leave you unrewarded for all your trouble.” As if on cue, a servant placed a small chest on the table in front of me and opened it. Within was a scroll. I took it out, unfurled it. I could feel it pulse with magical energy. For a moment I couldn’t understand any of it, but after staring at it for a few heartbeats, I suddenly understood every word.
“It’s an Elven spell scroll?” I asked, voicing my curiosity.
“Indeed! So you can read Elven? It was given as a gift to my family as a sign of friendship from Thaysil. Though it may take you years to master the spell-”
A prompt appeared in my vision and I ignored Belmond in favor of reading through it. A moment later, the scroll burst into blue flames.
“Done. Thanks.” I wiped the ash and soot off my fingertips. Idyia shot me an intense glare. I should have been more subtle instead of openly abusing my «Menu», but I was feeling petty after getting roped into Belmond and Lydia’s little game of thrones.
“Y-You learned it in an instant?”
“Yeah, you got any more?”
“N-nay. So my gift was lackluster in the face of a god-blessed Hero! I now see why the Queen desires to bring you into her House. If your children can inherit even the smallest fragment of your strength, it will bring great prosperity and power to the royal family.”
“As much as I love being reduced to breeding stock, I’m going to head to bed.”
“Wait, I must insist you provide a demonstration of your strength to those who have sworn to join you.”
“Wasn’t Idyia’s duel enough?”
“To garner interest? Yes. To inspire loyalty? No.”
“What about everything I did in the capital?”
“Dolor Keep is far away from the capital. Your exploits are rumors and hearsay. Most commoners do not even know King Folad has passed.”
“Fine,” I could tell Belmond would not let this go and his argument made sense. I wouldn’t lose much if I showed off a bit. “Round up anyone who wants to watch. We’ll meet in front of the stables at the crack of dawn tomorrow.”
Belmond turned to his wife, Mathilda, and their two twins, Martha and Victor. “These two will be joining you on your crusade.”
They both stood ramrod straight, as if they prepared for this moment.
“I am a «1st Level Fighter», Victor of House Dolor!”
“I am a «1st Level Archer», Martha of House Dolor!”
They saluted me. I blanched. They didn’t look a day over 18.
“You’re sending your own kids into the Endless Abyss?!” I blurted out.
“I also hold the rank of general, «Ranger» Levin. And my family shall always lead from the front. I shall entrust their lives to you.”
When the twins didn’t drop their salutes, I finally acknowledged them with one. It was strange, because in my experience, soldiers only salute commissioned officers. Then again, I was the king-to-be, so I had to guess it was appropriate.
“As you were,” I instinctively ordered. My experience as a Sergeant must have colored into my tone because Belmond gave me another appraising look, but I was busy watching my world crumble around me. I could easily accept leading fully grown adults into combat, even into certain death. But I wasn’t sure I could stomach leading teenagers into those same circumstances. How was this spiraling out of control so fast? All I wanted to do was go back to Rebecca. But now I was going to lead a bunch of kids to war?
“My Master is still tired from the battle,” Idyia interjected. Did she sense my inner turmoil? “I will escort him to his bedchamber.”
I pushed myself away from the table and nodded. “Absorbing the spell scroll took more out of me than I thought,” I lied.
“Of course,” Belmond also stood and motioned for his servants to open the doors so Idyia and I could exit.
As soon as we returned to our room, I face planted onto the bed sheets, silently thanking the staff for replacing the bedding. I tilted my head enough to watch Idyia shut the door. She stripped out of her uniform and slipped into a thin nightgown she rarely got to wear because we spent so much time outdoors. I let her distract me; she knew I was watching and she even emphasized the curves of her body while dressing and undressing. But as soon as she was finished, my anxiety flared again and I groaned into the bedsheets.
“This sucks. My «Class» isn’t even built to lead people and «Charisma» is my lowest stat.”
Idyia crawled onto the bed and fondled my scalp like I was some kind of angry cat. Not that I complained.
“Will any of that stop you?”
“Just let me whine for a bit.”
Idyia continued to stroke my hair while I vented. “I’ll need to rethink my entire character build! All of my «Skills» focus on small scale skirmishes, not large scale warfare! I only have one AoE attack for Christ’s sake!”
I rolled off the bed and freed myself from the monkey suit while wracking my head for a solution. I needed to think of a way to improve my command and control abilities. The most obvious route would be to upgrade «Telepathy (Group) and the Movement and Tracking System». Communication and coordination were key elements in commanding a large force, but I would be sacrificing my own personal strength to improve my army’s effectiveness.
That meant I would have less to throw against a Demon God if I needed to 1v1 one.
“We’re going to have to grind more. I’ll ask Lydia if she has any suggestions,” I finally concluded then joined Idyia. After our first sexual encounter, I didn’t mind sharing the bed with her and by the way she curled her whole body around mine, the feeling must have been mutual. Having her cling to me so sensually forced me to focus on her, which was what she wanted.
“Are you going to kill me in my sleep?” I half-joked and half-asked. The only reason why she was so forward and open was she was able to reclaim some measure of autonomy and empowerment.
Idyia replied by flicking her wrist and produced one of her stiletto knives out of thin air. She used it to draw circles along my cheek then tossed it away. She nestled against my side and entwined her legs around mine.
“Good night, Master Levin.”
“G-Good night, Idyia.”
Both of us were up before dawn. Lydia had a proposition ready. I didn’t like it, but there was merit in her suggestion, so as soon as my demonstration was over, we were going to continue our travels along the border. Idyia and I decided not to have sex until we were certain we wouldn’t need the energy later on; we needed to establish clear boundaries considering our lives were in constant danger while on the road or in the wilderness. It was a conclusion born out of pragmatism. I appreciated Idyia’s adherence to objective analysis, because she was the one who suggested we abstain. Otherwise I would really be testing the limits of my «Constitution» on a nightly basis.
There was a crowd gathered around the pasture pen and I had a sinking suspicion I knew why. Though I expected and sensed her return at some point during the evening, I didn’t expect Renala’s sudden increase in size. She was nesting in the center of the pen while the rest of the animals were huddled in a corner. Nobles and commoners alike came to see the golden dragon and they gazed upon her from behind the fenceline. As if the paltry wooden slats would actually provide some protection against her draconic power.
I took a look at her stats and raised a brow. She leveled three times in two days, which meant she went on a non-stop killing spree for almost 48 hours. Even her lowest «Attribute» was in the 10s. At the rate she was growing, she’d break into the 20s in less than a year. My fiance was proven right again: Renala would be a deciding factor in my crusade against the Demon Gods.
Renala stirred when Idyia and I approached the fenceline. She drozily craned her head up and we quickly closed the distance. The crowd gasped in awe when we simply walked up to the dragon without preamble and began petting her.
“Your scales are too hard to scratch now, hun,” I stroked her nose as she nuzzled into my chest. She was now large enough to devour me in two bites. How big would she grow? I pulled out a small piece of dried venison from the Bottomless Dufflebag and rolled my eyes at the size difference. Even so, Renala’s eyes glinted and her tongue snaked around the jerky and pulled it into her mouth like an overgrown frog.
“I don’t see any wounds on her, Master Levin,” Idyia called out after she circled around and inspected Renala’s body.
“That’s good. Get some rest for now, Renala.” I patted her snout and sighed in relief. I was already aware of her overall state, but hearing Idyia confirm Renala’s health was what I needed to truly relax. Renala curled inward with her head into her stomach like a dog and instantly fell asleep. I stroked her neck one last time then turned to face the crowd and Idyia joined my side.
Idyia cut a different figure without her maid uniform. Her knee-length hair was neatly bundled up and pinned in place by a pair of stiletto knives. She replaced her uniform with non-descript traveling clothes and her leather armor was tight to reduce her profile. Now she looked like the «6th Level Assassin» she claimed to be. The transformation was a stark contrast to last night. Seeing her dressed in more practical, combat attire reinforced her true nature as my partner.
“This is Idyia,” I confirmed to the crowd. Most had no idea who she was, but those at the party nodded in acknowledgement.
“And I’m Levin. I don’t have any fancy titles, but I am what most of you would know as a Hero. I will lead our army into the Endless Abyss.”
I received a complimentary golf-clap in reply.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I suck at giving speeches. And my «Class» isn’t built to show off. What the hell am I supposed to do?!
I wracked my brain for a solution and, out of sheer desperation, I reached for my waist and unlatched a bladeless sword hilt. I had no intention of revealing it unless it was absolutely necessary; this weapon was one of my trump cards and the less people knew about it the better. But Lydia was confident it would boost my heroic image, so now was the time to test her theory.
With a pulse of magical energy, a golden blade erupted from the crossguard, bathing the area in warm light. Pulling from my movie, video game, and anime knowledge, I expected a plasmic or less defined shape, but the blade actually came out in a solid form. It was a single-edged, curved longsword resembling a German messer. Dragonfire flowed up and down the crystalline blade, as if the flames were contained in glass.
I twirled it with ease and it hummed through the air as it spun. I raised it high so all could see its brilliance. The audience was captivated by the ethereal weapon, but they eventually turned their eyes to me, awaiting the next word with bated breath.
Okay, now what?! Should I just hamfist this as hard as I can?!
I took a deep breath and glanced at the item description in my «Menu». An idea formed in my head and I used my «Intelligence» to recall one of the most awe inspiring moments I ever watched in a movie, the end of a ranger and the return of a king. Pulling from that scene, I mimicked the demeanor, tone, and cadence of one of the greatest actors to ever live. I just hoped my «Charisma» would make up for my lack of acting skills.
“Laevatain, the Flames of Renala, forged from the shards of her fangs. The blade that was lost in the Endless Abyss now returns to its people. Let the world remember the roar of Renala!”
I pumped 100 «MP» into the sword and it unleashed a pillar of golden flames into the sky that could be seen from outside the keep’s walls. The sight lasted only a few seconds before the flames reverted back into the blade.
There were gasps from the crowd. Some fell to their knees in homage and worship. I almost cringed at the sight. Idyia was absolutely stupefied. The audience ate it up, though, which was all I cared about.
“Those with the courage to join me in my crusade against the darkness, I bid you, stand and swear your fealty upon my blade! Together, we shall burn away the demonic plague and bring peace to Valeria!”
Holy shit, that was terrible. Should I have used another movie or anime quote? Should I take something else from Lord of the R-
To my relief and surprise, the Belmond twins climbed over the fence line and knelt at my feet. Even Finlay rushed over. His cheek was swollen, but his expression was solemn.
“I, Victor of House Dolor, swear my sword to your cause, «Ranger» Levin of Renalis!”
“I, Martha of House Dolor, swear my bow to your cause, «Ranger» Levin of Renalis!"
"I, Finlay of House Kester, swear my sword to your cause, «Ranger» Levin of Renalis!”
I blinked once, unsure of how to react then improvised based on what I saw. I dubbed them across the shoulders and once on the forehead. I was careful not to touch them with the blade and relied on my transcendent «Dexterity» to get as close as I possibly could without making contact.
“Rise, Victor and Martha of House Dolor, Finlay of House Kester.” Now that I was neck deep into this performance, I just leaned into this whole show. I even tried to modulate my voice to sound deeper and more imposing. I wasn’t sure if it was working, but no one started laughing hysterically, so I counted that as a win.
I’ll take whatever I can get at this point.
I motioned for the trio to stand in a line formation behind me.
“Will no one else step forward?” I demanded.
That opened the floodgates. Many of the nobles I spoke to last night rushed forward to swear fealty and service along with the commonfolk. When dawn finally broke, I dubbed over 50 Renalians into my service. Almost everyone with a «Class» in Dolor Keep stood in a box formation behind me.
Lord Belmond, his wife, and those that did not volunteer cheered. When the applause started to die, Lord Belmond approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Well played! To think you brought Laevatein! I could not have asked for a better demonstration of your greatness, Your Majesty.” I choked on air. Belmond was the first person to refer to me as king. He grinned in satisfaction at the young men and women from his lands, lined up, ready to serve the kingdom. By the time he turned back to me, I managed to recover my composure.
“I’ll leave the details to you. Make sure they are sent to the capital for training over the next few months.” I quietly ordered.
“As you command, Your Majesty.” Belmond bowed low and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. They also bowed. I resisted the urge to collapse out of embarrassment. I still needed to end this dog and pony show with a strong, final act.
“Raise your heads, Champions of Renalis, brothers and sisters, cherish the time you have left with your friends and family. For when I call upon you again, we march into the Rift for death and glory!”
I extinguished the dragonfire blade with a spinning flourish and it vanished with a sharp hiss. Then I swept Idyia off her feet and leapt up on Renala’s back. Idyia squawked but otherwise made no sound and did not struggle which I was thankful for.
“Renala! Let’s go!”
Renala’s eyes snapped open at my telepathic command and she reared back to roar loud enough to shake the ground. She exhaled a gout of gold flames and with one mighty flap of her wings, took to the air and over the keep’s walls. I was thankful for my superhuman balance because I don’t think I would have stayed atop Renala otherwise. After we left Dolor Keep far behind, I found a spot to settle just above Renala's wings and forelegs, a few feet beyond the bottom of her neck. I wrapped my legs around her throat like I would mount a horse, set Idyia down in front of me, then leaned back to relax. I finally dropped the act and felt liberated from the ominous weight of responsibility as the wind and clouds whipped around us.
“W-we’re f-flying!” Idyia’s eyes darted back and forth with childish glee. I grinned and forgot my grievances and enjoy the moment with her. My hands wrapped around her waist and I traced her gaze to the scenery below. I felt my eyes grow warm. This surreal experience was so close to being perfect it hurt my soul in a way I barely comprehended.
I wish you were here, Rebecca.
