For now, these will be the last voices added to the OC voice sheet for the main characters.
Karina Claussel(Laura Bailey): Rise Kujikawa(Persona 4), Kushina Uzumaki(Naruto), Trunks(DBS), Catherine(Catherine Fullbody)
Caroline Valenstein(Kira Buckland): Jolyne Cujoh(Jojo Stone Ocean), Beatrice(Re:ZERO), Olga Marie Animusphere(Fate Grand Order), Kirumi Tojo and Hiyoko Saionji(Danganronpa)
Damian Douma(Robbie Daymond): Happy Chaos(Guilty Gear Strive), Goro Akechi(Persona 5), Mumen Rider(One Punch Man), Megumi Fushiguro(Jujutsu Kaisen), Tianyou Zhao (Yakuza: Like a Dragon)
Elsa Garrison(Erica Mendez): Mash Kyrielight(Fate Grand Order), Megumin(Konosuba), Kamisato Ayaka(Genshin Impact), Ryuko Matoi(Kill La Kill)
Chapter 26
The Prince and his Guard
Yami groaned for what he felt was the tenth time in five minutes. He didn't like being in hospital too long, it brought his mood down. His visit was supposed to be swift, but he wasn't counting on Raiden to be hospitalized for a day. And now he had to come to get his side of things to take the information to the Wizard King.
"Room 210." His eyes darted from side to side, trying to locate the room on the second floor."That damn kid...why did he have to get himself in this mess today of all days."
Once he found the room, he wasted no time and turned the doorknob, coming into an unexpected view.
Raiden was fast asleep, snoring lightly with one of his legs hanging off the bed. Karina was laying next to him, using his belly as a pillow as the short girl was snoring loudly and had her legs on the chair as support.
"Wake up, sleeping beauty." Yami knocked on the wall loud enough for them to stir awake."What is this, Raiden? Sleeping with girls on hospitals beds now?"
"Huh? What...?" Raiden coughed upon noticing the weight on his stomach."No wonder I felt something heavy..."
"Fuck off..." Karina groaned, pushing herself off the bed and wiping some droll off her lip."You make a nice pillow, BB Raiden, but you move too much."
Yami sighed, leaning against the door."Mind giving us some space, kid? I gotta talk to him. Rill should be here soon to talk with you and that other girl waiting in the lobby. I'm taking Raiden off your hands."
"Go ahead. I don't care." Karina stuck her tongue out."Who would ever want to hang out with him anyway?"
"Sheez, so kind." Raiden rolled his eyes, watching the explosive girl walk past Yami. The burly man closed the door behind him, grabbing the chair and sitting in front of Raiden's bed."I'm guessing you want a full report."
"That would be ideal, yeah."
"Wait, so you're the Prince?!" Asta was the first one to cry out."No way! Uh...should we bow?! Kneel?!"
"I think we should. Prince Douma would want nothing but respect." Cain answered, ready to get on one knee.
"Nah, nah. None of that, fam." Damian waved them off."I have enough back at home with all this shit. Besides, I'm a visitor here. If anything, I should show you guys respect. As I said, my name is Damian Douma, but you can call me Damian. Everyone calls me Prince Damian. My father goes with Douma."
"Oh, ok." Abel scratched his check sheepishly."Then, Da-"
"Prince Damian." Elsa narrowed her eyes at him, sending shivers down his spine."You are to address him with respect."
"Elsa..." Damian sighed, ruffling his hair."Relax, yeah? You're too uptight all the time. I told you to take it easy."
"But your majesty...I must always be on guard to make sure no harm befalls you."
"I know. But we're in good hands here." He approached her, putting a hand on her shoulder. He stood on his tippy toes, causing her to giggle."What? I'm still growing. I'll catch up eventually."
"I know you will...Damian..." She whispered, audible enough for him to hear.
He cracked a smirk, turning to the Magic Knights."Alright then. We're in your hands. So!" He clasped his hands together."What's the plan?"
"Well, we were tasked to escort you to the casino Ray Lazarus manages." Yuno stepped forward, exchanging glances with the Prince. Damian squinted his eyes at the taller teen, a puzzled look on his face."Is...something wrong?"
"Nah. It feels weird. I feel like I've met you before and yet we haven't. It feels familiar. I think it's nothing, never mind that. Anyway, yeah, the casino would be ideal. But I'm not asking about the idea of...getting accidentally lost and exploring. I love me some sightseeing."
"Is that really okay, Prince Damian?" Asta inquired."I mean, wouldn't they get worried if you arrive late?"
"They can wait." Damian placed his hands on his hips."Besides, we'll just go get something to eat. The ride over was quite long and I was asleep the whole time."
The four orphans exchanged looks, unsure of how to respond until Cain stepped forward, hands behind his back."We'll accept that. We want your stay here to be enjoyable after all."
"Ah, that's great!" Damian grinned from ear to ear. He jumped in the air, doing a backflip and landing on the driver's seat of the carriage."Let's go, Elsa."
"But my liege, shouldn't you be inside? It's not safe for you to be exposed." Elsa pointed out, reluctantly taking his hand as he lifted her up to sit next to him.
"I'll be fine. Besides, we're in capable hands after all."
Cain gathered the others around, ready to relay instructions."Here's what we'll do. Yuno and I are exceptional when it comes to long-distance fights and Asta and Abel are our muscles. Since we'll need to watch out for any possible threats from all directions, we'll need to split up accordingly. Asta, you and I will go in the back. Yuno and Abel get the front."
"Understood." They replied in unison, going for their positions. Once they were ready, Cain nodded toward Elsa, who commanded the horses to resume their march.
"I meant to ask earlier but...I didn't know the Ace Kingdom had such...odd horses. What kind of breed are they?" Abel asked, receiving a laugh from the prince.
"It's my lovely Knight's magic." He jabbed his finger in her direction."She can tell you what it is if she wants to."
Elsa turned to Damian who simply shrugged."It's Ink Magic. I can create things with ink."
"Woah! Really?" Asta was immediately interested."That's so cool!"
"It's nothing," Elsa said, her face remaining stoic.
"No, he's right." Abel glanced over his shoulder."They are so detailed, I thought they were real horses."
"I saw you have a pen and were going to use it when you were going to attack us. Is that part of your magic as well?" Yuno asked, finding himself intrigued."If that's the case, are you an artist?"
"Just take the compliments, Elsa." Damian leaned back, hands behind his head.
"Yes. I am an artist. But that's just my hobby, nothing too serious. And thank you for your kind words." She hid her face behind her hand.
"What about you guys?" It was Damian's turn to ask.
'Good. We have a small conversation going on.' Cain mentally noted.'All we gotta do is drive the conversation towards their kingdom without any suspicion.'
"I have Wind Magic."
"Yin Magic/Yang Magic."
"Huh. Really? Never heard of that before." Damian scratched his cheek."I mean the Yin and Yang thing. Wind I've seen plenty. What about you?"
"I, uh...I have no magic, actually."
"Ah, I see. So you want to keep it a secret too, eh?" Damian snickered, amused."All right then, keep your secrets. I can respect that."
"No, no. I don't have any magic." Asta insisted, but Damian wasn't buying it.
"I don't think he's jesting, my liege." Elsa whispered to Damian."I can't feel any magic coming off of him."
"He can probably conceal it." Damian brushed her off."I've seen it happen before. It's okay. I'm not upset. I was also planning to keep my magic a secret as well."
"He genuinely doesn't believe you." Cain sweatdropped at the Prince's demeanor, whispering in his direction."I guess I would be the same way if I hadn't been told you had no magic."
"I guess." Asta hummed, folding his arms."I wonder what his magic is though. Must be strong."
"Maybe. Or maybe not. Usually, princes and princesses don't get involved in fighting so other than having a great deal of mana everything else is pretty standard. But there's also the chance that he's pretty strong. I mean, I don't see why he would come completely by himself with just one royal knight."
"Maybe Elsa is really strong. I mean, she looked confident in taking us all on earlier."
"It's hard to say. I guess only time will tell."
While they converse, the others were engaging in a small conversation.
"So how are you liking the kingdom so far, Prince Damian?" Yuno asked, trying to move along the conversation."Is it any different from where you're from?"
"Eh, I haven't seen much, so it's hard to say. This area...what's it called again?"
"Noble Realm. Close to the Capital but a bit far from where we're supposed to take you." Abel explained, earning a puzzled look from the Prince.
"Noble Realm?"
"Basically where all the wealthy and important people live. Our kingdom is divided into the Noble Realm, Forsaken Realm, and Common Realm."
"Oh, yeah. We have something like that over there. Only slightly different. The Upperclass Domain, the Middle Class, and the Low Class. Each Domain is divided by walls and is kept secure by the border patrol. Meaning if you want to go from a low domain to a higher one, you need special permission or a really good reason. Or money."
"Really? How does that work?"
"You're asking too many questions." Elsa voiced her disapproval.
"It's fine. It's basic information, after all." Damian didn't seem to care."You see, the center of our kingdom is composed of upper-class towns. Like your Nobel Realm, all the important people live there and it's where the money usually goes. Industries and major corporations are located there and are the ones that keep the economy going. I forgot to mention this, but we don't have villages, we have cities. A city is composed of various towns linked together."
"Cities instead of towns?" Yuno was perplexed."Is your kingdom that large?"
"Yes. We do have towns, but the Domains are concentrated in three major cities. The City of Babylon, which is where I'm from. Israel, the city of Wonders, and Nazareth, the city of Miracles. Upper, Middle, and Low class respectively."
"So in retrospect, our kingdoms are more similar than we thought." Abel surmised, receiving a nod in return."I wonder...do you guys also have your versions of Magic Knights?"
"Not really." Damian replied, leaning forward and resting his arms on his thighs."We only have the military. And the police force, I guess."
"Army? So kind of like the Diamond Kingdom?"
"I'm not familiar with their military. But our army protects the kingdom as a whole. So we don't have anything fancy like Magic Knight squads or anything like that. If you want to protect your homeland, you gotta join the army. But...I suppose I could ask Father and the Council to implement something like this. I don't see any harm in forming groups of mages that fight for their kingdom. Seems to me like you guys have fun. The army is so dull."
"You've been in the army, Prince?" Abel's eyes widened."I wasn't expecting that."
"Hahaha. I get that a lot. You'd expect someone from the royal family to not do anything strenuous and just sit on the throne and look pretty. But not me. We have something called the Academy of Hope, where all the young people go to prepare before joining the army. After I graduated, I served in the military for a few years. But due to my duties as a Prince, I had to opt-out."
"Sounds like being a prince is more difficult than it seems." Yuno noted with a stoic expression."Must be rough. I can't imagine how it must be."
"You have no idea." Damian groaned in exasperation."But you have the face of a prince. So if you were one, that's one thing down already."
"I guess you can't judge a book by its cover." Cain commented after catching up with the conversation."I apologize. I was discussing something with Asta. We're approaching the Common Realm and will be reaching Kikka in twenty minutes if we keep going at this pace."
"It's cool. No sweat." Damian rested his chin on his palm."Say, I've been curious about something. Asta and Abel. You guys are from the Black Bulls, right? Tell me about your squad. What are they like?"
"Oh, that's an easy one!" Asta rose his hand."Captain Yami can be scary but he really cares about us. Magna and Luck are awesome and very friendly."
"Noelle is very nice to me." Abel chimed in."She's royalty and can come off as egocentric but she is actually a very nice person. Vanessa is like the group's big sister and cares about all of us. Finral is super cool and is always fun to see him trying to get some girls, but it never works out."
"Grey and Gordon don't say much. But Gordon is kind and likes to spend time with us whenever we can. Gauche can be a bit difficult but he has a big heart. Especially for his sister. And then there's Raiden."
A pause. Neither of them knew what to say due to their recent experiences with the Inferno magic-user.
"I'm sensing some kind of tension here. Is this Raiden...the problematic kind?" Damian's smile widened slightly.
"He's very...eh, what's the word?" Abel scratched his neck."Dedicated, I guess. And intense. He's always focused on the goal but..."
"What he means to say is that he's very strong, and we look up to him, but he can be a big jerk sometimes. He looks down on me and picks on me whenever we talk to each other. I'm certain he doesn't like me, but...I respect his strength. He made it this far and I want to become as strong...no, stronger than him. Maybe then he'll see me as an equal. Sorry, I started rambling."
"No, no." Damian chuckled, his smile never leaving."I'm getting the picture here. He sounds like he's full of himself. Do you know why he doesn't like you?"
"I think...I think it's because..."
"More than likely he thinks you guys are similar in some aspects. He mentioned before that he doesn't like how naive your way of thinking is but at the same time your drive to reach your goal is just as strong as his perseverance." Abel frowned upon remembering."He's not a very optimistic person, that's for sure. Whatever happened to him in the past must have left a mark."
"Despite that, he's different with everyone else." Asta's face lightened up with a big smile."Vanessa and Grey are always talking about how much they enjoy his company. Hell, Grey revealed her secret to us because of Raiden. Charmy enjoys how much he appreciated her cooking and Gauche is more open to him than anyone else. And with Noelle and Magna...well, they're on speaking terms, I guess. But everyone considers him reliable."
Damian had an unreadable expression after hearing all of that. Elsa looked concerned but decided to not voice her opinion. The prince gave a long sigh, leaning back on the seat and looking at the sky."I see. He sounds...like quite the guy. "
"He was supposed to be here today, but something happened and he was wounded in a fight." Abel explained, causing the prince to perk up at that."Originally, he was supposed to come instead of me."
"Is that so? Ha. You don't say. Too bad he couldn't make it. I would have loved to meet him." Damian grinned and Cain could swear something weird in his eyes."Well, overall sounds like you have quite the squad. A big happy family. Reminds me of how my class at the Academy was."
"We're almost at Kikka. We'll stop by for some lunch and show you around, Prince Damian." Cain informed him.
'There's something odd with the prince. Why is he asking about their squad and not ours?' Yuno pondered.'Good thing I left Bell back at the base. He's good. He's picking his answers carefully but he's also getting info from us. But we're close to gaining more information. We can't let him take the lead.'
'But still, something is off about this. It feels like he's also guiding us somewhere.' Cain talked to himself in his mind.'It can't be that...does he know what we're trying to do? No way. We're being subtle about this. There's no reason why he would think we're digging for information.'
"By the way, I'm surprised." Damian spoke up, almost startling them after a long pause."I wasn't expecting to be guarded by newbies."
'He's onto us!' Both Cain and Yuno's eyes shot open in shock.
"What makes you think we're newbies?" Asta inquired, much more calm down the Golden Dawn pair.
"You look around my age, for one." He began listing with his fingers."Plus, you seem to have no idea how these things go. You also have no filter either."
"I...guess he caught us?" Abel chuckled nervously.
"Outrageous! How dare they sent a group of new mages to protect the Ace Kingdom Prince?!" Elsa snarled in disdain.
"No need to get all worked up, Elsa." Damian rolled his eyes."I don't particularly mind. In fact, this is perfect."
"Perfect?"
"Of course." He clapped his hands together."I'd rather spend time with people my age than with adults which would have made things awkward, no doubt. I spend enough time with old people back at home with all the royal duties that I barely get to act my age. Plus, I appreciate you guys having no filter and acting normally. I get tired of people treating me differently for my royal status. It's bothersome. I don't mind them calling me Prince, but all the flattering and bootlicking is annoying."
"Well, you did say to be friendly with you. So it's fine, right? Also, how old are you, if I may ask?" Asta wondered.
"I'm 17, turning 18 in a month." Damian puffed his chest out."Let me take a guess. Yuno is the oldest, Asta and Abel the youngest respectively, and Cain in the middle."
"Actually, Cain is the oldest." Abel pointed at his brother."Then it's me. We're both 16. Asta and Yuno and 15."
"But Asta is the youngest." Yuno added, much to Asta's chagrin."And what about her?"
Elsa pursed her lips, turning to Damian as he just gave her a nod."I'm 19."
"Woah, really? I mean, you are pretty tall after all. And hey, you're not that older than us." Asta gave her a toothy grin."You must be really capable to be given such an important role. I'm sure the Prince is glad to have you with him."
"I-I-I..." She blushed madly, stuttering over her words.
"We're here." Yuno called out, causing the carriage to stop just outside of Kikka."I think it's best if we leave this parked in a hidden place. We wouldn't want to walk through town and get unnecessary attention."
"Agreed." Damian nodded in agreement, jumping out of the carriage with Elsa. They moved the carriage far into the woods."Alright, do your thing."
"Yes, your highness." Pulling her Grimoire out, she began casting a spell."Ink Creation Magic: Great Wall!" She grabbed her pen, drawing at such speed in her Grimoire that it looked like a blur. The carriage was surrounded by four white walls before a ceiling was also added, hiding it entirely.
"That was awesome!" Asta marbled, his eyes sparkling."She can draw things in her Grimoire?!"
"It doesn't actually do anything." Damian informed them, fists on his hips."Her Grimoire is mostly empty, so he likes to draw as she casts spells. Nice work, Elsa."
"But don't you think a white square in the middle of the woods would be weird?" Yuno quirked a brow.
"True. But it doesn't matter. Better than taking it to town." Damian stood in front of them, splaying his hands."So...I'll be in your care."
"Why am I stuck with you?
Leviathan was sitting in a small restaurant with Hazama, both of them wearing civilian attire. Levi's consisted of black pants, white boots and a mid purple midriff that showed her peachy skin, and a brown cap on her head hiding her hair.
"Because I'm looking after you and making sure you don't get recognized or do something stupid before getting you on track." Hazama sipped on his coffee."You might be the Sixth Child, but you haven't consumed enough human flesh yet other than..."
"Still hungover about that woman." She gave him a condescending look."She was tasty. It's amazing. I never thought human flesh could taste so...appealing." She bit her thumb, licking it."I guess being an Alternate and all alter your body in more ways than one. Still, I would have appreciated it if Diana would have explained herself more. Or Baby, as she goes by now."
"All in due time. As you know, the main goal is to get enough sacrifices going so we can get closer to reviving the Antichrist. Once that happens, we can change the world."
"Yeah, but there's so much I'm missing." She rubbed her temples."So much blank...and I haven't seen Licht and the others yet. Which is why I don't get why I'm with you right now. What, you think I'm not capable of killing humans?"
"If I had left you unsupervised, you would have started something in this town. Be as strong as you may be, you're still in not top condition. Your body hasn't gotten used to your new powers yet. You need more blood. But there's no need to rush. Right now, I'm just showing you around and making sure you catch up with the new age."
"It's different from what I remember, that's true." She observed her food, picking it with her fork."And the food is different. Though I somehow know what this is."
"It must have something to do with Bella's memories." Hazama scowled, remembering the girl he once knew was now a different person."How do you feel?"
"For starters, this girl's boobs are way too big for my liking." She pointed at her chest."She's too out of shape as well. I get tired pretty easily. She was supposed to be some sort of dancer, was she not? Don't you keep your workers in shape? Also, she's lactose intolerant. I drank milk and let me tell you, it wasn't pleasant. But other than that, her magic suits mine just fine. Water magic. And although I don't have my Grimoire, I can use my cryokinesis and make my attacks stronger. So it's not that bad."
"Duly noted." Hazama made a mental note to check on that later."As for your Brand?"
"Keeping it hidden." She showed him her fingerless glove."Now that Mary went ahead and exposed herself and her powers, it'll be only a matter of time before they start hunting us down. More than before."
"That's only natural. We are trying to bring about the end of the world."
"How will that work, by the way?"
"I'm not sure. Mother's the one with the plan. She'll tell us once we get deeper into the plan. What about you? Do you know something?"
"Honestly? Can't say I do. Back in my old life, I knew Diana and Rosemary I heard from Rosemary that a supposed angel told them about some sort of ritual that could change the world and end life as we know it. But I thought she was just making things up. She wasn't exactly a reliable source. She hasn't changed one bit. Still as psychotic as ever."
"An angel?"
"Apparently. She said it came to Diana first and then Baby relayed the message to her. But that's something both of them know and are keeping close to their chests. For all, I know it could just be a lie and Diana thinks she's some sort of messiah and thinks God came to her for a big plan."
"It...would make sense. It would certainly explain where the Alternate powers came from. Mary didn't have them before, did she?"
"Not at all. So...what, are we some kind of emissaries of God or something like that? We certainly don't look the part." She said, eating some of the rice on her plate."And what about you? Why are you on this whole crusade to end the world? You were formerly a human, a member of the race you're trying to extinguish. And your kid is also a human, right? Wouldn't you be against this?"
Hazama rubbed his chin, choosing his words."Mother guaranteed me my daughter's safety. Besides, I owe it to her to see this plan through. She was the reason I can still have my child today."
"I sense a story. Wanna talk about it?"
"No."
"Well, how are we supposed to trust each other?"
"We're not. We're loyal to Mother, that's it. It's survival of the fittest of us Children of Sceva. Power is everything. Otherwise, you have to tolerate the people above you. Like I have to tolerate Joseph."
"But you're nice enough to me, though."
"Because I'm an actual adult." He ran a hand down his face."I can't be bothered to be picking on those ranked lower than me for the stupid rank. I made it this far only because I needed to get stronger."
"I see. So in the end, everyone has their reasons to be in this. But they all come together...to end everything. Funny how things work."
"So it is. But humanity wishes for total annihilation to some degree. Or at least, that's what Mary says." He glanced down at his watch."By the way, I know Mother told you, but have you thought of how you're going to contribute money to our group?"
"Dunno. I was thinking of working at that club of yours."
"Not a chance. They already declared Isabella and Christa missing. If you suddenly go back, they'll start asking questions. You being in the open with nothing but that robe is already dangerous enough. But regardless, you'll need to get more money than what I usually pay."
"Meaning?"
"I mean that you need to come up with your own way to make money. I host a club, Mary has her butcher shop, which is lost by now. I heard the Magic Knights are investigating the place. Rosemi hosts her opera concerts, etc, etc. You can use water, right? Just try making pool parties or something."
"I'm not a clown!" She sneered, slamming the table."There has to be some other way to make money!"
"You'll need to figure that out. Anyway, I'll be back in ten minutes. I have to meet up with an associate."
Hazama left the table, leaving the former elf speechless."Damn him! This is stupid. What, am I supposed to come up with my own scheme? I have no idea of how to even begin to do that?"
Asta and Abel were currently waiting in line for their orders while the others were waiting, chatting away. The Prince had decided to go to a food stand, saying he wanted to taste the Clover Kingdom street food and compare it to their own.
"Seems like not a lot of people bother to glance at us. At least not for long." Damian noted, leisurely leaning back on his chair with his hands behind his head.
"I think I have some idea as to why." Cain said, amused by how Elsa kept glaring daggers at whoever dared to lay hands on the prince for too long."But I guess we do attract some eyes. I mean, five Magic Knights and a Royal Guard walking around you would be kind of suspicious, not gonna lie. But not the weirdest thing ever. Want to hit up the Black Market after this?"
"Meh, I made my people wait too long as it is. Maybe some other time. If all works out perfectly, our kingdoms can make a proper alliance and we can visit each other from time to time."
"You'd want us to come to your kingdom?" Yuno rose a brow at his statement.
"Of course. I already consider you guys friends." Damian said as if it was obvious."Your king and I will be meeting today to talk about how we want the alliance to proceed. Of course, we're willing to offer our resources and help your kingdom upgrade its technology. Not to mention that we get some delicious fish on our side of the sea. I'll make sure your squads get their fair share. I guarantee that."
"Much appreciate, Prince Damian. But if I may ask, just how technologically advanced is the Ace Kingdom compared to ours?"
"Well..." Damian trailed off, scanning his surroundings with a smirk."Let's just say this town would be considered low-class. I'd tell you more, but I don't want to spoil the surprise. I'll leave it to your imagination and when you come over, you'll see what's real or not."
"Sorry for the wait." Asta and Abel came to the table, each carrying two trays full of chicken wings.
"Here's the sauce you requested." Abel handed Damian a bottle of hot sauce, settling down on his chair."I wasn't expecting you to like spicy things, Prince."
"You kidding me? I love spicy food." Damian wasted no time in opening the bottle and pouring a good amount of sauce on his plate."Want some, Elsa?"
"I'm okay. Thank you for your kindness, my liege. But my stomach can't handle spicy food like yours."
"So back to that topic..." Cain forged on, quickly eyeing Abel and Asta."Such a town like this, located in the Common Realm, is considered poor in your eyes? Is that before or after that economic crisis?"
"So...you know about that." Damian couldn't hide his amusement, allowing a grin on his face."I guess it's to be expected. We never prohibited our citizens that came here from talking. But yeah. Before. Things now aren't as prosperous as they used to be. We're working on that though."
"That's good to know. I hope everything can be worked out. I'm looking forward to meeting people from the Ace Kingdom and making new friends." Asta beamed, ecstatic at the idea.
"I like your spirit. I appreciate optimistic people. You must be the life of any party."
"He is pretty loud." Yuno nodded, ignoring Asta's glare."But he's not charismatic. If anything, he's the entertainment."
"I'm funnier than you!"
"No, you're not."
"Honestly, Yuno, you always struck me as someone who lacks a sense of humor." Cain gave his opinion nonchalantly.
"You are one to talk."
Damian snickered at their interaction, clearly enjoying the show."You guys are a riot. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're all brothers. Well, I know the twins here are related, I'm not sure about you two."
"Well, we're all orphans but from different orphanages." Asta began explaining."But Yuno and I are pretty much siblings, even though we're not related by blood. A bond like ours is stronger than that.'
"So we have two pairs of siblings here, eh? It's too bad Else and I couldn't bring ours. We'd have a whole sibling hang out."
"You guys got siblings?" Abel cocked his head to the side."Now that's got me interested. So there's another prince?"
"Yup. My younger brother. Younger by two years. He's 15. His name is Lancelot, but we all call him Lance. He usually doesn't have to get involved in royal duties but that's better for him. I want him to enjoy his life without feeling the burden of all this stuff. Since I'm next in line, I'm the one that has to make an effort, but he also has to pull his weight just in case anything happens to me."
"And what about Elsa?"
"Well, Elsa's case is a little different. You see, her family is tasked with protecting the royal family. So usually they have lots of kids in case our family decides to do the same. If I'm not mistaken, Elsa has around...nine siblings."
"Nine?!"
"It's eleven, sir." Elsa corrected him.
"Right. Most of them are way younger than here. Except for the second eldest sister, Mika, who serves as her "general" in a way and keeps her siblings in cheek. How is she by the way? I haven't heard from her in a while."
"Her work as a detective keeps her busy," Elsa replied, taking a sip from her cup of tea.
"Woah...she's a detective?" Abel marbled."That's great. I didn't know you guys had detectives."
"Remember when his highness said we have the military and the police? Well, my sister couldn't cut it for the military as I did, so she decided on the second best thing and decided to get a career as a police officer. However, I do not approve of her going so far away from her duties to protect her assigned prince."
"Oh. Wait, so she's supposed to protect his brother kind of like how you protect him." Yuno surmised, receiving a nod from the icy-eyed woman.
"Are you still hung up about that?" Damian seemed annoyed as if this conversation had been brought up before."Lance doesn't mind. Besides, the one who's going to become king is me and I'm not planning on dying."
"But wouldn't her being in the police give her a better chance to protect the other prince?" Asta brought up a valid point.
"You'd think so, but unfortunately, the EPD is located in another city away from Babylon, Jerusalem. They are smaller compared to the military and only focus on petty, small crimes. So they're stationed in one city. If they are called, they take a while to travel from city to city."
"What does EPD stand for, by the way?"
"Eden Police Department." Damian answered, cleaning his mouth with a napkin after finishing his wings."They are named after the Garden of Eden. What Elsa didn't tell you is that her sister has won multiple merits and is highly valued as a great asset for the kingdom along with two other mages. They form the ESO, also known as the Eva Special Operations. Cream of the crop. They come from strong backgrounds. In fact, I've met a few of them back in the Academy."
"Eden? Garden of Eden?" Abel and Cain glanced at each other."What a coincidence. Our orphanage is called the same."
"Then you guys have great taste." Damian complimented the twins. Cain didn't reply but his brother seemed to react differently.
Abel fidged in his seat, an action not unnoticed by the Prince who addressed him."Something on your mind?"
"Yeah..." He swallowed the lump in his throat, forcing himself to be confident."I'm not sure if you know her, but Caroline Valenstein is currently living in our kingdom. I met her yesterday when she went to go treat my siblings back at the orphanage. She told me some stories about your kingdom. And how you guys treat those who aren't as wealthy, saying that the medical treatment they get is mediocre at best compared to what the nobles get. And also how the nobles mistreat the commoners."
'What the hell are you doing?!' Cain nearly had a heart attack.'That's way too direct!'
Elsa narrowed her eyes at him but as she was about to go off, Damian chuckled, surprising her.
"Oh, she said that, did she? It's true. The commoners are regarded as less important than those with power and status. But it's not something I approve of, of course. I'm currently fighting in improving the commoner's lifestyles."
"R-really...?" Abel was taken back by the Prince's words."You're...I'm sorry, it's just. I-"
"You'd figured that nobles and royals don't give a rat's ass about those below them." Damian finished for him."Relax. I understand. Maybe back then I wouldn't have batted an eye and continued to undermind the commoners. But I've seen firsthand what they are capable of and that they are just as strong as any noble. They've earned my respect, and therefore, I vowed to help them to improve their livelihoods."
"What do you mean?" Yuno decided to press for answers."You sound like you belittle commoners at one point. What changed that?"
Damian's smile slowly fated, grabbing the sleeves of his wrists and rolling them up revealing two scars going around them."I fought to the death with one of them. At first, I thought he'd be just another trash in the pile. But I never expected...that I'd be in the fight for my life. He met my strikes every time and never, ever gave up. No matter of bleak things looked for him. In the end, I was outclassed. And I...I..." Damian's voice began to break down and his body began to shake. He couldn't take his eyes off his wrists no matter how hard he tried.
He could still recall that feeling. When the warrior in front of him landed in front of him. How he tried to attack him but his blades were faster than he was. How his arms were cut off one by one before his chest was sliced and everything turned black.
"Damian." Elsa grabbed his wrists, pulling the sleeves back down in an attempt to comfort him."Calm down, okay? I'm right here. Okay? You're okay. Everything is just fine."
"I...I'm fine." Damian seemed to calm down, taking a deep breath."That's right...I told you I let everyone call me by my name. But there's one person I could never let address me like that. And it's him. The one who bested me in combat. I will never forgive him for giving me such humiliation and bringing shame to my family. And above all...I will never forgive him for taking what was rightfully mine and taking my place. For being chosen before me...And he had the damn balls to not kill me..."
"Taking your place? Chosen before you?" Asta parroted."I don't get it. What do you mean?"
"After he beat me, he took what I desired the most. And because of him, I've been left on the sidelines. Doing nothing but drown in my own incompetence and misery. God damn him! I will never lose to him again! I will get stronger and crush him with my own hands!"
The Magic Knights were rendered speechless, not sure what to make of the Prince's sudden outburst.
"We should get going." Elsa stood up from her seat, grabbing Damian's hand."And for our sakes, this conversation ends here."
Silently agreeing, the group went back to the carriage, followed by a certain stalker.
The ride was awkward, to say the least. Gone was the easy-going nature of Prince Damian. Instead, he had decided to go back inside the carriage and let Elsa drive it.
'He won't be in a talkative mood anymore.' Cain deduced, sparing a glance at the carriage.'We didn't get much, but this info should do us some good. Unless they fabricated the whole thing and told just nothing but lies. But I find that unlikely. He doesn't seem like the guy who would pull tricks on people. He's honest. Judging from how he opened up to us about one of his insecurities, I don't see any reason why he would lie about that.'
"How much longer?" Elsa asked, her eyes not leaving the trail.
"An hour at best. The casino isn't that far from where we are now." Abel answered for the group, albeit a bit shyly. He felt a little upset for having to make things go sour. He knew the purpose of the mission, but now for sure they weren't going anywhere and would not be able to get more intel on them. But why did they want the intel so bad anyway? That's what he didn't understand.
'Why is the Captain so insistent in getting information on the Ace Kingdom?' He hummed to himself in thought.'I mean, sure, no one knows much about them, but it's because they've been secluded for years. And the Prince seems genuinely happy to ally with our kingdom. So why all this secrecy instead of waiting for them to ally properly to exchange intel. But still...would they ally with us knowing everything that's going on with the Eye of the Midnight Sun and all?'
His mind went back to his fight against Mary and how she single-handed defeated himself, Raiden, and Karina.
'I still can't believe how strong she was. And we haven't seen what the other Children of Sceva can do. Not to mention there's also that Licht guy and the Third Eye. So many enemies and they're all so strong. Can we really beat them? Although maybe if the Ace and Clover kingdoms ally, we could get some help from them. The Prince seems confident in their military, so they could be of great help. But...there's still something that bothers me.'
'Abel, do the mask thing you used before against me in the Black Market!'
'What did Raiden mean by that? I...did something happen when I fought him in the Black Market that I forgot about? I remember we fought and I was losing, but then everything...is a blur. It's weird. Ever since that day, I've been feeling...bizarre. Like there's something inside me but at the same time it's so minuscule I don't even notice it unless I try. But if he seemed confident that I could help in that fight, maybe it could be a good thing. I want to get stronger. I have to learn more about my magic so I can properly use it and assists everyone the best way that I can-'
"Abel. I apologize for not answering your question from earlier." Damian spoke from inside the carriage.
"N-not at all, Prince Damian." Abel shook his head rapidly."I'm sorry if I...brought up bad memories?"
"Nah, it's my fault for still being hung up about it." Damian sighed before continuing."Forget what I said about the matter. Anyway, back to your inquiry, the low-class actually have a viable way to provide for their families. That is by signing up for service."
"You mean...enlisting in the military." Yuno put two and two together.
"Yeah. It's the most viable way to provide a decent income for your family. I know a few people that enlisted in the military for said reasons. Some of them do it for their mothers, fathers, grandmothers, their friends. Maybe status. Though there are more special cases. Some do it for profit, others for their dead loved ones, and others simply enjoy killing others."
"You keep bringing up the military." Cain straightened up, his gaze up ahead."I'm assuming a lot of commoners join the military for a living. That would mean your army is of considerable size. But do you really need such a big army?"
Elsa furrowed her brow at his question but said nothing, knowing full well the Prince would reprimand her for speaking out of line.
A few seconds went by before Damian answered the question."Well, our kingdom is probably twice as big as yours. It requires a great amount of protection to make sure we're not targeted for any type of attack. And ever since the economic crisis we went through, we've been left in an even more vulnerable state. This is why we've been isolated for so long. Think about it, if any other kingdom found out about that, wouldn't they take advantage and strike?"
"I guess that makes sense." Asta agreed although he wasn't certain.
"But really, our major problems are mostly internal. You see, we're a very religious kingdom. We believe in the will of God and his teachings. We devote our lives to his cause and worship him. People are happy with that. It's what they've known their whole lives. Long story short, some people do not agree with the Lord's teachings. So they go around, making groups and wreaking havoc around the kingdom. They are called the Rebels."
"Rebels?"
"Right. Basically, they are opposed to God and deny his existence and anything related to him. Not only is that blasphemous, but the heathens also target believers. It's all about politics, really, so I'll spare you the details. The bottom line is that the military goes up against them all the time to keep the kingdom safe. So that's why our army is so big. People want to protect their home and their loved ones as well as exercise their freedom to worship and venerate the Lord."
"I see." Cain couldn't only mutter in response.'Why is he telling us all of this? Granted, he's being extremely vague, but why expose even a little bit of information like that?'
'Is he that overconfident?' Yuno pondered on his own, his face emotionless.'Or maybe he's pulling our leg? It's hard to say.'
"You might be wondering...why am I telling you all this stuff? Well, I trust the Clover Kingdom. No reason for me to not reveal a few secrets. Besides, do you think there's an enemy kingdom listening to our conversation? If they are, they are welcome to attack us any time. But any enemy kingdom that dares to attack our Fatherland...won't even make it past the bay. Our navy will bring them down, no matter what."
The Prince didn't elaborate further nor did he make any other claims. Whether the information was correct or not was up to interpretation, but his motives were unknown. His last words didn't feel like a warning. They were more of a consequence of messing with the wrong people. Whether the Prince was threatening them or just talking, in general, was anyone's guess.
Soon enough, they reached the casino and were met with an unexpected person waiting for them.
"Hiya! Asta! Abel!" Mia Armstrong ran from the door, smiling warmly at the boys."It's been a while!"
"It's Mia!" Asta waved his hand in return."How are you doing?"
"Wait, what are you doing here, Mia?"
"You guys know her?" Cain asked his brother.
"Yup. We met her during our trip to Nean. She helped us out when the Eye of the Midnight Sun attacked us. But what are you doing here, Mia? Are you here to try your luck in the casino?"
"None of that, silly. I'm here for work." Mia grinned at them."I'm Mr. Lazarus' personal bodyguard as well as the casino's. I was tasked with receiving the Prince and his escort and letting them in. Your mission is hereby concluded."
"Alright!" Damian kicked the door open, jumping out before stretching and popping his joints."That was quite the trip. I appreciate you guys escorting me here. I'll make sure to remember your names."
"Wait, is it really over-?"
"He said it's over, so it's over." Elsa tossed a bag full of yul towards Asta, shutting him up."Take that and scram. Also, don't bother coming back. We know the way back to shore so we'll go on our own when we have to leave."
Mia knelt down as Damian passed by with Elsa."May you enjoy your stay in our lovely kingdom, your majesty."
The boys were left stupefied, still processing what had happened."I guess we're free to go, huh?"
"It went...better than I expected." Yuno admitted."I thought we'd encounter some type of problem, but everything went smoothly. We should head back and report our findings immediately. This information is crucial."
"We didn't learn much, but with what we have, both of our Captains should be happy." Asta reasoned, but they weren't convinced.
"I guess we have nothing else to do then?" Abel scratched his head."That was anticlimactic. For sure I thought we'd get attacked or something."
"It certainly felt like things could go wrong at any time. Maybe this was our lucky break." Yuno shrugged, disinterested."Anyway, we should head back, Cain, and report everything to Captain Vangeance as soon as possible"
"Right." Cain nodded, making his way over to Yuno.
"We should get going too, Abel." Asta patted him on the back."We have to get some rest. Tomorrow we have that very special mission, after all, so we have to be at our best, don't you think."
"W-wait..." Abel jogged past Asta, stopping a few meters away from his brother."Cain!"
"What? Why are you screaming? I'm right here." Cain deadpanned, rubbing his ears.
Abel fidgeted in place, struggling to come up with words to say to his older twin."I...well, I just wanted to say..."
Cain quirked a brow, unsure of where this was going but decided to hear him out anyway.
"T-thank you, brother!" Abel finally said after Asta slammed him on the back, forcing his words out."Ouch...that hurt!"
"You were stuck." Replied Asta with a cheeky grin."You needed a push."
Yuno, imitating Asta's demeanor, pushed Cain forward."Go on. Accept his feelings."
"I don't want to hear that from you," Cain grumbled, jumping on his broom. He and Yuno began levitating in the air, but the older brother turned to the younger one before leaving."Abel. If you ever need help...don't hesitate to let me know."
"You got it!" Abel beamed, waving at Cain as they began leaving."Good luck with Luna! Tell her I say hi!"
"Right back at you." Cain scoffed, and for the first time, dropped his guard, allowing his cheeks to blush."Don't say anything, Yuno."
"I wasn't going to. But if you-"
"No."
Back in the casino, Mia closed the door behind her, leaning against it as she watched the Prince and Elsa walk in the middle of the now-empty casino. Xander and Ray were sitting on opposing chairs, patiently waiting for him. Xander grinned from ear to ear, hands splayed out as he approached the duo.
"Well, well, well. Young Prince. It has been a while, hasn't it?" Xander bowed down respectfully."I trust your journey went well."
"I was never a fan of the sea. I get seasick." Damian played with a strand of his hair."As I had expected, the Clover Kingdom is eager for any info they can get their hands on. They even had newbies trying to get answers out of me and thought I wasn't aware. Ha! But I did tell them some things. Not like it would make a difference. In fact, it makes things more even. We know everything about them and yet they don't know much about us."
"So you were leading them all along..." Elsa muttered under her breath, placing a hand on her chest with a smile."As expected of his highness."
"And Elsa." Xander stood up, giving her a nod."You're more beautiful every day. A woman fit to be the Prince's right hand."
"Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Crowley." Elsa returned the nod, hands locked in front of her.
"Just Xander is fine. Or Father Xander as they call me around here." He chuckled, pacing around the room."So, how do you like the place? It has the famous "Ray" touch. Too much purple, in my opinion."
"Purple is such an elegant color, darling." Ray shrugged, removing his hat as he bowed slightly as well."It was all thanks to your efforts, your majesty. I'm happy to see you're on your way to becoming a successful businessman as well. Your father would be proud."
"Father is too busy taking naps and ogling young women to care about economics." Damian clicked his tongue."He has other priorities at his age. Not to mention the Council handles all of the important decisions anyways. Including this one. Even though it was my idea."
"The Council is composed of a bunch of adults and old people." Ray commented, placing his hands on his hips."If they'd listened to anyone, it'd be you. You are to become king eventually, correct, darling? This is an excellent way to start building your portfolio."
"I guess." He rubbed his nape, letting out a dry chuckle."Anyway, is it just you guys? Where are the others? I'm surprised the nurse isn't here."
"Caroline is busy with her job." Xander supplied, finally stopping in one spot, eyes on the ground."The rest are around."
"So it seems. You all seem to be enjoying your merry little lives in this place." Damian spun around to emphasize his point."What, is this better than your country?"
"No way." Xander shook his head solemnly."Nothing can be more sacred than our homeland. Our hearts belong in the Ace Kingdom as does our loyalty."
"Correct." Ray locked his hands behind his back."It would be foolish for us to undermind our birthplace. It would also be blasphemous towards God, our creator. He gave us a place to live and blessed us with good fortune for our kingdom to be prosperous. There is no greater honor than to serve him and follow his will."
"Good answer." Damian kept his face neutral, glancing down at them."You haven't forgotten what we stand for. I've been practicing my lines. I have to start sounding intimidating when trying to enforce loyalty to the kingdom on people. So..." He strolled over, finding a small, cushioned chair, and sat on it, placing his feet on the table.
"Who is going to fill me in? And where is that damn Pauper?"
Originally, this chapter was supposed to be divided into two parts, but I've felt like I have delayed the Underwater Temple arc for too long. And yes, there wasn't much action in this chapter, but this was mostly because this will be the foundation of what's to come involving the Ace Kingdom and the Prince. I don't want to spoil anything, but Damian will come back in the story.
The reason why I decided to do some side stories before the main arcs is because I'll be doing the Underwater Temple arc and the Witch Forest arc back to back, considering they happen subsequently, so there won't be much of a chance to develop some of the characters for a bit.
