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When he had arrived on Earth once more, Yuri contacted his old commander -who was also his cousin- in England. While not to different worlds, the English demons used a transportation spell that sounded simular to whatever was being used to transport him to Shin Makoku. While most demons couldn't use Maryoku on Earth, some could and had adapted their magic to this world.
"We use air magic for our spell, but the principle may be the same for your water. Picture the location or body of water where you want to end up, and keep that image in your head as you release your Maryoku into the water with your purpose. Try that and tell me how it goes; if it doesn't work we'll try something else. But be aware you may need to account for time differences between the worlds; from what you told me about your previous travels you may be able to leave and return moments after you leave despite spending months in one world."
"Thanks Ry, I'll let you know how it goes."
"You better Yu-chan. I've got to go drag Haku out of a tree now, see you later."
"Bye." Hanging up the phone Yuri was amused. Haku was Ry's eldest daughter, and seemed to have an endless obsession with trees; he and Bob privately thought she was an earth elemental and liked to be close to her element. Despite being only 6 the girl could probably climb trees better than the professionals, this fact tended to play havoc with Ry's nerves; as the man had to search frequently in the treetops surrounding his property for the girl.
While his lessons with his teachers continued, Yuri had taken to carrying a number of books –including the ones Gunter had given him- along with packets of seedlings in his pockets just in case he got pulled through randomly. He'd had Bob test them thoroughly to insure he wouldn't be introducing contaminated plants into Shin Makoku's ecosystem. They were still trying to work out how to get animals across. Yozak had informed him that many of the Nobles appreciated beauty, and so he tried to find what the Nobles didn't have, that could still be considered beautiful. But it wasn't only beauty he was looking into; he was also looking into the practical. He was mainly looking into sheep, cows, and chickens at the moment, as well as medieval technology. Ry had taught him it was the little things that made the big things happen.
BEEPBEEPBEEP
Looking to his watch, it took Yuri a moment to figure out why it was going off. When he did, his eyes widened. He was so gonna be late! Grabbing both his bags as he left Yuri hopped on his bike and peddled as hard as he could to the training ground. Spotting Murata up ahead, Yuri was halfway through calling out to him when it happened; When he road over an unexpected bump, his handlebars twisted, sending him flying into the gully water below.
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Gasping for air as his head broke the surface, Yuri did his best to clear his airways from the unexpected trip; he'd sucked in a lungful of water in his surprise. He was quite over the unexpected trips now.
"Welcome back your Majesty. I am Ulrike, Head Priestess of the Temple of the Original King."
Looking at the little girl before him, Yuri sensed her age and power by her aura. She may have looked like a child to his eyes, but he knew she was anything but. Smiling at her, Yuri set to work detangling himself from the water hyphens.
"Pleased to meet you Ulrike, please just call me Yuri." Looking behind Ulrike, Yuri noticed Conrart and the others waiting.
"Hi guys!"
As Gunter rushed to greet him -now that he was out of the water- and Wolfram accused him of cheating again, Conrart calmly made his way over. After a quick tour to the main temple chamber, their little group departed for Blood Pledge Castle. While he was no novice -having been lead on the ponies whenever his family visited the circus- Yuri admitted to himself that riding on his own was a completely different experience. As Yuri eyed Ao before him as they travelled, he decided right then and there that he'd need to learn to ride a horse properly. Conrart had explained before that the horses here had two hearts unlike on Earth. Because of this he suspected they needed to be handled differently to the horses back home…the general temperament of the creatures would need to be taken into consideration as well; just because something was classified as trained or domesticated didn't mean it wasn't still dangerous.
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Looking around the treasure room Yuri's first thought was so cool! Followed by What a mess! The artefacts and treasures themselves looked cool, but the room itself was filled with dust, with the bigger artefacts having only had a sheet thrown over them. If the treasure room was this bad he shuddered to think what the rest of the castle was like. They hadn't been back for very long when it had been announced a national treasure had been stolen and seemingly random attacks were occurring in the surrounding area.
"Where is this gem supposed to have been located?" Yuri inquired to one of the soldiers. He'd deal with the mess later. He just knew Rufus had given him a complex, but really, Lady Celi had certainly let the castle get into disrepair. All but the garden and inner walls seemed to need work.
"This way your Majesty" being led to a crown with a large stone missing, Yuri noticed small indentations in the metal were someone had pried the clasps for the gem open. Looking at the dusty floor he noticed two small footprints, the half shape and different sizes suggested two women.
"Has an inventory been taken lately Gunter?"
"No your Majesty. The last inventory was performed during the reign of the 21st Maou." Gunter informed him, looking around curiously himself; only the King and his advisers were permitted entrance. A position he had only held with the current King.
"So how do we know more hasn't been stolen? And how did the guards know something had been stolen when it's obvious this room is rarely visited?" If at all. It was like they only came in here to dump the next treasure.
Silence met his blunt question.
"We investigated when we noticed the door had been picked your majesty, from there we followed the footprints to the Dragon Kings crown." Admitted one of the guards bravely. All in the room but Yuri felt as if they had been reprimanded by their King; they knew it was an innocent question he posed, but it was one they felt they should have been asking themselves. Gunter especially was being hard on himself.
Putting in extra effort, the soldiers sought to prove themselves to their King.
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Staring at Conrart's missive, Gwendal sighed.
King Yuri had been kidnapped.
He -and no doubt Conrart- knew the likelihood of the identity of the abductor this far within their borders. And here he had thought letting the King play investigator with a squad as protection would keep the boy out of trouble.
Quickly writing out the orders, he signed them. "Soldier!" Gwendal called, calling the guards outside his door in.
"Yes sir?" inquired one of the men once they had entered.
"Gather the men; tell them to prepare for war." Ordered Gwendal, startling the pair; the only way for the Kings General to have the authority to declare war, was if the King was unable to be reached; dead or captured.
They were sad their peace hadn't lasted, but they'd prefer their King safe over peace.
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His would be kidnapper had introduced himself as one Stoffel von Spitzweg. He recognised the Spitzweg name from Gunter's history books. Listening as Stoffel ranted, doing his very best to convert him to the man's political ideals. Yuri waited for the man to finish before 'politely' declining. While his trust in Wolfram and Gwendal was shaky, his trust in Conrart, Yozak and Gunter was absolute.
They left shortly after he declined, but it wasn't long before someone came to disturb his escape attempt.
"Knock knock~ can I come in~?" inquired a high pitched voice from the other side of the door. that fact he didn't answer didn't seem to matter, as whoever it was was coming inside anyway.
When he saw who it was, he was relieved "Talk about a butch maid Yozak. You're pushing the envelope a little too far with this one."
"You could tell right away it was me!?" cried Yozak in distress, "I knew it! This lipstick is far too pale…"
"Why are you here? Is this why I haven't seen you at the castle?" inquired Yuri curiously; he had searched for Yozak when he'd first arrived.
"Yea, I was sent in on Gwendal's orders in order to spy on old Stoffel." Holding out the bucket he was carrying, Yozak did his best not to grin in anticipation. "I brought you a little something your m-a-j-e-s-t-y~"
Looking inside Yuri spotted frills; lots of them. He sighed. Great. Now even Yozak's pushing to get me into dresses.
"Do I have to wear it?" Yuri pleaded; he knew dresses this complicated were hard to get on and off.
"I recommend you thoroughly contemplate your current position as a prisoner, your majesty." Yozak grinned from ear-to-ear; planning to thoroughly enjoy the sight of Yuri in a dress.
Sighing, Yuri changed into the get-up while Yozak kept an ear out for anyone approaching. Though Yuri noticed Yozak's gaze drifted to his arse more than once.
"You look very pretty in pink Yuri." Commented Yozak happily. Looking up, Yuri noticed a gleam he recognised in Yozak's eyes; Lust.
So Yozak had this kind of kink? He'd need to look into this.
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"Why were they in full armour?" inquired Yuri curiously, wondering if Stoffel required his soldiers to wear full armour all the time…it didn't seem practical to him.
Yozak had a different idea.
"It looks like we're heading for war." Commented Yozak just as quietly. This complicated things quite a bit on his end.
"Why?"
Looking down to his Yuri, Yozak saw the distress writing itself across his cute face; but he wouldn't lie. Not to Yuri. "Well…it looks like Gwendal made the decision, after you got captured. With your capture, Stoffel's a bone-a-fide traitor now."
Yuri was silent as he processed this knew development; was this how Emperor Jade felt during the last war? How horrible!
"I'm gonna head for the battlefield." Yuri finally decided; if they saw he was unharmed, hopefully heads would cool.
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After leaving Yozak to finish whatever mission he was originally on, Yuri took to the trees and forest. Yuri was a fair distance from the castle when he spotted Conrart and Wolfram over a bluff with a number of soldiers before then dressed the same as the ones he's seen in the castle. Positioning himself, Yuri dropped straight onto Conrart's empty horse. The relief in Conrart's face when he saw him was palpable.
"Did they hurt you sire?" pleaded Conrart once they had finished making their escape; they'd had the advantage to start with being on horseback.
"I slept a lot on a fluffy couch, that's all. Yozak helped me escape." Comforted Yuri, being kidnapped really wasn't something new to him; that was just how his luck seemed to work.
Riding to the battlefield after retrieving Ao from the nearby village, Yuri confronted both sides of the conflict. After a few remarks Yuri decided Gwendal was definably as pigheaded as his little brother. The men surrounding him weren't much better; he suspected they were using his kidnapping and the theft as an excuse to settle on old grudge.
"I am sorry, but Stoffel is a traitor your majesty. And should suffer his due course!" exclaimed Gunter from atop the hill.
"Gwendal and Wolfram could be considered traitors as well Gunter." Countered Yuri bluntly, turning to Gwendal he continued, "Wolfram attempted to Kill me within my first few days at the castle, while you encouraged it and prevented Gunter from coming to my aid. Are these the actions of one loyal?" at hearing this the soldiers behind Gwendal shifted in unease.
In a fit of temper -when they were going to do battle regardless of his wishes- Yuri ended up blasting those present up in a small tornado. Really, pigheaded, the lot of them!
"I have no more tears to shed over senseless slaughter. All those who would choose war take the low road." Moving his horse closer to Stoffel through the men, Yuri saw him flinch as he drew near. "There is no need to fear, for I am not without mercy. For your crime Lord von Spitzweg, I sentence you to house arrest in your own land-"
"Your majesty! He should be drawn and quartered!"
"What kind of King do you think I am!?" demanded Yuri angrily, startling the pair.
"Umm"
"HOLD YOUR TONGUE!" Shouted Yuri angrily, silencing the pair easily as he finished travelling the last few feet to the pair; taking the time to calm his nerves for a moment as he did so. "Gunter."
"Yes your Majesty?"
"Please take care of the legalities here. I still have a Dragon Gem to find." Riding towards Stoffel's castle, they searched the castle from top to bottom but were unable to find the gem. Though from what he'd heard some of the guards had found a number of questionable paraphernalia.
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When they returned to Blood Pledge Castle, they were met with two guards Gwendal seemed to recognise. Motioning for silence, they followed Gwendal to his office. When everyone was settled, Yuri motioned for them to give their report.
"It appears Lady Celi was the culprit of the theft your majesty. A note was found in the treasury room by one of the men."
Yuri sighed, thinking quickly "Please have Lady Celi confined to her room for a week once she departs from her event and you have retrieved the stolen gem. Place guards before her doors and any windows for the duration of her isolation. If anyone attempts to free her before her punishment has been served, place them in a cell for the same amount of time." ordered Yuri calmly, returning to his boring literature detailing Shin Makoku laws. He really wished the authors of these things weren't so longwinded.
"…"
When he received no response, Yuri looked up from his book. "Is something the matter?" Yuri inquired warningly. Causing the soliders to straighten and bow quickly.
"No your Majesty, it shall be done your majesty!" bowing once more, the soldiers left to fulfil their King's order.
"Was that really necessary your Majesty?" inquired Gwendal politely, slightly nervous for his mother. He didn't know the King well enough to predict his motive, and Yozak was having a day off so he wasn't likely to answer a private summons; the man valued his time off.
Yuri nodded, "This time everything worked out, but it could have as easily not worked out. As our main suspect for the theft, Stoffel could have been executed for treason. As it is, civil war nearly broke out! Stealing and defacing a national treasure is also considered a serious offence, no matter the reason for doing so." Looking Gwendal in the eye Yuri continued "I like Lady Celi, there would have been no problem if she had simply asked one of us to borrow it, but instead she steals it and leaves a small note out of the way; causing us to waste resources that could have been used for more productive enterprises." He didn't care about her using it, but thefts always rubbed him the wrong way. It was why Bob had started to train him in the first place; a child had stolen his crayon when he'd first started school, and his Maryoku reacted to his emotions by causing a downpour inside the classroom. Needless to say it had taken a lot of work for Bob to cover it up at the time.
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Lady Celi was horrified when she was escorted from the gala -and her new beau- by the crown's treason squad -officially they were known as the Royal Guard- on the authority of the acting ruler, they had the power to arrest even the highest noble.
Her to be precise.
After they had relinquished her of the Dragon's Gem, they were on their way. It wasn't until they were halfway to the castle when the absolute shock that had settled over her had worn off enough for her to voice her thoughts.
"What is my crime!?" she knew she hadn't committed treason, so she didn't see why she was being arrested.
"Stealing a national treasure." One of the guards informed her bluntly, shocking her.
She was silent the rest of the trip.
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"Why did you arrest mother!" screamed Wolfram the next morning as he stormed through the door, startling those within.
"Lord Be-"
"If one steals without good reason they are to be punished. Regardless of their standing" Quoted Yuri calmly, interrupting Gunter. Bob had been persistent in teaching him this.
"She was the Maou!" screamed Wolfram once more, livid.
"Former Maou she may be, but her current ranking since she stepped down is still that of a Noble. Only the acting Maou and his closest advisors are allowed admittance into the royal treasure chamber. Two things she is not." He knew he was being harsh with Wolfram, but really didn't care; he still hadn't forgiven him for practically calling his mother a whore when they had first met.
Wolfram ranted for a bit longer before storming off when he realised Yuri was ignoring him.
Two hours later, Wolfram was sitting in a cell of his own cell.
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The next day, Yuri decided to visit Lady Celi. He wanted her to know and think about what he actions almost wrought.
"Do you know why you are here Lady Celi" inquired Yuri as he sat before her with Yozak. He'd elected to bring Yozak with him in Conrart's stead, as he didn't want him or his brothers to see their mother like this. No one would. The guards had informed him she had been asking to see him after her first day of isolation.
"No your highness." Her behaviour screamed fake politeness. But so long as she wasn't screaming that was alright.
"I know you meant no harm in borrowing the Dragon Gem Lady Celi, but your actions and that of your accomplice set off a chain of events that almost saw the execution of over 100 men; including your sons and brother." Yuri informed her bluntly. "If I had allowed Stoffel to be executed in revenge for whatever deed it is the populous holds him accountable for, I would have had to order the execution of Gwendal and Wolfram as well as the soldiers under Gwendal and Stoffel's command at that time for treason."
Celi was shocked.
"What? How?"
"While investigating the theft of the jewel I was captured by Lord Stoffel's men and brought to his castle; leading to Lord Stoffel being declared a traitor. Upon learning of my capture, Gwendal gathered a troop of men to confront Stoffel." Yuri took a deep breath. The ordeal on the battlefield had shaken him more than he was letting on to the others. "With Yozak's aid I escaped, and upon learning of Gwendal declaring civil war on Stoffel, went to show the men I was free and unharmed in a hope to stop the war. When that failed I ordered both partied to stand down. My orders were ignored, and I was forced to use force to gain control of the situation. By deliberately ignoring my direct order all those present are considered trailers under Shin Makoku law."
Celi was horrified. Her harmless actions had wrought that!? She knew only she and Raven truly cared for her dear brother, despite what had occurred with the previous war with the humans she hadn't thought the hatred was so great; She hadn't thought her own children hated her brother to the point they would disobey their King in order to execute him. But what was his fate now?
"My brother?"
"Sentenced to house arrest in his own castle. Though for a far longer time than a week I'm afraid." They bother smiled at this; Yuri from humour at his own joke, while Celi from relief.
"How are you holding up your majesty?" Celi asked after a time, the past information being a bit much for her old heart.
"I was badly shaken by the ordeal on the battlefield." Yuri admitted quietly, "To the point I even contemplated asking assistance from Emperor Jade!" Yuri confessed; the idea he could be on a battlefield and his own men wouldn't obey him was terrifying to him, especially when he was telling them not to fight.
"Emperor Jade?" the name sounded familiar.
"Emperor Jade of the Demon Realm." Seeing Lady Celi didn't understand, he decided to elaborate. Maybe she skipped her family's history class? "Where I'm from we're taught that there are three worlds; the Demon Realm, Earth, and Sekai. Sekai is the world we are currently in."
Yuri and Celi talked for a moment more before Yuri had to leave to make Gunter's lessons. Thanks to Lady Celi Yuri was able to secure enough information to begin one of his little projects.
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After dropping Yuri off with Gunter in the library, Yozak made his way to Gwendal's office to make his report. When Yuri had declined taking Conrart with him even Conrart had begun to get nervous for his mother.
"What did you find out?" demanded Gwendal as soon as the door was closed.
"His majesty didn't mean anything malicious by Lady Celi's imprisonment. It's like he's basically grounded an errant child!" Yozak snickered; and didn't that just fit the description of Lady Celi so well! Even the captain was amused now, "The kiddo was frightened by the troops the other day. This is his way of fixing the fallout from that little ordeal."
"If he was too afraid to see a battle he shouldn't have come to the battlefield!" countered Gwendal, annoyed with the current situation and their King.
Yozak shook his head "Yuri wasn't frightened by the prospect of battle, but by the fact all those present ignored a direct order from their King." Countered Yozak himself "He's been reading the books Gunter assigns him as well as searching for more on his own. He knows how traitors are dealt with by the law and could tell the actions of all those present who ignored his order on such a serious matter would be considered traitors by our law."
Gwendal paled at that, remembering what the King had said on the battlefield in a new light. He'd thought the boy was just guessing the other day. Hunkering down into the King's work, Gwendal decided to try finishing early today so he could knit. He really needed toknit something.
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Yuri met with the palace gardeners the next day, commissioning the building of 6 new greenhouses. Until they were built he'd had the seeds he'd brought placed in a special preservation chest within his own room. Sugarcane, wheat and various types of herb and spice plants were what he'd brought over from Earth this time and what he wanted to start with. He was hoping once he was able to work up enough numbers the kingdom would be able to make a pretty profit off the plants. If the other countries liked and wanted the crop he felt they wouldn't risk attacking them. The increased interaction would decrease prejudice; he'd noticed this had worked in his own world.
As he returned to the main area of the castle he never noticed the innocent puddle before it was too late.