-R Richard! I didn t believe I would live to see something like this! Andrade commented, looking at me astonished the day a big friend of mine would be crowned king!
-I d didn t believe I would become a king one day either I commented still shocked, looking my plan of avoiding confronting Akira directly suddenly become impossible.
I will give five minutes for you to talk among yourselves and deal with the last details of this transition, then the video will resume automatically then the laptop screen showed 04:59 and began a regressive countdown.
-Well - I began speaking looking at the present nobles this caught me in surprise as much as it must have taken you; I do not wish to force anyone that was aiming to have this position for them to serve me against their will, that is why I ask you all now, what s your opinion in what just happened?
-I admit Richard Soares was the first one to come fourth and speak that I always wished to be Verona's king, however in a peace and tranquility era, were I could lead the people to a prosperous, calm and happy reign and die as a good king . he then kneeled before me but be one when a war just broke out and maybe risk putting my people in danger would be too much for me, considering that I don t think I would be a good king for any historical moment he then did the typical subservient reverence I, Soares Sateshi, declare complete and non-restricted loyalty to Your Highness Montecchio Richard.
-I was about to say something very similar to what the noble Soares was going to Souza then continued, also kneeling and besides that, I can add that taking care of my vineyards and produce wine so as all can share pleasurable moments amoung their families is what brings me most happiness in this life, for that I the noble then copied his partner Souza Rodolph, declare complete and non-restricted loyalty to Your Highness Montecchio Richard.
-Regarding me Richard Andrade spoke, also kneeling I believe that I am still way too young to command a whole nation and you are also my best friend, which makes me happy as well he then copied his two partners I, Andrade Saito, declare complete and non-restricted loyalty to Your Highness Montecchio Richard.
-Alright then, I accept in very good will you as my loyal and closest vassals, however I stopped and pointed to each of them, as soon as I had their attention on me stop with Your Highness , please, you can call me Richard, titles bother me -Agreed Richard! Andrade replied enthusiastically however, how are we dealing with the war?
-I believe that we should still wait for what the king has to tell us in the end of his will I then pointed to the screen, that showed less than a minute to his return, when that happened, the king continued.
I hope that everything had gone well and that Richard may be now, with yours support, Verona s new king; I have one last order, insert the pendrive both in the USB slot that exist in bedposts, that will make a secret door open, as well as in the mainframe that exists behind the room that is now yours, it shall open to you a secret room with the biggest connection mainframe for linking all Verona s royal systems, after all routines have been done, my most trusted generals will contact you and give you a brief update of what is happening in the kingdom these days, so you can always make the right decision he turned around and seemed that he was going to leave the premises, however he turned around again, staring at the camera and continued I leave my people that I loved so much in your hands my friend, I know you will do everything in your knowledge to end this war causing the minimum suffering to them, see you Richard, I will meet you on the other side! the monitor then shut itself off in sequence.
-Well I said, taking the second pendrive and already heading towards the royal bedroom lets go and check what this will do and as soon as it is done, we shall plan how to deal with the war.
Three minutes later we arrived at the late king Jo o s bedroom, at first I was worried with the possibility of finding an USB slop in a bedposts as huge as that one, however if I knew my friend Jo o well, he would place it in a hard to find place, because he believed that those would be the places people would look for most, because of that I didn t need much effort into finding where I should insert it; soon after placing the pendrive in its place, the sound of something moving was heard, stopping right afterwards, a computerized voice could be heard, saying:
-There are other people in the room aside the king, while they are still present, I cannot let them in.
-Souza, Soares and Andrade, I please ask you to leave me I then pointed to the door we entered through so I can carry on with this in a quicker way, rest assured, I shall update you as soon as I know more details, agreed?
As soon as they left the premises something locked the door mechanically, leaving me isolated at that room; moments later a wall on the entrance door s opposite direction slid left revealing a very dark room, slowly I headed inside there and automatically the lights turned on, revealing a computer as big as the one that existed in the complex, however slightly different; it wasn t hard finding the slot to insert the pendrive in, which I did right afterwards, after some moments the big monitor illuminated itself and began showing the royal crest, slowly it began being substituted by the Montecchio s family one; staying like that for several minutes, I actually wondered if the system had locked, however soon the screen split in three and showed both generals, one from the air force, the other from the army and the navy admiral, whom after looking at me with an surprised, said:
-Montecchio! the army general said, looking sad without trying to offend you, but we hoped not to see in that room so soon -That means that the king isn t around us anymore as he predicted? the air force general asked, sounding as sad as the army general.
-Unfortunately yes, I wished to have meet you in a different scenario I replied, looking at each of them however we had an war beginning, the king got a call from the red phone and after that all we know is that he had left to solve a problem, question is; what was said problem?
-As you already might know, the nekomimi that is now considered the leader of her race army general Mark began explaining declared war against our race, minutes later all the city s nekomimi rebelled completely! Now even our police forces managed to stop them, that is why king Jo o authorized us to put into motion the CN plan.
-And what would the CT plan be? I asked, curious to know what that was about.
-Right after this first murder attempt against your life Mark replied, presenting some documents onscreen the king felt there was a need to protect the humans, in case suddenly like this case was, if the extremists managed to convince or convert the people of their race for a new revolt or war, to prevent humans from being easy targets he created the CN plan, which is the codename for Catnip , which means, a chemical war to make nekomimis incapacitated to fight.
-Just a moment I asked, because a question just had popped in my mind as far as I know, the catnip must be first smelled, making the nekomimis even hyperactive and then eaten to make then sedated, I hardly believe that even the most stupid being of their race would be so foolish to do it!
-That was when our scientists of the secret intelligence force he then pointed to some humans behind him codename Genesis , which just the king and I knew about, were used, taking that plant and managed to synthetize a similar product as the active substance in the catnip, known as nepetalactone Mark then showed two molecules, one being the active substance and the other the synthetic one it isn t only absorbed by breathing but as well by skin rending gas masks ineffective!
-Very interesting the admiral replied however, as far as I know, the catnip has a sedating effect in humans as well, if just having contact with the substance is enough to be affected, won t it be harmful for us as well?
-Yes, however we improved the extract we got from the plant and he then showed a small difference between both molecules the part of the compound that also affected in the human brain was skillfully removed and, with that, our weapon became inoffensive to our race!
-Marvelous! I replied enthusiastically so when the war was declared, you just let the gas on the streets to stop the rebels?
-Better than that Richard Mark replied, continued the king, claiming a very serious problem with the gas systems, ordered a fictional gas company install pipes that would take said gas to all houses, buildings and corners of Verona he then cleaned his throat and continued in case happened what happened today, a specialized force would always be read and while we speak, they are taking the unconscious nekomimis to a prison bunker that exist since the world war, what will be done of them will be carried according your orders Richard.
-I order that, despite being enemies and attacked us I ordered, seeing I still had hope to solve all this with the least bloodshed as it was possible we should treat them as we would like to be treated in case we were captured, not mentioning we can use them as an exchange merchandise in the future in case we have the advantage, hence why no torture and give them nutrition compatible with life s maintenance!
-Yes sir! Mark replied, saluting do you have any other order to us?
-Yes I looked at each of them while I said this I will send the noble Souza to accompany you admiral, seeing that he has more familiarity with ships than the others I then looked at Mark for you general I will send Soares, seeing that beside my family and Silva s one, he is the one with most strategic capacity and skill in fight and combat then I looked at Henry for you air force general, I will send Andrade, seeing he is the one that likes most airplanes and helicopters, they will be able to give you royal orders in case it isn t possible to contact me, for some motive, understood?
-Yes Your Highness! the three of them saluted.
-Alright then I replied, adding in case it is needed, use the royal communicator, which will be in my possession as soon as I leave this room, soon the nobles will be with you I then saluted you are dismissed.
As soon as the army officers disappeared from the screen, the king Jo o s one showed up and, and spoke to me in such a way that I could swear that he was with me at that moment: Richard, now that all the high commanders are aware you are the new king, in two days the program will announce automatically in worldwide television network that I am ill and need treatment and that I passed the crown to you, so being able to give more attention to the serious problem that ravages the world, it was very good having you as a friend during my reign and life, may Saint Meow help you reach the best conclusion possible! the monitor then turned off.
I headed to where the nobles were and I found them together waiting for me inside the room, as soon as I entered I sat together with them and quickly instructed them about what had been said inside the room, about the CN weapon, I informed about their new work partners and their new function and where they were going to be sent; it didn t take long and I was alone in that huge room, I missed Akira too much, I wanted to feel her in my arms, hug her very close to my body, whisper in her little cat ear how much I loved her; without even realizing I began crying, remembering how much I loved that little nekomimi and how her absence hurt my heart.
Two uneventful days later and nothing abnormal happened, the king s speech that the program was programed to launch happened and apparently the scared population accepted me well as a new ruler, I made a short speech saying that I was honored with the trust the king deposited in me and that I would do my utmost to take our people again to the peace path; from the impression my informants caught from the citizens, we had a relieving effect on their spirits.
Things wouldn t stay so quiet for a long time and what finally would force both races into direct confrontation between the two races, placing me and my beloved one in the field of battle, it happened in the third days after I became Verona s king; the noble Soares had just arrived, together with General Mark at the advanced observation post located already inside the nekomimi territory in Mewrusal m, the base was built there to allow us monitor extremists activities and, for being strategically placed in a point that could easily send us information about what was going on at the place.
-Richard, I report to you our preliminary observations Soares then read something in a paper he was holding since I arrived here, there hasn t been one single sign of weird nekomimi activity, actually, it is way too quiet for a nation that is in declared war against another.
-Actually that is indeed out of the ordinary in a situation like that I replied after thinking for some moments do you have any idea of the motive behind that?
-No, that is why I wanted to report you that something out of the ordinary was going on here and - Soares then was interrupted by an officer that entered the room just a moment Richard, I will check what he wants to talk with Mark one minute passed until he came back apparently some nekomimis found us here and are coming towards us, we counted six, that is why I believe that they aren t coming to attack us seeing we have twenty well-armed men here, I will check what it is all about and I will return as soon as possible.
The monitor then began showing Montecchio s family crest, indicating that there was no transmission at that moment; suddenly a very bad feeling began going through my body, five minutes passed, then ten, then fifteen, and when twenty minutes later the noble s image showed up all bloodied, bearing several wounds around the body, with Mark beside him in similar conditions to his, without giving them enough time to actually speak, I asked:
-My Saint Meow Soares! What on earth happened?
-M Monsters! the noble replied, with visible terror in his eyes the nekomimis became monsters! Six of them passed through twenty of our best soldiers as a hot knife cuts butter! Even wounded, having deep wounds, they didn t feel pain! MONSTERS!
-W What do you mean Soares? I asked, without understanding much of what was going on recompose yourself and explain me what has happened in the best way possible! that was when Momiji's fight the murderer of his siblings came to my mind making me shiver involuntarily and extremely strong.
-They came against us as any other nekomimi armed for battles and fights Soares replied, pointing to his own hand carrying paw combat gloves, however as soon as they arrived at us they were extremely quick the noble was shaking as a child that was telling the nightmare that he had at that night in less the five minutes they had annihilated the soldiers and slowly began punishing us as you can see the state we are in now.
-I understand I replied, thinking in how I could say things in order to calm him down how did you manage to survive? Did you two take down the six attackers?
-No! in an attack that slashed my chest with their sharp claws, accidentally they hit a container of the CN gas, which was stored with a considerably pressure, it exploded, leaving them completely out of action, that was when we eliminated them - at that instant Mark stopped looking at the camera and seemed to observe something through the window that couldn t be seen through my monitor at that moment if all nekomimi are in that state when we are going to enter direct combat with them, we won t stand a single chance against them! Richard, we need to think something to - at that instant the General s hand touched Soares arm, whom just looked at the direction Mark was also looking, just saying next OH SHIT!