Chapter 23: Everyday Life in the Ultimate Kingdom: Part 2
Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Ultimates of all Ages! I am back again, once again and today people, we are back in Novoselic. But no kingdom is perfect, and even Novoselic has its darkness. Maybe not in the form of Heartless or Pyramid Ships or Dharkon, but darkness all the same.
What are these dark forces? What do they want? Are they connected with the events at the Novoselic Embassy? What do they have in store for our heroes?
Well, as you probably have guessed, we're going to answer many of these questions this chapter!
Now I forgot to mention it last chapter and I'm sure you all picked up on it right away, but when characters speak the language of Novoselic, the text will appear in brackets.
I would also like to thank everyone who read and enjoyed Fantasy Life with Ultimate Girls, your support means a lot to me. And to those who read it and decided they didn't like it, I hope I can win you over eventually, but if not, I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy Everyday Life with Ultimate Girls.
With all of that out of the way, on with the story!
A nondescript location in Novoselic
For better or for worse, every nation had its secrets, and Novoselic was no different. Deep within a hidden prison, Novoselic's top interrogators were hard at work on the man who had made an attempt on the crown princess's life months ago, former Ambassador Wudagest. He didn't appear any different other than needing a shave, and, of course, his suit had been traded for a prison jumpsuit.
["One of the guards mentioned that they boy has come to Novoselic,"] Wudagest mentioned.
["That's not your concern,"] the interrogator told him.
["No, it really isn't. I figured I would save us some time and move us ahead to small talk. It's been how many months? I would have thought you would have learned how this would go,"] Wudagest mocked.
[We'll find out with or without you, but it will be easier on you if you talk!"]
["I have been talking, you just don't like my answers,"] Wudagest reminded him.
["Once again, who do you work for?"]
["I work for Novoselic and its future,"] Wudagest answered.
["What does that mean?"]
["Oh, many things to different people, really. Some think it means a change in leadership. Some think we need to return to certain traditions. Some think…"] Wudagest rambled.
["Enough!"]
["You're the one who asked."] Wudagest mocked.
["How many people are in your organization."]
["That's a bit complicated,"] Wudagest admitted.
["How so?"]
[Well, when you say 'my' organization…"] Wudagest began.
[We're done. He's not cooperating…again,"] the interrogator said.
["I do hope the people behind the two-way mirror enjoyed the show. Remember, it is all for the future of Novoselic,"] Wudagest said with a smirk.
Castle Novoselic
When morning came to Castle Nevermind, the royal family and their guests gathered for breakfast. In that sense, it was much like life at the dorm. Unlike mornings at the dorm, however Naegi found himself being served.
I'm not going to complain, though. The jetlag is really messing me up, Naegi thought before letting out a yawn. It seemed he wasn't the only one, as most of the other guests looked just as tired as he felt. Even Sonia seemed to be having trouble readjusting to her natural time zone. If Coco the makango hadn't been pecking him, Naegi had no doubt he would be nodding off at the table.
"I apologize for holding breakfast so early. The time difference completely slipped my mind," King Levushka apologized.
"You always do get excited when we have guests, Dear," Queen Tonya noted.
"Don't worry about it, Your Majesties. I'll whip these slackers into shape. AN AFTER-MEAL WORKOUT WILL WAKE THEM UP!" Nidai shouted.
"I've been keeping odd hours for years, so it's no big deal for me, but the others aren't all athletes or paramilitary, Nidai-senpai," Ikusaba pointed out.
"I hear you were a member of Fenrir. High school girl or not, you must be a talented killer," Duke Marva said.
"MARVA! Apologize right now!" King Levushka yelled.
"I meant no offense, my young friend. I have met your former boss before. Odin made it very clear he did not like children. It is odd to me that he would permit one to join his ranks is all," Duke Marva explained.
"It doesn't bother me. I'm very aware of who and what I was," Ikusaba responded.
"And now, so is everyone at this table, isn't that right, Your Grace?" Togami asked the Duke.
"I have no idea what you mean, Togami-kun," the Duke replied.
"Maybe we should excuse ourselves?" Naegi suggested.
"Agreed," Mrs. Koizumi said.
"Hey, I'm not finished yet," Owari said as she tried to wolf down her food.
"Take it with you, Owari-san. Just leave the empty plate with one of the staff when you're done," Queen Tonya said as she got up to leave as well. This would need to be settled between the royal brothers.
Once the guests were outside the dining hall, Manic turned to his new friends and said, "Sorry my Dad acted like that. He used to love company as much as Uncle Levushka, but after Mom died, he changed."
"I meant it when I said it didn't bother me. I wouldn't have spoken about it yesterday if it had. I regret the terrible things I did, but I can't crawl into a hole and hide when someone brings it up either. Naegi-kun taught me that," Ikusaba explained.
"Then I thank you, Master Makoto Naegi for preemptively stopping Dad from ruining everyone's time here," Manic said with a chuckle.
"As long as everyone is in good spirits, perhaps we should proceed with Nidai-kun's idea about running laps," Sonia suggested, resulting in a more than a few groans and a sad, "Miyo," from Coco.
While their guests were running laps, the King and the Duke were busy arguing.
["Marva, I don't care what your reasons were, but you went too far with Miss Ikusaba,"] King Levushka lectured.
["Guest or not, it does no good to ignore potential threats, dear brother,"] Duke Marva countered.
["She is part of the reason my daughter is still alive. Part of the reason Wudagest is in custody,"] King Levushka pointed out.
["That is no guarantee of anything, and you know that. Our family has been stabbed in the back by those pretending to be friends before,"] Marva shot back.
["By that same token, not everyone is a threat. I trust Sonia's judgement. If she trusts them, including Miss Ikusaba, then that is enough for me,"] King Levushka told his brother.
[My apologies, Brother Dear, but I do not possess your absolute faith in others,"] Duke Marva admitted.
["You did once,"] King Levushka said sadly.
["I was a different man back then. A more naïve man. I should have known better. Novoselic has terrible luck with outsiders,"] Duke Marva mused.
["Marva…]" King Levushka began.
[We both have our duties to attend to, Brother. We should see to them. Discussing the past, will not help Novoselic. And we must do all we can for the future of Novoselic,"] Marva said as he began to leave.
King Levushka sighed. It was always like this anymore. His brother's past pain obscured his view of the future. Levushka understood, but he hoped his brother would come around one day. [Perhaps the more time he spends with our guest, the more the man he was will come back. I hope so,] the King thought as he went to start his day as well.
A nondescript location in Novoselic
Before accepting the Embassy Job, as he called it, Vadim had a promising future ahead of him, as far as mercenaries go. The money was good, he was feared and respected in the underworld, and he was doing work he loved, as strange as it may sound. That all changed months ago.
"A job in Japan? Sound great! The best jobs are the ones that take you around the world!" Stupidest damn decision I have ever made, Vadim grumbled internally. As if the universe was taunting him, he had heard that the teenagers responsible for his current predicament were in Novoselic, a fact which contributed to his already sour mood. Of course, being interrogated didn't help.
["Who hired you?] the interrogator asked.
["My answer is still the same. Wudagest hired me,"] Vadim answered.
["Do you know who he works for?"]
["I prefer not to ask too many questions when someone hires me for a job. Plausible deniability and all that,"] Vadim explained.
["What exactly were the details of your 'job'?"]
["Your standard hostage situation, really. Well, standard in my line of work. Get safe passage out of Japan, use your little princess as leverage against mummy and daddy.]
["Leverage to do what?"]
["Like I said, I don't ask a lot of questions. Anything more would be a guess, but I imagine that whoever is pulling the strings though, does not seem too impressed with your royal family.]
["Very well,"] the interrogator said. Turning to a guard, he said, ["We're done here, return the prisoner to his cell."]
["One last thing before you send me back to my room to think about what I did. I may not know what's going on, but I do know that you develop certain instincts in my line of work. My mercenary sense tells me your in for a rather turbulent time in the near future. Make of that what you will, but this feeling is making me wish I had stayed back in Borginia,"] Vadim warned.
[We'll keep that in mind,] the interrogator said as he watched Vadim leave. He hadn't expected Vadim to give such an ominous warning. As much as he'd like to report this to the military and the royal family about it, without more information, there was really nothing to report. [Maybe the crazy one knows more,] he thought.
After the exercise Nidai suggested, the royal guests were once again treated to a tour by the royal cousins. Today, they were taken to the nearby harbor for a bit of water tourism.
"My apologies everyone, but the S.S. Princess Sonia is receiving maintenance so we must make do with a smaller vessel," Sonia said as she led her guests to a large yacht.
The guest, barring the Togami's, didn't know what to make of Sonia's description, but it was Mrs. Koizumi who couldn't help but mouth, "Smaller?" to her daughter.
"Just go with it, Mom. Sonia-chan lives in a different world than we do," Koizumi whispered.
"Her innocence about it is part of her charm, though," Naegi added, earning a vigorous nod from Souda and, strangely enough, Coco.
"You peasants are impressed too easily," Togami said smugly.
Manik, who seemed entertained by this exchange, decided to get things started and said, "Now, we can't go too far out, but we should at least be able to show you Fortuna and Borgina from a distance."
"Will there be any pirates to fight?" Owari asked in excitement.
"I wouldn't call them pirates, but there are rare times where we do have trouble," Manik explained.
"Seriously?" Ikusaba asked.
"There is no need to fear. Our crew is trained in multiple forms of combat. Nautical or otherwise," Sonia explained in an attempt to quell any concerns.
"Sounds like a great opportunity, right honey?" Mrs. Koizumi asked her husband as she held up her camera.
"I wouldn't mind missing this particular opportunity," Mr. Koizumi admitted, causing his wife to pout.
"S-sayaka-chan, what do we do? I don't want to get kidnapped and sold. I'm sure idols go for a lot," Aoba said as she shivered in fear.
"I'm sure we'll be fine. Sonia-senpai is not the type of person to lead people into danger on purpose," Maizono reassured her friend.
"Of course not! As long as we stay within Novoselic's waters, we shall be perfectly safe," Sonia confirmed, putting everyone at ease. Once everyone was aboard and comfortable, the ship, Novoselic's Pride, shoved off.
About a half hour into the mini cruise, Naegi spotted an island in the distance. He squinted to try to make it out better but was having no luck.
"Try these," Manik said as he walked up to Naegi, holding out a pair of binoculars.
With a quick, "Thank you," Naegi took another look. What he saw was a large city with Renaissance architecture, a stark contrast to the more modernized Novoselic. "Was Fortuna cut off from the rest of Europe as well?" Naegi asked.
"Not in the same way as Novoselic was, no," Manik answered.
"What do you mean?" Shinobu asked as she joined the two.
"Well, I know my cousin gave Naegi-kun the long version, but Novoselic was isolated from the rest of Europe after deposing the mad king Eric the Depraved. This got worse with the founding of Borgina, but I'll elaborate on that when we can see Borgina. Anyway, the short version is that Novoselic was a land that would be forsaken by God and that we worshiped demons. The odd thing is, that Fortuna actually did worship demons. And this isn't some anti-Fortuna propaganda. Between wars we had to fight with Fortuna and people leaving Fortuna to come to Novoselic, each cult on that island has, or at least had, its own city. I believe the stated reason was that the exiled Novoselic nobility was trying to reach out to whatever power would aid their quest for revenge. As time went on, the practice faded. But supposedly, there's still one active group that seems to be obsessed with some broken sword that belonged to a demon, but I can't confirm that," Manik explained.
"Is that why Sonia-senpai is so interested in cults?" Naegi asked.
"It could be one reason, an attempt to related to the people there, but I never really asked. What I do know, is that the other countries decided to wash their collective hands of Fortuna for the longest time because of the demon worship practiced by the nobility there. Times may have changed, and like I said for the most part so has that particular aspect of the culture over there. That being said, to this day we still get the occasional assassin from Fortuna have markings branded into them signifying what cult they belong to," Manik told the two.
"The Underworld is not something mere mortals should trifle with," Tanaka added as he joined the conversation.
Manik nodded in agreement before continuing, "I should clarify that while there are holdovers from a bygone era that target my family, there's more to it. There are people like that one from the embassy that are just in it for the money, too. Some of the assassins claim to be attempting to bring about the end times, but it was always determined that those assassins were trying to shift blame onto another group. Frankly, it doesn't really matter to me. The fact is, there are organized groups in Fortuna that would murder my whole family if given the chance."
Shinobu looked like she wanted to say something, but even the Togami's for all of their odd traditions and their numerous enemies didn't come close to what the Royal Family of Novoselic must constantly face.
"Personally, I think the only demon that is really worshipped in Fortuna is Eric. Not many records from that time have survived but the ones that did paint a picture of a charismatic yet insane cult leader rather than a proper king. He apparently had some hold on the nobility at the time and together they conducted rituals that would supposedly give him power. Supposedly, before Viktor killed him, Eric went on about how his followers would bring him back. What lends credence to this story is the various rooms in the castle that were filled with strange talismans and symbols written in blood," Manik finished.
"Are you alright?" Naegi asked.
"It was a long time ago, nothing generations of cleaning staff and a few exorcisms couldn't deal with," Manik joked.
"I meant are you okay talking about this. When Sonia-senpai spoke of Novoselic's history, she got upset," Naegi explained.
"Yes. Yes, I'm fine. Talking about it helps. Usually, for the sake of our people, we royals need to pretend that we aren't affected by all of this," Manik explained.
"I'm not a citizen of Novoselic, so you're more than welcome to vent to me," Naegi said with a reassuring smile.
"I may take you up on that, Naegi-kun, we still have to talk about Borginia," Manik said with a chuckle.
Meanwhile
Duke Marva sighed as he looked at himself in the mirror. He hadn't meant to upset his brother, he never did. [You are too trusting of outsiders, brother, I simply don't wish to see you hurt because of it. I realize that you believe that opening up to foreigners will help Novoselic, but Novoselic has never needed anyone else. For centuries we were fine on our own and I'm sure we would have been fine if we had stayed that way. I know that you do what you do for the good of Novoselic. So do I.]
Duke Marva sighed again. He wished his brother weren't so naïve about the world beyond Novoselic's borders. But Marva knew. He knew about how the outside world could hurt them if given the chance. He remembered what it was like to trust, only to be repaid by betrayal. He would protect his family and Novoselic. From outside forces. From domestic threats. And from their own good intentions and naivete.
Marva asked his late wife's spirit to watch over him for what would come next. He was sure she would understand. He was sure he could make his brother understand as well.
Back with the guests, the ship now had a clear view of another neighboring nation, the Republic of Borginia. Naegi, who still had the binoculars Manik had given him, decided to take a closer look.
"Hmm. I know that European architecture is diverse, but…" Naegi trailed off, not sure how to finish.
"You didn't expect to see such a heavy use of Arabic architecture?" Sonia asked knowingly.
"How did you know? I thought Maizono-san was the only esper," Naegi joked.
Off to the side, Maizono decided to play along. "Oh no, not just me. Sonia-senpai and I have telepathic conversations all the time," Maizono giggled.
Sonia giggled a bit herself before saying, "The Republic of Borginia, despite its location, has a more stereotypical Middle Eastern…flavor, you could say. It's a little hard to explain."
"The Togami Conglomerate has conducted business with Borginia in the past. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Borginia as a whole has Arabophilia," Togami interjected.
With a shrug, Enoshima added, "We can't really judge. We've seen Novoselic's Japanophilia."
"No offense," Ikusaba hastily said to cover for her sister.
"None taken. We are well aware that it seems strange for an entire nation to have an affinity for another nation or region's culture, particularly one that we had no interaction within the distant past. While individuals like what they like, with or without a reason, for Novoselic to adopt aspects of a nation and its culture, I am sure that some think compulsion is involved somehow. I assure you that is not the case," Sonia began.
Manik continued for her, "Our family was willing to rejoin modern Europe but our people, by and large, held on to their grudges. No surprising, really. A few centuries of forced isolation will do that. What made it easier on Novoselic was that we discovered that we didn't have much in common with most other European nations. Absolute monarchies had gone out of style and as such many of the old traditions were no longer practiced; with a few exceptions, age and status had begun to mean less, things of that nature. It felt as if Western civilization had left us behind."
"As our dignitaries began to build relationships with other nations, we found we had more in common with the Far East. We absolutely fell in love with Japan. The entertainment. The architecture. The value placed on traditions and rituals. The discipline. Truly, there was something for everyone in our nation to admire," Sonia gushed with stars in her eyes.
"I've heard of Westernization, so I suppose this is Easternization. Still, it is flattering to have a place as fascinating as Novoselic admire our culture," Mr. Koizumi shrugged.
"That explains Novoselic, but what about Borginia?" Aloysius questioned. While as the Togami butler he was duty bound to listen for information to help his employer, he had to admit to himself that these nations were as Mr. Koizumi had said, "fascinating."
"That dates back to Alexander's time. The Arab world was a source of fascination for Alexander. Surviving records show that he would often ask traders to bring their suppliers from the Middle East to be his guests and he would request stories from them. Somewhat like Scheherazade in One Thousand and One Nights, I suppose," Sonia explained.
"Without the threat of execution the next day, of course," Manik joked.
"Yes, well…the stories of the historical Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid, his Grand Vizier, Jafar al-Barmaki, and the famous poet Abu Nuwas, had the estranged son of King Abram captivated. As he learned more about the culture of his guests, the more he began to adopt it himself and thus Borginia and its people began to adopt the culture as well in an attempt to curry favor with Duke Alexander," Sonia finished.
"A ruler changing their nation's culture isn't unusual," Togami pointed out.
"And being on a ruler's good side can do wonders for you," Celes added.
"That is true. However, as time went on, a type of cultural fusion took place," Sonia began.
"Fusion? Like in that anime with all the strong fighters?" Owari asked, becoming interested.
"Allow me to explain," Professor Enoshima said as she pushed her glasses up. "Cultural fusion theory describes how newcomers acculturate into the dominant culture and maintain aspects of their minority culture, while at the same time the dominant or host culture also fuses aspects off the newcomer's culture into the dominant culture to create a fused intercultural identity."
"Uhh…"
"What she means, Senpai, is that when a group from say…Japan moves to another country, they will adopt that country's customs while keeping their own. At the same time, the people of that country would adopt certain customs from the group from Japan creating a new, fused identity. So, it would be like with the earrings and not the dance because the two aren't equal in terms of size and power," Naegi explained.
"I think I get it now," Owari said with a grin.
"Anyway…while Enoshima-san is correct, the interesting part was, there really weren't that many immigrants coming to Borginia. Even with that being the case, the written and spoken language had begun to change, giving them a new, entirely separate identity from Novoselic," Manik said, continuing from where his cousin had left off.
"The popular theory is that Alexander's family tried to craft a new language to make reunification difficult, but there is no proof. I like to think Alexander would not be that petty, although, given everything else we know…" Sonia trailed off.
"That explains the Duchy of Borginia. When did it become a republic?" Nidai asked.
"In the 19th century, Alexander's descendant, Dima, as well as some Borginian nobility, attempted to 'retake Alexander's throne.' As I am sure you can tell, that did not happen. To Dima's credit, he did not let failure stop him. Although, I am sure the families of the fallen wish that he had. Once his armies had recovered, Dima would order a new attack on Novoselic and he would fail every time. These repeated failures and the deaths of their people convinced the nobility to act. Under threat of death, Dima was forced to abdicate his position. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck or perhaps Dima's failed campaigns had turned the people away from a bloody power struggle, either way, a year after forcing Dima's abdication, Borginia became a parliamentary republic," Manik told the guests.
"Such a rich history," Celes said.
"I wish we had time to learn it all," Mr. Koizumi said to his family.
"I'd like to see any surviving battle plans," Ikusaba told her hosts.
"I wonder what music is popular in those countries. Maybe it could give us an edge over other groups," Oumi said to the idols under her care.
The others went on to ask more questions of the royal cousins. The stories and lessons continued all the way back to the dock, leaving the royal cousins hoarse, but happy. They had always held such great pride in their homeland and to have guests and friends who appreciated it so much brought them indescribable joy. They had always been concerned about Novoselic's future, but being able to connect with others like this, knowing that people were interested in Novoselic, it felt like they were on the right path. Novoselic's future looked brighter than ever in that moment.
A nondescript location in Novoselic
The interrogators had been dreading this one. Interrogating Niels was either a punishment or the responsibility of whoever drew the short straw that day. On the plus side, a flask of the strongest Novoselic moonshine they could produce was provided to the unfortunate soul that dealt with Niels, so there was that.
"[…~I'd love to destroy that Hope Boy you know. He's an obstacle that always gets in the way~,]" Niels sang.
[Pretty sure those aren't the words…No! Focus!] the interrogator thought. "[Who is your employer?]" he asked.
["Usually whoever pays the most. The money from the last job, you know, to kidnap your pretty, little princess? I'd never seen such a large amount. No clue where they got it, though,"] Niels answered.
["I need a name!"] the frustrated interrogator demanded.
["Don't you have one? That must have been difficult. Would make you the ideal client though. I don't ask for names. Professionalism. That's the word of the day,"] Niels said.
That drink afterwards was looking better and better to the interrogator. The most aggravating part was that Niels was being cooperative, even if it was in a roundabout, annoying way.
["You lot think I'm mad, and I am, but the last guy…oh ho. That one is next level, I tell you. Obsessed with returning to our roots. Doesn't hate House Nevermind, though, made that very clear. Just the branch running Novoselic. Rather impressive though. United all the groups that hate the royals under one banner. But they paid well, so I didn't judge,"] Niels explained.
["What?"]
["Desperation was bringing them together, but my employer is the lynchpin I would say.]
The interrogator dreaded this next question. ["Why are you being so helpful today?"]
["Wouldn't say I'm being helpful. Just want you to have some idea of what's going to happen. Not like any of this can hurt my employer, really."]
["How can you be so sure?"] the interrogator tried to bluff.
["I haven't given you any specifics now, have I? Did I mention a time? How about a location? I know I haven't given you a name,'] Niels laughed.
["Grr…"]
["Now, now, you may still have time. Maybe. Not that Wudagest will talk. A true believe that one."]
After a few more questions that led nowhere, the interrogators pulled what little information they had together.
["The enemy is somehow well-funded, crazy, and leading desperate groups.]"
["They seem capable of inspiring great loyalty, if Wudagest is any indication."]
["They don't hate House Nevermind as a whole, just the current ruling branch."]
They had their suspicions, but no proof. If they were honest, they hoped they would never find proof for their theory, it would be too painful for the Royal Family to contemplate.
Duke Marva had been waiting for this.
He had cleared his evening schedule for this meeting. It had taken him years to find the right people to help and just as long to ensure they had the necessary funding. [I'm sorry that it has come to this, Brother, but you wouldn't listen. I will ensure the future of Novoselic with my own hands,] Marva thought as he returned to his office after dinner. He had hoped that the feeling in his stomach was just indigestion from how quickly he ate his meal.
When he opened his office door, he was greeted by three young men, all of whom were perusing various documents.
[They're eager. Excellect!] the Duke of Novoselic thought as he shut his office door. He was glad this room was soundproof. What came next would work better as a surprise.
Hours later
After dinner, King Levushka suggested a game, an idea that the guests unanimously agreed to. Sonia and Manik suggested, to everyone's surprise, hide-and-seek. Admittedly, a few of the guests thought this was a little childish, but the excitement practically radiating off of the cousins was enough to prevent any objections.
Deciding that they would be "It," Sonia and Manik began to count, leaving the guest and even the King and Queen to break into groups.
Naegi found himself accompanied by his new makango partner, Coco, as well as Tanaka and King Levushka as the three of them ran down one of the castle's many hallways.
"This is exciting. Being royalty, those two have never really had close friends. This is the first time we can entertain Sonia and Manik's friends. As a father and a king, I will do my best," the King told the teens.
"As their friends, we'll do the same, Your Highness," Naegi responded.
"With the aid of my infernal powers, this shall be a game like no other. The Yami no Games live in this kingdom tonight!" Tanaka shouted in excitement as the Zodiac Generals squeaked in agreement.
"Down this way boys, no one ever comes down this way," King Levushka said as he pointed down a dark hallway.
The boys complied, but Naegi couldn't help but ask, "Why doesn't anyone come this way, Your Majesty?"
"Since Viktor's time, this wing of the castle has been said to be cursed. Allegedly, Eric and his loyalists committed all manner of rituals here," Levushka explained.
"More demons to bind to my will? Excellent!" Tanaka exclaimed with a laugh.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Tanaka-kun, but there Marva and I used to play down here all the time as children. Not once did we encounter a supernatural being," Levushka told the Ultimate Breeder.
"That's a little specific," Naegi said, thinking out loud.
"I can explain, it's in our hiding place. In fact, I believe we're already here," Levushka announced as he opened a large, old, wooden door. Behind it was a room full of cobwebs and objects of great antiquity. There were also large, flat, rectangular objects wrapped in cloth. "I believe it is the first one," Levushka said after he closed the door and walked over to the cloth-wrapped objects. "Ah, here it is. Eric, you fiend, Dorian Gray, I believe the phrase is, has nothing on you," Levushka said as he pulled out a large portrait of a man.
The portrait showed a man wearing fine clothes with light, long, and somewhat messy brown hair. He was wearing a crown and a cloak while holding a scepter in one hand. Something about the portrait seemed off to Naegi. It might have been the empty, gray eyes. It might have been the sneer. It might have been what Naegi really hoped were not blood stains on the scepter. He wasn't sure, but he was sure that something about this portrait was, and there was no other word for it, wrong. "So, this is Eric the Depraved?" Naegi asked.
"Indeed, he is. This fine fellow put this kingdom through hell before my ancestor and his co-conspirators put an end to him," Levushka confirmed with a nod. "I believe Sonia has told you the stories, so I can only imagine you are wondering why we still have this portrait, correct?" Levushka asked.
"I will admit, I am curious, Your Majesty," Naegi agreed
"To contain the evil. Or perhaps dark powers prevent its destruction," Tanaka suggested.
From their place in the corner furthest from the painting, the Generals nodded in agreement with their master's assessment. Apparently, Tanaka's dark army got the same feeling from the painting as Naegi.
"Both, actually. In a way at least," Levushka confirmed. "The story is that when they tried to destroy this portrait, the flames refused to go near it and the temperature around it dropped sharply. Of course, that's simply a story my father told me, as his father told him, and so on. It helps when the punishment for actions that would harm the people of Novoselic or actions unbecoming of the royal family is a night in the haunted wing of the castle," Levushka explained.
"What about 'containing the evil'?" Naegi asked.
"Viktor resisted calls for him to become king at first. He thought that his hands too dirty from regicide and that he had waited too long to act. Some stories suggest he feared becoming a mad king himself. He eventually agreed on the condition he always have a reminder of his predecessor. A reminder of what not to become. In a way, containing the evil, just as Tanaka-kun suggested," Levushka finished.
"Viktor must have been an excellent ruler," Naegi said upon hearing that story.
"He was. Or he tried to be, at least. And the tradition he started, using this portrait to remind of what not to become has continued for generations," Levushka told the boys. "But now, back to the game. I know of the perfect spot. Marva and I both made use of it in the past. It's around here somewhere," Levushka said as he felt along the wall. Before he could find whatever it was that he was looking for, the door to the storage room opened slowly and the room's occupants were covered in a coarse powder.
Naegi, who had gotten some in his mouth identified it right away as salt. Why would someone throw salt in…oh. To purify it, Naegi concluded, as he mentally thanked Kirigiri for her detective training.
"U-uncle?" Manik stuttered.
"N-naegi-kun? Tanaka-kun? Anyone?" Sonia asked in a fearful voice.
Both cousins entered the room, but the occupants couldn't feel disappointed that they had been found. Not after seeing Sonia and Manik, feeling around with their eyes shut tight, pointing talismans and a crucifix in whatever direction that they were facing at the moment. In one hand, Sonia was carrying a large can of salt. It seemed that the cousins grabbed whatever they could think of that would ward off evil spirits before they came to that section of the castle.
"We're here, Senpai. Slightly better seasoned than when you saw us last, but we're here," Naegi said as the king and Tanaka started to laugh.
After the game, and the story of what Sonia and Manik had done, everyone had decided to retire for the evening. In his room, Naegi had just finished brushing his teeth and climbed into bed. He turned to his feathered companion and asked, "Did you have fun today, Coco-chan?"
"Miyo!" the makango responded.
"I'm glad to hear it. I wonder what tomorrow will be like?" Naegi said as he rolled over and shut his eyes. It didn't take long until he fell asleep.
Coco, however, was wide awake. The makango's animal instincts were telling it that something was wrong. It's often said that animals can sense evil and in Coco's case, that seemed to be true. The tiny creature tried to awaken Naegi. A few pecks, a headbutt or two, tapping him with talons, a few cries of "Miyo!", nothing worked. Naegi had commented to Coco how comfortable the bed was that morning, apparently the bed was responsible for Naegi's deep sleep. Not that Coco knew or understood that; the young makango just knew that Naegi wouldn't wake up.
Deciding to try a different approach, Coco hopped off the bed before sudden movement and noise caused it to hide.
The door had been broken down and people dressed in flak jackets and nightvision goggles who were carrying rifles stormed in, with one hitting Naegi in the stomach with the butt of his rifle. ["Wake up boy, don't want to miss what little time you have left do you?] the man asked.
Naegi, as groggy as he was at the moment, realized his options were limited. He thought that if he cooperated, he might at least get to live long enough for help to arrive. With that in mind, he put his hands up and said, ["I surrender. May I please get dressed first?"]
["Let it never be said we don't honor last requests. But don't worry, boy, we aren't going to kill you,"] one of his captors told him.
["You might wish we did later on though,"] another admitted with a laugh.
A few minutes later, Naegi saw that the others had met these mysterious attackers too. The others looked safe, if not shaken up. The only one injured appeared to be Owari, who, judging by her nature, probably tried to fight back. She wasn't bleeding heavily or bruised particularly badly, something Naegi noted with relief.
["Tanned bitch is lucky that his Highness doesn't want them killed,"] one said.
["Not yet anyway. Not by us. We might still have a use for them,"] another pointed out.
["We did, but that use has passed. Our king has struck a deal. Nevermind and his family will cooperate as long as we don't hurt these ones,"] yet another explained.
["So, what now? We can't exactly let them go,"] the first pointed out.
["We handle this like in days of old,"] a fourth said as his colleagues nodded and smirked as they understood his suggestion.
What those mysterious soldiers meant soon became clear as they forced the guests into the labyrinth beneath the castle. ["Welcome to your new, final home,"] a soldier said as she ordered two others to open the entrance to the labyrinth.
["Hope you find it comfortable,"] another soldier added as she pushed Mrs. Koizumi in. One by one the guests were shoved into the labyrinth until only Naegi remained.
["This is the one that screwed up Wudagest's operation months ago,"] a soldier said.
["Shame he's not here to do the honors,"] said another.
["Eh, I'd rather thank the kid. That man's zealotry really grates on you,] a third argued.
["No lucky break tonight kid. No crazy mercenaries here to fuck things up,"] the woman who unsealed the labyrinth said as she signaled for Naegi to be shoved in.
Once the deed was done, the woman said, ["Don't think poorly of us. We need you all gone for the good of Novoselic."] With that the entrance covered once more leaving the guests in total darkness.
"Is everyone alright?" Naegi asked. We need to get out of here. Hold on, Sonia-senpai. We'll save you and your family. Somehow, Naegi thought. There had to be a way to save everyone…Right? Naegi asked himself, feeling even his boundless optimism wavering.
To be continued is seen in the bottom corner and Roundabout by Yes starts to play. Okay, nothing like that happens but it would have been a nice touch.
I know it's a short chapter this time and I'm sorry about that. Both that I made you all wait and that it's so short. I can't even begin to properly thank you all for your patience. The ideas for Fantasy Life with Ultimate Girls just wouldn't stop coming to me.
I also thought all the backstory for Novoselic that I put in warranted a short chapter so it wouldn't overwhelm anything else. And, I really had a hard time writing this one. Not that I didn't enjoy it, but do you all remember how I wanted to break this part of the story into three parts? It's kind of like the Underpants Gnomes from South Park. I had Step 1 and 3 planned out, but when I got to Step 2, all I had was a giant question mark. I promise that the next chapter will be much better now that all that exposition is out of the way. That said, I hope you all enjoyed the history I came up with for Novoselic, Borgina, and Fortuna.
So, do the guests remember how to get out? Where's Coco? Can Makoto save the day? How does Duke Marva fit into all of this? Come back next update to find out!
Please read and review! I'll see you Ultimates star side!