章 41: Asking for Help
Aria opened the doors to her room as she twirled like an excited child and spread her arms.
"Welcome to my room!" she exclaimed.
Lancell secretly went anxious at her behaviour. He was familiar with that expression as he had seen it before, and each time he saw it, disaster was sure to follow.
Arthur cringed as she suddenly raised her hand while being pale faced, and spoke. "Uh...Actually, I still have something to do so..."
However, before she could finish, Lancell had activated Void Wind Guidance and closed the door with a loud bang.
"Sorry but, we can't decline 'our friend's hospitality, can we?"
Arthurs face paled further at Lancell's words as she fell to her knees. She then started to mumble, but Lancell ignored her as he sighed.
Carlos approached and leaned towards Arthur and asked. "is't that bad?"
Arthur nodded as she then gestured by tracing a finger across her neck. Now it was Carlos' turn to go pale-faced.
"What are you guys doing?" Aria asked as she looked at the three curiously. "And who is he?" she added while pointing towards Carlos.
"Carlos. A new friend I met yesterday." Lancell spoke as he introduced Carlos.
Aria observed the new guy. As she took note of his features. 'Hm? His skin is black...a southerner? But I heard southerners are bald, and he has hair...'
However, she didn't inquire as she was at least educated regarding matters of consideration.
Lancell, who wanted to get things over quickly, called out as he asked. "Can we begin our talk now?"
Aria nodded as she then left. After a while, she came back with chairs with cutesy design. Despite being just chairs, it had flowers on it, cloths with frills, and more colours of pink.
She then placed it and offered it to the group. "Here. Have a seat."
Lancell hesitated, but he was getting afraid of the consequences it might bring, and just sat. The other two followed suit with tense expressions.
Aria took out a seat for herself, and place it in front as she then sat. "Well? Go on."
Lancell took a deep breath, and then started. "It's about the hero you called here."
Aria's eyes brightened at the mention and asked. "I see! So you met him already! So? Did he teach you anything useful?"
Lancell sighed again. It was indeed as he had expected. Aria had called a hero for pure purposes, however... "He branded us as heretics..."
"Huh?" Aria mind blanked at Lancell's statement. As a royalty, she knew what being branded as a heretic meant, so that meant Lancell's group was going to get hunted by Elysion from now on.
It was already surprising, but Lancell dropped another bombshell. "...and I killed the Heroes they sent to capture us."
Now Aria felt like fainting. It was useless now, no matter what excuse Lancell tries to make once he gets captured. At the very least, he would get executed by Elysion.
"Wh-Wh-Why did you do that, idiot?! Now I'm going to lose a friend so quick." Aria complained, but Lancell only averted his eyes, and refused to see Aria in the eyes. He maintained silence for a while, then spoke. "I couldn't help it."
Was all he explained.
Aria furrowed her brows as she then asked. "So what's your real purpose for coming here?"
Lancell tried to answer, but no words came out of his mouth. He just couldn't say it. It was the phrase he hated the most, ever since the Great Shift began in his past life.
Arthur saw through what was going on, and answered in his stead. "In short, he wants help."
Lancell grit his teeth at Arthur's words, but he didn't deny it. It was true, after all. He lowered his head in shame, not from other's opinion, but shame of himself, and waited for Aria's decision.
"Hm..." Aria hummed in ponder as she contemplated on what to do, and finally spoke. "I guess I could do that, but in one condition."
'Ah. Here it is.' Lancell thought as his face paled. However, he couldn't deny her so he asked. "Yes. What is it?"
Aria then gave a beaming smile as she spoke, "You and your group will sleep here tonight!" She declared.
". . . . .Okay." Lancell acquiesced after a long pause.
"Yay! My another first for me!" She rejoiced as she jumped up and down with her arms raised. After she was done rejoicing, she then faced Lancell and told. "Then, wait here, okay? I'll go meet father."
And without further ado, she left the room as the trio heaved a heavy sigh of relief.
◇◇◇
In the throne room, the king sat, leaning on his hand as he listened to his daughter's request.
"Hm? Your friend is being targeted by Elysion? How strange. Elysion usually doesn't poke its head into mundane matters. How did he get their attention." The king asked Aria.
Aria nodded with a bow as she answered. "Yes. However, my friends have treaded the Heroic Path without consent from the Holy Kingdom, and were attacked. Which resulted in the attacker's death."
The king frowned as he then asked. "I see. However, I haven't heard about you having 'friends'. How long have you known each other? Do I know any of them?"
Aria shook her head and answered. "No, father. I had first met them three days ago, and had been acquainted for two days."
"..."
The king went silent at Aria's revelation, as he massaged his forehead in order to alleviate the headache that was starting to worsen.
He then heaved a sigh as he stated. "I'm afraid I can't help your frie—"
Before he finished his sentence, Aria suddenly appeared in front of him, with a blade pointed to his neck as she held a rapier that seemingly came out of nowhere. And her face now donned a look of absolute zero. She then coldly stated, word by word.
"You. Will. Help. My. Friends."
There was no room for denial in her words as she wasn't a person who would simply accept defeat. She may be carefree most of the time, but she loathed losing among all, and if being denied of desire wasn't loss, then what was?
The king was shocked at the event as he discreetly signalled for his knights to apprehend her, but the next moment, an overpowering aura was released from Aria's body.
The knights paled as one of them spoke. "I-I believe it's impossible, Your Majesty." The king raised his brows, without taking his gaze off Aria, as the knight continued.
"She...Sh-She's currently above Level 20 of the Second Step." He added with a pale face.
The king was shocked at the unexpected information, as Aria repeated her earlier words.
"You. Will. Help. My. Friends."
It seems the king doesn't have much say in the matter.
◇◇◇
Meanwhile, in Aria's room.
Carlos who was sitting as he observed the chandeliers which seemed to be magic tools, items that miniscule power of laws, and tried to decipher how it worked. Which he actually pulled off by just looking.
And after he was done, he turned towards Arthur and asked. "Bout' the princess, can we really trust 'er?"
Arthur just gave him a sidelong glance as she reassured. "Don't worry about it. Even though she acts stupid, and talks one, she's one of the most reliable leaders you can find in the entire world."
Arthur spoke like it was only given, and Lancell also nodded, much to Carlos' surprise.
And so, Lancell's plight regarding the Holy Kingdom of Elysion was temporarily averted.
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