章 26: The Way of the Waves Pt. 1
Tsuna and I finally made it to the Kingdom itself, the sight one to truly take in. The Kingdom of Waves, Rivule, was a realm where the eternal dance of water reigns supreme. It was a coastal kingdom, nestled between the vast expanse of the sea and the lush, verdant landscapes that stretch beyond its borders. Rivule was a place of tranquility and harmony, where the ebb and flow of the tides shape the lives of its inhabitants.
As we approach the inside of Rivule, the salty breeze carried the scent of the ocean, mingling with the sweet fragrance of blooming coastal flowers. The coastline was adorned with golden sandy beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see, inviting residents and visitors alike to revel in the beauty of the kingdom's natural surroundings.
The architecture of Rivule reflected the fluidity and grace of water. The buildings were often constructed with smooth, curving lines, reminiscent of gentle waves caressing the shore. Shimmering seashells and pearls were incorporated into the design, adding a touch of opulence and elegance to the kingdom's structures.
Within the kingdom, a network of canals and rivers crisscrosses the land, carrying the lifeblood of Rivule throughout its vibrant cities and towns. These waterways served as both transportation routes and sources of irrigation, nurturing the fertile fields and gardens that sustain the kingdom's inhabitants.
The people of Rivule had a deep connection to the sea, embracing its power and bounty. They are skilled sailors and fishermen, venturing out into the vast ocean to explore its mysteries and bring back the treasures it holds. The kingdom's economy thrived on maritime trade, with bustling ports and marketplaces where exotic goods from distant lands are bought and sold.
At the heart of Rivule stood the magnificent Pearl Palace, a grand structure adorned with shimmering seashells and pearls of every hue. It served as the seat of power for the ruling monarch, where she governed with wisdom and compassion, ensuring the harmony and well-being of the kingdom.
"Welcome to Rivule, my love~ Now let's head inside so I can finally see what I've been missing for five years~" Tsuna said, her tone husked and suggestive.
I watched as she walked inside her palace, unable to help but to follow as her usual allure worked upon me. I smirked as I stepped inside the palace, noticing the beauty inside. Beneath the floors, various glass spots allowed one to view the aquatic beasts underneath much like an aquarium. Streams of water coursed in and out of the palace, offering a steady supply of energy and water for the nobles within the palace.
"Hey, look out!" A voice called out from the distance followed by an explosion.
Collective screams and coughs were heard, prompting me and Tsuna to investigate. Once we reached the source of the distress, Tsuna let out a sigh while I couldn't help but to let out an amused chuckle.
The first woman I noticed had a whimsical and inventive appearance, mixing a blend of alchemy and adventure. She wore a detailed, elaborate outfit with a mix of blues and other vibrant colors. The attire combined elements of a lab coat, adventurer's gear, and a magician's robe, with intricate designs and accessories. This eclectic mix suggests a character involved in magical and scientific pursuits.
She also had mouse ears, suggesting she might be a Beast-Human Hybrid. She had soot covering her face, her ears flopping downward in an embarrassed manner.
The second woman on the ground had a more peaceful and innocent appearance, her presence exuding grace and harmony. She wore a detailed blue cleric's attire with golden adornments, white arm length gloves, and donned a hat to match her aesthetic. She had long flowing orange hair, cascading down her shoulders like gentle waves and blue eyes.
In her arms, she held a Grimoire, the pages shifting between hues of blue and purple. The crystal on the front of the book faintly glowed, signalling the Grimoire was also full of life and energy.
"Ugh... Saffron, how many times do I have to not run around with those chemicals..." Sera groaned, slowly standing up and fixing her glasses.
Saffron stood up slowly, her ears raising to neutral position. She gave an embarrassed smile and giggled softly. "S-Sorry..! I...I didn't see you in front of me that's all.."
Sera groaned lightly, her left eye twitching with annoyance. She let out a soft sigh and rose her head, pressing her fingers upon her forehead. "Goddesses... whatever. Just be sure to keep your alchemy in the Alchemy Room. You could've seriously hurt me and Phoebe."
Phoebe fixed her hat and stood up, holding her book close to her chest. "I'm fine!~ It was just an honest accident. No harm done!"
Saffron's tail wagged as she heard Phoebe's reassurance, giggling softly to herself. "See?~ No harm, no foul!~"
Sera groaned, lowering her head knowing there was no true winning with Saffron. "Alright mouse, you win I guess. Just keep your explosive chemicals away from the rest of the castle."
"Will do, Administrator!" Saffron said, saluting to Sera.
"Well, it certainly seems lively in here," Tsuna said, a soft giggle escaping her lips.
Sera turned to looked at Tsuna, clearing her throat and standing at attention holding her device in her hand. "Lady Tsuna, welcome back. And it seems that Lord Ryoma was able to make it safely to the kingdom. Welcome to the Kingdom, Lord Ryoma."
I smiled at Sera, nodding toward her. "Thank you, Sera. It wasn't as simple getting here, but here we are."
"Lord Ryoma? Who's that?" Saffron asked, tilting her head as she looked at me.
Sera grunted, nearly tumbling over. She fixed her glasses and quickly glanced at Saffron. "I get you're part mouse and everything, but c'mon..! There's no possible and logical way you don't know Lord Ryoma."
Saffron glanced at Sera then tilted her head upward, tapping her chin lightly. "Mmm...Ohhh! Isn't he that guy who conquered Eyica in five years? I remember seeing him in one of the newer history books last week.."
"He's standing in front of you, klutz...how about you show so decorum and greet him..!" Sera spoke through her clenched teeth.
Saffron nodded at Sera then happily approached me, looking up at me with her hand extended toward me. "Hi, Lord Ryoma! I'm the Leading Alchemist of Rivule, Saffron Doe."
I smiled at her, accepting her hand for a gentle handshake. "It's nice to meet you, Saffron. I'm sure we'll get along quite well in future encounters."
Saffron nodded her head, already enjoying my first impressions then look at Tsuna. "He's much more polite than you described~"
I glanced at Tsuna, raising an eyebrow from Saffron's comment. Tsuna giggled softly, covering part of her face with her fan, closing her eyes. She just gave me a slight shrug, dismissing any concerns I had with a playful demeanor.
I rolled my eyes at her then turned my attention to Phoebe who was waiting patiently to introduce herself to me.
She stepped forward and bowed toward me, her tiny aqua wings fluttering. "Hello, Lord Ryoma. My name is Phoebe Salacia, lead Cleric of Rivule and leader of the Medic Force within the kingdom. If you ever need healing, I am the one to seek.."
"It's true..~ Plus, her healing never fails especially during the time the Seven Moons is more prevalent. She's cured most of my battle wounds in seconds," Tsuna vouched, nodding her head in agreement.
"Well, I'll be sure to visit you if I ever sustain any life threatening damages," I said, a warm smile tugging at my lips.
Phoebe smiled at me, nodding her head. "You can visit me any time! I do daily check ups!"
"I'll take your offer into consideration," I replied, crossing my arms.
Tsuna closed her fan then closed her eyes, clearing her throat. "Alright, with the introductions out of the way, Ryoma and I have some business to tend to quickly. Sera, Royal Decisions begin in an hour, do you mind setting everything up before that time comes?"
"As you wish," Sera said, bowing to her before walking off.
"Saffron, Phoebe, do you mind preparing the accomodations? Also, no Alchemy! Last time you used it, you paralyzed everyone with one of your...solutions," Tsuna said, crossing her arms with a knowing smile.
Saffron blushed slightly at the memory, a soft giggle escaping her lips. "Yes! As you wish, My Queen! No Alchemy!"
"I'll be sure she holds true to her words," Phoebe said, bowing toward Tsuna.
Tsuna nodded, watching the two make their way to complete their tasks. Once the three were gone, Tsuna grabbed my hand and led me toward her chambers, the sounds of our steps echoing down the halls. The two of us entered her room, Tsuna closing the door behind herself with a smile.
"We've finally got a chance to be alone..~ Now, about catching up after five years.." Tsuna said, her voice dipping into a husked, alluring tone, her hand pressing down upon my chest.
"You certainly still move as quickly as I remember..~" I said softly, allowing her to push me toward her bed. I leaned back and watched as she straddled a top of me, a ting of excitement coursing through my body.
Tsuna giggled softly as she gently placed her hands upon my chest leaning into me, licking her lips in a suggestive manner. "Don't worry, I can take it slow if you want...if my Emperor commands it, I will act upon it..~"
Slowly wrapping her arms around my nape, she pressed her body against mine, closing off any distance between us. She began to plant soft kisses upon my lips, my kisses being returned with equal fervor. As our lips met in a slow dance of desire, Tsuna moaned softly, melting into my arms as my warmth enveloped her entirely. Her own hands explored my toned body, mapping familiar territory with renewed appreciation and hunger.
Taking control briefly, she pressed her weight into me, causing me to lay flat on the mattress below her as she hovered above me seductively. She began to slowly lower her garbs from her shoulders, exposing her bare skin for only my eyes to see. "How about one quick round..~ To celebrate our reunion.."
I rested my hands behind my head as I stared at her natural beauty. "Normally I would say yes...but I'm a changed man now..~ Lust is not on my list anymore..~"
Tsuna giggled softly, leaning down until her face was inches away from mine. "Mmm~ Such a man of culture now aren't you...well I can respect that..for now..~"
At her teasing tone, a soft laugh filled the air between us. I sat up slowly, holding her in my arms. "Maybe once I find my bearings around here, maybe then I'll be ready enough to...wrestle with you afterwards.."
Tsuna bit her bottom lip, giggling softly at my suggestive comment. She planted one more kiss upon my lips before slipping off my lap, fixing her robes. "Alright..~ Just don't keep me waiting for too long... my fingers become boring to use.."
I smirked at her response, my eyes shimmering with a familiar mischief. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to quickly find my bearings..~"
Tsuna began to walk to her desk, grabbing her makeup kit and sat down to do her makeup in the mirror that sat upon her desk. "So, tell me something...what's your reasoning for coming to Uthea? Other than coming around to see me of course."
I laid on her bed once more, gazing at the ceiling and smiled. "Ahh yes, because seeing you was my absolute priority. I couldn't wait to come to Rivule."
Tsuna let out a soft laugh at my sarcastic tease, rolling her eyes and continued to apply her makeup. "Yeah, whatever smartass..~ Now are you going to tell me, or do I have to force it out of you?"
I chuckled softly, closing my eyes. "I'm here to fulfill a legend. The Legend of whoever Conquers Uthea's 20 Kingdoms and the city shall have a chance to meet with a Goddess."
"Oh that legend? It's not a legend actually. It's a prophecy. You see, the actual prophecy reads, 'There will be a Conqueror who shall conquer the 20 Kingdoms and the City of Xezar. Only if he succeeds in his goal, will he be able to meet with a Goddess,'" Tsuna explained, leaning forward closer to her mirror to apply her mascara.
"Obviously no one really knows who this Conqueror is. No one but me of course. I know it's you within that Prophecy..~ This is your calling after all as the Eternal Emperor of Conquest," Tsuna continued, focusing on applying her mascara.
"Hmm, I suppose so. I did only hear about this legend maybe about a month and some change ago. I've already 'conquered' two Kingdoms," I said, turning my head to look at Tsuna.
"I assume it's the Kingdoms of Arthirus and Pyroc? I hear since you've appeared in both of their kingdoms, they've become Uplifted. Certainly you're not the same Emperor that I'm familiar with," Tsuna said, her tone tinged with tease and playfulness.
I chuckled softly and rolled my eyes slightly. "Mhm. I'm a changed man...my days of Tyranny are over although The Tyrant still lies within me."
"He does? Hmm hmm, well doesn't that make things rather interesting. I assume you haven't had to use them on the Queens have you?" Tsuna asked, turning around in her chair.
"Nah. The Tyrant hasn't been used on them. I make sure to keep a nice grip upon him inside, making sure to not let him slip out," I answered, giving her a soft smile.
"Good, because if we're being honest, The Tyrant is the most singlehandedly scariest thing known to mankind. Yes, I know it's because of his Seal of Domination, but at the same time, he's wicked," Tsuna admitted, a soft laugh following her comment.
I let out a soft chuckle. "I agree. That's why I'm taking a different approach with this conquest. Instead of using force and Domination to conquer, I've actually been marrying then and using love and understanding. So far it's been working well."
"Well, well~ Who know the day would come for when the Legendary Ryoma Miyazaki would conquer using peace and love. Looks like Lady Miyazaki's Teachings have finally come through," Tsuna chuckled softly, crossing one leg over the other.
I rolled my eyes at her comment and smiled, standing up and stretched my arms. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, don't you have a meeting to be attending?"
"I do, but I also want you there~ As my right hand man," Tsuna suggested, standing up from her seat.
"Consider it done," I accepted.
With that, Tsuna began to prepare for her royal meeting while I hung around her room for a moment. Once Tsuna was ready, the two of us left her bedchambers to head into the royal courtroom so Tsuna could make her royal decisions.
-----------------------------
Tsuna and I stepped into the royal courtroom and made our way to the front. Tsuna sat down at her desk and I stood beside her, crossing my arms. Sera, Saffron, and Phoebe entered the room with a few soldiers and royal fishermen.
"Alright, it looks like everyone is here. Let's get started. First step, our Business Operations. What are they looking like? What are our yields for this month?" Tsuna asked, sitting back into her chair.
"Yields are 721,320 Gold this month, Lady Tsuna," Sera answered, her voice dry and monotonous.
Tsuna nodded, tapping her quill pen gently against her desk. She closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. "That's almost like a 30% decrease from last month.."
"Oh? You make millions of gold each month?" I asked, twirling a strand of my hair around my finger.
Tsuna smiled at my curiosity, looking up at me with a nod. "Mhm, we trade in our Diamond Sea Pearls across the continent as those materials are rather popular to make into Augment Orbs for weapons, armors, and accessories. It's rather popular within the northern parts of Uthea."
"Really? A 30% decrease may not sound detrimental to the likes of me, but for you, it sounds rather bad. I wonder what could have caused such a decrease.." I said, closing my eyes to think.
Tsuna chuckled at my thoughtful expression, turning her attention back to her court. "Alright. Next is our Havests. What are those percentages looking like?"
"We harvested around...60% this month," Sera answered, typing on her high-tech device.
Tsuna grumbled lightly, closing her eyes. "What the hell..? Even a 40% decrease in harvests? What is going on right now? Alright, can you explain to me why there's decreases going on?"
"Negative. No noticable detections in the area," Sera responded, swiping on various security footage from around the kingdom during the month.
"I think I might have an idea!" Saffron said, raising her hand.
Tsuna glanced at Saffron, crossing one leg over the other. "Enlighten me, Lady Doe."
"Remember Hilda and Rene? The daughters of the King you killed five years ago? Well I think they might be behind this! They always talked about how they were gonna exact their revenge against you using their Black Waves or whatever they said. The Ignia Falls where we do part of our harvests have been contaminated with black waters," Saffron answered, her tail swishing from side to side.
"I'm currently studying these black waters to understand their properties better, but so far I haven't found anything. Not a purifier or a cure," Saffron continued.
"To add with her statement, a lot of our fishermen have been getting injured in other parts of the harvest areas like Riverside Cave, Seafoam Lake, Ignia Falls, and Almeria City," Phoebe added, holding her Grimoire close to her chest.
"Sheesh...all of this happening right under my nose? Can't a Queen just go out and relax in the outskirts for two seconds..?" Tsuna sighed, looking up at the ceiling.
I glanced at Tsuna and hummed thoughtfully, tapping my finger against my arm with my arms crossed. "How close are these locations from here?"
"North, West, East, and South. Riverside Cave is north from the palace, Seafoam Lake is west from here, Ignia Falls is east from here, and Almeria City is South from here, a water city hidden within the outskirts of Rivule," Tsuna answered with her eyes closed. She finally opened her eyes then sat up in her seat.
"Alright, looks like we're gonna have to go out and fix the issues one at a time. We've already collected this month's resources so we should start getting rid of these anomalies before they become nationwide threats," Tsuna said, gazing between everyone in front of her. "Any suggestions?"
"I suggest running Emergency Procedures first, and I could call my sisters for support, though I don't think Elisa will answer as she and Milcham are having their 3 year anniversary," Sera said, setting down her device. "We will just have to suffice with Lyna."
"Even without a cure or purification solution for the black waters, I can use my Alchemy to slow down the contamination process! Having black waters in one area is better than having it contaminate every part of the waters around Rivule," Saffron suggested.
"I'm not too good on the battlefield, but I will help out as much as I can and be sure to make good use of my Healing Techniques," Phoebe said, nodding her head.
Tsuna listened to each suggestion with open ears then nodded her head. She stood up and her eyes flashed with a hint of determination. "Alright, all of your suggestions seem logical enough to work out. Here's the plan, we will split into two groups. Ryoma and I will take Riverside Cave to deal with whoever has been harming our soldiers and you three take Ignia Falls for now so that Saffron can slow down the contamination."
"Afterwards, we move to Seafoam Lake to fix the issue there and finally, Almeria City," Tsuna finished, glancing between Sera, Saffron, and Phoebe. "I trust you three to complete your tasks. If you need me or Ryoma, we're just a call away."
Sera, Saffron, and Phoebe nodded their heads. "Yes, Your Highness," They said in unison.
"Alright, Court is dismissed!" Tsuna ordered, watching everyone leave the courtroom.
I glanced at Tsuna, noticing a rare form of nervousness inside her. I walked closer to her, placing my hand on her back. "Tsuna..."
"I'm alright, darling... It's just that this is the first something this serious has happened. These phenomenons don't seem like they happened randomly. These were timed because I always go out to visit Almeria City and the outskirts...and the fact that Almeria City is one of the targeted locations means I had a stalker the entire time," Tsuna fretted, placing her hands on her desk and closing her eyes.
I gently rubbed her back, comforting her in her time of need. "You won't be alone in this, Tsuna. Just like old times, you'll have me to fight along side. Also you have your retainers to assist as well. If everything goes right, we'll have everything fixed by tomorrow.."
Tsuna glanced at me, a soft smile curling on her lips. She stood up straight then stepped closer to me, placing her hand on my chest. "Thank you for your reassurance, my beloved..~ I trust you are right and everything goes as smoothly as possible.."
I nodded, returning her smile. Tsuna leaned into me, planting a soft, tender kiss on my lips. Our eyes closed to savor the taste of each other's lips before having to break apart.
"Now that one round sounds amazing at a stressful time like this.." Tsuna said half jokingly, a soft giggle escaping her lips.
"Don't worry, I'll be sure to alleviate that stress from you once all has been dealt with... For now, let go handle business," I said, gently patting her cheek.
With that, Tsuna and I began to make our way out of the royal courtroom and prepared our long journey north of the kingdom to the Riverside Cave. Even with her initial nervousness, I could tell Tsuna was now a bit more resolute and determined with me by her side in her kingdom's time of need.
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