บท 123: Interlude – The Princess Testimonies part 1
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That laughter was going to give her nightmares, she knew it.
Just when she thought she had a handle on what Sir Zah and Lady Monika could do, they pull something new and ever more worrying from their… posterior. It was one thing for Sir Zah to boast being the absolute master of Wind magic…
Claiming to be partly dragon was… something completely different, seriously! Was that the reason Sir Zah seemed oddly too sympathetic to the beastkin?
But even, so… that laugh!
She could feel it – so much relief, so much joy at being alive. She looked around. Perhaps that was normal. That was how a warrior might feel at surviving a battle.
Still, his laughter. It was strange. Was that a tone of mockery that she could hear? She could tell – he was just playing. The village was ruined because he was unwilling to kill even a dragon…
She supposed that made sense. He and Lady Monika were powerful, powerful healers. She remembered how they were very careful that not even one of the bandits and mercenaries that attacked them would die. To show mercy was the luxury of the strong.
And then that dragon threatened Miss Elze and Miss Linze, and suddenly Sir Zah split the sky open. He let loose for the first time. Perhaps being pent up for so long brings such relief.
Yumina blinked. Wait that sounded a little dirty somehow. She didn't know why though.
Miss Elze approached and put a hand on his shoulder. "Playa… are you all right?"
Sir Zah clasped his burned hands over hers. "Ahahaha… aha… no. No I'm not."
He sounded so happy. It was the sort of tone that her father the used with her mother when it was time to stop being King and Queen and just a husband and wife. Miss Elze didn't fear him at all. Yumina saw Miss Linze approach from the other side.
She felt for a moment a pang of envy. Was it just the blissful ignorance of commoners who don't understand long-term implications of what people have seen today? Or just the core bravery of commoners to just not care, only that their friend was hurting?
A woman in love, a man in love… ah! Only they could be so free as to fight the world without any fear at all. How envious! Even in her moment of brashness, she was still ruled in some way by logic. To give one's heart completely to another, she envied those who had that bravery, that power!
/"Player's a bit power-drunk right now. It's not safe to approach. Only those two can do that. For one of them, it's the shield of self-delusion. For the other, it's like how familiarity breeds contempt.
/"It's actually kind of sad to see from here. This is the closest thing to a normal family-like relationship we've had since… since, forever, I guess."/
Oh hello there the other half of my waking nightmares.
Yumina squeaked. "La-lady Monika!" Yumina looked towards the miniature version of Monika walking out of a white [Boom Tube] and onto her right shoulder, then towards Sir Zah.
Oh right, she should not be hearing things from this far. She abruptly remembered that Lady Monika said she could do three things at the same time.
Lady Monika was using some sort of creepy monitoring magic. Yumina's eyes narrowed. Was she showing off? Was Lady Monika showing off how she has approved of commoners who had real strength instead of just a princess with political connections?
Yumina pouted and shouted silently: A princess can't just up and elope without causing a possible excuse for war, I get it already! Sir Zah cannot afford to be tied down, adventurers are free in the way they can just leave whenever they wanted. She was an adventurer now, but it was just a pretend life.
Lady Monika's spectral form smiled oh-so-smugly as if she was reading Yumina's internal monologue right off her face.
/"You do a lot of that."/
Oh noes so you can read my inner thoughts noooo…!
/"Player does that a lot too. I know when someone is making a dramatic monologue, but don't worry. I can't actually read your mind."/
Like I believe that.
/"Your poker face isn't as good as you think it is, my little Sun Princess. I can just feel the sarcasm wafting off those unimpressed eyes."/
On one hand, deep primal fear. On the other hand, not giving that smug face any satisfaction. Yumina saw Lady Monika smirk a little bit as she seethed inside with invisible rebellion.
Oh so conflicted! (ORZ.)
Yumina was almost glad that another bigger and scarier dragon arrived as a distraction.
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They could all feel the wind pressure coming from its wing flaps as it circled above their heads, its shape occluding the moon. Unlike the previous one, this was a red dragon, and we could see in the moonlight reflecting off its red scales just how much bigger it was than the one they just managed to defeat.
From the corner of Yumina's vision she could see the civilians all fleeing back into the forest. Fortunately there were only a few brave and women who wanted to see what remained of their homes.
From the other side, she could see Miss Yae clench her fists in impotent anger. She had no swords now, and no way to help.
As for Yumina's magic, she couldn't see how she could contribute too.
/"Know this: Were it not for the fear and rage and how this stupid dragon threatened those we care about, Player and I would not have broken through with our experimental magic system, one that could have exploded our insides if we showed even the slightest hesitation. Unlike your local magic system, the one we use have no such convenient safety features."/
"Elze, Linze… I will have to share with you my [Dragon Aspect]," Sir Zah whispered. "Get ready. Attack pattern Delta, like we practiced."
Yumina blinked. Triple Tech, fire lightning fist!
Once again, it was a sign of the sheer trust that Sir Zah had for them, that only they would fight and die together. She glanced towards Miss Yae again. Yet this obvious favoritism wasn't good for a team. It was an awful feeling to be left behind.
"Um, all right then, what does that- eek!"
Miss Linze eeped cutely. Miss Elze yelped and hopped in place.
She turned to the side and hissed "And that has to do with grabbing my ass HOW now?"
"Mister Zah!" Linze squeaked. "B-both of us?!"
Yumina blinked. She blushed and covered her eyes.
Lady Monika clapped her hands, even as she sat on Yumina's shoulder. /"Yes, Player. What are your intentions here?"/
Yumina opened her fingers to peek. The world of consenting adults surely was...!
"Haha no, idiot doesn't get to be that lucky." Elze gave him a very unimpressed stare returned only by his blank white lenses. "This is a whole new level of stupid for you."
Sir Zah nodded slowly and spoke throatily "I would happily die for you-"
Yumina squeed. Oh, how romantic.
Miss Linze quickly interrupted "Miss Monika said you're not allowed any more of that sort of gloomy talk-"
"So I go to my death a happy man!"
Miss Elze just palmed her face and groaned.
Yumina sighed and rubbed her forehead as well. Oh, how stupid.
Stupid stupid Sir Zah. Always raising her expectations only to shatter them.
/"Ahahahaha, oh proceed. Oh, how far you go just for a pun. I want to see where this goes."/
Miss Linze spoke up "Mister Zah, I think it's better if you seek to survive. More good things can happen when you return."
Miss Elze gasped. "Linze, what are you saying?!"
Miss Linze blushed and looked away. "Just… you know, running into danger excluding us is not a good thing. I appreciate that Mister Zah is sharing his magic so we can fight by his side instead of leaving us behind like useless damsels." (Here Yumina winced.) "It's better to fight to survive and come home."
To have a home. To have a reason to come home…
That was a good dream, Miss Linze.
Yumina truly envied her simple and pure commoner's soul.
The other dragon landed in front of them, in between Sir Zah and the twins and the dead black dragon, with a powerful whump of displaced air. The red dragon had a shining white mane trailing from the back of its head between its horns all the way to the tip of its tail.
And then through a wide fanged mouth it spoke in reasonably understandable human language: "Fear not. I am the red dragon, he who guards the Sanctuary Grounds.
"I have come to bring back this unruly youth but it appears I am too late. But you have done well, small ones. And for this you have my admiration. And my most sincerest apologies. This young one has caused you much trouble."
And Sir Zah whispered: "I see."
He sighed: "Death truly comes for me. In battle most of the killing happens during the rout, when one army loses their nerve and breaks."
He shouted: "It is written: those who seek death shall live, while those who cling to life will lose it!"
Squeeze. Squeeze.
Miss Elze yelped again. She turned around and –
WHAPOW.
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"[Dovah, Muh Tinvaak] Dragon, let us Speak," Sir Zah stepped forward and addressed the great wyrm. It stared back at him, tilting back its head on its long neck as the red-suited adventurer approached.
The dragon looked significantly less impressed at the cracked white face mask and the purpling bruise beneath.
"Look around you. Tell me why this is allowed to happen."
Yumina winced.
Sir Zah, no. Dragons are a powerful force. If they were all to fight, they could raze a kingdom to the ground quite quickly, it was a great thing that they only kept to the interior of Mismede along the border to Great Sea of Trees. They have many reasons to begrudge being hunted too just to be turned into magical ingredients.
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AN:
Dammit, Yumina! Stop being the new MC!
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