บท 39: Royal Treatment
Time passed by in a blur for me as I trained, plotted, and contemplated.
Before I realized it, ten days had passed by on Earth while I slowly got my body accustomed to moving on its own energy once again and sorted out my affairs with my family and Seonhwa.
And then I headed back to Paradise, but not before giving Kim Hannah another call to let her know.
The familiar transfer gate, walking out into the nostalgic dirty streets of Haramark... And then I arrived at Carpe Diem's office.
Or rather, what was formerly Carpe Diem's office.
Seeing the changed building, I blinked and said, "Huh."
Since I spent ten days on Earth, that meant a month had passed on Paradise.
And it seemed like that month had brought a lot of changes.
For one, the building across the street from Carpe Diem's office had completed as well. It was an elegant residential building, almost like an apartment complex.
But that didn't matter so much as the place I was staring at now.
Carpe Diem's office was the same... Only it was extended now. Like a madman had stitched the Elysium headquarters with Carpe Diem's. While effort had been made to show some unity of design, namely changing the building to match Carpe Diem's white color scheme, it mostly looked like someone had just gotten the stretch tool and pulled the building over to connect it.
I sighed and muttered, "I should have known better than to let Ian handle the design."
There was a difference between 'practical' and 'aesthetic'... and it seemed that guy didn't know it.
Still, the building seemed to be functional.
I decided to stop by Carpe Diem's side first to check in. But when I entered the place, it was empty.
Since that was the case, I wandered into the other side as well.
Ian had made some renovations, making more bedrooms and bathrooms. But the building on the other side was practically the same. The only major difference was that the laboratory in the basement was expanded and filled with a bunch more random things.
Surprisingly, Flone was absent as well.
I thought she might be around waiting... but in the end, it *had* been a month.
Since everyone was out, I decided to get in some proper training.
I'd never tried the training facility at Carpe Diem's side, but I was sure they wouldn't mind me using it.
So I went and did some light workouts, not going too hard, and waited.
But surprisingly, no one came back after a day passed. It seemed like everyone was busy... Or maybe they were on a group mission? Either way, I had the place to myself.
Since that was the case, early the next morning I locked the buildings up and went to go job around Haramark to build up my cardio. For good measure, I tossed on some weighted clothing to increase the load, since it was definitely going to be too easy just with my normal outfit.
With new sneakers and workout clothes, I ran through the streets of Haramark. People glanced at me, but quickly went about their own business.
I rounded the corner, about to get into my stride-
"Hm?"
-And then had to immediately swerve to avoid a woman carrying a large paper bag filled with bread and vegetables.
But it was impossible. With my speed and stride, I couldn't stop on my own without breaking something... So I resorted to energy manipulation to kill my momentum.
Thankfully, my body didn't rebel against the act.
I sighed and bowed my head to apologize. "I'm sorry, Miss-"
"Jihu? You've returned?"
A familiar female voice called out to me. Stern and refined.
I blinked and looked up to see Claire staring at me, dressed in a maid outfit.
"Claire?"
She nodded. After that, she glanced at my outfit and said, "Training?"
"Yeah." I scratched the back of my head and said, "Didn't expect to run into anyone though... Guess I need to build my awareness as well."
Claire frowned and said, "I would have thought such a feat was unnecessary, what with your stats."
I shook my head and said, "It would normally be the case... but it seems like a problem came up from an imbalance. To correct it, I'm training while restricting my senses to just the ordinary ones."
"Ah." Claire nodded. "Understandable."
Seeing a familiar face, I decided to walk with Claire a bit and talk. "How have you been? It's been a month here, right?"
She smiled and continued on her way. "It has. And I have been well. The injuries I sustained previously are completely gone... Ah." She paused and reached for her left hand. "Your ring-"
"Keep it." I shook my head and said, "It was a gift. And anyway, the fact that it saved your life is worth more than me having it."
Claire flushed and then shook her head. "You are far too generous, Jihu. If you continue to be like this in the future, trouble may come your way."
I nodded. "So be it. I'd rather those I care about be safe and protected and deal with the fallout than regret not protecting them in the first place."
Claire stared at me for a while and then sighed. "You truly are..." She shook her head and then said, "So what have you been up to on the other side? Since you took so long, I presume there were affairs to settle?"
"Mmhm. Mostly I wanted to get the imbalance straight. My body's passively taking in energy all the time, so I wanted to go to a place without so much ambient mana to figure out how to stop that."
"Ah... Indeed. With your ridiculous mana, it would be a problem." A wry smile crossed her face and she said, "It must be interesting, dealing with a situation most would not face in their entire life."
I shrugged.
After chatting for a bit with Claire, as well as a brief request to help spar in a couple of days, we parted ways and I headed back home.
But as I went to drop off my stuff in my room and change into workout clothes, I noticed a letter tucked into the side of the front door. Although the handwriting was foreign and the letters definitely weren't familiar, I could somehow make sense of it.
[I heard you got back from the Temple. Don't forget your promise! Come meet me for dinner tonight, alright?]
"Oh right. Teresa..."
I didn't know where everyone else was, but there was still her.
I thought back to the princess and how traumatizing that event must have been when I tossed her away and got stabbed about a half dozen times before vanishing. Probably... a good idea to properly apologize to her.
Since I didn't have anything else to do and since everyone else was gone, I changed into some nicer clothing, a black suit and pants. After that, I crafted an elegant pink diamond bracelet that would heal her in a pinch as an apology gift.
I managed to finish just as the sun was setting and got up to leave. But when I did, someone knocked on the door.
Considering the fact that my friends would have just walked through the door, it had to have been a visitor.
I opened the door to check and then was greeted with a man well over six feet tall. His entire body was muscled, looking like a gladiator, and a long scar stretched across his nose.
"Are you the Earthling known as Seol?"
"That's right."
The man sized me up and gave me an approving nod when he saw my physique and clothes. "I'm Jan Sanctus. I've come to escort you under Princess Teresa's orders."
A gravelly voice that rumbled like thunder.
He was the epitome of an intimidating general.
Even so, I gave a calm smile and said, "Nice to meet you, Jan." I brushed off my clothes and then said, "Well then. Lead the way."
xxx
Haramark's Royal Palace was buzzing with activity when we arrived. Communication crystals glowed, people ran about.
Even so, Jan ignored it and led me to the grand hall. After we arrived, he politely bowed and left.
Thus, now alone, I stepped inside the hall. The moment I did, I saw a young woman wearing a pink dress. She turned to look at me, her pink hair shifting with the action, and a bright smile showed on her face. Teresa.
"Jihu!" She walked over as if to give me a hug, but then paused and looked back.
A hearty laughter echoed from the man seated upon the throne.
I shifted my gaze to observe him.
A middle-aged man with calm but steely eyes. His blonde hair and beard were both neatly groomed. Paired with his willowy appearance, he looked more like a scholar than the king of Haramark. But even so, I didn't underestimate him.
Prihi Hussey, the king of Haramark, one of the seven kingdoms that survived the foreign races' invasion.
That fact alone made him worthy of respect.
"My." He smiled and said, "To see my daughter react so strongly to a man... Is it the first in this old man's lifetime?"
"Father!" Teresa coughed and then looked to me with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Jihu. I usually don't bring guests, so..."
I waved my hand and said, "It's fine." I walked up to Prihi and then bowed my head. "It's an honor to meet you, King Prihi."
"An honor, huh?" Prihi chuckled and said, "I understand what you mean by that, but it's fine." He gestured for me to raise my head.
I did.
Prihi shook his head and said, "Think of me as just a simple village head or whatever you like."
I nodded. "Understood. But I feel a bit uncomfortable treating Teresa's father so casually... So is Mister Hussey fine?"
"Mister Hussey..." Prihi chortled and said, "That's fine. But Teresa's father, eh? You sure know how to pick them, Dau-"
"Ahem!" Teresa coughed and then walked over to grab my arm. "Let's go, Jihu. You must be hungry, right?"
Prihi didn't laugh, but his eyes glimmered with mirth. It was clear that he was enjoying it.
I still felt apologetic to Teresa, so I shrugged and went with the flow.
xxx
The dining room. Unlike what I expected, it was an ordinary stone table that was the average size for a small group. In short, the opposite of a grand banquet hall that I was thinking of.
Still, the food on display, towering silver platters with all sorts of foods, showed the esteem expected of a royal dinner. While no real delicacies, a consequence of the chaotic area, it would be hard to say that the food wasn't well prepared or cooked.
After sitting down, Teresa handed me a plate and said, "Help yourself, Jihu. There's no need to be reserved."
"Indeed." Prihi nodded and said, "After all, the Hero of Haramark deserves this much."
I frowned. "Calling me Hero of Haramark is a bit-" I shook my head and said, "While I don't deny saving Teresa and helping out at Arden Valley, I've done far from enough to deserve that title."
"My." Prihi gave me a reevaluating look and said, "To be so modest in spite of your efforts... I must admit that you're a great deal different from other Earthlings."
I winced at that and bowed my head. "I apologize for them. You and Teresa probably have had to endure a lot..."
Prihi waved his hand. "It's not so bad. We've taken things as a matter of life. But it is definitely refreshing to have an Earthling who acts like you do."
Teresa nodded. "He's great, isn't he, Father?"
"Mmhm. Ah, but enough idle chatter. Come, let's eat first and discuss the rest after."
xxx
The dinner ended quietly. After we finished, maids came out to clean up the table and then brought out tea.
Prihi took a sip from his cup and then looked at me. "The Haramark Royal Family is always fair when it comes to rewards and punishments."
I paused. 'Rewards?'
"Your achievements... They're quite numerous. Setting Arden Valley aside, you saved the Ramman Village, came up with and executed the rescue operation, and finally destroyed the laboratory. Furthermore, words has come from the Federation that you saved their agents during your return to Haramark from the laboratory." Prihi paused and said, "After much deliberation on rewards befitting your achievements, I came to a conclusion."
I glanced over at Teresa to see what was going on.
She averted her gaze.
Seeing that made me frown.
Prihi looked at me and said, "I truly hope you like it." With that, he gestured to a maid at the side. With that, she left and promptly returned with a plate covered by a white cloth. And on that cloth...
'Gold bars?'
...Were a small pyramid of three solid gold bars.
My frown deepened.
Prihi continued talking. "This item is extremely easy to convert to Earth's currency. In terms of gold coins, I believe it should be- Hm?" He stopped when he noticed my expression. "Do you not like the reward?"
"It's not that I don't appreciate the sentiment, Mister Hussey... But..."
I paused, remembering Arbor Muto back at Ramman Village and the villagers struggling for a means of survival.
"Would it be possible to ask for something else?"
Prihi stared at me and slowly nodded. "If it is within reason."
I glanced at the bars and said, "Would you be able to prepare new habitable land in Haramark?"
"Land?" Prihi's eyes went wide. "I suppose that is possible... But what for?
I explained Ramman Village's situation as well as the village head... Arbor Muto's role in the expedition.
Prihi frowned. "That is quite difficult. The castle is already at max capacity. A few dozen might be acceptable, but hundreds of villagers..." He glanced back at the gold and said, "Still. With these gold bars, I can look favorably upon the request. However." He looked at me and said, "Why?"
"Hm?" I tilted my head. "What are you asking?"
"You are an Earthling, are you not? Is there a reason to do so much for Ramman Village?" He shook his head and said, "Simply supplying food would suffice. Going so far..." He shook his head and said, "The current Haramark can barely afford to look after its people. Depending on the circumstances we face, I can easily decline your request of kindness. So... None would criticize you for taking this gold."
Prihi leaned forward. "Thus, I would like to know your reasons."
"Well..." I frowned and glanced at Teresa.
Did... she not tell her father of the money I gave her?
She averted her gaze, idly whistling.
...Yeah. She definitely didn't tell her father.
I glanced back at Prihi and said, "There are three main reasons for me doing so."
Prihi nodded, waiting.
"One... I have a rule- No, a creed that I live by. Return goodwill with goodwill and malice with malice. Ramman Village helped me out, and so I'd like to do all I can do to help them back out. It might seem a bit excessive to you, but if it's within my capability to do so, I don't mind."
"Mm... And the second reason?"
"The second... It bothers me." I frowned and said, "I know it's impossible to save everyone I come across and that there are going to be those who fall through the cracks to the shadows... But if I can save those in front of me and help them out, why not?"
Prihi's eyes widened. "I... see. And the last?"
"The last... Well." I rubbed the back of my neck and said, "To be honest... I don't need money?" For emphasis, I held out my left hand and produced a gold bar just as large as the one on the table.
Prihi looked dumbfounded. And then he laughed. A true, heartfelt, bubbly laugh.
"Father?" Teresa looked confused and stared at her father.
xxx
Prihi shook his head and stared at the young man across from him.
It had been a mystery. His daughter, the tomboy who never so much gave a man a passing glance, had fallen so deeply for someone to the extent of marching to the Temple of Gula to use the Royal Oath for resurrection.
It was unfathomable. And so, as much as his daughter looked forward to the dinner to reunite with the young man, he had looked forward to it to see the character of the one who changed his daughter.
And seeing him, Prihi understood.
Seol Jihu. The level two Warrior who did the impossible not once, not twice, but three times. Securing Arden Fortress when it was on the verge of crumbling, rescuing the princess against all odds and destroying the mass production facility, and then returning alive, having saved key members of the Federation on his return trip.
Those feats alone were worthy of respect. But they weren't enough to impress his daughter to the extent that she seemed to be by the young man. Teresa wasn't the sort of person who could have her heart be moved by just that.
But with the young man's request and his response...
A man who returned what he received, be it malice or kindness seven fold.
A man who could not bear the injustice before his very eyes.
And most importantly... A man for whom money had no meaning as he could produce it at a moment's notice.
It was an impossibility. The young man seated before him was a person that should not exist. No, it was more accurate to say that he was a miracle that had been desperately sought but never found.
A true 'Hero' that would not be swayed by selfish benefits like other Earthlings. One who was moved by the injustice and acted fairly.
Recalling Seol Jihu's request, Prihi smiled.
xxx
"Fine. I, Prihi Hussey, hereby permit all villagers of Ramman Village to settle in the city. The gold bars rewarded to Seol Jihu shall be used to support them both materially and spiritually."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
Prihi waved his hand. "It is of no concern... But what else?"
"Hm?"
Prihi folded his hands together and said, "Surely you have some personal request? After all, you have yet to receive a proper reward."
I paused. "I... Hm. There isn't really anything I need..."
"Hah." Prihi shook his head. "How troublesome. True heroes indeed are difficult to please."
"Huh?" I blinked and shook my head. "Mister Hussey, I'm not a hero."
He smiled back and nodded. "As you say... Now, I will have to get going." He picked up the gold bars and said, "It will take a few days to develop a plan for your request, so this humble self will leave for the night."
"Father, you're leaving?" Teresa stared after him with innocent eyes and said, "You should stay a little longer?"
"Hoho." Prihi looked amused and said, "I have quite the vixen as my daughter. Don't say something you don't mean, my dear. Furthermore, it would be rude to interfere between the quality time of the princess and her hero, would it not?" With that, he waved and left us alone.
An awkward silence.
Teresa coughed and said, "Don't mind my father. He is a bit... well, ruling has taken to toll on him, you see?"
It was a flat excuse, but I let it be and nodded. Afterwards though, I frowned and said, "That's fine. But that aside... Did you never tell your father that I didn't need money?"
Teresa coughed and looked shy. "W-Well... what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? Besides, it's not like the castle treasury needs that much more money."
I gave her a blank stare and said, "I gave you a hundred platinum coins. Isn't that like... a thousand of those gold bricks?"
Teresa coughed again and then sidled over to me. "A-Anyway... How are your injuries? Are you well?"
Seeing the concern in her eyes, I felt a twinge of guilt. "I'm fine now. But... are you?"
"Hm?" Teresa blinked.
I shook my head and said, "I probably worried you a lot, right? Not to mention that time they spent torturing you... Have you had nightmares?"
Teresa looked confused, and then a bright smile crossed her face. "Ooh, why do you have to be so cute and concerned?!"
"...I take it that you're fine then."
Teresa nodded. "I'm a tough girl, you know? It'll take more than that to keep me up at night."
I frowned. "...Weren't you the one shouting at me to kill you when I found you?"
"Ah." Teresa flushed. "T-That was then, alright? Now I know you'll sweep in to save me if I'm in trouble, so I'm not worried."
My frown deepened.
"Anyway." Teresa spun her chair around and leaned on its backrest, looking up at me. "It's been a while since I've seen Father laugh. You must have really made an impression on him."
I shrugged. "I tend to have that effect on people."
"Oh? What happened to the modest and humble hero that saved me?"
"Who said heroes have to be modest and humble? I'm well aware of how awesome I am."
Teresa grinned and then sidled closer to me. "So... You might not have wanted a reward, but I still feel the need to give you one, you know?"
I sensed danger. Not only that, but I could see the crimson threads completely wrap around Teresa... as well as the pink hearts in her eyes.
"In that case..." I gave a slow response and scanned Teresa's body.
She flushed and looked excited, squirming a bit under my gaze.
"How about some training?"
"Training?" Teresa purred. "I like the sound of that..."
"Oh I know you do. But you'll probably hate me afterwards." I stood up.
She did as well and said, "How about we go to my bedroom and train there, hm?"
I nodded. "That's perfect... But it's soundproof, right?"
"Of course, my beloved hero."
"Good. I'd hate for people to barge in because of the screams... Ah, and you don't have anything important to do tomorrow, right?"
"For you, I can put everything else aside." She stood up and draped herself around my left arm, pressing it between her chest.
"Great. Because you won't be able to get up tomorrow."
"That's a bold claim." She looked up at me, her breath slightly irregular. "Are you suuure you can back that up?"
"Well, let's find out."
xxx
That night, Teresa's pained screams echoed throughout the royal bedchambers, followed by gasps of pleasure.
Of course, that sound was shut off from the world.
Teresa had lied about the soundproofing, but the one responsible for her screams had taken that into account when he started.
By the time morning came, Teresa laid in her bed, blood and sweat staining her body. Her clothes were ripped bare and her body was exposed.
The man responsible for the act was long gone, having secreted himself away in the middle of the night with some sort of invisibility magic.
"That... bastard..." Teresa let out a dry laugh, remembering the beast responsible for her current state.
He truly kept to his word. Like he said, she wasn't able to move a single muscle.
However, while the result was the same, the method that she thought he would do it was completely off. Still, she couldn't argue with it after it was finished.
"...What a selfish, selfless guy." Teresa muttered and stared off into space in a daze. Or more accurately, at her status screen.
Her physical stats, stuck at Intermediate, had increased to High (Low). Not only that, but her mana and luck had increased as well, her mana rising to High (low) to match her physical stats and her luck rising to Intermediate (low).
Saying that he didn't want her to run off and die on him, Jihu ripped her clothes off and then forcibly reinforced her body. After that, he injected his mana into her circuits and refined them, purifying her own mana in the process. And he even somehow raised her luck, using some divine spell to do so.
It was painful. It was wonderful. And it was definitely something that guy would do in hindsight.
She saw it. He was clearly interested in her. And since she was willing, he could have taken her then and there. But instead, he used it as an excuse to help her out instead of satisfying himself.
Well, she would have been satisfied too, but that was a minor detail.
"...You bastard. How am I ever going to look at another guy now?" Teresa muttered.
Giving her so much money. Saving her life and her dream. And now not only protecting her, but instead giving her the means to protect herself. And the parting words he gave her...
'If you really want to reward me, get stronger. Knowing that you'll be fine no matter what I do or the enemies I make... That's the only thing from you I would ever ask.'
A selfish selfless guy. The sort of person who stole the hearts of countless maidens not because he promised them the world, but because he gave them something better: the capability to take it for themselves.
"...Dammit. What kind of bad luck did I have in my past life to meet a bastard like you?"
While she cursed him out with her words, her heart was warm.
With a sigh, she closed her eyes, planning to get some rest to soothe her aching body.
And then the door opened.
"Daughter, I was hoping to ask your thoughts about- Oh."
Teresa's eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up. "Daddy! It's not what you- Urgh." She clutched her abdomen and quickly laid back down.
Jihu had given her a mana core to act as a back up for when her regular mana ran out. But as a side effect, her abdomen was still sore.
Prihi blinked non-stop and then said, "My, my. Should I be calling young Jihu son-in-law instead?"
"Argh... Like I said, it isn't like that! Jihu and I just... had some training last night."
"Training."
Teresa flushed, realizing the state she was in and said, "T-That's right! He didn't lay a hand on me- Um, well I guess he laid a few hands on me. B-But we didn't get that far! I mean, he didn't do that! I mean... Argh!"
Prihi laughed. "No, no. It's fine. The fact that a man was able to tame my lion of a daughter to be a meek kitten is reward enough. Even in the worst case, I suppose it wouldn't be a bad thing to take in a man like him... No, should I say that we'd be lucky to have any sway? Doubtless others will be eyeing him if the truth of his capabilities comes out."
"Da-ddy! Like I said, it's not like that!"
"Mm. If it is not, then I wish you the best of luck, Resa. You'll doubtless have plenty of competitors in the future, so fight hard!"
And with that, the door closed again. From beyond it, Prihi's muffled voice said, "I'll cancel your day's obligations! Rest well!"
Teresa groaned and leaned back on her bed in embarrassment.
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