Monarch's Rebirth: Chapter 26

I entered the dining room where I found Alaric waiting for others to arrive and the food to arrive. He waved at me as I entered the room with Alyssa following behind me. Alaric seemed pleased that I brought her along with me and took our seats.

"I'm quite surprised you can still even function. You're a hero, Artorius. You really take after your father." He told me as I took my seat.

"I did what I should. It's a king's duty." I told him back with a smile. "Well I do have to talk to you about your transport revolution with Alexander. Tell me more." He said with a curious look on his face.

"I have the idea of creating a great vehicle that can move hundreds of people across kingdoms and empires within a day or hours. The steam locomotive."

His jaws hung open as I told him what the train could do. He seemed surprised and gawked at me for a moment before getting the hang of himself. "Can you explain further?" He asked me.

I gave a grin and took a sip of my water before starting the explanation.

"There's this machine called the steam engine. It converts steam from water and creates power. The steam goes into pistons that use the steam to create power. This power that generates from the steam can be used to power the pistons that move the wheels of the steam locomotive. This can then be used to move at speeds never seen before."

I'm pretty sure I said some of the information wrong but as long as he's interested in it, I can get him to pay for the entire thing and I will not go into debt trying to make it.

He looked at me, bewildered but impressed. "I can't wrap my mind around what you just said. This seems like something that can really revolutionize the world."

Bingo. I got him in my grasp now. I clear my throat before speaking out once more. "It can, your majesty. This will really make us all be at peace as it only needs three people to operate. Only three people needed to carry hundreds of people across kingdoms and empires with all their belongings."

Alaric listened along with more interest, almost leaning over to hear it all properly. "That's wonderful! I really hope this can become a reality. Matter of fact, can I be of any assistance to you and Alexander in this project?"

"Money."

"I already assumed that. Sylas, could you bring me my cheque book? I really need to invest in this revolutionary idea."

Well that was easy. I expected he needed more of a push since he's the one that's always devious. Or is this his plan all along? He isn't this easy to push over to sign me a cheque of money.

I smiled at him as he said that he would be giving me money with no second question. Inside my head I was going through multiple scenarios of what ulterior motive he had.

His assistant brought him his cheque book and I became more and more skeptical and suspicious of him. Is he really going to give me money that easily?

He writes down an amount that I couldn't see. He signs it and hands it off to his assistant. "Ten thousand gold coins. Sent to your treasury from my bank. Will this suffice?" He said with a sparkling smile on his face.

He really was serious.

"That is really kind of you, my majesty! I cannot believe you would invest in this little development of ours so easily! This really is a blessing!" I told him, being overly nice and exaggerating my feelings on this.

"You don't have to flatter me so much, Artorius. This is the least I could do for you two. Go and change the world now!" He said back, mimicking my energy.

Is he mocking me?

As my glib tongued play came to a close, Amadeus entered the dining room and sat down in his usual seat next to me. "Good afternoon, prince Amadeus. I forgot to greet you this morning at the speech." I told him, trying to be overly nice to him as well.

Amadeus and I had grown an odd bond. We both had an interest in literature and he also seemed to like Amelia a lot. "Good afternoon, King Artorius. It's okay that you did not greet me this morning. You seemed more busy saving the lives of dozens and my own to greet a prince."

"Don't flatter me! It had to be done by someone." I told him while laughing off the near death experience like it was a daily occurance. Well once it was but not anymore.

"I am quite impressed by your bravery. As a prince I really have a lot to learn from you when filling in my father's shoes." He told me as he closed his book and kept it on the table. Alaric looked at him as if he just committed a sin.

I gave him a warm smile to make him not be uncomfortable and told him, "You have a role model like your father. You will fit into his shoes perfectly fine."

"You think so? I feel really pressured when thinking about it. I just want to read books in peace!" He exclaimed as he took the book from the table and opened it.

"You can do that too while working. Which book are you reading right now?" I asked him, trying to make small talk as usual.

"This one is about a prince and a princess' love story. They were once enemies but they slowly made amends and the princess fell for the prince. It's really wholesome!"

He seems to like all forms of literature, how adorable. "You like all types of stories, don't you? I like reading quite a bit too. Though I am too busy nowadays to read, I do enjoy myself with tales and stories."

Don't ask me about my favourite book. I don't know myself since I barely read any books here.

His eyes lit up as I said that I was also a bit of a bookworm. "Really!? What's your favourite genre? Mine is fantasy!" He exclaimed like a small child talking about his interest to his father.

Alyssa and Alaric giggled as he seemed so enthusiastic to meet someone who also reads books. Does no one read books in this world? "Isn't that surprising? I also like fantasy too! Especially action fantasy. I also like wholesome romance plots too. I like anything that's written well."

He smiled at me happily and turned back to his father. "See? Even King Artorius likes reading! I wish more people were like King Artorius, He's so cool!"

I accidentally became his role model. I sigh and shrug as Alaric looks at me with a smile. "It's not that uncommon to find people that like books. There are more, just not many princes and monarchs that like to read." Alaric said, trying to calm down his hyper son who is so excited about books.

Felix and Alexander came into the room and greeted me with a huge smile. I wondered why Felix was seen as a butler but also allowed to sit and eat with the nobles. He must be special.

Alexander and Felix sat in the same exact seat as before. Amelia came down from my head and curled up in her seat, waiting for food to arrive. It was already two o' clock and food should arrive soon. Maybe when Lady Serena comes in.

"How was the explosion, Artorius? Must've been quite the hit to the stomach." Alexander asked me as he took his seat. "It wasn't bad. You should try it one day." I told him back in a joking manner.

Alexander laughed it off hysterically. "I will, one day." He said as he looked around the room.

I laughed off his sarcasm and waited for Lady Serena to come.

Not long after she did arrive. She came in and took her seat next to Alyssa who was excited to see Lady Serena. They seem to have formed a close relationship with each other.

And as I suspected the food would come after Lady Serena would enter the room. "Finally! I've had it with these noble chatters. I just want food!" Amelia exclaimed as the food came in.

"You and I really are similar. I was getting tired of this chatter between the nobles. Except when Alexander and Felix came in. I'm fine with these two."

We were served some bread and soup this time. The soup was a creamy mushroom stew. It was, as expected, delicious. Perfect for a starter. The bread was soft and went well with the stew.

I glanced over at Alyssa who was happily eating. She really has changed in just a day, she just needed some sense knocked into her face. Her cheeks were puffed up from the food she was chewing, she must've starved herself on purpose for days.

"Papa! Alyssa's aura changed! It's green now!" She exclaimed as she ate her stew and bread.

"That's good to know. She must be in a happy mood then." I replied back, munching away at the delicious bread that I dipped into stew.

Amelia as usual made a mess on her face after having the stew and I had to clean her up. The main course was served and I wasted no time in finishing it. Today was poultry with some vegetables on the side. I was served wine and I gladly accepted all of the wine.

Felix looked at me with a concerned look as I drank four glasses of wine. "Are you sure four glasses of wine is good for you for lunch?" He asked me while drinking away his second glass.

"I'm a heavy drinker. This barely affects me." I said while asking for the fifth refill.

The wine was of quality. It must've been prepared and made months ago for it to give off such a distinct taste from all the ingredients used to make it. I could not give up such good quality wine!

Alaric looked at me with a stunned expression as I drank my eight glasses of wine with no sign of slowing down. "I knew you were a heavy drinker but so much tolerance? I feel lightheaded from just one glass." He said, surprised that I can keep drinking even more.

"I love wine! Especially of such high quality. I cannot just have three refills and be satisfied!" I said while laughing hysterically. I was losing my mind.

"Papa! Slow down! That's enough wine!" Amelia exclaimed as I drank my final glass of wine. The thirteenth.

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Fine. I feel satisfied now anyways." I said before finishing my green peas and carrots. The chicken was steamed and given a nice mix of spices. It was slightly spicy but nothing to someone like me.

"How did you gain such a high alcohol tolerance?" Amadeus asked after seeing me chug down an entire bottle by doing refills. "Just born with this." I simply told him before cleaning my mouth with my handkerchief.

I had to act like trash from time to time. I can't forget that I was once a trash that changed, it's in my veins to have high alcohol tolerance and also chug down bottles of wine and whiskey.

"Thank you for the lunch, your majesty. Since my business in the capital is finished I will take my leave to attend to other business." I said before getting up and picking up Amelia. "I have to head to the Triveni kingdom for a meeting with the count."

Alexander turned around towards me as I walked to the door. and got up as well. "How coincidental. The count's son just happens to be sitting at the table as well." He said mischievously. "I have been waiting for this meeting since the day we met."

"Thank you for your hospitality, your majesty. It has been quite the eventful day since we made it to the castle. We will meet once more sometime soon I hope." Felix says as he also gets up. How did we finish our food at the same time?

"Very well. It was a pleasure housing you in the castle. If it weren't for you I think right now I'd be trying to explain the death of dozens of people. Thank you." Alaric says as the three of us leave the room.

I looked back at Alaric one last time before leaving. I give an approving smile before waving goodbye with my hands. "Make sure to get some answers out of that guy, and check for more traitors." I told him before walking out the room.

I couldn't tell what his reaction really was but it was definitely him smiling about it. "Pack up your luggage, Alexander. We are going to your house." I said as we walked up the first flight of stairs.

Alexander chuckles and Felix lets out a scoff. "I can't wait to take you around the Triveni kingdom. Wait till you see the difference between here and there, it's like night and day!"

"Which one is night and which one is day?" I asked him jokingly. "The sunlight barely shines through the dense forests so I would say the Triveni kingdom is night."

I laugh off his answer as we reach our rooms. Alexander goes in to pack up anything he needs to and I go to my room to check if I left anything. Felix goes into his and fixes up our bags before leaving.

"Haa~ more travelling. This should be our last visit before we get home." I told Amelia as I took my seat and rested my head on a table. "I wanna go home~" Amelia groaned while cuddling up with me.

"Let's go. I don't think Felix and Alexander would take this long."

I picked up some grapes and put them in my mouth before getting up and leaving my room for good. I turned right and Alyssa walked through the hallway to her room. Our eyes met and she gave me a warm smile. I waved back at her and expected her to just go in.

Alyssa approached me as I waved and spoke out. "Farewell, Artorius. I forgot to tell you at lunch because I was too afraid to speak out between you and Alaric. You also seemed to be in a rush." She said in a shy and mellow voice.

"I wasn't in a rush. You need to speak out more, you know? A queen needs to speak with authority when speaking." I told her as a piece of advice before leaving.

"Also, thanks for letting me hug you. I really needed it. Thank you for putting some sense through me too. Without you I wouldn't have been stable enough for the meeting."

This is getting awkward.

"Oh right, you did that. Well I am always here to help so I don't mind. I'll have to depart soon so I'll see you someday again. Farewell!"

I quickly told her that before seeing Felix come out of the room our luggages. I quickly got to him and walked away. Suddenly Alexander also came out of the room as we walked through the hallway. We all walked through the hallway and down the stairs to the foyer.

"Ah~ I was waiting for you, Artorius." Lady Serena said as we got down the last fleet of stairs. "Greetings, Lady Serena. That's really kind of you! Thank you for the hospitality at the castle. I hope we weren't too much of a hassle."

She gave a warm smile at me before peeking behind me to look at Alexander and Felix. "I hope you all go far with the project you were working on. I will be waiting to see how far you can take the world."

She really is like a nice aunt.

"I will be honoured. Farewell for now, we will see you another time." I told her before walking away and outside.

The carriage was waiting outside and this time we had no special guest, I hope. Then I remembered who was missing this whole time. Vincent.

As soon as I remembered that Vincent came with us I realised where he would be heading too now. He must be coming with us as well.

"Master Artorius~ It's been a while since we met!" Vincent's voice rang through from the carriage. Speak of the devil.

My mood turns sour but I keep going to the carriage with complaints. Vincent comes down from the front of the carriage and greets me. "Good afternoon, Vincent. Take my luggage and put it on the carriage now." I told him in a dead monotone voice.

"Of course, my lord. You must be recovering from the explosion. Such a brave hero!" Vincent said as he took the luggage from Alexander and Felix's hands.

This honey tongued bastard.

The carriage finally felt spacious as Felix and Vincent would be sitting with the chauffeur. Alexander and I would sit inside the carriage and I would just fall asleep on my seat as usual.

"Finally! Time for a nap." I said out loud before laying down on my seat. Alexander casually took his seat and laid back. "You are tired after all."

"Still need to put up a face in front of the crowd. Can't let them see me lazing around." I told Alexander as I got up from my lying position. "As expected of the hero that saved the royal family." Alexander spoke out with a smirk on his face.

The carriage slowly trotted away and out of the castle. I looked at the castle from the window behind Alexander one last time. I looked outside as the gates closed and saw the people that gathered around. Who told them I'm leaving today?

The crowds cheered as we left the palace, as if I just became the crowned king or something. I smile and wave out the window as we slowly walk through the city. An escort team suddenly starts to follow us as we pass through. Seems like I'm more important here than in my own kingdom.

"So many people are cheering us on. More like cheering you on." Alexander said as he stared out the window. "Gets annoying once it becomes a near daily thing." I said, loathing all the commotion.

The carriage was not stopped all the way through the city and we finally reached the outside of it. The city is quite big which is why it took nearly thirty minutes to even get to reach the gate. "Finally. Time to sleep.

Amelia who was sitting on my lap all this time, got up and laid on me and curled up into a ball. I start to feel drowsy and sleepy while laying down and try to get some shut eye.

"I forgot to mention. We got ten thousand gold in investment." I told Alexander out of the blue. "What!? Ten thousand? Was it King Alaric?" He exclaimed, hearing the amount the king has provided us.

"Yeah, it was Alaric who provided us the money. Let's use it wisely. It's not infinite money, not yet." I said with a devious smile. "You will squeeze him dry, won't you?" Alexander asked me, knowing my ulterior motives.

"He wants to use me. I might as well use him too."

I looked out of the window in front of me and saw the sky slowly pass by. The clouds looked so high up but I knew how to reach them. I don't want to start making aircrafts as well because that's too much of a hassle. The locomotive is hard enough, an aircraft would be even harder.

"Papa, what was your past life like?" Amelia asked me out of the blue. "My past life… as I said it was painful. We were much more advanced in the last world. There were many inventions that made life much easier."

"Can you name some of them?" She asked me, curious about my past life. "The locomotive is something that came from my past world. There is another thing called a mobile phone. It helps you connect with people much more easily from far distances. You wouldn't have to meet them to talk to them."

"So like a call orb?"

I became confused on what a call orb is. "What's a call orb?" I asked her, curious as to how this works.

"We have it at home. It's an orb that allows you to call a person from across the continent. Two orbs are connected with each other and all the kings and supreme kings have one side to it. You can only call for five minutes before it stops working though." Amelia explained enthusiastically.

Something like this existed? How is news so slow then when something like this exists? "That's interesting. I've never heard of this since coming here. This may come in handy."

The carriage trotted slowly through the long road to the Triveni kingdom. I wonder what it would look like. I've heard it's full of lush forests and thick trees. Must be a nice place to live in.

My eyes close on their own from how tired I have become. I haven't been getting much rest nowadays and the times where I do get rest it will be at a bare minimum. Even when sleeping I'm either getting brutally beaten or brutally killing people from my past life.

"Rexie? Huh, it seems like he isn't here today. Neither did Kye or Dilan come." The teacher said while taking roll calls.

I sat down on my seat, terrified of what I did just an hour ago. I left their bodies to rot in the back alley of wherever we fought and came to school.

Many of the students stared at me. I had bandages all over my limbs and head which is why I grew a lot of attention. Everyone knew I was Kye's errand boy and now got curious because I came to school but they didn't.

The teacher left the classroom and I stared outside my window blankly, thinking of how I can have it easier because they are dead. There was no way that Rexie would live. Dilan and Kye had a chance but I beat them too brutally for them to ever recover, no matter how good the surgeons may be.

Suddenly the class teacher comes rushing back inside the classroom in a panic. "Everyone! Mister and Misses Myles are coming to the classroom. Please stand up!"

The minister and his wife. Kye's parents. Mister Alvin Myles and Miss Eun Myles. This must be the end for me.

Mister Alvin storms into the room, full of anger and sadness. Miss Eun came in with him, tears rolling down her face while sobbing profusely.

"Today, we found Kye and his friends... in the back alley of a disgusting and filthy alleyway. Their bodies lay lifeless and brutally killed. Rexie had his throat stabbed by a beer bottle and my dear son… his head was beaten in with a metal pipe along with his friend Dilan."

The class gasped in shock and fear as to how this happened. I followed the class' reaction to not seem suspicious. They don't realise they are standing only a few metres away from their son's murderer.

"Kye was an amazing son. He was a sweet and lovely boy… Someone so young has passed away. What did he ever do? You all as his classmates must know how caring of a person he was. I as the minister will do my best to never let this happen to anyone." Mister Alvin said as he broke into tears himself. So he isn't here for answers but to let us know of Kye.

The homeroom teacher comforts the two sobbing parents as the class looks down in sorrow. I followed my class' movements while smiling hysterically behind my frown.

The class knew the trio as the worst. Nothing like how Mister Alvin described them to be. No one in this classroom would call the three "sweet" and "caring". Those two traits are the last adjectives to describe those three.

"Class, you are all dismissed. Today is a holiday. Go home." Our homeroom teacher said before taking Mister and Misses Myles outside.

The class looked at each other in shock and confusion. But we all heard one thing, go home. We were all happy to go home instead of doing school and that's one thing we shared in common.

The entire class picked up our bags and walked through the school hallways. We all wanted to smile and be joyful but if we did something so disrespectful, our heads would be on the execution stone.

We made it to the courtyard of the school and calmly split our ways back home. I always ran home after being beaten by Kye and his friends. This is the first time I actually went home with a group of people that won't beat me up.

"Sung Hei… This is the first time I've seen you walk home." A voice called out from behind me.

I turned around to see a girl walking just behind me. She had medium layered brunette hair that covered most of her head. "Is it? I always walk home this way." I replied back to her.

"I always walk home this way. I always see you with Kye's group of friends. It must be hard for you to lose people that close." She said, feeling sorry for me.

"Hard… Losing people…" I muttered under my breath. "Yeah, I guess you can say."