Save 19 - Decision

A new day has arrived after an annoying night.

At noon the cruise ship will set sail to head for the kingdom so I will enjoy a little of the sightseeing I have left to check out.

I was in the forest leading to a temple at the top of the hill. I somehow got lost as I was on the straight path and now if it wasn't for a temple maiden, I would be lost crying for help from Ixion.

Which once again disappeared for some reason. Well, we spent the whole week testing 'it' so it's only natural that I want to give it upgrades since I almost killed myself after not knowing how to use it properly.

The forest surroundings were decorated with strange oriental decorations showing that I was getting closer to the center.

After several steps I finally reached the back of the temple.

It is just as in my previous life the structure.

Wooden buildings, stone gardens and small trees that had mysterious papers hanging on them.

My eyes found an old monk sweeping and I asked him where was the place where prayers were said.

He pointed out the area and after thanking him I walked straight to it.

As someone who died and reincarnated I know that there is life after death, I still don't believe in higher entities, but it wouldn't hurt to pray to some kind being to help me. Is it hypocritical of me?

Finally, after several hours of walking I arrived at the place. I had heard from the locals that this temple is the most prosperous of all since it is home to not one but three gods who bless health, fortune and love.

Health is always good.

Fortune I was already blessed.

So the most important is the love of a beautiful girl who loves me even with this frightening face.

When I took out my purse I was going to deposit white gold coins as a tithe. Unfortunately these fell out scattering all over the place, no doubt I started the day very badly.

◇◇◇

Alisa was walking up the stairs leading to the temple.

She had not been able to come earlier as her friends told her that it would not be right to pray to other gods as they were believers of the Saint's religion.

Therefore, she waited until the last day to come alone under the excuse of last minute shopping.

Like the other students she had changed from casual clothes to her school uniform. The only new detail would be that she wears a pair of sky blue diamond-shaped earrings.

After several minutes of climbing stairs she reached the top. As she peeked her head out she noticed that someone else was there admiring the place.

When she finally put her foot on the last step the person, a student turned to look at her.

"Ah!" Both girls exclaimed. Alisa ran into Airi once again, she too was in her uniform, just like Alisa she was wearing an accessory she didn't have before. It was a beautiful brooch with a crystal rose the same color as her earrings.

Both girls stood looking at each other for a while and then Airi turned her face to walk towards the prayer altar.

Alisa made a sad expression and also walked towards the same place that was visible from their position.

They both noticed that there was someone bent down collecting coins, even if he stood up they would not be able to see his face because of the huge bells on the altar.

They were both in the same position and in unison took out their wallets. Airi deposited a silver coin while Alisa put in a few plain gold ones.

They began to pray.

◇

I finally finished collecting the coins, I don't know why it took me so long to do it if there were only twelve of them?

After standing up I inserted all the coins as if I were an arcade machine. With a loud sound I put my hands together and thought about what I was going to ask for.

(Umm... what should I ask for? I'm not greedy, but it never hurts to have more income. So I'd appreciate it if my resort was a well-visited place).

That's one, now the second.

(A long prosperous and trouble-free life would be nice. Especially that I am now almost a member of the prime minister's faction).

Now the last one.

(The most important of all no doubt is in obtaining a loving wife, who will love me, who will not be unfaithful to me and, if possible who has large breasts).

(No no no no! I must not be greedy. If she has big breasts it would be eliminating all the good facets of her, what matters is everything else. Yes, that's it. May she love me and be very playful as that is what every virgin desires).

(Alright, all planned, so let's get to work).

Wishes and prayers are usually asked silently, but in my case I will shout it to the four winds so the gods can hear me, here we go.....

I opened my mouth and...

"I wish..."

...Words came out that my head never thought in the slightest possibility of saying.

"I wish to go back to those times where the three of us were together, I wish to walk together with those girls again and laugh with them again."

"..."

"...But what a stupid thing to say."

I don't know what the hell was wrong with me to say that. As I was looking at the floor, when I opened my eyes I could tell there were two girls in different uniforms at the other end. They surely heard what I said so I'd better get out of here quickly so I wouldn't make a fool of myself.

◇◇◇

The girls were praying when they heard a familiar voice, they stood listening to everything. After a few seconds of that voice's footsteps left.

Airi started crying and shaking and ran out of the place.

Alisa stayed in the same position for a few minutes. Finally she stopped shaking and took out her wallet scattering all the coins on the altar.

She turned around and walked to the stairs and stopped first.

Without looking back she said "I wish too..."

From the bottom of the stairs she could hear the voices of her friends calling out to her. Alisa just looked at them and walked downstairs as if nothing had happened.

◇◇◇

There was not a single soul in the temple. Not even monks or maidens. There was only the empty place.

Suddenly a strong blizzard snorts at the place causing dust, branches and leaves to shake violently.

A small tree, called a wishing tree. It had several colorful papers hung on it by the locals.

One of those papers flew off revealing a native writing that when translated into Rudel's language would read "you wish will come true."

◇

I stood on the deck of the cruise ship admiring the scenery.

The island was no longer visible, not even islands around, just clouds and a wide ocean.

I wanted to enjoy standing at least for the duration of the ride home. Ixion, who was for some reason next to me, was using his stealth mode as optical camouflage.

"It was a good week wasn't it master?" -For some reason he was also chatty, what's wrong with him?

(Did you finally accept that machines are cold beings and need a little TLC?)

I wouldn't mind giving you affection... no, that sounded weird, I'd better not tell him.

Instead, I replied.

"You're right, it was a very good week except for last night and today morning."

"Upon returning to the kingdom everything will return to normal. When the vacations are over the last semester of the year will begin so you will only have the need to look for a marriage partner."

He is right. When I return to the academy I will only have to worry about finding marriage partners.

How I ended my fake friendship with my fake female friends and having no male friends. I only have to spend these remaining two and a half years alone.

That's right, alone again in this life as well as the previous one.

I was able to endure a whole life alone, so what's the problem with me spending my new life alone. Besides, I have as slave-companion a super artificial intelligence with a very big ego. I am not alone. Just in bad company it seems.

"I finally found you, Bradford."

Suddenly I was called from behind.

I recognized that annoying voice, it was too good to be true. I hadn't seen him all week so I figured he'd wandered off and wouldn't be coming home.

"Prince..."

I said his title after turning around.

There he was, wearing a black uniform, a black wig and black glasses.

I wanted to say something to him, but I better shut up.

He took off his glasses and wig and then idiotically said, "It's me, Liam von Altfode."

(Did you not hear me call you prince or does your stupidity make you deaf too?)

(Really, this guy is going to be my future King?)

My thoughts towards him will always be filled with hostility towards you for being an idiot. Even if I were a girl and a big breasted one, I wouldn't stop calling you an idiot.

You are an idiot.

I'd better ask him what he wants to get it over with.

(Ohh! But if it isn't His Highness the former crown prince. What is he doing here and what does he need from me humble person?)

I told him as sarcastic as I could sound to see his expression as he reacted. That didn't happen, he remained serious.

"There's something I want to talk to you about, it's very important." -That was what he said staring at me, it was the first time I see that idiot face can make expressions like that.

Just when I was going to answer him something else unlikely to happen happened.

"Master, this is bad, it's a surprise attack!"

Ixion shouted loudly as his optical camouflage seemed to short circuit making him visible to Liam.

A loud sound was heard from the side and as he turned to look....

"What the hell is that!!!"

...Little did he imagine the disaster that would occur.

◇◇◇

At the same time in the Royal Palace of Altfode.

There stood a man with the surname Orwel, he was a minister and a member of Alisa's father's faction.

He was in a cold sweat as he was biting his fingers locked in his office.

He kept repeating the same thing.

"It's not my fault, but that Kingsfort boy's!!!"

"I was threatened by him since I would expose my thefts of duke's goods!"

"That's right!!! I'm innocent!!! It's all the Bradford boy's fault for not dying sooner and now all those young men will die at the hands of those guys!!!"

Orwel was scared because he was threatened to make some calls to certain people, those people gladly accepted as long as they received financial compensation and weapons for their cause.

These people were part of the Talis Commonwealth.

◇

I could not believe my eyes.

"Why?"

What I'm seeing is something impossible to believe.

"Why is there something like this here?"

It shouldn't exist in this world.

"Why the hell is there...?"

But I forgot that it's a fantasy world so maybe this is possible.

"Planes in this place!?"

A large number of fighter planes straight out of some game were coming out of the clouds. The number was possibly about two dozen or three dozen. I can't count them as they like flies surround the surroundings of the ship.

The sounds of the engines and their spinning propellers are so loud that even with the sound of the wind they can be heard.

"What kind of a bad joke is this!"

The situation before my eyes is something I never imagined would happen or was possible.

I turned in panic towards Ixion who was trying to activate his optical camouflage.

Just as I was about to ask him what was going on something else appeared out of the clouds.

It was a large fleet of warships, their number was twenty-eight.

They all came from the same direction looking like a line for some festival.

Slowly they moved into a circular position to encircle the entire ship.

This is bad.

Very, very bad.

Why was this happening?

◇

The invading fleet had a special crest that represented their country. It was called the Talis Commonwealth.

It was one of Liam and his friends' enemies in the game.

They would normally appear in their second year after Liam botched an assassination attempt.

But there was a secret option that very few players knew about and that was to unlock an unanticipated invasion event.

The developers thought they were a great way to sneak mysteries and unexpected events into the game.

There was only one requirement to activate it and that was if Liam while taking any of the three cruisers ran into Airi encountering her by chance.

That had happened.

Therefore, the current situation was part of the "plot" of this world.

◇

Liam suddenly called me in amazement, not about planes or boats but about....

"Bradford, what's that strange floating sphere next to you?"

...Ixion, who was visible.

Shit.

He didn't want anyone to see him.

What could I tell him as a lie to make him believe me?

"Rudel!"

"Rudel-san!"

I heard a few times all of a sudden.

As I turned to see where those voices were coming from I observed them those girls running from different directions towards me.

Alicelotte was coming from inside the ship while Irisdina was coming from the other end of the ship.

Why were they coming with me?

The other students, servants and sailors here were screaming in panic and running straight inside, but why were you coming in my direction?

Just as they were both in each other's range of vision they stopped for a moment and then turned their attention to me. Then their gazes focused on the still visible Ixion.

What the hell are you waiting for to disguise or hide?

"Rudel, what's that floating thing next to you?" -Alicelotte said in alarm. While Irisdina said "Is that another one of your robots with strange magic?" -You're not so wrong.

Let's avoid revealing its origin for something more fanciful.

(Come on me, think, think... I got it!)

I opened my mouth to mention the most believable thing in a fantasy world while putting my left hand to point it out in a fancy way.

"It's a fairy."

For some reason everyone was flabbergasted. Don't make me feel like an idiot please. Instead, the only one who reacted was the proclaimed fairy himself.

"What kind of ridiculous joke are you mentioning, please don't insult me or compare me to the absurd things you mention!!!?"

"Don't pay any attention to him yourselves. Nice to meet you, my name is Ixion. I've met you before, but this is the first time we've engaged in conversation. I am an artificial intelligence of the old-"

"Whatever. Rudel, do you know what that fleet means?"

Without warning, Alicelotte hushed Ixion's long-awaited introduction. I didn't feel bad for him, but well done and thank you.

Now returning to the matter at hand.

"No... who are those guys?" -I asked Alicelotte anxiously as I watched some boats leave the larger ship, that must be the flagship.

"Those over there are crests of the Talis Commonwealth."

"Talis Commonwealth?" -I said and she replied "That's right. They are one of the countries that have the most enmity with us. My father told me that since a few months ago they have not been attacking us so it is strange that just now they have attacked us."

What you say is very strange, if they have not been attacking you for months why now they decide to do it?

"Rudel!!!" -She immediately yelled at me for no reason.

"Take his Highness away and hide him!" -Or so it seemed.

"No matter what, make sure to protect him, a hostage situation will definitely occur so his Highness should not be held hostage. Protect him since it is your duty as a knight."

I don't want her to give me orders, but looking at the situation it's better to listen to her, even if I don't like it.

"Let's go hide prince."

"I don't want to!!!"

The instant I said that this idiot was replying something that definitely implied he was an idiot of planetary proportions.

"What the hell do you mean no!!! do you understand the situation or do I have to kick your royal ass again to take you?"

"I understand the situation, but... but we should fight instead of hiding, is what I think..."

"..."

"Your mother gave birth to an idiot no doubt... I feel sorry for those wonderful wide hips that had to bring you into this world..."

"No, you see... what do my mother's hips have to do here and why are you mentioning them!!!?"

"I too want to know what those extra details Rudel came up with!!!"

"So do I, Rudel-san!"

I understand that I went overboard with my statement and that the idiot was annoyed, but why you two too?

Whatever.

Let's get the hell out of here.

I grabbed the idiot by the collar of his shirt and dragged him with me into the ship.

He was trying to get loose, but those girls grabbed his arms so he wouldn't fight.

◇

The enemy fleet boats had anchored at the cruiser.

I was hiding with Liam in the back of the lobby, crouched in the crowd.

The sailors didn't even try to defend themselves. I don't know whether not to blame them since these guys had long-range rifles while we only had pistols.

Most major ships have a device that activates magic shields that repel monsters and minor attacks. But for some reason they were not working, even Ixion's optical camouflage is somehow also affected, he went to hide trying to look for what caused it.

At the lobby entrance there were almost twenty armed guys, they wore black armor, their faces were terrifying, there were two that stood out.

The one who was clearly a superior in appearance only and the other who was the captain of these guys.

The guy in the uniform with medals was a thin, tall, brown eyes and brown hair. His hair was shaped like a coconut, his eyebrows were very thin almost non-existent, his face had signs of being in his late fifties, a very strange brush style mustache.

In contrast, the guy in black armor was much more striking. His color was jet black, he looked like armor made especially for his muscular body, I say he is the captain of these guys as he wears a red cape attached to his shoulder pads that look like frying pans. Unlike the guy next to him who is shorter than him, this guy seemed to reach almost 5'7", the same height as the red Chlust ape.

His face was old, very old, he looked to be in his seventies or eighties and still looked very intimidating. His beard and mustache were so long that they covered his whole mouth without a trace of his lips, his eyebrows were as thick as his arms, his weird bald head in front, but as he turned sideways to say something to the guy next to him, I noticed that the back of his hair was tied up in an oriental style bun like on the island where we were a little while ago.

Looks like the guy with the medals will say something.

"Very good afternoon nobles of the repulsive Kingdom of Altfode. I am the commodore in charge of this fleet. Count Cornello Galliast Askewell."

After his introduction he would tell us unnecessary things about his life and why they were here.

Only the latter was important.

"You entered our secret testing range."

You shouldn't reveal that to us or say that they are secret. Is stupidity normal in this world?

"And, you happen to belong to that despicable kingdom. Which is a good opportunity for us. Don't worry, we'll take you as hostages so if you behave yourselves we won't do anything to you."

The voices of these boys rose after hearing that.

"Thank heavens."

"For a second there I thought I would die."

"My house will pay a lot since I'm the heir to House Arkwright."

I stood up slightly to look at the coconut-headed guy and for a moment I noticed a terrifying smile on his toad-like lips.

"Of course, I'm only talking about the one with the highest rank of all, I can't count them all so it's hard to bring them all up, so the one or those with the highest rank will be taken with us and the rest will be sold to slave traders."

Suddenly the students, servants and sailors began to shout.

"No way!"

"I don't want to be a slave!"

"Please, my house will pay whatever it takes as my father has been evading taxes for years and makes secret deals!"

(Who said that last one? It's beside the point, but what the hell?)

The coconut head spoke again.

"Shut up!!!"

"I changed my mind! Bring me only one, the one with the highest rank, if there are several, then let it be the one with the highest income!"

Suddenly there all these bastards fell silent.

Only someone raised his voice and stepped forward.

"In that case, I am the right person."

The person who said it, was an idiot.

"My name is Alicelotte von Bismarck, daughter of Duke Bismarck. I offer myself as a hostage only if the students and members of the ship are not harmed."

(What the hell are you doing you big idiot!!!!)

(I don't have Brunhilde or Battler here with me, we were only supposed to stay as hostages until they arrive so Ixion can tear them all apart).

(Why the hell are you offering yourself as a hostage!!!? They'll take you to their ship and who knows what will happen).

(Did those huge, splendid breasts of yours suck out all the brain cells!!!?!?)

I watched from my position as Alicelotte walked towards the big armored guy.

For some reason my body started to move forward as I watched that scene.

"Wait!"

In a low voice Liam spoke to me as he was held from behind.

"These guys asked for the highest ranking guy. I mean me, Alicelotte is going with them so that way no one else will go or try to use me!"

I don't know what surprises me more, your cowardice or that you can now recognize that there are people using you?

The instant I was about to stop another voice rang out.

"Alisa don't go, please!!!"

A girl was running through the crowd and after pushing people away from the front, she was shouting.

It was Irisdina.

"I don't know why, but I don't trust them, don't go please!!!"

Alicelotte turned to look at her with a sad face and then a smile before turning her face away.

That made me angrier.

"What the hell are you doing!"

I shouted as I ran.

Why did you make that sad face knowing what you're getting into.

I was immediately grabbed by these guys, the students.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"My lady is sacrificing herself for us!"

After grabbing me, one used earth magic and covered my arms that were on my back with mud that solidified.

My legs were also immobilized with earth magic.

The coconut head said something to Alicelotte, but I couldn't hear it well.

"What was that?"

"...Nothing."

I used some magic power to get to my feet and leap towards her.

The guys were trying to stop me, but my body was surrounded by physical reinforcement and muscle strengthening magic. So a hit from me from any part of my body was fatal.

Despite having a low level of magic power I still had just enough for something like this, it just wouldn't last long.

After hitting and sending many flying, she and the coconut head were in my sight.

"Alicelotteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!"

Why am I screaming in annoyance at her decision?

Is it because she didn't wait for my ship to arrive?

Or...

Because she's not allowing Liam to be in danger?

In any case, I'm furious with her.

I immediately tried to free myself as I jumped from my position.

The coconut head saw me and said, "Who's that? Those who get beaten up will not be sold as slaves."

After hearing that many students, servants and even sailors used me as a punching bag.

They stepped on me, kicked me and even used scraps to beat me from the door these guys blew off.

It hurts, and a lot.

I can't cover myself so my head is getting kicked too.

I clearly watched as a purple-haired guy in a white uniform kicked my face like a ball.

If it wasn't for the reinforcement and strengthening magic right now I would be convulsing from several internal strokes and trauma.

"Stop it now!!!"

A woman's voice rang out loud and clear, it was Alicelotte who with a shout from her made these bastards stop.

I won't thank you.

Even if I used magic to avoid damage, my body couldn't withstand all the impacts.

Blood covered one of my eyes.

With my good eye I stared at Alicelotte who gave me a smile.

Why are you smiling?

Hey.

Don't smile.

Are you amused by my pain or are you glad I'm taking a beating?

She turned to the coconut head and said words that annoyed me even more.

"Please Count, no, Commodore Askewell. You don't need to use violence against a mere commoner."

Commoner! Did she call me a commoner?

(What kind of tasteless joke is that, I'm not a-).

"Guhh~ a commoner, I thought he was a noble and I would have executed him immediately for being a nuisance, but if he's a commoner then he's not worth the scum this one. Throw him in a dungeon and we'll resume our hostage talk."

I was thoughtful about that as I was grabbed by the sailors.

(If that guy had known I was noble, he would have killed me to empower fear in others.)

The purple-haired, white-uniformed guy was approaching me.

(She knew that would happen if I said I was noble.)

He raised his fist making a macabre smile.

(She protected me. Why did you do that Alice-)

I couldn't finish analyzing what was going on as her fist was buried all over my face and after that I lost consciousness.

◇

Once again I had that dream I hadn't had in a long time.

It was about my cousin from my previous life.

She had come home covered in garbage.

She said she had fallen down from fooling around.

I knew it was a lie as she had bruises on her little body.

The next day I went to her school and waited for her at the entrance.

I waited for her to come out to walk her home, but... I don't know what else happens as that's when the dream ends and I wake up.

◇

I opened my eyes and there was darkness everywhere I looked.

The place was clearly a jail, there were bars, box storage and other things. It looked like the jail of some movie sheriff's office.

The bed where I rested was made of what the cows on the farm eat, not even a sheet or something to put on it.

I got up and settled in to sit down and analyze what happened.

(Let's see... some guys came to take us hostage and then...).

For some reason my clothes were dirty and damaged, but my body was not.

(That's right! Some bastards beat me up and I should have serious internal problems, why am I healthy?)

(And more importantly, how long did it take?)

My eyes roamed the room until they saw something out of place.

A person.

Of course I freaked out, I didn't show it, but the panic showed in my eyes.

I tried to emphasize who the person was sitting on a box near what looks like a door.

Before I knew it, the person in question looked up and found me watching him.

It looked like a horror movie.

As I was about to ask him who he was, he spoke in a very familiar tone.

"I see you've finally woken up."

It was Liam.

"Don't scare me like that." -I told him without hiding that I was scared at first, there was no light in this place with the exception of what comes in through some windows.

For some reason this guy seems quiet which doesn't square with him.

"What's wrong?" -I asked him quizzically and a bit worried, besides the fact that there is a bit of noise upstairs.

Liam was a bit in the clouds and then spoke.

"You were unconscious for over thirty minutes. Let me bring you up to speed."

"..."

"After taking Alicelotte away the commodore came back and said it was all a joke."

Uh.

"He said he only wanted her, that there was a mole among us, he didn't point out who, but several girls in Alicelotte's entourage started saying things like 'that wasn't what I was promised' and 'the minister didn't tell us any of that, we did it for our families!' Things that students nor members of the Altfode Kingdom should say."

Ehh.

"Before leaving with a smile on his face he said to end 'I forgot, none of you will become slaves as you will all die in an hour' you could tell he enjoyed seeing our faces after saying that."

Ehhh.

"Immediately those strange flying noisemaking things blew up the cockpit and before they left they placed a prana bomb on the magic stone that sustains the ship's power. You can't take it out either."

Ehhhh.

More annoying stuff floated out by this guy. Please stop, my head is hurting.

"After they left some guys grabbed me and yelled at them to trade me for their safety or asylum in their country."

"Then Alicelotte's new fiancé tried to flee in the lifeboats, but before anyone boarded, those things again blew them away."

"As they dragged me out with them I could clearly see how one of those strange things had the flag of the most dangerous mercenary group of recent times painted on it. The Black Ouroboros."

(The what?) My mind focused on that weird word. I've never heard it before in my life, but I feel like it's something really bad.

"The students ran in panic all over the place looking for a way to contact the kingdom or nearby islands."

"...No one is responding so no one can help us, it's not even a trade route for some merchant ship to pass. We are alone and surrounded by enemies."

"And, as the icing on the cake. The bomb was going off in an hour, so we have less minutes to live."

I have no words to describe all the shit you've thrown at me in bomb format.

"Are you telling me all this for something or what?"

I asked a dejected Liam and instead he answered me something else.

"I had something important to tell you, but it doesn't matter now. I'll just tell you that you were right about past events."

"...Me, I'm still a kid. People who seemed to be honest turn wild with dangerous situations where they trample on others to save themselves. Loyalty is something that can be sold for a monetary value. And me, I'm a hypocrite."

"..."

"I told you things about guaranteeing my safety and letting her sacrifice herself for us... I'm sorry, you were right. I'm just a piece of furniture."

I stood watching him silently as he let out what he had bottled up, I never imagined that someone like him would say something like that. That shows how bad the situation is.

What should I do or say right now.

Before I could even say anything he continued his tragic conversation.

"Bradford, I know you and I are on bad terms, but, as fellow members of the same academy I would like to ask you this. Could you save us all? Right now you are the only one I trust."

I honestly never expected that outcome, unbelievable indeed.

Feelings like that deserve to be reciprocated in the best way.

And that is...

"No~"

"I flatly refuse to help these miserable bastards who beat me and threw me here. I'm sorry, but I'll escape on my own, if you wish I can take you with me. Or, stay and perish with them."

Eh. What the hell am I saying.

"Why should I help that idiot Alicelotte?"

Stop it, stop saying absurd things like that.

"If she sacrificed herself it was for you, it has nothing to do with me."

Seriously, stop saying shit like that.

"I'm sorry, but I'll escape as soon as possible by myself."

Liam just stared at me and then stood up to open the door and leave.

"Sorry, looks like I didn't take your feelings into account, another failure of mine."

Liam was walking out and before he closed the door he stopped to say one last thing.

"I know I forgot. You were hurt pretty bad before you came in here, you were thrown down the stairs and I put you in the cell to rest. As I was going upstairs to see what was going on upstairs a commoner girl came down and used magic I've never seen in my life to heal you."

"That's it, goodbye, Bradford."

I could hear Liam walking up the stairs until his footsteps stopped sounding.

At that moment I...

"What the hell did I say!"

...I lost my mind.

"Abandon the prince?"

"Leave behind heirs of families of higher rank than me?"

"Allow a duke's daughter to be executed or worse?"

"There's no way any of this shit is right!"

"The reprisals from the families would make me live in fear!"

"Mayer-san wouldn't protect me and accuse me of treason!"

And, the worst of all. That old wolf Siegwald would hang me with his own hands.

I can't allow any of those things to happen.

-I must abandon them.

"No!"

-I must run away and say it was an accident.

"Impossible, they would never believe me!"

-I blame it all on those girls.

"Damned brain! Stop making excuses, it's all wrong for me if he ran away, I must save to-!"

A great headache came to me after that.

It was so strong it seemed to want my head in two.

"Gyahhh! Now is not the time for thisooo!"

I grabbed the bars and repeatedly banged my head against the cell until I could feel a liquid on the bars draining.

"Get the fuck out, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

After the last blow, the pain disappeared and I stopped moving for a while.

I reacted after a few moments of thinking thanks to the blood releasing oxygen from my veins. Weird, but that's how I felt.

"I know what I'll do."

I immediately called out to the one person who made me the strongest person in the world.

"Ixionnnnnnnnnnnnnn."

After my great shout a metallic gray sphere with slender arms descended from above.

"You were calling me, master?"

"You heard everything didn't you?"

"Yes. A while ago I deactivated the bomb, apparently it was a mix between magic and science resulting in something I'll call artificial magic."

"You scare me sometimes, were you able to communicate with the outside?"

"It can't be possible. They have some device that prevents telecommunications from being possible. You must be on your ship, what do you wish to do master?"

With a smirk I said "first get me out of here."

His red eye glowed and a laser cut the bars into a square shape.

After the last bar fell I stepped out and stretched a little.

Again he asked me the same question. I made a terrified grimace to answer him.

That's right, I'll do what I do best.

"First I'll go kick those idiots' asses."

I'll show them that I'm the kind of man who plays dirty.

"Then I'm going to go give those girls a big reprimand."

I, Rudel van Bradford am the kind of man who doesn't go into a fight I can''t win.....

"And, last but not least, I'm going to make the coconut head kiss my ass!"

...Whether using cheating or not.