Chapter 17: Sleep

Chapter 16: Sleep

I caught the king's eye, wondering if he needed something. Before he could speak, someone at the table piped up, "So, what's the plan regarding the leech empire?"

"I'll personally visit my little 'donation box.' Meanwhile, I need someone to check the scanners for any hazardous materials on the island."

"As for our intruders, Sam, I want you to go with Jess."

Samantha looked at her father, confused about risking her son's life. "Lord Father, he's not ready for combat. He can't even use magic yet."

"You don't think you can protect him? Don't worry, I just want him to earn some contribution points. That's all. Besides, I was planning to wait until his fourth birthday, but I feel like today's as good a day as any. Come here, boy."

Approaching the king, I wondered what he had for me. As I walked up, he had his palm to the floor for a second, and in the next, his hand faced the sky, holding something—a whistle.

"This whistle was discovered in one of our local dungeons on this very island. Dungeons summon monsters and create great artifacts, hoping to lure, kill, and devour intruders. This whistle was found in one of them."

"What does it do?"

"It amplifies status ailment related abilities. I got it years ago, and was trying to figure out what to do with it until I forgot about it entirely. Try it out."

I held it in my hands, flipping it around, trying to discern its uniqueness. It was a black whistle in the shape of a skull, with a large hole on the bottom. When I blew into it, I sensed something.

Looking around, I saw some people starting to grow tired and droopy-eyed. When I stopped blowing, they still looked on the verge of sleep. The old man wore an amused expression, relishing his achievement.

"Sam, how do you feel?" The old man turned to his daughter, inquiring about her condition.

"I'm fine. I didn't hear anything, actually." It was true; she seemed unaffected.

"Not surprising. At his level, this is already pretty good. His Sleep skill doesn't work on higher life forms, but it should be good enough for non-supers."

Most here looked tired, a few wide awake. I noticed them poking the faces of sleeping kids. The maids were responsible for taking them back to their rooms, mostly fatigued, except for Lady Eliza.

"Pretty effective nonetheless. I have a feeling these intruders aren't supers; otherwise, our scouts would have found them. Hopefully, you two can take care of it."

Deciding to comfort Samantha, I held her hand. She glanced at me, then back at her father and said, "Yes, Lord Father."

"Great, as for me, I'm going to have a word with an emperor. Happy hunting." The old man winked and opened a portal for both of us.

Walking through it with Samantha, we found ourselves in a jungle teeming with life, including mosquitoes.

"Do you want to be carried, or can you handle it?"

Momentarily caught off guard by her question, I appreciated the diversion. "I'm fine, thank you."

I started walking until she halted me, "Jessup, do you know where we're going?"

Blushing at my mistake, I admitted my ignorance, catching a slight chuckle from her—a rare occurrence, but a welcome one.

"For now, try practicing with the whistle. There's no harm in trying."

"Won't you eventually fall asleep?" I asked.

"I'm a B rank super at level 120 with high sleep resistance. Your untrained skills won't affect me."

While she might've been boasting, I was glad she felt comfortable enough to do so. For now, I followed her advice, practicing with the whistle. As I blew into it, the surroundings grew quieter, and even mosquito bites ceased.

"Good. Mosquitoes can't puncture my skin, so hopefully, this will help you. Let's head to the village and ask around. Fortunately, we were portaled close by. Make sure to stop using the whistle when we get close."

"Yes, ma'am." I trailed close behind until we stood on a tall cliff, overlooking the village.

"You can stop using the whistle; we're here. I'm going to pick you up, and we're going to jump down."

We landed on the ground, and Samantha, checking on me, seemed unexpectedly different, almost enjoying herself.

"The whistle and I are doing okay." I gestured with a thumbs-up, and she responded with a wry smile.

With the whistle now a necklace around my neck, one of my few powerful artifacts, I felt one step closer to resembling a real punk rock fan. Maybe I could ask the old man for a leather jacket and a dozen bracelets.

Arriving at the village, I anticipated greater security. Surprisingly, there were no gates or walls. Samantha noticed my questioning gaze.

"You've noticed?" she said. "The island's been rid of potential threats. It was my call for people to focus on farming and fishing rather than defense."

As for the village, it was remarkably organized, standing on a slope. Stone houses and scattered statues adorned the landscape, a testament to Samantha's investment.

"I wanted the two of us to move here atop this slope. Those statues have the faces of some of my fallen soldiers from when your father…"

Understanding her story, I refrained from asking questions, recognizing Samantha's dual role as not just royalty, but my mother.

Expressing my feelings, I said, "I think the place is beautiful, and it isn't too late. We can still live here; his majesty can come to us."

Rubbing my head, Samantha led the way. Conversing with an older man, she got directions to the local bar and tavern, hoping to find what we needed there.

Walking through the town, I noticed a predominance of older people until I saw an older lady gaze at a statue. 

"These are the parents of those soldiers, aren't they?"

Mother looked over, frustrated, "Yeah, they are. Most here are children, the elderly, and a few widows who had nowhere else to go. My soldiers offered themselves in exchange for your father. We thought they were held as ransom, but that tribe lied. They were all sacrificed to some idiot god."

"A god? What happened to the god?"

"Dredan."

"That's right, Dredan was a death god, wasn't he? Why do they all stand by the statues?"

"They hope to communicate with their loved ones. That's why I built these statues. Our kingdom believes they can be used as messengers to the dead. We don't get an answer back, but Lord Father has confirmed it to be true."

"We're here."

Peering at her direction, I saw a small tavern filled with music and cheer—a sight of people moving on from the past.