Chapter 2 "starting a journey

Alunard quickly stepped in to stop the shenanigans. "That's enough, you two! We need to move, or the Spartans will hear us. We can't risk it."

"Alunard, the horse is dead," the little princess said. Look, he doesn't move.

Alunard's expression fell. "That's not ideal. We'll need to find another way to escape. It looks like we'll have to walk.

"He turned to Jason and gave him a serious look. "You'll need to assist us. No more foolishness, okay? We could use all the help we can get.

I heard there is a red dragon in the villages of Ridnha; perhaps you could aid us." Jason raised an eyebrow in question.

"Why did those Spartans attack you in the first place?" Olena let out a weary sigh. "It's a long story.

In short, this princess here is the daughter of the King of Marbaine, and there is a group of Spartans who oppose peace. If sunny were to marry the prince of Limdrave, there would be no reason for them to continue fighting, and they hate that idea."

Alunard chimed in, "That's the reason for their attack."

"We must get the princess to safety before they catch up to us," he finished.

Jason nodded, comprehending the urgency. "So she is older than she appears."

"Actually, I am only 8 years old," the princess sighed as she answered Jason's question.

"Ehhh, you joking right," Jason said.

"Nope, I'm 8 years old and the daughter of the king of Marbaine," the princess replied.

"Whaaaat police, there they are, they are criminals, help helllllp," Jason screamed.

Alunard quickly hushed him. "What the actual fuck are you doing? Stop, or I will cut off your head."

Jason quickly complied, his face turning a shade of blue. He turned back to the princess and said, "Isn't it illegal to marry at that age?"

The princess shook her head. "No, it's not illegal. It's just not very common. It's a difficult decision that my father had to make. But I'm willing to do it if it means achieving peace in our kingdom."

"Do you know what you do when you get married? You do this and that and this and that," Jason said.

"No," the princess said. "I will just die."

"What kind of people are you?" Jason turned to Alunard.

Alunard frowned. "I am the knight. I made a vow I can't break now that you know us well. I can't let you go. You will come with us."

"Alright," Jason said, turning back to the princess. "But I need a boot; my feet hurt."

"We will need a little food too and some new equipment," Alunard added, "as well as a horse for Sunny, our princess."

Alunard nodded. "Ok, to the Fnisa Kingdom then; it's just a one-day walk from here."

As Jason's mind raced, he recognized the name "Fnisa Kingdom." Was this just a dream, or was he really inside the game, Onisuga? Before he could ponder any further, Alunard interrupted his thoughts and asked, "What's on your mind, Jason?"

"Nothing, let's walk from this forest," Jason answered.

As Sunny, the princess, jumped on Alunard's shoulders, they began the journey to the Fnisa Kingdom.

As they walked, Jason turned to Alunard and asked, "Could you tell me about this place? I'd like to have an idea of its history."

Alunard continued to grunt, ignoring him, but Olena smiled and listened intently as he began to speak.

"Fnisa is a kingdom that was established by the goddess of blessing before she was cursed with decay. It is said to be abundant in prosperity and harmony, and its inhabitants are granted good luck. There is no war or poverty in this land, but I have heard rumors of a thieves' guild and hired assassins."

"Goddess of blessing?" Jason said.

"Yes," Olena answered. "She is said to have been a powerful goddess, but when she was cursed with decay and her powers waned, there was unrest in the land.

Some people worshiped her, but others rebelled. The only ones who remained faithful were those who were too weak to be rebellious or those who were too loyal to betray her.

The Empire of Light stepped in to stop the civil war that followed and to keep the peace. The Empire is in charge of the kingdom now."

"Empire of Light?" Jason inquired.

"It is also led by her brother, the god of light Lumos," Olena added.

Jason stopped walking. "Wait. Are you saying that there is more than one god here?"

"Of course," Olena replied. "The world was filled with gods and goddesses, each with their loyal followers. But as time passed, the power of the gods began to diminish due to the influence of the goddess of decay. Her touch drained life from everything it came into contact with."

"I should have paid more attention to the lore videos on YouTube," Jason muttered to himself, realizing how much easier his life could have been in this world.

"Who is the strongest mortal here?" Jason asked.

Alunard let out a grunt as he mulled over the question. "It all depends on your definition of 'mortal', he finally answered.

"If we're talking about the kingdom of Fnisa, then no, the strongest person would not be considered a normal human," Alunard explained.

"There's this guy who goes by the name of Alex the Bloody Knight. He holds the record for slaying an incredible number of dragons and other powerful creatures."

Jason's attention was suddenly grabbed as he started talking to himself. "Wait, what? That's Adam's gamer tag; did he get teleported here like I did?"

"Excuse me, can I meet this Alex Knight, Alunard?"