Monarch's Rebirth: Chapter 27

"Oh, my home is this way. I guess this is where we split up. Thank you for accompanying me all this way, Sung Hei." She said before walking off to the right of the four way road.

"Excuse me, I forgot to ask. What's your name?" I asked her before she left. "Oh, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Ha Yun! I am in the same class as you." She said with a sweet smile.

"I see, see you in class then, Ha Yun. Our names come from the same eastern region of the continent."

"I just realised that! I didn't know you were from the eastern region too! It's nice to have someone who comes from the same region." She said as her face lit up brightly.

I smiled at her and waved my goodbyes before going my way. That's the first time someone has been kind to me from school.

This is the first time I didn't rush back home because I was not in need of medical attention. I am quite excited to come back home early and normally. Not in pain but in blissful joy

"Mom! I'm home~!" I shouted out as I entered the house. Excited that from next day on I won't get bullied.

My mother rushed to the entrance and checked on me. "Sung Hei! Are you alright? Have you heard the news?" She asked me in a panic. "I'm fine, I got the news." I said, trying to act sad for Kye's death. "I'm so glad! Everything is closed for the next few days due to his death. You can rest at home properly now."

I smiled and rushed up to my room. "Finally a few days off!"

There was nothing I could do for the next few days so I laid down on my bed, thinking of the peaceful life I can lead now. No Kye to bully me! Killing can really solve all issues!

I rested on my bed and slowly closed my eyes, hugging my body pillow and laughing about how much happier I can be. I can heal up and not be beaten up right after healing!

This energy of mine wouldn't last long though. I rolled around in my bed slowly but I didn't realise where the end of my bed was. Suddenly I fell from my bed and hit the ground.

"Ow! Damn it!" I shout out as I hit the floor.

I looked around me to see I was not in my room but in a carriage. It was a dream as usual.

Alexander laughed hysterically as I picked up myself from the floor of the carriage. "Gods above! That hurt more than the bomb." I said out loud while rubbing the back of my head. "Sure it did! Welcome to the Triveni kingdom by the way. If you look outside you will realise we are in the forest." He notified me as I took my seat.

The sight outside was quite astonishing. The trees were thick and green with many water streams running through the landscape. I could see many animals in the sunlight that barely shined through the leaves of the trees that covered the entire area.

"Beautiful… I haven't seen such a lush forest." I muttered out while staring at the forest. Alexander scoffs and acts smug. "It's beautiful, isn't it? I learnt to climb and swing from these trees quite well. I can also camouflage with the surroundings."

"So you're like a monkey?" I teased him to bring him down from his smug act. "Hey! I look much better than monkeys at least!" He shouted out from anger. "Won't deny that." I said to calm him down.

"Papa! Is your head okay? You took quite the fall." Amelia said while curling up on my lap once more. "Yes, darling. I'm fine." I replied back while petting her head.

"How much longer in this journey?" I asked Alexander, who seemed quite beat from all this travelling himself. "Actually really close. I think we are only a few hundred metres away I'd say." Alexander replies back.

I look behind me to see Vincent, Felix and the chauffeur talking to each other. The lanterns were lit up and we were at the end of the journey.

"I don't plan on staying here long, you know? I want to just talk to your father to get his approval." I told him to make some small talk.

Alexander smiled at me, "I knew that already. You like lounging around rather than working."

"Yeah. I'm just going to let you deal with the entire thing. You can do that, right?"

Alexander looked at me shocked as if I just dropped the entire project. "H-how? You're the person that knows how to make it. How am I supposed to make it?" He stuttered as he spoke.

I looked at him, unfazed and tired. "You just overlook the project while I make it happen from the inside. Understood?"

"Oh, I see. So you will just help the engineers and scientists build it while I overlook it?" He said, understanding the basic concept.

"Pretty much."

Felix opens the window behind me and peeks through. "Sire, we reached our destination. The town of Caelfall." Felix notified us as we entered the city.

"Finally! Home!" Alexander exclaimed as we trot through the gateway, entering the small town known as Caelfall.

I looked around me to see many beautiful houses. The entire town looked like the picture perfect description of a celtic village. Huts with a cone roof made of straws and the houses made of the earth. "You weren't kidding when you said this was completely different."

"Hah! Told you." He said with a prideful smirk on his face.

The people looked at the carriage and waved at it. So many elves… it feels odd being in the presence of so many forest elves. They all looked hospitable so I wasn't afraid of being attacked.

The carriage slowly trots through the town's narrow roads. Unlike the capital where the streets were wide and big, this town was rather small and the roads were, as expected, narrow. It barely fit our carriage but we sufficed.

I turned around to see the mansion where we would be staying. Alexander's house. I saw a familiar face stand at the gate of the mansion. It was none other than Alexander's father.

"I think I see your father waiting for us." I told Alexander while turning back around. "You do? It's been some time since I got to talk with him properly." He replied back, trying to get a peek of his father through the window.

Soon enough the carriage stopped and Felix opened the door. "We reached our destination, my lord. Sir Arnold is waiting outside for us at the entrance." Felix says with a smile on his face.

I stepped out of the carriage and walked over to the front of the carriage. Arnold saw Alexander and was really pleased. The father and son share a moment together before I step in to greet Arnold.

"Good evening, Sir Arnold. Our meeting has been long overdue." I told him as I put forward my hand for a handshake.

Arnold shakes my hands and gives me a welcoming smile. "It has. Good evening, King Artorius. I'm glad you are willing to work on this project with my son. Let's talk more inside, shall we?"

"Yes, I have a lot to talk about with you." I told him before walking behind him and entering the courtyard of the mansion.

I looked around me to see around the courtyard. It was significantly smaller than I expected but I shouldn't have much of an expectation for a mansion of a count. I had an elegant design that is quite flamboyant compared to the town but isn't begging for attention. It really is just a really cozy estate.

"I'm sorry if this estate is not as big as your palace, or as luxurious as King Alaric's castle. We are just a humble count family that controls the surrounding areas due to how densely forested it is."

Arnold seems to not understand how much I envy his rank as a count and not a king. "I find this estate a much more cozy and comfortable place to be. It seems like a nice mansion, I like it!"

Alexander smiles softly as I compliment his mansion. "It's not much but it's nice. The inside is much better than the outside at night."

The doors of the mansion opened as we came closer to it. Inside was a bright and lavish entrance that had two spiralling staircases in the front leading to the second floor. There was one more person that we had to greet before marvelling over the beauty of the mansion.

"Good evening, King Artorius. I'm really happy to have you at our mansion."

The lady in front of us spoke out as we entered. She was dressed in a beautiful red dress that came down to the floor. It was Alexander's mother.

"Greetings, Lady Damian. I'm glad that I could get to meet you today. Our meeting has really been long overdue." I said in a soft voice as I shook her hand.

"Mother! It's been so long!" Alexander exclaimed as he saw his mother. Without wasting a second he ran into her arms and embraced her in a warm hug. How wholesome.

"Alexander's soft spot is his family, huh?" Amelia chimed in as I waited for Alexander to finish hugging his mother. "That's quite valuable information." I said as a joke. "What are you thinking of!"

"Nothing! I was just kidding." I said back to her in telepathy.

"Sire, let's wash up in our rooms before doing any meetings." Felix said softly from behind me. "Let's go."

"I'll show you to your room. Follow me!" Alexander said before taking the lead and going up the stairs on the right.

Me and Felix followed him up the stairs and looked around the hallways at the paintings and decorations they put up. "Your father likes collecting a lot of antique artifacts, doesn't he?" Felix says while looking at a shield on the wall.

"He's quite the collector. That's why there's a lot of paintings and other artifacts on the wall." Alexander replied back, sounding really happy and joyful.

Suddenly he stopped in front of one of the doors and opened it. "Artorius, this is your room here. Go inside and make yourself at home!" He told me before moving away from the doorway.

I took a look inside and it was really stylish and sophisticated. It followed the same layout as having a bed in the middle with a table and chair near the window. The bathroom was to the left of the room while the window was to the right. It followed the same colour as the entire mansion which was an off-white colour that didn't blind you much.

"Felix, Follow me! I'll show you your room too." He said enthusiastically before dragging him away from my room and me. I guess he's really excited over having guests at his house.

"This room is really unique, isn't it? It has the same noble look but feels different." Amelia said while jumping onto the bed. "It sure is. I'll wash my face and hands before going downstairs. Do the same as well."

"Okay~!" She said before walking into the bathroom with me.

"Woah. The bathroom is quite bigger than I expected." I said out loud as I entered the bathroom. It was pretty much the same size as my own. Impressive!

Amelia turned on the tap and let the water flowed out. She put her paws into the water and jerked it out. "The water is cold! It feels really fresh too!" She exclaimed while going in to clean off properly.

"Really? Let me see" I said before walking closer to the sink."

I cupped some water into my hand and felt my hands freeze from how cold but refreshing it was. "Wow! This is cold!" I said before splashing my face with water.

It was really refreshing to finally get the drowsy feeling off me. It felt like I was a new man! Amelia got herself cleaned up and I dried her off with a towel before heading outside.

"Haa~ That was actually more refreshing than I thought. Right, let's go meet with Alexander's father."

"Will there be food?" Amelia asked as she got back up on my shoulder. "Probably, should be."

We walked down to the first floor and to the living room where Alexander's father and mother were waiting for me with him.

"Ah~ You finally came! Take a seat! Have some tea. It must've been a difficult trip. We heard what happened at the speech. You really take after your father!" Alexander's mother says as she sees me enter.

"Oh, you heard? Did Alexander tell you both?" I asked as I took my seat. "Yes. He said how heroically you tackled the guard and took the dynamite. You covered it with your body and countless mana layers. It was like children's heroic tales!"

She's really enthusiastic about it. I don't see any similarities between personalities from the Damian family.

I laughed it off and laid back on the sofa. "It really wasn't much! I just did whatever I had to." I say while taking a soft cake from the plate.

I handed it to Amelia who was drooling from seeing the dry cake and wanted one badly. "Your fox is really cute! What's her name again? I forgot." She asked me as I gave Amelia the cake.

"Amelia. I would give her my family name since she's like a daughter to me." I replied back while glancing over at Arnold to get this attention. I need to speak to him, not make small talk!

"That's such an adorable name! Amelia Dorman. Here you go Amelia! Do you want more?" She told Amelia while nudging the plate of dry cakes towards her.

Amelia without thinking twice got up from my lap and started to eat all of the dry cakes. "Sorry! She's a bit of a goblin when it comes to food." I apologised on her behalf.

I wanted one of the dry cakes.

"It's fine! I made more, I can just bring more."

She left the room to bring more dry cake. But this left me and the father and son duo to talk business with.

"So, can you explain to me how this project will go?" Arnold asks me as his wife leaves the room.

I give him a devious smile before beginning my explanation. He showed a nervous expression as I explained to him how the engine worked and how the actual vehicle moves.

Everything from how the steam is made to how the pistons function. I explained everything to him. His eyes widened from every sentence and his curiosity grew more and more.

"W-wait! Lord Miyuki! This is more confusing than I thought." He said to make me stop. "But there is more to explain! I haven't even got to the part where the excessive steam escapes!"

I only did this to make him understand how complex the system is. I might've made it more complex for him to understand but that confusion should keep him curious.

"So this thing can carry passengers all the way from your kingdom which is in the Rigel empire, all the way across to the Triveni kingdom which is in the Luxanor empire?" He asked, slightly skeptical of my plan.

"Yes, and in one go!" I exclaimed. "That's unbelievable! What did you estimate the time to be?" He asked me.

"Glad you asked! It would take over weeks to get from my kingdom to the Triveni kingdom due to how slow carriages and carts are. This locomotive can bring the time from weeks to twelve hours as an estimate!"

I did not calculate that answer. It was just a wild guess. It might be more, hopefully less.

His mind was blown at this point and he was ecstatic. "That's insane! Moving hundreds of people all together with their luggage!" He cried out. This should be what pushes him over the edge to sign the contract.

"I hope this explanation cleared out any confusion for you on the project. If you're fine with it let's get on with signing the contract."

Alexander's eyes widened as I talked about the contract. Arnold must've caught on to me since he smiled when I mentioned the contract. "Of course! Which is why I have the papers right here, actually. I will just sign off the contract. You may read the terms before I do though."

He hands me the terms of the contract and I start reading it. It had the usual rules on what to do and what not to do. It was simple terms that I had no issues with.

"They seem fine to me. Just need your signature on this." I said before handing it to him.

He gave me a wink and a smile before signing the paper. Slightly awkward but I went along with it. The signature was given and me and Alexander were allowed to start our project.

Alexander looked at me with a bright smile and I gave him one back. Amelia finally got done with eating all the cake and came back to my lap. Just then Misses Damian came into the room with more cake. I wonder what took her so long?

"Sorry for the delay! It was still being prepared. This is fresh out of the oven!" She said as she took her seat next to Alexander and placed the plate of dry cakes on the table.

I took a sip from my lukewarm tea and laid back onto the sofa. "Where has Felix gone? I was expecting him to come down and talk with us."

"He must've gone to sleep. He was talking about having issues with sleeping last night." A voice came from the doorway. The familiar voice of someone I do not like.

"Vincent… What are you doing here?" I asked him as he entered the room. "With permission from Felix himself, I will be your second assistant from now on!" He said proudly.

I wanted him to be Wilkins' assistant, not mine! Felix what have you done!

"I see. Well since you're here in place for Felix, take a seat and have some tea." Arnold says out of the blue.

"..."

I looked at Arnold with a dead stare at him as he asked Vincent to take a seat and became nervous. "Don't want him to?" He asked me as I gave him the stare.

"Nope, completely fine with it. Come here, Vincent! Take a seat!" I exclaimed.

With no hesitation he takes his seat next to me and starts drinking the lukewarm tea.

"You really don't like him, huh?" Amelia asks me as Vincent starts to lounge next to me. "Nope, not at all. He is annoying but he is trustworthy. The only reason I keep him around is because he can be handy from time to time. He has the work ethic of a king's assistant."

Amelia was impressed by my reason to keep Vincent by my side. "That's smart! I never saw it like that."

The group of us chatter into the night till it became time for dinner. I was getting quite tired of the constant chattering we did but I stayed for dinner.

We all moved to the dining room which was, as expected, a grand room with a dining arrangement. Seems like the Damian family really likes posh living spaces.

Arnold sat at the head of the table while I sat next to Alexander who sat next to Arnold on the right. Felix came down to join us for dinner and sat next to Amelia with Vincent.

"Where is Emily? I haven't seen her all day." Alexander asked his father.

Who is Emily?

My question would soon be answered as the girl called Emily walks through the doorway and enters the dining room

"SIster! Where have you been? Don't you know we have Artorius over?" Alexander cried out as she took her seat.

So he has a sister. Why the hell did he never tell me!

Emily looked like a younger version of her mother, having silver hair and emerald green eyes. Her hair came down below her shoulder blades. She also had side tails that came down to her shoulders. She also looked quite young but older than Alexander.

"I haven't introduced her to you, have I? That's my daughter, Emily Damian. She's really quiet so I hope you can understand why she didn't show up when we were chatting." Arnold introduced me to her.

She took a glance at me but quickly averted her eyes. I realised she was acting rather strange after seeing me.

"I think she actually went to the same academy as you. She went to Florestine Academy, which one did you go to, Artorius?"

That explains it.

Suddenly Felix answered for me, luckily. "Really? How coincidental! It's the same academy that he attended too! This must mean you were classmates, right?"

I became nervous and didn't know what to do or say. "I-I think so. I can't remember much from back then so I can't remember her very well." I awkwardly replied, hoping it won't grow suspicion.

"G-good evening, A-Artorius. It's been a while…" Emily greeted me, stuttering in between her sentences.

"Good evening, Emily. I didn't think we would meet after graduating from the academy. It sure is a pleasant surprise." I replied back.

I cannot make this out to be awkward between us due to some past history I never knew of.

"Sister and Artorius knew each other already? Why did she never talk about Artorius?" Alexander exclaimed. "I always wanted to meet him!"

She shrieked and panicked before answering, "W-we were never close! We just studied in the same class…"

This really isn't helping… How do I not make this awkward? Whatever, I'm too tired. I got what I needed now. I just want to eat and sleep.

"I want to learn more about Artorius at the academy! What was he like, Sis?" Alexander asked innocently.

I want to learn more about myself too!

"W-well. He was quite popular, especially with girls. He was a lot more rowdy though. He used to be quite the troublemaker."

The dinner table laughed as I awkwardly scratched my head, smiling and laughing with them. I felt like I was being stared at but then realised who it was. Emily was taking quick glances at me which I noticed. I looked at her for a moment as she played with her twin tails but she suddenly averted her eyes.

I can find more information about Artorius from the past. Emily is the only one I can use to squeeze out information without growing suspicious. This is perfect!