Chapter 5.4 : Royals

As I walk through this sea of men and women, lords and ladies, nobles and clergies, a narrow path was given to me while walking to meet the man himself, the head honcho of these people.

He was mingling with his vassals, talks of richest, glory, and honor were on the table.

With my face began to be more clearer to him, he dismisses his vassals and made way for me, they bowed as of the customs in this world, but I feel an intense reluctant aura coming out of them.

"Martyn…! Or should I call you Lord Protector? For formalities sake of course!" A jovial tone could be heard when he said that to me.

"Lord Protector is already enough your majesty, so… what is it that you wanted to talk about?" as I asked him, I took one of the glasses in the table that is filled with what I assumed an apple brandy considering the decorative apple that was in the glass.

"Ahh yes, that… how are you holding up?" Hearing by his tone, it felt like a sincere question but something in the back of my mind is saying that it's a test of some sort.

"Considering the reluctant aura and mannerism that radiates in this room, I feel like I'll be fine…" I said it bluntly with a sprinkle of sarcasm in my tone.

"Hahaha..." he chuckled a little after hearing that. "I still remembered precisely that scenery"

He then stood tall and proud there, like a politician who was about to give a speech to the crowd.

"The merchants with their pocket filled gold only talks about the monopolies they would get from me, the nobles, young ones precisely thinking who could lay first on my daughter, it devolved into one thing from their mannerisms, and it screams, belittlement…" he sighs for a bit and looked back at me with a stern face.

"Tell me this Lord Protector, how will you face them? How will you endure against people like them?"

Endure them… to this day it still echoes in my mind, to endure these people, people of the cloth, robe, and coins, it's doable but… remembering him, his face, that wrinkles and corroded skin he accumulated for over 20 years as their king.

I was already set not to endure these people, it'll be a pain in my ass considering the plans and reforms I have won't make them sitting idly by. No… it's not about enduring them, thinking back again, it's about how to deal with them, how to weaken them, with time they will grow like any other madman hungry for power but to provoke them head-on, will give a bad light to the crown, Eleanna, Arthur, Miss Marie, in the eyes of everybody whether a peasant or a noble.

If it was me alone who was summoned here, then the choice wouldn't be too hard but then again… even though fear and intimidation is the quickest option to centralize, organize, and gather power as well as love and adoration which could do the trick too, choosing one of them only will seal this kingdom's destruction.

Balance… huh, the question really was already there but… these plans… these reforms I've hatch… it can't be put to action by a neutral or a moderate response! It needs something extreme to combat this kingdom's status quo… well, I just hope down the line I won't lose myself when entering that room.

"You seemed to be deep in thought, Lord Protector!" As he was observing me, he said with a curious tone.

"Ahh sorry your highness…" I apologized as I noticed his remarks about me. "It seems that I don't have the answer for your question, because… I am not here to endure them, but here to deal with them actually!"

"Pardon?" He said puzzlingly.

"You see, your highness the plans I have, the reforms that I hatched are things that might be opposed by these people and maybe even you!" I said.

His face then changes from a curious one to a serious one.

"Stop… I already know where this conversation will lead up to!"

After that, a brief silence shrouded us, from his face I could tell he is formulating a question which I feel like is something that I have to answer immediately and honestly.

"Okay, let me change the question then… between the highborns and lowborns, which one will you be more reliant with?" As he broke that brief silence, he asked with a calm voice

"Both," I answered with an obvious tone.

"Hmm… then between these two again, which one will you manipulate more?" He asked again but now more serious in tone and face.

"Both!" I answered more resolutely at him.

After saying that I expected a shocked or at least a confused expression from my answer, but… he was intrigued, no… he was actually overjoyed! From that smirk and brighten eyes, it's as if I or actually he, hit some kind of jackpot.

I didn't know at that point what to feel, confused? happy? threaten? One thing that I've learn about a man like him from histories and books, is that they're more than meets the eye. He was quite regal and even gave a wisdom-ish vibe from the white hair and wrinkled face, but to see him happy, hell maybe even overjoyed from my answer… it's quite unsettling.

He then asked me why I choose both, it… was quite easy really, both are human…

"A lady friend of mine told me her secret once, it's that in every popular kid they don't want their insecurities to be divulged, in every class loner they want to be acknowledge or seen, in every slut they want to be satisfied, and in every human they have wants. It is the wants that make humans, humans! Whether they are highborn or lowborn, they are all easily susceptible to be manipulated, you just need to know and find what they want or not want!"

He was silent after that but… not distraught, not disgust, it was that of a face of a man who found something valuable for the first time in their life.

"Hmm… by the way, isn't that your lady friend there!" with a cheery tone he pointed at Eleanna.

"Huh… I believe it is…" I said.

While I was seeing Eleanna, alone near that tall window panel, he dismisses me and commented on how Eleanna is one hell of a woman. Thinking back, I think he meant by her intelligence and cunningness.

After being dismissed I didn't know where to go now, before that I was dragged by others to be introduced with others, I chit chat here and there where politics and economics were being thrown around, but then seeing her, seeing Eleanna alone, I suddenly have the urged wanting to be there with her.

As I walked past the nobles and merchants in the way who wanted to converse with me, which I declined on the spot as politely as I could, I stopped not far away from her. It was because of that moonlight that shine at her that made me stop, it's as if a spotlight was pointing towards Eleanna to show her beauty…

Yes… that bright golden hair of hers, tied up making a bun style showing her clear silky skin, it was powdered white but somehow it didn't make her pale like a corpse, her usual dark brown eyes were glittering in a bright chocolate color one because of the moonlight, and that lips of her… crimson red, I could tell from the tip of the glass she's holding has a faint yet a noticeable red there, she was just… magnificent.

When I was close to her, she let out a snarky remark at me and a hint of aggressive tone could be heard too.

"Look, Sir or Lord, I am not interested in marriages even if my family's name usage is on the table!"

"Huh, I swear that Wulf-Florens would be a good last name!" Her face then turned to tomato red after I said that.

"Mar… you son of a bitch, don't do that!" she said as her embarrassed voice and mannerism was roaring at me.

Though my teasing entrance made her quite mad and embarrassed with that red face and all, she was actually quite happy to see me judging by the number of emotions she is showing off.

Remembering again about her reply to me, it piqued my interest to know who and how many Lords and Sirs in this room that tried to woo Eleanna, the answer was a lot but none of them really was noteworthy, until she mentioned Pere.

"Yeah… I kinda sorta expected it when we bumped with each other" After that, there was a brief awkward silence between us, I was thinking what Pere's motivation on courting with. "Anyways… how are you holding up? You're basically like a CEO around here now!" She ecstatically asked.

"It's fine, though the stink eyes are really bugging me…" I said jokingly.

"Hehe" she giggled a little, "Do you remember when you were chosen to be the director for the class film project? Lots of stink eyes were pointing at you!"

"Yeah, I remembered… the theatre club members were a pain in the ass, but it worked out of course, I mean you did hold their proverbial thread of life!" I pointed it out to her while relieving some nostalgic, though a bit rough, memories.

"Exactly! You just finish your crazy reforms and plans for this country, and I'll bury the nuisances on your way!"

"What!?" I asked with a wry smile on my face while letting out a slight chuckle of awkwardness.

"What?" She followed suite after I said my startled what. "Look, you did ask me to hone this somewhat annoying 'hobby' of mine, so… just, relax! I'll clear your way from these shitheads!" She said while pointing out the nobles and merchants around us.

"Hmm… for a girl who always looked callous every morning back in school, you sure do know how to elevate someone's heart!" I praised her.

After I praised her, her red tomato blush came back again, embarrassed of course but not angry, just embarrassed and a bit happy from that small smile she gave to me.

While we were distracted by this somewhat awkward aura, Arthur came by and flushed out that aura.

"Yoo, what you guys doing?" he then hopped both of his arms towards Eleanna's shoulder and mine, gathering us together closer.

He then saw Eleanna's red face where somehow it suddenly filled him with joy out of nowhere, he stared at me and asked "Dude did you say it?" I was confused at what he was trying to say so I answered no obviously, he was confused but somehow it devolved into me being shy? Because he continued again asking when that failed he then point the question towards Eleanna, which she didn't really understand.

"Art I didn't say anything, I just… praised her…" I said slightly embarrassed.

"Right… praised her…" he continued insisting I said something important to Eleanna.

"Ughh…." I sighed in annoyance.

We did eventually clear up the misunderstanding but after that, it somehow devolved into us three staring at the moon through this giant window, there was chit-chat here and there and reminiscing some school stuff. But all and all we could only stare at the moon while thinking of what the future will bring to us in this new world.

Well… whatever the future holds, at least tomorrow will be the first day of my job! Neat!