Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume 16 - Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Working Together

WHEN I ARRIVED at the floating fortress, Ariel was out in the garden having a tea party. Sylvaril was serving, but Perugius was nowhere in sight. Instead, Nanahoshi was the one sitting across from Her Highness.

She must not feel very worried about her situation if she can have a tea party, I thought, but just as quickly, I realized I was mistaken. Ariel wore the exhausted face of an overworked salaryman.

Huh, matches perfectly with the exhaustion I saw on Luke’s face.

Ariel put effort into pasting an elegant smile on her face, but she couldn’t hide the circles under her eyes. She must be feeling cornered. The way she eyed Nanahoshi screamed, “Come on, ask me what’s wrong. Ask me!”

Nanahoshi ignored her completely. In fact, she seemed uncomfortable just sitting there. She wouldn’t outright refuse an invitation to have tea, but at the same time, it was clear she didn’t want to be dragged into the messy situation between Ariel and Perugius.

If ever there was a poster girl for the lazy protagonist archetype, it’d be Nanahoshi.

The only reason she didn’t flee the scene was because Ariel had offered her assistance when she was on death’s door. Even if Ariel only lent us the use of her magical implement, that still qualified as help.

“Oh, Rudeus.” Nanahoshi’s expression relaxed the moment she spotted me. “Mind coming over here and sitting for a few?”

I sat myself between the two girls. Sylvaril took the opportunity to pour me a cup of tea. The cup clattered as she slammed it down before me, which was unusually violent for someone as refined as her. I glanced up at her, and I could feel the coldness emanating from behind her mask. Perhaps she was angry about my mistaken summoning of Arumanfi.

Sorry about that…

“Okay, Rudeus, please go ahead,” Sylphie mumbled as she took up position behind Ariel. Ariel looked a bit more relaxed thanks to her presence.

I looked around and noticed Luke in the background. I had spoken with him prior to our arrival. I’d told him that I would cooperate with the princess and he was absolutely overjoyed, showering Sylphie with compliments for managing to persuade me.

“Well, Lord Rudeus,” said Ariel. “It’s been quite a while. I would congratulate you on becoming Dragon God Orsted’s subordinate, but I must ask…are you sure that was the right choice?” Her words lacked their usual vigor. She was being vague. Perhaps Sylphie had already badmouthed Orsted to her.

“Thank you. Being in the employ of someone powerful provides a certain peace of mind. That goes for anyone, not just me,” I replied.

“You are quite powerful yourself. I suppose people of like power tend to be drawn to one another. Someone like that wouldn’t even give me the time of day.”

Oh, boy. She’s really selling herself short. Looks like things are headed in a pretty grim direction.

“Hey,” Nanahoshi whispered, poking me in the side. “Orsted came to see me yesterday.”

“Yeah? And?”

“I apologized to him, and he forgave me. Told me he hoped to continue our relationship.”

“Good to hear,” I said.

It was a short conversation, but Nanahoshi looked like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. People often remarked that if saying sorry were all it took to solve matters, police wouldn’t need to exist, but I would argue most things could be solved by a sincere apology. Personally, I wouldn’t be willing to forgive someone who had tricked me, led me into a trap, and nearly got me killed… But that just demonstrated how generous Orsted was.

“I also happened to see Lord Orsted,” said Ariel, voice as pleasant as a bell. There was something strangely charismatic about her voice that made you want to heed what she said. She was gorgeous as well. Her blonde hair was more radiant than anyone else’s that I’d ever seen. She was the embodiment of beauty itself. I was surrounded by plenty of attractive men and women, but if you had to score them objectively, Ariel would come out on top. She was no ordinary beauty; she was like a piece of fine art. Like she’d walked out of a painting. Granted, right now she lacked her usual energy, but that only gave her the ephemeral luster of an exhausted widow.

“He’s a terrifying man,” Ariel continued. “I only glimpsed him from afar, but that was enough for all my hair to stand on end, screaming that he was dangerous.”

Ah, so she’s already seen him.

Probably not a good idea to tell her I was operating under his orders, then, but perhaps it didn’t matter. She already knew I was his subordinate.

Ariel went on. “That was yesterday. He went home after enjoying some tea with Lady Nanahoshi. He seemed to be in a foul mood the entire time, but when Lady Sylvaril spilled some tea on him, he didn’t get upset with her at all.”

Sylvaril spilled tea on Orsted? She couldn’t have done that on purpose, right? No, she must have been so terrified that her hand slipped.

“The atmosphere seemed incredibly tense, yet Lady Nanahoshi had such a warm smile on her face, one that I’d never seen before. Despite Lord Orsted’s appearance and demeanor, he must be quite magnanimous and open-minded.”

…Wait, seriously? I’m surprised to hear her say that. Maybe the curse isn’t as effective on her as everyone else. That works in our favor, at least. Or could this be the Man-God’s doing?

Indeed, he stood to benefit the most from controlling her actions. Instead of using Luke to lead her along, why not pull her strings directly since she was in charge of the whole gig? Orsted had never hinted at such a possibility, though. Maybe he had a good reason for believing the Man-God wouldn’t touch her.

“Apparently he’s only so hated by everyone because of a curse he bears,” I told her.

“Oh, truly? In that case, perhaps I should have said hello to him. He was intimidating enough from afar that it made my legs tremble. If I heard his voice up close, I might wet myself.” She chuckled.

Uh, wet herself…?

“Although, it does feel quite good to relieve yourself in front of people…”

“Pardon?”

“Lady Ariel!” Sylphie scolded.

I’m pretty sure she just talked about enjoying water sports, but I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. Asura’s upper crust seemed to be full of perverts. There was something incredibly immoral about hearing a girl so classically picturesque talk about golden showers.

“Rudy! Wipe that depraved grin off your face! You’re in front of the princess,” Sylphie cried.

“Yes, ma’am.” I put a hand over my mouth. Did my face betray my thoughts so easily? Sure, I was a pervert, but I was really only interested in seeing the girls I liked doing erotic things. Like Sylphie, for example. Not that I was going to ask her to pee in front of me. I didn’t want her to hate me.

“Ugh.” Nanahoshi wrinkled her nose, clearly disgusted, but I decided to ignore her.

“Ahem.” Ariel cleared her throat. “At any rate, Lord Rudeus, it made perfect sense to me when I heard you were working under Lord Orsted.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Because I believe it would take someone as powerful as him to be able to control someone like you.”

Really? I don’t think it takes much to control me. All Sylphie had to do when we were in bed at night was say, “Hey, Rudy, I have a favor to ask,” and I’d wag my tail like a dog, ready to do whatever. To be clear, I was not expecting that kind of stuff from Ariel. All I needed from her was cold, hard cash. After all, I was the type of man who worked for two things: money and women.

Anyway, it was about time we stopped beating around the bush. I was here to talk about cooperation, not chat about Orsted.

“When you say someone powerful, don’t you also mean someone like yourself, Princess Ariel?” I asked, playing coy.

Ariel put a hand over her mouth and narrowed her eyes. “Oh? I didn’t realize you flattered people like that.”

It wasn’t meant as flattery. Even though I had become desensitized to such titles as of late, Ariel was still the princess of Asura Kingdom. In the terms of my previous life, she was somewhat similar to the crown prince of England in status. One might catch a glimpse of her at official ceremonies, but speaking directly to her was out of the question, let alone being able to sit with her at a table like this. That was how important she was.

Her status aside, Ariel had been hard at work increasing her influence. Almost every person in a key position in Sharia had some connection with her. There were the principal and vice principal of the academy, the top brass of the Magicians’ Guild, the head of the magical implement workshop, the top administrator of a company, and the branch leader of the local Adventurers’ Guild. Those were the connections I personally knew about. One could invoke her name and expect favorable treatment just about anywhere you went. It was no exaggeration to say her influence could be felt at the top levels of Sharia’s key industries.

In short, she didn’t lack for connections. She had plenty of power.

“I did entertain the idea of having you as my subordinate,” said Ariel.

“You did, did you?”

“I gave up on that idea quickly. For a number of reasons, but chiefly because your power is too much for me to handle.” She glanced to the side. Beyond the stunning garden was an expanse of white clouds and open sky, extending into the far distance. She stared off in that direction as she mumbled to herself, “You hold power beyond yourself. It will be the end of you.”

For a moment, I thought she was talking to me, but I was mistaken.

Ariel turned her attention back toward me and explained, “When I was younger, I saw a play in the palace. That was a quote from the Great Demon Empress Kishirika Kishirisu.”

I was pretty sure she’d never said that. It was probably a line someone else had come up with. The little girl I’d met would never be capable of saying a line that clever.

“When the Golden Knight Aldebaran defeated her, Kishirika cursed him with those words as she lay dying,” said Ariel.

“Huh.”

“Aldebaran became king of the humans after that, but everyone feared him. In the end, his retainers betrayed him and killed him.”

This play she’d seen certainly did show the darker side of human nature, but it was quite different from the history I knew.

“That play is always performed when one of the royal family celebrates an important milestone in their life.”

These milestones were one’s fifth, tenth, and fifteenth birthdays. In Asura Kingdom, these occasions were always celebrated with grand parties. The royal family apparently staged a play as well.

“It deviates from history,” Ariel acknowledged, “but I’m told it highlights the frame of mind a royal should have.”

So it’s not historically accurate, as I suspected. That wasn’t surprising. It was completely different from the history I knew. The Golden Knight Aldebaran and Kishirika Kirisu had struck each other down in battle. Wait, no, perhaps I was thinking of the showdown between Demonic Dragon King Laplace and the Fighting God.

Oh, well, it’s not that important.

“What frame of mind is that?” I asked.

“The key tenets of what makes a king: fighting, winning, and ruling over one’s subjects.”

I furrowed my brow.

“However, if that’s truly all there is to it, why did Aldebaran’s people betray and kill him? Was the king who had this play written trying to curse the generation that came after him? When I was younger, I couldn’t help having these doubts. It was only when I turned fifteen that I suddenly realized. ‘You hold power beyond yourself. It will be the end of you.’ These words perfectly summed up the core message.” 

She paused, and glanced off into the distance again as she continued, “Too much power will lead one down the path of destruction. Thus, one should only wield as much power as they can control. If one wants to become king, they must be able to master everything they have at their disposal. Even now, I still believe that to be true.”

Ariel hung her head, her long lashes casting shadows over her cheeks. “I’m perfectly aware that you and Lord Perugius are both more than I can handle.” She wore her usual soft smile, but it looked like she was on the verge of tears. “I’m going to ask Lord Perugius for his help one more time, but if he refuses me, I think I will give up on trying to convince him.”

“You’re going to give up?” I asked.

“Yes. It goes without saying that I do not intend to give up on becoming king, but I will cease my efforts to gain his support. While his power may be beyond me, the Asuran throne is not.”

I said nothing, but I nearly felt like sighing. She was far too caught up on whether someone was “beyond her” or not.

“Princess Ariel,” I said.

“Yes, what is it, Lord Rudeus?”

“What part of me do you think is so powerful?”

Arielle had said I was powerful and special. I had always dreamed of being seen in such a light, but as things stood, I definitely didn’t think of myself as extraordinary. That wasn’t even a biased view, in my opinion. I had not yet reached a level that could be called impressive.

“Oh, if I were to name all your incredible qualities, the list would go on and on. I suppose the biggest one would be your impressive mana pool.”

“My mana pool, huh?”

Well, it was true that my mana pool dwarfed most people’s. Having the Laplace Aspect had blessed me with an impressive one. Perhaps so much so that an ordinary person would never become my equal through effort alone. I could also admit that it had proved beneficial more than once in the past. Still, an expansive mana pool wasn’t the solution for everything. All the problems I faced required other solutions.

“Perhaps if my mana pool could solve every problem I’m facing, I would agree that I’m a powerful person,” I said.

“What problems are those?”

“Hard to give a concrete example since these problems are a daily occurrence. Right now, I spend every day worrying how I’m ever going to explain what’s going on to my family.”

I was terrified of the Man-God and scared of Orsted as well. I’d glossed over the details and fed lies to my family, having no better idea of how to explain things to them. Yet Ariel said I was powerful? Don’t make me laugh.

“I can’t speak for Lord Perugius,” I said, “but I’m not powerful, at least. I am simply the husband of your close friend who happens to have a bigger mana pool than most people, and a lot of odd acquaintances. But I’m just your average magician, really. One who is constantly worried over something.” Those were my honest feelings, no matter how embarrassingly clichéd it sounded.

I reached across the table and took Ariel’s hand in mine. Her skin was so soft, and her fingers were so dainty I almost feared they might break in my grip. Sylphie pouted in her corner, but she would have to deal with it for the moment.

“Princess Ariel, I did not come here today for a simple chat.”

“You came to talk me up instead?” Ariel kept a gentle smile on her face, not at all flustered that I had suddenly grabbed her hand. I sensed some exhaustion behind it, but it was an otherwise flawless poker face.

“If that was all it took to sway your heart, that might actually be somewhat appealing… But actually, Luke and Sylphie were the ones who asked me to come here.”

In an unusual display of alarm, Ariel’s head jerked around as she glanced back at the two of them. Sylphie stood firm, while Luke quickly bowed his head.

“They begged me to help you.”

Her dainty fingers squeezed around mine like a steel vice, exhibiting far more strength than I thought possible, enough to make me wince.

“The two of them said that…?” she mumbled.

“I didn’t come here to look condescendingly down upon you, scoffing about how you need my help. In fact, it’s just the opposite.” I wondered how she would have reacted to me suddenly grabbing her hand and saying all this if she were her normal, confident self. “Won’t you please let me work alongside you?”

A tear fell from Ariel’s eyes. It was beautiful. Yet strangely, I found it surprising that she would cry.

Why is that? I wondered.

Ariel quickly wiped her tears with her free hand. She forced a smile and said, “This is the first time I’ve ever heard a pick-up line that managed to shake me to my core.” It was clear she wasn’t joking around; she’d schooled her expression, her cheeks weren’t blushing, and she wasn’t crying anymore either. She looked every bit the dignified princess.

“I admit, I would be grateful for the assistance,” Arielle said, nodding. “However…” She lowered her chin and studied me closely, trying to suss out my intentions. “You are Lord Orsted’s subordinate now, yes? Will he really allow you to do such a thing?”

“I have already spoken with him about it,” I assured her.

“Which means that you’re acting on his orders then, yes?”

His curse didn’t seem completely effective on her, so maybe it wouldn’t hurt to answer honestly. But I decided to stick with the plan and keep his aim a secret.

“No, not at all.” I shook my head. “I was the one who said I wanted to help you, and he told me I was free to do as I wished.”

After a brief pause, Ariel said, “All right. Very well. Be sure to convey my gratitude to him then.”

Sylphie pursed her lips, unhappy at how I’d handled things, but this was how it had to be.

“In that case, I look forward to having your support,” said Ariel.

“And I look forward to working with you.” We readjusted our grip on each other’s hands and shook on it.

Now that we have that settled, time to move on to the details.

“If we’re going to make you king, we could enlist Lord Orsted’s help in the matter…but frankly, he doesn’t hold much sway in Asura Kingdom. I don’t think he would be much help to you,” I said, prefacing my main point. “As such, I think Lord Perugius’s help will be crucial.”

“Agreed,” Ariel said solemnly, sitting up straighter in her chair.

Perhaps I was only imagining it, but Sylphie and Luke looked more serious now than they had a few minutes ago.

Orsted had also mentioned that convincing Perugius to support Ariel was paramount, which only further reinforced how much authority Perugius held in Asura. The problem was how to go about persuading him.

Perugius posed a question to us before, which was…

“What is the most important quality a king must have? If you can bring me that answer yourself, then I will give you my support,” I said, reciting what I remembered of our previous conversation with Perugius.

Ariel’s eyes twitched. She had racked her brain over and over for the answer to that question.

“I wonder what kind of response he really wants,” I said.

Previously, Ariel had answered, “They’re wise, listen to their cabinet ministers, and don’t forget their position in society,” but Perugius dismissed that as incorrect. He then turned the question to me, and I answered, “I think I’d prefer a ruler who can put themselves in the shoes of the common folk, rather than someone who relies on their own abilities.” Perugius had called that response “preferable”, but that suggested it wasn’t the correct answer either.

If Orsted was to be believed, Derrick Redbat must have found the correct answer to this challenge when it was posed to him. Orsted had also suggested the answer likely had something to do with Gaunis Freean Asura. Of course, since history had been changed, there was no guarantee that Derrick had answered the same question as the one we now faced, but it was worth investigating.

“If memory serves, King Gaunis was a close friend of Lord Perugius’s, right?” I asked.

Ariel nodded. “Yes, the story of their friendship is famous. Lord Perugius also seems very nostalgic when he comes up in conversation.”

“In that case, whatever this quality is, King Gaunis must have possessed it. Correct?”

“Perhaps.”

“You can look into him, can’t you? There should be some records about him.”

I thought my suggestion was foolproof, but for whatever reason, Ariel and her two bodyguards looked less than enthused.

“I hate to break this to you…” said Ariel.

“What? Did I say something weird?”

“No, but we’ve already looked into King Gaunis. We found nothing of note in the archives on this floating fortress, nor in Ranoa’s library.”

Ah, so they’d already tried that route. That made sense. Perugius’s relationship with Gaunis was known far and wide. It would be stranger if they hadn’t followed that lead.

“If we could check the national library in Asura, there might be something he published that might give us better insight, but…”

True, the best place to find information on an Asuran king would be in the kingdom’s library. But for obvious reasons, we’d find it difficult to pay a visit to the place right now.

“Well, that is troubling,” I said. “In that case…”

Perhaps it would be better to ask about Derrick instead. How would I make such an inquiry, though? They would all find it strange that I even knew about him to begin with.

“Um, before we discuss this any further…” Ariel glanced briefly at Sylvaril. “Are you sure this is all right? Lord Perugius can hear everything we’re saying.”

I tilted my head. “And? I suspect he finds the whole thing entertaining.”

“I worry that he may not permit us to discuss this matter as a group,” Ariel explained.

Ah, that’s what she means. Ariel thought he might want her to think on it and come up with an answer on her own. I, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure that was his aim.

I glanced at Sylvaril. She fluttered her wings gently before saying, “It matters not to Lord Perugius how you arrive at your answer. If it is the correct one, he will lend you his support.” The words were left unspoken, but her tone said it all: That should be a given. He is, after all, a very magnanimous person.

“Do you mean to say that I should have consulted others from the very beginning?” Ariel asked.

Sylvaril nodded. “In fact, Lord Perugius was deeply puzzled as to why you were trying to solve it on your own to begin with.”

Ariel smiled bitterly. “I backed myself into a corner by overthinking it, I see.” She muttered to herself, then stood up, her spirits renewed. She lifted her arms, catching her blonde hair on the way up. It fell back across her shoulders as she stretched, hands clasped in the air. She then cracked her neck and clapped her cheeks. 

Not the kind of behavior you’d expect from a princess.

Sometimes people could limit themselves by overthinking. They were often burdened by the belief that things had to be a certain way and that there were no alternatives. Those preconceptions and biases often led people away from the correct path. It was only when a person realized they were mistaken, when they realized there were several ways of accomplishing the same thing, that their field of view expanded and let them feel freer than they’d ever been. I had experienced something similar when Roxy dragged me outside for the first time.

“All right!” Ariel declared. “Sylphie, Luke, take your seats.”

“As you command!”

“All right.”

The two happily settled at the table, which only made Nanahoshi feel even more awkward.

“Now then, let’s begin our meeting,” Ariel said, exuding the same confidence I had seen from her when I first met her.

Should I start clapping? No, I’d better not.

Instead I raised my hand and said, “Before we begin, I would like to make sure we are all on the same page. Do you mind?”

“Same page?” Ariel echoed.

“What I mean to say is, I don’t really know much about you, Your Highness.”

“I suppose not… Well, what is it you wish to know?” Her cheeks flushed, and Sylphie stared meaningfully at me.

Oh, come on. I’m not asking for her vital stats here. I’m trying to have a serious conversation.

“First, if you wouldn’t mind sharing, I would like to hear why you want to become king.”

I knew she wanted to become king, but I had only picked up bits and pieces about her motivations. She mentioned something about how many people had died for her. I assumed Derrick was probably one of them.

“I am fairly certain I already told you what my motivations are,” said Ariel.

“What? You did?”

“Yes, when you and Sylphie got married.”

“Is that right…” I scratched my head. “Well, I’d like you to remind me regardless.”

“I told you that I wouldn’t be able to face the people who believed in me and died for me if I didn’t become king.”

I nodded. “I see. So you’re doing it for the people who sacrificed their lives for you… Could you tell me more about these individuals?”

She smiled and tilted her head. “Is that somehow relevant to our current problem?”

Ah, I know a look of rejection when I see one. She doesn’t want to talk about it.

“I don’t know if it has any relevance or not,” I confessed. “But from where I’m standing, it seems like Lord Perugius is testing you. In that case, maybe if we dig through your history and motivations, we might find clues that will lead us to the answer we seek.”

“I see what you mean.”

I was just throwing that out as an excuse, but it actually made some sense. Frankly, I had no idea what made a true king, or whatever Perugius wanted to call it. I knew squat about kings, aside from what I’d read in a novel long ago. I remembered a line that went something like: “A king lives for his people. No, it’s more than that—he exists to guide the people.” My ignorance on the topic meant that racking my brain over the question wouldn’t be very productive.

“Very well, then. I should warn you that there were many who died. We lost an especially great number when we fled Asura. Thirteen, to be precise. The four knights were Alasdair, Callum, Dominic, and Cedric. The three mages were Kevin, Johan, and Babette. My six retainers were Marcellin, Bernadette, Edwina, Florence, and Corinne. I doubt I will ever forget their names as long as I live. Our journey was brutal. We fought together and overcame so many obstacles. Every single one of them desperately desired that I become king and died trying to make that happen.”

Wait, what? Derrick isn’t even among the names she listed. That’s odd…

Orsted had mentioned that Derrick had died, but Ariel hadn’t even brought him up. Maybe he wasn’t that important to her? Perhaps he would have learned a clue from the thirteen she just mentioned, had he been alive.

“Tell me more about each one of them,” I said.

“Very well. It will take quite some time to do so. Are you all right with that?”

I nodded. “I don’t mind. Every single one of them must have been important, so I would hate to skip any of them.”

As soon as I said that, the atmosphere became less tense. Ariel grinned as Luke gaped in surprise. For whatever reason, Sylphie appeared to be smiling proudly. Nanahoshi was the only one who seemed uncomfortable.

“All right, in that case…” 

Ariel slowly began opening up about the thirteen people she had lost. She filled me in on where they were born, how they were raised, and how she came to meet them all. She also went into their likes and dislikes, their personalities, what they were most proud of, what conversations they had, what made them laugh, what made them angry, and what made them cry. She spared no details. Even told me about who got along with who, who liked who, and who hated who. Finally, she explained how each of them died. Each person had their own share of drama, but they were all real people who had lived and died.

The conversation told me all I needed to know about each of the thirteen. Sylphie and Luke also chimed in here and there with their own recollections of the deceased. All three had a wealth of information they could share about the group they lost, so well did they remember them. I suspected the two other girls that served Ariel, who weren’t currently present, could do the same.

My future self said Sylphie left to join Ariel because she’d become disenchanted with him, but I personally wondered if she wouldn’t have left regardless. The bonds shared by their group were so strong I couldn’t discount that possibility. I was honestly a little jealous. They gave their lives for Ariel, died protecting her. The weight of that was something I knew all too well. And I thought it was a good thing that Sylphie knew it, too.

“That is all,” said Ariel once she was finished.

“Hm, interesting…”

Sadly, nothing she’d said seemed related to what it took to be a “true king.” In a way, the bonds she had with them seemed evidence enough to me that she was fit for the role. King Arthur’s round table also had thirteen seats, after all.

Okay, sure, if you include the survivors, it doesn’t actually come out to thirteen, but still.

“Oh, goodness, I did forget someone else who was very important,” said Ariel.

This is what I was waiting for. It’s gotta be…

“Derrick Redbat.”

See, I knew it! This was what I was waiting for.

I kept quiet, waiting for her to go on, but Ariel merely drew her brows together as her face scrunched.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“Oh, it’s just… To tell you the truth, I suddenly realized that I didn’t really know him that well.”

Ugh, great. So he kicked the bucket before he got close with her.

That was a problem. She might have had more to say about him if—as in the original timeline—the two had fought side-by-side and built trust as they both put their lives on the line. But alas, she didn’t. If the two had built no memories together, then she wouldn’t know what kind of person he was, and I wouldn’t be able to use that information to figure out how he managed to sway Perugius.

“Do you remember anything about him at all?” I asked. “Doesn’t matter if it seems insignificant. You said he was someone important, so there had to be something, right?”

My only option was to push her for answers.

“Let’s see… He was a very serious and professional person.”

Ariel continued adding some details, but he sounded pretty…well, normal to me. Just your average, smarty-pants magician. He was a nitpicking busybody, the type that always sighed in exasperation at his friends’ antics. When Ariel went off and did things on her own, he looked at her with a judgmental eye and called her out on it. The picture she painted of him reminded me of Cliff. Or perhaps he was more like Vice Principal Jenius. At any rate, he was basically the equivalent of a nosy grandparent always fussing over Ariel’s future.

“At the time, my behavior was not befitting one worthy of sitting upon the throne. I lived an indolent lifestyle. I didn’t even dream about becoming king… That was when the Displacement Incident happened. A beast suddenly appeared, and Derrick died protecting me. His last wish was that I become king. That was why I started down this path.”

“…I see.”

Nothing she described told me about his frame of mind or what he was striving for, which was unfortunate because she had told me more than enough about the thirteen that died on her journey here. This conversation hadn’t yielded any hints either.

There has to be something, I thought. Some way to draw out the information I need…

As I was humming to myself, contemplating a solution, someone suddenly spoke up.

“Come to think of it, he never doubted that Princess Ariel would be the next king. He took every opportunity he could to suggest that she should take the throne,” Luke said. He struck a sultry pose, putting his hand to his chin as he recalled what he knew. “Perhaps he knew the answer—knew what makes one a true king. That would explain why he was so confident that she would become king, because he knew she possessed that quality.”

Good job, Luke!

It made sense when I thought about it: Luke, like Ariel, had been close with Derrick.

But I have to be careful about what he says. It’s possible he’s only sharing this based on advice he received from the Man-God.

It was best to assume that anything Luke suggested might be dangerous, even if the man himself meant no harm.

“Interesting. That certainly is possible,” Ariel said. She nodded, as though the words Derrick had said to her finally made sense with this added context.

“Unfortunately, he’s no longer with us,” Luke reminded her. 

Everyone went quiet. We had no way of knowing what Derrick was thinking. As the silence stretched, the atmosphere grew heavier. Perhaps we had spent too much time dwelling on those lost to us.

“W-well, at any rate, let’s keep thinking on it and see if we can come up with other clues,” I said.

My words did nothing to alleviate the gloomy air that had settled over the table. In the end, we came up with no constructive options that day.