The kingdom did not have advanced technology, but they did have magic. The classes they received from the World-Rune were the only thing they needed, yet after the conflict with the System Manipulator started, they were quick to jump ship. Regardless of how much they veered towards technology and away from magic, mana poisoning was something they would never escape. My own invention never seemed to crack the code, the only thing that did was the demons. Those poor poor demons.

  I stared at the piles of demon horns in front of me. It would take a lot of time to find the faulty ones. "This is all your fault. Now that sword saintess even left us."

  Luther defensively put his hands in front of himself. "How would I know that would happen? You are a scientist. Find another way."

  I sighed. People always put their faith in science when creating a problem they couldn't solve. In contrast to the past where I had shun the use of magic, I could do anything to bring it back now.

  - Veronica Goth, the Inventor

  "Stop messing with him. I know it is you," Hiro said.

  Someone giggled from behind the vending machine. Stepping out into sight was a beastkin woman. She had brown fox-like ears, wearing a garment similar to a kimono, and hiding her face behind a fan. "My apologies. I just had to try." She closed her fan and gave a bow to Alice. "Lady Alice Richardsson. It is a pleasure meeting you again."

  Alice returned the greeting. "Likewise Miss Kaze." She glared at her. "As you are an envoy from the beastkin kingdom, I am unsure if you are allowed to walk around freely in Aures, our capital."

  Miss Kaze smiled. "I know. But sometimes exceptions are necessary to be made."

  "By those in power that is." She folded her arms. "This is human territory. Have you been permitted by His Majesty and his advisors?"

  Opening her fan again, Miss Kaze ignored Alice and fixed her eyes on Hiro. "When I heard you had been allowed to travel to the capital, I just had to meet you, brother." She glanced at Mark and Tom. "And it seems like you have made a few friends. One of those blue-haired people, and the son of a Duke. Two people. Remarkable."

  "That is your sister?" Mark asked.

  Hiro nodded. "She works as a diplomat for the beastkin monarch." He glared at her. "The longest serving one in fact. I am actually looking forward to seeing how long she can keep her title. It is a popular job."

  Miss Kaze returned the glare and didn't say anything.

  Tom looked between the both of them. There was obviously some tension there, but it would be best not to make any unnecessary enemies — just in case he could continue his EPIC ADVENTURE in the beastkin nation. "Amazing. So your sister is a diplomat. That is a prestigious job to have."

  Miss Kaze closed her fan and smiled. "I like this one."

  Alice coughed. "If we have finished exchanging pleasantries, what is the reason for you to break diplomatic protocol?"

  "Oh, I just heard a rumor recently. I am sure you know all about it." She looked at Alice with a sly grin.

  "Miss Kaze!"

  An entourage of beastkin servants ran towards her. Behind them was a palanquin carried by porcupine-like people. When they arrived by her side, she handed her fan to one of her servants who had to jump up to reach it.

  "If I have to be honest, this is a beautiful city. I wanted one last look around it. A shame difficult times are upon us, but such is the law of the jungle." She gave them another bow. "It was a pleasure meeting you all." Then she stepped into the palanquin and was carried off towards the castle.

  "Well she was nice," Mark commented. "Why have you never mentioned you had a sister? I thought you were an only child?"

  Hiro sighed. "Didn't need to. And she is my half-sister, so we aren't that close."

  "Looks like she is here to talk to the king." Tom looked at Alice. "Is the celebratory feast supposed to be today?"

  She shook her head. "There will be a small banquet after greeting the king. I believe the beastkin diplomat must have been invited for formalities sake."

  Tom nodded and they began making their way towards the castle. It was easy knowing when they were getting closer as fewer and fewer people walked the street and the security increased. Guards stood around keeping a look, and they had to walk through more than ten checkpoints before even getting close to the main castle wall. On top of the wall he could see machine-gun turrets peeking out, and next to the gate, supervised by a human guard, was a more elaborate-looking robot. In contrast to the trash-collecting one he had seen in Makeshift Town, this one had a sword stuck on its right hand and a gun on the other. Its eyes were blinking red, but turned yellow when it noticed them approaching.

  Alice verified her identity and they let them through. Once they had gotten through the inner walls the landscape completely changed. Massive well-kept gardens surrounded the entire castle, and a cleanly paved path led towards the castle. Even seeing it up close, his neck hurt when trying to look at its peak.

  "Is this the main entrance? Doesn't seem fitting for nobles," Tom pointed out.

  "It's the main entrance for dignitaries as it prevents them from bringing anything other than themselves," Alice explained. "In the back is another entrance, much easier to get into, connected to the nobles district."

  Hiro gave Tom an odd look. "Aren't you supposed to know that already?"

  Toms scratched his head. "It has been a long time since I last was here." Then he picked up the pace.

  His legs started to hurt, but eventually they arrived at the castle and entered. The floor was marble and the walls were glistening gold. Countless artifacts decorated the hallways, including the occasional demonic horns hanging on the wall.

  They were led into a massive ballroom filled to the brim with people.

  Tom turned confused to look at the doors closing behind them. "Aren't they supposed to inform the attendees of our arrival?"

  "That is only the case on more formal occasions. The tradition was discontinued because the commoners thought it was a sign of self-importance rather than formality."

  His eyes widened. "They listen to the commoner opinion here?"

  She shook her head. "Not exactly. It started after rebels began bombing these kinds of events. Don't misunderstand, if they could, the nobles wouldn't care about the commoners. It is more a sign of paranoia. Why risk dying to a rebel attack for a simple gathering when such risk could be served for the most important and well-guarded ones?"

  In the middle of the ballroom, they saw a crowd forming. Walking up to it Tom saw they were all standing around someone.

  A noblewoman wearing a red dress was standing alone with her fist clenched. "How dare you spout such nonsense!"

  In front of her was a nobleman with another noblewoman in his arms. The girl whimpered and buried her face in the nobleman's chest. "She threatened me."

  "Threatened?" She growled. "I was only explaining etiquette to you."

  Tom nudged Alice. "Let me guess. That guy is the crown prince and he is cheating on his fiance."

  She bobbed her head back and forth. "That sums it up. Lady Helia is the daughter of Marquess Rosban. I don't envy her position at all."

  "But, like," he hesitated. "Isn't it usually the daughter of the duke that gets engaged to the prince? I heard there are only two dukes left."

  She nodded. "Someone of higher standing would have been a more fitting choice. I used to be engaged to the prince, but after another duke's family lost their standing, as the only child from house Richardson, the engagement was annulled since it would lead to the end of our family."

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  The crown prince pointed at lady Helia. "How dare you harm her in your jealousy?"

  She gasped. "Jealousy? It's the third girl this month, I can hardly keep track of them to develop a grudge."

  Tom looked back at Hiro and Mark. "Pay attention guys. The prince is going to ask for annulling their engagement and she will be momentarily ostracised from high society. Then she will find another suitor who is a much kinder person and find her happy ending, while the crown prince will grow bitter and resentful."

  Hiro blinked. "That was awfully specific."

  "This is the last straw. I will go to His Majesty and ask for an annulment of our engagement." Then he turned around and wandered off with the other lady in his arms.

  The entire crowd gasped and started whispering amongst each other.

  Lady Helia slowly reached her arm towards the prince, then retreated it, and shook her head.

  "Wow! It actually happened," Mark said.

  Tom smirked. "I am an observer after all." He walked out of the crowd and signaled for Alice to follow.

  When lady Helia saw them approaching she fixed her hair and gave them a bow. "It is a pleasure seeing you again lady Richardson."

  Alice gave a nod. "Likewise.

  "And you sir, I don't recall your name."

  "Oh, erm — I am Tomassio Rossi."

  Her eyes widened. "Lord Rossi. I see. Are you here to make fun of me?"

  Tom shook his head. "No, no. I just came to remind you that you can do better than that guy."

  "… Pardon?"

  "Hey, Alice. Tell her how much of a jerk the prince is."

  Alice smiled. "The prince can indeed be a lot to deal with. Finding another suitor could be a blessing in disguise."

  Lady Helia stared at Tom. "Are you really Tomassio Rossi? I must be dreaming."

  Tom shrugged. "Come on, people change, and so can you."

  She sighed. "But he is the crown prince. Such an attitude is normal to deal with. I doubt His Majesty will accept the annulment." She gave them another bow. "I have to leave now. It was a pleasure meeting you both." Then she left.

  Tom moped. "I think we scared her off."

  "She needs some time for herself," Alice pointed out. "I heard otherworlders used to be very invested in the relationship dramas of high society. Looks like it was true."

  "Everyone enjoys a little drama. And a dumb crown prince is such a clicé."

  The whispering around them intensified.

  "Is that lord Rossi and lady Richardson?"

  Someone gasped. "Farting space, being a soldier really is terrible for your facial structure."

  "So the rumors were true. And he defeated a great error beast? Remarkable."

  A nobleman scoffed. "He probably took the honor of someone else's feat. Look at the two soldiers trailing him."

  "Let us head to the throne room," Alice said. "His Majesty should have been notified of our arrival already. It would be best to not leave him waiting."

  They followed her out of the ballroom through several doors until they arrived in front of two massive doors. The doors opened revealing a throne room with a ceiling reaching towards the sky.

  "Introducing lady Alice Richardson and lord Tomassio Rossi." The guard glanced at Mark and Hiro. "And others."

  Sitting on the throne was an old man. Emphasis on the old. His face was filled with wrinkles and his eyes shut close. On his head was an emerald crown giving a weird humming sound. Standing in two rows beside the throne were all the attendees.

  When they arrived in front of the throne, Alice signaled for him to bow. "Greetings to the light of the empire Your Majesty." Tom awkwardly mumbled along to what she was saying.

  The king smiled. "You both are finally back from that dreadful camp. I hope everything has been well, Alice?"

  "No rash actions from the demon yet, Your Majesty. They are keeping their distance as you hoped."

  "Perfect. And you, Tomassio? Not only did you return from the South without an audience with me, but you headed straight towards the camp. What is your explanation?"

  Tom hesitated. "I had to fulfill my duty, Your Majesty. As it was expected from all citizens of this great kingdom."

  The king nodded to himself. "Hm, good, good. We shall speak later, and the banquet will be held as a precursor to the Sermon of Sainthood. Defeating the great error beast Morpheus was quite the feat, Tomassio. On behalf of the kingdom, I congratulate you for your feat."

  "Uhm. Thanks."

  The king smiled and they stood up. Several of the attendees curiously eyed him as they found their place on the side of the throne. Their eyes moved to look at the teddy bear peeking out of his pocket. Tom had moved Lil Bin there to keep his hand free, and he seemed to enjoy it more than flinging around on Tom's hand.

  "Now, for the dignitaries from the beastkin empire. I heard there was something important your monarch wished to inform us of?"

  Miss Kaze walked in front of the throne and bowed. "Greetings Your Majesty. I have indeed arrived with an urgent message, and it relates to the kingdom transgressions upon our land."

  The king looked taken aback. "Transgressions? I believe we already settled a truce if it pertains to the Green Gap"

  She shook her head. "That is not what I am referring to you. It is defeating the great error best Morpheus I am referring to."

  "Morpheus? What concern does the king of the jungle have with such?"

  "This information has always been kept confidential, but there is no reason to anymore. The beast fury crystals that are mined from the southern part of our territory." She smirked. "The same crystal the kingdom so desperately needs, enough to be willing to smuggle them out of our land, has one crucial component. Morpheus himself."

  The king gripped the throne. "Elaborate."

  "Of course. Morpheus has always been deemed a nuisance, but there was a reason why no steps were taken to defeat it. When it digs its tunnels close to the Void, due to the ore-rich environment in our southern territory, rows of caves are filled with smoke from the Void. From our research, over time the Void turns the otherwise normal ores into what we know as beast fury crystals. Since Morpheus is no more, this process has been discontinued. The king of the jungle is not pleased, to say the least."

  The king moved forward on the throne. "Surely there is a way to repeat the process? Dig artificial tunnels to let the smoke in."

  She nodded. "Perhaps so. But the amount of resources and time it would take would still greatly impact our operations. That's not even mentioning the error cultists who constantly seek to collapse as many tunnels as they can, even resorting to blowing themselves up. Morpheus used to offset such setbacks. That is why I am here to send this message—." Raising her head, she looked directly at the king. "On behalf of the beastkin nation of Zou, we formally declare war on the kingdom of Boreas."

  "War?" The king stammered. "Surely there could be diplomatic means to this conflict?"

  Miss Kaze shook her head. "I am afraid he has already made up his mind. As per the notion of this kingdom honor, the last goodwill he was willing to offer, the war will begin at the end of the year." She gave a short nod. "That is all," and casually walked back to her place.

  The entire throne room was turned into chaos. People were whispering amongst each other with concern in their eyes.

  "The king is too weak to lead a war," a nobleman said. "Perhaps Duke Richardson should take the throne?"

  Another attendee scoffed. "My lord, he does not have the right to the throne. We must still keep our faith in the crown prince. Once his marriage is over with, his foolishness will surely leave him, and he will rise to take on this problem."

  "Are you sure sire?" A noblewoman said. "He barely managed to pass the academy, not to mention that he never managed to achieve any accomplishment even close to that of lord Rossi."

  "The same Rossi who unintentionally started a war. He should have let the error beast be. The crown prince will save us."

  Tom looked at Alice and the others. "I take no responsibility for that. How should I have known?"

  "Don't worry. The king of the beastkin was always looking for an excuse to start a war. It isn't your fault," Alice reassured him.

  Hiro nodded. "She is correct. The king of the jungle is a warmongering buffoon. It is why I left."

  "And the beastkin nation lies in the south-eastern continent, doesn't it? The kingdom would have to defend itself from the demons in the north and the beastkin in the south."

  Hiro stared at Tom. "I think you are mixing them up with another beastkin tribe. It is the beastkin, not the beastkin."

  Tom really found the translation of this world confusing. There were two types of beastkin? "And where does this beastkin kingdom lie?"

  "On the other side of the Void," Hiro said.

  His eyes widened. "Really? The Void has always seemed so endless."

  "Well, it isn't. The beastkin lands is on the other side, and between them is the Colony."

  "The Free Port Cities," Mark corrected.

  "Yeah, that. They were occupied by the kingdom to create a buffer between the two nations. The Second Void War was the first time the two nations entered a conflict. Ever since there has been a stalemate."

  Alice nodded. "And that stalemate is now over."

  Tom looked at her. "Just so you know, I am only dealing with the demons."

  She avoided his eyes. "Understood."

  Huh, she accepted it just like that? Tom was expecting her to use her leverage since he was an otherworlder and all, but it looked like he was free to—.

  "But there is one more task I need you to do. I will tell you after this."

  Tom sighed. Of course, there it was.

  The door to the throne room opened, and the prince walked in. Beside him was another nobleman slouching and looking at the ground as he walked. Trailing behind was lady Helia.

  "Announcing crown prince Neus, prince Arthur, and lady Helia."

  Tom looked curiously at the second prince. His entire posture was off and he looked terribly weak, but he did have something that looked like an aura sword tied to his waist.

  "Neus, you are finally here," the king said, relieved.

  The crown prince didn't bother to respond and walked over to the throne without bowing. "Your Majesty, there is a serious request I have to ask for you."

  All eyes in the room were fixated on the crown prince.

  "What request?" The king responded, standing up from his seat.

  The crown prince pointed at lady Helia. "I wish to annul my engagement with lady Helia."

  The king was motionless, then sighed and sat back on his throne. "Not this again. We do not have time for this."

  Staring at the crown prince bickering with the king, those showing their support for the prince had a grim expression on their faces. Miss Kaze had forgotten to raise her fan and was grinning from ear to ear, watching the weakened leadership of the kingdom.

  ***

  After the crown prince had given up trying to annul his engagement, the audience with the king was over, and everyone left the king alone to sit on his throne surrounded by his panicked advisors.

  Leaving the castle the opposite way they entered, they all arrived at the nobles district. Tom stared in awe at the residency — a giant mansion which made the nobles barracks look like a cottage in comparison. The style was Victorian and maids stood waiting outside to greet them. Standing outside the door was a noblewoman. Her eyes were dull and her face expressionless.

  Alice bowed. "Greetings, Mother. I hope you have been well?"

  "Greetings." The duchess didn't bother saying anything else to her daughter. She looked at Tom and the other. "It is an honor to have young lord Rossi stay in our estate. I was informed the Rossi estate is under renovation. You and your servants are welcome here."

  Tom awkwardly shook his head. "They aren't my servants. They are fellow soldiers from the camp."

  The duchess stood there silent. "Of course, my apologies."

  "No worries," Tom responded.

  Entering the estate they were immediately led to the dinner table where Tom saw the strangest assortment of food he had ever seen: chocolate in wheat, blue bread, and pizza made as cake. The food tasted surprisingly good.

  After they had finished eating, they were led to their sleeping quarters. Before Tom could retire for the night, Alice led him away to an empty room and made him sit on the couch.

  "Now, let me explain how you can help this kingdom from collapsing."

  Tom sighed. "Of course."