Chapter 155 - Marching

Aster was sitting in his carriage with Ramuja, while Irion was the coachman for his carriage. In front of his carriage, King Gaum's official carriage was leading the way, they were surrounded by soldiers marching and protecting the carriage of their king.

The soldiers were excited about this, because their king had given them gold incentive for the soldiers who were willing to go to war. King Gaum implemented quick radicalizing changes in the system of Kingdom Rhea, and surprisingly, all of those new regulations were effective, including the new incentive for soldiers.

Before, everyone only relied on their patriotism to fight for Kingdom Rhea, which the soldier didn't lack. But they did constantly think about their family in their hometown. Thus, with this gold incentive, the one who went to war and returned safe will be given high incentive, and the one who died during the war will have their family to be compensated handsomely.

It was very different from the conventional rules of Rhea, which made King Gaum's popularity skyrocketed. The joyful changes made everyone feel grateful for him and most of them still couldn't believe that Gaum was the one who led them, it was as if the country was suddenly led by a whole different person.

"Young Lord, is it really okay for you to give all the credit to King Gaum?" Ramuja was concerned. He heard from Irion that Young Lord worked tirelessly, day and night to reform Rhea in a very short period of time. It was indeed successful, but Aster took no credit for it.

"I don't need credit for something like that, it wasn't that hard to spot the weakness of the system in Rhea anyway," Aster said, "Besides, I don't belong in Rhea, I belong in Grand Duchy Stormhill, my home."

Aster gazed outside, few soldiers were secretly glancing at this Young Lord of Grand Duchy whose appearance was simply breathtaking, just like what they described. Combined with his extraordinary noble status, their king was lucky to be able to get him.

But sometimes, when they saw the Young Lord, they had a d.e.s.i.r.e to own him, even though they were just lowly soldiers. Especially whenever they saw Young Lord's eyes, it was deeply intoxicating, it felt like his eyes pulled them to the endless abyss of fantasy.

It was like, looking at something you could imagine, but couldn't get. Some of them accidentally messed up their step.

Aster was nonchalant about it, but Ramuja seemed to notice the stares from the soldiers.

Ramuja immediately slid the small window curtain to block the view. Aster was surprised and asked, "Why? I was enjoying the view outside."

Ramuja kneeled again and lowered his head, "It's dangerous for Young Lord to be visible to many people."

"Huh?" Aster didn't understand. If he was talking about the stares, Aster was used to it most of the time, he just didn't bother with it.

"Young Lord can talk to me instead if you are bored…"

Aster was surprised with Ramuja's firm sentence, as if he was displeased about something.

'Wait… wait… is he?'

"Ramuja, are you… jealous?" Aster asked.

"N—No! Young Lord, this servant will not be jealous because I believe Young Lord know how to conduct himself and Young Lord is a very wise man that is above all and you have so many admirers and I do not have the audacity to be jealous because—"

"Okay, okay, stop."

Aster chuckled. Ramuja talked really fast without a pause that it sounded funny, "Okay then, if you don't allow me to gaze outside, then I will gaze at you instead."

Aster gazed at Ramuja deeply his golden circle flickered. Ramuja started to feel the hot gaze of his master all over his body, it felt like he was stripped n.a.k.e.d. A tingling sensation made his body both hot and itchy at the same time.

"Y—Young Lord, don't stare at me so much…" Ramuja said in a low, embarrassed tone.

Aster held his laugh, because right now, Ramuja acted sheepishly and fidgeted nervously. Unlike Ramuja he met in the training ground, he exuded a powerful man aura, like a warrior ready to fight everything.

Then, Aster remembered the moment they were in the bathroom together and his face turned beet red instantly.

They were in this awkward silence until the carriage stopped near a meadow, they were going to rest for the day.

King Gaum opened Aster's carriage casually and barged in without Aster's consent, "Oh? This servant of yours is still here? I thought he is with your knight outside, he is suited to be the coachman, haha."

Aster frowned, Gaum indirectly insulted Ramuja with his joke. Aster wanted to rebuke, but Ramuja said something first, "This servant is here to protect Young Lord from unexpected danger."

"Danger? There are thousands of soldiers surrounding us, do you think they cannot protect Aster? You are underestimating my soldier, this is an insult to me as the king!" Gaum accused.

Aster thought Ramuja would stagger and trembled in fear, but instead, his eyes darted at Gaum and there was no trace of fear there, "This servant is not worried about the threat from outside, but from the leader of the soldiers."

The grin in Gaum's face disappeared and turned into hostility, he and Ramuja glared at each other. Fearing it would escalate badly, Aster immediately blocked their view and shifted the topic, "So, King Gaum, why are you here?"

Gaum's glare turned into a flirtatious smirk again and he pinched Aster's cheek, "Of course to check your condition, because we are going to invade your Lantern Palace tomorrow."

If Aster said that he didn't feel saddened, that would make him a ruthless psychopath. Of course, it was so painful to invade and destroy the palace he grew up with. But if he ran away from the grand duchy without any fight, it would pain him more.

Because Aster dedicated his life since he was a kid to help his grand duchy, and he already decided to devote his life to his duchy since the beginning.

'Even if mother wants to drive me out, I shall return, no matter how and no matter what the consequences.'

'Because marrying a male ex-slave… I need to have tremendous status to do that and earn the Golden Camellia blessing.'

Aster took a deep breath and said, "Since it has been decided, then there is no use to hesitate. Let's carry on and do this."

"Well, I know my darling Aster is really an amazing person," Gaum smiled, "Shall we kill all the guards and everyone inside the palace?"

Aster's eyes widened, "What for?!"

"Well, to eliminate any possibility of traitors of course."

"They are all my people," Aster said, "Injure the guard, but don't fatally injure or kill them when they don't fight much. Only do so when they refuse to surrender. For the citizens of Dionde City and the servants in the palace, do not attack any of them, they are the one who raised me."

"Aster, you are far too kind, this is a war," Gaum reminded.

"I know my people, they are peaceful people," Aster said firmly.

Knowing that there was no room for negotiation, Gaum sighed and smiled, "You are the boss here. Although, to my people, you are my lover."

Gaum chuckled and left the carriage. Ramuja had been holding his fist for a while now, he really wanted to shut that guy's mouth. Gaum took all the credit of his master's hard work and he still dared to act unscrupulously to his master. Unforgivable.

Aster noticed Ramuja's anger and pacified him, "We need him until I can return back to grand duchy."

"… yes, Young Lord, this servant understood…"

Aster smiled. He knew that something had changed in Ramuja. He became very determined and bolder than before, although he didn't understand what changed him?

'Is… is it because… the power of love?'

'Like, our love triumphs all?'

'Wait Wait Wait! Aster, what kind of bug is in your head! What power of love cringy bullshit you just spew!'

The troops rested for the day, they needed to save their energy for tomorrow. Aster rested in a tent alone, while Irion and Ramuja were guarding outside the tent.

Irion didn't take off his knight plate, unlike the soldiers who at least took off their helmet. And Irion's full plate was probably five times heavier than the one a regular soldier used.

"Why are you still wearing it? Isn't it heavy?" Ramuja asked.

"You never know what would happen in this kind of situation, I don't want to die like an idiot and unable to protect Young Lord from an ambush. I don't care if it is heavy, if Young Lord said so, then I will do it."

What Irion said was true, but there was something else other than that. He wore the plate because it was heavy, so he imagined Young Lord forcing him to wear a heavy plate as some sort of reward. There was also some more weight he added himself inside the plate to give the better 'Young Lord stepping on him with his full body' sensation.

Ramuja looked at Irion with a mind full of admiration. This guy was really devoted to Young Lord. Ramuja imagined himself in a full plate armor while protecting Young Lord, "I want a full plate like that too."

"You can request Young Lord later, I will help you shape a good armor!" Irion said enthusiastically.

It surprised Ramuja slightly, because Irion became so excited all the sudden, "But, doesn't it feel hot and heavy inside?"

"It is, but it felt really, really good!" Irion replied.

"It felt really good?" Ramuja was even more confused. How could something so hot and heavy hanging in your body felt very good?

"Trust me, I will help you later! We shall be armor buddies! We shall devote our body and life to Young Lord!" Irion was far too excited that his expression looked a bit weird.

Ramuja didn't really understand what happened to Irion, but seeing how devoted Irion was to their master, it amazed him. He nodded enthusiastically.

'Irion is really a great mentor,' Ramuja said in his heart.

Aster hasn't slept yet inside the tent, but hearing those two talked outside calmed him.

"Irion and Ramuja can be good friends, I'm grateful," Aster said softly. But, the more he listened, the more he felt something was wrong about their conversation, "Irion is talking about the armor for the war, right?"