Chapter 266 - ‘Tis But A Small World

Sigh!

Finally!

This was more like an apartment than a hotel room. There were four rooms, three bathrooms, a dining and a master bedroom. 

'Do kings live in places like this, or what?'

The rooms and all that wasn't quite what mesmerized me though: it was how the room was decorated. The furniture was really expensive-looking; the paintings, the crystal chandelier, the gold embroidered carpet, and curtains.

'How the hell are we even going to afford the-' My head hurt just by thinking about it. 

But wait, I was forgetting something.

Marg was currently on the bed, sleeping. 

I sat near her. She was breathing- her body was warm; her heart was beating. 

"Marg."

But she wasn't quite waking up.

The lieutenant and the old man were by the door.

"Give her some time," The geezer said. "She'll probably be fine after a goodnight's rest."

I still didn't quite trust this geezer but for the time being, I decided to listen to him.

I gave a message home that I was alright- though I figured they already knew that. 

Anyway, there was a reason why I didn't call them right away. 'She's not going to flip once she realizes, what's happening here, right?' Mom raised me with a condition. And that condition being I wouldn't turn out like the rest of our family- a villain. So far, that wasn't looking good. 

It wasn't my fault that people were making shit up about me conquering stuff and all that, okay?

"So, what's your deal?" I turned to the old man.

He grinned. "What?"

"Don't play dumb. How'd you end up there, what's your relationship with gramps and all that."

The old man grinned. He didn't quite say anything. This guy was rather annoying if nothing else. 

"And that language?" Lieutenant said, crossing his arms. 

"He's from Neil."

"Neil?" The lieutenant asked. 

"It's basically another world for all our intents and purposes."

Wait, if the army didn't yet know about Neil and all that- wouldn't that mean, we weren't even aware of the incoming invasion, let alone- oh shit!

"I see." Lieutenant Demeris held his chin. "And you think we can trust him?"

He was right here, you know!

But- "For the time being, I don't see why not."

I found the geezer still grinning. He could understand English, so he could understand this situation all too well. 

And even if he was evil and all- there was no way to figure that out right now. 

"Alright." Demeris proceeded to leave. "I'll trust your words for now. I'll have to report to the General, if you'll excuse me. And I hope you explain this whole 'Neil' thing to us."

"Don't worry, I will."

With that said, he left.

"Judging by those reactions, I'd say most people don't know about Neil?" The geezer came close and just stood by the bed, not quite sitting down. 

"Pretty much. Now, my questions?"

He sighed. "About seven or so decades ago I came to this world with some of my friends- or comrades, I guess?"

"Oh? You came from the future too?"

If I recalled clearly, the headmaster did say he came with a certain moron, my grandparents, and another girl. And here I thought, he was joking about the moron part. 

I guess not.

"So, you know about all that? Guess the ugly bastard talked a bit more than I assumed." He breathed a sigh in relief. "We stopped the invasion and the virus but my sister got infected with a deadly variant when your mother was in her womb: we didn't yet have a cure for that variant. Norin was the name of my sister and your mother inherited it. 'Tis a small world, ain't it kid?" He tried to chuckle but it never came out. "Though infected, Norin developed a rather particular antibody and that kept the infection at bay. We thought she'd beaten the virus. We thought we'd finally see some hope… but…Before your mother was born, a rather complicated illness had affected your grandmother- and the chances of survival for either were lower than 1%. Obviously, your grandfather in his infinite wisdom turned to that vixen and ended up screwing the whole thing to various degrees."

Vixen? Why did I have this bad feeling and an understanding- yeah, I didn't even need to know more. I could already see where this was going. 

'Why the fuck don't we ever learn?'

Like seriously, we were always asking for her help though we knew she was trouble. So technically, weren't we the ones who were stupid and just- sirgh!

"Go on."

"Things happened, your mother was born, my sister passed away, your grandfather went mad." He shook with a bit of rage: he had a smile, a very furious smile. The guy was short and kind of round, so when he shook, he shook good. "I held that vixen responsible and went to slay her with one of my teleporter friends." He exhaled. Yeah, that was a bad idea. "Well, I lost and ended up in the null. My friend too died and well- that's how I ended up stranded there."

And he spoke that too casually. He even laughed at the end. 

"Why did everything have to be linked to Hyora of all people? You, my grandparents, my parents, and even me."

"You? Oh, yeah, that thing about getting rid of her, did you kill her!"

For once this guy was excited if nothing else. 

"Kind of."

"YAHAHGAH!" I had no idea if he was just randomly screaming or laughing in a weird way. Oh well. "Serves that bitch right!" He was more than just excited, that was for sure. 

But I didn't quite feel the same way. Yeah, I hated Hyora but- wasn't I alive thanks to her? The same went for mom. And it was us who went to her for help, not the other way around- so- maybe- 

Well, it was in the past anyway. 

"Alright, then I'd assume you're my somewhat of a grandpa?" I still didn't quite buy everything he said. 

But I guess taking him to grandmother would solve all the mysteries. 

'If what he said is true then that's an addition to our family?'

"But if I didn't know better, I'd have assumed you were that ugly bastard's reincarnation or something kid. You look exactly-" he paused. "Nah, you're definitely more handsome." He snorted. "Oops, better not go killing him like that." He laughed even louder. "So, how fares that mad lad?"

"He's dead."

"Oh." He became slightly quiet.

"Why'd you call him an ugly bastard?"

He sat down next to me.  "Well, he always had a bad reputation among us. He'd peek at girls whenever someone was changing or taking a bath. He'd ogle at girls' breasts whenever he saw someone beautiful. He'd flirt even if he had your grandmothers around. Sometimes he even flipped skirts around." He chuckled. That was definitely different from the bits I remembered though. "Well, that did become a bit rare once he got married, but still." He chuckled as he reminisced the past. But then he became quiet. "How'd he go?"

I smiled vaguely as I stared at the floor. "For my future."

He didn't say anything.

We stayed quiet for a few minutes. 

I didn't quite understand this man. Maybe he was telling the truth, maybe he was making shit up to let my guard down and do stuff. But do what? Did he have anything to gain from lying to me?

I didn't see any but I didn't let my guard down either. 

"Alright." He stood up. "I'll go rest a little. I know you two are getting married but don't go around fondling her in her sleep kid." He left with a wink. 

"I won't ya damn geezer!"

Even I knew when to quit!

Geez.

Then again, I often did that whenever I woke up earlier than her, so- yeah….

***

Marg was asleep and she just stayed asleep. I lied next to her and just stayed like that. I couldn't sleep, even though I was this exhausted, even though I had so many cuts here and there but- I couldn't sleep.

'She'll wake up right?'

I suffered through and found her, but- now what?

She looked so peaceful now that I looked at her face though. She was just sleeping, so beautiful. 

But something was weird. 

That something being, even though I sent a message home, they never bothered to give me a reply. 

'Did something happen at home?'

I gulped, took a minute, and then called home: the main Holo. 

No one picked up.

That was odd. 

I called Elsa directly- she didn't pick up.

I also called Raea but she didn't pick up either.

This made me oddly suspicious. So, I called Father and then Mom. 

Neither picked up. 

I had a bad feeling where this was going. 

But our home was far- and I couldn't just rush things. 

If I couldn't get anyone to pick up the call inside the house then-, I gave a call to Merin and even he didn't pick up.

Was it possible that the whole academy was experiencing a coverage issue?

Then wouldn't the call never had gotten past in the first place?

Sigh, didn't seem like something I could wrap my head around. I did worry but- this was my family I was talking about. Surely, they could have handled whatever came their way. 

And yet- I found myself sweating and I couldn't really focus. 

Marg was like this and now-

"Mmm."

But that's when-

"Marg!"