CH 39

Chapter 39 – To the Capital of the Empire

A lot happened the past few days, but in conclusion I regained my rapier and got a dagger for faring. Andrew got the heart of the Queen and regained his mother…for now, at least.

“But can you go back here after making all that mess?”

Arje, after waking up, asked concerningly as she watched Andrew getting off the port of Profin.

Which was understandable, since Andrew had no good things waiting for him after blocking the death sentence of the pirates, avoiding the soldiers to help them escape, and even attacking the other priests.

“Well, it’s not like that was my first time making a scene.”

Andrew, however, seemed pretty relaxed.

“And if nothing works, I still have this.”

Andrew shook the heart of the queen in his hands. That meant one thing.

“You are not going to….”

Arje couldn’t finish her sentence with a shocked face.

“I’m just saying that I could. I probably won’t.”

He was the one who said that he would stop the Ice Queen from doing that. So, he wouldn’t do that.

“Andrew, I am telling you this beforehand, but even if you go to jail after getting caught by the guards, you will automatically be released.”

“How do you know this, mother?”

I pointed to the heart that he was holding.

“Because there will come a time when you will have to use that.”

In the novel, the reason why Andrew went looking for the heart was to block a volcanic eruption near Profin. Only something potent like the heart of the Ice Queen would be able to stop it.

In the novel, Andrew goes with Jarrod to the top of the volcano and almost gets tempted by its power to not throw the heart in. Jarrod ends up convincing him and stops the eruption, which is an important scene in the novel. I assumed that the event would happen later.

“Is that so? I shall keep it safe.”

And now, he would have to go alone, but unlike the time in the novel, thinking that I am his mother, Andrew will be able to accomplish the task without being shaken.

“There he is!”

“How dare he return to this place!”

When the time to say goodbyes approached, the guards were running towards us.

“Well then, I will see you later, mother.”

Andrew bowed down to me, and I waved back.

“We are setting sail!”

Mary sent the signal immediately after we said goodbye, and the ship gradually headed out of the port.

“Andrew’s mother, how do you feel about being separated from your son?”

Arje made fun of me while chuckling. I think she was taking her revenge for tricking her.

“Not you, too, Arje.”

I stopped my act and shook off the goosebumps on my body.

From her joke, my ears drooped and my face blushed.

“Stop it, it’s embarrassing.”

I couldn’t hide anywhere, so I just hid my eyes underneath my ears. This was only possible being a bunny.

“No, I’m going to call you mommy until we reach Zeros.”

“Ughhh!”

I ran away from Arje.

“Where are you going, Andrew’s mother?”

And so Arje made fun of me until we reached the capital.

“We have arrived at Zeros!”

With the announcement of Mary,  our ship confidently landed on the port.

‘’Aris, we are ehre.”

Arje seemed to be overwhelmed by emotions after returning to the capital, her voice shook a little as she disembarked.

“Finally, she will stop calling me mom.”

I followed Arje down the boat, wobbling.

“But are you okay, Mary? You are a pirate!”

It was awkward to see a pirate so confidently getting off the port.

“It’s fine. The good thing about the empire is that no matter if you are a pirate or whatever, they treat everyone equally!”

Mary signed on the thick book that the port manager held out, then started to compliment the Empire.

“Really? Even elves?”

Then Mary looked at me if I didn’t make any sense.

“Not dual specimen.”

Not dual specimen?

“Oh, sorry. I almost offended a dual specimen right in front of you.”

Not really, she kind of already did.

“Look over there. How dare a dual specimen walk around Zeros with her head up?”

As I spoke to Arje and Mary, we heard mens’ voices nearby.

“Isn’t that person in the mask its owner?”

The men seemed to be talking about us.

“No, since there are pirates, they must be slaves.”

“Then where is the chain on the neck and handcuffs?”

“I don’t know. Why does that matter? The important fact is that they are roaming around.”

The men, although it wasn’t clear if they were gangsters, had rough appearances and physique.

“What are you looking at?”

One of the men who made eye contact shouted. I had forgotten for a while being in Profin, but the humans in this novel looked at dual specimen as slaves and discriminated against them.

“How dare he treat Aris like that!”

Arje, who had just made fun of me earlier, got really mad and reached her hands out. I had never seen her so angry….how touching.

“Arje, there’s no need for you to step up.”

It would catch too much attention if she were to use magic, and especially her light magic. I should take care of it.

“Why? You don’t like what we are saying?”

The laborers laughed at me, walking towards them.

“Or maybe they like us. The female dual specimen are all just horny bitches.”

The men just laughed on. It would be their last.

Pow!

I kicked the guy in the front while not breaking my smile.

“Ahhhhh!”

Splash! 

The man fell right into the water.

“Bitch!”

“How dare you attack a human!”

The remaining two swerved their fists, but because their moves were so big, I was able to dodge them easily and push them into the water.

“How is it? To have lost to a dual specimen?”

When I shouted confidently, instead of replying, the men swam to the ground with scary faces.

“You’re dead!”

But they were stopped by Mary and her pirates, waiting for them with their arms crossed.

“We will take care of these idiots, you two go ahead.”

Mary smiled as she looked at Arje and I.

“Give them a lesson they will never forget.”

Arje gave her words, although she was shaking with anger.

“Your wish is my command!”

Mary’s smile vanished as she turned from Arje to the scared men.

“You see, my cres needs to be here for a while. Let’s play a game.”

“Wait!”

“We were just…”

The men tried to run, but they couldn’t since all that was behind them was the sea.

“Didn’t you understand? I said let’s have fun. If you make me say this three times, I will kill you.”

I guess Mary was a pirate captain afterall, even though I had only seen the lousy part of her.

“Aris, are you all right?”

Arje patted my shoulders as she walked up.

“I’m fine. I don’t feel anything.”

“Ah, this city….I apologize on their behalf.”

Arje bowed her head.

“Why are you doing that? It’s not your fault. Let’s go. We need to get the information.”

So that Arje would stop feeling sorry, I spoke in a cheerful voice and led her into the city.

“Hmm?”

Before going in, I looked around after feeling uneasy.

“What’s wrong, Aris?”

But Arje didn’t seem to have an idea.

“It’s nothing. Let’s hurry.”

I felt that there were eyes watching me as soon as I landed on the port. Maybe those guys were also…?

“Mary! Wait.”

I walked up to Mary before I headed into the city.

“What’s wrong? The fun was about to start.”

Mary, who seemed excited with the men kneeling on the floor, asked me curiously.

“I have something I want to ask them.”

I got to their eye level. Unlike last time, they avoided eye contact.

“The first one to arrive.”

The men looked up from my sudden remark.

“What do you mean….”

“The reason why you picked a fight with me.”

Then the men looked at each other.

“Th…that’s because….”

They weren’t able to reply right away. Was there really something?

“Fine. I guess you just wanted to fight for the sake of fighting. Bye.”

So I pretended to leave.

“There was someone who paid us and said to pick a fight with a bunny that gets off the ship!”

The man on the farthest right finally spoke. Just earlier he had spoke down about dual specimens, but now all of the sudden he was kind enough to explain.

“Dude!”

The rest of the men looked at their friend like a piece of trash for not keeping his word.

“What can I do? I gotta survive!”

The one who replied started to justify himself while smiling. 

“So who was that person who gave you money?”

The man who had replied hesitated.

“I’m not sure. All I know is that she was a woman.”

A woman? Perhaps she was one of Pucci’s gang?

“So that’s all you know, then?”

When I glared at him, he nodded firmly.

“Yes! It’s all the truth!”

I nodded. There would be nothing more to gain from them.

“Well, farewell then.”

When I turned without hesitation, the frustrated voices of the men were heard.

“Didn’t you say that you will let the first one live?”

I turned back and tilted my head like an innocent kid.

“No? All I said was the first to arrive. That’s it.”

Then the men who replied turned red and shook.

“You bitch! This is why dual specimen are..”

He got up furious, but the pirates started to step on him. Funny thing was, the men who were once his friends also started to step on him.

“Wow, Aris, where did you learn those interrogation techniques?”

Arje seemed to be excited watching all of this.

“Just, you know. It comes naturally.”

So Arje and I started to move. Towards the center of the city, where the person who is watching us resided.