In one of the port cities of Coyote Monarch.
And at the side of a busy street was me sitting at a table outside a cafe with Nathalie at my front.
She was eating a delicious cake that I had ordered for her. I watched her eat by herself, thinking about what I should do next.
Taking a sip of my coffee, I wondered if I should just go back and complete my mission. I hadn't thought much about what I would do in this city before deciding to visit.
As a result, I had to abort my plan of visiting the remaining 6 nations located in the eastern continent of the before-transferred gameworld, and do the mission assigned to me.
"!!!"
Suddenly, a hooded figure ran into me, causing the person to lose balance.
I quickly turned around to see who it was, but I couldn't see their face because of the hood they were wearing.
I got up from my seat to help the person who had fallen.
"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, offering my hand to help them up.
The person went silent for a moment as people walked past us in the background.
"Please move aside!" The silence broke when the guards started shouting as they pushed people out of their way, trying to chase someone.
I looked back to see which direction they were headed and it appears that they were heading in this direction.
The hooded person immediately grabbed my hand and pulled me closer, wanting to tell me something that only I could hear.
As soon as the person pulled, the hood covering her head fell back, revealing long white hair. She was a woman, probably a year older than me.
"Help me hide and don't let them catch me," she pleaded as she looked at me with her heterochromatic eyes.
"O-okay," surprised by the sudden request for help, I reluctantly agreed. Without a plan, I led her to the table and sat her next to Nathalie. I asked her to lie down, and she did so obediently.
Then, I took off my overcoat and placed it on top of her, hoping to disguise her as a tired sleeping person. Not a great disguise, but I think it'll do.
"Hello good sir, have you seen a person covered in a hood walk by?" one of the guards said.
"No, I haven't seen anyone matching that description," I lied. "You see, we just arrived in this city and we're quite tired, so we're here seeking to rest for a bit."
"Is that so?" the guard said as he scratched the back of his head. I noticed his glance at the woman who was covered in a coat. "Then please inform us if you see anything," he added.
"Sure."
As my conversation with the guard ended, I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that my lie had worked, and we had managed to avoid any further questioning or potential consequences.
As the guards walked away, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. I feel like the woman I just saved was far more important to them considering her appearance, but I didn't want to confirm it yet without solid proof or words coming from her. Something about the situation just didn't sit well with me
After the incident, we went inside the cafe to talk undisturbed. We couldn't talk outside, especially since the guards were everywhere, looking for someone important.
"So? Who are you, and why are the guards looking for you?" I asked her, watching as she take a sip at the milk tea I bought on which she insisted.
"Who knows?" she replied, avoiding eye contact.
I sighed and stood up from my seat, thinking about what to do with this woman who seemed to be evading my questions.
"Should I just hand you over to the guards?" I asked, half-jokingly.
"W-wait! I'm just joking," she said quickly, putting down her cup. "Just sit down, would you?"
"Alright," I hesitated for a moment before sitting back down, keeping a watchful eye on her.
As soon as I sat down, she closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.
"But first, treat me to some food," she said brightly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"What? Maybe I should just hand you over," I joked, rising from my seat.
"Pleeease," she pleaded, putting on a pouty face. "It's my last request, I won't ask for more."
"Alright, fine," I relented. I made my way back to the table and called the waiter over, trying to hide my annoyance. As the woman perused the menu, I couldn't help but worry about the cost of her extravagant order. "I hope you're not planning on ordering everything on the menu," I muttered under my breath.
Soon, the waiter came and served our order.
"Here are your orders." The waiter said as he placed the plates, with dishes, on our table.
The woman's plate was filled with fries and a sandwich, while I got the same order of a cake and a cup of coffee. Even though I had already eaten, I still got the same dish.
"Thank you," the woman said with a grateful smile, as she dug into her plate of fries and sandwich with enthusiasm.
"Shouldn't you be answering my question now? Who are you?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
"Oh, my name's Elise," she said with a full mouth, devouring her sandwich without any regard for table manners. She didn't even bother to look at me as she spoke, continuing to chew on her food with enthusiasm.
"Okay?" I replied, uncertain of her response. I wasn't even sure if she was telling the truth.
Honestly, what's with this woman? How can she just eat so carefree like that? It's as if she has no worries around her, and she's letting her guard down in front of a complete stranger.
The silence then filled the space between us as she savored the taste of the sandwich, chewing each bite with slow deliberation. Once she had finished, she turned her attention to the fries, picking them up one by one and savoring each crispy bite.
"Mmm!" she exclaimed, savoring the crispy texture of the fries. "This is delicious!"
With her carefree demeanor, I couldn't help but gaze at her with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. Despite the recent danger that had just passed, she seemed completely oblivious to it all, which made me question whether she was simply fooling around or truly in trouble.
"What are you looking at?" Elise's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I realized that I had been staring at her for a few moments.
"It's just - !!" I started to say, but was abruptly cut off as the door to the cafe swung open, and a woman dressed in a military uniform strode in. Instantly, all eyes turned towards her, and the chatter in the cafe died down for a moment and they returned to their usual routines.
The woman scanned the room with a sharp gaze, her eyes flickering from table to table. I wonder who she was looking for.
But just as quickly as she had arrived, she seemed to have found the person she was looking for and made her way over to a table - the same table where I was sitting.
"Uh, can I help you?" I asked, my voice betraying a hint of nervousness.
She didn't answer my question. Instead, she continued to stare at me with a piercing gaze. Her eyes seemed to bore into mine like a dagger.
After that, the woman's gaze shifted to Elise, and to my surprise, she was sitting in a disciplined manner. It was a stark contrast to her carefree demeanor from moments ago, where she had been mercilessly devouring her food.
To add to the already surprising turn of events, the woman dressed in a military uniform immediately knelt down in front of Elise.
"Your Majesty, we've been looking for you," the woman said, her voice respectful and slightly formal.
"Wait a minute, Your Majesty?" I asked, my confusion evident in my tone.
"Yes," the woman nodded and continued, "This right here is Her Majesty Elise Richfield, Queen of the Coyote Monarch."
I couldn't believe what I just heard. So Elise was the queen of this country? That would explain why the guards had been so desperate to find her earlier. She had seemed like such a carefree woman, devouring her food with enthusiasm just moments ago.
Elise, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the woman's kneeling and formal address. She simply raised an eyebrow and took another bite of the food, as if it was a normal occurrence for someone to kneel before her.
I stared at the woman in disbelief. "But why is the queen of this country here, in the port city? Shouldn't she reside in the capital?"
"Why would I need to answer your question?" the woman replied in a rude manner.
I was taken aback by her response, but before I could say anything, Elise stepped in. "Watch your tone. That's Captain Nathaniel," she said, emphasizing my rank.
"Ah, from the Heptaclan Federation. I'm sorry."
The woman seemed to realize her mistake and quickly bowed her head in apology. I wondered how she knew my name, considering I hadn't given my introduction yet. Then again, she was the queen, so perhaps she had heard of me.
Elise then gestured for her to take a vacant seat at our table, and soon we were all seated and ready to talk.
The woman introduced herself as Yvonne, captain of the Queen's guard. She explained that the reason why Elise, the queen of the Coyote Monarch was in the port city was because of their mission to hunt the Sea Serpent that loitered near their waters. And since the gameworld had been aligned after the transportation, it was located southwest of the Coyote Monarch.
"I'm also a player, so it's natural for me to join the fight," Elise said.
As a captain, I couldn't help but feel a sense of disbelief. The Queen of the Coyote Monarch, second to the most powerful nations in the game, was here in the port city, on a mission to hunt a Sea Serpent. And not only that, but she was willing to join in the fight herself.
"Yeah, a queen of this country fighting in the front line," I said, still a bit in disbelief.
"Who said I'm fighting in the front line?" Elise said, correcting me.
"What do you mean? You said you'll join in the fight," I added, turning to Elise with confusion.
"That's not what I meant," Elise replied, looking me straight in the eyes.
Her heterochromatic eyes pierced through me as if she could see right into my soul. Somehow, I felt a sense of familiarity whenever our eyes met.
"My ship is an aircraft carrier, and it's obvious that I will be positioned at the back of the fleet," Elise answered.
"Oh." I said, feeling like an idiot for having misunderstood her earlier.
"And I will be sending planes to support the front, even if I lose some of my aircraft," Elise added. "Besides, there doesn't seem to be a pilot inside so casualties on my side shouldn't really be a problem."
That is the game's mechanic on an aircraft carrier. It involves sending a squadron of aircraft. The squadron includes attack planes that launch rockets at targets, bomber planes that drop bombs from high altitudes, and torpedo planes. You can control the squadron from the bridge using the W, A, S, and D keys, much like how you control the ships.
"Now that I think about it, you don't have anything to do in here," Elise said, taking a sip of her milk tea. "How about you join us?"
I looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure?" I asked.
She nodded and said, "We would be more than happy if you could offer us a helping hand."
"Well, if you insist," I said, feeling a bit hesitant but also quite excited to join them. I decided to take her up on the offer.
"Great!" Elise exclaimed as she stood up from her seat. Captain Yvonne followed suit. "Now then, please prepare the carriage."
"Understood," Captain Yvonne replied promptly and left the cafe, presumably to arrange transportation for us.
"Where are we going?" I asked as we made our way to the door.
"To discuss the plan for the operation with the other captains," Elise replied, answering my earlier question about where we were headed.