I sighed when I opened my eyes within the coffin I was in. I figured as much. That servant of his took advantage of this the last time as well. Let's see where they put me, first. I thought as I easily ripped off the bondages binding me with brute strength before carefully opening up the wooden casket. I peeked outside of it, scanning my surroundings.
There's two other caskets like mine, likely Rudy's and Eris's. I'm glad I told Alpha ahead of time about this, otherwise we never would've gotten anywhere near as far as wherever they took us. I thought as I carefully lifted the top off of me and crawled out, scanning my surroundings while crouched down as I quietly placed the lid back on top.
...
I sat on my bed within the massive room that I was given all for myself. I sighed as I looked over my shoulder, "Hello... Alfana. Long time no see." I greeted with a small smile as I greeted the girl who had taken up Aurora's spot since she took the crown.
She smiled brightly at her leader, "Hello, Adam. It really has been a long time, hasn't it?"
She moved over to me with a small blush as she began taking off my shoes. "You know I can do that myself, right?" I said with a small chuckle.
She shook her head, "I'm here, so I'll do it. Although..." She rose once she got my boots off, wiped her hands off, and grabbed my face, "I'm pleasantly surprised to see my dear leader smiling for once. I'm glad you've begun opening up." She said, sounding genuinely happy about my development.
I shrugged, "People change over time, no matter how much someone might wish otherwise. It's... nice. Having people that care about my well being." I stated.
Alfana straddled my waist as she looked into my eyes lovingly, rubbing her thumbs on cheeks. "We'll always be here for you, Adam." Alfana said gently.
I smiled at her and she sighed into my chest, "I've missed you, Adam..."
I rubbed her head gently as I smirked, "I'm glad you came so quickly when I summoned you." I said before she leaned back and looked into my eyes, "Don't interfere with my next plan, Alpha." I stated.
She sat up straighter and nodded. She understood how things were. If I talked to her with her codename, then business was being handled and would require her to treat it as such. If I was talking to her casually or in public, I would talk to her with her name and she would in turn.
"My lord...?"
I sighed, "I'm going to be kidnapped, along with my younger brother and who I'm supposed to be training as their tutor, Eris Greyrat." I stated with finality.
Alpha bit her lip and sighed, "Is there a reason as to why you wouldn't want the Order to move on this?"
I nodded, "There is, but that's a bit of a secret right now. Besides, you know me. I don't make plans like this without a reason. Still... in case anything does happen, I want you to have Yukime and Delta on standby. There likely won't be anything I can't handle here but... you never know. They could still catch me off guard as well or put me in a bad position by using my brother or Eris as shields. Regardless, have them surveil us, but nothing more. I'll give them a signal to step in when needed." I ordered.
Alpha nodded rigidly. "Is there anything else you would require of me, my lord?"
I shook my head, "No. For now, simply carry out the mission. I'll speak with you more tomorrow."
Alpha nodded as her slime bodysuit appeared around her body and she took off in a blur of speed.
...
My eyes glowed with power as I scanned my surroundings and searched past the walls. There's two in a room near here, with four more a little further down the hall. Past that, there's one making their way over here, but with how lackadaisical they are being, it'll take them about two minutes to reach the door. I need to act quickly. I thought to myself as I rushed over and helped Rudy and Eris up.
As soon as I had, the door burst open as the one I had seen making their way over had come in, stumbling and drunk. Rudy needs to solve this himself in order to earn Eris's trust and be taken in as Eris's tutor alongside me. I can't teach magic since I hardly know anything about it and I can't use it. Eris is a hands-on learner, so she learns best when she's actually performing the action and comparing it. I thought as I glanced at Rudeus who nodded.
The man came forward with a lazy yell, "Oi! Why are ya brats being so damn quiet!" He yelled as he smacked Rudeus who gave him a silly grin afterwards.
Eris glared up at him and screamed at the man, "Do you know who I am?! Huh! You'll be so dead after-URK!" She cried after getting punched in her gut as she coughed up spittle. The man grabbed her hair and slammed her into the ground.
"You arrogant brat! I'm going to teach you a lesson!" The man yelled as he raised his fist, ready to beat the daylights out of Eris.
I watched on with a poker face, schooling my features to not convey how I felt, as I gave Rudeus another look. Rudy stepped in and, somehow, got the guy to go away, albeit barely and he had his face smashed in by the man. The man turned to me and growled in my face, "Whatchu lookin' at, bitch?!" He yelled before sending a punch my way.
I smirked at him when he winced in pain, realizing just how sturdy I was. "Whatever brat." He said, huffing as he walked away.
Rudy groaned on the ground and I walked over and healed him up with RCT. "You alright?" I asked.
Rudy nodded and sat down. I turned over to Eris and walked over to her. "Are you willing to have my brother as your tutor now?"
Eris looked up at me with hurt in her eyes, "You could've stopped him... Why didn't you?"
"Because then you'd grow to become too dependent on me and you would've never accepted my brother in. If he doesn't get the job, then I'm not accepting it. Simple as that." I answered.
Eris slowly, painfully, sat up as she looked into my eyes. After a short while, she gulped and looked back at my brother, "I want you as my tutor too, Rudeus." She then glanced back at me and I smiled as I patted her head.
"Good. Now let's get going. But first..." I held my hand on her head as suddenly, all of her injuries vanished, healed with my reverse cursed technique. "For now, Eris, I need you to keep your voice down. If you don't, we'll get caught."
Eris nodded her head and I looked back over at Rudeus. "Mind getting the wall for us? I'd rather we leave in stealth than with a bang." I stated and he nodded. He got up to the cell wall and placed his palm onto it. It turned into dust on the ground and we left quietly as he made the wall reappear.
I would've loved to have had that ability... but I'm stuck with gifts I got. I thought to myself as we all hurried out before I blinked and pulled both Rudy and Eris into a nearby alley and forced them to stay low.
A rough man came around the corner with narrowed eyes before he turned right back around with a huff. My shadow spread out as I whispered, "Rika..."
Since I hadn't put the wristband on, she didn't fully emerge, but she did exactly what I wanted her to. She stealthily rose from his shadow before snapping his neck and pulling him back into the shadow where the dead body popped out on my side.
I quickly moved the dead body to a spot before returning and getting them to move, even if I had to smack Rudy to focus.
I was well aware that this was probably Rudy's first human death that he's seen coming from a culture that "valued" human lives. But that didn't matter right now. We needed to get out of here first.
Eris seemed unperturbed by the dead body, just like in the source material. Although it was also clear to me that she started sticking closer to me afterwards.
Eventually, as we snuck around this small town, we came to a carriage and, seeing that it was heading back to town, we snuck in and laid low, with both me and Rudy giving out lessons to Eris all the while.
Eris snuggled up close to me while Rudeus sat a bit away, shaking. Seems that man's death is weighing heavily on him. I'll have to give him a talk later. I thought.
The ride back was dead silent, none of us making a sound even as we arrived and slipped out. However, we had seen people on horses heading back to the kingdom, likely our kidnappers.
I kept Eris and Rudy close and, just like I had expected, our pursuers had acted.
Eris was whisked away by one of them, a man who was likely a North God practitioner based on the Battle Aura he was leaking out.
I instantly spun around and chased them down, with Rudy not far behind me. I took off in a burst of speed and grinned as my three-section staff, Playful Cloud appeared in my grasp from my shadow. I swung and sent the man flying into the other two in the alleyway, and at the same time I ripped Eris out of his grasp and pulled her into my arms, my eyes glowing in the dark of the night.
Eris looked up at me with a blush but I didn't bother looking as I looked back and found the traitor himself holding Rudy hostage. Rudy was still out of it from the man I murdered in front of him it seems...
Rika came forth from the man's shadow and ripped off the man's arms as I dashed forward, dropping Playful Cloud into my shadow before delivering a light right jab into his gut that knocked him unconscious.
I sighed as I stood next to a shaking Rudy. I patted him on the shoulder, "We'll talk about this later, Rudy. But right now, I can't have someone dragging us down. You're here to help me protect Eris, remember? Now pick yourself up and stand up. I'm not going to let my brother be some whiney baby, because no one out there is here to pamper you." I declared.
Rudeus looked up at me and some light returned to his eyes, "Right... Sorry you had to see me like that. Let's go." He said with a determined look.
I grinned, "Glad to have you back. Now let's get a move on." I said.
Eris and Rudy followed me as I dragged the body of the traitor behind me. Any time he tried to wake up, I stomped his face in and he went right back to sleep.
...
The rest of the way went without a hitch and we came walking past the gates into the mansion.
Eris's parents and Ghislaine were already there waiting for us, with Philip and Hilda running forward to greet their child. Eris looked back up at me with uncertainty and I nodded, "Go ahead. You're safe now." I said and watched as she rushed to her parents and hugged them with tears in her eyes.
A small, barely perceptible smile graced my lips as I watched on, but it quickly turned into something a bit bitter. I wonder why I couldn't have had something like that in my first life. To have to suffer for so long without anyone by my side, to support me emotionally...
I blinked as Rudy smacked my back. I looked at him and he kept smiling at the happy and relieved family.
I sighed and looked back, seeing Eris rush over to us, Right, I should be happy for the family I have now. Envying others will get me nowhere.
Eris ran up to me with a bright smile and pulled me into a hug, startling me and causing Rudy to laugh at my situation.
I slowly returned it and asked, "What's the matter?"
Eris held tighter onto me, "Thank you..."
I sighed and patted her head, "It's fine. I was just doing my job." I said as she pulled away.
She looked into my eyes for a bit before turning around and dragging me to her family, with Rudeus trailing behind us with the traitor.
This isn't too bad, I suppose. I thought.
...
I found myself seated on the sofa in front of Philip once more, only this time I was accompanied by Eris instead of my brother. My brother was sent to recover from the shock with Ghislaine.
She sat hip to hip with me, which was getting a bit annoying but I'll let it slide. Philip sat in front of me with a deadly serious look as he asked, "What happened?" He demanded.
I told the tale of what happened and how Rudeus was accepted as Eris's tutor.
Philip looked a bit confused, "Rika? Who's that?"
I took a deep breath and held out my wrist. In my other hand formed a silver wristband that I slapped onto my left. "I'll show you since there's no point in hiding it." I closed my eyes as my cursed energy skyrocketed to ridiculous levels as it physically pushed Eris away from me as my eyes glowed, "Come forth... Rika!"
Out of my shadow came out the massive form that was Rika, a Cursed Spirit on the level of Mahoraga at this point, and she spun around, expecting enemies.
"My child... Why did you summon me?" She asked me gently.
"Well... people were curious about you." I said as she hovered behind and looked at the shocked faces of Philip and Eris.
"You... is that a summonable monster?" Philip questioned.
I shook my head. "More of a vengeful spirit that is wholely on my side. I can summon her to aid me in battle and she can do some of the things that I can. Overall, she's a supporter and she was what allowed me to win against my teacher Timothy Britts when we first met." I explained.
Philip's eyes were wide. "Seriously? On top of you being a Sword King, you can summon this creature as well?"
I nodded, "Think of her as about my level of strength and speed since we are currently roughly around the same level." I explained.
Eris reached up with sparkly eyes as Rika let her hold her hand.
"A vengeful spirit who is completely allied with their master, can be summoned at any moment, and possesses the physical capabilities of a King class Swordsman..." Philip said with his hand covering his mouth. "Hmm... what do you say about helping me out with a little problem here-."
"I decline." I rebutted immediately. In the background Rika was playing with Eris, her giggles being remarkably and thankfully very childish.
The man blinked, "You... My apologies. I never even got the chance to explain what I had to offer before I started trying to ask you for help."
I shook my head, "You don't have to, Philip. I'm not some puppet you can use for your agenda." Let's push forward my identity a bit to put him back a few paces. "I understand your desire to have your sons back and that thirst for power, but I have no intention of helping you do such things." I declared, getting Phil's eyes to widen in shock, "I have enough on my plate already as an eight-year-old who is a teacher, instructor, and a King class Swordsman. I don't need the kind of political warfare you're trying to bring up as another one of my responsibilities." I said, steepling my hands together before me as my eyes radiated with a luminescent azure.
Philip sighed and leaned back in his seat. "Is that your final answer, Adam?" He asked me with a bit of a lighthearted tone.
I knew immediately that he hadn't once dropped this subject and would be likely to continue pestering me about joining his side until I left this castle. What a bothersome man I have to deal with. I thought. Still, it's always easier to use those who are desperate than those who are satisfied with what they already have. He'll come to me and I'll have him in the palm of my hand by then. I'll use those connections you cherish to my advantage, you fool.
I slowly stood up and rubbed the back of my neck. "Now that this conversation is over, I have much to do and not much time. So if you'll..." I lead on and Philip nodded.
With that, I took off my wristband and headed back to my room. At the very least, in a world like this, I won't have to worry about trackers or advanced technology being used against me. I thought as I walked away as an evil smirk rose up on my face, To think I would gain such a valuable pawn so soon. With Omega seated firmly upon the throne right now, I could turn this against Philip and into my advantage to swoop him up into my wing and take the power crazy persona of his and direct it to something useful for me.
I sighed with a frown, Still... First things first, I need to make sure my brother's ok. Eris... I need to nurture her more before she could be of any use to my plans, and bringing in Ghislaine would be a massive increase to my overall military and organization.... Philip will be my last priority since he's already nestled within my palm now. My eyes glowed briefly as I smirked, But for now... let's focus on my brother. He needs me, after all.
I walked on ahead for a bit before arriving at my brother's room, door closed before me. I sighed, and opened it. I dropped my jaw open with a click in shock at what I was seeing. "Rudy... What the fuck?"
A/N: So now we see Adam reveal a bit of who is and shows off Rika to entice Philip over to his side, using the situation with Eris to his advantage so he can have something on Philip if things blew up. Now he sets his sights on Ghislaine and Eris in hopes of bringing them into the Order of Calamity as assets of his empire. But for now, he has family that needs him and he must attend.
Anyways, tell me what you thought of this story so far and what you think will happen next. I'm curious to see where you think this story is headed. Also, in case you haven't noticed, this story and I Alone Am The Exception! are the stories I'm focused on mainly. So, essentially, let me boil down my priority on stories right now...
1. I Alone Am The Exception!
2. Jobless Reincarnation as the Honored One
3. Leveling Up To New Heights
4. Lone Gamer
5. The Enlightened One Reaches a Marvelous Conclusion (Book 2)
6. Everything Else
So yeah. Until I have enough chapters for the first one to last me until October (Because I won't service sometime in early May likely until around October because I'll be heading back to the United States in that timeframe and I'll be bouncing around until then) and this one to last me until early May, I won't start working on the others. Not until my top 2 have been readied. I am one person with my own life aside from this, after all. If I do have service, great. If not... you'll see.
Until next time...
Ciao!