Chapter 4:
Ariel's Choice
ARIEL AND I walked together in the moonlight, making our way
between the trees.
It was just the two of us. Sylphie, her attendants, and Luke were
nowhere to be seen.
Ariel carried a torch herself, and led the way. If she kept
pressing ahead like this, we were going to end up back at the spot
where I'd spoken to Orsted.
"I've been meaning to have a private conversation with you ever
since we set off on this journey, Rudeus." Sylphie and Cleane had
wanted to come along, but Ariel had stopped them. Explaining that
we had "important matters" to discuss, she'd led me back into the
forest.
I wasn't sure what this moonlit rendezvous was about, honestly.
Presumably, I wasn't escorting her to the toilet. Some people might
get off on having others watch them do their business, but I didn't
see any reason why she'd pick me for that role.
We'd been walking for about five minutes when Ariel finally
paused and turned to face me. I guess she felt we'd come far enough
from the campfire now.
"It seems that you value your secrecy, so I decided to arrange
things in this way."
This probably wasn't the time to crack any dumb jokes. From
the sound of things, Ariel really did have something important to
discuss with me.
"…What did you want to discuss with me, Princess Ariel?"
I had a general idea what this was about, but it felt safer not to
jump to any conclusions.
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Still smiling boldly, Ariel reached out and took my chin in her
fingers. "Try to be patient. The night's still young."
Uhm, could we make a no-touching rule, please?
"I guess it might be, but I'd prefer to sleep for most of it."
"Oh, don't be such a stiff. I want this to be a more casual
conversation."
Ariel withdrew her hand and sat down on a nearby tree root.
Just as a precaution, I decided to activate my Eye of Foresight. It
wasn't that I expected Ariel to do anything. I just couldn't risk
anything unexpected happening to her.
"I must say… Sylphie and Eris certainly get along nicely, don't
they?"
Had she really brought me out here to talk about this? Probably
not. She was just trying to break the ice, surely.
"…I suppose you're right. At first I was afraid they'd fight more
frequently, but they seem to genuinely like each other."
In all honesty, I'd half-expected Eris' addition to the family to
transform our house into a chaotic battleground. I was worried she
would clash with Sylphie and Roxy on a regular basis. To my surprise,
though, she hadn't gotten into a single real fight with any other
members of the family.
"You know, when you went off to patrol the area the other
night, they were chatting with each other as they lay in bed."
"Oh yeah? What about?"
"Eris was grumbling that everyone should just stop arguing and
do exactly what you say. Sylphie tried to convince her that even you
make mistakes at times, and they needed to be ready to step in and
support you."
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It was nice to be trusted, of course, but Eris seriously gave me
way too much credit. Sylphie was always trying to help me out in
subtle ways behind the scenes, and I really appreciated that.
I had to assume they were both uneasy about my decision to
join forces with Orsted. But so far, they were following my lead
without a word of complaint.
"They're like polar opposites, aren't they?" Ariel continued. "Eris
throws herself to the frontlines to fight your enemies, and Sylphie
stays behind to support you in other ways…"
"I'm very lucky to have them around," I said. "They both
complement some of my glaring weaknesses."
My affection for them had developed out of gratitude. They'd
both done so much for me, and I wouldn't forget it as long as I lived.
"The amusing part, to me at least, is how Sylphie treats Eris like
a little sister."
"Uhm… a little sister?"
"A rather impulsive one, in need of scolding. Eris seems to
accept that role herself. She tends to do what Sylphie tells her,
although a bit begrudgingly."
Huh. I hadn't noticed myself, to be honest. Now that I thought
about it, though… I hadn't spent that much time talking with either
of them recently. Maybe I was getting tunnel vision again. Once I saw
that Eris was adapting to our family, I'd figured that I didn't need to
keep too close an eye on her. But it was only going well because
Sylphie had been stepping in to look after her.
"It's funny, don't you think?" said Ariel with a smile. "Sylphie's
the younger and smaller one, but somehow she's the big sister."
"You're very perceptive, Your Highness."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that. I just have fewer things to keep my eye
on than you do. And fewer matters on my mind."
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Ariel chose this moment to shoot me a look that could only be
described as seductive.
Okay, I could do without the flirting, if you don't mind…
"Now then… I know you're an attentive man yourself, Rudeus.
Your gaze is constantly in motion, and your thoughts are sometimes
occupied with things that can't be seen at all."
Ariel's tone had taken a turn for the theatrical, but she was
staring me right in the eyes now. Apparently we were coming to the
real topic of this conversation.
"And so, there's something I'd like to ask you. What are your
thoughts on Luke?"
Luke? Wait, Luke? This isn't about Orsted?
"Well… I'm not sure what to say, exactly…" Hmm. What answer
was she looking for here?
"This is a bad habit of yours, Rudeus."
"What?"
"You're trying to figure out what I want to hear, aren't you?
Granted, that's a reasonable approach under certain circumstances,
but you don't need to take it with me. Not here. Not now."
Was that really a "habit" of mine? I didn't feel like it was… but
when I looked back, it was something I'd been doing a lot of lately.
When I spoke with Orsted or the Man-God, at least.
No, it was worse than that, wasn't it? I was doing it with my own
family, too.
"In all honesty," said Ariel flatly, "I think that Luke has betrayed
us."
Wow. That was unexpected. It must have been that argument
around the campfire that did it.
"I haven't breathed a word of this to Sylphie or the others,
though."
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Yeah, no surprise there. I was still kind of shocked she'd even
reached this conclusion so quickly.
"…I thought you trusted Luke a little more than that, Your
Highness."
They wrapped things up so neatly at the end there, I'd assumed
Ariel had reaffirmed her faith in Luke. It felt like she'd decided that
he wasn't capable of betraying her, any more than Sylphie or her two
attendants were.
"I do trust him," Ariel said.
"…"
"Luke has no reason to betray me. And he could have done so at
a much earlier stage, if he so desired. It would be easy enough for
him to kill me in my sleep."
"…So why suspect him?"
"Despite his loyalty, he could still be coerced into betraying me
somehow," said Ariel quietly. "For example… Luke takes great pride
in his family and its history. Perhaps they took his loved ones
hostage."
The idea hadn't occurred to me before. But it could explain his
actions so far, even if he wasn't being directly manipulated by the
Man-God. Let's say Darius kidnapped his family and convinced him to
accept some kind of deal. Then he went ahead and sent the Notos
Greyrat soldiers after us, breaking his word to Luke somehow. That
could explain both Luke's odd behavior and his shock at finding those
troops among our enemies.
Since that conversation, Luke had kept oddly quiet. Maybe he
was trying to decide whether to rejoin Ariel's side or continue
following Darius' orders. That was probably what it looked like to the
princess, at least.
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"And so, I'm asking for your opinion," Ariel continued. "You
agreed to join my cause quite recently, and rather suddenly. Perhaps
you know certain things I don't?"
It sounded like she might have her doubts about me, as well.
That was understandable, considering the way Luke was talking
about me. Was she suggesting I might have played some part in
manipulating him?
"I have a question of my own, if you don't mind. Why are we
talking about this out here, alone in the woods? I could assassinate
you out here if I really was your enemy."
"Yes, I'm sure you could manage that easily enough. But if I've
misjudged you that completely, I'd only have myself to blame."
Hmm. This princess had some guts, clearly.
Then again, it wasn't like there was any chance I was actually
going to betray her. There were all sorts of obvious reasons why I
wouldn't, really. She was probably just playing mind games with me.
"…I don't believe Luke has betrayed you, exactly. I think he's just
being…misled."
"By whom?"
Well, that's a tricky question. Was it wise for me to tell her
about the Man-God at this point? It would certainly make things
simpler if I could explain the whole truth, but…
Wait. What if Ariel was one of his disciples? What if that was the
whole reason she was having this conversation with me? Orsted
didn't seem to think it was a possibility, but you never know…
Calm down, damn it.
What are the risks of telling her the truth? What are the
benefits? Let's start there…
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"Ah, my apologies," said Ariel. "I'm putting you in a difficult
position. I'm sure you would have shared this information already, if
you were at liberty to do so."
I blinked in surprise at that. Ariel wasn't done yet, however.
"And so, I'd like to ask you to introduce me."
It was hard to see her face in the darkness, but the smile on her
face looked warm and genuine.
"I want to see the man who controls you from the shadows.
That is to say, the Dragon God Orsted."
"Huh?!"
Hold on, what?
My line of thought had been derailed completely. I had no idea
what to make of this.
Why had she brought up Orsted? Weren't we talking about Luke
a moment ago?
"…How did you know?"
"It was obvious from the moment he had you lead us to the
Library Labyrinth. The timing of that was simply too convenient."
"…"
"At the moment, my main concern is determining whose side
Orsted is on."
Uh. She was talking about the conflict between her and Grabel,
right? Or was she talking about his loyalties in general? It was getting
hard to decipher all these vague hints and insinuations. Princess Ariel
was usually so clear and to the point, too…
"What are you planning to do once you determine that?" I
asked.
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"If he's on the right side, I plan to welcome his support," said
Ariel. "No matter how horrifying he might be, I'm prepared to
tolerate him."
"That's easier said than done, you know."
"I'm royalty. A princess. We know how to maintain our
composure around those we fear or loathe. It shouldn't be an issue."
Well, if you say so. I feel like Orsted's curse is more powerful
than you think, though.
"Okay. What if he's on the wrong side?"
"Then I'll pull him to the other," Ariel replied confidently.
Wow. She really believes she can do that, doesn't she?
"He's somewhere close by at present, isn't he? Or perhaps
you've been communicating with him by messenger?"
I had a tough call on my hands with this one. It was hard to say if
I could even make this decision on my own. Ariel seemed to think
she could endure Orsted's curse, but I knew just how potent its
effects were. Anyone who got a good look instantly classified him as
an enemy. She might end up putting me in that category, too.
That said, if I flat-out refused her proposal, it would basically
announce that we had something to hide.
This felt more complicated than it needed to be. We had no
intention of interfering with Ariel's plans to seize the throne. The
Man-God was the one who wanted her to fail, and our main goal was
to stop his plans.
Still, it wasn't going to be easy to explain all that to her. Hmm…
"There's no need to overthink this, Rudeus."
The voice had come from somewhere behind me.
Startled, I turned to find a golden-eyed, silver-haired demon
lurking in the woods. By which I mean Orsted, of course.
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"If Ariel Anemoi Asura wishes to speak with me, I would not
refuse her."
Orsted's sharp, intense gaze focused on Ariel's face. She reacted
as if she'd been hit with a jolt of electricity. Her eyes opened wide,
her legs trembled violently…and a small puddle began to form at her
feet.
"Ah… ah…"
There was sheer terror on her face. It was the expression of
someone trapped in a living nightmare.
Oh boy, this does not look good. I guess I'm definitely going to
be the traitor now…
"Aaah…"
In the next moment, however, a look of ecstasy suddenly spread
over Ariel's face. She was…pretty clearly feeling pleasure now.
Interesting.
Huh. I guess this might work out after all.
***
Ariel managed to regain her composure after a little while. As of
this moment, she appeared totally unruffled. You'd never know
anything had happened in the first place.
I'd washed her dirty pants and underwear with my water magic,
then dried them out quickly with my original spell "Steam Dry," a
combination of wind and fire magic. It worked almost instantly, but it
wasn't good for most fabrics, so Aisha had angrily forbidden me from
using it at home. This was kind of an emergency, though.
I'd lived for many years at this point, but I'd never expected to
see the day where I'd be washing the underwear of a princess. In this
world, the expensive stuff seemed mostly to be made of silk. Ariel
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wrapped herself in my robe while I was taking care of all this. It was a
good thing it was nice and long.
Right now, Ariel had put her clean clothes back on, and seemed
to have forgotten all about the incident. And I was wearing a robe
that a half-naked princess had been using just a few minutes earlier.
It smelled kind of nice…
Whoops. Not the time to be getting all excited.
There hadn't been any time for "fun" in the last few days, so my
horny meter was getting dangerously full. I'd have to deal with that
later.
Orsted was waiting nearby with an awkward expression. Now
that the princess was ready, she turned to face him once again.
"I do apologize for that unfortunate display, Lord Orsted."
"It's all right."
Ariel still looked kind of pale, but I couldn't see any terror in her
eyes now.
"…"
"Please, you don't have to glower at me like that…"
"This is what my face always looks like, I'm afraid."
"Ah, I see. So this is another effect of your curse, then?"
"Correct."
I had to wonder why Orsted had shown up like that in the first
place. Well. The boss could make his own decisions. At this point, I
should just keep my mouth shut and see how things played out.
"I see. I've met a number of both Blessed Children and their
Cursed counterparts… but I can tell that your affliction is far more
powerful than most."
"Indeed. But it seems you know some way to resist its
influence."
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"I am a member of the Asuran royal family. We're taught how to
suppress our more negative emotions."
"That doesn't mean that you trust me, either. Not in any real
sense."
"True enough. But that's exactly why I wanted to speak with you
like this."
So far, this was like two boxers trying to size each other up with
a few light jabs. It was starting to make me feel kind of uneasy. Still,
it was probably important for me to listen closely to everything they
were saying. That pleasant smell wafting from my robe was a little bit
distracting, but I needed to focus.
"I'll get straight to the point. Why are you assisting me, Lord
Orsted?"
"Because my sworn enemy is pulling Darius' strings."
"Hmm? Do you… mean my brother, Prince Grabel?"
"No."
"Who is it, then?"
Okay, here we go. Right back to the awkward question. What's
the call, boss?
"An evil thing who styles himself as the god of men. His name is
Man-God."
Oh wow, he actually went for it. Tossed out the whole name and
everything. How much was he planning to tell her, anyway? It still
felt possible that she might turn against us at some point…
"The Man-God? Isn't that one of the creator gods from ancient
myth?"
"I can't say if he's one and the same, but he has taken that
name, at least."
"You're telling me…that a god has given Darius his support? But
why?"
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"He wishes to see you murdered, and Grabel take the throne."
"Err…"
Looking kind of nonplussed, Ariel turned slowly in my direction.
For a moment, she just studied me in silence.
"I see. It's certainly a bizarre story, but Rudeus' face seems to
suggest that you're not lying."
Am I your lie detector now?! And here I thought I had a decent
poker face…
I'd have to check in with Sylphie later and see what she thought
about my face. Maybe she'd call it handsome. That was always nice
to hear.
"I have to wonder why this god would support my brother,
however. Is Grabel simply… more deserving of the throne?"
"No. The Man-God's motivations are purely selfish."
"Could you… elaborate, perhaps?"
Orsted glanced over at me and frowned uncertainly for a
moment, but then looked back to the princess. "Roughly one
hundred years from now, the Kingdom of Asura will face an
existential threat."
Ariel blinked in surprise.
"In that moment of crisis," Orsted continued, "the Kingdom's
response will depend on whether you or Grabel seized the throne."
Uh, what? Hey, I don't think you even told me about this part
yet…
"Should Grabel triumph, Asura will answer the threat with
military force. And if you triumph, they will respond with magic."
"Surely neither of us will even be alive a hundred years from
now," Ariel said.
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"Your policies as sovereign will guide the Kingdom down
different paths. Grabel will focus on enlarging its military, and you
will strengthen its magical forces instead."
Boss? Hey, boss? Why am I just hearing about this now, huh?
Come on, man…
"If Asura relies upon its armies, it will fall. But if it turns to its
mages, the Kingdom will endure. The Man-God wishes for Asura to
be destroyed."
Was it… possible Orsted was lying to her? Telling her a nice,
convenient story to get her on our side? That didn't seem like a great
idea. Not with my face around to give the whole thing away.
"Why would the Man-God want to see Asura fall to ruin?"
"Because it will produce an individual who plays a key role in his
defeat."
"He wants to prevent this person's birth?"
"Precisely."
Ariel brought a hand to her chin, clearly trying to make sense of
all this. After a moment, she shot an uncertain look in my direction.
Stop it! Stop looking at me! I'm not your lie detector, woman!
This time, I tried my best to keep a perfect poker face. Maybe it
would help a little.
"Well. In all honesty, I'm a bit perplexed at the moment. This
isn't remotely what I expected to hear, and I can't quite decide if I
should believe you…"
Damn it. Failed again.
"You don't have to trust me," said Orsted in a slightly pompous
tone. "I'll tell you what you want to know regardless."
"What are you referring to?" replied Ariel, looking somewhat
surprised.
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"Luke Notos Greyrat has not betrayed you. He's simply being
manipulated by the Man-God."
Ariel's smile disappeared. It had been her default expression for
this entire conversation, but now it had vanished without a trace.
"Rudeus also suggested that might be the case. But how exactly
is Luke being manipulated, if I may ask?"
"The Man-God is leading him down the wrong path. Promising
him all the while that it's for your benefit."
"Luke is wiser than he might appear. I'm not sure he would be
so easily deceived."
"Even clever men are prone to trust those who tell them what
they want to hear."
Hmm. I felt like Orsted usually told me things I didn't want to
hear, but I did trust him. Maybe that rule wasn't universal.
"…This is all rather difficult to believe. Do you really find this
credible as well, Rudeus?"
Ariel had turned to me again. I was back on lie detector duty,
apparently.
I had to admit, this was a smart strategy. If Orsted really was
making up a bunch of crazy nonsense, I'd have to improvise
something that sounded consistent on the spot. Any slip-ups on my
part would give it all away.
Fortunately, I had a good answer to her question.
"The Man-God manipulated me for many years. He would
appear in my dreams and give me suggestions about what I should
do next. I gained all sorts of things from following his advice. But it
was all just part of his game—he was always planning to betray me in
the end. He fooled me into trusting him, and then he turned against
me. In the end, he even forced me to fight Orsted. I think he's doing
something very similar to Luke right now."
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The words came out more easily than I'd expected. I even
managed to keep my tone relatively neutral.
Ariel heard me out expressionlessly, then turned back to Orsted.
She opened her mouth to speak, then shook her head and paused.
For a long moment, she stayed silent, apparently lost in thought.
"In other words… Luke isn't working for Darius after all?"
"Correct. He serves the interests of your enemies, but he does
so unknowingly. I would imagine that he remains loyal to you."
We'd taken a long detour, but ultimately this seemed to be the
thing Ariel cared about the most. It mattered more to her than the
truth of Orsted's story, even.
"…It's quite a relief to hear that."
"You believe the things I've told you, then?" Orsted asked.
"Under ordinary circumstances, your story would have sounded
ridiculous. However, it does seem consistent with my own
observations. It explains why Rudeus was glancing in Luke's direction
so frequently, for example…"
Huh? Was I looking at him that much?
"To be frank, your timing was suspiciously perfect. But I've
decided to accept the risk of trusting you."
As she spoke those words, Ariel had turned her eyes in my
direction. Maybe she'd chosen to trust me, if not Orsted? The idea
was flattering, but it also concerned me a little.
"Tell me, does this Man-God have anyone else under his
control?"
"He's likely using Darius as well."
"That does seem like a logical choice. Is there anyone else?"
"The odds are that his third disciple is either the North Emperor
Auber or the Water God Reida. But it's hard to say for certain."
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"Are there only three of these…disciples, then?"
"Correct. No more at any given time."
"I see," said Ariel with a slight nod. "So you and Rudeus are here
to fight off these three disciples, and interfere with the Man-God's
plans. Is that correct?"
"It is. You're quite quick-witted, I must say."
"Thank you. I do consider myself relatively clever."
There was a hint of real pride in Ariel's voice, but she still hadn't
cracked a smile. It felt like her face was stuck on a blank expression.
"Now then, Lord Orsted, I have a proposal."
"Oh?"
"Since it seems we share the same objective, I'd like you to
consider me your…subordinate. If you give you me orders, I'll follow
them."
"…I doubt your companions would accept that."
"I see no need to tell them. They can't accuse me of selling my
soul to the devil if they don't know it even happened."
"…"
Oh. He's a little hurt that she called him the devil, huh?
"I'm willing to use any means at my disposal to ensure our
victory," said Ariel. "I want as many powerful allies as I can find."
"You're not concerned I might betray you in the end?"
"I'm not foolish enough to throw away my opportunities to
avoid all risk."
That all sounded impressive enough, but I got the sense that
Ariel thought she was swearing allegiance to some evil demon king.
I'd felt the same way when I kneeled to Orsted. As it turned out,
though, the Dragon God Corporation was a legitimate business with
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excellent benefits and reasonable deadlines. The CEO did look like an
evil bastard, but he treated his employees pretty well.
"One last thing, Lord Orsted… For the time being, I'd like you to
place the problem of Luke in my hands."
"Why?"
"Rudeus can focus his entire attention on our battle against the
Man-God's disciples, while I devote my attention to handling Luke
and the Asuran nobility. Dividing our responsibilities should allow us
to use our time more efficiently."
"…Very well. I'll let you deal with Luke for now. Win him over if
it's possible, and kill him if it isn't."
"So be it. Thank you, Lord Orsted."
With those words, Ariel kneeled before her new superior. He
responded with a simple nod, his face as stern as ever.
***
I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt this…baffled?
Perplexed? Hmm. Maybe befuddled was the word. All of a sudden,
Ariel had sworn allegiance to Orsted. From now on, we'd be sharing
our plans and working toward the same goals. I had the Second
Princess of Asura as a coworker.
"I hope you'll keep this a secret from Sylphie and the others,
Rudeus."
"Of course. I have to ask, though… are you sure about all this?"
"Yes. I feel profoundly relieved, to be honest. And I'm not
talking about the condition of my bladder."
Judging from the energized expression on her face, she really
meant that. I wasn't sure what to say.
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"I suppose you and I are truly allies now, Rudeus. At long last."
"I suppose we are."
To be honest, I still felt a little uneasy about the details of this
arrangement. But Orsted had made the call, and I had to respect
that.
"There's just one thing, Your Highness…"
"Yes? What is it?"
"I think I should make this clear in advance. Luke's your
responsibility now, but if I think he's actively trying to harm Sylphie
or Eris, I'll step in and take him out."
"…You won't respect Orsted's decision, in other words?"
"The entire reason I'm working for Orsted is to protect my
family."
It seemed best to get this out in the open as a precaution. That
said, Ariel seemed very confident that she could handle the situation
with Luke. There was no telling how things might play out, but I was
willing to leave it in her hands for now. She certainly had a much
better chance than me of talking some sense into the guy.
"I understand completely, Rudeus. And incidentally, I'm looking
forward to working with you."
"Glad to have you on our side."
Just like that, Orsted Incorporated had secured its second
official employee.
It probably goes without saying, but Sylphie was none too
pleased when the two of us strolled back into camp looking friendlier
than before.