Iki asks with furrowed eyebrows, "What happened? Why is your mouth wide open?"
- "Because I can't physically close my mouth while witnessing this injustice."
- "What are you babbling about?"
- "I can't sleep in the same room with you."
- "Why? All familiars always sleep with their master."
- "But there's only a single bed."
- "Yes. It's my bed. You'll sleep on the floor."
- "What! Listen, Iki...."
- "How dare you! I am royalty. Call me Princess."
- "Fine. Princess Iki, I can't sleep on the floor."
- "Why?"
This brat!
- "I need you to demonstrate how to sleep on the floor. Then I'll consider doing it." I say politely.
- "You think I'm dumb?"
- "You sound like one."
Iki almost shouts, "What did you just say?"
----
- "What's going on?"
I turn around. Mr. Ruka is standing at the doorway.
I say politely, "Princess Iki is telling me to sleep on the floor. But as a human, I have the right to sleep comfortably on a bed. Seems like Her Royal Highness doesn't possess enough brain cells to understand something so simple."
- "Human?" Mr. Ruka asks.
- "In my world, we're called humans. Just like you're called Rukarians here."
- "Oh! I see. So your species is called Human." Mr. Ruka seems lost in thought.
- "Did you just insult me?" Iki asks, confused.
Looks like our princess needed extra processing time.
"Don't worry, Dhruv," Mr. Ruka says. "I'll arrange a bed for you."
He leaves.
---
"Iki… Princess Iki," I ask, "Do all familiars sleep in the same room as their masters?"
- "Yes. Absolutely."
- "Then how do those giant creatures fit in rooms like this?"
- "Simple. We're taught a spell that shrinks familiars. You can only use it on your own familiar."
- "Wow. You guys really use magic for everything."
- "If you want, I can use the shrink spell on you."
- "Hey! Hey! Don't even think about that. I absolutely don't want it. Keep your spells to yourself."
- "Fine. I don't even want to waste my magical energy on you."
- "You mean mana?"
- "What's that?"
- "Nothing. Forget it."
I sigh. I think I've talked too much.
---
After a while, Mr. Ruka returns with four men carrying a bed. They place it on the other side of the room.
Mr. Ruka hands me a bag. "I know you don't have clothes, so take these. They're specially made for you, Dhruv."
- "Thank you so much, Professor Ruka," I say politely.
- "No need to thank me," he replies with a smile.
He leaves with the others. He really is a good man.
---
- "Iki," I say.
- "What?!"
- "Princess Iki… where do you bathe? I haven't bathed in two days. I really need one before sleeping."
- "There's a pond a little far from here. Go outside the hostel, cross the field, and walk straight to the garden. The pond is surrounded by it."
- "That's great! Marvelous! Should I clap?"
She stares at me blankly.
I sigh. "A towel, please."
---
The pond isn't hard to find.
But calling it a pond feels like a crime.
It's a lake!
And the most beautiful yet scary thing is the moon. It's massive and incredibly bright. I can see everything clearly under its light.
There are man-made stone steps leading into the lake, with a stone platform beside them.
I place my new clothes and towel on the platform.
The water is cold as I step in.
I walk forward until the water reaches my chest, take a deep breath, and dive.
I stay underwater, testing my breath-holding limit. To my surprise, I can hold it almost four times longer than before.
Honestly? Best upgrade so far.
Bathing in a lake under moonlight. My body finally relaxes.
When I reach my limit, I come back up.
What! Why is everything dark? The moon was....
Oh! Hair.
My hair is covering my eyes. I quickly push it back.
My heartbeat stops.
A girl is standing knee-deep in the water, holding some clothes.
She stares at me with wide green eyes, like she's seen a ghost.
Her voice trembles. "Are you…a mermaid?"