The Next Day
It was late morning at the Adventurers' Guild inn. Ruijerd, with his trademark spear close at hand, sat on the floor with his back resting against the wall. Eris Greyrat lay in bed, still sound asleep; beside her, a groggy and confused Rudeus woke up upon hearing a high-pitched voice calling from the floor below.
"Good morning!"
Rudeus got up, rubbing his eyes. He opened the door and peeked out. A woman dressed in Royal Guard armor was waiting for him.
"Excuse me, are you Lord Rudeus?" asked the soldier formally.
Rudeus confirmed that he was, and the woman gave a slight bow. "I am Ginger, a royal guard in the service of the Seventh Prince. It is a pleasure."
"Pleasure to meet you," Rudeus replied. "May I know the reason for your visit?"
"Lady Roxy requests your presence," Ginger said simply.
Rudeus's heart skipped a beat. His drowsiness vanished instantly, replaced by joy. Without wasting a moment, he rushed to gather his things. Eris woke up, grunting from the bed. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going out for a while," Rudeus replied, fastening his tunic. "Besides, it's been a long time since I've seen my master."
"You'd better introduce her to me," demanded Eris, sitting up in bed.
"I will do so when all of this is over," Rudeus replied with a smile. "First, I have to find out what is going on."
Ruijerd, who had been listening in silence, tilted his head. "Will you be alright alone, Rudeus?"
"Don't worry, Ruijerd. I don't plan on getting into trouble. Please, while I'm gone, keep looking for information on Aisha and Lilia's whereabouts."
"Don't worry, we'll keep looking for them," Eris affirmed with certainty.
Eris walked over. "Take care, Rudeus," the redhead said affectionately. Rudeus wore a strange, crooked smile characteristic of him. "Sure."
He left excitedly, following Ginger through increasingly luxurious streets. "Does Roxy live in a castle?" he wondered.
Upon arriving at the palace gates, Ginger began to speak in a more intimate tone. "Lord Rudeus, Lady Roxy mentioned that you are a genius who mastered voiceless magic at an early age. She used to talk about you a lot. She said she didn't deserve to be your teacher."
"That's an exaggeration," Rudeus replied, feeling sincerely embarrassed and flattered in equal measure.
Suddenly, Ginger changed direction, veering off the main hallway. "This way, please."
This confused Rudeus, but he followed her. They stopped before a door guarded by two soldiers. "Please, could you hand over your belongings?" Ginger asked, extending her hand.
Rudeus, confused, complied. "Well, I should focus on Roxy. Right, I haven't seen her in seven years. I have so much to tell her..." He smoothed his hair to look presentable.
"Lord Rudeus..." Ginger spoke, her voice tinged with fleeting doubt.
"What is it?" asked Rudeus.
She gave up and simply said: "Never mind, it is nothing." Then, clicking her heels together, she shouted: "It is Ginger! I have brought Lord Rudeus!"
From behind the door, a heavy voice resonated: "Enter."
Rudeus grew nervous. The image of Roxy distorted in his mind. He entered and faced a fat boy sitting on a royal chair. "Is he... a barrel with legs?"
"Well, so you are Rudeus," said the fat boy. "It was you, wasn't it? The one who entered the castle yesterday."
Rudeus was confused. "What are you talking about?... By the way, where is Roxy?"
"I see, so he knows nothing," Pax thought. Then he gave an order. "Throw him in!"
The guards acted in unison; a trapdoor opened, and Rudeus fell into the darkness.
"Ouch, what the hell!" Rudeus rubbed his head. He was standing on a purple magic circle. He tried to walk out, but collided with an invisible wall. He tried to use magic, but the spell dissipated instantly.
"It's useless!" the boy laughed from above. "That is a King-class barrier! You have no chance against it. I am Pax Shirone, the Seventh Prince!"
"So I was led into a trap," said Rudeus. "Alright. First, could you call Roxy? I am her former student and—"
"Roxy is not here. I will use you as bait to lure her here. She will be my personal slave forever," Pax proclaimed.
Rudeus frowned. "Can I ask you one thing? First, is Lilia here? And second, how will Roxy find out that you captured me?"
"Haa... Roxy is very smart, she will find out somehow," Pax dismissed. He began to close the pit with a board. "Have you not found those two maids yet?"
Ginger replied: "The men are still searching, but it seems as if they have vanished. They say they were beaten by a child."
Pax shouted in anger: "Keep looking! When I find that boy who helped them escape, I will cut off his head!"
Rudeus, trapped in the dark, froze. *So the advice Hitogami gave me was actually true... but wait. He told me to use an alias and send a letter to an acquaintance... but Roxy isn't here, and now I'm the one locked up. Did he set a trap for me?* "Ahhh... there's no point now," he sighed, clasping his hands. "Please, Eris and Ruijerd, save me."
...
At the Tavern
In the lively tavern of Thane, Arthur moved from table to table, taking orders with a cordial smile. His charm at nine years old often made him the center of attention for groups of girls. Lilia and Aisha, disguised, watched from a discreet table.
"Are you sure we can't help?" Lilia asked.
Thane, the tavern keeper, cleaned the counter. "No. He made a man's pact with me. If I let you stay, he would take care of the work."
Aisha looked at Arthur with admiration. "Arthur is really incredible. I'll go ask him if I can help." She rushed toward him, insisting until Arthur finally let her carry some glasses.
Lyria, Thane's wife, approached Lilia. "Even if you don't know it, you brought back the shine in that boy's eyes. His grandfather passed away the day before he saved you. He's been all alone."
Lilia was shocked. She looked at Arthur, who was smiling and joking with Aisha as if nothing was wrong.
At a nearby table, a royal guard named Kieran was drinking in despair. Arthur overheard him talking to Thane. "Prince Pax has kidnapped my family... he'll kill them if I don't find the escapees."
Guilt struck Arthur hard. "Damn… is this my fault? He looked at Aisha, then turned to the guard. "Can you tell me where your family is? I will go save them."
"Boy, don't say nonsense," Kieran snapped. "If we can't do anything, why do you think a child can?"
Aisha stepped forward, removing her disguise. "Because he's the one who saved me and my mother!"
Recognition flared in the guard's eyes. He knelt, pressing his face to the floor. "Please! Help my family!"
"I told you I'll help, so you don't need to kneel," Arthur said quickly.
Minutes later, at a gloomy dungeon, Arthur told Kieran to wait outside. As he walked deeper, he found guards already unconscious. "Looks like someone already came in."
Turning a corner, his instincts screamed. He drew his sword, but relaxed immediately when he saw a pale, muscular man with a strange spear. "Ruijerd Superdia."
"Looks like there's nothing left for me to do," Arthur said politely. "By the way, nice to meet you. My name is Arthur."
Ruijerd smiled, happy that a child wasn't afraid of him. "My name is Ruijerd Superdia."
.....
The Reunion
Returning to the castle, Arthur walked with the rescued families. Ruijerd had been looking for "a woman and a girl," and Arthur explained that he had already rescued them.
Then Arthur saw him for the first time: Rudeus Greyrat. Rudeus smiled at Lilia and Aisha, but his smile faded when he saw Arthur—a boy a head taller than Aisha and undeniably handsome. Rudeus glanced at Eris to see if she was staring, but she just looked confused.
Rudeus stepped toward Aisha. "And you are my sister Aisha, right? Hello, I'm Rudeus Greyrat, your big brother."
He tried to pat her head, but Aisha ducked behind Arthur. "So, you're my older brother?" She looked at him with a mix of seriousness and discomfort.
"Hey, hey, this is a big difference in treatment," Rudeus thought, his eye twitching. "And you are...?"
"Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Arthur."
Before they could speak more, Zanoba appeared. "Masteeer!" He grabbed Rudeus and sent him flying in a hug of pure strength.
The next day, after everything was cleared up, Rudeus thanked Arthur for his help. Nearby, Aisha and Eris were arguing.
"What are you saying? Rudeus is way more amazing!" Eris shouted.
"Hmp, Mr. Arthur is way more amazing!" Aisha retorted.
Rudeus approached Arthur. "You didn't have to help with the boxes, you've already done so much."
"Don't worry," Arthur replied. "I have a saying: 'If you start something, finish it.'"
Suddenly, Aisha ran toward Arthur. "Mr. Arthur! I want to ask you something!"
"I told you not to call me 'sir,'" Arthur sighed. "What do you need?"
"Let me go with you wherever you go, please!" Aisha bowed. "Save me from my brother's perverted clutches!"
"Hey, you have no tact. Your brother is right there," Arthur thought. He saw Rudeus looking depressed in the distance.
"Aisha, girls shouldn't say things like that," Arthur said, gently patting her head. Aisha beamed, leaning into the touch.
"This pretty boy has captured my little sister... is this brotherly jealousy?" Rudeus wondered.
"Arthur!" Thane and Lyria approached. "You didn't forget to say goodbye, right? We know you want to travel, and Lilia says she'd be delighted to have you accompany them."
"It's true, I'd feel calmer if someone was with her," Rudeus admitted, placing a hand on Arthur's shoulder.
Seeing them all smiling at him, the loneliness Arthur felt began to fade. He stood up straight. "In that case… thank you for everything. I hope I won't be a bother."
"Yessssss!" Aisha shouted, hugging him around the waist.
"And my hug? I'm the brother!" Rudeus thought, his eye twitching again.
The Dead End group watched as the carriage headed toward the Central Continent. Arthur sat in the front, with Aisha and Lilia waving goodbye, moving away from Shirone into an uncertain future.
End of Chapter