|Out of the thousand people selected from the game data array, 796 have already utilized the help of higher beings.|
Why are you telling me this now?
"Humans function better with encouragement."
How was that an encouragement? "I'm sorry, but if you're trying to make me feel incompetent, to enlighten some fighting spirit in me, it's not working."
"Did you say something, Your Highness?"
"I'm cursing everyone out. Don't bother me."
That made sense. The prince had done a lot today, more than Keith had ever seen him accomplish in a year. Of course, he was cursing out the whole kingdom, which was very much like his master.
Reis was already trying his best. In fact, he was doing so well that the people at the palace were in shock. Cause since when had the third prince been so reasonable? He had actually read through the documents and listed out the routes within two days.
The king was so happy that he ordered a feast for the staff this evening. His rebellious son had finally matured from the paper-burning era.
Well, of course he did. How else would he gain enough trust to reduce surveillance? There were many things Reis needed for a successful escape. Money: cause he didn't want to become a beggar without the skillset for it. Power: so he can't be simply dragged back like a rat. And trust: so he can actually slip out to begin with.
'Ann' had worked on primary goals so far. Small incidents, acts of resistance. Reis was planning long-term; if he was going to scheme, he wanted success. And the first part of it was to submit, unwillingly, not accepting everything, but to make everyone believe he caved in.
Cleaning the garden wasn't really part of that plan. He'd rather take a nap. For a few years. "Why does this place look like a storm passed by it?"
When Reis said he'd rather work in the gardens, he meant working only in the garden. Not doing it after dealing with the emotional distress of having to work cause he was too damn weak to survive outside the palace.
"You fired the gardeners, your highness." Yeah, that had happened sometime in the past. Someone probably planted a flower he was allergic to or something. There wasn't a clear memory of it.
Reis wasn't expecting a literal jungle inside the glasshouse. He wasn't hyping it up. There were definitely wild animals in there.
He thought he'd have to tend to a few flowers. Water a few plants. Trim some weeds. Not perform manual labor at a botanical graveyard!
He checked the document again. 'Will tend to the indoor garden in the eastern wing of his palace on his own, in exchange for not attending evening council meetings.'
Tempting. No one had expected him to actually show up to take care of the garden. But the alternative was far worse, so he showed up.
But this? Impossible.
"I'm going back."
|The system has detected a mana awakening herb in the garden. It can clear up your mana channels instantly without training.|
"...To arrange some lighting for this," he finished smoothly, turning back around."I can't work in the dark. Keith, fix the lights."
——
'How did I becomesuch a hypocrite?'
He was so against having to do anything with the guardian only days ago. Now he was desperately trying to summon the same creature.
It wasn't even on his own accord. This divine creature, whom he hadn't even seen the face of, would constantly nag him like a parent. His ears were going to bleed out if this went on.
Reis had a feeling this was some creature who hadn't visited the mortal realm in so long that he was simply curious and was using summoning as an excuse. He had even started imagining him as an austere old man with a long white beard and tall stature, whom he thought of whenever the guardian was mentioned.
Reis had also imagined getting a nice gift for fulfilling the old man's demands. He didn't mind being used as long as he gained something out of it.
But the said creature wasn't even helping in any way. So far, he had made no visible contribution. The wild cats which lived in the greenhouse for who knows how long made more contributions than him.
Reis wanted to use his special skill to clean the garden. But even that wasn't possible.
On the scale of one to ten, where did 'cleaning a whole jungle in a second' rank in terms of inviting more trouble? Zeroth.
That would be like saying: Look at me. I have this otherworldly power that makes me a better candidate for everything. So throw more trouble at me. I'm chosen for that.
Insert evil smile at the end, and that's the perfect declaration of a fool.
Ultimately, he had to do everything manually.
|You have gained the skill: Heartfelt Gardener.|
|Seeds you nurture will have a 70% chance of growing into a rare herb.|
It was moments like this that reminded him that this was originally a game he played.
|You have built a shelter for the wild cats.|
|Your affinity with felines has reached 90%. They'll treat you as their own kind.|
Excuse me?
|You have restored one of the oldest architectures of the palace back to its glory. Your fame has increased by two points.|
Can't you give me something I can actually use?A month. That's how long it took him to bring the plant graveyard to life. He worked here diligently, even though the council just kept finding things for him to do. He deserved better rewards than this.
|You have obtained the hundred-year-old Blue Mints.|
Yeah, I did. That's not a reward. I worked for it.
|...since it wasn't a life-threatening task, I cannot provide extra rewards.|
Tsk.
The Blue Mints sat in his palm, looking suspiciously poisonous with their glowing, electric-blue veins. He'd found a good amount, but he'd brought only a few stalks back to his room. If the plant worked, he could sell it for a fortune.
It was still just mint, right?
|I will compile a consump-|
The leaves were already down Reis's throat before the system could finish. It tasted like mint, too. A tad more spicy, and there was a fuzzy aftertaste. Not too bad. "How long until it works?"
How long indeed.
|I do not know. You were supposed to consume a leaf a day for a year.|
|May I resign? I do not wish to be a witness to a player's death for such a cause.|
If the System were a person, this would be the moment they stared at one another in a long, soul-crushing silence. A scream got stuck in Reis's throat, confused as to whether it should go up or down. His limbs suddenly felt like they were made of paper, and the world began to tilt.
|The herb will spread into your veins within ten minutes. I recommend reaching out for help immediately.|
Help? Where do I go for help right now?!
"Pay attention to your surroundings."
A chill ran down his spine. The usual complaining voice sounded alert. A warning.
But he didn't get the chance to process the command.
A hand, gloved in rough, salt-scented leather, clamped firmly over Reis's mouth. Usually, Reis would have bitten the intruder. He would have kicked, clawed, or at least insulted their lineage. But his muscles had turned into overcooked noodles.
He could only let out a muffled, gurgling sound as the blood on his lips smeared against the kidnapper's glove.
"That was easy," a low, gravelly voice whispered near his ear. Reis couldn't turn, eyes stuck on the shining metal below his chin. "Wait—the hell? He's bleeding out. Did you hit him?"
"I haven't even touched him yet!" the second voice hissed, sounding panicked. "He just started coughing. Look at the floor…that's a lot of blood."
"He's barely conscious. The reports said he was frail, but this is ridiculous."
"Hush. Don't talk, just move," another voice hissed from the darkness. "If the guards find this mess, they'll think we killed him on the spot."
Reis felt himself being hauled upward like a sack of rice. He was hoisted over a broad shoulder, the impact knocking the remaining air out of his lungs, and another trail of dark blood escaped his mouth, dripping onto the pristine rug. His face dangled against a cold, black tunic.
"Stay awake. I can only help if you are awake."
As if that was his choice.
Reis wanted to argue. He had not spent days fixing security gaps to get kidnapped!
But petty complaints died down in his bloodied throat as the kidnappers leapt from the balcony into the coldness of the night.
|Call for—|
The blue screen faded from his vision, and darkness claimed him, leaving the palace to wake up to a nightmare.
But the nightmare could only begin once the third prince wakes up from his dreamland.