17 Meet The King

Even though Arisu held the position of the village king's daughter, it seemed that securing her father's consent required some negotiation. The village library held significant value in this world.

Riku grinned widely, explaining, "I require specific information to gather the resources needed for my initial creation."

"I comprehend your situation, and I'm committed to assisting you. However, should my father's approval be unattainable, we'll need to explore alternative means of gathering the information," Arisu replied in hushed tones, wishing fervently that her father would grant the man access.

This was his first step in substantiating his claim of being from another world. He aimed to demonstrate his credibility by creating something that surpassed her expectations, potentially leading her to believe in his origins.

"Yes, Lady Arisu. In the meantime, I'll remain here and await the king's decision," he responded nonchalantly.

"No, you'll accompany me to meet my father, and you'll need to elucidate everything to him," she insisted before moving to exit the room.

Riku let out a deep breath, trusting that Arisu's persuasive abilities would suffice in this matter. It was certainly more promising than stagnating without progress.

"As you wish, Lady Arisu. I'll present my proposal to the king, outlining how I can contribute to the village's growth," he affirmed, offering a slight bow of his head as she departed the room.

With a wave of her hand, she opened the door. "Until tomorrow, Riku," she chimed sweetly before vanishing from his view.

He reclined on the bed, his thoughts consumed by the notification issued to him by the system. If the dark crow's gene enabled the host to conceal themselves in darkness, there existed a strong possibility that his mother might also be concealed in a similarly obscure location.

As he contemplated, he realized it was merely a conjecture since he lacked confirmation about whether his body had been overtaken by the monster's gene. Determining such matters proved challenging without access to the internet or books that could provide answers.

"I must convince the king," he resolved, his mind drifting to memories of his father.

"Riku, as a businessman, you need to learn how to persuade customers to purchase our products," Akio advised solemnly, addressing his seven-year-old son.

"Dad, there's no need to persuade customers. If they want to buy our product, they'll buy it regardless," young Riku retorted.

Even at his tender age, Akio had already recognized his son's high intelligence. The challenge lay in the fact that Riku believed only in what aligned with his desires.

"Listen, my boy, some people remain uncertain about which product to choose. What I'm trying to convey is that you should be capable of engaging with others and using words that bring a smile to their faces. If you can accomplish that, you'll almost guarantee that they'll choose our product," Akio explained, endeavoring to broaden his son's perspective on their business.

'Is communication ability truly that crucial?' Akio's words piqued his son's curiosity.

"Absolutely, Dad," I responded. "I wouldn't have achieved what I have without it. Always remember to think before you speak, considering the impact of the words that are about to be uttered. Got it?" Akio's smile accompanied a gentle pat on Riku's head.

Tears unexpectedly brimmed in his crystalline eyes as memories of his father, who had even compelled him to take up business classes despite knowing his passion, resurfaced.

"I've missed them so much..."

Lost in contemplation, he hadn't foreseen that he would awaken from his deep slumber.

__

As the sunset, Riku was roused from slumber by the sunlight's intrusion and the melodic chorus of birds.

"Argh!" A cry of agony escaped his lips as the sunlight seeped into his body. "Shit! How could I forget to close the curtains!" He exclaimed, jumping up to swiftly draw the curtains shut.

[HP: 95/100]

This wasn't a jest; his health points were steadily diminishing as he remained exposed to sunlight. To put it succinctly, prolonged exposure was a sure path to his demise.

"Damn it! This is more challenging than I anticipated!" He muttered, blinking in astonishment as he caught sight of his sunburnt visage in the mirror. "I might have the dark crow gene, but I'm certainly not a vampire!" He shouted in frustration.

[Indeed! The host is a descendant of the Soul Dark Crow! Among crows, the dark crow is the most formidable, while the light crow is the least. However, due to your possession of a human body, you're impervious to ordinary light, but not to sunlight.]

Finally, the game system offered him valuable insights, illuminating the inner workings of his condition. "Are you kidding me? So, how come I was fine under the sun while jogging in the forest?"

[The host's gene has only recently been awakened, and your mana pool is insufficient to circulate throughout your body. Hence, it took a month and twenty days for the circulation to complete!]

Gazing at the elevated screen before him, everything became clear. He deduced that the incident following his awakening had somewhat depleted his mana pool. This depletion seemed to be the primary reason for the gradual spreading of his genes.

Confident in his mana pool's status, since he could monitor it on the screen, his pressing question was whether he could enhance its capacity.

Knock... Knock... Knock...

A gentle knock on the wooden door pulled his attention. He had a fair idea of the visitor's identity.

Rising to his feet, he walked over to the door. Upon opening it, he was met with a pair of feet adorned in silver-plated boots. Recognition washed over him – these were the boots of the guards.

His certainty was unwavering; he could recall these boots vividly, particularly the instance when they smashed a brick onto his head, causing him to cough up blood.

'If this man poses a threat, I won't hesitate to defend myself,' he resolved, gradually swinging the door open.

"Good day. I'm here as per Lady Arisu's instruction to assist you," a guard with blond hair and blue eyes intoned coldly. This man seemed to avoid direct interaction with him.

Long spears, sturdy armor, and sturdy gauntlets were part of the guard's attire. Riku was well aware that an average attack would injure this guard.

"Yes, I'll just change my clothes," he responded, spinning around to grab his clothes and slip into a jacket. More accurately, he covered his entire body in the garments he had stored within the cabinet.

Upon stepping outside, he was taken aback as the guard gestured for him to step back. "What are you doing, outsider? You're meeting the King dressed like that?" The guard stammered.

Turning the blanket into a makeshift scarf, he covered his face. "Hehe, I find this attire more comfortable."

The guard shook his head slowly. "Very well, follow me!" The two of them exited the visitors' quarters.

__

After a brief span, they were outdoors, greeted by two awaiting horses. "Are you familiar with horse riding?" The guard inquired.

Riku nodded without hesitation, as his father had owned a horse and Haru had taught him how to ride. "Yes, I am..."

"Excellent. Then simply follow my lead," the guard instructed before urging his brown horse into a charge.

Riku mimicked the action, unaware that curious villagers were casting glances his way. 'No matter how many eyes are on me, I'm not removing these clothes.'

Riku and the guard came to a halt outside the expanded grandeur of Riku's mansion, now doubled in size, marking the king's palace.

"We've arrived. Refrain from any unnecessary movements; the guards will not hesitate to eliminate you," the guard warned with severity.

Observing the guards dispersed throughout the area, he estimated there were around 750 in total, safeguarding this space.

"This is Arzotoc Hall, where King Luke resides," the guard clarified, guiding him through the 10-meter gate.

Yet, the guards remained watchful, perplexed as to why an outsider had been permitted entry.

'Think carefully before speaking – that's how I'll persuade their king,' he reminded himself, confident the guards wouldn't act against him, given Lady Arisu's invitation.

Two guards, flanking the entrance, stood firm. "Who is this man, Oni?" Inquired a guard dressed in silver armor with gold embellishments.

"This is the outsider, and Lady Arisu has instructed me to bring him before her."

Following Oni's words, two guards opened the massive doors, parting with the instruction, "Oni, keep an eye on him."

A straight path, carpeted in red, drew his attention, leading toward the throne of the king.

"That's the king? He certainly exudes an imposing aura."