33 Life in a kingdom

As the light shone on the kingdom, the morning started. Akira and Volts had already woken up from their slumber. Akira took a shower and put on his clothes and shoes.

"Where are you going?" Volts questioned.

"Taking a stroll and exploring, you just wait here and protect the palace while I'm gone," Akira answered.

Akira then went out and left the palace to explore.

Akira was roaming around the kingdom trying to find something that interested him. He encountered a merchant who was selling goods, interested, he walked toward the merchant.

He heard that one of the souvenirs that piqued his interest was 20 Gols. Akira went there and took out his wallet. On the way there, he wanted to buy the souvenirs that the merchant gave the price for. However, the price was 30 Gols. Akira could have sworn that he had heard that some buyers who purchased the same item had paid 20 Gols. Akira tried to question the man about the sudden rise.

The man replied with a lie that he had sold them fair and square. Akira knew he was lying, so he interrogated him. The man's eyes were staring right and left, sweating because Akira, questioning him. He finally gave up and lowered the price to 15 Gols. Akira declined it because it was already set at 20 Gols. 

Hence, the man sold the souvenir at a fair price, and Akira left. While Akira was walking, he noticed many people were gazing at him unpleasantly. Akira ignored them and proceeded to walk casually.

As he walked, he saw a man violently pulling the woman's shirt. He was a loan shark, asking for money. Akira then prevented the violence by stopping the loan shark. He then attacked Akira by throwing his fist at him. Akira caught his fist and punched him in the face, knocking him out cold.

He saved the woman. However, the woman gave him a bag of coins worth around 150 Gols. Akira refused to take her money and she shouted, "JUST TAKE IT!" Akira noticed the desperation in her and thought it was odd.

A random man then asked him to take the money. Akira asked why, and he answered that he had already done a commission for her and so she needed to give the money to him for her safety. Akira was shocked that he didn't need the money, and so he was forced to take it.

He had an odd feeling toward her behavior. He too noticed that she was poor and needed money. Therefore, he followed her to her house. She lived outside the kingdom. He saw many peasants working, looking very poor. After he had followed her to her home, he knocked on the door, and she was surprised. She said what Akira want, and he gave her her money back. Akira offered her bonus money in the amount of 2,500 Gols after telling her he didn't need any. He paid the loan shark's debt after earlier agreeing with him not to bother her.

"No, get that money off of us. We don't want it. Leave us alone." She said in paranoia.

"Hey, look. I'm not some type of guy who traps people by giving them money. So take it!"

She owed him a lot from the inside, but she closed the door frantically and asked him to leave.

"Just wait, damn it! I'll feel very bad if I didn't return the money, please open the door." Akira held the door to remain open.

As she beckoned her kids inside, the mother attempted to shut the door.

Three of her kids entered the house when he observed them doing so. Akira overheard the crowds whispering angrily at him as he was in the spotlight.

Akira placed the money in front of her door and walked away.

He gritted his teeth and mumbled, "What is wrong with these people?" He departed and returned to the kingdom.

While he was about to go near the gates, then a knight on a horse rode up and told him to go see the princess. The knight informed Akira that she needed to speak with him about the unexpected invitation. They proceeded to the palace once Akira mounted the horse.

Akira entered the princess's room after succeeding and unlocked the door. She was munching cookies and drinking. Akira accepted her offer of a seat. 

She was paying attention to Akira the whole time he was doing something. She said that he was very kind towards the peasants and that their freedom was very restricted. She said that if he helped them without any payment or reward and helped them freely, they would be accused of manipulating a warrior, and they wouldn't have a chance since no one would help them. 

Akira inquired why, and Shirahoshi said that the feudal system was strict and they couldn't live their lives as nobles do. Right now, she would have to go to Parliament without any sins, just one rule that she broke. 

Akira now understood why she was desperate. He felt guilty that she was in trouble because of him. She said to not blame himself. She knew that he was clueless about the rules of the kingdom. She spoke his name even though she never asked someone for his name.

Akira gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as his pupils contracted. He knew if he was involved, he too would be in trouble when he went back to Celesta.

Akira then realized something; she knew his name. Akira asked if she had spoken to Volts about him or if she knew about the commission paper. She giggled. There was no such thing as commission paper. She told him that she knew him right after she saw him.

The king knew Akira's name before he met him, which gave him a sense of déjà vu. She knew him right away after she saw him. He asked if she had a main ability and she said yes. She wanted to talk about what she saw from him. A kind attitude, she answered. Akira's face was flattened because of her answers. Then, a guard screamed.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! PRINCESS SHIRAHOSHI, HIDE NOW!" The princess was commanded to conceal herself by the guard.

In order to obtain a better perspective of the palace, Akira got out of the chair and proceeded upstairs. He observed smoke and flames enveloping the kingdom.

He noticed two women and three people dressed in white robes. Jumping in, Akira turned to face them all. Ten creatures were conjured by one of the attackers. Akira easily defeated them by swinging his scythe. Volts refrained from intervening; he was guarding the king and the princess and allowed Akira to handle the cleaning.

Akira sought to aid them by battling the monsters as the entire kingdom hastily fled.

Even while the monsters weren't all that significant, their sheer quantity was. spreading forth throughout the land and obliterating each side. Fortunately, Akira arrived in time with the help of the knights...