The wagon rolled down the road as everyone chatted amongst one another.
"Where are we now?" Kazuya asked
Selene looked around "Pretty close to the border of Esfaria, once were out were in open land"
"Open land?" Kian said
"Basically unowned land" May added
"Kaede how'd you Kian meet?" Selene asked
Kaede smirked "I saved him from bullies, No sweat, but he saved me too. I was a homeless kid, but Kian let me go to his and GranGran's place. That's where he made a vow to be a hero to be like me."
Kian laughed nervously in embarrassment. GranGran was known as the orphan woman. Kian had never met his parents, something about being born and left to die. So GranGran on her daily walk saw him in a forest with lots of greenery and animals.
He laid in a basket crying with a soft blanket around him and some kind of spell. She knowing magic herself tried to dispell it, but nothing worked. Soon though she just pressed her hands against it and prayed to the gods to save the child and once she did. The spell slowly went away.
She grabbed Kian and took him home. She taught him everything she knew, just not magic. She always told him the bad things about spells. Yet he grew to love the idea of using them.
Now here he was, not just a mage, but a Royal of Kings. It was a lot on a child of his age.
He'd seen people die and even fought and killed himself. How many times has he died now? 4 times?
He was lucky no one got hurt by Leto, yet now she was one of his lovers.
He looked up at Kazuya who was sleeping next to Mimi. Kazuya still has a somewhat feminine appearance, but it only made him more attractive now, to all sadly.
He'd already received multiple marriage requests, but declined because of his tastes.
Then there was Selene, she had problems controlling her ability, but now she could use it quite efficiently. She was also more beautiful now, her blonde hair flowed down slightly past her shoulders. If he were an average type of boy he'd be paying attention to her chest as well. Yet he hadn't even noticed it has gotten a bit bigger.
Kaede the warrior of his growing Harem. Sat asleep next to him, her dark brown hair still short and her bow staff now more dangerous sat next to her in a long bag. He was a bit taller than her and even some of the other girls were taller than her.
Yet she was the most capable, even with the slightly small chest. Not like it mattered though.
He then thought about Echidna. There was only one way to describe her, a twisted beauty to Azazel at least. To Kian she looked like a monster. Her eyes only showed hunger and chaos her smile only showing for murder and death.
Then he thought about the skull in his room, he never shoved it in the Royal of Undead's face (He never heard her name).
Then Estra, the person who helped him start his journey although later on he found out she was actually some ancient mass murderer who happened to create medicines.
This whole journey, this pain, laughing, and fighting.
***
When everyone woke up they saw a more beautiful scene before them. Lush grass, path ways, beautiful flowers, other caravans, and a beautiful bright sky.
Their was camp ahead with other caravans. The driver went towards it and stopped. Everyone got out as well and stretched.
Kian caught a glimpse of Mimi running after some pies with Kazuya following her probably to stop her from getting into trouble.
He smiled as a pair of arms wrapped around him "Kian"
He frowned knowing who that seductive voice was.
He turned and saw the Fox herself, May. Her tail swayed around "Your not gonna leave us unattended are you?" She said faking a pout as she put her finger on her lip.
Kian looked at everyone else who was palm facing. Kaede went and grabbed May "Come on fox, were having a girls time, redo."
"Hey! Let me be with my husband!"
"Future!"
Kian snickered as he walked into the camp. He saw various people chatting and talking about sells of course.
But he walked he bumped into someone he looked and saw a muscular body right at him, he looked up and saw a man with a styled mustache.
"Excuse young man, I didn't see you there."
"No I should be apologizing I wasn't looking."
"Apologie accepted. You are unlike most children, most would just run off or be rude. May I ask your name Young man?"
"My name is Kian"
"Kian, ah what a simple, yet great name. My name is Gerald Hopps. May I ask were you are headed?"
"Um, Marterra."
"Excuse me? You said Marterra right, or do my ears need cleaning?"
"No you heard me correctly, I said Marterra."
"So you must not know of the Kingdom." The man's face darkened and it seemed some noticed.
"Marterra!?" One man walked up and said
"Marterra? The red kingdom?" A woman chimed in
"Red Kingdom?" Kian asked
"Yeah, it's know for consistently having conflict. Whether it be revolution or war. Most don't even call it a Kingdom since it's ruled by a group of war tyrants. They also have people under them who help regulate the king- nation I mean." A male seller said
Kian started to think about the description of the man Estra told him about. "There's a man named Alvor... He's a great legendary warrior. He's killed thousands... First you must beat him in combat. Then he'll be extremely loyal. He's in the peaks of the old kingdom Marterra. The Kingdom of the Mountains and biggest sea."
'Oh sure, just some mountains and a big sea, sure. Maybe big mountains of darn bodies and lakes of blood!' he thought
"Oh and you can't forget Alvor the great human god of war. It's rumored he killed thousands."
"He destroyed a whole clan in a day."
"I heard it he was done by the crack of dawn."
Kian started to worry, what if he challenged Alvor and this juggernautand got snapped in half or worse into pieces.
"So is he, dead?" Kian asked hopefully
"No not at all, from what we know he's in okay condition and ready to stop any who dare challenge him, but seriously anyone that would do such a thing either has a death wish or their stupid."
That last part hit deep to Kian like punch to the gut.
Then someone passed by, but no one noticed it. Kian felt a presence yet he didn't see anything.
Kian looked around and tried following the presence as everyone questioned him.
He followed it into the mud and saw footprints. That slowly came to a stop. Kian gulped, what if it was a threat?
Then something started to move up and materialize it was a helmet. Beneath it was a beautiful woman with red hair. She wore black and white adventurer clothes.
Everyone gasped. The woman looked Kian up and down before walking towards him. Kian started to step back and prepared a spell. But the woman grabbed his shirt. The helmet that looked like a bunch of large rings merged together started to spin in her hand.
The woman had amber eyes that stared deep into his soul.
"I've been watching you for a long time. You've died many times, O Royal of Kings." She grabbed his hand, but he instantly pulled away and tried to to run, but it was as if his body or more so his nerves weren't sending any signals to his brain.
The woman walked up to him and put her hand on his head and it seemed as if the world slowed. "Don't fear me. I'm just here to aid you."
Kian tried to speak, but just like his first experience in the sacred realm he couldn't, neither could he move.
"Your trail will start soon."
Kian started to look around everyone was just stuck in place.
"When you fall asleep you'll be put into the trail. Let's hope you make it out alive." Even when saying that her face remained emotionless
"But what if it takes me a long time to wake up?"
The woman smiled "Don't you worry, I have that all covered. Now go on, enjoy the rest of your day."
***
That night everyone went inside of a tent to sleep until the morning where they'd get going.
Kian laid in bed conflicted. If he fell asleep he'd have to do the trial, but what if he didn't? He'd have to fall asleep eventually though right? What if-
His eyes became heavy as his arms rested by his side. He yawned loudly and without knowing it, he was asleep.
The woman walked near his tent and sat down "Let's see how everyone takes this predicament."
***
Kian opened his eyes to that same young girl from before.
He groaned before excepting that he couldn't do anything about it.
"So, what's my trial?" He asked
The girl tiltedvher head in confusion "Trail? You mean you want to take all 3 in one go?"
"3?!" Kian looked at her with wide eyes
"Oh, now I understand. You didn't know there was 3?"
"Why 3?"
"Because it's the Trail of The Royal of Kings. Mind, Body, and Spirit. The first trail is The Mind. That creature you saw, is your first trial. You must defeat it!"
"Huh?, but I'll die!" He yelled
"Correct you will, but the best part and worse is! You cannot die even in this world, so you will have an unlimited amount of tries to kill the monster!"
Kian looked at her as if she was a psycho
"Oh, here's the worse part, every time you die. Your progress restarts. So if you were close to killing it and die. Oh well, too bad."
He scratched his head knowing the pain he'd have to endure.
"When does it start?"
"When you say so, but there's no going back. Not like you can return to the real world until you complete this trial anyway. So Master Kian, are you ready for your first trial?"
Kian hesitated, before breathing out a long breath. "Yes, I'm Ready"
The first trail starts.