The day with Ariel was very pleasant, after eating we strolled around the ocean while she told me about some of the adventures she'd had when she was younger, and I told her curiosities about the human world she admired so much.
But knowing the responsibility I had, Ariel didn't want us to just sit around all day doing nothing, and after a while she encouraged me to start training again.
I could see her concern about people dying because of the monsters, so seeing her want me to train was understandable, but there was still something in her gaze that I couldn't understand...
After we returned to the beach, Ariel only stayed for a few minutes before returning to the sea saying she had something very important to do.
I decided not to ask and to let her tell me when she was ready.
So I spent the rest of the day practicing, alone and focused.
Although I hated practice sessions like this in my previous world, in this world where not only was I training something really fun, but I could see my change clearly through the System, it gave me even more motivation to train.
It was as if I was in an RPG and could see my Experience bar rising every time I used a skill or killed a mob.
In the late afternoon I got on my horse and headed back to the castle to prepare for the evening battle again.
Thinking back on my day's training, I realized that all my skills were improving at a much higher rate after I understood that I had Chi and was able to use it actively, to the point that I felt I was already close to unlocking the Fourth Form of Water Breathing!
Curious to see how my status looked after such a productive workout, I opened my system screen and was shocked by what I saw.
- Eric Lunaris -
Race: Human
GP: 13
- Character Assimilation -
Fully Assimilated: None
In Progress: [Percy Jackson - 14 -> 16%] [Johnny Cage - 21 -> 35%]
...
-----------------
That was a much bigger increase than I imagined!
The last time I looked at my status screen was this morning and in just one day of training I've upped my Johnny Cage assimilation by 14%?! That's a bigger increase than I got from killing monsters yesterday!
Even Percy had a 2% increase, which was double what my previous training had yielded!
'So understanding the character I'm assimilating and his powers can improve my proficiency that much? ' I was shocked.
After thinking about this theory, I started trying to compile what I knew about Percy, but I didn't have that much time to do it as I was back at my castle in a few minutes.
The way back from the beach was even stranger than when I was leaving in the morning.
Whereas in the morning there were still a few people who knew about my deeds the night before, now in the late afternoon practically everyone knew about it.
Everywhere I went, people waved at me with even more fervor, looking at me with respect and adoration, and I could feel the sincere gratitude they had for what I was doing.
It warmed my heart.
Unlike the people in the world of The Witcher who hated the wizards who risked their lives to protect them, being the most ungrateful humans I've ever seen, at least in my kingdom people knew how to recognize the sacrifice I was making and were grateful to me.
It's not as if I was driven by their gratitude, but it gave me more purpose to save everyone when I knew they would be happy about it.
If I was in the world of The Witcher where people would be angry with me for saving them, why bother doing something like that? Wouldn't it be better just to get stronger for people's gains?
But seeing the children's smiles and their parents' gratitude when they knew that the royal family was doing everything to protect them made me happy.
After my bath in the castle, I put on my armor.
While I was away the maids cleaned my armor very carefully, even removing some blood stains that I didn't know could be removed, leaving only the battle marks on the equipment.
A few scratches on the metal and tears in the fabric didn't make me look any worse, on the contrary, these marks on the armor changed my appearance from a prince who only wore the armor for special occasions, to an honorable warrior who joined the battlefield and returned victorious!
This was proof that I had really fought, changing it from decorative armor to war armor!
During my bath, my energy recovered much more quickly, so that my body was practically in the ideal state for combat when I left the castle.
The soldiers who accompanied me this time were still the same 10 elite soldiers my father had given me to command the night before, but unlike the cold and dubious reception they had given me yesterday, today everyone was trying their best to look as dignified as possible for me.
A few minutes later, I was standing in front of the royal castle gate adjusting my armor while the ten elite soldiers lined up behind me.
The captain, a guy called Torren, stepped forward, pounding his fist on his chest. "Prince Eric," he said, his voice firm, "it's an honor to fight you again. After what we saw yesterday, we know that Miralune is in good hands."
I smiled, a little awkwardly. "Thanks, Torren. But don't worry, I'll take care of the front. Just make sure no monsters get through, okay?"
They nodded, swords in hand, and I felt the weight of their confidence. It was good, but it also reminded me that I couldn't fail, since my failure could be the reason why one of them died.
"Come on," I said, mounting my horse. "The night is calling."
As we rode towards the city gates, one of the soldiers, a younger guy called Lir, approached. "Prince..." he said hesitantly, "is it true that you made a goblin fly without touching it? I was fighting another goblin at the time and I couldn't see..." He blushed, as if afraid to ask.
I laughed quietly, seeing that they were curious about magic rather than afraid was a good sign. "Yeah, I used Levitation Magic, but it's not as hard as it looks."
He widened his eyes, and another soldier, a woman called Sigrid, laughed. "It's not difficult for you, sir! We can barely hit a kobold without getting a scratch." They exchanged glances, clearly impressed, and I shook my head, trying not to let it go to my head.
At that moment the urge I had to teach Water Breathing rose again, I should discuss this with my father as soon as possible.
When we reached the wall gate, the guard didn't even hesitate this time.
He saw my father's scroll and opened the gate quickly, muttering, "Good luck, prince."
I nodded back with a polite smile, feeling the cold night air on my face.
Outside, the goblins were already prowling, their eyes gleaming in the darkness.
I got off the horse, drew my sword and felt the Chi pulsing in me. 'Water Breath, First Form.' I said mentally and walked through the gate, ready to begin.
--- Atlantis, a few hours ago. ---
At the bottom of the sea, in the coral palace, Ariel swam quickly to the throne room.
Her heart was tight, but she was determined.
King Triton was there, his mighty trident in hand, with a serious face that mixed concern and doubt.
Her sisters Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista and Andrina were also nearby, whispering curiously.
Sebastian, the king's faithful adviser, a small red crab was cowering in a corner, as if he wanted to disappear, still blaming himself for the king's anger at his omission.
"Dad!" Ariel exclaimed, stopping in front of the throne. "I need to talk to you about Eric." She took a deep breath, watching her father's face harden. "He won't be able to come and meet you tonight."
Triton frowned. "He won't be able to?" His voice was deep, almost thunderous. "And why does a human think he can ignore the king of the sea?"
"That's not it!" Ariel shook her head, swimming closer. "He's fighting, Dad. There are monsters attacking his kingdom, goblins and kobolds, and they only appear at night. He told me that he's the only one in Miralune who can face them without dying. He... he's protecting his people." Her eyes sparkled, full of admiration. "Eric says it's his duty as prince to save the people. That's why he can't come today."
The hall fell silent. Triton lowered his trident slowly, his eyes narrowed, but now with a different gleam. "Protecting the people..." he repeated, quietly. "A human, facing monsters alone?" He looked at Ariel, as if trying to understand. "That's not what I know about humans. They're selfish, they destroy everything..."
"Eric's not like that!" Ariel cut in, sharply. "He trains every day to get stronger, Dad. He uses his magic to protect his people, he does things that surprise even me. He's... responsible." She paused, blushing a little. "He cares about others."
Attina raised an eyebrow in surprise. "A human fighting for duty?" she murmured to Alana, who nodded thoughtfully. Andrina laughed quietly. "If that's true, he's very different from what his father thinks."
Triton remained silent, his trident resting on the floor.
For the first time, he seemed to consider what he had heard. "Responsibility..." he said, almost to himself. "If this human Eric really is risking his life for his people, maybe..." He stopped, shaking his head. "No. Words aren't enough. I want to see it with my own eyes."
Ariel's eyes widened. "See? Are you going to..."
"Yes." Triton cut in, his voice firm. "If he can't come to me, I'll go to him. Tonight, I'm going to watch this battle of his." He looked out to sea beyond the palace, determined. "I want to see if this human really is everything you say, Ariel."
Adella shouted excitedly. "We want to see too!" she said excitedly, swimming forward.
"A human fighting monsters? That must be amazing!" Aquata nodded, laughing. "Yeah, Dad, let's go! Ariel can't have all the fun on her own."
Arista crossed her arms, smiling. "If he's that special, I'll have to judge for myself."
Even Attina, always serious, seemed curious. "It'll be... interesting," she said, looking at her father.
Triton sighed, but one corner of his mouth turned up, almost into a smile. "All right, you curious girls. But stay quiet and hidden. I don't want him knowing that the king of the sea is watching." He pointed the trident at Sebastian. "And you, Sebastian, come along to make sure they don't do anything stupid."
Sebastian groaned loudly. "Why is it always left to me?" He muttered, but swam after the sisters, who were already laughing and planning how to spy on the battle.
Ariel smiled, relieved, but her heart was racing. "He'll surprise you, Dad," she whispered, swimming into the corner. "I know he will."
--- Cat Notes ---
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