CHAPTER 404

THE STRANGE PRINCE

Lino paced awkwardly around the small room, limping with his right leg, repeatedly coming to a halt and glancing out the window for a moment before resuming. Minutes ticked by, yet in his mind, it felt like an eternity. His heart jolted as he glanced sideways and rapidly moved his arm, dissolving spatial barrier inside the room. A moment later, a spinning vortex appeared at the center, causing the space around it to wiggle out like folding drapes.

A figure slowly walked through, bandaged just like, if not more, Lino, hair disheveled, one of his arms wrapped around Titus' neck as support. Ion looked up and, the moment he met Lino's eyes, tore himself away from the Prince and slumped to his knees. His eyes grew teary immediately as he crashed down, causing a massive thud to echo throughout the room. Sobs came out of him, turning into low wimps and outright crying.

“I--I’m sorry... I’m sorry Master... I’m so... so... sorry...” stuttering and mumbling in-between the cries, Ion didn’t dare look up and meet, undoubtedly, his Master’s disappointed gaze.

Lino swallowed a mouthful of saliva with pain, gritting his teeth as he slowly walked over and crouched. He held so for a brief second before reaching out and pulling Ion into his arms, cradling him tightly despite the pain that blared out of his chest. The unsuspecting youth found himself frozen in the shaking arms of a figure he never imagined disappointing.

Like a child, he broke out into open tears and pushed his head further into Lino’s chest, wrapping his half-broken arms awkwardly around Lino’s back. He shook and quaked tenderly, his developing mind still lacking ways to express the turmoil of his soul. All he could do was repeatedly mumble ‘I’m sorry...’ and weep.

“... you’ve nothing to be sorry for,” Lino whispered. “Nothing.”

“I--I couldn’t--I couldn’t protect them, I--”

“It wasn’t your job to protect them, it was mine.” Lino said. “And their deaths are on my soul to carry, not yours. You hear me? It wasn’t your fault. I don’t ever want you to think, even for a moment, it is.”

“No, I--I should have... I...” Ion stuttered, stopping when he felt Lino’s arms tighten slightly around his back before one of them moved over to his head, caressing his hair gently.

“Don’t,” Lino said, pulling back slightly and forcing Ion to look him in the eyes. The latter’s were bloodshot red, watery to the point they appeared as a faint blur. “It’s my sin, kid. Your Master failed, and not you. Alright?”

“...” though Ion nodded meekly, Lino knew it wouldn’t be that simple. Smiling gently, he burned a talisman inside his void world and slowly lifted Ion up to his feet.

“From now on, I’ll try to do better.” he said. “We all need to do better. So those days never repeat again. Alright?”

“... y--yes. I’ll do better, Master!” Ion nodded, fires inside his soul stoking.

“Good,” Lino nodded. “Val will take you to Mytha and Shaw. Have them look at you and be honest, alright? Don’t try to be a hero. If it hurts, say it hurts. I’ll come to visit you later tonight and to see if you’ve told the whole truth. Alright?”

“Alright...” Ion smiled back faintly as the space behind him tore open, Val walking through right after, sighing as she saw Ion’s figure.

“You two are too alike,” she said, walking over and ruffling Ion’s hair. “Getting banged up left and right. Haii, what will I do with you? Come on, let’s go. While Mytha patches you up, I’ll give you a tender lecture.”

“A-ah! M-miss Val, please, no--”

“Too late. I’m in the mood for a lecture.”

“Master, I’m completely fine!!” Ion cried out as Val began dragging him toward the portal. “There’s absolutely no pain!! See--a-aaahggh!!” he tried flaying his arms about only to break into a screaming bout of pain.

“Yea, you look fine to me. Have fun!” Lino grinned as the two vanished behind the vortex. Only then did he veer his gaze over toward the so-far-silent, young Prince.

He was remarkably the same as Lino remembered him, save for the way he looked at Lino. What used to be courteous respect, was now... somewhat awkward. Fire, passion, almost as though he was looking at his spouse. Lino shuddered, finally realizing why Ion said what he said.

“P-prince--”

“Please, my abandoned title means shit in front of Your Greatness,” Titus immediately shot down to his knees and plastered his head against the hardwood floor, causing Lino to sigh audibly. “It is a pleasure--no, it is an honor--- no, wait... aah, my stupid brain can’t come up with adequate words to describe the emotions I am feeling at the moment. It is beyond, astoundingly beyond breathtaking--”

“Alright, alright, why don’t we have a cup of ale and talk.” Lino quickly interrupted, feeling somewhat bashful.

“I dare not.”

“What? Drink?”

“What if I get drunk and say something stupid in Your presence?” Titus said in a serious tone, his expression reflecting that. “I would never forgive myself.”

“... ay, I wouldn’t worry,” Lino smiled bitterly. “Now, come on. I have to thank you properly.”

“Thank me for what?” Titus asked, slowly getting up and dusting away his robes before walking over and sitting opposite of Lino.

“For saving Ion.” Lino said, pouring the two a cup. “I am forever indebted to you. I would say I’ll give my life if you ask me, but I’m afraid I’ve promised my life to too many souls already, so it’s hardly worth much.”

"P-please! You embarrass me!" Titus exclaimed, lowering his head. "I should be asking for Your forgiveness! I have failed to not only protect the other children but have even committed the capital sin!"

“... capital sin?” Lino tilted his way.

“I made bed -- literally -- with your worst enemy!” Titus said with a wholly serious expression as Lino spat out a mouthful of ale, barely stifling his laughter.

"... y-yeah, khm... you certainly did... pfft... anyway, how was she?" Lino asked, his eyes glimmering in a strange light. "I imagine the ‘Mother of all Creation' must have a few mind-blowing moves, huh?"

“... eh,” Titus shrugged. “She... bleh. I want to vomit whenever I recall lying in bed with that whore!! Punish me, Your Greatness! Castrate me! This filthy thing of mine--”

“Hol’ the fuck up!!” Lino quickly shot up and prevented Titus from taking off his pants. “I really, really, really don’t give a shit you fucked Gaia, alright? And I really, really, really, really don’t wanna see your dick, or chop it off. Alright?”

“--alright.”

“Alright. Sit down now.”

“Yes.” Titus nodded, still ever-serious. “I still feel I deserve punishment. If, perhaps, you have my body--”

“Dude, shut the fuck up with your body already,” Lino shuddered, shaking his head. “You’re way too handsome to be offering yourself willy-nilly. My wife would chop me off if she found out I was tampering with my sexuality.”

“--ah, you are married?! Congratulations!! They must be ecstatic!” though Lino decisively ignored it, he still undoubtedly saw a fiery desire in Titus’ eyes to become a part of that harem.

“She.”

“Hm?”

“She’s... well, I wouldn’t say ecstatic. Maybe happy?” Lino mumbled. “Anyway, I just have one wife.”

“... why?! You should spread Your great seed all over the place!!”

“...”

“Khm, I apologize. What You do with Your seed is your business.”

“... no shit?” Lino cracked a smile, processing the contrast between Titus in front of him and the one he met in the Palace as just another, talented smith. “How did you do it? Save Ion, I mean.”

“... forgive me, but shortly after You gave me Your promise ring--”

“Dude, fucking hell...”

"--khm, t-the absolutely amazing item that had no other connotations," Titus awkwardly corrected himself. "I immediately realized your identity and placed some around-the-clock surveillance on the smithy. As you suggested, I told no one of the ring or of my realization and continued to merely talk of you as just another talented smith. Unfortunately, on that day... something was wrong. I couldn't contact any of the guards, not even in the Palace itself, nor those around the smithy. So, I rushed over myself to see it, which is also when you broke in and the formation descended. I also saw two men in the vicinity of the smithy shortly after, though I didn't recognize them."

“...” Lino listened in silence, slowly sipping the cup of ale.

“Anyway, I observed your battle for a few minutes and after realizing you seemed to have a handle on things, I snuck into the smithy and found a horrifying scene. That lad was the sole survivor, I’m afraid. I did collect all other bodies into a pouch, however.”

“... thank you.” Lino said, smiling tenderly. “You’ve no idea how much it means to me. Whatever you want, it is yours.”

“... I only want one thing, to be honest.” Titus said, taking a deep breath.

“What?” Lino asked.

“To serve you.” Titus replied rapidly, meeting Lino’s gaze squarely.

“... no.” Lino replied after a momentary silence, smiling.

“E-eh? W-why? Am I inadequate? Ah, yes, I am too weak--”

“No, no,” Lino quickly shook his head, extending his arm suddenly. “I don’t need another servant, Titus. I could, however, use a friend. How about it?”

“I am undeserving--”

“If you aren’t, then nobody in the world is,” Lino interrupted sternly. “Though I’ve no clue why you respect me so much, I do know that you’ve risked your life to do something you didn’t need to. And even if it doesn’t amount to much in your book, in mine it does.”

“... a friend.”

“Yes.”

“I could use a friend, now that I’ve abandoned my Empire and all.” Titus’ lips finally curled up into a smile.

“... welcome, T’,” the two shook their hands before toasting with their cups of ale. “To your new home. It may not be a grandiose palace, but I imagine you’ll come to enjoy it.”

“... I already do.” Titus replied with a smile. “Oh, right, before fleeing, I managed to raid the treasury a bit. I know it probably can’t match up to the abundance of resources you possess,” WHAT ABUNDANCE?!! Lino screamed inwardly as the greedy soul within him woke. “But, it’s not as though I’ve much use of them, to be honest.”

“A-all, khm, all contributions... are helpful, of course.”

"Thank you," Titus nodded, slowly beginning to whip out one ring after another and place them on the table; in the end, they totaled out to eighty-nine, all high-tier void treasures... and all filled to their capacities. "As I didn't have much time, I was unable to organize them properly so most of the stuff is thrown in together at random. There..." Lino, however, stopped listening; he could barely contain himself from leaping over at the rings and hugging them. Just from a quick search, he realized the rings altogether contained billions of high-tier Qi Stones, millions of materials, weapons, talismans, Martial Arts... it had nearly all they lacked -- a strong foundation in terms of raw resources. As it stood now, they were burning through the materials far quicker than they were able to accumulate them, largely because most people were entirely unequipped when it came to items or talismans since the intake of souls greatly overshadowed the intake of materials.

Lino was half a mind away from leaping over and kissing the former Prince, though he held back in the end from fear of the latter misinterpreting that as an invitation.