Mirvana approached Reid and Arttu’s room.

  She thought they probably hadn’t woken up yet. She knocked on the door gently. To her surprise, the door opened quietly, and on the other side was Reid, welcoming her.

  “Arttu hasn’t slept in a bed as good as this for a long time. Could he sleep a little longer? From what I know, the only person who needs to be informed about this mission is me. Am I wrong?”

  Mirvana sighed.

  “You really are a good brother, aren’t you?”

  Reid smiled.

  “Thank you, Lady Mirvana. I try to.”

  Reid closed the door quietly, and they started talking about the mission.

  “King Rucon must have informed you about the mission.”

  Reid looked at Mirvana and said,

  “Yes, he did. It was about a person using curses to turn animals into cursed beasts, am I wrong?”

  Mirvana spoke.

  “You aren’t wrong, but I don’t think we were completely right about that guess.”

  Reid looked confused.

  “What do you mean?”

  Mirvana looked a bit worried.

  “We haven't received any reports from villages further south than the one currently reporting.”

  Her expression turned uncanny

  “I am thinking that this isn’t just a man turning beasts into cursed beasts but something else, something more awful.”

  Reid realized something. He thought to himself, “That’s why the king was talking about ‘something dangerous’.”

  “Don’t worry, Lady Mirvana. We’ll handle it.”

  Mirvana looked slightly relieved.

  “I know you will be able to handle it. I am just saying that you need to be more careful than usual. We don’t have any idea what the cult can do.”

  Reid looked confident.

  “We’ll be careful.”

  Mirvana sighed.

  “Very well, feel free to leave whenever.”

  Reid instantly answered.

  “We’ll leave the moment Arttu wakes up.”

  Mirvana was confused.

  “Are you sure? You have direct permission from the king. You can stay for a few days.”

  Reid’s expression became serious.

  “I don’t want to wait while more people have a chance to get hurt.”

  Mirvana smiled even proudly.

  “I don’t understand why you guys even chose Harven’s squad. Each one of you is far different from that loser.”

  Reid giggled.

  “Lady Mirvana, I know you don’t mean that. Knowing the true Sir Harven, I think we can both say that the only people who can compete with his heroism in this kingdom are Sir Baranor and King Rucon.”

  Mirvana laughed hysterically.

  “Go back to your room and prepare for your journey, Reid. I’ll arrange someone to take you guys to the south.”

  While waving each other goodbyes, Mirvana said.

  “And don’t forget to watch your mouth. My sister is also one of the so-called heroes of this kingdom. She is always watching, don’t you forget.”

  Reid was confused. What was all that about Lady Lunia watching them? When he asked, nobody answered properly.

  He waved once again at Mirvana and entered his and Arttu’s room.

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  Reid began reading a book while waiting for Arttu to wake up.

  The one he picked up was Bumlet by “Shiggy Wakespire”. He opened up the book thinking that it would be something ‘interesting’.

  Bumlet:

  Characters: Bumlet, Cladia, Gertrude, Faglet

  Start—

  The sun beat mercilessly upon the gilded streets of Mendark, a kingdom where the only thing thicker than the palace walls was the waistline of its crown prince. Bumlet sat atop his golden litter, a man-child of two hundred and fifty pounds and a modest one hundred and seventy centimeters, breathing heavily from the sheer effort of being alive. A silken bag of designer codpieces rested upon his stomach, the spoils of his most recent shopping conquest.

  As his exhausted butlers groaned beneath his royal mass, a sight of great tragedy assaulted his eyes.

  There stood Queen Gertrude — his mother — gripping her suitcases with the desperation of a woman who had reached the end of her patience and her marriage.

  Bumlet adjusted his crown, which sat crooked atop his double chin, and attempted speech. His words emerged as though wading through a swamp of half-chewed ham.

  “Mother,” he gargled, “whither goest thou with all thy… belongings?”

  Gertrude turned, her eyes blazing with a fury that could have melted the glaciers of Mendark.

  “I am sick of all you dumbasses!” she shouted, her voice cracking through the cobblestone street like a whip.

  Bumlet flinched.

  “Mother?” he wheezed. “Thou soundest… upset.”

  “Upset?” Gertrude barked. “I live in a palace full of grown men who speak like theater students and behave like pigs in silk! Thy father is sleeping with his own brother, the servants pretend not to notice, and you—” she jabbed a finger toward Bumlet’s stomach “—haven’t walked ten steps in three years!”

  Bumlet gasped. “Mother, I walk… spiritually.”

  “I’m done,” she said flatly. “Done with the palace, done with thy father, and done pretending this is a normal family.”

  She hoisted her bags higher on her shoulders.

  “Thy father,” she continued, “has taken thy uncle Cladia as his lover. His brother, Bumlet. And I refuse to stay in a kingdom where that is treated as a minor inconvenience.”

  “Don’t leave meee!” Bumlet wailed, a greasy tear sliding down his cheek. “Who shall approve my banquets? Who shall pay the royal debts?”

  Gertrude paused, looking at him for a long moment.

  “Figure it out,” she said.

  And with that, she walked away.

  He reached out, but the laws of physics — and his own laziness — were cruel masters. Gertrude marched away as Bumlet’s arm trembled and finally collapsed back onto his stomach.

  With a pathetic wave, he surrendered.

  “To the castle, mine butlere!” he wheezed. “Something is rotten in Mendark… and I fear it is not only the cheese.”

  Upon reaching the palace gates, Bumlet demanded entrance, only for the doors to open upon a scene far worse than he imagined.

  There, reclining upon the throne like a smug cat in borrowed sunlight, sat his uncle Cladia. His father’s head rested comfortably in Cladia’s lap, fingers entwined, expressions peaceful and entirely unapologetic.

  “Father?” Bumlet croaked.

  Cladia beamed. “Ah, dear nephew. Thou hast discovered the truth.”

  “My father… with you?” Bumlet sputtered. “Mine own onkel?”

  “Indeed,” Cladia replied cheerfully. “We have found happiness. And frankly, better taste in curtains.”

  Bumlet trembled, pointing a sausage-like finger toward them.

  “I will not allow thee to monopolize mine father’s affections, thou scandalous silk-wearing snake!”

  Cladia laughed, pulling Bumlet’s father closer.

  “Peace, child. Thy girth poses no threat to my devotion. Were I not fond of thee, I might have banished thee already.”

  Bumlet snorted, though it sounded more like his own drowning.

  “Very well!” he declared. “Aid me, mine butlere! I must embark upon a noble quest!”

  “A quest for what, my prince?” one butler asked.

  Bumlet raised one of his sausage fingers toward the heavens.

  “A quest for dignity! And perhaps flight! For I cannot walk far, and this castle has many stairs!”

  Arttu appeared right in front of Reid.

  “What are you reading?”

  Reid flew out from where he stood. The sheer embarrassment coming from his face was enough to melt a whole glacier.

  “Nothing, really nothing. There is nothing to worry about.”

  He threw the book away and continued talking while patting Arttu’s hair.

  “Hey Arttu, I am sorry, but we need to leave today. Will that be a problem for you?”

  Arttu looked a little sad after hearing that. He wasn’t as comfortable as he is now for a long time.

  He was so happy yesterday when he played Blinx against Harven. It was one of his favorite days, too. He didn’t want this to end. But, he knew from the start that his life can’t always be like that.

  Arttu smiled.

  “No, it’s okay. Let’s leave today, brother.”

  They prepared themselves for the journey. Reid wore his red armor, equipped his Genusrosa, and spent some time adjusting his hair. Arttu, on the other hand, ran straight to the kitchen to ask for some rice pudding.

  After Reid and Arttu were both prepared for the journey, they walked towards the castle gates.

  Mirvana was the one who greeted them at the exit.

  “I am really sorry, but of all the people I tried to contact, this person was the only person who agreed to drive south.”

  That person was…

  …Morty.

  Reid’s eyes gleamed the moment he saw Morty.

  “LONESOMEEEE.”

  Morty had aged quite a bit. He was still recognizable, but the way he was acting indicated that he was in the early stages of senility.

  Morty bowed with style.

  “Haven’t seen you in quite a while, Reid.”

  Mirvana was confused.

  “Do you guys know each other?”

  Reid smiled.

  “Of course, Lonesome is the greatest chauffeur of all time.”

  Mirvana didn’t expect that. She heard that Morty’s driving was a little ‘blurring’ for people.

  “If you say so, Reid.”

  “I’ve given the proper instructions to Sir Morty. He knows the place and the location to drop you guys off. Be safe, both of you.”

  Reid and Arttu waved goodbye while entering the caravan. Reid smiled.

  “Thank you, Lady Mirvana.”

  The moment they got in the caravan, Morty asked.

  “Are you ready, ladies and gentlemen?”

  Reid was too excited.

  “We are, captain.”

  Morty gave a thumbs up, and the caravan started moving slowly.

  Arttu thought to himself, “Why is Reid so excited?”

  His whole thought mechanism was interrupted by the instant acceleration. Arttu’s hair started moving against the movement of the train, and he fainted.

  Mirvana was waving goodbye while watching                           them leave.

  After they left, Harven came running towards Mirvana.

  “Did they leave? Did they leave?”

  Mirvana smiled.

  “Yes, they did.”

  Harven hit his foot on the ground.

  “Not again, god damn it.”