53 Two Promises (1/2)
KIHO noticed that Emperor Aku's Mana was increasing in an alarming rate. And as it happened, the Blue Dragon and the Golden Tiger in either of his side were also starting to turn back into their original size. Both Ancient Beasts were said to be as big as a mountain.
If the Blue Dragon and the Golden Tiger succeeded in reverting back to their original state, then the whole Castle Vania would definitely crumble. Ah, scratch that. The castle and the entire Forest of Enryu might disappear from the map!
That meant everyone in the area would die. Yes, including him. Unfortunately, sealing the replica of the Red Phoenix had depleted his Mana. He didn't have enough left to protect himself once Emperor Aku went berserk.
”Your Majesty!” Kiho yelled. He didn't mean to disrespect the emperor by raising his voice. He just needed to shout because he bet that the emperor was too angry to listen to anyone or anything around him. ”Please don't do this!”
[I really want to hit His Majesty right now.]
He wasn't good at making other people calm because he himself had a nasty temper. But at this situation, he had to if he wanted to live.
”Your Majesty, I understand that you're angry because of what happened to Her Royal Highness,” Kiho said. ”But blowing up the entire area won't save her.”
It didn't work.
In fact, the emperor's Mana just continued growing faster.
He thought of one way to make the emperor come back to his senses. Actually, he didn't want to use this. But he didn't have a choice. Aside from wanting to save everyone, he also wanted to come back to Tilly alive and in one piece.
Kiho took a deep breath, then yelled the following words at the top of his lungs. ”Save me, Brother Aku!”
God, he wanted to die from embarrassment.
And well, if the emperor's advisors or ministers heard him call His Majesty by name, he would have been seized and executed.
But he had permission. When Emperor Aku took him under his wing when he was a little boy, he didn't know that he was a crown prince during that time. He thought he was just another mercenary just like him. And, uh, he used to call him ”Brother Aku” then.
[Damn it.]
Anyway, when he found out that Emperor Aku was the empire's crown prince during that time, he immediately stopped calling him ”Brother Aku.” No matter how much His Majesty teased them then, he never called him that casually again.
One day, Emperor Aku told him that if his life was in danger, he could call him ”Brother Aku” again and ask him to save him.
[I can't believe I just did that.]
Thankfully, it seemed to work.
Emperor Aku's Mana started to decrease and the Ancient Beasts stopped growing in size as well. A few moments later, the emperor's Mana finally stabilized. Then, the Blue Dragon and the Golden Tiger vanished in thin air.
”Kiho.”
Kiho bowed deeply when the emperor turned to him. ”My deepest apologies for calling you by your name, Your Majesty.”
”Rise,” Emperor Aku said. ”You don't have to apologize for doing something I've given you permission to do so.”
When he looked up at the emperor, he was relieved to see that he was indeed calm now. ”Your Majesty, the High Priest might heal Her Royal Highness. I'll take care of everything here so please don't worry.”
”No, your Mana has been depleted,” the emperor said. ”I want you to go to your wife and rest. Let the other captains take over.”
”But–”
”You already did well, Kiho,” His Majesty said strictly. Then, he looked up at the replica of the Red Phoenix inside the giant ice sphere. ”Thank you for catching the replica.”
”I couldn't have done it without your Ancient Beasts, Your Majesty.”
”You're too modest for you own good, Kiho,” the emperor said when he looked at him. ”I didn't save you today. You saved me, my little brother.”
That was how the emperor used to address him before he became a knight.
Thank goodness no one was around to hear it.
It wasn't that he was embarrassed of his connection with the emperor. He just thought it wasn't proper since he was now the ruler of the empire while he was a mere captain.
”Kiho, promise me that you'll help me catch whoever is behind this tragedy,” Emperor Aku said seriously. ”I can't forgive them for what they did to Nia.”
Ah, so the emperor was thinking something manipulated the replica of the Red Phoenix to attack the princess? Then, it must be investigated thoroughly.
”I'll do everything to be of use to you, Your Majesty,” Kiho said. ”After all, you're the one who put me in this position.”
The emperor just smiled at that.
”Your Majesty!”
Their talk was interrupted when Captain Sherwood came. He looked shocked when he saw what happened. But his gaze instantly fixed on Princess Nia.
”Don't look,” Emperor Aku warned Captain Sherwood menacingly, his red eyes glowing in obvious anger towards the captain. ”I'll gouge your eyes out if you look at Nia again.”
Captain Sherwood bowed his head lowly. ”Please forgive my insolence, Your Majesty.”
”Carry Lahara and follow me, Captain Sherwood. We're going to the High Priest using my portal,” Emperor Aku ordered before turning his back on them. ”Kiho, rest for the meantime and leave everything to Captain Denver and Captain Ainsworth. I'll leave a message to them to make sure they'd kick you out if you insist to help. So you better go home and rest, Kiho.”
Kiho bowed at Emperor Aku's order. ”As you wish, Your Majesty.”
***
A FEW moments after Emperor Aku and Captain Sherwood left the castle, Captain Ainsworth arrived at where Kiho was guarding the replica of the now frozen Red Phoenix.
”Captain Kiho, I received His Majesty's order,” Captain Ainsworth, the leader of the Golden Tiger Knights, told him. ”I'll take over and put the replica of the Red Phoenix back inside the mystery box. You need to leave, Captain Kiho.”
”I understand,” Kiho said. ”How are the civilians, Captain Ainsworth?”
”Everyone has been evacuated safely,” he said. For some reason, he was giving him a look of sympathy. ”Captain Kiho, you have to know that your wife, Lady Prescott, has been brought to the hospital.”
His eyes widened at that. ”What? Was Tilly hurt from the attack?”
”According to the report I received, Lady Prescott has left the castle before the attack because she was feeling unwell,” Captain Ainsworth explained. ”Unfortunately, the carriage she was using lost control and hit a tree. The coachman lost consciousness and was also brought to the hospital.”
”How about Tilly?” he asked, impatiently. ”How hurt was she?”
”Unfortunately, I haven't received a report about Lady Prescott's current state,” the other captain said. ”It was Captain Denver who found your wife in the woods, Captain Kiho. He was in the area while looking for Crades corpses to burn when he found Lady Prescott unconscious. After that, he informed your wife's knight of what happened. Then, they brought her to the hospital. The hospital isn't too far from here so you'd get there easily by horse.”