1052 Sika is still a Woman Part 2 (1/2)
”Saleen, I just don't want to be away from you anymore.” Sika's voice sounded rather weak.
”What is wrong?” Saleen looked Sika, feeling puzzled.
”You don't know? The kids missed you.” Sika sighed.
”This...” Saleen found that to be inevitable, as he simply could not have brought himself bring his children along on his adventures. Despite both children being of exceptional talent, it was still too early to have both of them by his side when he went on his adventures.
”Isn't Nailisi's 12 Notes of First Purgatory capable of carrying demons?”
Saleen was completely startled. He grabbed Sika and said, ”Demons are not humans. I can't let them get inside!”
”I'm not saying to let them inside the purgatory of demons. Can't we just open another space? I want to go to the Imperial City of the Abyss with you!”
Sika's request was very startling to Saleen. Come to think of it, Sika is still a woman. It's indeed been rather unbecoming of me to leave her back in Metatrin City to run things for me. But it's the kids we are talking about here. He deemed it too dangerous for his children to go on adventures with him at such young ages, and Saleen did not want to separate them from their mother.
It was not just Sika. Saleen himself did not want to just leave the children behind. However, what he needed to do required for him to be outside of Metatrin City.
”Not this time. I'm not just going to the Imperial City of the Abyss once. Sika, the children, they are still too young. 12 Notes of First Purgatory...no, just no.
Their meal turned out to taste rather bland because of all that. They left the table and lied on the bed. Sika stared at the ceiling and said lightly, ”Saleen, I miss the old days. I knew nothing back then, and we were just running about in the mountains, fighting any magic beasts we were able to find. We were only able to get something to eat if we happened to kill one of those beasts. A level three or four beast was more than enough to have us running with our tails between our legs.”
”Yeah.” Saleen felt nostalgic as well. ”Back then, any magic nucleus that we were able to find was a treasure to us, and I was very reluctant to use any of them.”
”Well you're rich now, and you keep leaving us back home and wandering off somewhere else yourself. Isn't this how the bards put it? You became a king, and a hero...”
”What are you talking about, Sika? I'm trying to figure things out here.”
”Saleen, I'm not going to get in your way, alright. I'm now better in fights than you are. I'd like to see how you fare against me.” Sika ruffled Saleen's hair for a bit. However, the force she put in this time was little more than that of a breeze.
”Sika, I know you've always been the one to have my back.” Saleen said in all seriousness. He then added, ”I'm really trying to figure out how to solve the problem with the kids here. With things getting messier and messier in the mainland, I don't even feel safe leaving them behind in Metatrin City anymore. I can just chuck them in the interdimensional space, but that would have widen the distance between us and them, and that is a no go.”
Both of them mumbled for quite a bit, before their lids got too heavy for them to keep their eyes open.
Saleen hardly had a good night's sleep as of late. He spent most nights in meditation. He had only came to feel safe and relaxeed with Sika by his side, and not having to think too much about anything. Whatever it was with things with the mainland, all that seemed to have nothing to do with him.
Saleen and Sika went to see the city's lieutenant first thing in the morning. The lieutenant had close relations with the royal family of the Grukos, and Saleen's arrival was actually more awkward for him, compared to Sika's arrival.
It was fortunate that the general was recuperating from his injuries at the moment and that he was only a lieutenant. He was speaking to Saleen out of need to fulfill his duty, and therefore, avoided invoking any dissatisfaction on the side of the prince. Furthermore, with the Holy See army still outside their gates, Saleen's arrival proved beneficial.
As they were having their meeting in a restaurant, the atmosphere was a rather amicable one. Saleen did nothing to hide anything, and went on to tell the lieutenant straight in his face, ”General, I'd be taking Sika away. But, rest assured, the Holy See army that had the city surrounded would soon retreat. I left 200 thousand alchemy arrows and 200 alchemy crossbows with you, as well as 100 scrolls, as my token of apology.”
The lieutenant felt dejected at first hearing that Saleen was about to leave, but he soon felt relieved hearing that Saleen had left so many useful equipment behind. In actual fact, the city did not lack for manpower nor equipment. What they required the most was backup. As Saleen went on to leave so many equipment of great value behind, it stood to reason that he had no intentions of giving up on Guderian City.
That all sounded rather ironic, as the existence of Guderian City was to defend against Phoenix. With Holy Rock City now being unable to do anything to help them out, he had no choice but to ask for help from the king of Kingdom of Metatrin.
It was as he had expected, as Saleen went on to add, ”The Kingdom of Metatrin will keep providing support to you. There are about 50 thousand elite troops on their way here. Once I returned to Metatrin City, I will have two additional magic cannons delivered to you. That should suffice to keep the city defended. Furthermore, you will have assistance from Duchess Guya. I will drop by Guya City on my way home and tell them what needs to be done. If things happen to totally go south, you will be able to retreat there with your men.”
Saleen did whatever he was able for the city, and the lieutenant had nothing but gratitude for him.
Saleen then continued, ”Send my men my way later. I want to visit the camps in Guderian City. What Metatrin never lacked was equipment. I'm sure you know that I have the best alchemist with me, and the alchemist will see to your needs personally, while I will bolster the numbers of your army.”
The lieutenant stood and bowed to thank Saleen yet again. Saleen thought deep within that Guderian City was literally filled with elite regular Qin army units, and he did whatever he deemed needed to be done. If Holy Rock City were to fall, he would have been able to easily make Guderian City his.
The lieutenant interjected while he was deep in thought, ”Your highness, I will need one more thing from you.”
”Speak.”