The Automated King

Preparations

As we accomplished the plan of retrieving intelligence for Repugnare, we are entitled to go back to our homeland. Well, nobody set the bottom line for us to settle down, anyway, so it’s akin with liberation on our stead. I am a little bit in loathsome over Simon’s way of thinking, though. Does being ‘savior’ solely designated to fulfill what was right on the judgement of the system? How much of freedom was that, If I may ask?

“How was it, Regi? Are your, ehem, groin capable of doing a short trip to our lovely city?”

“I might stumbled a bit, but it’s no worry for a small travel.”

“Let’s check-out, then, and progress to come home!! Yipee-yay!”

Hmm, He is too delighted for being normal today. I am intrigued on the trigger of it, somehow.

“What’s going on, Simon? Why are you so lively right now?”

“Hmm, nothing of the sort. I am a playful and easy-going person, so this is a regular day for me.”

“Nah, there must be a headline going on. Is it Merry?”

He is grinning, it's surely the in-line factor of them all.

“That would be estimated as one on my list, but not the only case.”

“So what’s in the store, then?”

“We might be signed up into some serious problems, mate. Did you recall Princess Suntana?”

The watchtower princess..... Those huge chamber on the peak of it must be her private room.

“Emmm, yeah, I presumed that she is familiar to me.The heir of King..... Umm, I am absent to her father’s name.”

“King Argona the first.”

Ah, Argona the first. The title is majestic, but what’s with the first? Is he the earliest crowned elephant king of that kingdom’s history?

“Okay, so what’s on the news?”

“Yesterday, off my dull brain that you know and love, she disclosed some important stuffs for us to inform.”

“And you are not tell me a single bit of those? Pathetic, feeble-minded, arrogant, impudent, Ig...”

“Ignorant, I know, but worth to watch. So be it, Regi, I’ll brief you with the details on our way home.”

---

The seventy-two hours of their venture was ended in hefty riches and experiences. Pouches of gold, silver, and copper sat down in their own conveniences on the the front side of the carriage. The trophy and token of appreciation from the king himself stuck idle as the center of attention. On the back is the memento of Malia, in which they had purchased off the souvenir’s market for their own keepsake to hold.

“So, what is the assortment of information that you hold dear so much?”

“Well, as you can see, I am a hothead. I sought of a lot of challenges throughout my life as a cutthroat of our group. It’s been 10 years of my work for the sake of Repugnare, but I’ve had nothing of this as memory to relish for.”

“Cut to the main topic, Mr. Veteran.”

“Okay, in short, she was being targeted by those kidnappers to abort the plan for a skirmish to the Fishman kingdom.”

This madman.... He has to be very much insane for not feeding me up with this occasion.

“Did you report those info to the Headquarters? Ellen has to be known of this, or else we are pretty much a dead guy in cadaver.”

“She is our commander, so it’s not weird for me to tell her beforehand. I just forgot to spill the beans to you, of all.”

Or that is due to my lower rank position, and I am not objecting if it’s the problem.

“How come the clash of two kingdoms would provide us with the dare-devil and, I suppose meandering, position? We are but a measly informer to this one.”

“Well, that would be our clauses to assault, My dear partner. The battlefield of two neighboring country...... I wonder if Mr. LORD would neglect it.”

“A big feud of the year, and you were overjoyed by the premises. Nah, I’d rather not involved into their matters.”

Not to count on my own  stature, too. I haven’t been here for a month, and my life was escalated to an otherworldly measure of tragedy. Is this for real? Am I being plotted to do such thing?

“Anyway, have you took a sneak peek over your current rank? There must be a great leap to your position.”

“Umm..... Ah, it’s gone up to intermediate. A small jump to my eyes.”

“Well, I suppose it should be related to the bunch of hard work you’ve been doing for the last two.”

“Is this common for you, Simon?”

“If your exploit to the big occasion was the case, then no.”

Yup, as my memories could recall, I have so much involvement in several missions. Annihilating a cluster of newborn society, preventing the advancement of Pufferfish gang, A direct contact with the ruffians of Protego, our distinctive persona, and relieving a Princess of Malia from harm. Mr. LORD must be like “Ah, this man is mad on his mission, I’ll grant him with even harder position tomorrow,” without asking my opinion about it.

“So, could you tell me about the drills of this rank and above, Simon? Well, I’m not really that interested to rank up again, but it’s still worthwhile to know.”

“Hmmm, the choice of mission would be broader than being a novice or beginner, since you were estimated by the system to be capable of dealing with more sensible task. Yeah, I think it’s all of the details.”

“Hoo, an enlarged radius. Of what kind, If you could enlighten me a little?”

“You would be appointed as the leader of a small unit of surveillance mission, mentoring your lower-division cadet, and anything similar to those in repeat.”

So, It is becoming various in terms of the collectivity of the objectives. Being a leader might be the strongest impediment for me, since I am a fan of being a lone wolf in my work.

“Hmmm, did it take long for me to excel?”

“Well, considering myself, It is still relied to your partake on any objectives. For me, I have to participate in 100 intermediate missions to level myself up.”

“Hmm, that’s why you’re delighted of the forthcoming mission. You will gain  a huge advantage to your AoK.”

“You might have a point there. The huge-scale warfare would cost so much of our team, but it is handsomely paid in equivalent. “

Yeah, the battlefield would be destructive to our organization. I don’t know how much of manpower that we have, though, It might be bigger than what I have visualized.

“On the other hand, I got greater access to the more details and confidentiality. The alternative reason to boot, does it?”

“Yeah, I think it could be regarded as one.”

This is the absurd statute that I can’t fathom, nonetheless of how much I could bargain with. Thus far, I am entitled to read several confidential documents with no hassle whatsoever, thanks to Ellen, so the rule were not really much applicable to me.

“Well, I can obtained quite a huge access to some classified documents, Simon. How’s that for you?”

“Granted by Ellen, huh? It’s no big deal to me, since I don’t like reading.”

“Why are you wagering yourself to gain one, then?”

“It’s a privilege, and I am thrilled to have it for myself someday. A vantage point, don’t you see?”

“A great revolutionary thinking, Simon. No, My great sage.”

Instead of creating a benevolent vision as his wisdom, in full regards to our role as the savior, this man’s life are driven solely on selfish ideas. I suppose it’s the diversity of our team, after all.

“Hey, Is that our camp? Someone reeled a big catch, for sure.”

"Yeah, It’s more like a barracks than a conventional tents for a shelter.”

Hmmm..... It’s must be more than 10 people inside of that huge tent..... what’s on their tail to have so much player on the team?

“Yo, Serafina! Why are your groups crashing on this place? Hunting on some stuff?”

Hmm, I have seen her somewhere. Ah, She is my aid for  the Pufferfish assignment! Serafina, a cool name for a tomboyish woman like her.

“Huh? Ho, Mon-mon!! Pleased to meet you too, Pufferfish guy.”

Mon-mon? Adorable nickname for a cutthroat.

“Pipe down, Sera!! That name is private!”

“Then why are you calling me by those made-up name? It’s a long-time ago, i***t. My nickname for today is way different.”

Hoo, She is supplanting her actual name by a completely out-of-hand denomination. Color me interested with her true identity of  today, I suppose.

“What? Is it for real? Serafina is fake?”

“Kinda. You know the drill, Blowfish.”

“My own analysis set her name to be a similar kind with the dog tag label, even if I’m still astonished by your dedication to change it each time, Miss no-name.”

“Ding-dong!! He is smart, unlike this dumb-ball. Anyway, please don’t call me ma’am, it’s disgusting.”

Hmm, it seems we can’t dig up her real name for now....

 “So..... Why are you here, Miss classified? You haven’t reply that question before.”

“Playing detective, typical of an introvert. It’s not a dark secret, though. Ellen send us here to wait on the two kingdoms to smack each other.”

“The circle of information pay off the due, isn’t it, Regi? A domino effect for us to tackle.”

“Shush, let her finish!”

“... On the other hand, we are assigned for infiltrate-and-rescue mission, not to kick in and kill all of them at once. Maria and Brody were missing last night.”

What, Maria? Oh no...... What happened to you, my dear?

“Hey, Is that true? Ah, man, Marion...”

“Don’t worry so much, Regi. She might be abandoned her outpost for a reason.”

“Yes, uhm, Regi. She might be gone, or not, and we are here to investigate. We have to set up camp until the war breaks out.”

Deep condolences, my dear friend. I hope you are alright out there.

“Maria is the strongest woman I ever know, Regi. She would be okay.”

Yeah, She has strong legs. A kick from her would thwart any fish nearby. She might be a good runner, too, to count.

“How about me, Mon-mon? Is this biceps not giving you a slightest clue of my raw power?”

“Hey, You are ruining the mood, Sera.”

“I’m not....”

“Give me some space, both of you. I have to reconcile with myself for awhile.”

---

Reginald is meditating upon the empty field of grass. He is lying in deep contemplation, in twisted mind of what to bear with his concern of Marion’s condition. It’s not something hard to tell for him to help and lend a hand to her aid, but it would disown his idealist nature of non-intervention at the same time.

“Hmmm, what is the greater choice? I might be propelled into wrongdoing by meddling into someone’s problem for this. However, I am obliged to do this, as she is a close friend to me.”

“What if you hold the tongue and draw to the important cause?”

His circle of privacy were interrupted by a sudden occurrence, in a form of a man and his blade.

“Oh, Simon, my humble sage. Fill me with your innocent suggestion to agree with.”

“If you pleased to hear it, well...... to rescue her from harm would be the best among all, mate.”

“Hmmm.... How about the politics? Are we disrupting the quarrel, anyhow?”

“Based on Sera’s speculations..... we are gonna be in a covert mission, so there is no way for us to mop up a bad blood with either party.”

“Hide-and-seek, is that correct?”

“Ding-ding-a-dong-dong!! You are the winner! Quit worrying and start reacting, it’s my only word to have.”

“Hehe, my bad. I guess your feeble-minded ideology helped me so much to get out of this random qualms sometimes.”

Reginald standing up in newborn confidence, facing with the truth of all that it matters: To rescue his long-time family from peril.