Chosen One's Sidekick

Chapter 9

“Jaune, wake up! Jaune!”

Jaune woke up screaming. “Help! A giant octopus! Octopus!” She thrashed around like a lunatic.

“Jaune, calm down! The octopus is gone,” Destine quickly tried to soothe her twin.

That’s when Jaune finally froze. She stared at her twin’s face, then at the other crew members staring at her. “What happened?” she asked, eyes wide. “I—I thought I was eaten by that thing!”

“You’re lucky, girl,” Monzo said from behind her. “If we hadn’t saved you in time, you probably would have been.”

“Saved?”

“They did,” Destine pointed behind her.

Jaune followed her gaze—then gasped and immediately stepped back, hiding behind her sister. “Mermen!” she shouted.

There they were—an entire group of mermen standing tall on the deck. They wore strange clothing and carried weapons—clearly warriors of the deep. Their faces looked mostly human, but their bodies were unmistakably aquatic.

“You should be thankful to them. They’re the ones who helped you,” Monzo told her.

“Thank you very much,” Jaune mumbled, head lowered.

Destine stood up and faced the mermen. “Thank you for rescuing my sister. And for driving off that giant octopus.”

“We didn’t want any more sea creatures to get hurt,” said the one in the center. “It wasn’t their fault they attacked passing ships. Something’s been happening to their kind since the King disappeared. It’s like they’ve been cursed.”

“Cursed?” Destine echoed in confusion.

“The King is gone, but now creatures like that are growing more aggressive. The longer it goes on, the worse it gets. You’re the one who defeated the King, aren’t you? Then it’s up to you to find a way to calm the ones who are still causing harm.”

Destine didn’t answer.

“Maybe this is one of the trials you have to face before you see your beloved again, sis,” Jaune whispered.

“Don’t worry,” Destine said to the mermen. “I’ll do everything I can to set things right.”

“I’m counting on that. You can rest easy—we’ll make sure your voyage through these waters is safe.”

Cheers erupted from the ship’s crew after hearing that.

The mermen then bid farewell and leapt back into the water. Everyone watched them disappear beneath the waves—but Destine remained frozen in place, deep in thought.

“There really are so many strange beings in this world, huh?” Jaune murmured, peeking over the ship’s rail as it began sailing again. “Destine?” she looked at her sister, who was still lost in thought.

Her gaze was distant and troubled.

“Destine, I know you’re feeling the pressure,” Jaune said, walking up to her. “But that’s what being the main character means. You’ll see—once you get through this, you’ll have your happy ending.”

Destine sighed deeply. “We’re still not sure, Jaune.” Then she turned away.

Jaune raised an eyebrow at her sister’s response. “What are you talking about, Destine? Every ending has to be happy, right? You can’t give up now,” she quickly caught up with her. “You’re the hero. Everyone’s counting on you. You will see Andalus again—trust me.”

Destine stopped walking and looked her in the eye. “You really think I can do this?”

“Why wouldn’t you? This is already a sequel, right? Of course things are going to be harder this time. It’s your second journey in this world. Whatever you did before—however strong you were then—you have to do it again now. Come on. This is just the first trial and you’re already backing down?”

“I just want to rest for a bit,” she said, walking straight toward the cabin.

Jaune could only watch her go. She looked up—and noticed Monzo watching her too. His expression was filled with curiosity, probably. She can't tell. His face is a pumpkin. He climbed down from the upper deck and approached her.

“What are you doing to her?” he asked immediately.

“Huh?” Jaune blinked. “What are you even talking about? I didn’t do anything to her.”

“I don’t know what’s happening to Destine now, but she’s not the same as the girl who first arrived here. Back then, she was spirited, cheerful, and determined. Whatever ideas you’re putting in her head are messing her up.”

“Oh, so now it’s my fault for wanting her to stay strong through the trials of this world?” Jaune snapped. “I just want her to be happy and to be with the man she loves. I’m supporting her so that happens.”

“What do you know about the two of them? You didn’t see what I saw between them.”

“Maybe not—but I can feel it. She misses him terribly. And you have no idea how long she waited to come back to this world just to see Andalus again. So spare me, Pumpkin Head. Don’t pick a fight with me when we both want the same thing—for Destine to be happy.”

Monzo didn’t say a word—just stared at her.

“Why don’t you write to your old allies? Ask them to help lift whatever curse is affecting all these monsters and sea creatures?”

“If only it were that simple.”

“Right. I forgot. You don’t have cellphones here. Just telegrams. Don’t you people have magic or something?”

Monzo only gave her a look.

Jaune glanced around, deep in thought. The voyage seemed to be going smoothly again after everything that just happened.

“By the way, how many days until we reach your destination?”

“One week.”

She nodded. She’d already expected that. “Alright. I’m going to check on Destine. Who knows what kind of drama she’s cooking up in there.” She waved him off and headed for the cabin.