Will of a Prince

Chapter 186: Thanks for Nothing

Jacob and Maria led the group towards the small kingdom. Instead of walking to the gate with everyone, he stopped and turned around.

"Professor Jenna, this kingdom should more than suffice for you and your collogues. I would say that I’m going to miss our lectures, but I dreaded coming to class every day."

"Oh, me too!"

"What?"

"Nothing! I’ll started leading everyone towards the kingdom."

Jenna waved over to her fellow teachers and students, all of whom appeared to be slightly younger than Jacob. Even though they were free from the leviathan, every one of them held a cold expression on their face.

Once they were all out of earshot, Jenna looked at Jacob with a stern look.

"Do you mind if I talk to you about something before I go?"

Jacob was surprised to hear her ask something of him.

"Sure. Did I do something wrong?"

"Well... not you specifically, but this group that you are with. These aren’t really nice people, Jacob. What you did to the Queen was cruel. She was kind enough to help us, yet you banished her and her servant to live inside that beast for all of eternity."

Jacob felt a small bit of anger well in his heart.

"That servant of hers betrayed our trust and tried to kill us."

"And yet she still helped all of us break free."

"Only because we tricked her into helping us."

"Did you try asking without tricking her?"

"She wouldn’t have listened. She personally tried to kill my mother-in-law."

"You’re married?!"

Jacob cleared his throat.

"Well... not really."

"Anyway, how do you know that for sure?"

"Her power had to do with creating time loops. Miss Lidia over there got stuck in one while given an assignment from the Queen herself. If that wasn’t bad enough, she sent both her and Slimo into her haunted dungeon under the palace to investigate the disappearance of some guards! She knew it was dangerous, so that had to be why she sent them down there."

Jenna looked away.

"Okay. She wasn’t the best person, I get it. But since when do you get to choose if someone should be free or not? You had the key to free her and that poor older gentleman, yet you made an enemy of them instead. Do you understand how much more valuable they would be as friends rather than enemies to you?"

"You’re giving me a lecture on kindness, yet you suggest I should have freed them because of their value? Are they only worth as much as their use to me as an ally?"

"That’s not-... I didn’t mean it to come out like that. They have value because they are humans, Jacob. Given what is out here in these lands, befriending a human of any status or power would prove to be beneficial for anyone."

Jacob reached into his suit of armor and pulled out a small dagger before throwing it to her. Jenna fumbled to catch it in her hands. When she picked it up, she began to study its hilt carefully. Engraved on it were two names: Queen Chronos and Pops.

"Take it. I have no use for it."

Jenna looked at Jacob confused.

"What is this? Why did you make this?"

Jacob sighed and turned away.

"You already answered most of that with your complaints. They have value as people, right? Am I not allowed to honor even my enemies I have left behind?"

Jacob began walking away.

"Besides, I can’t seem to forget anyone that I have lost. I make those so others can remember them too."

Jenna looked at Jacob with newfound respect. She slid the dagger in a small basket that she was carrying around and bowed her head.

"I must thank you one last time on behalf of everyone. You all made this journey here a safe one. We all appreciate that."

Jacob kept walking away, refusing to turn around.

"Don’t mention it."

Jenna watched his back as he walked away. She whispered to herself watching how close everyone was in his group.

"I can’t seem to figure out his moral compass. On the surface he’s such a kind person, but there are so many things he does that are incredibly cruel and vicious. What kind of person are you, Jacob?"

Jacob walked up to Maria and put a hand on her shoulder.

"We should continue moving for half a day more before resting. Do you need to rest your legs earlier than that?"

Maria checked herself over.

"I think I’m okay, but Squabee has been begging for a ride since we’ve left Chrono Kingdom."

Jacob sighed.

"If you keep saying yes, she’ll keep asking."

"Maybe we can have Slimo build us some new carts!"

A voice sounded close by them.

"Way ahead of you two. We can build some more carts after we travel a bit further into this meadow. I want to find a river to settle by if possible."

Slimo was carrying Squabee on his back who was sound asleep. Drool was coming out of her mouth and on to his shoulder.

"Also, could someone get her off of me?! How did I even get stuck doing this?!"

Sarah walked over and grabbed Squabee off Slimo’s back.

"I’ll carry her the rest of the way. I could use the strength training that we were skipping out on."

Slimo glared down at Sarah.

"You were skipping out on your training?!"

Sarah paled.

"I mean-... I-... IT WAS SQAUBEE’S IDEA!"

Slimo threw his head to the sky in disappointment.

"Why can no one stick to a simple training regimen?!"

Suddenly, Slimo stopped pouting and began to grin.

"You know what? I just got a fantastic idea! Where’s Enki? I need myself a new pair of glasses."

A small bit of worry bloomed in Sarah’s gut.

"What’s your idea?"

"I’m going to make a list of every single one of your powers. All of you will then be put under a strict training regimen lead by me! Speaking of powers..."

Slimo looked at Lidia who was scratching her forehead.

"I think it will soon be time to tell you all what me and Lidia did in the basement of that palace."

Three hours passed by before they made it to a small river. Each person took their turn scooping large handfuls of water into their mouths. Slimo and Jacob helped each other build a large fire for the group. Even with no wood around, Slimo was still able to make use out of the tall grass that surrounded them to make the fire. Once everyone sat in a large circle, Slimo and Lidia stood tall to address them.

"I think it’s time we talk about something. Something that is really important and will change how you view things for a long time. It has to do with Lidia."

Jacob’s face started turning purple.

"D-Don’t tell me. It can’t be."

"It just happened in the basement of the palace. Lidia and I were there alone, so we were lucky no one saw us."

Bo gagged in his hands.

"You two are freaks!"

"I KNEW IT! LIDIA MUST BE PREGENENT! THAT’S THE REVEAL!!"

Squabee was standing up and pointing at the two of them. Everyone around them started panicking. Zoey stood up and ran towards Doc, grabbing the collar of his breastplate.

"What are we going to do, Doc?! You have to help us!"

Lidia’s face turned bright red and screamed over the chaos.

"That’s not the reveal at all! You’re all perves!!"

Zoey looked back at Lidia dubiously and let go of Doc. She brushed off the spot she grabbed tightly and smiled innocently.

"Sorry about that, Doc. No hard feelings, right?"

Doc remained silent and smiled warmly.

"Anyway, the reveal has to do with Lidia’s Zalo power. When we were in the basement, there was a strange statue of a serpent. There was a text underneath it that only I could read. However, when I read the text, Lidia was stabbed by the serpent’s tail. Initially, I panicked and ran to her aid, assuming she had been injured. I could not have been more wrong."

Everyone leaned in listening to the conversation.

"Whatever she was stabbed with seemed to awaken her Zalo. Her power had evolved to something like we had never seen before. She also seemed to gain another ability in addition to her power. I think it’s better if she shows you how it works before we explain what it does."

Suddenly, three of Lidia’s fingers started to glow a bright white. She walked behind Steel and drew a small rose on the back of his neck. After completing the drawing, it glowed faintly before settling into his skin. Steel looked at everyone with wide eyes.

"It feels like I can cut a hill in half. When can we start cutting things again?"

Lidia began writing the mark on every single person in the group. The only two people left were Maria and Jacob. Lidia once more prepared her fingers and gently place them on the back of Maria’s neck. Immediately, a strange reaction started to occur. Maria’s skin started burning, as if rejecting the mark that Lidia was trying to ingrain on her. After a faint sigh, Lidia looked at Maria and Jacob.

"I had a feeling this wouldn’t work on you both."

Zoey started to rub her neck.

"What does this do?"

"Lidia can now share her energy with all of you. Not only that, if you get injured in anyway, Lidia can absorb the energy that was sent into any of you and use it to fuel her own power. You are all also resistant against something called corruption now."

The only one who didn’t seem affected by the strange reveal was Squabee.

"I’m already immune to that stuff... whatever it is."

Slimo looked at Jacob and Maria.

"Lidia’s new power can cure any person of their corruption. However, it seems like Maria and Jacob are a unique case."

Lidia nodded.

"I’m sorry to tell you, but both of you are corrupted. That mark has infected your very soul, and from what I can sense, parts of your mind as well... maybe even your destiny is corrupted. All I can cure at the moment is the physical body of someone who is affected."

She looked at Jacob.

"That means if you go crazy again. I may be able to fix that."

Maria looked at Lidia with hope in her eyes.

"Does that mean you may possibly be able to rid us of this mark one day?!"

Lidia smiled and nodded.

"It may be possible, but it is definitely a long shot."

Even Jacob started getting excited. For the first time since being marked all those days ago outside of Iron Kingdom, he found a small chance to rid himself of the dreadful destiny ingrained on his skin.