MBOMEN 14

Chapter 14. The Younger Prince of Searow (1)

My ears are going to burst.
Laila thought. No—maybe they already had. She covered both ears with her hands as if she’d been slapped and shook her head violently.

The deep voice that she’d first heard had been clear, but it was suddenly drowned out by a hummm—a loud droning noise. All other sounds seemed to recede, as if submerged underwater.

Laila.

She thought she heard Yustar’s voice, but her vision had faded to white. She couldn’t see anything. As she flailed in confusion, trying to move in any direction, Yustar grabbed her firmly.

“Laila.”

He hadn’t shouted. And yet, that one word cleared her mind completely.

The confusion—the ringing in her ears, the whitewashed vision—vanished like a lie. Laila blinked, a bit dazed. Strange people were staring at her.

“Are you okay?”

Yustar’s voice came again. At first it seemed like it came from right behind her, but he was actually standing at her right shoulder.

“I’m… okay. I think.”

“Try walking. Are you dizzy?”

Laila took a step forward. But before she could take a second, her knees buckled. Her vision swayed and her balance gave out—it all felt strangely vivid.

It was like part of her was watching from outside, observing the rest of her collapse. It didn’t make any sense, but that was the only way she could describe it.

“This won’t do. You’re suffering from serious motion sickness. Anyone got an orange?”

“I do!” someone replied.

“Thanks.”

An orange?
Laila tried to steady her dizzy head. Orange… orange… What was that again? Right, a fruit.

Orange-colored… something you peel before eating. She remembered reading in a book that it was sweet and tangy. Not something you’d ever find in Rizikus, though…

“Open your mouth, Laila.”

Yustar’s voice came soothingly close to her ear. As if entranced, she parted her red lips. His firm fingers gently opened them further, then placed something small and hard on her tongue.

“Suck on that. It won’t taste great… but keep it in your mouth until it melts.”

“This is…”

She started to ask what it was, but immediately grimaced and covered her mouth. It tasted horrible! She barely rolled it on her tongue, and already the bitter stench reached down her throat.

As she gagged, not only Yustar but also the people nearby winced in sympathy.

“Awful, right? I know. But keep sucking on it. The sickness will pass more quickly.”

After Yustar’s words, the deep voice from earlier returned.

“Don’t bite down on it, though. It’s hard enough to break a wolf’s tooth.”

Laila couldn’t even answer. She coughed, and with every breath, the horrible taste intensified. Her nose started to burn too. She felt like this bitter, acrid taste would never leave her tongue—not even in a hundred years.

“What is this? Is this the orange you were talking about?”

“Fruit? Oh, no. You can’t compare this to real oranges.”

With a somewhat dazed expression, she looked around at the unfamiliar people and the unfamiliar surroundings. Not just the people—the objects here were things she had never seen in her life.

The walls looked like black stone, but thin, pale-blue light strands pulsed through them like threads. They didn’t flow in one direction—they branched out in many, and she wondered if it meant something.

The space overall was semi-circular and fairly smooth, and mysterious mechanical-looking devices stood at intervals.

Yustar spoke.

“Laila, these are the members of Tentinella’s First Division, stationed here in Rommel. This man here is Byron, the division commander.”

Laila had to look up to see the man’s face.

He had broad shoulders, a tight-fitting uniform, closely cropped hair, and a slightly scruffy beard. His deep blue eyes left an impression. He looked like a nameless beast living deep in the forest, hidden from all eyes.

He extended a large hand.

“Byron Rogadus.”

“I’m… Laila. Laila Krisrad.”

They exchanged an awkward handshake. Byron’s hand was so large it completely engulfed hers. Laila noticed the calluses on his palm, thick and aged.

Yustar added, “I’d like to introduce the others too, but there’s no time. We’ll do that later…”

Just then, a woman who had been watching with curiosity raised her hand high.

“May I ask one question?”

Laila recognized the voice. She was the one who’d so vividly described the flavor of the so-called “orange” earlier, while Laila had been struggling with the taste.

Yustar responded.

“You’d ask even if I said no. Go ahead, Yuan.”

“Is she really a witch?”

Silence fell. The murmuring stopped all at once. Laila shut her mouth tightly, startled by the sudden attention. She didn’t want to show weakness, so she tensed her toes—but her knees still trembled faintly.

Byron scolded, “Yuan! I told you not to be rude!”

“But Captain…”

Yustar spoke up.

“She is. The first and only living descendant of a real witch. You’ve got eyes—you can see that, can’t you?”

Laila was flustered, but Yustar remained unfazed. Even more surprising was the reaction from the others.

She had expected hostility—cold, suspicious eyes at best. But what she got was the opposite.

The woman named Yuan sniffled and her freckled nose crinkled like a mischievous child.

“Unbelievable. You finally found her! After all that desperate searching. Congratulations, Sir Yustar!”

“Congratulations aren’t enough. Bring me a good drink or some cash instead.”

Yuan flipped her palms and looked around.

“You all heard that, right? Now’s the time—we should all demand a raise! If there’s money for a gift, I’ve already spent it on booze!”

“Byron, keep your people off the bottle. Better yet, set an example yourself.”

Byron glared at Yuan for the unexpected scolding, but she remained completely unfazed.

Laila was overwhelmed by everything. So… this was the legendary special knight order of Searow, Tentinella. And these were its knights.

But it was nothing like what she had imagined. No stiff, militant atmosphere. She didn’t know Yustar’s exact rank, but if he could casually speak that way to the commander Byron, he must be higher up…

“Is the portal ready?”

“Still confirming the coordinates,” a man at a strange-looking device replied.

“We’ll be ready to move in 30 seconds, Sir Yustar.”

“Good. Then we’ll continue this conversation later. Anything else I should know, Byron?”

“Nothing urgent. There’ve been several major sinkholes opening on the eastern side of the Diasgard Mountains, but Division Three is handling it.”

“Alright. If they need help, send someone. And let me know if anything else comes up.”

Byron nodded. “Understood.”

Yustar gently took Laila’s hand and led her back to the round platform where they had first arrived.

As she glanced around, she asked, “Wait, we’re moving again?”

Yustar smiled.

“Don’t worry. This time, there’ll be no motion sickness. The distance is shorter. Plus, the medicine should last a day.”

“Where are we going this time?”

Before he could answer, a blue veil shimmered before her eyes. It rippled like water. Her vision, too, began to distort like she was underwater.

“Coordinates confirmed. Departure: Rommel. Destination: Cersita, Benalis.”

Benalis—that was the capital of the Kingdom of Searow. And Cersita… Laila remembered it as the name of the most important deity worshiped by the Searow people. Now that she thought of it, Rommel was also the name of a god, wasn’t it?

“We’re moving.”

A voice echoed in the distance. Just as Laila was about to ask something, Yustar wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Her vision rippled again—and she felt as though her throat filled with water.