Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 22: The Missing Mechanic

Rikuto sighs as he massages his temples and studies the recent reports. On the positive side of things, they've taken control of Bromlund, and order is being restored. Passage has been opened to the mountain fortresses once more. The Grand Duchy of Stalvaltan is negotiating a new treaty, although Aramellianna has maneuvered her own gains out of every piece of the ordeal.

And, on the negative side of things, Daniel has not only gone missing and been found wounded, he's at a completely different location. Apparently, his escort had to divert course when they learned of Bromlund's growing dissent, and the messages were disoriented as the military bases prioritized keeping supply lines stable.

Now, a new high priority message just arrived; Fort Peony, the place Daniel was delivered to and has spent the last couple of months at, has just been evacuated as the main garrison, Castle Northwall, has started making preparations to intercept a pair of dragons. And, amidst that line of decisions, Daniel opted to stay behind.

Rikuto knows why. His counterpart undoubtedly did what they agreed he should avoid; he made an Earth weapon from the modern era. He hopes to be able to delay or defeat the dragons himself.

He's unsure if Aramellianna has received the most recent piece of news. By all appearances, at least to those who know, she went to war for Daniel and Wenlianna. She certainly gained, and she certainly seems to have unloaded secret coffers, but she was a massive help in stabilizing a neighboring kingdom and rooting out the corrupt nobles of their own kingdom.

Heralesse gently rubs Rikuto's shoulders as he sits with his head down. He looks up. "Heralesse... thanks. Need something?"

She smiles, "Just wanted to check on you. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just... seems like things don't always go the way we want, huh?"

She smiles and nods in agreement. "I know what you mean." She continues to comfort him a little. But, she suddenly notices a presence in the room, lurking in the arcades of the walkway formed at the left side of the room. She calls out, "Who's there? There shouldn't be anyone here! Show yourself."

Rikuto looks up. The guards at the doors perk up, and they look in the direction Heralesse is calling towards, drawing their swords.

But, the King Regent makes eye contact with the hooded figure. Her eyes are a shimmering golden color, and her face is beautiful. To say she looks divine would be literal and accurate. He recognizes her with ease, even though her hood obscures most of her features.

Rikuto calls out, "Hold on. She's here for me. Can you give us the room?" He looks at Heralesse. She cocks her head in surprise. "Wh-... You can't be serious! Who is she?"

"A comrade, Heralesse. Please. I know I can trust her."

She hesitates, glancing at the woman. She then whispers, "Are you sure? How did she get in here?"

Rikuto smiles. "I'll tell you someday. But, you can trust her. I trust her with my life."

Heralesse pouts, but she finally nods reluctantly. "Fine." She walks to the door, taking the guards with her.

The goddess Ryukana approaches, keeping her hood up. She says with a heavenly voice and tender tone, "Sir Rikuto... I see you've been very busy."

"A fair bit. I've got the finances of this kingdom pretty well under control, though we had a hiccup of alliances. That said, we benefitted on a global scale by assisting with regaining control of Bromlund. Our collective reputation is bringing trade from all over the world, and the economy is increasing in leaps and bounds."

"Very good, very good. Hey! I have a question. How are you getting along with... Daniel?"

"Daniel? Oh! I believe we're on good terms. He... uh... rescued Princess Erimaya, the second princess, using CPR and makeshift defibrillation using magic. Unfortunately, he had to expose her chest, which... offended a lot of the nobility, including her fiance's father."