Chapter 8: It Seems We’re Not from the Same World
Following Gaia and Ouxs, they arrived at a rather spacious room. It appeared to be something like a conference room.
“Hello, my name is Gaia, Gaia Aekesis.”
With Ouxs’ assistance, Gaia found a chair and sat down. He introduced himself to Aelgiss and the others.
“Hello. I am Aelgiss, Aelgiss Platin. This is my servant, Yake Boland.”
Aelgiss also repeated her introduction to Gaia.
“This is the conference room, and the walls have been treated with a Soundproofing Spell, so whatever we discuss here won’t be heard outside.”
“I see! So here we can finally talk openly.”
Aelgiss and Yake each found a spot to sit as they waited for Gaia to ask them questions.
“I apologize for my subordinate’s unreasonable actions earlier.”
“It’s nothing, Lord Gaia. By the way, may I ask you something?”
“What is it? Go ahead and ask.”
Seeing Gaia allow her to pose a question, Aelgiss took the opportunity.
“I’d like to know, were those coded messages your idea?”
Regarding those codes, Aelgiss had recalled during her journey to the royal palace—they seemed like some kind of clever poems invented by gambling buddies back on Earth. Logically, only folks from Earth would coin such phrases. This other world shouldn’t have them. But since such codes existed, it hinted that this king might have some connection to Earth.
“About that code? It wasn’t actually my idea. It was created by my wife, Ailin. She mentioned to me that if I were ever captured and needed assistance to rescue her, I should use the code to test the person. If he could answer all of it, then he would be a true companion.”
Gaia explained in detail the origin of the code to Aelgiss.
“Is that so? It seems Ailin is quite clever to come up with such a code. By the way, Mr. Gaia, how long has Ailin been missing?”
“It’s been about five days.”
“Five days? Has it really been that long?”
Upon hearing it had already been five days, Aelgiss felt a surge of panic. It seemed she had wasted too much time at the City Lord’s place. If only they had come earlier, Ailin wouldn’t have to face those Ultimate Life Forms all alone.
“Uh… may I ask who exactly took Ailin? Is it someone claiming to be an Ultimate Life Form from the Adrian People?”
“Yes. That person indeed claimed to be one. His power was incredibly strong, to the point where even his punches could inflict significant damage on me. If Ailin hadn’t fought alongside me, I might have been killed long ago. But regrettably, even teaming up with Ailin, we couldn’t handle him. He overwhelmed us with his Cosmic Phantom Beast Fist. Ailin was taken right in front of me.”
Thinking back to that moment, Gaia still loathed his own weakness. If he had been stronger, Ailin wouldn’t have been captured.
“Cosmic Phantom Beast Fist? Shouldn’t it be Chaos Impact? How strange… Could it be that there’s more than one Adrian person?”
Hearing Gaia describe the Adrian person’s technique differently from what she had witnessed, Aelgiss quickly realized there might not just be Gilbaris from the Adrian People.
If there were several Adrian people, she could be in big trouble. Just dealing with Gilbaris was enough of a hassle; if they decided to gang up on her, wouldn’t she be doomed?
“I would like to ask for your help in rescuing Ailin. Please! I’m willing to agree to any form of compensation you desire.”
Gaia even attempted to kneel, pleading with the two of them to aid him, but he was stopped by Aelgiss before he could get down.
“Please don’t worry, Mr. Gaia. We will surely help. After all, we have our own grievances to settle with those Adrian people, and our purpose here is to resolve this matter. However, right now, the most urgent issue is your injury. You’re in pretty bad shape; I doubt you can stand properly. It will likely take a long time for you to recover.”
Aelgiss observed that Gaia’s current physical condition was dire; his internal injuries were severe. Even if he was alive, he was barely hanging on. It would be challenging to regain the capability to fight freely anytime soon.
“I am aware of that. But no matter what, I must rescue Ailin. That is the vow I made to her: to save her from anyone who would take her away.”
Gaia was acutely aware that his current state was akin to a candle in the wind. Yet even in such dire circumstances, he was determined to push himself to rescue Ailin. If he couldn’t uphold this vow, could he still call himself a man? Or a king?
“Alright, it seems you are indeed a good man. Then I will lend you a hand. But before we rescue Princess Ailin, I’d like to know how long it would take for you to heal. Your combat ability is also essential for Ailin’s rescue.”
Aelgiss looked at Gaia, wondering how severe his injuries were and how long it would take for him to recover. If they were to successfully rescue Princess Ailin, they needed all the combat power they could muster.
“I’m not entirely sure. But from what the doctors said, it will take at least three months for me to fully heal.”
“Three months! Is it really that long?”
Upon learning that Gaia’s body would take three months to heal, Aelgiss’s expression darkened considerably. Three months; would she even be able to endure staying here for that long?
“The doctors said so, and I have no other options. I’m really sorry that I can’t assist you in battle.”
Gaia looked genuinely apologetic. Although he wanted to save his wife, he felt utterly helpless not being able to join the fight. It was a painful predicament.
“Then, Lord Gaia, may I ask if there is a way for you to heal today, would you be willing to undergo treatment?”
Aelgiss thought for a moment—she indeed possessed a healing spell capable of completely curing others’ wounds in a short time. The only downside was the significant side effects.
“I would certainly be grateful. Please, use it on me.”
Gaia responded almost instantly to Aelgiss’s inquiry.
“Great! Since you said so, let’s get to it. But let’s go back to your room first. We’ll treat you properly there. Yake, come help me.”
“Sure, I’ll be right there.”
Yake came over to support Gaia’s shoulder, guiding him toward his room.
“This is my room. Sorry for the embarrassing decor.”
As Gaia noticed the walls painted in a pink hue brimming with a youthful spirit, he felt a bit awkward. After all, the walls were painted pink based on Ailin’s preference, so he did it alone.
“It’s no problem. I bet it’s because Ailin loves pink, that’s why your room looks like this. I totally understand. Come on, Yake, help me lay Gaia down on the bed.”
“Oh.”
With the efforts of Aelgiss and Yake, they placed Gaia on the bed, keeping him lying flat.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll need to unbutton your top now.”
“It’s alright, as long as it helps save Ailin, I’d be willing to strip down completely.”
“No need for that! Just taking off your shirt will suffice.”
After Gaia removed his shirt and lay bare-chested on the bed, Aelgiss placed her palm on his abdomen.
“The treatment might be a bit painful, so please bear with it.”
“Mhm. Don’t worry; it’ll only be a little painful. I’ve endured countless sufferings already. Pain is no big deal for me.”
Gaia remained calm. A person who could become a king surely had seen his share of hardships. In fact, pain had become such a common occurrence for him that there was nothing to be afraid of.
