nagpurpolice Chapter 36: A Girl
Chapter 36: A Girl
Chapter 36: A GirlEric stared at the blue System Window that had suddenly appeared in front of him, his heart still beating fast from the surprise. The happy feeling from discovering his new strength vanished, replaced by worry. Why had the System popped up without him asking?
Text appeared quickly on the screen.
[System]: Eric, be careful! Someone is hiding nearby. I can feel them.
Eric’s eyes widened. Hiding nearby? Here, in the royal gardens? His first thought jumped to the legendary Royal Shadow Guards – protectors said to move unseen, guarding the King and the royal family.
But he quickly dismissed that idea. He’d heard stories that the Shadow Guards only operated outside the palace walls or directly for the King himself; they weren’t supposed to be active inside the palace grounds like this, especially not watching him, the ’useless’ prince.
He looked back at the System Window, his expression turning serious. "Someone’s hiding?" he whispered, feeling a new kind of energy – nervousness – prickle his skin. "Where? Can you tell where they are?"
Inside Eric – Adam’s Domain
Adam, still watching through Eric’s senses, focused intently on the faint energy signature he had detected. It was definitely close. He pinpointed its location. ’Millenia,’ Adam sent a quick mental command to the System, ’Tell Eric. The presence is up in that large tree directly in front of him. On one of the thick branches. Doesn’t feel very old, whoever it is.’
Back in the Garden
New text instantly appeared on Eric’s System Window.
[System]: Look up! Someone is sitting on a branch in the big tree right in front of you. Their energy signal is weak, but it feels... different.
Eric immediately snapped his head up, his eyes scanning the branches of the large tree that stood just across the small clearing. The leaves were thick, making it hard to see clearly, but he focused,
The girl looked confused. She tilted her head, studying his face more closely. "You’re not? Then... who are you?"
Eric hesitated for a second, then sighed again. "My name is Eric," he said flatly. "I’m the Third Prince. If you’ve... uh... heard of the Third Prince."
The girl’s eyes suddenly shot wide open, her mouth forming a small ’o’ of shock. "You?!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger at him without thinking. "You’re him? The... the useless Prince everyone talks about?"
The words hit Eric like a physical blow. Useless Prince. He heard it often enough behind his back, but hearing it said so bluntly to his face by this strange girl... it hurt more than he expected. He felt his shoulders slump slightly. Deep inside, Adam chuckled softly at Eric’s misfortune, finding the situation amusing.
Eric felt any remaining confidence drain away. He lowered his wooden sword completely, letting the tip rest on the grass. "Yeah," he muttered, looking away from the girl’s shocked face. "That’s me. The useless Prince."
The girl on the ground seemed to realize immediately that she had said something really rude and hurtful. Her shocked expression quickly turned into embarrassment. She lowered the finger she had been pointing and quickly brought her hands together in front of her, bowing her head slightly while still sitting on the grass.
"Oh! I’m so sorry!" she said quickly, her cheeks flushing red. "I didn’t mean it like that! I just... I heard stories, but... Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
Eric, however, was too busy feeling down about himself to really notice her apology. He felt completely deflated. What was the point of discovering new powers if everyone still thought he was useless? He barely even registered her calling him ’Your Highness’.
He looked back at the girl, his expression still glum. "Who are you, anyway?" he asked tiredly. "And you know, sneaking into the palace like this is a serious crime. You could get into a lot of trouble, even thrown in the dungeon."
Hearing the word ’trouble’, the girl’s face suddenly changed again. The embarrassment vanished, replaced by a look of intense worry and urgency, as if she had just remembered why she was there. Her eyes filled with desperation.
"Please, Prince Eric, you have to help me!" she pleaded, her voice becoming urgent again. "You have to take me to the King! Right now! My whole family... my entire town... they’re in terrible danger!"
Eric looked at her, surprised again. "Your town?" he repeated. "Wait, that means you’re not from the capital city?"
The girl shook her head quickly, a sad look crossing her face. "No, Your Highness. I’ve been traveling for a whole week, just trying to get here, trying to reach the King to warn him, to ask for help."
Eric frowned, thinking. "A whole week? But... if your town is in danger, why didn’t you go to your local mayor? Or the noble family in charge of your region? They are supposed to help with local problems. Why travel all the way here to bother the King directly?"
As soon as Eric mentioned mayors and nobles, the girl’s face flushed again, but this time with anger. Her eyes flashed. She glared up at Eric, forgetting her manners completely.
"Do you think I didn’t try that?!" she suddenly yelled, her voice surprisingly loud and sharp. "Do you think I wanted to sneak into the palace like a thief? I went to the mayor! I begged the Baron whose lands my town sits on! They wouldn’t listen! They laughed at me! They told me to go home and stop spreading silly rumors!"
Eric took a step back, startled by her sudden outburst. ’Wow,’ he thought inwardly, ’at least remember I’m a Prince before you start yelling at me!’ But honestly, he was so used to people looking down on him, her yelling didn’t make him angry. It just made him feel... tired. He didn’t have the confidence.
The girl seemed to realize she had yelled at the Prince again. She clamped her mouth shut, her eyes wide, looking horrified at her own outburst. She quickly brought her hands together again, bowing her head even lower this time. "I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Your Highness!" she stammered. "I just... I get carried away sometimes when I think about... Please forgive me!"
’Sometimes?’ Eric thought dryly. ’Seems like ’all the time’ since I met you.’ But he didn’t say it out loud. He just sighed, feeling weary. He looked at the girl kneeling on the grass, her face full of genuine fear and desperation beneath the flashes of anger. Whatever danger her town was in, she clearly believed it was real and serious. And if the local mayor and noble wouldn’t help... she really did need the King.
"Okay," Eric said finally, rubbing his forehead. "Okay. I believe you." He made a decision. "I’ll take you to my father. I’ll take you to the King."
Inside Eric – Adam’s Domain
Just as Eric made the promise to take the girl to the King, an idea sparked in Adam’s mind.
"Millenia!" Adam suddenly called out urgently in his mind. "Stop Eric! Don’t let him go to the King! Intervene!"