Landon Mercer Galloyer, King of Semor's Point Of View

My name was Yuno. It was written with the kanji for courage and cavalry. I studied history and preferred studying war, though mostly European history. As such, I'd studied abroad for a year before returning to Japan.

Almost immediately after returning to Japan I was confessed to. Over the next couple of years we got close and ended up moving in together. On Tuesdays I'd go over to some friends and play some pen and paper and everything was fine other than my girlfriend being quite specific about when I had to be home every day, but you know, everyone has flaws. Still, as long as she knew where I was she usually had no problem with it. She usually wanted a call if I went out to drink with my friends, but it wasn't too extreme I thought. I should've taken more notice of how she had waited anxiously at the door when I came home a bit late or how she always insisted to go together with me even for small things when she wanted to do something else.

My girlfriend would quite often end up playing otome games, and Doki Doki Flower Academy was one of them. Sometimes I'd sit down next to her with a good book while she was playing, so I got the main parts of the story.

Still, my girlfriend had a lot of problems with the game. Especially the heroine. Perhaps not just this heroine. She always complained that the heroines in those games were too naive and dumb and that all the capture targets should have chosen a better woman. This was nothing new.

Personally I didn't mind. The heroine was naive and innocent, but she was practically surrounded by capture targets that wanted exactly that. As long as all parts were happy wasn't that all that was needed? I think I said that out loud at one point too, and thinking back maybe she'd been looking for validation from me. I guess I personally preferred someone cute too. That said, my girlfriend may be looking down on those heroines, but she was quite naive herself. She was cute too. Still, her controlling behavior was a getting a bit much for me at that point. I wish I'd brought it up earlier, but I doubt it would have helped.

—-*—-

One Tuesday evening when I was heading home from playing with my friends and I was heading to the train station I found a young woman dragging multiple bags along the street. There was more than she could carry, though I'd say she did quite well for how small she was. She must've been surprisingly stubborn. A few of her bags quite clearly contained mountain vegetables, so I assumed she'd been home for the holidays. I knew my girlfriend would be angry that I came home late, but there weren't really others around and the girl was visibly struggling, so I ended up offering to help her a bit of the way.

The girl I helped, which name was Yuriko had indeed been visiting her family which lived in the mountains. We talked about this and that as we left the train station. It took a bit longer as we had to find a way around the taped off stairs from the train platform. Apparently Yuriko lived pretty close to my girlfriend and I, so I helped her most of the way back home until we were interrupted.

My girlfriend had gotten nervous after I sent her a message that I would be late, and decided to go search for me. When she saw me with Yuriko she... changed... she'd started accusing me of cheating on her, saying how I loved cuter girls than her. Of course I tried to calm her down and told her what happened... but she didn't listen. The last thing I remember is her hobby knife clicking open to the feeling of pain in my stomach... and my girlfriend chasing down Yuriko and killing her.

...and thus I ended up in this situation as a prince leading a rebellion and ending up as king... now trying to deal with a powerful corrupt country.

—-*—-

I don't know if Satoshi's idea will actually work. Though, since Jacques seems to be fond of the idea as well it should have... some effect...

I bet Satoshi is sitting in Jacques' castle happily getting drunk and wasting his time messing with Jacques. I don't know why he finds it so fun to mess with his own characters, but it's going to bite him in the butt at one point. Jacques may be patient, but Satoshi has been flirting with his fiancé.

He even told me once that he'd gone to the baths with Jesmaine. I've no doubt that Jacques knows, because when Satoshi swayed his lady hips out of there Jacques was livid for a while.

Unlike me, Jacques finds no amusement in Satoshi being reborn as a girl. Then again, when that 'lady' starts trying to seduce your fiancé and your maids I guess it'll reduce the fun rather quickly. I don't know if we ever told Jacques Satoshi's name, but I guess Catarina will do.

—-*—-

"Are you the guide?"

I look down at the middle aged guy curled forward on a bench with droopy eyes. He looks up at me for several blank moments and then kneels in front of me.

"My king... with all due respect, invading Marquess Stanbell's lands with so many people will only invite hostility..."

I cross my arms without glancing to the many officers behind me.

"While we indeed only need to deliver a message, said message needs to be delivered with a display of force."

I talked with Satoshi about the split House Stanbell, but Satoshi just waved me off with 'Wind users and horse archers. As long as you defeat them in detail and bring shields against their arrows you should be fine'... he said...

The old man looks up at me and quite visibly holds in a sigh.

"As you wish..."

He gets up with his things and begins walking after giving a bow. We will be traveling for a few days through a pre-established tunnel through the mountains. Apparently it is partly used for smuggling, trade but also the occasional war.

While we have indeed fought against House Stanbell multiple times, the Marquesses in this area were all loyalists and were executed long with my 'father'. The rest of their families took a sort of vengeance and burned down their houses while fleeing the country through the mountains. We don't know if House Stanbell took them in or killed them for intruding.

—-*—-

"My king."

One of the young officers, Allen, the closest thing to an actual friend in this life, walks up to me with a smile and curious gaze as we ride through the tunnel.

"Would you do us the honor to continue the story of the five heroes?"

Allen glances back to the guys near us, that all perk up at the prospect of entertainment and storytelling.

"You really do like these stories, Allen," I reply with a smile. Allen scratches the back of his head as if he was caught red handed.

"My king's stories are very lively and lessens the thoughts of what will happen. We have a truly kind and generous king that will indulge us in these things."

Allen smiles. I give in and give a light shrug.

"Where did we get to last time, Allen?"

I remember where we got to, but this way I get him to do the resume.

"Two enemies were investigating your army movements and were too close to uncovering the scandal of your Lord, Sonoshi Takeru, being an illegitimate child and not an actual heir, so you were told to deal with them," he answered promptly.

"The woman magician was called Kitsuno Rei, and her bodyguard was called Takahano Kenta, members of the Lion Clan, which was known for military absolutism and extremism."

I give a nod and then continue from there:

"Furthermore, the Takahano family is known for being extremely aggressive, and the Kitsuno member was not keeping him on a tight leash. We were in a city were giving presents for favors was expected and a normal tradition for the area, but they reduced it to calling it a bribe and cut those down trying to bribe them, saying that they insinuated that the two of them would be dishonorable enough to accept bribes. Of course they only did this with commoners, but it was becoming a problem. Dealing with members of the Lion clan is a pain. They're pretentious, thinking that only honor and glory is important. There's a reason why you call a group of their knights a pride."

I huff a bit. I never liked that clan.

"Anyway, the five of us spent a while discussing what to do about the two of them. As you know we all played social characters, so we didn't have the strength to take them down by force. We dug around a bit for their weaknesses and found out that they'd been there at the devastating loss the Lion has suffered the year before, and that Kitsuno Rei had been a commander there. She'd quite obviously been given a post of dishonor for her failures there, and her only living subordinate had followed her."

I give a calm nod again and glance back to the guys that listen attentively.

"We also found out that there would be times when Kitsuno Rei was completely helpless and fell asleep with her eyes open. This would even happen in court. On top of that, we also found out that both of them were pretty messed up mentally. We considered sending an assassin, but Takahano Kenta was a very skilled warrior and bodyguard. As a bit of a joke we messed around with the idea of turning her bodyguard against her by making him think of her honor and 'setting her free of her pain'. In the end, as I was playing the seductress character it fell mostly onto me."

I think back to me and my friends sitting around the table playing. I was a player back then.

"We actually managed to do it. Once you started using their flaws against them it ended up being pretty easy. After he indirectly asked me where to find poison sellers he... well... he murdered the seller, but poisoned her and even killed himself off too."

That's pretty much at the end of the story already. I should've just ended the story last time. I continue telling them about the other things we did, which included getting trade deals, attending parties to keep a sort of peace between us and the other clans and so on. I finish telling them everything else that happened in that session and got ready for the last one.

"Later a unit of Lions appeared in the city and accused me of murdering Kitsuno Rei. When I insisted that Takahano Kenta did it they went mad with anger that I would accuse the dead of such things, and that no honorable Lion would use such a filthy method as poison, which was reserved for dishonorable scum like me. They requested a duel, and the second that my lord sent ended up losing so I ended up dying. Since they're obsessed with ancestors and thought he was honorable they completely ignored my words. I guess that is what you get for having a crime system based on the honor of someone's word."

This part still irritates me. I don't know what exactly happened or where I messed up. First of all, I was sure it had been an assignment due to dishonor. If that was true then the Lion Clan shouldn't have been so eager to dig into the matter and even risk more lives on it on a duel to the death. I wasn't prepared to be falsely accused, and in the end I was killed because of an incredibly flawed law system that only helps those of status, 'honor' and strength. 

"So Takahano Kenta framed you?" Allen looks a bit surprised.

"Something like that. Our storyteller said that that is what I get for pushing people so far into pain and dishonor. I didn't think the guy would go as far as to frame me, I spent quite a while being the 'comforting voice' for him at first too. I was sure I had him where I wanted."

In comparison to her bodyguard Kitsuno Rei was an easy npc to deal with when she wasn't investigating. Allen looks a bit sullenly at me at these words.

"I still feel sorry for both of them though. It was rather cruel of you my king, even if it was just a game."

Well, he's right about that.

"Of course. I'd never be able to do something like that if it had been real either, even if the two of them were cold to anyone below their status. No, actually just everyone. "

Allen nods and looks satisfied with this.

"What happened after that?" he continues curiously.

I give a sigh.

"I spent a while making a new character while the others tried to untangle the situation with the pride of lions. We never got to play more as I got killed when I got home."

"My king..." our guide ends the storytelling time as we reach the end of the tunnel. The bags under his eyes seem deeper than when we entered.

"I would recommend setting up camp for the evening as a palisade is prepared here. Once we step out of the tunnel we are considered to be invading the territory of House Stanbell."

It's one Marquess of the three, so I doubt it would be too bad. Still, our guide seems quite insistent as he kneels in front of my horse.

"Very well. Set up camp!"

—-*—-

We entered the Stanbell territory about an hour ago... and the forest is much thicker than I expected. It would be hard, almost impossible to use horse archers in this dense forest. We do find a lot of animal paths through the forest, but foot soldiers would have a clear advantage here without a doubt. The only advantage would have is on the animal tracks that go straight.

Our guide keeps staring around us and studies the ground carefully with his hands. Even the trees. I'd say he looks like the trees could be betraying him.

A long consistent violin note sways through the air and permeates it. Our guide looks back at us with this tired look.

"It's a warning. They'll be begining morning pract~ ce" His voice begins to fade out as music fills the air. Mind you, we are still very far from the Stanbell Keep right now. I turn towards Allen and try to tell him to look out for nearby magicians... but no sound comes out. Rather, it's like the sound is stolen from my lips and replaced with that of the music.

I've seen this magic used before too, though, not like this. Musicians usually use it to spread the music through the dance hall evenly or however the guests seem to like it. If guests in an area are talking a lot they lower the volume in the area. However... this is on a massive scale. Perhaps the Stanbell heir that shouldn't have grown up? Still, I can... the music sounds awfully familiar though. Kind of like something from a game called that understory. Imitating a happy ghost like song. They are even whistling too...

Our guide is turning quite pale.

They add a piano to the mix...

Then multiple of them.

...Are they messing with us? Being unable to communicate is freaking out the soldiers a bit too...

Our guide visibly sighs. I say visibly, because I can't hear anything but the damn orchestra currently clearly messing with us.

I dismount and place a hand on the guide's shoulder. He looks back at me with this exhausted look like I'm asking him to endure torture.

Now, in this almost mocking happy ghostly tune I notice things beginning to go wrong... Like our guide's hand stopping in mid-air and him walking around said 'nothing'. When I feel there out of curiosity I discover that there is a tree. An entire tree covered in illusion magic.

It doesn't take long before we're tripping in bear traps and 'nothing' log traps send us flying through the air... the worst part is when we fall into the big traps, and the music change into the violins playing like they're laughing. If there is a piece called the laughing violin, then this would be it. They even resume the spookytune after they're done 'laughing'. This whole repetitive ordeal lasts for THREE HOURS. Mind you, after about twenty minutes I stop up and decide to stop us from getting into more traps.

—-*—-

After three hours they finally give it a rest. I don't think I've ever been so happy to hear my own voice. Imagine listening to the same song uninterrupted for three hours when it's this short. I don't think this thing will ever get out of my brain. I don't want to listen to another piece of music for hours.

I look back to our air magicians.

"Can we cast it from here?"

They look at each other.

"...We would probably not be able to reach them, but if they're using magic to detect us then they'll hear."

I order them to relay the declaration Satoshi and Jacques planned out, all the way I consider if we should attack them or not. In the end I decide it's better to return for now. I'll think of a way to deal with their harassment by next time. First of all by getting wax for earplugs.

Allen looks at me and looks quite nauseous, though relieved as we turn back. I think all of us are happy to turn back for now... except with a certain amount of irritation at the mocking violins. The plan was to get close enough to see their keep, but at this point we'd suffer too many casualties to make it worth it in case the plan works.

I'll have a proper plan ready next time.