Chương 40: Mortimer Save Me

The king grabbed his shoulder tightly, and the stern voice said in a threatening tone.

"Boy, is it true that you were smitten by my daughters?" June put his hand on his chin despite the threatening gesture accompanying the threat.

"Define smitten? Actually, no, could I decide how you execute me at least?" June looked at the king with a dumb blank look, his aviators hiding the fear that would have normally shown in his eyes. The king's grip was trembling, and behind June, he heard a silent but growing laughter of both kings. The king roughly patted June on the shoulder and started walking back to his seat with a jovial gait.

"Sit, boy, you too, Mortimer, enough of this professionalism." Mortimer patted June on the head with a gleaming smile of pride.

"He was just testing you, boy." June didn't know why, but it felt like Mortimer's head pats felt oddly…

'Healing?' The two took their seats by the time the king plopped himself down near the queen. June sat straight as a board with his hand down, waiting for the king or anyone else, in fact, to say anything. After a moment, the king's laughter died down, and the stern one began to talk while the kind one began eating.

"Well, boy, June, people like Mortimer and my late father are few and far between, so seeing a Flesh Shaper who is not just sane, but also smitten by my daughter is a pleasant surprise. Dear Mortimer, over here was gushing over the fact you're a Flesh Shaper, so much so that we put this little act together." The old butler crisply patted his face with a handkerchief before saying in an even tone.

"I did not gush. I merely described your ability." The kind king almost started laughing again until the queen reminded him that he was eating with an elbow jab. He did seem to be in a very happy mood. June sat in thought for a couple of seconds.

"So if this entire thing was an act? Or a test? Was the horse's…" The king almost choked on his meal, and the queen clutched her stomach, laughing. Lilia had hidden her face behind a napkin. One of her brothers ended up spitting all the water he was drinking out of his mouth, which prompted the other brother, his alter, and the rest of the sisters and their alters to start laughing, even Mortimer's mouth had crept up into a slight smile.

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The dinner had long ended, and now June was in a more awkward situation. He looked around the large ornate bath; it was practically an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Gargoyle statues of various nightmares and beasts were in a constant state of throwing up water, keeping the water fresh instead of stagnant. To his right, two of the royal brothers were playing in the large bath, with Mortimer chasing them around to make them behave.

The brothers were identical twins, which made it confusing that the twins had alters who were also twins. To his left and uncomfortably close was Lilia's father; he wasn't too close, but June specifically sat in the corner to be left alone, anywhere within five meters was too close. Lilia's father poured two glasses of water on a round, floating plate. He took his glass and then pushed it gently over to June. The king took a long sip and enjoyed the steaming bath.

"Boy, June… Kid, that sounds better. Why do you still have aviators on? we're in the bath? The bracelet makes sense, but I can't figure out why someone would wear sunglasses inside, let alone into a bath. You also wore those when we had dinner.' June lifted his hand to adjust the foggy sunglasses since they were starting to slide off. He, of course, was still wearing Shade's handmade bracelet. He took a minute to process the question before responding.

"… They hide my eyes… They're a keepsake… They remind me of how I'm still here. Does that make sense?" June didn't sound too sure of himself, at first he thought the reason was simply that he didn't like it when people looked at him, but he had a hard time explaining why they just felt right. The floating plate with the drink the king poured for June was being carried away from them by the currents caused by the gargoyle water spouts.

The king tapped his fingernail against the glass of alcohol in his hand and lifted another hand to gesture the floating plate toward June; the water currents gently changed to bring it back on its intended course to him.

"Y'know, kid, my father was a good man; people at first didn't like him, his ability was unsightly, ugly, disgusting." The king gestured at June while still holding his glass.

"Same as you kid, but he was the one who made the country the way it is now, the people don't starve, they don't kill each other, children can go to school on their own, not to mention school exists… The founder, my grandfather, was a grand man, but my father was a greater man."

"You're probably wondering why I, the king of a great nation, and one of the most handsome, noble, powerful, hot, and sexy people on earth, am being so nice to you." The king drank a little more of his glass of alcohol.

"Dreamers are crazy people… many are less than people… killers, kidnappers… worse. But people who are like you, Flesh Shapers we call them, Flesh Shapers are either the most selfless and kind people, or their monsters who lost their ability to live among humans…. and here you are." The king finished what was left in the glass, and the floating plate finally made its way to June.

"Kid, be good to Mortimer. He's a kind old coot, but he's the type to close his heart to everyone. He had a son a while ago; he was around your age, too, Flesh Shaper, a damn good one. He died, he died a damn hero, it's why the people near the city entrance were so entranced by your old golem." The king was red in the face; he had a little too much to drink, but June quietly sat and listened.

"Mortimer knows you; he knows what kind of person you are. He sees you, and sees his son; he wants to train you to be better, so you don't die as his son did." The king was slowly trailing off; he had too much to drink; he only had one glass, but apparently being a lightweight isn't a disqualifier for kings. Eventually, Mortimer picked up the giant man, who was almost 3 meters tall, just like a baby, and carried him off. June was left alone with his thoughts for a while. And eventually the bath was over.