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It was a foolish sentiment and simply a desire to respect these people, but Arthur couldn't help it. All the times he used the art was against villains or to weed out spies. If he walked around using it on everyone to get what he wanted, wouldn't he indeed be an arrogant and conceited person?

"My Lord, you are awake," Regal rushed forward with joy. "I just saw Aether outside saying that he will become a flying pirate, is that..."

"I'm sorry for affecting him," Arthur sighed. "I was simply trying to tell him that what happened enabled us rather than disable. Yet, kids seem to be more captivated by fantasy."

"No, good sir, you needn't apologize," Regal shook his head. "It is a first for Aether to show such a cheerful expression. You've helped us once again, My Lord."

"I'm not your Lord, Regal, nor are you indebted to me," Arthur clarified as he took a seat around the table. "I am, instead, here to save your village."

"My village...?" Regal was shocked as his face of joy crumbled. "Is there a calamity upon us, My Lord? Are the heavens wrathful for our lacking offerings?"

"The heavens?" Arthur tilted his head in confusion. "I'm not sure what the heavens have to do with this, but anyway. The day we met was also the day I fought against the Mernars, and I noticed a few unusual things. I'm afraid that the land beside the river is no longer safe."

"Have you seen something, My Lord?" Dacey placed down the pot with a frown. "Should we leave for the city?"

"That would be the most ideal, but I'm going to handle the matter regardless. For that, I need you to tell me the truth about what happened to Aether."

The couple looked at each other, seeming to be hesitant about the matter. However, Arthur was nothing but kind to them, and he didn't seem like a person who would exploit their secrets.

"I understand," Regal sat down as well, interlocking his hands on his forehead. "I'm guessing that you want to know how my son survived for a night without bleeding to death."

"Exactly," Arthur nodded. "I think it has something to do with whatever is happening to the river."

"You are... correct," Dacey sat down beside her husband and grabbed his sleeve for reassurance. "Our son survived because of something within the river."

"A monster blessed Aether," Regal sighed and revealed. "We could have never found him if not the cries from a distant place. Dacey and I were the only ones who could hear them, and we knew that it had something with our missing son. So we traveled alone toward the river where we found Aether with a monster beside it."

"What kind of monster?"

"One unlike we have ever seen, for it had the face of a woman, but countless serpent heads were protruding out of its back. Its body was covered in scales, and her legs were of claws. We have never seen such horror, and yet..." Dacey began trembling.

"We thought that if it became known a monster saved our son, he would be treated as the devil's son," Regal explained.

"I understand, but I need more details. What did the monster do or say to you?"

"By the time we found him, Aether's leg stopped bleeding. A soft light gathered around his leg, and it came from the monster's hand."

"When it saw us, the woman looked saddened and said this: one of my followers has hurt your son, disobeying my orders. I apologize, but this is the limit of my healing ability." Dacey sniffed. "We were just happy that Aether was alive, but the loss of his leg..."

"The monster saved your son because one of its followers was the one to hurt him?" Arthur was intrigued by such a tale, and he didn't even think of disbelieving it. "Was there anything else around?"

"Uh..." Regal tried to remember as he consoled his wife. "I think there was the corpse of a monster, too... It might have been the one to hurt Aether..."

"As I suspected, a ruthless leader but a righteous one. Yet, countless sailors fell for the river, but why was this an exception?" Arthur wondered to himself. "Can you guide me to that spot?"

His wounds were mostly healed, so there was little of use to stay in the village. However, since he got a good lead out of this, he might investigate the place.

"It is the least we can do, My Lord," Regal nodded and stood up. "Please, follow me."

***

They reached their destination after half an hour of walking. It was a riverbank beside a tree, and there were some traces of blood around. However, Arthur could tell that there were traces of energy that didn't belong to this place, and it might belong to the monster.

"This is the place, good sir," Regal pointed. "However, monsters are seen a lot in this place, so it's best to take caution."

"No need to worry, you can go back now. I won't be coming back to the village, so take this," Arthur handed him a pouch of gold. "Do you know of Hidden City?"

"Ah, I've heard words of it in the harbor," Regal took the pouch with confusion. Then, from the weight of the item and the jingle of coins, he seemed to realize what it was. "Sir, please take this back! You've already done more than enough for us!"

"Don't worry about such things and listen to me. If you need a place to stay, go to Hidden City. You will be given a house and a job, so don't worry about those things."

"Hidden City and a man with one arm," Regal muttered before his face morphed into shock, and he fell to his knees. "My Lord, are you the Seika of Living Beings?" the man was trembling.

"It does not matter who I am, but what I can do for you. I've seen your selflessness, so I'm offering you this chance for a better life."

"I," the merchant's hand tightened around the pouch, "humbly decline, Seika," he refused, which astonished Arthur.

"Why so?"

"I first heard of your name a month ago when our lands became more fertile. They said you brought a divine tree to our land, and its blessings were so strong that our land became fertile. But, of course, I had no money to spend on farming, and this place was never one to be farmed."

"And how is that a reason?"

"I'm ungrateful, but you have given my village a chance to survive. If I leave this place, then there's no hope for the rest of my people. However, I want to stay here and build a farm. This way, we will never starve again."

"So, it's the village again," Arthur smiled toward the man, a smile so sweet that the man felt humbled. "I'm not different from you, Regal. I'm just working to protect my people. If you care so much about your village, then bring them with you. They will have to work to stay in Hidden City, but I'll give them houses and food."

"..." the man was silent, and he wiped out his eyes as he nodded. He then struck his forehead on the ground in kowtow so hard that it bled. "I will never forget this debt," he said through a choked voice before standing up and leaving.

Arthur smiled as the man returned to his village, and his attention shifted to the tree. He walked to sit beneath it and waited for the first monster to show its face.

True to his expectations, the monsters were quick to appear once they sensed his presence. However, this place wasn't the main river, but a stream stemming from it, so the monsters were weaker.

"I'm not here to fight," Arthur's eyes began glowing as his authority as the creator took hold of the monster's existence. "Go back to your master and relay my with to meet them."

The monsters tried to struggle, but they couldn't oppose their existence, which Arthur commanded them. They dived back into the stream, other monsters emerged, and Arthur repeated his action.

It was night when the last monster returned underwater, carrying the hundredth message to their leader. Arthur waited, and he simply closed his eyes to think about the development of his city. Time passed slowly, but Arthur knew that his invitation would receive an answer.

It was midnight when a presence appeared in the stream, and a figure emerged. As he opened his eyes, Arthur saw the monster that had blessed Aether.