Prince's Retaliation

That evening, as the last rays of sunlight faded from the sky, Admin sat in his inn room, meticulously cleaning his custom revolver. Tundra was attempting to teach Eyrie how to play a complex strategy game on her TV screen, while Mirai sharpened her axe with her usual rhythmic precision. The quiet was a welcome change after the day's events.

A loud pounding on the door shattered the peace.

"Open up! In the name of the King!" a stern voice barked.

Admin exchanged a look with his companions. "Trouble," he said simply. He holstered his revolver and approached the door, cautiously peering through the peephole. He saw several guards clad in the royal livery, their faces grim. Standing at the front was a tall, imposing figure in full military regalia. It was General Sylo.

Admin opened the door.

"Admin, I presume?" General Sylo said, his voice deep and resonant.

Admin scanned for this guy's name, and it read "General Sylo, Defender of Lazarus"

"That's right," Admin replied, his gaze unwavering. "What can I do for you, General?"

"I am General Sylo, and I am here on the orders of King Lazarus. You are under arrest," the General stated, his expression stern but not hostile. "You are to come with us peacefully."

"Under arrest? For what reason?" Admin asked, feigning ignorance.

"For assaulting Prince Dukren," General Sylo replied. "And disturbing the peace."

Admin sighed. "That spoiled brat," he muttered. "I should have shocked him again."

General Sylo raised an eyebrow. "Regardless of your personal feelings towards the Prince, you are still required to comply with the King's orders. I would prefer to avoid any unnecessary violence."

Admin surveyed the guards, assessing their capabilities. They were well-equipped and disciplined, but he was confident he could take them if necessary. However, he also recognized that resisting arrest would only complicate matters further.

"Alright, General," Admin said, his voice calm. "I'll come with you. But I want to make it clear that I acted in self-defense. That prince had it coming."

General Sylo nodded. "Your grievances will be heard. But for now, you must accompany us to the castle." He gestured to the guards. "Search the rooms. Ensure they are not armed."

The guards filed into the inn rooms, their eyes scanning every corner. Mirai allowed them to search her belongings without protest, although she did glare at them menacingly as they handled her axe. Tundra reluctantly powered down her TV screen, her digital eyes narrowing in suspicion. Eyrie hid behind Admin, her hands trembling slightly.

After a thorough search, the guards declared the rooms clear.

"Very well," General Sylo said. "Let's go."

Admin allowed himself to be escorted out of the inn, his hands behind his back. As they walked through the village streets, the villagers watched in silence, their faces a mixture of fear and sympathy.

As they approached the castle gates, Admin glanced back at his companions.

"Don't worry," he said, his voice low. "I'll be fine. Just… stay out of trouble."

Mirai nodded, her expression grim. Tundra gave him a reassuring thumbs up. Eyrie simply looked terrified.

The castle gates swung open, and Admin was led inside, leaving his companions behind in the quiet village.

General Sylo led Admin through a labyrinthine series of corridors, the silence broken only by the clanking of their armor. Finally, they arrived at a large, ornate chamber. This was the royal throne room.

King Lazarus sat on his throne, his expression a mixture of boredom and amusement. Queen Lazarus stood beside him, her gaze sharp and scrutinizing. Prince Dukren stood off to the side, his face flushed with vindictive glee.

"Ah, Admin," King Lazarus said, his voice booming. "Welcome to Lazarus Castle. I trust your accommodations are satisfactory?"

"Hardly," Admin replied, his voice devoid of any emotion.

General Sylo stepped forward. "Your Majesty, I have brought Admin before you, as you commanded."

"Excellent, General," King Lazarus said. "You may leave us."

General Sylo bowed and exited the throne room, his expression troubled. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was a pawn in a petty game, and he didn't like it. He had a feeling that this Admin was more than he appeared, and he worried that the King and Prince were underestimating him. As he walked away, he couldn't help but wonder what the fate of Lazarus would be now that Admin had arrived.

The heavy oak door of the throne room swung shut behind General Sylo, leaving Admin alone to face the royal family of Lazarus. The silence hung heavy, punctuated only by the crackling of the fire in the hearth.

King Lazarus leaned forward on his throne, his eyes glinting with amusement. "So," he began, his voice smooth as silk, "tell me, Admin, what is your full name?"

Admin hesitated. His real name, the one etched into the core of his being, was lost to him, a casualty of the goddess's meddling. He could feel the void where his true identity should be. He needed something, anything, to fill the gap.

He took a breath and fabricated a response, choosing a name as ridiculous and outlandish as possible with references from a MMO RPG he previously played in his previous world, in the MMO RPG, Shock Marauder is a electric magic based boss that has a cool name, so he added that to the full name, and he also added Eryie, his adoptive daughter to the fake name as a cherry on top, hoping to gauge their reaction.

"Administrator Eryie Shock Marauder," Admin stated, his voice devoid of any inflection.

The name hung in the air, absurd and improbable.

King Lazarus’ eyebrows shot up. A slow grin spread across his face. "Administrator Eryie Shock Marauder," he repeated, savoring each syllable. "A rather… unusual name, wouldn't you agree?"

"It's the name my parents gave me," Admin replied blandly, keeping his expression neutral.

Queen Lazarus, however, remained unimpressed. Her eyes narrowed, assessing him with a shrewd gaze. "Indeed," she interjected, her voice laced with suspicion. "And what brings you to Lazarus, Administrator Eryie Shock Marauder? Are you a traveling merchant? A mercenary? Or perhaps a…" she paused, her voice dripping with suspicion, "…revolutionary?"

Admin chuckled softly. "I'm just passing through, Your Majesty. I'm on a… personal quest."

"A personal quest, you say?" King Lazarus repeated, his eyebrows raised. "And this quest involves assaulting members of the royal family?"

"Prince Dukren brought it upon himself," Admin countered. "He was being obnoxious and disturbing the peace. I merely encouraged him to be more… considerate."

Prince Dukren, who had been seething in silence, finally exploded. "You dare speak to me like that, you… you electric-wielding hooligan! I demand you be thrown in the dungeons this instant!"

King Lazarus held up a hand, silencing his son. "Patience, Dukren. Let us hear what our… guest has to say." He turned back to Admin. "Tell me, Administrator Eryie Shock Marauder, what is this 'personal quest' of yours? What is so important that you would risk incurring the wrath of the Lazarus crown?"

Admin hesitated for a moment. He knew that revealing anything about his true mission would be dangerous. He couldn't trust these people. But he also knew that stonewalling them completely would only arouse their suspicions further.

He decided to offer a carefully crafted lie. "I'm searching for something that was stolen from me," he said, his voice low. "Something of great personal value."

"And what is this 'something'?" Queen Lazarus pressed, her gaze unwavering.

Admin sighed. "It's… a memory," he said, choosing his words carefully. "A memory that was taken from me long ago. I believe it may be hidden somewhere in this region."

The King and Queen exchanged a knowing glance. They clearly didn't believe him, but they also couldn't prove that he was lying.

"A memory, you say?" King Lazarus said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "A rather vague and convenient excuse, wouldn't you agree? And what makes you think this 'memory' is hidden in Lazarus?"

Admin shrugged. "I have… sources," he said. "They led me here."

"Sources, eh?" King Lazarus chuckled. "I imagine those 'sources' are rather unreliable. Perhaps they were simply leading you on a wild goose chase."

"Perhaps," Admin conceded. "But I have to follow every lead, no matter how unlikely."

Queen Lazarus stepped forward, her voice cold and commanding. "Enough games, Administrator Eryie Shock Marauder. We know you're not telling us the truth. You are clearly hiding something."

Admin met her gaze without flinching. "I have nothing to hide, Your Majesty. I am simply a man searching for something that was taken from him. If you choose to believe me, that's your prerogative. If you don't, that's your prerogative as well."

King Lazarus sighed. "I'm beginning to tire of this conversation, Administrator. I believe it's time for you to be escorted to the dungeons. Perhaps a few days in the dark will loosen your tongue."

He gestured to a group of guards standing by the door. "Take him away."

The guards stepped forward, their hands on their weapons.

Admin braced himself, preparing for a fight. But before he could make a move, a voice rang out from the back of the throne room.

"Wait!"

Everyone turned to see a young woman, dressed in simple clothes, hurrying towards the throne. She was Princess Aurelia, the King and Queen's daughter, and Prince Dukren's sister.

"Father, Mother, please! Don't send him to the dungeons!" Aurelia pleaded, her eyes filled with concern.

Princess Aurelia's plea hung in the air, but her father remained unmoved. "Aurelia, this man has assaulted your brother and openly mocked the crown. I cannot simply let him go."

"But Father, perhaps there's more to this than meets the eye!" Aurelia argued, her voice rising in desperation. "He spoke of a stolen memory. Perhaps he was provoked. We should investigate before condemning him!"

Queen Lazarus sighed, placing a hand on her daughter's arm. "Aurelia, your heart is too kind. This man is clearly a troublemaker. He's better off in the dungeons."

King Lazarus gave a curt nod. "Enough. Take him away."

The guards seized Admin, ignoring Aurelia's protests. They dragged him away, down a winding staircase into the bowels of the castle. The dungeon was cold, damp, and reeked of mildew and despair. They shoved him into a small, stone cell and slammed the iron door shut, the sound echoing through the subterranean depths.

As the guards retreated, Admin felt a surge of frustration. He knew he couldn't stay here. Mishanter was out there, and every moment he spent locked away was a moment wasted. He quickly patted himself down, relieved to find his phone and his trusty headphones still concealed in his pockets. Thank the goddess for small favors.

He slipped on his headphones and activated his phone, connecting to Tundra.

"Tundra, do you read me?" he whispered.

A crackle, then Tundra's voice, clear as a bell. "Admin! Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm in the dungeon," Admin replied. "The princess tried to help, but it didn't work. I need to get out of here. What's the situation on your end?"

"We're outside the castle walls," Tundra said. "Mirai is itching for a fight, and Eyrie is trying to find a way to disable the security systems."

"Good," Admin said. "Here's the plan. I'm going to try to escape from the inside. See if my phone has a teleportation feature."

He scrolled through his phone's interface, his fingers flying across the screen. He found it. A teleportation app, hidden beneath layers of code. He grinned. Goddess bless technology.

"Tundra, I've got it," he said. "Teleportation is go. Stand by for extraction."

He focused his mind, visualizing a spot just outside his cell. With a tap of his finger, he activated the app. There was a brief shimmer, and then he was gone.

He reappeared in the corridor outside his cell, startling the two guards stationed there. They barely had time to react before Admin drew his revolver and opened fire.

Bang! Bang!

Two precise shots to the head, and the guards crumpled to the ground. Admin moved quickly, stripping the guards of their keys. He located the master key for the dungeon entrance and inserted it into the lock.

He spun the key, and the heavy iron door swung open with a resounding thud. He emerged from the dungeon into the castle courtyard, just as his companions arrived outside the castle walls.

Mirai and Tundra charged through the gates, cutting down any guards who stood in their way. Eyrie, hovering behind them, unleashed a barrage of defensive spells, protecting them from harm.

The royal family, alerted by the commotion, rushed to the castle walls. King Lazarus, Queen Lazarus, and Prince Dukren stood side-by-side, watching the chaos unfold with growing alarm.

Admin spotted Prince Dukren and a wicked smile crept across his face. He raised his revolver, aimed carefully, and fired.

Bang!

A sharp, agonized scream echoed across the courtyard. Prince Dukren clutched his groin, his face contorted in agony.

"Bullseye," Admin muttered, holstering his revolver.

The King and Queen gasped in horror, their faces a mixture of outrage and shock.

Just then, Princess Aurelia appeared beside them, her face pale but determined. She had witnessed the entire scene, from Admin's escape to his… rather pointed act of retribution.

"Father, Mother," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I understand now. This… Admin… he's not just some troublemaker. He's intelligent. He's resourceful."

She gestured towards the dungeon. "He freed himself, didn't he? How could he have done that without considerable skill? And remember what he said about a stolen memory? What if he's telling the truth? What if someone is manipulating us?"

She looked at her family, her eyes pleading. "Remember the decoy "Princess" he saved us from, the real princess may not be dead, he's a genius and he seems to understand a lot about the dangers coming our way, we need his help. I realize this is a lot to ask after what he did to Dukren but, we must put our family aside to save ourselves from Mishanter."

Aurelia's words hung heavy in the air. She was right. There was something different about Admin. Something… unsettlingly intelligent. She realized that Admin may be the only way to save themselves from Mishanter.