Voidwalker hunt -2

“Umm..Atmik?” Someone called his name.

He turned and found Freya standing there unusually meek and small.

For a moment he pinched his check to see if he was dreaming. The pain that followed confirmed he wasn’t and the other thing that did was the glare she was giving him.

She was trying to tell him something with her eyes. But she was pretty bad at that. Atmik couldn’t quite understand what until he looked around and spotted a knight standing by the stairway leading below deck.

He understood immediately.

So that’s what she’s doing.

“What is it, Maya?” he asked, using the false names.

“The captain has requested that we join him for dinner,” she said meekly, playing the part of the humble wife. But the expression on her face with her back turned toward guard was anything but that of a meek wife.

“Oh, wonderful, let's go, then.” Atmik reached out and took her hand.

Freya’s body twitched but she had no other option. She swallowed her embarrassment and her anger, and allowed him to lead her away.

A knight led them into what served as a community dining hall. Some of the men were still eating, though most had finished already.

The sight gave Atmik a bad feeling in his stomach. Something is going to happen, he thought.

“I think I’m better off not eating,” he whispered.

“What are you talking about?” She gave him a look. “Food is an important source of energy. And we have something big ahead of us to deal with.”

She paused.

“As your master, I can’t have you skipping dinner. Otherwise, you won't have the energy to serve me.”

She grabbed Atmik by the arm and dragged him toward the serving counter.

At the serving window, the man in charge gave them a side eye before filling their plates. Starting with Freya, she received a generous portion of vegetable and meat curry, along with bread and rice.

The rice was brown in colour. Atmik found himself comparing it to the staple rice of his own world, which was white.

“I’ll go ahead. Come quickly.”

Freya took her plate and went to claim a seat nearby.

When Atmik’s turn came, the officer served him a third of Freya's portion. On top of that, the bread and rice were burnt black.

Atmik looked down at his plate. Then at the officer. The stare unsettled the man, and he quickly looked away.

“My apologies, adventurer. That’s all we had left. You were too late.”

Atmik knew exactly what this was. One quick glance at the containers was enough to tell him there was still plenty of food remaining.

The concept of picking on others using authority and social position wasn’t unfamiliar to him.

So he simply smiled, and walked over to where Freya was sitting.

The moment he set his plate down, her eyes narrowed.

“What’s with that? You’re actually going to eat this?

Atmik let out a dry laugh. “Haha... Well, like I said, I’m not really feeling hungry.”

Freya looked at him. Then she looked back at the serving station, where the officer was chatting and laughing with another man. Words formed in her mouth, ready to burst. But before they could, she slid her plate toward him.

“Here. Take it. I will give you some of mine.”

She offered, her voice was strangely meek, and she refused to meet his eyes.

Atmik smiled at the gesture. He hadn’t expected the princess before him to be capable of something like this.

“That’s pretty kind of you.”

“Well…like I said, I take good care of my servants,” She retorted.

“I see. Thanks, but it’s okay. I’m not really feeling hungry.” He picked up the burnt bread.

“And you definitely need it more than me.”

He bit into it.

Freya watched him chew bread that one would hesitate to feed a prisoner.

From the serving station came the sound of laughter.

“Tch.” She bit into her own bread in frustration.

For some reason, Freya’s food tasted unusually awful.

After the dinner, the knight assigned to assist them approached once again.

“The captain has ordered him to show the two adventurers their rooms.”

Atmik's sense of danger immediately went off.

Another of the captain schemes, he was almost certain of it. But there was no choice for him. So, they followed the knight in silence.

Before long, they arrived at a room in the corner quarters, likely the last room on the ship.

Atmik, not knowing how to use the card, handed it to Freya. She pressed it against the doorknob.

Two glowing circles appeared around it, one slightly larger than the knob and another smaller.

Then, with a creak, the door opened.

What followed was a pungent smell thick enough to make the room unlivable.

“What is that smell?” Atmik whispered, scanning the room.

“Slime.” Freya’s voice was low. “The room is filled with slime fluid.”

“I see.” Atmik sighed. “So that was the catch.”

Angered flared in Freya’s eyes. She rounded on the accompanying knight with a fierce glare.

“What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to humiliate us?”

The knight trembled. “Uhm…my apologies, I’ll report the room’s condition to the Captain right away—”

“You–” Her fist rose. Atmik caught them.

“Calm down. Don’t give them what they want.”

She looked at his face.

He was calm. But there was something serious in his eyes.

Then, she yanked her arm free. The knight saw his chance, and made a run for it.

“Tch!” Freya slammed her fist into the ship’s wall.

The whole vessel shuddered. When she withdrew her hand, the metal had been deformed into the shape of her fist.

I’m…so glad that was…a light punch, Atmik thought.

He started at the dent.

Just a day ago, she couldn’t even break her way out of my grip. Now she easily deformed a metal wall with a single punch.

Is the curse really eating at her magic from inside?

After making them wait for nearly half an hour, Captain Wijaya finally arrived with four knights.

“Oh my! I hadn’t realized the room was in such a condition.”

He examined the slime covered room with exaggerated surprise.

“I must have forgotten. We stored slime containers here last time.”

His eyes moved to Atmik. “Sora. Do we have another free room?

“No, Captain.” Sora answered with a smirk directed straight at Atmik. “Most rooms are occupied. Since it's a voidwalker hunt, we’ve brought the full capacity of knights.”

“How unfortunate.”

Wijaya pressed a palm against his face, wearing an expression that was supposed to convey regret.

“How could I have been so forgetful?”

Atmik wasn’t the type to fall for such antics. He knew exactly what this was. Another attempt to humiliate him.

He sighed.

“It’s fine, Captain. But if possible, could you please arrange for a room for my wife at least? I can sleep on the deck.”

“No. No. I can’t have my dear adventurer sleep outside in such cold weather.”

Then a wicked smirk slowly spread across Wijaya's face.

“Well, I suppose I could accommodate your wife in my private cabin. It has two rooms. One is mine, and the other is occupied by my secretary.”

His eyes shifted toward Freya.

“Your wife could sleep with her.”

A total creep, Atmik thought. He’d assumed the man couldn’t sink lower than petty humiliations. Apparently, he had been wrong. Splitting them up wasn’t simply about hurting Atmik’s pride.

It was to put his hands on Freya as well.

It got under his skin badly enough that Atmik wanted to split him in half with a sword right there. Which was the sort of thing such creeps deserved, according to him.

Despite the thoughts, he didn't know how to use a sword at all.

He knew Freya who could handle scum like Wijata. Especially now that her condition seemed to be improving.

Still he glanced briefly at her, asking with his eyes: Is that okay?

But Freya was the type who sometimes didn’t understand things unless they were spelled out directly. Watching him make strange eye movements, all she could wonder was what the hell he was doing.

What pressed her patience was something else. She had understood Wijaya’s intention to humiliate Atmik. And her patience finally snapped. She raised her gaze toward the Captain.

“What about my re–”

She topped. “...husband.”

The last word came out so softly that it was barely audible. Despite the anger and resolve swelling in her chest, she still couldn’t say it the way she said everything else, without hesitation.

‘Unfortunately, there are no other rooms.”

Then his eyes narrowed. “Though…” He paused. “There is one empty stable slot. We brought one horse less than planned.”

Wijaya’s smirk bent toward Atmik. “If it’s alright with you, you can rest there.”

He tilted his head. “You don’t mind it, right?”

“What?” Freya's eyes widened. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Then she saw his smile. That smile. She could never forget it.

The man standing before her wore the same despicable smile as Loki.

Her fists clenched. But before she could do anything, Atmik spoke.

“That’s okay with me.” He shrugged. “I can sleep in the stable…along with other horses.”

“Wonderful.” Wijaya laughed. “That’s why I respect adventurers. They can truly adapt to anything.”

His smile widened.

“ No pride at all.”

The knights around him laughed.

“Now that that’s settled, come with me, Miss Maya. I’ll show you my cabin,” He extended his hand toward Freya.

He was attempting to touch her.

Freya’s eyes sharpened. Her hands moved instinctively toward her sword.

But before Wijaya could touch her, Atmik caught his hand halfway. An indifferent smile rested on his face. There was a hint of anger behind it.

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t touch her carelessly.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “She doesn't like strangers.”

Wijaya stared at him. “Is that so?”

His earlier haughtiness disappeared.

Unknown to him, Atmik had just saved him from having his head separated from his body.

Wijaya turned away. “I’ll send, my dear secretary then.”

And with that, he left with his entourage, leaving only a single knight behind to show Atmik the stable.

As their footsteps faded, Freya turned toward the knight with a glare that scared even the voidwalkers.

“Could you give us some privacy?”

The knight already unsettled by her presence bowed and withdrew, telling them to call him when they were ready.

Then she turned to Atmik. Her anger was so visible that he could almost imagine flames fire around her.

“How can you agree to such humiliation?”

“It’s okay.” He shrugged. “It’s only for one night. You can’t be picky all the time.”

“It isn’t about that!” Her voice rose. “What about your pride?” She clenched her fists.

“They’re humiliating you and you’re just taking it.”

“Let me give you some wisdom, my dear master.” He said it cheerfully, almost boastfully, as though he were reciting some legendary truth.

“Pride is useless if it doesn’t help you survive a situation”

“How can you act like that?” Her anger reached its peak. “Do you think this is some kind of a joke?

For a moment, Atmik felt the pressure in the corridor change. The air became suffocating. It was as if someone had sucked the air around him.

Yet he pushed through and finished his words.

“It’s okay. They’re humiliating me. You don’t have to get angry about that.”

Freya froze. The pressure returned to normal. Her eyes widened. She stared at him for several seconds. Then, in a quiet voice, she said:

“...You disappoint me.”

And just like that, she stormed away.

Atmik remained alone in the corridor. The truth was, he understood that she was concerned about him. And her words were true. He simply had no answers to them.

But in his head, to survive one had to do anything. Even if one had to bow one’s head or lick someone’s boosts. He wouldn’t think twice about it before doing it if it meant survival. That was simply who he was. That was part of what made him him.

Even the words he'd used to push Freya away weren't spoken because he had lost control of his emotions. He had chosen them specifically because he knew they would hurt her. So that she would leave him alone for now.

“...I guess. I should get to the stable, then.”.

The stable smelled exactly like a stable. Horse dung, urine and body odour mixed together into one unpleasant scent that invaded Atmik’s nose.

He had found it horrible when he first entered the place, but he adjusted quickly. What relieved him most was the thought the place wouldn’t be cold. The horses’ body heat should keep it warm.

At least, that was what he thought.

Not half an hour later, he regretted the assumption. The temperature had dropped dramatically. It felt like sleeping on a snowy mountain.

“...Why is the place so cold?…” he trembled.

Is this punishment from the gods for hurting a cute girl? Yeah. That must be it, he decided.

Unbeknownst to him, the horses of this world weren’t like those of his home. This species was called Nightshades – horses specifically adapted to cold climates.

Their stable was deliberately kept at a low temperature.

And as his luck would have it, he couldn’t even leave. The knight had locked the stable from outside.

That was the real reason Wijaya had put him here. Atmik had relied on his instinct to endure the situation without considering why Wijaya had specifically chosen the stable.

He'd walked straight into the trap. Like a fly tangled in a spider’s web.

As the temperature kept dropping,his body grew sluggish. His vision blurred and even his thoughts turned hazy.

All he could do was pray that the morning would come and that Freya would come looking for him. Though considering he’d hurt her feelings he wasn’t exactly optimistic.

“I really am a fool…”

“Obviously…you are.” A voice answered him.

A blanket suddenly dropped over his body. He raised his head and tried to see through hazy eyes and found Freya standing before him.

“Freya…?” His voice was weak. “How? Is this a dream? The door was locked from the outside.”

“Hmph.” She folded her arms.

“It’s Master to you.”

“And by door, do you mean that?” She jerked a thumb toward the entrance.

Atmik looked, clearly this time. The door stood wide open.

“I broke the magic lock.” Freya raised her chin proudly. “As if a mere door could stop Freya Valkyria.”

“You really are incredible.”

“Obviously,” she smiled. “Who do you think I am?”

“Anywat, let’s go outside.” She extended a hand toward him. “This is no place to sleep. It’s far too cold for a weak human like you to endure.”

Atmik smiled at the assertion. He couldn’t tell whether she was worried about him or simply making fun of him.

Either, he reached out and took her hand.

“Alright!” he said, taking the hand she had stretched out.

Freya supported him as they walked.

After a few steps, she turned toward him. “Where should we go?”

“Let’s go to the deck.” Atmik looked upward.

“The night sky should be full of stars by now.”

“Stars, huh?” Freya looked disinterested. “Aren’t they just tiny things that twinkle.

She tilted her head.

“Do you really like such insignificant things?”

“They aren’t exactly tiny.”

Atmik smiled,

“But yea, I like the way they shine.”

Freya stared at him for a moment.

“You really are weird for a retainer.”