Just as Poseidon's eyes sparkled with excitement over the coming adventure, while Ritter was still thinking about how to perfectly avoid the High Priest's senses and find an even safer, cleaner way out...
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
Ritter: ????
From outside came the High Priest's aged voice.
"Princess Poseidon, it is late. This old servant sensed an unusual fluctuation of energy. Also, the outsiders, Joy Boy and Ritter, have disappeared from their quarters. The entire kingdom is now on alert. To ensure Your Highness's safety, I came personally to check on you. Are you... well?"
The atmosphere in the room instantly froze.
The light in Poseidon's eyes vanished, replaced by panic. She instinctively looked toward Ritter, her icy blue eyes screaming, What do we do?!
A visible glint flashed through Ritter's scarlet gaze.
He always liked leaving himself a backup plan. Earlier, he had created two near-perfect blood mist clones lying in the guest room beds, disguised as if they were peacefully asleep.
He had not expected the old man's senses to be this sharp.
Or rather, his control over Ryugu Castle far exceeded expectations. He had noticed the anomaly this quickly and come straight to the princess's chamber.
This old fossil actually knows what he's doing.
Ritter clicked his tongue internally. Nosy old men really do get wrinkles faster.
Even he had to admit the High Priest deserved respect for his competence, irritating as he was.
But then, Poseidon reacted far faster than expected.
Almost instinctively, she grabbed the nearest person, the comparatively smaller vice-captain girl, and stuffed her behind her massive skirt and fluffy mermaid tail in one smooth motion.
Ritter stared blankly.
...Wow. She's experienced.
It felt exactly like secretly playing on your phone at two in the morning, then your mom suddenly opens the door and you instantly launch the phone under the pillow before pretending to sleep.
The speed had to be fast.
The slow ones had already been scolded to death.
Then Poseidon turned toward the still-confused Joy Boy.
"S-Sorry, Mr. Rubber!"
She grabbed his rubber arm.
The next second, Joy Boy's tall rubber body began shrinking like a deflating balloon, or dough being kneaded by invisible hands. Tiny squeaking noises filled the room as he rapidly compressed... smaller and smaller.
In the blink of an eye, the giant who could casually uproot trees had become barely waist-high on Ritter.
Actually, he looked even smaller than Ritter now.
Mini Joy Boy lifted his tiny rubber head, staring at the suddenly "gigantic" Ritter with sparkling eyes. Then he waved his equally tiny rubber hand and whispered excitedly:
"Whoa! Ritter! You guys got huge!"
Ritter's eyelid twitched violently.
Lowering his voice, he asked in disbelief,
"...Is this your ability, or hers?"
He pointed at Poseidon.
"It's mine!" Mini Joy Boy puffed out his tiny rubber chest proudly. "Because I'm rubber! Compressing myself is totally reasonable!"
Reasonable my ass.
Ritter's face darkened, but he had to admit that in this situation, the absurd ability had completely saved them.
Outside the door, the High Priest spoke again, firmer this time.
"Princess Poseidon?"
Poseidon took a deep breath, suppressing her panic with visible effort.
"I-I'm fine, High Priest. I just... had a nightmare. I'm alright now."
As she spoke, she desperately signaled for Ritter and tiny Joy Boy to hide.
Ritter reacted instantly.
Blood mist spread silently through the room, suppressing both his own presence and the little rubber idiot beside him to almost nothing. They melted into the shadows beside a giant coral decoration in the corner, their auras nearly disappearing completely.
He wanted to see whether this old priest could actually detect them.
And if he could?
Then the title of Emperor of the Sea might as well belong to him.
Poseidon adjusted her expression and smoothed out her skirt, making sure the vice-captain hidden behind her tail remained unseen.
Only then did she softly say,
"P-Please come in, High Priest."
The door slowly opened.
High Priest Lakis entered with his jeweled staff in hand. His sharp eyes swept across the room like precision searchlights.
His gaze lingered especially long on the darker corners where someone could potentially hide. His brows subtly furrowed.
But aside from a princess who looked like she had just awoken from a nightmare, timid and uneasy, the chamber appeared empty.
"It is good that Your Highness is unharmed."
His voice remained respectful, maintaining the proper etiquette of a servant.
He did not cross the line by requesting to search the princess's chamber. That would have been a grave insult to royal authority.
"These are troubled times for Fish-Man Island. Please exercise caution, Your Highness. If anything unusual occurs, inform this old servant immediately."
"I... I understand. Thank you for your concern, High Priest."
Poseidon lowered her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.
"Princess, your temperament must become stronger."
The High Priest sighed lightly.
"I am old. The king is old as well. The power you possess... without the spirit worthy of carrying it, it will only become disaster."
Poseidon nodded softly, still weak in tone.
"I understand, High Priest."
The old man slowly shook his head.
"No, Princess. You still do not."
Then he cast one last deep look around the chamber, as if trying to engrave that lingering sense of wrongness into memory forever.
Finally, he bowed respectfully.
"In that case, this old servant shall take his leave. I will not disturb Your Highness's rest further."
The door gently closed once more.
Silence filled the chamber.
A few seconds later, the quiet vice-captain climbed out from behind Poseidon's tail. The blood mist in the corner dispersed, revealing Ritter and the still-miniature Joy Boy, who was currently pinching his own tiny rubber cheeks in fascination.
Poseidon let out a long breath and nearly collapsed onto the soft carpet in relief.
Ritter glanced at Joy Boy, who was now sticking his thumb into his mouth and inflating himself like a balloon to slowly return to normal size.
Then he looked at the still-shaken princess.
That mischievous grin slowly returned to his face.
"Looks like our little joyride needs to speed up a bit."
He chuckled softly.
"That old man's nose is sharper than I thought."
Right afterward, Ritter realized something else.
The High Priest's execution ability was genuinely terrifying.
Ritter could feel it clearly. Layer upon layer of barriers had already been placed around the princess's chamber.
While they probably could not stop him and Joy Boy for long, slipping out silently was no longer possible.
Ritter lowered his gaze toward the vice-captain beside him.
She was quietly clutching his sleeve.
Expressionless as always.
But Ritter knew exactly what that meant.
She wanted to be carried.
-------------------------------------
Hooked already? Let me know what grabbed you leave a review and fuel the journey forward! and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops!
Things are just heating up. Read ahead in Unbound Evolution and stay ahead of the crowd.
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.