Chapter 94: Blood Tyrant's First True Friend
The moment that Alan brought Ryuji into another room, he slammed the door. Yumiko and Erika were waiting with the princess because Alan asked for some time with Ryuji. Alan then immediately dropped to his knees and placed both palms on the ground.
"Forgive me, Ryuji. Though I believe you understand my meaning. I still used you as a betting chip." Alan's voice, thick with remorse, sounded hoarse and gritty as he slammed his forehead against the floor.
Though it felt dramatic to Ryuji. Alan, who made many promises. Might have thought that Ryuji felt betrayed.
This guy is really too serious for his good...
Isn't he doing me a favour? Despite this, he's almost crying.
"Alan, stop being dramatic... I don't think you were wrong, and this isn't going to be so simple, right? You are her uncle and likely have already discussed something of this nature in the past."
Thud!
Alan stopped being dramatic while listening to Ryuji. He couldn't help but smile with a bitter twitch of his lips before looking up at Ryuji, who shook his head.
"I did... Liana asked me last night after she learned the truth about Yumiko—her father, the king, sent her to help me fix the situation. However, I planned to refuse at first, but... I don't want you to suffer you're the first friend I made since the day of my mistake."
This guy is older than me, but he's so mentally weak...
Ryuji lifted Alan and placed him on a chair while slapping his cheek. "Stop being so ridiculous. We're friends, and you're doing me a favour either way."
"..."
Alan seemed to find Ryuji to be mysterious and difficult to understand, "I don't understand... Betrayal is something even you must feel strong against."
It was at that moment that Alan noticed Ryuji's wide grin, and then his mind finally began to work... Who would become his partner and then his eyes widened. "No..."
"Nothing... Just I saw a really fine woman tonight; Alice is single, right?"
"That's my Sister!" Alan suddenly felt an aura coming from his back, and his senses told him to attack this bastard! But his mind told him that Ryuji was just helping him accept his actions. "You rat bastard! You dare touch my little niece or sister, I swear!"
"Hahahah, Alan, you dared me! I'm going to do more than touch them!" Ryuji's mischievous grin did not dissipate.
"I will kill you, damn it! It's not over!"
"Try it, pretty boy!"
Ryuji couldn't help but think that if his fate had already been sealed, he would also do everything possible to get both women. However, Alan no longer felt any burden; instead, he attacked Ryuji, trying to bring him to the ground.
The two were like a couple of schoolboys fighting or pretending to wrestle; they threw each other around in the private room.
"You bastard wanted my sister from the start!"
"Hahahahaha! Alan, your arms are so weak! If you don't get stronger, I'll call you brother-in-law soon enough!"
"You're dead, bastard! I'm going to get you." Alan threw Ryuji like a rag doll before straddling him on the ground and punching his chest repeatedly.
"Yes... I am so dead... from all the--"
"Don't say it!" Alan flew across the room as Ryuji tapped him with his fist, the poor noble rolling across the floor with a bloody nose. However, he was smiling and looked fierce.
"Ryuji, the day you call me brother is the day you also call me father!"
".... You've done it now, duke!" Ryuji jumped at Alan with a dropkick while Alan grabbed a shield and blocked the blow.
***
Meanwhile, outside, Liana, Alice, Erika and Yumiko all waited quietly. The loud bangs and shouts coming from the room were quite audible, but thanks to Alice casting a beautiful silver barrier of water, the sounds and their embarrassing childish argument were kept safe.
At least, only these four women heard the truth... Even Kathlyn stood with a red face, hearing Ryuji sexually mention her name several times.
"So, this is the man you love beastkin?" Liana looked at Yumiko, who looked glad, her tail dancing as she puffed out her chest in pride.
"Mhm! He's a great man with a high eye for women!"
"..." Erika looked a little embarrassed, noticing the black lightning crackling from Princess Liana's body, whose cheeks were bright red.
The more mysterious one was Alice, the sister of Alan who just held the barrier and didn't seem affected by the words of Ryuji one bit. Instead, she seemed to smile at them. "What a funny boy. Is he really interested in such a sickly old woman... It seems Alan is really fond of him, though; what should I do?" She whispered while giggling to herself.
"Alan! Oi! Using weapons is cheating! Don't make me retaliate!"
"Ryuji! You just said you're going to impregnate my sister! I'll cut the damn thing off!"
A series of bangs followed before the crying voice of Alan echoed as he wailed in pain while Ryuji just gloated. "Heh, just you wait. That damn witch has such a nice meaty ass. I'll make sure to teach her a lesson for being so cheeky!"
While everyone heard what Alan and Ryuji said, nobody dared to speak until they had finished fighting.
"Liana... Are you all right? You're not angry with Ryuji anymore, are you?"
"Teach me a lesson... nice ass... this damn monkey! I will beat him down with a hammer!" Liana growled while pulling on the door handles.
"No, no. Stop it... You can't interrupt a duel between men..."
Yumiko scratched her head; in beastkin culture, it was fine to let men have their fights. So she stopped Liana with her tail, slapping the princess to the floor, which caused an amusing scene.
Alice held a hand over her mouth as she covered the side of her lips; her eyes smiled with a dazzling light as she turned towards Yumiko.
"Oh my, the princess slipped on nothing."
"Mhm... It seems the princess is a little drunk; she just dropped like a rock..."
Both women glanced at Liana on the floor, then at each other. They giggled softly before they shared a thumbs-up. Liana also liked to bully her aunt, and this kind of payback was amusing for the beautiful Duchess.
A few minutes later, the door unlocked and opened. Both Alan and Ryuji stepped out with their faces looking normal, their clothes pristine and no hint of animosity between them.
"Oh, Yumiko, you look so cute tonight. Come here! Erika, you too, my lovely heroine." Ryuji didn't look at Liana or Alice, which made Alan look proud as he lifted his nose with a smile.
"Well, we are busy men, so let us go enjoy our time together. Shall we enjoy a meal at the castle tonight, Sister, Princess?" Alan pretended he was victorious, but the women knew the truth, and Alan begged Ryuji to pretend he lost so Alan could save face.
"Hm... I was feeling a little hungry; what do you think, Alice?" Ryuji was clearly enjoying teasing Alan, who looked pale the moment Ryuji said his sister's name so casually.
"Oh, well, I wouldn't mind sharing some family dinner and having a handsome guy like you join us." Alice winked at Ryuji while causing Alan to suffer critical damage.
"I'm dying... I'm dead." Alan's shoulders sagged; he suddenly lost all his vitality.
Ryuji slapped Alan's back and pushed him forward. "Hey, man, keep it up."
Erika felt the world before her was such a mystery as she asked Yumiko quietly, "Is a man's friendship this violent... I thought they just laughed and smiled together."
"Beats me, but isn't it quite sexy?" Yumiko giggled with a flushed face, her tail swinging faster and faster.
"This is really bad..." Erika felt she'd never understand her counterpart. She looked at the others, but nobody seemed interested in this conversation. Thus, she gave up and remained quiet.
It didn't take long for Alan and Ryuji to stop playing with each other, while Alice and Liana seemed a little bored and started guiding the party towards the exit doors.
Liana pulled the door handle open. "Let's go... I'm really hungry."
Alice nodded. "Mhm, we should all eat together; I'm also hungry."
"Yes, yes... Let's eat together..." Erika felt exhausted, but she tried to follow along.
"Sure thing, Alice."
"Liana... Where are you going?" Alan felt he had a headache, but he ignored Ryuji, who was holding Yumiko's buttocks as he walked out of the door, causing Erika to grab his opposite arm.
"Wait for me, Ryuji~ what shall we eat?" Alice added, leaning close to him with a pleasant smile on her face.
Alan was blinded by lightning the moment he heard that and almost fell to the ground.
"Come on, dear uncle, let's eat!"
Liana grabbed her uncle's arm and dragged him out of the room. She found it amusing how Alan seemed to be affected so badly by Ryuji and Alice. "Don't you think she looks really happy, though? Normally, she is so sickly and weak."
"Hmm?" Alan looked up and noticed his sister speaking with Yumiko. He couldn't hear the topic, but seeing his sickly sister laughing and joking made him feel a sense of happiness.
"True, when did she last laugh so much..."
While he was brooding, Ryuji looked back and shouted to them with a wide smile on his face. "Come on, Alan, you're going to be late!"