’She has absolute power over all of them. She could tell them to go to war, and I’m sure no one would even question it.’
[The people of Radagan worship the Dragongods that watch over their lands, and the Priestess of Fire possesses a direct link to the Dragongods. This allows her to speak to them and guide the people in the path that would be most beneficial for their progress. Therefore, whenever the priestess speaks, the people are assured that her words are the will of their gods.
The system came in with a quick explanation, and Jason hummed internally. Jason couldn’t help but be slightly impressed by Riyala’s actions, and he saw how the King seemed to gain some of his old confidence back when he heard how Riyala had called him the best man for the throne. The King sat up and he nodded to Riyala respectfully to show that he would accept her orders, and they then began to talk about a festival that they were planning for the next day to celebrate their freedom from the Sovereign. Jason tuned them out once he was sure that they no longer needed his input, and he began to think about leaving to finally get some rest. The dragonborn managed to convince Jason and the other superhumans to spend the night here and leave in the morning, so Jason just wanted to find a room and pass out.
"You look like you’re about to fall asleep."
Jason blinked when he heard Riyala whisper to him from the side, and he turned to see her smiling kindly at him. Jason shrugged at her words, and he told her that he wasn’t used to these diplomatic meetings. Jason already found it hard enough to focus in class, so being in a meeting like this was just a bore. Riyala giggled at his words, and she turned to face him as she spoke up again.
"I’m not really used to it either. They used to force me to sit through it when I was a child, but I’d always fall asleep since it was so boring. If you want, maybe we can run away together and leave the planning to them."
Jason smiled.
"Should the Priestess of Fire really be talking like this? What will your subjects say when they see you playing hooky? They’d riot in the streets."
Riyala blushed when she saw the playful smile on Jason’s face! Her smile widened as well, and she shrugged nonchalantly.
"I’m sure my subjects would understand that I’m tired and need to rest. Besides, there are many benefits that come with being a Priestess."
"Like playing hooky without any consequences?"
"Exactly..."
Riyala giggled again, and Jason couldn’t stop himself from chuckling along with her. Jason thought that he would find it hard to get along with this more serious version of Riyala, but for some reason, Jason couldn’t help but feel comfortable in her presence. There was no doubt that Riyala had changed a lot from the person that she was before, but at the same time, she was still the exact same person. Jason was surprised when he realized that the room had gone silent all of a sudden, and he looked up to see that all the nobles and the King were looking at him and Riyala with slightly wide eyes. Jason raised a brow at them while wondering what was wrong, but Riyala spoke up quickly in a calm voice.
"Please ignore us and continue."
"Oh, uhm, of course..."
The King quickly went back to talking to the nobles, and they turned away to give the two of them some privacy. Jason tried to think about what could have caused them to react like that, but then he saw Riyala turn to him and smile, and he knew exactly what it was. They were shocked to hear Riyala giggle. The people of Radagan were used to their Priestesses being completely detached from everything and everyone, so seeing her act so friendly with him must’ve surprised them. Jason wondered if this wasn’t going to affect the way they would see her in the future, but Riyala didn’t seem like she cared, so Jason decided not to let it bother him.
"Jason... about Gina."
"I said we’d talk about that later—"
"I know, but I was just wondering if... uhm... I know things are different in your world, and relationships are usually between just two people, but if I manage to convince Gina, would you... Would you be open to taking me as well?"
Jason huffed tiredly when he heard that question. This was the one question that Jason had been trying to ask himself all along. And even though Jason had never really bothered to dwell on it before, Jason couldn’t deny that he found Riyala attractive enough to want to be with her. Jason could never love anyone the way he loved Gina, but Riyala had somehow managed to wiggle her way into his heart in the past few days, and Jason found himself hesitating at her question. Riyala noticed Jason’s hesitation, and she felt a thrill go through her heart once she sensed what was on his mind. Riyala reached out and touched Jason’s thigh gently, and Jason turned to see her staring at him with conviction as she spoke seriously.
"I love you, Jason. I’ll always love you. So you can take your time and think about it. I don’t want this to create distance between you and Gina, so I’ll talk to Gina and I’ll beg her to accept me if I have to. I’ll do anything to be with you."
Jason inched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and released a calm sigh. What the hell was he even supposed to say to a proposal like that? This was the last thing Jason thought he would have to deal with, so he was a little overwhelmed. But once Jason was about to respond, he stopped and his face squeezed into a frown!
Doon!!
A powerful pressure suddenly passed over the entire throne room, and everyone else in the room suddenly stopped their conversation as they also felt what Jason had sensed! Jason stood up as a bright blue light tore a straight line across the air beside him, and he watched with narrowed eyes as the line expanded into a Dimensional Tear.
The [Death’s Mirage] was immediately in Jason’s right hand, and Jason could sense the heat in the room rising dramatically as all the soldiers that were standing around the room began to draw their swords and release their mana! Jason had no idea what was going to come out of that Dimensional Tear, but he decided that the moment he sensed even the slightest bit of aggression, he would kill it! But Jason was surprised when Riyala put a hand on his bicep to stop him. Jason glanced at her, and Riyala shook her head and spoke calmly.
"This throne room is a Dimensional Deadzone, and there is only one race capable of opening Dimensional Tears directly into it. The Machina Race."
"!@#!@$#."
A strange robotic voice suddenly echoed from the other side of the Dimensional Tear, and Jason watched as a single man walked through. The man walked with a measured pace, and he held his head up high with his hands behind his back. He was wearing pure white trousers and a high-collared shirt that reminded Jason of the shirts chefs would wear on Earth. The right arm of the man’s shirt had been torn off, and Jason found himself staring when he noticed that the man’s right hand had been replaced with a silver robotic arm that had various wires and probes traveling along its length. The man’s neck and his lower jaw had also been replaced with mechanical attachments, and Jason found himself wondering who the fuck this was!