Chapter 964: A very old face
[Go back a bit…a little more…too far! Just go forward like five seconds-THERE!]
While the kaijin weren’t confused as to what Zhen Liu was doing, due to their connection to his soul/brain, everybody else present was more or less in the dark.
The Strange Bloods had no idea why the new Kaijin Lord was so animated over archival records dating several centuries ago, while Alicia and Bellona were only recently informed that Jin Fang was technically from another time period, but they weren’t clear how this was the case.
All they knew for certain, was that Zhen Liu somehow recognized a face that should’ve been centuries old by now…which wasn’t weird, but highly unlikely.
It was a known fact that aether warriors were blessed with long lifespans that got longer every time they managed to breakthrough to higher tier. Granted, warriors who have managed to breakthrough to a certain point had a tendency to not involve themselves in worldly affairs or politics.
Which is why, Zhen Liu being able to recognize such a warrior was…odd.
“Xiao Liu, do you know who that is?,” Alicia asked, figuring he’d be straightforward with why he was so animated over seeing a man who was probably old enough to be her grandfather.
“Saw this guy running a bazaar booth months ago, it’s where I got the chunk of amber that is now a part of Frosttusk’s identity,” Zhen Liu explained while compared his memories of the old man with the image in front of him. “That and he gave Jin Fang some gifts that helped her cultivate. Which in retrospect, explains why he did so…”
[Oh yeah, I remember him now,] Nepherage commented. [He had this weird assortment of goods that looked like junk, but had a lot more to them. He also had this pocket watch that he immediately squirreled away when our lord tried to touch it.]
[Oh, so this was an encounter before any of us were created,] Hurricroak concluded based on the details. [Wait…and that old guy is somehow related to-]
[Do you guys know who that old guy is, by any chance?,] Zhen Liu asked the Strange Bloods straight away. [Because I’m assuming something must’ve happened between this moment and now.]
[Uhhh…I think one of us do, right?,] Chief Tusk asked his cohorts, who all mostly mumbled in reply.
[Pray tell, Kaijin Lord Zhen Liu, why do you want to know?]
[Because that old man may very well be the reason why my childhood friend/girlfriend appeared before my mother and I when I was toddler,] Zhen Liu said in a manner like he hadn’t just dropped a lore bomb on the Strange Bloods out of nowhere.
[Ah, your…wait a minute, what?! Princess Umi lives?!]
“Yes…but I know her as Jin Fang.”
[Jin Fang…oh, I hope she grew up to be as strong and as beautiful as her mother!]
[Hear, hear!]
[Same!]
The Strange Bloods were a ecstatic over the news that the daughter of their progenitor had managed to make it safe and sound after all this time…which actually led to more questions.
Namely…
[Wait, why are you surprised that she’s alive? You just showed us that she managed to evacuate in time and was carried by that old friend of the Storm Queen’s.]
[Well, that’s because we thought he had turned traitor.]
[Huh?]
[I guess this is more of an after the fact, so…Stinger?]
[Yeah, I got it.]
Just like before, Stinger proceeded to combine a mix of aether and [Chaos] to exhale a cloud of ink that formed into another projection. This time though, it felt a bit more… intimate.
________________________________________
“What are we going to do?”
“Is everything going to be okay?”
“Who do I even pray to for the safety of the Queen and her knights?”
The refugees from the Undertow Kingdom looked, for lack of a better word, worst for wear than anything the Strange Bloods had seen.
Whatever enemy was knocking on the doors of their progenitors’ castle must’ve been a great and terrible foe, unlike anything any of them had ever seen before.
But right now, a distant enemy wasn’t there main concern.
Their main concern right now was to make sure everyone was okay until it was time to return…or at the very least, help them figure out their next move should the worst occur.
“Stinger, can you go and check on the princess?”
“Of course.”
…
“Wait a minute. Isn’t your name…wait, is this an inherited name situation?”
[We of the Strange Bloods do indeed replace our given name with the name of our ancestors once we take the mantle. How did you know?]
“Just a guess…”
[The Kaijin Lord is as knowledgeable as the legends say!]
“Ay caramba.”
…
The last time any of them had seen the princess, she was being swaddled in a flag by an old friend of the Storm Queen’s.
None of the Strange Bloods had ever seen the man before, but the fact Marlancer was willing to vouch for him was already enough for a seal of approval.
“Sir @(3+_;! Where are you? I’m here to check on-what on Valresta are you doing?!”
“No, no, no! Nobody was supposed to see this!”
However, just as Stinger went to go and check on the status of both of this friend and the baby, he had stumbled upon a scene that set alarm bells to go off on in his head.
The aforementioned old friend had opened a strange looking portal that radiated this energy that had weird smell to it, like aged copper and rusted metal.
Whatever the case was, it appeared that this “old friend” was about to kidnap the princess, which was definitely not a good thing.
“Let the princess go or else!,” Stinger shouted as he rushed the old man in an attempt to free the child from his grasp.
“No!”
“Wah!”
Stinger and the old man struggled with another, each attempting to take the child and causing her great discomfort in the process.
Neither side employed any aether or [Chaos], in fear of accidentally injuring the little girl.
For a moment, both sides were equal in terms of strength, until the old man managed to get the upper hand.
“Forgive me. Ha!”
“Gah!”
A well-timed kick, infused with that same strange energy as that portal, sent Stinger flying backwards and caused a strange pain to occur in their chest. It was as if internals aged ten years in a single moment before snapping back to its original state.
The damage was temporary, but the consequences were permanent.
“I’m sorry, young Strange Blood. But this is for her own good.”
“Wait, stop!”
But it was too late.
The old man, the so-called friend of the Storm Queen, had stolen the princess and disappeared to somewhere only the divines and fates knew.
And now, it was the greatest shame that the Strange Bloods would carry until the end of time.
________________________________________
[But hey, if what you’re saying so true, then I guess that means one of our greatest shames is no longer an issue.]
[Yay!]
[Is the casualness just how these guys are or a result of Chaos doing it’s thing?,] Spring Brawler asked his fellow kaijin.
[Probably both.]
“Okay, cool. So the old guy didn’t mean to drop her off in my time. Then where was he actually going to…what’s with the look?”
At this moment in time, Alicia and Bellona were looking at Zhen Liu with a mildly judgemental look, that had undertones of amusement.
The two girls proceeded to stare for an uncomfortable amount of time in silence until Zhen Liu broke it by asking a question.
“No, seriously. Why the looks?”
“Do…do you just have a knack for getting involved with princesses?,” Bellona asked. “Because there’s me, Jinju Ren and now, technically, Jin Fang. I get the distinct feeling that bringing you to a royal ball would just be asking for trouble.”
“I…feel like I should resent that statement.”
“On the one hand, I feel a little…jealous that I’m not royalty, but at the same time…I guess me and Rianna are the only ones without political baggage.”
“You say that now, but watch her turn out to be an abandoned princess too.”
“Fair.”
“Okay, enough,” Zhen Liu interjected, not wanting to wrap his head around the political weirdness that came with his current relationship set-up. “I’m sorry I got us on a side tangent, but I just needed some confirmation on some things to explore later.”
Having stated this, Zhen Liu brought his attention back to Chief Tusk and his cohorts.
[But for now, you were saying something about the floating wreck over there?]
[Of course, Kaijin Lord Zhen Liu. The Storm Queen’s Galleon is currently in an incomplete state due to our tribe having removed and guard an important piece needed to make the ship operational.]
[And that piece is…]
[The steering wheel,] the Strange Bloods all said simultaneously.
[That…that is an important piece, yes.]
