NOVEL NEXT 72 – The King of Humans (Part 1)
Chapter 72 - The King of Humans (Part 1)
Nathan Evenhart:
We reached the room, and my mother launched into a speech… or more like a sermon about how we should behave around certain people. We were a family that served the royal family, but even so, we had to show respect to everyone.
"How do I look?" Kinue asked me.
Even her too? I'm doomed.
"You look beautiful as well, but are you sure you want to stick with that uniform?" I asked.
Kinue had grown taller than me. At 13 years old, she was dressed in a maid's uniform, though it was a more formal version, fitting for parties and events.
"I don't mind staying in the maid’s uniform. I feel more comfortable in it and less anxious. It also makes it easier for people to understand why there’s a demi-human with you all. They’ll just see the uniform and assume I’m a servant of the family."
I sighed and nodded. We had already talked about how she didn’t need to wear the uniform, even if she was pretending to act like a servant. After all, some servants who accompany nobles are allowed to wear regular clothes, but she insisted that the maid’s uniform would avoid unnecessary questions. Kinue was a distant relative, but she liked to act as if she were a ‘warrior maid,’ a nickname she gave to our combat-trained maids.
The place we were in was a private property of the royal family, guarded by an army of soldiers. The event would take place in the main hall of the mansion, where there would be a ceremony with the king giving a speech. We would have to stay silent and pay attention during that part. Afterward, the king would go around to greet various families at their tables. When the king comes to our table, we are expected to stand and make a quick bow. We are also not allowed to interrupt him while he speaks, as it is considered disrespectful.
My head was pounding from all this information…
Respect was also extended to the royal family’s guards, as they might be relatives of the king or his family of Grand Dukes. Even if they didn’t have lands to govern, they were considered members of the royal family, and so there were specific etiquette rules to follow.
"Do I really have to bow to a little kid?" I asked, chuckling internally.
"You will, Nate. It doesn’t matter who the person is; you need to show respect," my mother said.
From Sovereign God to this… I never had to do anything like this during my time as General Icarus. I’ve killed people for far less…
"Did you hear me, Nate? You must respect and be courteous to everyone in the king’s entourage, from the king himself down to a baby or even a pet dog," my mother emphasized.
No way…
"A dog? I have to bow to a dog?" I asked, shocked.
Chloe burst out laughing at my question.
My aunt came over and ruffled my hair.
"Your mother’s exaggerating. If they have a ‘dog,’ you just need to respect it, that’s all. Don’t touch any of their animals without permission. It’s considered disrespectful or something like that. You won’t have to bow to them, just make a respectful gesture," my aunt explained.
I felt slightly relieved by her words.
I never bowed to Cerberus, who was a 20-meter-tall dog with three heads. If I had to bow to a tiny dog here, I’m sure it would be a joke Athena would remind me of until the day I die.
“I'm relieved that I don’t have to kneel…” I said, sinking into a chair.
The only time I almost did that after becoming Emperor was in this body when I met my aunt, but I was a five-year-old child then, easily influenced by the emotions of the body. Now that I'm getting older, I can control myself better... for the most part, though Chloe still tries to get on my nerves, but that doesn’t count.
Seeing that I was relieved by those words, my mother came over to me.
“If the king asks you to kneel, you’ll have to obey. Don’t forget that,” she reminded me.
I made a strange face.
“Don’t worry, Nate. That almost never happens, and it’s usually only done in throne rooms,” Aunt Margie reassured me.
We listened again as they went over everything we needed to do. In the last three years, while I trained in swords and magic, I also had lessons in etiquette. I learned that there are specific forks and spoons for every type of food.
In my past life, on the battlefield, I used to eat with my hands… but here, if I mess up which fork to use for the salad, I'll be a laughingstock.
Kinue:
I had been living with the Evenharts, my family, for three years. Even though there was no blood connection, I would have adopted them as my eternal family regardless. Living with them in that castle felt like something out of a storybook. Sometimes, I couldn’t believe the childhood I was having. I was happy with the professor after she rescued me from the village, but when she brought me to the Evenharts, where I could be with Chloe and Nathan, my happiness grew even more. They were my first friends—the ones I played with, laughed with, and even cried with at times.
The time I spent barely surviving in the demi-human kingdom may have left its mark on me, but I wish I could go back and hug my younger self, telling her that everything would be okay. One day, she would meet special people who would make her want to keep living and wouldn’t care about her different appearance.
Their family might be a bit peculiar, but they are still good people.
As I grew up in that place, I learned a few things. Like how it’s best not to ask the maids where the blood on their uniforms sometimes came from, and how it’s safer not to walk through the corridors at night. I was being trained to be a warrior maid, and I was getting good at it.
I’ll never let anyone hurt me or my friends because of how I look. I’ll protect those I care about.
Learning to fight and act as a maid gave me the confidence I once lacked. The world was harsh, but now I had the strength to defend myself and friends who would stand by me.
Maybe the only problem with living in the castle was that killer animal…
Once, the professor gave me a bestiary to read, and that’s where I learned about dangerous animals and monsters. At the top of the list was the moon panther—a relentless assassin. A single moon panther could wreak havoc on a village, and no one would be able to stop it. Moon panthers could grow to 2 meters in height and 5 meters in length. They were extremely strong and resilient.
It was said they had special powers that made them invisible in the darkness. A mere mage could never stop such a creature, and when I asked how the family had tamed that panther, they told me it wasn’t tamed and roamed the corridors freely at night.
I was so terrified that I spent a few days in my room with the door locked, even though I knew it would be useless since the panther was strong enough to break it down.
Those two fools laughed at me back then, but they eventually helped me overcome my fear of Carnellian.
I told them I wanted to be a maid who worked in the castle forever, but Professor Adrihna and Aunt Katie said they would talk to me about my future when I got older.
“Hey, Kinue! Come on, I’m excited to try all those different foods,” Chloe called out to me.
“Alright, Chloe. I was just checking how I looked in the mirror,” I said, glancing at myself in my maid uniform.
I had found something I wanted to do with my life.
I ran to catch up with Aunt Katie and Aunt Margie.