TMBIPYMEN Chapter 14

The King's Brother of Sierrow

My ears are going to burst. Layla thought. No, perhaps they'd already burst. She covered her ears with both hands like someone who'd been slapped and shook her head violently.

The first thick voice had been clear, but suddenly with a buzz buzz buzz noise, all sounds became distant as if submerged in water.

Layla.

Yustar's voice seemed to be heard, but everything before her eyes had faded white and she couldn't see anything. Yustar quickly grabbed her as she floundered and moved her body frantically.

"Layla."

He didn't shout loudly. The only thought that clearly surfaced in Layla's mind at that moment was just that one thing.

Yet even so, the confusion up until now—the ringing in her ears or the whitening of her vision—disappeared as if it had been a lie. Layla blinked, slightly bewildered. Unfamiliar people were staring at her intently.

"Are you all right?"

Yustar's voice came again. At first it seemed to come from directly behind her head, but he was standing holding her right shoulder.

"I'm... all right. Probably."

"Try walking. Are you dizzy?"

Layla took one step. But before she could take the next step, her knees buckled. Her vision swayed dizzily and the collapse of her body's balance was strangely vivid.

It was as if part of herself remained outside, observing the rest of her falling. It seemed absurd, but that was all Layla could describe.

"Oh no, this won't do. She's too motion sick. Does anyone have an orange?"

"Ah, I have one."

"Thanks."

What orange? Layla thought, struggling to right her dizzy head. Orange, what was an orange... Right, it was a fruit.

Orange-colored... You peel the skin to eat it. She'd read in a book that it was sweet and sour and delicious. Though it was something she couldn't even see in Ridgecarse...

"Open your lips, Layla."

Yustar's voice wrapped around her ear like a cloak. Layla parted her red lips as if bewitched. Hard fingers gently opened her soft lips and entered, then placed something small and hard on her tongue.

"Suck on that. It won't taste good, but... keep sucking until it dissolves."

"What is..."

Layla, who was about to ask what this was, grimaced and covered her mouth the very next moment. It was a terrible taste! Just rolling it slightly on her tongue made it feel like a bitter stench filled all the way to her throat.

When she dry-heaved, not only Yustar but the other people standing nearby grimaced.

"Awful, isn't it? I know. But suck it all down. The motion sickness will go away quickly."

Following Yustar's words, the thick voice from earlier spoke again.

"But don't bite it. It's hard enough to break a wolf's tooth."

Layla couldn't even answer and just coughed. Then as breath rushed roughly in and out, the taste became even more horrible. Now even the inside of her nose tingled, and probably even after a hundred years, this bitter and astringent taste wouldn't leave her tongue.

"What on earth is... What is this? Is this the fruit called orange?"

"Fruit? Ah, no way. You can't compare it to real oranges."

"Talk about blasphemy against oranges."

The thick voice laughed heartily. His laughter echoed low and resonant, like throwing a heavy stone into a deep, deep cave.

Yustar patted Layla's back and said, "That's medicine made by Tentinella. People who use portals for the first time, or occasionally people who show adverse reactions to portal use, get very motion sick. It helps calm the motion sickness... It's only called orange because of its orange color."

Then someone—it seemed to be a woman—said, "Giving that damn thing the name orange is outrageous to begin with. It tastes like sucking on a rotten shoe sole dipped in mud."

"Thanks for that unhelpful and vivid comparison, Yvan."

Layla's expression crumpled even more severely as she fought back dry heaves. She tried holding her breath, tried exhaling only through her mouth, tried to eliminate either the taste or smell, but it was useless...

By the time she'd sucked it all down, her tongue tip had no sensation left. But strangely, the dizziness had completely disappeared, and she even felt somewhat calmer. She had a bit more energy too.

"You're okay now, right?"

"...I think so."

Layla said, sticking out her tongue. Yustar patted her back consolingly as if he understood that too.

"The tingling sensation on your tongue will go away in a bit. The taste and smell will completely disappear too. Now, stand up. Let me introduce you to our colleagues."

With a slightly dazed expression, she looked around at the unfamiliar people and the unfamiliar interior. Not only the people but the objects inside were full of things she'd never seen before in her life.

The walls looked like black stone, and between them, occasionally pale blue streaks of light passed by like very thin threads.

They didn't flow in just one direction but moved in multiple directions, and she wondered if there was special meaning to it.

Overall, the interior was semicircular without severe curves, and in each space, unidentifiable mechanical devices could be seen.

Yustar said, "Layla, these are the members of Tentinella's First Branch, Rommel. This person here is Byron, the branch chief in charge of this place."

Layla had to raise her head to see the man's face.

A man with broad shoulders, a uniform that fit tightly to his body, very short hair and by comparison somewhat messy-looking beard, and impressive deep blue eyes. He was like a nameless beast living unseen by anyone's eyes in a deep forest.

The man extended his thick hand forward.

"Byron Rogadus."

"Layla... Layla Chrysrad."

The two exchanged an awkward handshake. Byron's hand was so large it completely covered Layla's hand. Layla could tell there were very old calluses embedded throughout his hand.

Yustar said, "I'd like to introduce the other members one by one, but there's no time. Let's save the proper introductions for later..."

Just then, a woman whose eyes had been sparkling with curiosity among the people raised her hand high.

"May I ask one question?"

Layla remembered her voice. She was the person who had vividly described that taste when she was sweating profusely sucking on the bizarre motion sickness medicine called "orange."

Yustar said, "You'll ask even if I say no, won't you? Go ahead, Yvan."

"Are you a real witch?"

At that moment, the murmuring sounds stopped all at once. Layla pressed her lips together, flustered by the gazes looking at her. She didn't want to show weakness, so she put strength in her toes, but her knees trembled faintly.

Byron said, "Yvan, I told you not to be rude!"

"But Captain..."

Then Yustar said, "Yes, that's right. She is the first and only true witch's bloodline. You have eyes, so you can tell, can't you?"

Layla was flustered, but Yustar's attitude was completely unconcerned. Even more surprising was the reaction of the others who heard his words.

She'd expected them to immediately show hostility and give her malicious stares, but the response Layla received was the complete opposite.

The woman named Yvan's eyes sparkled as she sniffled. Her bridge of the nose, where thick freckles stood out, crinkled playfully.

"Goodness, you've finally succeeded! After searching so desperately. Congratulations, Lord Yustar."

"Congratulations aren't just words. Bring some good liquor or bring money."

At Yustar's banter, Yvan turned her palms over and looked around.

"Everyone hear that? This is our chance. Time to fight together for a salary increase. If I had money for such a gift to Lord Yustar, I'd have already spent it on liquor!"

"Byron, make your members quit drinking. No, set an example yourself first."

Byron, who'd been keeping his mouth shut and got hit out of nowhere, glared at Yvan. But Yvan was completely unperturbed, calm as could be.

To Layla, everything was a bewildering situation... She understood this was the special knight order of Sierrow she'd only heard about in words, Tentinella. And that these people were Tentinella's knights.

But the rigid atmosphere Layla had vaguely imagined wasn't there. She didn't know what rank Yustar held, but if he didn't use honorifics even with Byron who was the branch chief, it meant his position was higher than that...

"Is the portal ready?"

"Confirming coordinates."

Just then, the man standing in front of an unidentifiable device spoke.

"We'll be ready to move in 30 seconds, Lord Yustar."

"Good. Then we'll hear the rest later. Anything to report separately, Byron?"

"Nothing at present. Recently, large Sinks have been occurring consecutively in the eastern side of the Diasgard Mountains, but the 3rd branch is handling it for now."

"I see. Send support if necessary. Contact me if anything happens."

Byron nodded.

"Understood."

Yustar gently took the still-bewildered Layla's hand and led her. Then he brought her back to the round circular platform where they'd first arrived.

Layla, looking around, said, "Wait, we're moving again?"

Yustar looked at her with a slight smile.

"Don't worry. This time there won't be motion sickness. The distance is relatively close. And the medicine's effect lasts about a day."

"Where are we going this time?"

Before he could answer, something like a blue membrane overlaid Layla's vision. It rippled... It felt like being submerged in water. Not only that, but her vision also undulated fluidly as if submerged in water.

"Coordinates confirmed. Departure point is Rommel, arrival point is Sercita in Benalis."

Benalis was the name of Sierrow Kingdom's capital. And Sercita. Layla remembered it was the name of the chief deity, the most important among the gods believed in by Sierrow people... Come to think of it, wasn't Rommel also the name of a god?

"Moving now."

The voice came again from far away. The moment Layla tried to say something, Yustar's hand wrapped around her shoulder like an embrace. Her vision rippled, and she felt water filling her throat.