"I’m back," Thirteen said as he returned to the hotel in Casimir City.
"Welcome back," Erica replied with an amused smile on her face.
Her eyes landed on Thirteen’s neck, riddled with kiss marks left by none other than Princess Xynalia.
By the looks of it, this was her way to signal that her relationship with Thirteen was now official.
Shana kissed his cheek before healing the bruises on her lover’s neck.
"Is it safe to say that the rice cake has been pounded?" Erica asked in a teasing tone as Shana led Thirteen to the couch to sit.
"What rice cake?" Thirteen blinked. "Do you want to pound rice cakes? Should I get you some?"
Sherry giggled as she sat beside Zion and hugged him. Their lover was probably the smartest Wanderer in the world, yet there were numerous common things he struggled to process.
"Zion, Erica’s not talking about rice cakes," Shana commented, finding his innocence endearing. "She’s asking if you and Princess Xynalia are now a couple."
"Yes, we are." Thirteen nodded, finally understanding Erica’s innuendo. "Why didn’t I think of that?"
This time, it was Erica’s turn to giggle. She already knew that Zion wasn’t good when it came to metaphors , so she always looked forward to his reactions.
She then picked up the glass of water on the table and took a sip.
"Next time I see Mikhail, I’ll ask if he has properly pounded Siri," Thirteen said, making Erica almost choke on the water that she had just drank.
"You mustn’t do that, Zion." Sherry hurriedly corrected her lover. "Just... Don’t say anything to your brother, okay? He will feel very embarrassed if you ask that straight to his face."
"That’s right," Shana commented before glaring at Erica, who was now having a coughing fit.
"I know, this is karma." Erica sighed after she finally regained her composure. "Zion, you did that on purpose to get back at me, right?"
"Of course not," Thirteen answered.
In the end, everyone decided to move on and stopped talking about pounding rice cakes.
"So, what’s next?" Erica asked. "How long will you stay before returning to Antares?" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel~fire~net
"I need to return to Antares after ten days," Thirteen replied.
"Then can we come with you?" Shana inquired.
To this question, Thirteen didn’t answer right away. He was still pondering whether bringing his lovers to Antares would be a good thing or not.
The battle that happened in Cygni would pale in comparison to the battle that would take place in Artem.
After all, the battlefield this time wasn’t just a continent but an entire world.
According to Erasmus, the Monarchy held absolute power, and no one in Artem dared to challenge King Astrion’s authority.
Also, through the King’s memories, they discovered that there were four Celestials in Artem.
One of them was someone that Thirteen had already met—the Queen of Artem, Queen Miramelle, who was also the Saintess of the Chandrean Royal Family.
Although she didn’t say it out loud, Thirteen believed that she was on his side.
If the Queen and Cranky worked together, fighting the three other Celestials would not be a problem.
However, there were other High-Ranking fighters aside from them.
They had five High Archons, which had strength equivalent to that of a Majin King or a Majin Queen, and each one of them managed an Artemian continent.
Then there were the twenty Archons who held a similar status as the Prestigious Families of Pangea, helping the High-Archons manage their domain.
"I don’t know how long this war will take," Thirteen said. "It can take months or even a few years."
"Which is exactly why you should bring us," Erica commented. "I don’t want to be apart from you for years."
"I feel that way too," Sherry said softly.
Shana nodded as she held Thirteen’s hand. "This time, I’m not letting you go alone."
The teenage boy immediately understood what Shana was trying to say.
He had already left her once and would not allow him to leave a second time.
Tiona then nuzzled his cheek as if reminding him that she would go wherever he would go.
"It’s going to be dangerous," Thirteen stated. "And there I won’t always be around to protect you girls."
"We know." Erica nodded. "But we’re Wanderers. In every wandering, danger always surrounds us.
"I know you wish to protect us and keep us safe," Shana commented. "But we want you to understand that, no matter how strong you are, we feel the same way too. We also want to protect and keep you safe."
Sherry also reached out to hold Thirteen’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. She didn’t need to say anything because she would follow him even if he went to hell.
"Very well." Thirteen sighed. "I’ll be taking you all with me."
The ladies cheered and hugged him tightly. After a few minutes of cuddling, Thirteen finally told them what they should do.
"Return to your families and spend some time with them," Thirteen said in a serious tone. "We won’t know how long we will be in Artem, so it’s best to let them know how much you love and care about them.
"Remember this—saying you love them is better than not saying anything. Time doesn’t wait for anyone, and I don’t want you girls to leave without saying a proper goodbye."
His words made the ladies go silent for nearly a minute before they agreed to spend time with their families.
Sherry’s family was in Cygni, while Shana’s was in Sirius.
Erica’s family was being cared for by the Leventis Family in Aldebaran.
"I’ll give the two of you four hours to pack everything you need," Thirteen said to Erica and Shana. "I will take you home before I return to my family."
The two girls nodded and left to pack their things, leaving Sherry and Zion behind.
He made sure to call Princess Aracelle and Princess Xynalia and let them know about what he planned to do, and the two princesses also said that they wished to follow him to Antares.
As such, he told them to spend time with their families, for their departure would be in ten days.
He then talked to Lawrence and Tristan, telling them that they could finally announce that Shana was now engaged to him.
Of course, he made sure to have them add Princess Aracelle and Princess Xynalia to the announcement.
He hoped that this announcement would help remove the bias of the Wanderers forming friendly relationships with the Jinns, whom most of them thought of as invaders who barged into their world.
While most Jinns still wished for world conquest, they also understood that as long as Thirteen was alive, they would not be able to make any waves in Pangea.
They had taken part in the war in Cygni and saw the forces under his command.
With Cranky being at the top of the food chain, all of them understood that any kind of rebellion or opposition would be met with swift annihilation.
Cranky’s temper might have become a bit better after he became a Celestial, but he was only patient towards Thirteen and those who were part of his inner circle.
As for the rest, they were fair game, and none of them dared to test the limits of a Celestial’s patience.