Koji Fights The World - Chapter 32 Return To Nephosian Palace

Princess Zelea put a finger over her lips, and she motioned for him to sit next to her.

Koji obeyed. He felt guilty for cheating on his wife, even though he knew that Zelea didn’t blame him for choosing to offer his seed in exchange for the precious plant. They had no luck in finding any during their search in the lower sections of the mountain. The only place they hadn’t looked was near the pinnacle where the Immortal Phoenix lived. He quietly handed the one-thousand-year-old ginseng root, which she accepted with a nod.

Zelea placed the plant in a jar and stored it inside her spatial ring. She looked at her husband again and remarked, “There’s something different about you.” She didn’t want to ask what happened inside the secret garden because Zelea didn’t wish to hear the horrible details of his sexual encounter with the dryad. Thus, she made an implicit reference.

Koji remembered the experience of being controlled like a puppet by Ajuga, and he involuntarily shuddered at the memory.

The lamia sensed his fear and gave him a tight hug. “It’s alright. You’re safe now,” she reassured him. Zelea sighed inwardly. According to legend, dryads usually forced their lovers to remain forever. Thus, she feared that Koji wouldn’t return. Zelea felt a significant change in her husband through the bond, but she couldn’t pursue her inquiry while the centurions were listening.

The lamia used her Telekinesis to turn Koji around and made him lean his back into her chest. She wrapped her arms around him again and said, “Sleep.” Zelea used their special link to force him to obey her mental command.

The tension in Koji’s tension disappeared as he lost consciousness.

Zelea uncoiled her snake body and recoiled it to wrap around her and her husband. She feared that the dryad might have second thoughts about letting Koji leave and kidnap him. Thus, the lamia wrapped her snake body around him to ensure that the dryad couldn’t snatch Koji from Zelea. She closed her eyes and fell asleep with her husband.

***

Princess Zelea felt a hand gently shake her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw it was Xanthur.

“Princess, it’s time to get up,” the centaur said. Xanthur saw Koji bundled up with his wife. He wondered if the young man was lucky to be so close to her. Or perhaps Koji was cursed because the lamia was possessive of him! But the centaur remembered that Zelea gave her Bonder permission to offer his seed to the dryad in exchange for the ginseng root. Xanthur wondered if Koji had obtained the precious plant from the dryad.

Zelea noticed the question in Xanthur’s eyes. With a thought, she pulled the one-thousand-year-old ginseng root out of her spatial ring and handed the plant to him.

Xanthur quickly counted the leaves, and he estimated several hundred. He knelt before her and bowed his head. “Thank you!” he said.

“You’re welcome,” the princess answered with a neutral facial expression. The cost was high, and Zelea wondered if she and Koji made the right decision. But they were part of the Royal Family of Nephosia, and pleasing both the Mistress of the Forest and the Hapta Kingdom would yield tremendous political benefits. Thus, she brushed aside her ambivalence over the matter. The lamia slowly uncoiled her snake body.

Koji felt the sudden loss of warmth, and he stirred awake. He noticed that his wife was hugging him tightly. Koji rubbed his nose in embarrassment. “Um, can you release me?” he asked meekly.

Zelea pouted. “Oh, fine!” she huffed and removeded her hands from his chest.

Koji dropped to the ground; he performed a series of stretches to loosen the tension in his muscles and joints. He ignored the stares from the centurions and stretched for five minutes.

Zelea ate her rations as she watched his performance.

Finally, Koji stopped and held out his hand.

Xanthur passed him a share of the rations, which Koji quickly ate because he was anxious to leave the mountain and Ajuga behind.

The centurions noticed Koji’s anxiety, and their hearts felt heavy as they pondered what the young man endured at the hands of the dryad for their sake. Their respect and loyalty toward Koji became sky high.

Once Koji finished his meal, Xanthur stomped his hind leg on the ground. The centurions quickly formed a circle around the Royal Family. “Move out!” the leader barked and headed down the mountain. To their surprise, the party encountered no beasts during their trek. The dryad’s promise of their safety rang in their minds.

As Princess Zelea slithered next to Koji, she kept one eye on him as if her stare could elucidate the difference she felt within his body.

The party returned to the cocoon to retrieve Vishura because she never showed up at their camp during the evening. But when they reached the spot, no trace of Vi’s encampment remained.

Koji wanted to search for Vi, but the others outvoted him.

“Vi probably returned to the Arena,” Zelea said.

The young man nodded while doubting her explanation in his heart. After all, the Centurions needed to return home ASAP. And they couldn’t do so while guarding Koji and Zelea.

The party reached the base of the mountain at dusk. But waiting for them were Mylia and the other half of the centurion mission.

Xanthur approached the ambassador and knelt. He took the thousand-year-old ginseng root out of his saddlebag and presented the plant to her.

“You have done well,” Mylia said as she took possession of the item.

The commander looked up and shook his head. “It’s all thanks to the Royal Family,” he replied.

The centurions standing behind Xanthur nodded in agreement.

Mylia’s brows rose. “Tell me,” she ordered.

The commander rose to his hooves and leaned his mouth to her ear. He quickly explained the encounter with the dryad and the exchange she made with Koji.

When Xanthur finished his report, Mylia slowly approached Koji and knelt before him. “You have performed a great service for Hapta, and you have our admiration. I will inform the Great Chieftain, and he will determine the proper reward for you,” she promised. The centaur climbed to her hooves. She kissed Koji on each cheek. “I must depart for Hapta immediately. But I will soon return to Nephosia to deliver your reward. Until then, I name you a Friend of Hapta. Here is my official token; you can present it to any centaur and seek his aid,” she said and handed Koji a bronze coin the size of an American half-dollar.

Koji accepted the token. “Thank you, Mylia,” he replied with a respectful bow.

Mylia smiled broadly. She stomped her hind leg, and the centurions immediately entered a formation. She led the group and headed eastward.

“May I look at your token?” Zelea requested. When she received it from Koji, the princess examined its front and back. She saw an illustration of the kingdom’s shape on the front and the silhouette of a centaur on the back. The lamia returned the token and said, “Let’s head back.” She looped her arm through his, and the two slowly walked through the farmland to return to the city.

A roving patrol encountered the two half-way back and escorted them.

At the gatehouse, the guards noticed their arrival. “The Princess and her Consort have returned!” someone shouted. The guards stirred with hurried activity as they formed two rows in front of the gatehouse. Someone rolled a red carpet on the ground. As the Royal Couple walked on the red carpet, the guards saluted.

Prince Heretrios met the two at the entrance. “You succeeded in your mission,” he stated. Since the centurions were absent, Heretrios assumed they already departed to return home. The centurions would not do so unless they attained the ginseng root.

Princess Zelea glanced at him and frowned. “Of course, big brother,” she said in a frosty tone of voice.

The prince accepted the mild scolding. After all, he insulted her husband by questioning their success. Prince Heretrios smiled to deflect her annoyance. “Our parents are in the forecourt,” he said and turned around. He accompanied the two into the city.

Guards quickly surrounded the trio. “Make way for the Royal Family!” the men shouted.

The citizens parted to create an open path on the busy street for the entourage to pass through.

The group arrived at the palace walls within twenty minutes.

A runner quickly ran across the courtyard and entered the forecourt to inform the King and Queen of their arrival.

When Koji and Zelea entered the court, he was surprised to see everyone gathered inside. In addition to the King and Queen sitting on their respective thrones, their three natural children stood behind them. Also, numerous officials stood nearby. Naturally, the guards stationed was almost double the usual number.

“Welcome back, son-in-law and daughter,” King Aphraphus greeted warmly.

“We have returned, Sire,” the princess replied and nodded.

Koji offered a lower bow.

“Tell me what happened,” the king ordered.

“We met the centurions at the designated point and journeyed together to the mountains in search of the thousand-year-old ginseng roots. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find them in the lower regions of the hill. When we moved further up Sailan Mountain, we encountered a wall of thorns, which turned out to be the entrance to the home of a dryad. She possessed the plant in question, and we traded with her. Afterward, we returned here while the centurions departed for their homeland right away,” Princess Zelea reported.

Koji kept a neutral facial expression. He was surprised at how much information his wife left out of the report. He assumed that she didn’t want to delve into those sensitive topics publicly.

“Are you injured?” Queen Herecia asked.

“No, Your Highness,” Zelea replied. “The centurions protected us.”

“Excellent!” King Aphraphus said. “Let’s celebrate your return with a feast in the banquet hall!” He rose from the throne and stepped off the platform. The king marched toward the exit in the back, and the Royal Family followed closely behind him.

Zelea held Koji’s hand and pulled him along.