Koji Fights The World - Chapter 7 Nephosian Palace R 18 Mild

Koji noticed that Zelea was pulling him toward the north. He saw a red palace looming above the city. And further beyond was a high mountain. He pointed at the peak and asked, “Is that where the Phoenix lives?”

“Yes,” Zelea replied succinctly without breaking her stride. She also refused to look up.

The city residents on the crowded streets recognized Princess Zelea; they parted way for her to pass through.

Koji noticed that the shops of Han He Street eventually gave way to small street stands, where vendors peddled fruits and vegetables, grilled meat, buns, and even noodles. As the teenager walked by these food stands, his mouth began to water. “Where are we now?” Koji asked.

Zelea shot him an annoyed look. “Qiang Jan Market,” she answered and continued walking. Even though this marketplace was the economic lifeblood of the city, Zelea did not wish to waste valuable time explaining this. Her priority was to broker peace with big sister Daethix before things escalate.

Koji’s eyes darted back and forth. He worried about thieves hidden in the crowd seeking easy marks to pickpocket.

However, the people continued to part and create a path for Zelea. Some even called out, “It’s the fourth princess!” No one dared to lay a hand on her lest they incur the wrath of the king!

An hour later, the couple arrived at the high wall surrounding the castle. Zelea pulled her husband toward the gatehouse, where a group of guards blocked the entrance.

Koji saw that each guard had a topknot, but both sides of the head were clean-shaven. They each wore a navy blue tunic and pants over black shoes and held a Chinese spear with a red tassel.

The young man eyed the spears with great interest because he knew that the Chinese weapon masters considered the Chinese spear to have the strength of a thousand soldiers! Furthermore, they refused to teach how to use the spear until the prospective student demonstrated proficiency in unarmed combat and the saber weapon first. Thus, to openly carry a Chinese spear meant the wielder possessed some skill in the combat arts.

One of the guards recognized Zelea and yelled, “Make way for Fourth Princess Zelea Sagoisa!”

The guards immediately formed a line to her left and right. They saluted with their spears as she passed through. The men eyed Koji curiously. As soon as the couple entered the courtyard, they started gossiping about the mysterious man dragged by the Fourth Princess.

A group of female servants gathered in front of the palace and greeted in unison, “Welcome back, Fourth Princess Zelea!” They eyed the young man accompanying the princess with great interest.

“Where is big sister Daethix?” Zelea asked.

An older woman stepped forward and answered, “She’s currently cultivating in her room and left orders not to be disturbed.”

“For how long?” Zelea asked with a frown. She knew that Daethix was diligent in cultivating her Yin Qi, and sometimes, the big sister would stay in seclusion for weeks!

“I don’t know,” the servant shook her head. The Third Princess was unpredictable and rarely informed anyone at the palace of her plans in advance.

Suddenly, Koji felt a powerful aura. He looked up and saw a Caucasian man in his late-fifties or early-sixties standing in the balcony. The man had a chiseled frame and power radiated from his mere presence. His skin was tanned, and he wore a neatly trimmed beard over his square chin. His piercing azure eyes stared right at Koji!

The gaze exerted intense pressure on Koji’s body. However, the young man withstood the aura and stared right back at the man! Koji noticed the gold crown above the man’s shortly crowned brown hair; he realized this man was King Aphraphus!

The servants immediately dropped to their hands and knees, and their foreheads rested on the ground.

The palace guards noticed that Koji had remained standing, and they became outraged by his lack of respect! “Kneel, you insolent cur!” They surrounded him with spear points aimed at his chest!

“Hahaha! The pride of an emperor does not permit his head to lower before anyone,” a masculine voice said from above. “Welcome home, Zelea,” the king greeted warmly. “Who is the young man next to you?” He gave a hand signal for the guards to lower their weapons. There would be ample time to punish the boy for his lack of manners later if necessary.

Although King Aphraphus didn’t attend the summoning ritual, he had heard of what happened in the arena yesterday. Zelea unexpected took away the winner; this young man was probably her new Bonder–and husband. He was secretly impressed that Koji didn’t yield to the king’s fearsome aura.

Koji stepped forward and offered a palm-over-fist bow. “Greetings, King Aphraphus! My name is Koji Adalwin Becker, and I am Princess Zelea’s Bonder,” he declared publicly. “I apologize for not realizing your identity sooner.”

The king smiled broadly and nodded in approval; a wise man knew when to give in to overwhelming power. This showing of contrite by Koji removed the king’s need to punish him publicly. “I’m thrilled to meet you, son-in-law. You and your wife must dine with me tonight! We will drink and celebrate your marriage!” He turned and left the balcony.

The female servants slowly climbed to their feet. They stared at Koji with astonishment. Did they hear the king correctly? He acknowledged Koji as his “son-in-law?” Just like that? The king was a Martial King and the foundation of the Kingdom along with Queen Herecia. His standards were extremely high. A mere commoner wouldn’t reach his eye! Somehow, this young, unassuming man had met the king’s approval?

The head servant, Hu Yijun, approached Zelea and said, “Congratulations on your marriage, Princess Zelea.” She turned toward Koji and said, “Prince Consort, please protect our beloved princess.” She bowed deeply to him.

The female servants all bowed to him in unison. Since Zelea was adopted and didn’t carry any royal blood in her veins, many citizens in the kingdom disapproved of her entry into the royal family. Conspirators plotted to kidnap and assassinate her. Thus, the servants continually worried about Zelea’s life. They sincerely hoped that Koji could defend the Fourth Princess because her life depended on his protection.

Hu’s nose upturned at the sweat on the bonder and she politely made a suggestion. “Princess, shall we prepare a bath for you and your husband?”

Zelea turned and looked at Koji. “Yes.” While her plan to meet Daethix privately failed, Zelea didn’t expect her stubborn father to recognize Koji as his son-in-law so easily. Thus, the young lamia wished to seize this golden opportunity for the two men to develop a good relationship. Therefore, Koji should be adequately cleaned and presentable to the king during the banquet.

The head servant clapped her heads, and two maids immediately ran off. “While the servants prepare your bath, perhaps your husband would like a tour of the Nephosian Palace?” Hu suggested.

The princess nodded. She wanted to give the servants time to prepare the bath.

“Please follow me,” the middle-aged Asian woman said with a polite bow. She climbed the steps and walked toward the iron doors at the entrance.

The guards immediately opened the door for her and saluted Zelea as she passed through.

As Koji climbed the steps, he saw a temple on the left side of the palace and a second building on the right. Once he stepped inside, he saw a spacious forecourt and four columns surrounding the throne, placed at the very center. Surrounding the throne were delicate vases on pedestals. The interior was colored red while the ceiling was black. Guards and servants stood along the walls; their red garments hid their presence to the casual observer.

The head servant turned left and hugged the walls to go around the throne before reaching the back, which held the living space of the palace.

Koji felt curious eyes trained on him as he passed by the silent observers. He thought about nodding or waving at them to acknowledge their presence. But then the newcomer remembered that, as the son-in-law of the king, Koji’s high standing made this unnecessary.

Head Servant Hu led the couple through the backyard, which featured a tall juniper tree overlooking a garden with a pond full of Koi fish. She turned left and walked past several structures. The head servant finally stood before a sliding door and pushed it to the left.

Koji’s eyes widened when he arrived at an indoor bathhouse! Candlelight filled the spacious room. On the walls were beautiful murals depicting scenes of nature such as the mountain above the kingdom and a natural hot spring. At the center of the room was a big pool, with flower petals floating in the water.

Female attendants stood near the entrance, and they greeted with a deep bow. “We welcome Princess Zelea and her Consort to the bathhouse!”

“I leave them in your care,” Hu replied with a slight nod. She bowed deeply to the couple and closed the door behind her.

“Would you like some tea and snack?” one of the attendants offered. The girl wore a white uniform, and her long black hair tied in a bun with pins. She gestured with a shy smile at the table to the right. On the table were two cups and a teacup, plus a plate full of roasted chestnuts and sunflower seeds.

“Yes,” Koji replied. He walked over and took a seat.

Zelea joined him and sat directly across the table.

A comely girl poured tea for each guest.

Koji took a sip and discovered it was green tea.

“Are you a tea drinker?” Zelea asked.

Her husband nodded. “I enjoy drinking tea,” he replied.

Zelea smiled and took a sip from her cup.

The couple declined to eat the snacks. They spent some time enjoying tea in the quiet company.

A half hour later, the servant girl raised her voice. “Esteemed princess and consort, we must prepare for your dinner with the king. It’s time for your bath,” she reminded them meekly.

The lamia nodded in understanding and rose from her chair. She allowed an attendant to led her to the left side of the bathhouse. A second attendant joined the first, and the two workers removed Zelea’s clothing. They washed her hair and rubbed fragrant oils on her body. They cleaned her with warm water and a sponge. They laid her on a table and started massaging her body with their firm but delicate fingers. After the massage session, the attendants wrapped a towel around her body and led her to the pool.

Koji received the same treatment from his two attendants. When he laid naked on the table, Koji felt lustful eyes from the women but kept silent. Their nimble fingers rubbed oil on every part of his body. One of the two servants was bold enough to stroke his little dragon until he reached a happy ending! They kept staring at his face to gauge his reaction to the handjob and responded accordingly.

The recipient gritted his teeth to stifle a moan; he didn’t want Zelea to know what these lusty girls were doing to him. Koji felt like he was in heaven! While the two girls weren’t beautiful like Zelea, they were diligent and eager in performing their duties. Koji was extremely pleased with their service. Finally, they wrapped a towel around his body and led him to the pool.

Koji was disappointed that the massage session ended so soon. But he saw that Zelea was already in the pool. He walked over to join her.

A mischievous look crossed the lamia’s face. “Did you enjoy your massage?” she asked.

“It felt great!” he answered enthusiastically.

Zelea grumbled at his reaction. She could imagine the workers trying to become pregnant with his child so that they could become Koji’s concubines! After all, a royal concubine held a much higher status than a royal servant. Many servants aspired to become the king’s concubine, but the queen was a very jealous woman who threatened to kill any servant who becomes pregnant with his child. Thus, none of them dared to seduce King Aphraphus with their womanly wiles.

However, since Daethix blocked Zelea’s path to the throne, she expects the queen to become more lenient on this matter of Koji having concubines. But Zelea wasn’t comfortable with this notion. At least not until she has a child with her husband first. She resolved to warn him about this issue after dinner with her adopted father.

The couple sat side-by-side while enjoying the hot bath. They stayed silent for a moment before Koji broke the ice.

“I have many questions about what happened to me and why I’m here. But I’ll set those aside for now and ask about something more urgent. What can you tell me about the royal family?” he inquired.

“The royal family consists of King Aphraphus, Queen Herecia Lyceris Nephosia, First Prince Heretrios, Second Prince Cyreas, Third Princess Daethix Colarte Nephosia, and myself,” Zelea explained.

Koji immediately raised his hand. “Hold on! Why do the males in your family possess only one name while the females have Nephosia as their surnames?” he pointed out.

The lamia smiled. “Rulership of the kingdom passes through the lamias,” Zelea revealed.

“So the Kingdom of Nephosia is a matriarchy?” he exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes,” she nodded. “Is that unusual in your old world?”

Koji repeated her gesture. “If I bond with Daethix, then I will become the next king?”

“That’s right!” Zelea nodded again.

He blinked several times to process the information in his foggy mind. “And your dad is fine with it?”

She laughed. “The king doesn’t get a say in who Big Sister Daethix picks.”

“What about your two elder brothers?” Koji asked.

“They will be married off to powerful families in other kingdoms,” Zelea replied.

“You mean as in political marriages?”

“Yes.” Zelea smiled at his discomfort. “Although my father doesn’t have a say in big sister’s choice of husband, my mother is another story. She is the ruler of the kingdom, and she can object to my sister’s choice. My mother will test you before she gives her approval for your bonding with sister Daethix,” she warned.

Koji leaned against the wall. He wasn’t sure what to make of his situation. It was bad enough that Zelea forcibly married Koji and created trouble for him with her former boyfriend. Koji could only imagine how many suitors Daethix had as the next queen! He could feel the red target on his back already!

Zelea giggled at his facial expression. “Don’t worry about it. Whatever happens, I will support you as your wife,” she reminded him and kissed his cheek gently.

Her words of reassurance assuaged Koji’s nervousness; he became relaxed. The couple sat in the pool for another hour until the attendants returned with their laundered clothing.