I Hate Systems
chapter-18

It was morning the next day as Compass Carburettor woke up, feeling groggy as he stretched his arms, getting up as he rang a bell, watching the two servants from before enter with a new pair of clothes.

He took all the items, entered the bathroom, and freshened up. The clothes this time was pretty high up in the unusual category. There was a grey skin-tight cloth that completely covered everything below his neck, save for his fingers.

Above it was a gown with fitting sleeves but loose in the rest of the places. It was a mixture of dark magenta and purple, with the symbol of a flower in orange printed on the back. The shoes seemed to have been made of silk as it was soft enough to make him wish to sleep instantly.

The dressing sense of the place was different from Earth, but attributing it to the different culture, he adjusted to it. The material was of fine quality and it allowed him to move freely. So, he was comfortable wearing that.

"Her Majesty is summoning you." The servant said as Compass Carburettor nodded, following her lead.

The Queen was seated in a dining room where a variety of dishes were being set up. She sat on her seat, hearing the report from her servant, "So, the two of them escaped into Heroica Empire."

'Artica…why did you betray me?' She thought, worried because she had lost her strongest General. It instantly placed her kingdom at a disadvantage. And, General Artica had escaped with her three puppets.

They had been created by expending most of the wealth of the Striker Noble Family that she was the head of. So, her leaving with the three puppets was a major blow to the family, something they couldn't recover from for at least a decade or two.

"What does General Arnica's husband have to say for this?" She asked her servant.

"He's been kneeling in the throne room, Your Majesty." The servant said.

"Alright," The Queen nodded, dismissing the servant as her mood was foul. Anger seethed within as she was unable to understand just why a friend that she had shared dreams with since childhood and someone who she had stood alongside with during numerous battles would betray her, and that too with Regriel who she had publicly expressed disdain towards.

General Arnica had been an upstanding general of her kingdom, strong in her pursuit of justice, and flawless in her conduct. She had numerous admirers among the army for her upstanding values and conviction.

She was her kingdom's pillar. So, it made zero sense for her to abandon their kingdom just like that and flee with someone she abhorred. As she was butting heads with her thoughts, Compass Carburettor arrived.

A simple glance at her state allowed him to understand that something had happened. After all, her mental state was pretty worse, worse enough that it was obvious to see. From his previous conversation, he knew that the Queen was smart and cunning. So, no matter what, she was able to hide her emotions perfectly and act as the situation deemed fit.

But now, she was unable to maintain it as her emotions were leaking out, showing how much she was affected by whatever had happened. Unwilling to offend her by stating anything inappropriate, Compass Carburettor made a formal bow, "Your Majesty."

"You've arrived," She sighed once, motioning at a chair next to her, "Take a seat."

Compass Carburettor did as he was told, pausing for a couple of seconds before he said, "You seem…troubled?"

"Is it that obvious?" She blinked her eyes a couple of times before smiling wryly.

"Indeed," Compass Carburettor nodded, "Something serious must have happened to shake you up this much."

"So…" She took in a deep breath, "Hypothetically speaking, why do you think a trusted friend would betray you, even going to the extent of abandoning her family to do so?"

Compass Carburettor thought for a moment, "Either I might possess a treasure valuable enough to make it worth a betrayal or she might have been brainwashed or mind-controlled."

"Do you think something like that is possible?" The Queen said as she gazed at his eyes.

"Yes," Compass Carburettor, "But, just because it is possible doesn't mean it can be achieved easily. Tell me the context of the situation. I can give my opinion based on that."

'It's good that I proclaimed myself as a Prince. The Queen is even asking me for advice on national matters.' Compass Carburettor thought, 'Thanks to that truth serum, she knows that I pose no threat to her and am an ally of her. Her probing worked in my favour this time.'

"In my kingdom, we have four noble houses. Each noble house has a lot of power. And, the strongest of each noble house holds the position of a General in my army." The Queen said as nerves visibly protruded on her neck, showing that she was barely managing to control her anger. It was to the extent Compass Carburettor was able to feel her killing intent that numbed his body.

She hadn't even emitted her actual killing intent. It was just a tinge that leaked out while she was suppressing her anger. Even that made his body shiver. After all, Compass Carburettor hadn't killed anyone. So, he was weak to killing intent, despite having a trained body akin to an athlete.

Seeing his reaction, the Queen recalled his background, understanding that he was weak to killing intent, controlling herself immediately as she spoke, "And, General Artica, the strongest General in our Kingdom whose power is weaker only to mine has betrayed me and fled along with a Prince to the neighbouring Empire."

"Hmm," Compass Carburettor thought as he spoke, "Did this Prince and General Artica share any feelings for one another, grew up from childhood…"

"General Artica is 32 years old while the Prince, Regriel is 17 years old. They shared no common history. Regriel is a scourge that played with the chastity of many girls and had even harassed General Artica on numerous occasions to the extent she almost hacked him to death several times."

"There is only hatred between them."