After the Tiger King left, it was Aries alone in the room. Seated there, his legs tapped impatiently on the floor while he brooded. 'So, I guess here's where I'll spend the rest of my life for now, is it?'
[Technically, no.]
The system responded and Aries scoffed. "How is it not?"
[Have you forgotten that I said I brought you here through a portal and that you shall return? You just need to complete the mission you've been sent to do.]
"And you think I don't know that?" Aries shouted, frustrated. He stood up from the bed and walked toward a dead end in the room. Standing there, he continued, "You said that I have a mission to complete which is to bring peace to the beastworld, but how do I even do that if I'm the cause of chaos in the first place?"
"I heard from that archivist that the news of me will bring war as other beastlords would want me. There can't be peace."
[Host, you need to calm down.]
The system's voice sounded soothing, but it did nothing to calm the fuel of fury in Aries' heart. He still burned with that worry and annoyance that he had just been dragged from his life into this unstable one.
It wasn't like his life was that stable, but thinking about it now, Aries realized he might just have been ungrateful. He came from a well-to-do family and he was the one who caused trouble because he didn't like being ordered around. But then, if he had accepted that, he wouldn't be in a situation with a tyrant king.
He sighed once again and the system voice sounded again:
[Look, yes, a human appearing will throw the beastworld over, but not a human with a system. A guide. I'm your assistance to complete this mission.]
[Beastworld Guide Scroll – 10 CE]
[Would you like to purchase this and dispel your worries?]
Creak…
Aries' attention was drawn toward the entrance and he saw two beautiful beastladies. They had long tiger ears and tails, and their skin was fair with black streaks. Their eyes were brown and slit with black. Their lips were full and pinkish, and they wore bright smiles.
Their smiles seemed to give Aries the soothing calmness he needed, and he looked forward to what they had come to say.
As they reached his front, they suddenly bowed and Aries was taken aback. He stepped back a little, as it was sudden, and when he realized what was happening, he quickly moved closer to them and raised them by their shoulders.
He said, "Why are you doing this?"
"You are the sacred guest of our king. Of course, we need to bow our heads low to greet you."
"No…" Aries scratched his neck shyly, then gestured toward them, hand outstretched. "I don't think you need to bow to greet me."
He took one of their hands and shook it, then did the same to the other. "We can just shake as a form of greeting…"
The ladies were surprised by this form of greeting, one they had never seen before, and they hurriedly asked him, "Shake?"
They stared at their hands which he had held and bright smiles covered their faces again. "Where did you greet this way? Isn't it too daring? We'll die before we even get to stretch our hands to our king."
"In my country, we bow as a form of greeting but we also shake. It's simply for formalities," Aries responded, then asked, "So, what are you here for?"
One of the ladies replied, "The king sent us here to prepare you for tonight."
"Prepare me?" Aries looked at them, confused, and the other who hadn't spoken nodded.
"Prepare me for what exactly?" Aries questioned.
"For the breeding ritual. Didn't the king tell you that?"
"What!" Aries exclaimed, and the ladies were suddenly shaken in fear. He stared at them with utter shock, his eyes slightly wider than usual and his palms sweating.
His lips opened and closed but he couldn't utter anything. In the end, he just moved to the bed and sat down dejectedly, then in his head he conversed with the system.
'You seriously need to save me from this.'
[Host, you are not on the verge of death. Is there something I'm missing?]
"What?! I'm not on the verge of death? What is this mating ritual you hear them say? The stupid Tiger King wants to forcibly have sex with me. How about that?" Aries said aloud, not caring about the ladies standing in front of him.
They quickly moved closer to him. One tried to shut his mouth while the other whispered, "No, you shouldn't say words like that about the king. It could get you killed."
They were shaking in fear, and Aries didn't seem to care. He listened to the system's voice which sounded:
[Host, you seem to forget that one of the things you'll do to complete your mission is breeding, so why are you so against it?]
'I'm against it because I'm definitely going to die if I do this. I'm sure this isn't the first breeding ritual in this kingdom, and people who do it die, so why should I waste my life especially when I'm not even as strong as the beast people?'
[How do you know that it isn't the first time and that they die?]
Aries shook his head at the system's ignorance and turned to the ladies. He asked, "Tell me truthfully, this ritual might be my death, right?"
He stared intensely at their faces as he asked that question and they froze. One of them stuttered, "Why… wh… why… how did you know? Where did you hear that from?"
"Tell me about it or would you just let me go ahead into my death without even properly knowing about it?" Aries asked, guilt-tripping them into giving him the information he needed.
And he succeeded.
One of them replied, "Well… we don't know for sure how this will go, as we heard you are human and the last Seebearer, so the king might be lenient. But breeding rituals always happen every week in the palace and…"
She looked around nervously and leaned closer to whisper:
"All of them always end up dead. That's why there's no heir to the throne for the current king."
"And now, everyone hopes that you won't die just like the rest."
"I see."
'You hear that? I'm definitely going to die. And will you watch me?'
[Of course not, Host! We definitely need to do something about this. First, you need to purchase the Beastworld Guidance Booklet.]
[Beastworld Guidance Booklet purchased. –10 CE]
[Remaining CE: 35/100]
[Would you like to open the booklet and learn about the world, Host?]
"I didn't even say I'll buy it…" Aries mumbled, awed by how fast the system did everything.
But he couldn't answer because the ladies suddenly shook him.
"We've been trying to call your attention." Aries looked at the one who spoke, then at the other.
Brows arched, he asked, "Why?"
"Because the Tiger King instructed us to prepare you. First, we'll take you to the well-guarded room beside his and then bathe you well and dress you for tonight."
"Oh…"
[Host should get ready for that. Before the Tiger King comes, we'll sort your escape plan.]
"Good. Let's get going then, else I'll put you in trouble and risk your deaths," Aries said and stood up from the bed.
The ladies also stood, but their faces held sorrow as they felt bad about what they had been tasked to do. But they couldn't disobey either as that would cost their lives.