Shock was written all over Aries' face as he stood in one corner, watching the lady walk wearily toward the passed-out king. When she reached the side of the bed, she looked down at the Tiger King and waved a hand in front of his face. Her brows tightened immediately, confusion twisting her expression.
"Is it meant to be this easy?" she muttered.
"No…"
Aries' voice slipped out before he could stop it.
The assassin froze. Slowly, she turned her head, eyes narrowing.
"Who's there?" she barked into the room. No response came.
Her hand dove into her robe. A dagger flashed in her grip as she lunged toward the Tiger King. She raised her arm, ready to plunge the blade straight into his heart, but something stopped her midway.
A force, solid and unyielding, held her arm in place.
"What—?" she gasped, because she couldn't see him. She struggled, twisting, but her wrist refused to move, held midair by a strength she couldn't understand.
Then a shout ripped through the room, loud enough to shake her bones.
"Guards! Assassin!"
"You—wha—?!" She spun around wildly, unable to locate the voice or the invisible grip restraining her. Panic began to creep into her eyes.
The doors burst open. Palace guards stormed in and caught her exactly as she was—dagger raised, hovering over the king.
Aries dropped his hold instantly and slipped through the opening before the guards could even register his presence.
He bolted down the corridor, feet slamming against the floor. He didn't know where he was going as he had been unconscious when brought into the Tiger Kingdom and thrown straight into the dungeon. Everything past the cell doors was unfamiliar.
"System, do you have the Tiger Kingdom map, especially this palace?"
[Ding! Since you saved the Tiger King, you have unlocked a new title: Tiger Guard.]
[You now possess the default access of a palace guard: name tag, pass tag, palace map, and a guard's income .]
Aries blinked. "How does that even happen?"
[I made it happen, Host.]
A folded map materialized into his illusion cloak. Aries snapped it open, and as soon as his eyes swept over the markings, comprehension washed into his mind. Passages. Patrol routes. Servant tunnels. Hidden exits.
Escaping became easy.
He followed the directions, slipping past patrols with the cloak's help, heart pounding only when he had to dart behind a pillar or pause for footsteps to fade.
Finally, he reached the palace gates. One last maneuver with the illusion cloak—
And he stepped out.
The world in front of him was… breathtaking. Loud. Alive. Nothing like the cold stone cell he had known.
And for the first time since awakening in this strange kingdom, Aries felt the faint tug of something he had forgotten: amazement.
He walked down the streets, and they were bustling with stalls brought up on both sides with various things. Raw meats on some sides, which made his stomach turn, and clothing, jewellery, and boots on other sides.
Then, Aries' ears picked up on words like "snacks." Looking to the side, he saw what he wouldn't have thought could be qualified with that word.
Fruits.
"Turned out that things are upside down in this world. They eat their food raw, such an annoying sight, and there seems to be no seasoning… but then there's fruit. I can finally satisfy my hunger," Aries muttered as he walked toward the stall.
As he got there, he expected the beastlady to look at him oddly since he wasn't like them, but he got nothing of the sort. Rather, she continued her endless advertisement. That was when Aries remembered the state he was in.
Illusion cloak. But could he remove it now? No.
"System, how do you suggest I disguise myself to blend into this crowd? What are things that can be done?"
[Host! How about you determine what you want to do for now to ensure your safety? You currently aren't safe. Apart from disguise, what is your next course of action?]
The system's words put Aries in a state of fear and confusion, and he sighed heavily.
"That's true. Even if I disguise myself now, what do I want to do next? Food… how do I even get the money?"
He looked around the city and noticed where he could rest his body, and Aries walked toward it. He made sure no one would be interested in coming to the area, or they would notice his illusion, and he took a seat on the bench.
Afterwards, Aries responded to the system inwardly, 'I think the Wolf Territory will be better than the Tiger's. So how about I disguise, eat, find a place to sleep, and then leave this kingdom?'
[Host, idea is not bad for a start, but note that leaving the Tiger Territory will be harder than leaving the palace, as the border is usually heavily guarded, especially when the king alerts them that you have escaped.]
"Now that you mention the king, how many hours will the Tiger King use to sleep?"
[At least two hours, at most five hours.]
"Good. Now, tell me. What influences my disguise?"
[Host needs to first change his haircut.
Then, his robe.
Then his face.
Overall, it's your appearance.]
"How does my hair influence anything?"
[I discovered that most tigerbeasts don't have short, especially curly hair. It's either long or bald, so you'll be suspicious carrying this around. Then, get a cloak, and wear it to cover the fact that you have no ears and tail. And paint your face with black coal to give stripes.]
"… that's so detailed…" Aries chuckled while scratching his head. "And how do I do this? Isn't it money?"
[You can get money by exchanging your CE to the capital currency or by selling some of your properties if you have any. Would you like to exchange your 5 CE to 10 bronze coins?]
"It costs just 10 bronze coins?"
"No, I'm not interested." Aries said.
His eyes trailed over his hands and legs and he muttered, "Luckily, I have these beads that were used for my breeding preparation."
[Good. Then, host can proceed to change that to beastmen currency.]