Everything’s Coming Up Stinky

DOEM

I stepped into the Special Room, and immediately, a figure wrapped in a grey robe spun around to face me.

Even with the hood pulled low, the build gave it away—definitely a woman. She gave me a long look, then shifted her gaze toward the King of Oriana, who was shuffling along right beside me.

Then, she opened her mouth and dropped a single word.

"Stinky."

"Hey, lady," I snapped, my ego taking a direct hit. "That’s incredibly rude."

"Sorry."

I did my best to keep my heart from doing backflips as I glared at this grey-robed woman.

You see, to turn the King of Oriana into my personal puppet, I’d been dosing him with some seriously addictive medicinal herbs. They worked like a charm, but they had one nasty side effect: the user started emitting a very particular, very pungent aroma. I’d practically drowned the old man in perfume to mask the scent. There was no way she should’ve smelled a thing.

"Lord Doem," a voice whispered, "that person is the Sword Saint, Beatrix-sama."

"Wait, what...?"

The Bushin Beatrix? I’d heard rumors she was in the Royal Capital, but was this really her?

She didn't look like any "God of War" to me. She was draped in a faded, dusty grey rag and clearly lacked even the most basic social graces. After her half-baked apology, she’d already turned her back on me to watch the tournament.

She didn't look powerful, but... well, if she was as good as the legends said, I probably didn't have the chops to see through her anyway. Given that Princess Iris acknowledged her, I had to assume she was the real deal. I’d heard her face looked just like the Hero Olivier. If I could just get a glimpse under that hood, I’d know for sure, but...

"Well now, please forgive my ignorance," I said, putting on my best 'oops' face. "I had no idea who I was addressing."

"I also apologize," she replied.

And just like that, the tension evaporated. Everyone just assumed her "stinky" comment was aimed at me personally. Fine by me. I’d much rather be the guy who smells bad than the guy whose king is a drug-addicted zombie.

Still, I couldn't believe Beatrix had actually shown up at the Bushin Festival. Of all the days to have a living legend drop in...

I clicked my tongue under my breath.

"King of Midgar, I trust you are in excellent spirits today?"

"Umu."

Time to flip the script. I offered my greetings to the King of Midgar, who was currently perched on a massive throne in the VIP section.

After swapping the usual boring pleasantries, the King of Oriana took his seat next to the Midgar King. I sat right beside him, ready to play the world’s most dangerous wingman. The King of Oriana could handle basic scripts, but anything more complex than "Hello, how are you" was a gamble. It was up to me to steer the conversation and keep him from glitching out.

But hey, so far, everything was going according to plan.

My primary goal, for now, was securing Rose.

The last time I saw her, she’d already started showing symptoms of the possession. To The Cult, her blood was basically the holy grail of research material. So, I’d scattered some bait.

I’d sent her a very clear threat: Show up at the Bushin Festival venue, or I’ll have your father murder the King of Midgar.

Sure, it was mostly a bluff, but honestly? I didn't care if he actually killed the guy. If the King of Midgar died, war would break out and the Oriana Kingdom would be wiped off the map. No biggie. We were already prepping a puppet to take over the Midgar throne anyway. If it worked out, the payoff would be massive. It was a risky play, but totally worth the gamble.

My only real concern was Iris. She’d been throwing some suspicious looks at the vacant King of Oriana. There was a chance she might try to block me.

But if I had the King do the deed while Iris was busy fighting her match, that little problem would take care of itself. It should have been a slam dunk.

Except now Beatrix was here. Taking her out wouldn't be easy, and she was likely even stronger than Iris. If she decided to play hero, she’d be a massive pain in my ass.

Then there was the mystery man, Jimina. I couldn't figure out his angle. The guy was a Resident of the Underworld, so he had to have a motive, but my background checks had come up totally dry. That’s professional-grade ghosting right there. I needed to be on maximum alert.

I let out a long, heavy sigh.

The plan was moving, sure, but there were way too many wild cards on the table. I couldn't relax for a second.

Relax, Doem. As long as Rose shows up, none of the risks even matter.

And she would show up. She was the type who couldn't bear to abandon her country or her father. I’d read her like a book.

Yeah, there were plenty of things to worry about, but it was fine. Everything was going to go perfectly.

I kept telling myself that as I turned my attention to the arena. Time ticked by, and Claire Kagenou secured a victory without breaking a sweat.

"Huh..."

She wasn't someone I’d been keeping an eye on, but her performance was unexpected. Her Magic Power was high, yet she wasn't letting it control her. She was strong now, but she had the potential to become a real monster.

"Claire-san... she’s certainly improved her skills," Iris noted, standing up from her seat. "My match is about to begin. If you’ll excuse me."

Everyone offered their words of encouragement. The black-haired boy sitting next to Iris stood up as well.

"I’m going to the toilet," he announced.

Go wherever you want, kid, I thought. I didn't care, but I noticed Beatrix’s eyes followed him as he walked away.

He was just some ordinary boy named Cid. I’d wondered why he was sitting next to a princess, but he didn't seem to have a single noteworthy quality. I purged him from my memory instantly and focused on the next match.

The showdown between Iris and Jimina was a big deal for me.

I needed to see what this Jimina guy was actually capable of. Plus, with Iris out of her seat, it was the perfect window of opportunity.

A few minutes after the two of them left the room, Iris and Jimina finally appeared on the arena floor.