Chapter 956: Emergent Situation

Jason couldn’t stop grinning. Walking along the promenade deck, his fingers were intertwined with Zara’s as she walked beside him.

“We should probably make our way to the gathering,” she pointed out.

“Well, we are taking the scenic route. There’s a place called Iceland that’s very scenic.”

She looked out at the Australian desert.

“Iceland,” she echoed.

“Yep.”

“I’m going to guess that’s some distance away.”

“Not if you really think about it. Rimaros is a lot further away.”

“Why don’t you want to introduce me to your family?”

“It’s going to be rough.”

“I can handle it.”

“Not on you! They’re going to adore you. I meant rough on me!”

Zara burst into laughter.

“Isn’t that what family’s for? Even with all the politics, my closest relatives are still family. We don’t show it to the world, but we’re not that different from anyone else. Even while I was publicly ostracised, I would still make discreet visits. My father complains that it’s not enough, my brothers tease me about grubbing about as an adventurer, as if they weren’t doing the same.”

“I have a hard time imagine a family like yours being normal, even behind closed doors.”

“Is your family like any other, when you’re all together?”

“More or less.”

“And are you about to take a princess from another universe to meet them on your flying cloud ship?”

“Okay, I see your point.”

***

The Asano Clan friends and family gathering was in full swing by the time Jason and Zara arrived. Clive had taken Jason’s portal to the clan territory, from where he used his own portal to bring yet more people in. More of the ship’s passengers had joined the festivities, such as Carlos Quilido. He was discussing soul therapy with Gladys Erstweller, who had treated the Alzheimer’s of Jason’s Nanna. Amy’s daughters were chatting animatedly with Rick’s wife Hannah and her twin, Jason’s nieces gushing over the elven twins.

A few people noted the quiet entrance of Jason and Zara. Farrah’s eyes moved to Jason’s hand still holding that of the princess. Farrah smirked and went back to her conversation with Rufus. Emi spotted Jason and her eyes went wide as saucers. She rushed over, frantically grabbing her mother on the way. Jason took a long, bracing breath as they shuffle-ran across the lounge, Zara glancing his way with a chuckle. His sister and niece arrived in front of them, Emi practically bouncing up and down.

“This is your princess, Jason?” Erika asked.

“She’s a princess,” he said. “I wouldn’t be so bold as to call her mine. Zara, this is my sister, Erika Asano, and my niece, Emi Evans-Asano. Family, may I present Her Royal Highness, Zara Rimaros of the Storm Kingdom. She probably has about eight middle names, but I couldn’t be bothered learning any of—”

He yelped at a sharp poke in the ribs from Zara. She otherwise ignored him, flashing a bright smile at Erika and Emi.

“It’s so lovely to meet you both. I do hope you’ll allow me to forgo formality and just be Zara today.”

“Of course. You’re coming with us while Jason is going to go off and play with his little friends.”

“I am?”

“You are,” Erika said firmly. She plucked Zara’s hand from Jason’s and led her away. Emi leaned close to her uncle.

“This isn’t going to be great for you, Uncle Jason,” she whispered.

“I see your young man isn’t here.”

“He’s scared of you. He knows you’ve been waiting to talk to him in person.”

“Right now might be a good time.”

“Don’t you dare. We’re going to have fun with your stupidly gorgeous princess while you let it happen and do nothing. Understand?”

He let out a weary sigh.

“Understood.”

***

After leaving Zara to the tender mercies of Emi and Erika for an hour, Jason checked to see if she was in need of rescuing. Joined them in the conversation were his father and brother-in-law.

“How we first met?” Jason said, in response to a question from Ken. “That was twenty years ago. She was a fancy princess from a foreign land, and I was but a humble adventurer.”

“A humble adventurer?” Zara asked.

“Yep. I distinctly remember your attendants trying to run off the grotty commoner.”

“I distinctly remember them failing. What exactly were you on the way to do that day?”

“I don’t recall.”

“Yes, you do.”

“I was on my way to meet some folks.”

“Oh, some folks. Just regular folks?”

“More or less.”

Zara raised her eyebrows, skewering him with her look of accusation. Jason looked around the group, making a downplaying gesture to the table.

“It wasn’t a big deal,” he explained. “I’d come across some people and helped them out of a jam, that’s all. Their bosses just wanted to thank me.”

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“By which he means that he liberated a small army of priests who had been trapped in limbo for centuries and a collection of gods wanted to express their public gratitude.”

“She makes it sound like a bigger deal than it was.”

“They formed a cult!” Zara exclaimed.

“People did that here, too,” Erika grumbled. “I dread to think about what’s going to happen now he’s back.”

“I remember that thing with the gods,” Emi said, jostling Jason’s arm. “You talked about it in your recordings.”

“Recordings?” Zara asked.

Emi explained the recordings Jason had made of his initial visit to Pallimustus.

“Oh, I would love to see those,” Zara said. “Anyway, our ‘humble adventurer’ had just beaten out some of the most promising young adventurers in the world — myself included — in a contest run by Emir over there. In the course of which, he’d rescued some priests from centuries of imprisonment. Their gods wanted to thank him in person.”

“On the way,” Jason picked up the story, “I was harassed by some prick who didn’t like that I’d won. Because I actually was a humble adventurer, regardless of what any Hurricane Princesses in the area might have to say…”