" Mr. Vic! It's like this, I've reported your help to our King last time, and His Majesty wishes to thank you in person. If you have time, Mr. Vic, you could come to the palace with me. That's why I've been waiting here."
Dalton was an honest man who didn't mince words and stated his purpose directly.
Vic's heart skipped a beat. He had come here specifically to find equipment, and asking Dalton for help was already a bit risky. Wouldn't it be much more likely to succeed if he went directly to the king of this country?
Moreover, the current king is Wapol's father, a very good king. Vic is confident that he will grant his request. He is not asking for nothing this time, and he is borrowing it, which will be returned. The success rate is close to 100%.
"Alright, I also have something to discuss with the King. Let's go, don't waste any more time."
Vic, that scumbag, instantly changed his target; Vic's decisiveness almost gave Dalton a heart attack.
This was the least likely scenario Dalton could imagine. Given the profound impression Dalton had of Vic at the time, Vic's outright rejection was the most probable outcome.
All the persuasive words Dalton had in mind were stuck in his throat. He imagined many scenarios of Vic's refusal and how to convince him, an experience he had never had before, and his brain cells were practically dead.
"Um! Let's go then!"
Dalton felt very upset, but business was more important, so he immediately ordered a carriage to be brought to him.
The carriage was a proper carriage, but the horse was not a proper horse; the one pulling the carriage was a long-legged hippopotamus, the white long-legged hippopotamus that Wapol rode, and it ran quite fast.
Dalton and Vic rode in a carriage toward Drum Rockies, passing through villages, towns, forests, and snowfields along the way. Dalton introduced Vic to the customs and culture of the Drum Kingdom, including its unique flora and fauna and the special climate that gave rise to it.
Vic knew a little about the island from watching anime in his previous life, but it was very limited. This time, he learned more. Although the Drum Kingdom was known as a medical superpower, its population was pitifully small, only about 50,000 people. Villages were sparse. No matter how much he said, it was all due to the environment. The island only existed in winter, so its resources were destined to be scarce.
" Mr. Vic, the royal palace is located on Drum Rockies. The only way to get up there is by cable car. Well... Mr. Vic you can fly, that's a different story. Since it's the royal palace up there, let's take the cable car!"
Dalton pointed to the cable car and explained to Vic that it was a specialty of Drum Island. The palace was built on Drum Rockies, which was very safe, but getting in and out was troublesome. It was a trade-off.
"Let's go, it's better if I don't have to fly, then I can have an easier time."
Vic didn't care about these small details, but this was a country, and it was very impolite to fly to someone's home without even saying hello, especially since it was a country. He needed to pay more attention to procedures, since he had come to ask for help, and asking for help required the right attitude.
I rode the cable car with Dalton. There were several soldiers on board, as the cable car required human power to operate. Two of them were soldiers who had witnessed Vic's strength on the spot that day.
Their eyes were filled with awe as they looked at Vic. He had casually killed a tough pirate with a single, soft hair. They couldn't fathom how he had done it. Vic's methods were mysterious and powerful. They wanted to speak to him but didn't dare. They could only work hard to pedal the cable car's transmission mechanism and head towards the Drum Rockies.
" Mr. Vic! I've already notified the palace's gatehouse; someone should be coming out to greet you now."
Halfway through the cable car journey, Dalton spoke to Vic, thus demonstrating the King's high regard for Vic.
"It's so cold, there's no need to make people wait outside. I'm not some special guest, so please make yourselves at home." Vic never liked this kind of formality.
"It's alright, we're used to this kind of weather! Besides, His Majesty said you're a hero of our kingdom, this is the treatment you deserve."
They can do without Vic, but they can't truly be without anything; a nation must maintain its magnanimity.
As the two were talking, the cable car arrived at the end of the cable, which was a space carved out of the mountain at the summit.
There was no other way. It snows for ten months of the year on Drum Island. If the terminal station were built outside, the cable car would have to be dug out of the snowdrifts all the time. Building it inside the mountain was a wise decision. I just don't know if it was designed when the palace was built.
Vic and Dalton climbed the stairs leading to the top of the magnetic drum. After Dalton pressed a switch, a passage hidden under the snow appeared, and light appeared in the passage.
Dalton paused noticeably as he stepped out of the passage, surprising Vic behind him. "Could the person who came to greet me be the King?" Vic wondered.
Only after Dalton stepped aside did Vic see the person who had come to greet him: a purple-haired boy who looked to be about ten years old, standing between the two of them picking his nose with his finger, his face completely indifferent.
Vic recognized the two figures on either side; they were Chess and Kuromarimo from Drum's Two Aces. One was dressed Joker carrying a bow and arrow, and the other had an afro and wore boxing gloves. The boy in the middle was, as one might imagine, the future brain-dead king Wapol, whose silly expression clearly showed he'd been with the group since childhood.
"The hero my father sent me to welcome is him? Aside from being a bit ugly, he's nothing special. Can he really beat pirates?"
Wapol's tone was full of disdain; even his aesthetic sense was warped. It's no surprise that he later made the decision to expel the doctor.
" Chess, Kuromarimo, I hope you won't take His Highness out fooling around like this anymore. His Highness can't even distinguish right from wrong anymore; you bear a great responsibility for this!"
Dalton said in a deep voice, "Wapol is a prince, and he can't blame him, but these two guys who follow Wapol around all day are definitely not innocent."
Wapol's values were basically shaped by these two people, so for Wapol to say such things to Vic now is simply outrageous!
With Vic's strength, he could easily wipe out the entire royal family and army. Moreover, he can fly. If you offend Vic, and he flies up at night to kill Wapol, there's no way to defend against it.
" Dalton! Don't talk nonsense, or we'll sue you for defamation! We are appointed by His Majesty to protect His Highness the Prince."
We were merely following orders; where we went was not our decision. To question us is to question His Majesty's decision, and we could very well submit a memorial to His Majesty accusing you of this."
Chess said calmly, implying that he was shifting all the blame onto Wapol. Wapol, the Wapol, didn't understand and was still looking smug, thinking that he was the one in charge, that he was the prince, and that everyone had to listen to him.