《Alexander Nightmare》 Prologue - Dreams of the Ocean Flames burned all around, and all I could salvage was a rapier, one of the weapons I had never used. Talking Heph with me, I rode away, crying tears that were someone else''s. Al reclined on a prim and comfortable silk chair. Sweat balled down his face, but his expression oozed warmth and thunder. He was very much a king and even in his weakened state he did not lose his majesty. If anything, he complained to his inner circle about the heated weather. The Subcontinent was cruel and foreign, but most of all the hot wind was most tiresome. It drained the fighting will from his troops and drew the war animals into lethargy, and in the afternoons, holding meetings was impossible, and the cooking flames were intolerable to the few chefs of the camps. And then, there were the mosquitoes. They have been more daunting foes than any general he''s come across. Al could bluff, but he wouldn''t be as energetic in a few weeks. Worst come, he might even lose his life if he continued to advance untreated. There was someone he made a promise to. A childhood friend and comrade-at-arms, perhaps even a best friend. With a bygone person, he discussed the impossible with a child-like enthusiasm, itself a great source of power, now gone, and the concept made impossible.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Al was already half asleep as he talked and became bored in presence of the equally nigh-slumbering attendants and captains. To conquer the world was impossible, but at the very least, if he could reach the ocean, he would die happily. The Eastern Sun was far nicer than the sun of Apollo, and at least it had the courtesy to leave the men until tomorrow, when hopefully some better preparation could take place. Equally so was the sudden, but gentle rain, which would not impeded but instead nourish the hegemony Alexander created. He closed his eyes, and instead of dozing off immediately, he imagined a tear come across his eye. A tear however, is not an ocean. When he opened his eyes, he was disorientated, as in a fever dream. He close his eyes hard, and opened again, but he was still there. The smell and sound of the ocean felt caustic to him, and when he came to, he grunted, only, his voice was not his own. He tried to sit upright, and to his surprise, his body felt much lighter and a little healthier. He felt a lock of hair, blonder and longer than he remembered, fall across his chest, and a heavy golden locket hit straight onto his sternum. He got to his feet, but his sense of balance was off, and he struggled dizzily until two uniformed guards came to him, only, they were not from his army. Not only where they foreign-looking, but the Indian environment had been replaced with a stark landscape of green all around, and quickly looking around, Al saw a beautiful cliff and a clean sandy beach under it. Dizziness The guards could more accurately described as policemen, and as they approached quickly, I put my hands up. My long sleeves fell down pas his elbow, and I saw that my arms had wasted and paled in color. The younger of the two became flustered, "Madam, you shouldn''t act like that in front of us. We know that you would never attempt a crime. It''s just that you seemed a bit ill."? The other bowed and said. " l''ll retrieve you shortly if you still can''t get home by yourself, until then."? The younger took it upon himself to stay with me as a stretcher came. As a true king and as the next Shah among Shah, feeling this helplessly sick felt embarrassing, and I expected that the policeman would be as well. Instead, he tried to hide a smile, as if he was in presence of a great figure. Now, I was liked by my troops and subjects, and maybe they could even call me ''Madam''. I regret the thought, but quite a few of my habits led to the creation of that nickname. I wouldn''t get mad, but no one ever saw me as an amazing individual. I was a killer, someone who sought the impossible out of glory and idealism, but this man thought otherwise. I wonder how many fine young men like the scrawny fellow in front of me fell by my lance. Obviously, this added to my confusion, and I promptly faded out, seeking the awakening from this dream. When I woke up, I saw my brilliant physician''s white robes and called out, but my voice still sounded different. a€?Please, Princess. Do not strain yourself. You''ve been treading in and out of consciousness for a few hours now.a€? Not only was he not my attending doctor, but he went too far with ''Princess''. ''Madam'' was about as far as I could take. It was not something you say to your dying king. "She seems to be delusional, but I don''t see any signs of injury, not even sunstroke. We''ve also ruled out the possibility of magic influence. She wasn''t even particularly dehydrated when we found her."? An impressively dressed, yet strangely familiar couple allowed themselves in, and no one thought anything of it. The crowned man looked at me compassionately, and asked whether I could recognize him. "You must be a lesser vassal. You have some nerve walking in here,"? I heard myself say. My voice had acted up three times now, and I think I accepted that the local medicine had changed my voice. "Hoh," he laughed "You must be okay if you speak like you usually do. But this is not the time for that."? I really did not recognize him. Nor did I the lady, or the physician, the guard, I could not read my own medical information when presented to me, as if it was foreign text.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. "Amnesia. She doesn''t remember a thing. In a few days, more of it will return as she goes through her daily life,"? the doctor diagnosed after a few excruciating moments of interrogation. My father looked distressed and couldn''t stand to see me, but he looked sincere. "It must be the companion amulet. l''ll have the best artificers examine it for faults. Rather, we could just get a new one."? Mother interjected now, "I really wanted you to have that amulet. It''s a heirloom after all,"? but it seemed she was talking more to the king than me. They said my name was Celine, I was their daughter, and I truly delusional if I still believed I was anyone else. The medicine of this country seemed to be simultaneously exotic and banal. I looked down at myself a few times, but I was not keen on examining a different, female body just then and there. They sent me to my chambers and ordered me to rest, and after realizing the truth in the mirror, I became to question whether my life as "Alexander the Great"? really was just a vivid dream. The violence and conquest, as well as my lost allies and companion, Hephestion, and my malaria became something distant, yet I could recall details that would never be present in a dream. But Celine was right in front of me, me and her the same. My treatment was much like that from when I was just King of Macedonia, if not more guarded. I played along, only because I was still unsure. My parents were nice people, and they sat with me when I taught how to read and write again. I spoke the local language passively when I spoke, but reading was initially difficult. I had to go through the alphabet, and I had to read each letter when going through words, and I could not even write my own name. Celine, a Greek origin name, was written differently now. To complicate matters, no one seemed to recognize my Greek writing. In fact, when I named the countries and regions of the world, no one caught on. I was in fact, with no nation in India at all. Everyone, from my attendants to parents, assumed I had just concocted an elaborate fantasy world. I would have realized sooner. The people here, myself included, looked European, but I knew that it was not Europe at all. Luckily, when I did manage to go through a word, it came naturally to me, as if I had already known it and had just remembered. About a week had passed in my retraining, but I insisted that my rehabilitation include more and more things. Since my memory hadn''t "returned"?, no one opposed that. I read literature and did mathematics, and I learned that this Celine had been a highly intelligent and philanthropic princess, however, I was allowed to practice athletics and sports, and I realized that I was not a weak person either. But the best thing I learned was that my parents loved me. As Alexander, while my father was true and noble, my mother may have loved me too much. She forbid me from spending too much time with friends in an attempt to spend time and bond with her. Writers always exaggerated her cruelty, but the most unforgivable thing was that she isolated Hephestion, my one best friend. It was not my fault he had some issues: She still love me though. One other thing was that she took in cousin Cyrane. I wasn''t jealous, it was just that Mom made me model clothes she was going to buy for Cyrane when she wasn''t around. That led to some strange habits. My new family was indeed cozier, only because the Queen didn''t have any of those quirks, and you know, the King wasn''t dead yet. Even if I would''ve felt this way as Al, I left for conquest before that happened, and it seems by life would end too soon. Hephestion, the Hero My life was pretty monotonous at that time, and it kind of made me feel like a child again. It when that amulet I was wearing returned to me, that things began to change. An old man known as an artificer visited the palace one day. He wore an Eastern turban, yet I realized I was nowhere in the world I once knew. He reminded me of Master Aristotle, only he was not like he was sculpted but as he really looked. In fact, his clothing was painful to look at. I thought the clothing in my dream was too exotic and otherworldly to be simply from a dream, but the more I looked around this world, the more disappointed I became. He curtsied me, but ignored me otherwise, and went straight to the King. I listened from outside the audience chamber a€?Highness, I have run extensive tests on this companion amulet for the last week, but I am still unable to find out what is wrong with it.a€? Father sounded grim, "Is that so? Very well. Would it insult you if I took to another artificer for diagnostics? I understand that magicians have their own code of honor."? I felt happy to hear that he cared so much about me, just like my Macedonian father. "No, not at all. As I promised, I will not even seek compensation. Please, forgive my incompetence."? The king made a pause and I heard the movement of coin anyway. The artificer spoke in a lower tone for a moment and hastily left the building, not caring if he saw me. My attendants loved me enough to answer some of my questions to the best of their abilities. A companion amulet is simply a must for all young ladies of class for when they venture unguarded. Of course, they did not know what it did, or how, except it was magical. I did not believe in magic, but then again, strange things have happened to me. Of course, I would not use this amulet soon, so I schemed to rush ahead my rehabilitation. I like charity work, and I''m pretty able, and it''s already been a week, so it must be okay to go by myself. Dressed in clothes I''d rather be embarrassed in, I did embark with the amulet on hand, but it did not activate. Logically, I didn''t even know the geography of my kingdom, and I got lost within half an hour. I went back, wasted the day, and learned that "king" was an empty title, and that really my Father ruled a city-state, named Magon. Of course, I didn''t care. The next day, however, was also rainy and unpleasant. In fact, a whole week passed in which I could neither test the amulet nor work towards defying my amnesia. When my intentions became apparent, I was actually pleased with the permission my parents gave me to go try it. After all, by then enough artificers concluded that it was indeed good to use. I put it on in my personal chambers, only I struggled for rest of the day trying to activate it. It was heavy and uncomfortable, but nothing that could stop Alexander the Great. It''s a tool that helps me with things an attendant would do. Finally, after having more than a few tea breaks (tea was not so foreign to me) I finally asked for the map of the city, and I felt the amulet slightly heat up. The city appeared in my vision. The companion amulet was a computer, like those I found in China. China was not a reasonable goal for me, but I did know they had some incredible machinery, except for it to display an image in my head, it was billions of times more useful. "Al, I think this illness might take me,? I heard a familiar voice, but I felt that it was virtual. It sounded a bit like Hephestion, but it could''ve been a hallucination, so I rapidly took the amulet on and off again, until I heard, "I''m dizzy, Al. This might be the end of me."?This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Al? That was a familiar name, and I don''t think Celine could produce Al. "Hephestion!"? "Huh. Where am I? What Hell have I been thrown in? I was never that perverted."? "It''s been too long, friend."? "Who''s there"? "Oh. My voice is different now."? "Alex. Al. My vision is gone. I can''t feel a thing. Wait! This isn''t Macedonia."? Some sense came back to him, and I realized that I was in fact the great general once. He could see all that I could see, and could hear what I could. He also knew he was a companion amulet, and that we were in a strange city in a different land. But mostly, he knew me. "There''s things I just know, but I can''t know some things. Also, I''m a computer now, huh."? "You do more than count, Heph."? It seemed that time was also acting strangely. He''s been dead to me for several years, though his initial mumblings tell me that he had just died. We were united once more, but as Princess and tool now, strangely enough. I don''t think he was happy either. We discussed that we would wait for him to pick up information while I would continue to live as Celine. That afternoon, I was truly happy working with the poor. Of course, I got see Heph again, only, his operation time was limited. I also met someone else, who''d ''return to me''. Before I talk about that, reader, something pricked at my mind. If I was not quite dead, and I switched with Celine, there was a chance that she was in my body. She would be deadly sick, and I think only I have the sheer willpower to survive that malaria. Of course, it was an exercise in futility. The day after, my esteemed and "deeply loved" younger brother arrived. I''d be much happier switching bodies with that prince, but, he was just a person who I couldn''t be jealous with. "Celine. You don''t remember me?" "Not at all. Let''s start with your name,"? I was in a particular bad mood when I met him. "I''m Darius."? I truly, truly hated the name, but I couldn''t show it. "Oh, little Darius. Please, forgive me, I''d grown a little accustomed to princess speak at least. I did the right thing at least, acting like that. He was back from a hunting trip, and that day I learned that both Celine and I did hate hunting. I couldn''t stand to hear him tell stories about his trip. All of his friends did seem obnoxious, but Darius himself was genuine. He promised to stay home until I recovered completely, though I would never recover any more memories. Strikingly, he did not have that familiar feeling that our parents invoked in me. Despite that, I did enjoy his company. He was still a child compared to the real me, but he could outmatch Celine in most competitions of athleticism. He didn''t think competing with me was strange, so I suspect that Celine did so too. These days I had two close friends, doting parents and caring subordinates. My conundrum felt quite distanced, even if Heph could not unearth any new knowledge. One night, I had a meaningful conversation with him: "What happened to our promise Al?"? "I''ve conquered a great portion of the world. I''ve made it all the way to the Indian subcontinent, but I remember I''m sick with Malaria and have to return."? "Actually, there''s a little more than that, but I think its fine. Remember, we''d reach the ocean together."? "You sure bailed out of that one, Heph. I''m worried. I might be too content as Celine."? "There''s nothing wrong with being content. You''ve done more than anybody else could. Even if you don''t return in time, it would be enough."? "But this poor girl. If she dies, it would be unfairly taking from her lifespan."? "Remember, time isn''t the way that we perceive it. I''ve been dead a week, but you''ve conquered the civilized world in that time."? "That''s true, but Celine had the perfect life, and I''ve interfered."? "Okay, tell me Al. You seem to enjoy living here, but if you did have the opportunity, would you switch back? Macedonia has no cure for Malaria. You''d die. But, I suppose it''s okay. Nothing can be done about it. "? I became angry, "No, Heph. I''m not choosing between you or the girl. I''m Alexander the Great. Perhaps the greatest hero to ever live. I would never take a girl''s life."? He acted like he became inert. After a second he resumed. Despite no longer having lungs, reduced to mere assistant for me, he said, "I''ll follow you. I''ll follow you anywhere and support every decision you make." Slowly, more sadly, "I''ve made that resolution long before."? I couldn''t say anything. Even from my best friend, I never expected to hear those words from Heph, my perverted, hedonistic, but heroic old friend. I hadn''t seen him in so long, I forgot that side of him. It made him a worthy future vassal, but it also made him a source of unique guidance. I was supposed to be the survivor, the wiser and master, but here he was, always with something new to learn. Lich Heart This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Lecture ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see what you¡¯re talking about. Aren¡¯t you my younger brother?¡± Celine shifted in her boots. Al wasn¡¯t a good liar. He had no reason to do it before, so he couldn¡¯t even tell if it was the right time to lie or not. Jonathan seemed to trust him, and it was a little intimidating. The other people close to him in his kingdom were like Hephestion. Most of them were great knights, but none of them were more skilled than himself. Jonathan was at least helpful, but his motives and powers were mysterious. Not to mention, opposing Darius for almost no reason was just an act of escapism. Al remembered that Jonathan said that he¡¯ll let him go after it was over, but was it possible for him to do anything else? He didn¡¯t know anything about the world outside of the city, and he would have learned more if Darius hadn¡¯t tried to kill the royal family. To make matters worse, Celine¡¯s face was also very recognizable, so it wasn¡¯t like he could simply run away and start again. Anyway, the problem at hand was how to answer to Jonathan. So, I should just go for it, he thought. ¡°Alright, then let me you know your true name first.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Jonathan¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Well, I guess it was a matter of trust. I would know about trust. Wait. Wait a moment. Could it be? I know exactly what to tell you.¡± ¡°What do ever mean. I¡¯m extremely confused, brother. You¡¯re going to have to explain slowly and fully,¡± Yes, total success, Al thought. ¡°Okay. We are homunculi. Artificial humans. So in that case we wouldn¡¯t be siblings at all, but instead you¡¯d probably be younger than me. Darius is already an enemy of me and you and that¡¯s why he placed that curse on me I tried to challenge him directly and it ended poorly. Anyway, a variety of techniques was used to control me by the royal family. I don¡¯t have all the facts but they seem to benefit by having us believe we¡¯re successors to the throne.¡± ¡°Let me stop you there. When Darius burned down the palace, he said that I gave up the throne in his favor.¡± ¡°That was a straight lie. He probably wanted you to believe that because he was in contest with his parents, it seems. If you¡¯d let me finish¡­¡± ¡°Ah, of course. But can¡¯t we go somewhere else first,¡± Al remembered the hot climate in India and wanted to be outside for the least time as possible. ¡°Fine. Hold my hand,¡± Jonathan simple said the words and it was enough to teleport back to Magon, albeit not very precisely. They had to sneak and run back to the Smith family restaurant and only luckily did they find a safe room without disturbing the owners. ¡°Where were he?¡± Jonathan asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been hypnotized. The whole thing had happened to me and I wouldn¡¯t have realized that I am not ¡®of this place¡¯ if it were not for outside help. It was clear that there was a long-standing conflict within the house.¡± ¡°Um, I understand. I was just feigning ignorance so I could get some more information.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.¡°I don¡¯t appreciate that. Now, give me your name. we might be from the same world,¡± Jonathan was angry but not as angry as he should have been. ¡°I am Alexander III of Macedon.¡± ¡°I am Julius Caesar.¡± ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Julius suddenly said. You¡¯re quite famous. I think I looked up to you when I was younger, or something.¡± ¡°Really, but this is not the time for it. Continue on,¡± Al half-yelled. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re hypnotized into thinking we¡¯re our royal personas. I still don¡¯t understand why that would help them in anyway though. Darius is doing whatever he¡¯s doing because he thinks along those lines.¡± Al waited a moment, ¡°I have a question, and you must answer it.¡± ¡°Anything, I mean, if it¡¯ appropriate.¡± ¡°When you came to in this world, what were you doing?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad that your brought that up because that¡¯s one thing I do know. I fainted when my memories returned. It was obviously not an organic thing, so I became ill and disoriented. They took me to a physician but it was really a trick to repress my memories again.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Al was shocked. ¡°Yes, those personas, Celine and Jonathan, didn¡¯t exist at all.¡± ¡°Heph,¡± Al whispered. Heph could also talk nonverbally to him, and now that they were away from the interference, they could finally talk. ¡°I¡¯ve been passively listening. It¡¯s best for me to communicate with Caesar¡¯s amulet,¡± but he stopped, ¡°no response.¡± Al then said, ¡°Caesar, what about the companion amulet on your neck. Mine contains a person I knew in life.¡± ¡°No, the one I have is empty,¡± he gripped it in his palms, ¡°I only keep it to remind me who my best friend was. He settled down, as if to tell a story, ¡°I was betrayed just as I was about to usurp power. I know he had the right motives and beliefs, but still, it was painful. I died brilliantly, ritually murdered, practically. It was just about the worst thing that could have happened for the Roman people too.¡± ¡°Died! Anyway, can you tell me about my death, if I¡¯m so famous,¡± said Al. ¡°Well, no one know how you died, unlike me. You made it back home when you got sick, but that¡¯s all I know. It could be that you died before and the dynasty was just keeping face.¡± ¡°So, it means I did die before I was summoned to this world.¡± ¡°Huh, is that so,¡± Al sighed. Heph didn¡¯t expect to hear back but he muttered, ¡°You seem relieved. I guess you care more about that one girl. At least you¡¯re not using another¡¯s life, I guess.¡± ¡°One more thing Caesar,¡± Al felt a little cooler, ¡°What did you mean that you were envious of me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m much older than you, but I¡¯m stick in this kid¡¯s body. Then again, at least it¡¯s the right gender. Anyway, I¡¯m going to claim by crown in Magon city. You need to think about what you¡¯re going to do.¡± Waiting ¡°Hmm,¡± mouthed Al, ¡°You know. Due to the circumstances, I haven¡¯t the opportunity to actually sit down and think. After all, I was pretty, well, panicked after Darius made his move.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Jonathan echoed. ¡°You¡¯re going to go up against him, and that¡¯s neat, but I¡¯m not quite sure if I want to part of it. After all, there is very little for me. In fact, it seemed like you didn¡¯t even need my help back then in Darius¡¯ lair.¡± ¡°It is so. I promised I wouldn¡¯t get you involved if you didn¡¯t want to, but then again, you are Alexander the Great. If you do escape, what would you even do afterwards.¡± ¡°Sure, you can be a celebrity in Magon City, and it seems like at the least Darius isn¡¯t willing to make a commotion searching for you, but you have none of that outside. And would you really be content just living a normal life again if you could be safe?¡± ¡°See, it is things like those I need to think over. To be honest, I had hoped that I was still alive in our world and time, and that I could return, but things to seem hopeless.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m not planning on anything soon either. While I sit with the revolutionaries, you need to do that. I plan to spend at least tomorrow just for planning while we can gather enough forces.¡± Al didn¡¯t like Caesar¡¯s lust for power, but as far as he had seen he didn¡¯t like Darius much either. Honestly, there wasn¡¯t much argument for either side, to help or to leave. It was just that Al had no idea what to do now. He knew that some of the other royal-blooded siblings would take up practical jobs, becoming engineers and scholars, when their bloodline wasn¡¯t pure enough to take an administrative role. That was out of the question in this new world, and even if Al could, it would be the most boring option. A life of conquest and struggle was the new norm. Al wasn¡¯t sure if he could do anything else, but at the same time he knew that the whole deal only spreads bloodshed. It would be better if he was born a lazy king. Then he would probably be okay with being insignificant every day. Al got up from table and walked heavily to the room the hosts prepared, and there he had a little desk and some paper. He pathed out all of the possible paths he could take and found that none of them made any sense to him. ¡°Alright, Heph, what do you think I should do?¡± ¡°Do nothing right now. Because I¡¯ve got nothing.¡± ¡°Damn,¡± Al shook the medallion on his chest. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.¡°Well, a little food will help me out. I think I prefer a life of luxury over a life of exile. Eh, Heph.¡± ¡°If you really want to do that, just help the fellow out and then you can retire. That way, you¡¯ll have the time to decide without closing any doors. Really, you Kings like to take your time.¡± ¡°And that is so, Heph. I¡¯ve never had to make a decision so quickly. Anyway, it looks like it¡¯s quite not time for me to stop killing people.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Al. I¡¯m sure you made the world a better place for thousands of people.¡± ¡°Yeah, most of them were the looters and arsonists I couldn¡¯t stop. It doesn¡¯t matter anyway. I¡¯m dead, and the kingdom I fought for will disappear. All I built were orphanages.¡± ¡°My king,¡± Heph¡¯s volume must¡¯ve been lowered. ¡°And about you. Are you okay with being an accessory?¡± ¡°Frankly speaking, my consciousness is different than yours. I already died, fair and square, so I see this life as juts overtime. Remember, if you do help out this Caesar, then you will have all of your resources again, and then we could work from there.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s like I was fated to do it anyway. I guess you could be accessory to a little more crime, friend.¡± When it was time for dinner, Al went down and had to sit with some of the leaders of other anti-government factions. The fact that there were so many people with grievances was also a relief. It meant that it wouldn¡¯t be entirely selfish to take control of Magon city. Although, it was now hard to speak and chat with them from Celine¡¯s viewpoint. To make things worse, Caesar couldn¡¯t handle all of the negotiations because he was supposed to be Jonathan, the younger brother. So, Celine had to act like she was going to ascend to queendom. Of course, Al was going to abdicate as soon as it was appropriate, but it was still uncomfortable. Rather, the food prepared in this restaurant was not as good as expected. These hi-fi militants were eating it too, but it was almost inedible to the royal palate. Just to make sure, Al looked over to Caesar and he was also a little hesitant about some of the things on his plate. They didn¡¯t belong here, and they coped in different ways, but they were stuck. Nothing more to do, except to take up the Devil¡¯s deal. When the little meeting was done, Jonathan told Al that there were no more dinners like this one, and to tell him to his decision quickly, but Al¡¯s mind was already made up. Lich Heart The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Lecture ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see what you¡¯re talking about. Aren¡¯t you my younger brother?¡± Celine shifted in her boots. Al wasn¡¯t a good liar. He had no reason to do it before, so he couldn¡¯t even tell if it was the right time to lie or not. Jonathan seemed to trust him, and it was a little intimidating. The other people close to him in his kingdom were like Hephestion. Most of them were great knights, but none of them were more skilled than himself. Jonathan was at least helpful, but his motives and powers were mysterious. Not to mention, opposing Darius for almost no reason was just an act of escapism. Al remembered that Jonathan said that he¡¯ll let him go after it was over, but was it possible for him to do anything else? He didn¡¯t know anything about the world outside of the city, and he would have learned more if Darius hadn¡¯t tried to kill the royal family. To make matters worse, Celine¡¯s face was also very recognizable, so it wasn¡¯t like he could simply run away and start again. Anyway, the problem at hand was how to answer to Jonathan. So, I should just go for it, he thought. ¡°Alright, then let me you know your true name first.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Jonathan¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Well, I guess it was a matter of trust. I would know about trust. Wait. Wait a moment. Could it be? I know exactly what to tell you.¡± ¡°What do ever mean. I¡¯m extremely confused, brother. You¡¯re going to have to explain slowly and fully,¡± Yes, total success, Al thought. ¡°Okay. We are homunculi. Artificial humans. So in that case we wouldn¡¯t be siblings at all, but instead you¡¯d probably be younger than me. Darius is already an enemy of me and you and that¡¯s why he placed that curse on me I tried to challenge him directly and it ended poorly. Anyway, a variety of techniques was used to control me by the royal family. I don¡¯t have all the facts but they seem to benefit by having us believe we¡¯re successors to the throne.¡± ¡°Let me stop you there. When Darius burned down the palace, he said that I gave up the throne in his favor.¡± ¡°That was a straight lie. He probably wanted you to believe that because he was in contest with his parents, it seems. If you¡¯d let me finish¡­¡± ¡°Ah, of course. But can¡¯t we go somewhere else first,¡± Al remembered the hot climate in India and wanted to be outside for the least time as possible. ¡°Fine. Hold my hand,¡± Jonathan simple said the words and it was enough to teleport back to Magon, albeit not very precisely. They had to sneak and run back to the Smith family restaurant and only luckily did they find a safe room without disturbing the owners. ¡°Where were he?¡± Jonathan asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been hypnotized. The whole thing had happened to me and I wouldn¡¯t have realized that I am not ¡®of this place¡¯ if it were not for outside help. It was clear that there was a long-standing conflict within the house.¡± ¡°Um, I understand. I was just feigning ignorance so I could get some more information.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.¡°I don¡¯t appreciate that. Now, give me your name. we might be from the same world,¡± Jonathan was angry but not as angry as he should have been. ¡°I am Alexander III of Macedon.¡± ¡°I am Julius Caesar.¡± ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Julius suddenly said. You¡¯re quite famous. I think I looked up to you when I was younger, or something.¡± ¡°Really, but this is not the time for it. Continue on,¡± Al half-yelled. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re hypnotized into thinking we¡¯re our royal personas. I still don¡¯t understand why that would help them in anyway though. Darius is doing whatever he¡¯s doing because he thinks along those lines.¡± Al waited a moment, ¡°I have a question, and you must answer it.¡± ¡°Anything, I mean, if it¡¯ appropriate.¡± ¡°When you came to in this world, what were you doing?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad that your brought that up because that¡¯s one thing I do know. I fainted when my memories returned. It was obviously not an organic thing, so I became ill and disoriented. They took me to a physician but it was really a trick to repress my memories again.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Al was shocked. ¡°Yes, those personas, Celine and Jonathan, didn¡¯t exist at all.¡± ¡°Heph,¡± Al whispered. Heph could also talk nonverbally to him, and now that they were away from the interference, they could finally talk. ¡°I¡¯ve been passively listening. It¡¯s best for me to communicate with Caesar¡¯s amulet,¡± but he stopped, ¡°no response.¡± Al then said, ¡°Caesar, what about the companion amulet on your neck. Mine contains a person I knew in life.¡± ¡°No, the one I have is empty,¡± he gripped it in his palms, ¡°I only keep it to remind me who my best friend was. He settled down, as if to tell a story, ¡°I was betrayed just as I was about to usurp power. I know he had the right motives and beliefs, but still, it was painful. I died brilliantly, ritually murdered, practically. It was just about the worst thing that could have happened for the Roman people too.¡± ¡°Died! Anyway, can you tell me about my death, if I¡¯m so famous,¡± said Al. ¡°Well, no one know how you died, unlike me. You made it back home when you got sick, but that¡¯s all I know. It could be that you died before and the dynasty was just keeping face.¡± ¡°So, it means I did die before I was summoned to this world.¡± ¡°Huh, is that so,¡± Al sighed. Heph didn¡¯t expect to hear back but he muttered, ¡°You seem relieved. I guess you care more about that one girl. At least you¡¯re not using another¡¯s life, I guess.¡± ¡°One more thing Caesar,¡± Al felt a little cooler, ¡°What did you mean that you were envious of me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m much older than you, but I¡¯m stick in this kid¡¯s body. Then again, at least it¡¯s the right gender. Anyway, I¡¯m going to claim by crown in Magon city. You need to think about what you¡¯re going to do.¡± Waiting ¡°Hmm,¡± mouthed Al, ¡°You know. Due to the circumstances, I haven¡¯t the opportunity to actually sit down and think. After all, I was pretty, well, panicked after Darius made his move.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Jonathan echoed. ¡°You¡¯re going to go up against him, and that¡¯s neat, but I¡¯m not quite sure if I want to part of it. After all, there is very little for me. In fact, it seemed like you didn¡¯t even need my help back then in Darius¡¯ lair.¡± ¡°It is so. I promised I wouldn¡¯t get you involved if you didn¡¯t want to, but then again, you are Alexander the Great. If you do escape, what would you even do afterwards.¡± ¡°Sure, you can be a celebrity in Magon City, and it seems like at the least Darius isn¡¯t willing to make a commotion searching for you, but you have none of that outside. And would you really be content just living a normal life again if you could be safe?¡± ¡°See, it is things like those I need to think over. To be honest, I had hoped that I was still alive in our world and time, and that I could return, but things to seem hopeless.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m not planning on anything soon either. While I sit with the revolutionaries, you need to do that. I plan to spend at least tomorrow just for planning while we can gather enough forces.¡± Al didn¡¯t like Caesar¡¯s lust for power, but as far as he had seen he didn¡¯t like Darius much either. Honestly, there wasn¡¯t much argument for either side, to help or to leave. It was just that Al had no idea what to do now. He knew that some of the other royal-blooded siblings would take up practical jobs, becoming engineers and scholars, when their bloodline wasn¡¯t pure enough to take an administrative role. That was out of the question in this new world, and even if Al could, it would be the most boring option. A life of conquest and struggle was the new norm. Al wasn¡¯t sure if he could do anything else, but at the same time he knew that the whole deal only spreads bloodshed. It would be better if he was born a lazy king. Then he would probably be okay with being insignificant every day. Al got up from table and walked heavily to the room the hosts prepared, and there he had a little desk and some paper. He pathed out all of the possible paths he could take and found that none of them made any sense to him. ¡°Alright, Heph, what do you think I should do?¡± ¡°Do nothing right now. Because I¡¯ve got nothing.¡± ¡°Damn,¡± Al shook the medallion on his chest. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.¡°Well, a little food will help me out. I think I prefer a life of luxury over a life of exile. Eh, Heph.¡± ¡°If you really want to do that, just help the fellow out and then you can retire. That way, you¡¯ll have the time to decide without closing any doors. Really, you Kings like to take your time.¡± ¡°And that is so, Heph. I¡¯ve never had to make a decision so quickly. Anyway, it looks like it¡¯s quite not time for me to stop killing people.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Al. I¡¯m sure you made the world a better place for thousands of people.¡± ¡°Yeah, most of them were the looters and arsonists I couldn¡¯t stop. It doesn¡¯t matter anyway. I¡¯m dead, and the kingdom I fought for will disappear. All I built were orphanages.¡± ¡°My king,¡± Heph¡¯s volume must¡¯ve been lowered. ¡°And about you. Are you okay with being an accessory?¡± ¡°Frankly speaking, my consciousness is different than yours. I already died, fair and square, so I see this life as juts overtime. Remember, if you do help out this Caesar, then you will have all of your resources again, and then we could work from there.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s like I was fated to do it anyway. I guess you could be accessory to a little more crime, friend.¡± When it was time for dinner, Al went down and had to sit with some of the leaders of other anti-government factions. The fact that there were so many people with grievances was also a relief. It meant that it wouldn¡¯t be entirely selfish to take control of Magon city. Although, it was now hard to speak and chat with them from Celine¡¯s viewpoint. To make things worse, Caesar couldn¡¯t handle all of the negotiations because he was supposed to be Jonathan, the younger brother. So, Celine had to act like she was going to ascend to queendom. Of course, Al was going to abdicate as soon as it was appropriate, but it was still uncomfortable. Rather, the food prepared in this restaurant was not as good as expected. These hi-fi militants were eating it too, but it was almost inedible to the royal palate. Just to make sure, Al looked over to Caesar and he was also a little hesitant about some of the things on his plate. They didn¡¯t belong here, and they coped in different ways, but they were stuck. Nothing more to do, except to take up the Devil¡¯s deal. When the little meeting was done, Jonathan told Al that there were no more dinners like this one, and to tell him to his decision quickly, but Al¡¯s mind was already made up.