A week and a half passed aboard Roy's battleship without any major calamities. A few times Serenity fired an artillery shell towards the mainland. She explained it was to deal with some beasts that were stalking the triplets' village.
Aside from the pirate fiasco and Riven languishing in the brig, life was smooth. Or as smooth as it could be for an awkward teen in a world he didn't know, a superhuman ex-wife, and an emotionally evolving crew of robot presidents.
Every morning, Roy descended into the brig carrying another plate of Earth's delicacies: bacon-wrapped steak one day, caramelized fruit kabobs the next, or crispy fish fillets from Noruma's magical catch. Riven devoured every offering, no matter how fancy or bizarre, but never once revealed the bracelet's secrets.
"Mmm, tasty stuff," the dark mage said between huge bites. "But news flash, I'm not handing over squat."
Roy tried polite requests, comedic threats, even dessert trays loaded with swirling candies. Riven ate every last bite, yet refused to teach a single thing. Eryndra sometimes hovered behind Roy, shooting death glares at their prisoner, but Riven only stared back with smug indifference.
Meanwhile, Roy indulged in some rare downtime between his failed interrogation sessions. He had the Presidroids rig up a makeshift basketball court on the deck, just a simple hoop and lines taped across the short flight deck.
They divided into two teams:
Team Roy consisted of Eryndra, Roy himself, Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Team Two was led by George Washington, John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Thomas Jefferson.
They all agreed to reduce their power output to Roy's level, no one wanted a doom-squid replay from a single dunk. Even so, the game quickly became a mess. The Presidroids had odd reflexes, sometimes glitching into unstoppable rebounds or hurling errant passes that soared over the railing. Eryndra tried dribbling but occasionally forgot to moderate her strength and popped the ball. Roy, once a decent middle school player, found himself tripping over stray robot limbs and slipping on puddles. Despite the chaos, laughter filled the air each time someone missed a layup by a mile or tripped on the upturned taped lines.
Roy laughed so hard he actually wheezed when Eryndra teased him about botching a pass. "Hey, zip it, you clown," he shot back, grinning the whole time.
On the seventh day, a sudden storm rolled in, drenching the entire deck. Rain hammered the metal floor, lightning flashing in the distance. The basketball game broke up instantly, Roy, Eryndra, and even the Presidroids dashed inside, giggling like little kids as thunder boomed overhead, which Roy found moderately creepy.
Out of breath, Roy collapsed near a warm heating vent in the bridge. Water dripped from their hair and soaked their clothes. For a moment, a tranquil hush fell over them. Eryndra joined Roy and leaned in close, and Roy felt heat rush to his face.
"Greetings, citizens," came Lincoln's stiff, mechanical voice. "I was in the area... so..."
Eryndra and Roy exchanged an exasperated look. The fleeting sense of intimacy vanished. A moment later, Washington joined them, dropping himself on Eryndra's other side and draping an arm across her shoulders in a bizarre impression of a tired dad after a long day. Roy and Eryndra doubled over with laughter while the Presidroids blinked in confusion.
All the while, Riven held firm in his silence, mainly because he did not dare incite the wrath of the immortal family. Ten days in, Roy tried more creative gifts, golden fruit tarts, sweet-savory sandwiches, but the prisoner ate them all without so much as a shift in his expression. On the tenth day, Roy's frustration peaked. He asked Serenity for extreme options.
"Well, if the first bribe didn't work, why did you keep giving him food?" Serenity said in a deadpan tone. "...we could always hook him on some substances from the Infinite Medicine Cabinet Copy. He'll spill his secrets eventually."
"Boo, that's too ease," Roy griped. "Gimme something with more pizzazz."
"Captain, I've got a real humdinger of an idea," Lincoln chimed in, stepping forward. "First, we drown him in an all-you-can-eat buffet until he's balloon-sized. Then we slam on the brakes, give him one sad carrot a day while we chow down on luxury chocolate bars right in his face. That dude'll sing like a canary."
"Hold up—did you seriously just suggest that?" Roy yelped, his face caught between horror and a grin.
"beep... boop?" Lincoln muttered, awkwardly puffing out his chest.
On that same tenth day, Serenity reported that Noruma lay visible on the horizon. Roy's barely slightly battleship moved slowly toward the quaint village he'd parted from weeks before. He wondered what new chaos would greet him this time, but then something else caught his attention: along the coastal road, he spotted a wagon carrying a caged group of people, rolling away from Noruma.
Once Roy departed his ship he asked the first people he saw. Locals explained it was a slaver caravan that periodically passed through, hoping to trade or pick up new slaves. Noruma always refused; they despised the practice. So the slavers simply continued inland, seeking other buyers.
Roy felt his mood darken at the idea of slavery. Eryndra noticed, tilting her head curiously.
"Thinking of going inland?" she asked.
He nodded. "Yeah. I kind of want to see what that's about." Disgust curdled in his stomach, maybe it was time to confront that particular ugliness of this strange world too.
For the second time in his short but turbulent life in this world, he found himself craving the village's warmth and chatter.
He had disembarked with Eryndra and a small detail of Presidroids, a backpack slung over one shoulder, bulging with assorted modern goodies again. The same old fisherman who had first greeted him hurried over, part awe and part relief. News traveled fast here, and the sight of top-hatted robots always drew stares. Children squealed, remembering the candy Roy had given out on his first visit.
Within minutes, Roy found himself in Noruma's central square, flanked by villagers and the simple fish-scented huts he now associated with a strange kind of homecoming.
"Hey, Roy, get your butt over here!" someone called. He turned to see Grandma Hisa, a senile elder, wobbling toward him with that same beaming, yet slightly vacant, smile.
"Ah, my precious boy, you're finally here to tie the knot with my lovely daughter Tadanori!" she crowed triumphantly.
Tadanori, her actual grandson, trailed behind her, his face red with embarrassment. "Granny, for the millionth time, I'm your grandson, not your daughter," he groaned.
Roy suppressed a laugh. "Howdy, Hisa. Nice to see you, but I'm not exactly—"
She cut him off with a toothless grin. "Don't dawdle, Roy dear! Tadanori's ready to give you a boatload of strong babies—just feast your eyes on those hips!"
"Uh, haha, maybe next time," Roy managed, patting Hisa's shoulder gently. Behind her back, Tadanori mouthed a grateful thank you, clearly mortified. Eryndra stifled a giggle.
"Fine, we'll circle back to the wedding details soon enough," Hisa declared with a cheery wave. Tadanori could only sigh and guide her away.
Eryndra tilted closer to Roy. "That's a boy? Sure fooled me, he is beautiful!" Eryndra said.
Moving on, Roy dodged the Aunties hawking fish skewers and grilled specialties by the docks. They teased him mercilessly, calling him "darling" and "Iron Rider," blowing kisses or offering "fresh lumps of sea serpent" if he gave them a wink. One even offered to "ride his iron," whatever that meant. Eryndra smirked as Roy beat a hasty retreat, stammering polite refusals.
Near the pier, four old fishermen were bickering over the best bait. They doffed caps or bandanas when Roy and Eryndra walked by, inviting them to join. Roy politely declined, uninterested in more fish for the time being. Still, he chatted about the weather and listened to their cheerful squabbles—"Your boat, is it cursed?!" "Well, we'll snag the demon fish Slorian thanks to Roy's blessing!"—the sort of banter that made him grin.
Word soon reached Maelara, the elf leader who oversaw Noruma's defenses who had just returned from a mandatory guild meeting in the distant Umbral Consortium. Roy was mid-laugh, joking with Eryndra about some weird fish anecdote, when a hush fell over the square. A towering figure strode into view. The ground almost seemed to quake with each step.
She was broad-shouldered, incredibly muscular, more than most bodybuilders, carrying herself with quiet authority. Roy felt his throat go dry. He blurted the first words that came to mind: "You are definitely mommy..."
Maelara's eyebrow rose, unimpressed. "Yeah, no, sorry kid, not your mom...yet," she deadpanned.
Roy coughed, face burning. "Right. Sorry, I just… you're massive. That's a compliment, I think."
She let out a low chuckle and offered him a strong handshake. "Anyway, thanks for stepping in to save Noruma before," she went on.
Roy felt like his hand was crushed in a vice, but he held his poker face. He found himself overshadowed by her sheer presence.
"We sure appreciated it, but don't go thinking we're pushovers. We can handle business ourselves," Maelara said.
Roy nodded, immediately respecting her. "Noted! But I notice you have elf ears, how are you an elf?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Maelara replied with a smirk.
"I-I just...nevermind," Roy said.
That evening, Roy joined the villagers in a small communal hall for drinks and fish stew. Roy told tales of his journey and often bragged about Eryndra's freakish strength. Maelara gripped Roy on the shoulder from behind causing him to moan or whimper, he didn't know which.
"That so? You're the muscle who turned those demon-chickens into confetti?" she asked as she subconsciously flexed her arms.
"Sure am," Eryndra said, eyeing this behemoth of an elf.
Maelara tightened her grip on Roy's shoulder, causing him to yelp again, and said, "I gotta say, color me skeptical. Even I couldn't do that alone."
Eryndra knocked away Maelara's hand before rubbing Roy's shoulder. "Wanna take a crack at these arms?" she teased.
They ended up at a sturdy table, each stretching for an arm-wrestling match. The crowd gathered, hooting and placing bets.
"Alright, locked and loaded," Roy called. "Three, two, one—smash!"
Their arms trembled, locked in deadlock before the table burst into pieces. Despite this, their arms remained in the air. Maelara stomped and a magic rune appeared under them. The table reformed and lines of magic flowed through it, enhancing its durability. The match continued.
The onlookers roared encouragement. Roy watched with wide eyes: Eryndra and Maelara both looked capable of suplexing sea monsters, and neither budged an inch. After five seconds… ten… neither yielded. The ground began to tremble causing a waitress to spill a tray of drinks. This distracted almost everyone, Roy included. An enormous crack rang out. By the time Roy glanced back, the two women had disappeared, leaving the table destroyed.
"Holy Loe, this is epic!" Tadanori yelled.
"Uh, guys, anyone see them? Where'd they vanish to?" Roy asked, baffled.
Tadanori shyly looked down and pointed towards the door. "Right after that elbow carnage, they just sprinted off," he explained.
Outside Roy heard distant explosions. In a panic he rushed outside, Teddy and Lincoln by his side. Deep in the forest Roy saw flashes of light. All kinds of beasts and monsters flowed out of the forest in a panic. None made it close to the village, they almost instinctively avoided it.
A bright light flickered up high. Roy tried to focus on it but it was too far away. He pulled out his trusty busted binoculars and tried to spot them again. He waited for the next flash and focused on it. Eryndra and the buff elf Maelara clashed fists in the air. Each impact ignited the air for a moment. He noticed a smirk on their faces as they finally landed a punch simultaneously.
A crowd formed outside and began cheering on the battle. Mostly for Maelara but a scattered few and the Presidroid detail cheered for Eryndra. As the hours passed, the cheers all but died completely. Roy made a makeshift bed in the arms of his Presidroids; they carried him almost like a casket.
In the morning Roy awoke and noticed the sound was no longer present. He asked around the shops that were starting to open for the day and they said the ladies hadn't returned. Roy went to the front gate of the village and saw Eryndra and Maelara limping shoulder to shoulder out of the forest. As they finally reached the village they both dropped to a knee.
"So, we're calling this one a draw, yeah?" Eryndra wheezed.
"Yeah, sure, let's finish round two later," Maelara mumbled, swaying on her feet.
Roy quickly came over and picked up Eryndra who closed her eyes. Roy slightly strained as he lifted her but disguised it well. He noticed a smile on her face as she rested. Maelara struggled to rise but Teddy quickly gave her a hand and pulled her up.
"Roy, I—" Maelara started before she noticed a faint hum. She turned her gaze to Eryndra whose wounds all began to repair themselves. It looked almost like a faint black smoke drifted over the wounds before they healed. Within a half minute she had completely healed. Maelara appeared shaken up but quickly composed herself.
"Hey, if you're all healed, quit milking it and walk on your own!" Roy barked.
"Mentally exhausted over here, Roy! Be a peach and carry me, I'm soooo fragile," Eryndra moaned, obviously putting on a show. "Take me to the ship so I can rest."
"Who taught you to talk like that? No more late night movies for you!" Roy yelled. Eryndra smiled and closed her eyes again.
"Catch you tomorrow, Maelara," Eryndra said softly.
"Roy, next time you and I will fight, I gotta see how I'd stack up against a supposed deity," Maelara said, her voice still slightly shaking.
"Haha, that's a hard pass. I'm, uh, more about smooching than suplexes, yeah...that," Roy stammered as he turned away.
"Works for me! I'm always down for a little bedroom rumble," Maelara said as she weakly flexed her tremendous arms.
Roy simply chuckled in fear as he walked away. Eryndra shot Maelara a final look before closing her eyes once more.
Maelara turned to her left and started to fall. Suddenly, a form from the shadows appeared and caught her. "Maelara, you okay?" it asked.
"Dad, I'm fine, just a smidge spinny in the head," Maelara slurred.
"Knock it off, you know the drill: out here, it's 'Guildmaster,' not 'Daddy Dearest,'" he hissed. With a gentle wave of his hand, multiple red and green runes appeared on her body and she slowly began to heal. "You should be back to full power by tomorrow, just take it easy."
"Yeah, yeah, sorry, 'Guildmaster.' My brain's still in a blender. That chick was nuts," Maelara muttered as she stood under her own power.
"If that young lady forced you to go full throttle, she must be a real freak of nature. You're basically the top A-rank in the Eastern Branch of the Umbral Consortium," the Guildmaster said as the shadowy aura disappeared, revealing a man no more than five and a half feet tall, a bit over half of Maelara's size. Much more appropriate for an elf.
Maelara chuckled. "She totally pulled her punches, I've got no clue how badly she was sandbagging. Plus, I tried scanning her mana, and—poof—nothing. Couldn't see squat."
The Guildmaster watched Roy and Eryndra from afar, ready to examine their magical aura, but Maelara stopped him by taking his arm.
"Hey, hey—dial your Mana Sight down to 'baby mode,' trust me on this," Maelara warned.
The Guildmaster scoffed but continued. He yelped, then looked down, beads of sweat forming on his head. "What fresh nightmare is that power?" he asked. He winced, tuning down his sight after another attempt to look. He saw the aura emanating from Roy enveloping the town, then kept going and going. "Uh, are we dealing with a literal deity here or what?"
"He keeps claiming he's no god, but call me suspicious," Maelara said, a delicate frown etching itself onto her brow. As she spoke, the cut that had marred her lip began to close. The edges drew together, the redness fading, until only smooth, unbroken skin remained.
"If word reaches any of the big empires—or, heaven help us, the Sanctum—everyone and their grandma will be fighting over him," the Guildmaster said as he wiped tears, caused by the brightness of Roy's aura, from his eyes.
Maelara smirked. "Still, the kid's got a good heart. Bet he'd kick all those recruiters to the curb without breaking a sweat."