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Multiversal: The Shop Chapter 94: A Meeting Of Two Rulers
🕑 Added 2023-11-24 17:23:21 +0000 UTC-Salem-
It's been a week since she tasked her daughter with a very important quest, and she was hoping that they are going to be successful in buying a weapon that could end this ‘war’ between mortals and gods.
In a total of a month and a half, since the brother’s arrival, her appearance changed so much in such a short span of time, her once glorious face was a mess, due to the stress that she accumulated these past month.
She barely has any rest, since that day as she was busy bringing any survivor outside her pocket dimension.
Which was quite ironic really, that she couldn't help but chuckle at this situation she found herself in, after all just a decade ago, she was hell-bent on killing off humanity and now, look at her, she is it's last pillar.
Humanity's last stand, from the queen of Grimm, to the savior of humanity.
Life is truly unpredictable, who would have thought she'd become this?
Right now, her pocket dimension was the last sanctuary for all humanity of Remnant, because outside was in a state of apocalypse.
In which anyone was guaranteed to die, since at this point, she thinks that the outside world is devoid of people and the last of humanity is in this place.
People from different kingdoms, whether their faunus or human, it doesn't matter as everyone is here to survive, racism is simply nowhere, those biased views in whose a superior race is forgotten as in the end of the day, they're the same in the face of extinction.
All of them, from all ages and genders, are here to survive, for the sake of the future.
Looking at the mirror, Salem couldn't help but think she might get some wrinkles if this continues, as there's already visible eye bags in her face.
Right now, she is busy organizing everything from food, shelter, hygiene and health.
It's her responsibility as the leader of this place, honestly if this was before she couldn't care less about their situation, but it's different now, as she regained a part of her humanity, she couldn't leave these people as they are technically her people.
Either way, she thanked her lucky stars that she bought this pocket dimension that could sustain itself, if it weren't for that the people would probably starve because of the lack of resources.
Right now, she could confidently say that buying this pocket dimension was the best decision she made in this life.
Who would have thought that this pocket dimension that she originally used to hide her daughters from the rest of the world would become the last paradise of humanity.
Suddenly someone arrived at her office breaking her prior thoughts.
“Mom?”
It was her youngest child Aurora, her voice was filled with concern when she called her out, to which she quickly responded with an easy going smile, to make her youngest feel at ease. “Yes, dear?”
However, despite her best effort. Aurora didn't feel at ease at all, instead it made her more concerned. “Are you alright?”
“Of course, why won't I be?” Salem smiles that most people would find beautiful and truly nothing behind it, but Aurora wasn't most people, she was a family and she knows her own mother more than anyone else with the exception of her other sister.
“That's a lie, I might be not as smart as Morgan but I'm smart enough to know that you're not okay, I'm not sure if you realized it yourself by everytime you lie, you always make a direct eye contact with the person who lied to.” Aurora pointed out.
And just like that, her smile disappeared and was replaced with a tired and bitter one. “Is that so..? I didn't know that…”
Aurora could only sigh in relief knowing that her mom wasn't trying to hide her emotions anymore, which was better, frankly bottling emotions isn't a good thing.
“Do you mind telling me, how are you, mom?” Aurora asked.
Salem let out a sigh and replied honestly. “Honestly, I'm tired, so much, enough for me to forget everything and just rest until I feel like it.”
“Oh, then why don't you rest for a while then? I'm sorry everyone doesn't mind..” Her sweet daughter tried to convince her from resting, cute, but naive.
“Heh..if only it's that simple, I'm sorry but I can't heed to your advice, as the leader I can't rest until all of the people are taken care with..” As the owner of this pocket dimension, she is the only person who is capable of making things like food and other essentials, which was a disadvantage of its own honestly.
Because she could only make a limited amount of essentials herself.
Unexpected Aurora exclaimed. “Then what about you mom?! It's always about the people! What about you?! You have to take care of yourself too! Look at you! You-you’r-”
“Enough!” Salem shouted, and gave her youngest a glare making her flinch and stop her outburst.
It was really effective, that it immediately silenced Aurora.
Salem let out a long sigh and continued. “Don't make this more problematic than it already is. I understand you're worried about my health and I'm happy for that concern, but understand that this is the role of a leader, you must take a burden that many cannot, the life of a leader is that you make the people beneath you satisfied and secured. Leadership is not all about its benefits, like those greedy politicians from other kingdoms do, as a leader you must be responsible, anyway we don't talk about this.”
She looked at her youngest daughter and screamed ‘this is final understand?’, which she quickly understood and bowed. “If that's what you will, your majesty, may I have the permission to leave?”
“You may.” To which she quickly left without a word and after she did, only then Salem showed weakness.
“Oh, that daughter of mine…you're not the only one who noticed things about unusual behavior that you don't know yourself, every time she's angry or irritated at me, she would use my title…” While she's grateful for her daughter's concern, it wasn't the time as they were entering a very critical situation.
She shouldn't rest until the Brother Gods are eliminated, this is why she isn't suitable for the crown, she's too naive…
With a sigh, she was about to continue her job, suddenly one of her trusted subordinates arrived in her office with a haggard appearance, as if she was chased by the devil himself.
“Your majesty! The princess has arrived!”
Salem didn't need to know which one, she was aware of who it was, with a smile filled with determination and hope.
“Lead me to her.”
“By your will.” The subordinate bowed and immediately guided her.
As Salem stood up from the chair, she thought. ‘Morgan, I hope whatever you brought from that shop will turn this war around.’
Not wasting any second she followed the subordinate.
—
It didn't take her long enough to find her favored daughter, who would mostly succeed her in the throne, despite her rebellion of becoming a ‘huntsmen’.
Even now, she still despises that particular title, it's like a degraded version of what a knight is supposed to be, only skills but no honor or dignity.
In her eyes huntsmen are no different from a common mercenary.
Then, she saw Morgan along with the friends that went along with her quest, although she didn't really see the point of them joining, but her child seemed to insist and she didn't really see anything wrong with them joining aside from being pointless.
That's why she allowed them to join, even though it's pointless.
“Morgan, I see you've come back.” Salem greeted her daughter.
“Indeed, I have mom.” Morgan replied with a bright smile, which means she was successful in bringing something that could turn the tide of this war, and finally slay those cursed Brother Gods.
“I'm sure, whatever you brought back will greatly help with our situation.”
“Yes, that's right.”
“So, where is it? The item will slay those overgrown children that call themselves gods!” Salem said with so much venom in her voice, she hates the Brother Gods so much that even mentioning them causes her blood to boil.
Morgan smiles and replies. “About that…”
Suddenly, her daughter's words were interrupted by a third party.
“Hah! Gods are overgrown children?! That's the funniest thing I have heard in a while, I like you, what's your name.” The stranger said.
Then Salem looks at the unfamiliar person, as she sees her she couldn't help but awe at this person’s beauty, it's an entirely different caliber from what she's used to, but her experience as a monarch helped her snap out of it, and carefully observed the woman.
And immediately figured out that this person is a royalty of some sort, as her aura literally screamed as one, and that charisma…
Yes, that must be it, she's a fellow monarch.
Salem could feel it in her soul, unconsciously she straightened her posture, like her body subconsciously thought of this as some official meeting between royalty.
“Salem Ashari, Queen Of Grimmlands.”
The stranger grinned and replied in kind. “Gilgamesh, King Of Uruk and its first and only monarch.”
The people at the background were surprised by Gilgamesh's background.
Either way, this was a meeting between two rulers that would later become best of friends.
—
A/N: Not sure what I feel about this chapter, but I definitely enjoyed writing about Salem and Gilgamesh interaction!
Next chapter is about a few hours.
