Azaleth waited in the palace garden, sitting by a bench. The sun above beamed down on him, bringing him satisfying warmth.
It feels good to be back in this world.
He was currently waiting for King Green. Azaleth had told Green that he was going to go on a journey to find his wife, Athena. He could sense her location, due to a bond they had formed many years ago, and once he told the king where her presence was located, the man's eyes went wide.
He had called it the Founded Kingdoms. A region once ruled by one King, but now split into three warring countries after the beginning of the Butler War.
King Green had to go and deliver the news to his son, telling him that he would be away for a few days or weeks. The prince was to be left in charge of things.
---
After a while, Green emerged from the palace doors, dressed in a cloak and royal garments that matched his beard. He had a troubled look on his face as he made his way into the garden.
Azaleth rose from the bench to meet him.
"You do not have to come with me," Azaleth repeated what he said before. "It will only take me a few days to find her."
King Green shook his head stubbornly. "No, it's best I stay with you... We never know when I could be attacked."
I see. So it's himself that he's worried about.
King Green nodded towards the large chariot in the distance with two horses stationed in front of it. "Let us get going then, it is a couple of hours' journey before we reach the borders."
Without any more waiting around, the pair made their way to the chariot and entered its luxurious interior. It reminded Azaleth of old times.
---
Azaleth sat in the chariot, opposite King Green. Two knights sat on the horses, guiding them along the stone path, taking them towards their destination.
Every now and then, King Green looked up at Azaleth, then quickly looked away once their gazes met.
After an hour, the King finally mustered the courage to speak.
"S-so, a wife huh? Did you know each other before..." he didn't know how to finish the sentence. Azaleth appreciated the attempt at a conversation.
"Yes. All of us butlers knew each other many, many, years ago. Athena was my wife during these times."
Green's face filled with shock. "All of you?"
The King's reaction caught Azaleth off guard.
The world no longer knows the history of the butlers? Have we been forgotten?
"Yes. All of us know each other, some better than others"
For a moment, King Green stroked his green beard in thought. His eyes glanced out of the chariot window to the distant hills.
"Yet you are all at war with each other?" He asked eventually with genuine concern.
Azaleth chuckled. "It would not be the first time."
King Green was just about to ask what the butler meant when the chariot suddenly stopped. He turned around and called out to the horse riders.
"What's going on? We have somewhere to be?" He snarled, but the chariot stayed still.
After a while, the Knight called back to them. "I'm sorry, your majesty, but someone is blocking the way."
"What?" Green said, sticking his head out of the window. After a moment, he turned to stare at Azaleth.
"Umm, does your wife have blonde hair, by any chance?" He said, his face looking worried.
Blonde hair? No, Athena's hair is... wait a minute.
Green leaned his head out the window again, this time more worried than before.
"She's coming closer, butler. Wait, is that a samurai sword!"
A blonde woman with a samurai sword could only be one person.
"Who dares impersonate my sweet, beloved, Azaleth. WHOEVER'S IN THERE HAS TEN SECONDS TO COME OUT AND BEG FOR MY FORGIVENESS! Maybe I'll let you live afterwards... maybe."
"Oh heavens!" Green chirped in fear. "She's insane!"
"If you don't come out, I'm going to slice this chariot in half!"
"Aghh, no!" Green chirped again, turning to Azaleth. "Butler, you have to do something. She clearly wants you!"
Azaleth let out a sigh and rose to his feet. Then, he pushed open the chariot door and stepped out onto the stone ground.
He made his way to the front of the chariot, and there, standing ahead of him, was a woman holding a silver samurai sword by her side.
She wore a similar butler suit to his, however, her slight curves made it fit entirely differently. Her pupils were heart-shaped and glowed red, and she stood shorter than an average woman. Her face was cute and soft, despite her anger.
However, as she laid eyes on the pink-haired butler, her jaw dropped, and so did her sword, which dematerialised into her soul space.
Then, in less than a second, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms and legs around Azaleth in a tight hug.
"Azaleth, my lover, it's you. It's actually you!" She said, pecking him with kisses across the face. "I thought Kratos was lying to me. I almost cut his head off!"
Azaleth gently pulled away from the hug and stared down at the blonde woman. Her heart eyes pulsed lovingly as they stared at him, a thick smile spread across her face.
"Iris, it's... good to see that you're healthy." He stammered.
Iris twirled in joy like she had just been spoken to by her crush for the first time.
"I thought I'd never see you again." She sang, "Everything just became ten times better!"
Azaleth let out a sigh. Of all the butlers he wished to run into at that moment, Iris was near the bottom of the list.
How can I tell her without hurting her feelings again?
After careful thought, Azaleth opened his mouth to speak. "Iris, it's lovely to see you, but I'm looking for—"
"There she is!"
A sudden voice from a nearby set of trees came, followed by five men emerging onto the stone path. They all wore bandit gear and carried crude weapons.
Iris growled and spun on her feet. "These guys again? I thought I told you to get out of my way."
The men kept approaching, so Iris held her hand out and allowed her samurai sword to materialise into her hands once again. Its edge was incredibly sharp, and the blade glowed with a white magic force.
Then, she entered a stance, sword outstretched in front of her. "Now, you're going to have to die."