The King's Mandate: Anomalous System

"Das"

"Das"

"Das!"

"Mom?"

"Yes, it's mom. Get up"

I got up---or I wanted to, but...my body hurts.

It hurts like hell. My entire body is aching.

"What's wrong? Get up!"

"Yeah"

It really hurts!

"What are you doing? Stop lazing around"

"I am--"

"Or did you change your mind?"

"Huh?"

"If you don't want to go to school, then you can sleep"

"I will get up"

"Nice...hey! What is that?"

"What?"

I glanced at my bed to see the cat sleeping on my bed.

"What is the cat doing here?"

I completely forgot about the cat!

"I brought it"

"Brought it? From where?"

"From the park"

"Don't lie! There are no stray animals in this city"

"I am not lying. It was really in the park"

"Even if it was, why did you bring it here?"

"It was following me?"

"The cat?"

"Yes"

"Following you?"

"Yes?"

"Stop lying. Animals hate you"

"You are hurting my feelings"

"I am telling the truth"

"I know!"

"Meow"

The cat woke up and sat on my lap"

"See? This cat likes me"

"This cat has strange tastes"

I think so too!

"How is grandpa?"

"Papa...dad is fine"

"Where is dad?"

"He is having a meeting with Elena's parents"

"About grandpa?"

"Yes"

I put the cat down and got up from the bed.

Mom was cleaning my room. 

I can barely walk. I have to somehow endure the pain and go to the bathroom.

Slowly. Slowly. Take small steps. Endure. Endure. Endure--

"Das?"

Did she see me?

"What's wrong mom?" I tried to act normal.

"What is this?"

She showed me my tablet, which had some tabs open.

"It's nothing"

"Das. Tell me what is this?"

"I was just researching"

"You call this research?"

"...."

"Why are you researching mafias?" 

"I was just looking--"

"Who are they?"

"They..."

"Do you know them? Who is this...Riku Busher...Rita Carlos...who are they?"

"I don't know them"

"Stop doing this type of stuff, you hear me?"

"I understand" 

I went to take a bath.

I couldn't sleep after I came home last night. No one would be able to sleep after what happened.

I started surfing on the internet to find some clues, but as expected, I didn't find anything. 

It's like everything was removed...there are only some who can do that.

"The government"

When I was searching, Ricky and Rikka came to my mind.

The stuff Ricky told me before. So, I searched about Ricky on the internet. When I searched "Riku Busher' it turned out he is from a mafia family.

The same goes for Rita, Rita Busher...she goes with Rita Carlos, she is also from a mafia family.

"They both are the heads of the mafia"

That explains why Ricky said that they were nemesis before they met each other. And why Rikka was so hesitant to tell us about their real names.

Maybe they don't want us to know? Maybe they just want to keep it a secret?

Ricky has killed 1132 people so far. His first kill was when he was 7.

Rikka has killed 567 people.

They are mafia, so there are other small gangs backing them up.

I had a disgusting thought that they might be the part of those men from yesterday. Then I remembered what Ricky told me that day.

"If you need any help, hit me up. I will be there to help you"

There is no way they are involved in this matter.

"At least I hope so"

They are my first adult friends.

Was grandpa targeted too? Maybe that's the reason he is always paranoid.

He has killed 2198 people so far. The two men he killed yesterday were the same men who were trying to take the box of the sword.

"I knew something was fishy" 

I got out of the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror.

"There are no wounds"

Not even a scar was left.

"What exactly is happening to me?"

My left eye was red too. It was literally glowing.

"Turn my eyes red!"

What the hell am I doing?

"I am going insane"

After eating breakfast, I went to the park, as usual.

I am standing in front of the tree I was lying last night.

"No blood traces"

There are no blood traces, but I am sure that there will be on that road or so I was thinking, but when I saw the news, there was no mention of it.

"It's not strange if those people cleared up everything"

I am sure those guys are some big shots and somehow involved with the government.

"I don't have any proof but--"

Someone covered my eyes.

Who is it?! Could it be one of those guys!

I punched--

"Guess who?"

"Elena?"

Dammit!

I almost punched her.

I am being too paranoid. I don't think they will attack in broad daylight. There are cameras everywhere. And patrol drones too, but there are some spots that are not covered. We always kiss and do other stuff in the areas which are not covered by cameras. 

"What's wrong?"

"Don't do that from now onwards"

"Why?"

"It's dangerous"

"How rude. It's not like my hands are dirty or anything" Elena said, puffing her cheeks. 

"That's not what I meant"

"Hmph" 

"Stop pouting" 

"I am not pouting. Hmph"

"You clearly are"

"Idiot"

"Sorry"

That was my fault.

"Buy me something"

"We will drop by somewhere on our way back"

"Hmph"

"Now what? Stop pouting"

"If I keep pouting, then I can make you do anything"

"....."

"Das"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you punching the tree?"

"Huh?"

I saw my right hand...why am I punching the tree?

"Your hand has been like that ever since I came here. You should stop this before someone catches you"

Was I unconsciously...

"It's okay. They are fake trees after all"

This tree, all the trees in this park, the bushes, everything is artificial, fake. They don't do anything.

Not only this park. This entire city. All the trees are fake. There are only around 30 real trees in this city, the sightseeing place Elena and I went to that day. It's not just this city, this country, all the 7 countries are in the same situation. 

The wars which are happening from the past hundreds of years and this so-called technology destroyed everything. There are no physical papers in the world, only cash that too is not exactly paper. Because trees are valuable. They realized it after there were no trees left.

To atone for their foolishness, they invented artificial trees. They are nothing but decorations.

New trees can't be planted now. The soil, the ground, cannot give the necessary substances to the trees. They are treasuring the trees now.

If anyone tries to harm the real trees in any way, there is only one punishment and that is...instant death.

This is too, one of the deadly laws of the world.

To fill in for the lack of oxygen in the atmosphere, they developed artificial oxygen, but that too is...not so efficient. Oxygen tanks are planted everywhere. They release oxygen continuously for 24 hours. 

It helps the body's needs but isn't actually useful, but it's better than nothing.

This is a depraved reality of the world we live in.