Emperor's Reckoning

Walking in the busy street, Lyon casually put his hands on the back on his head leisurely. The latest celebrity had been the talk of the town with everyone's gaze was full of admiration. Sadly what makes Lyon disappointed was that the majority who did it were males.

"Hey Jugen, does the language used in naming the pills different from the one that we speak?"

Jugen who was following behind him casually answered, "No it's not, why do you ask big bro?"

Lyon stopped his track and turned around, "Then can you show me the map you just got?"

With a flick of his finger, Jugen pulled out the map from his spatial ring but only to be taken by Lyon and spread the scroll. "See this word? What does it say? How can I not recognize it?" asked Lyon as he got his finger on top of a certain word on the map.

"It said 'map'," said Jugen with a confused expression. "Huh? Don't you lie to me Jugen!" replied Lyon with an annoyed face.

Lyon suddenly point a finger at someone, "Oi, you, yes you, do you have a brush with ink on you? I want to borrow them for a minute." The man didn't dare to offend and hurriedly handed them over whilst palpitating.

With a beautiful stroke and intensity, Lyon made a word besides the 'map'. Though it was unrecognizable language back on earth, any calligrapher expert would know it instantly that a master wrote it.

"See this is a 'map' word," said Lyon with a confident look.

However, Lyon didn't get the reply he sought as Jugen was staring at the word with awe. Even with a shallow knowledge of writing skills, one could feel that this word was as precise as it was beautiful.

"Oi, wake up," Lyon's voice woke him from a dreamlike state. "Huh? Sorry, big bro, I didn't pay attention."

*sigh

"Compare this word with the word I just wrote, they didn't look the same! So how can they have the same meaning if not a different language?" concluded Lyon.

"Ah, I see the problem now, big bro try to squint your eyes a little and look at the two words once more," said Jugen with brimming confident.

Lyon proceeded to do what he was told and the two words gradually blurred in his vision, but at one point before they were completely unreadable the two words looked exactly the same. (Well fuck me, it does look the same. So the problem was not about the language, but their handwriting even beats that of a doctor on earth!).

Suddenly, Lyon realized something familiar with that ugly writing. (This! Don't tell me this is the leader of the Mist Clan's handwriting?! God, I've never met in my life a woman with bad handwriting such as this, heck I guess you learn something new every day).

With a sigh, Lyon patted Jugen's left shoulder, "You have a talent to be a pharmacist."

(Huh? What the hell is a pharmacist?) thought Jugen. Instead of a face full of smiles like he was expecting, he wore the mask of confusion instead.

"Hey, don't you think Ryona acted a little different lately," asked Lyon suddenly as he continued his stroll.

The sudden change of topic made Jugen forget the question he was about to ask. "You think so? I never notice it though so I can't answer, big bro."

Recalling the first time they met, Lyon sure something had changed her. He couldn't quite put the finger on it but something was definitely different. He would suspect that Ryona was the frontal type but day by day it seems that it was changing since she lived in the castle.

"Yeah, I'm sure of it, the first time I met her she was wild just like your older sister but have a more frontal approach, now she is like... I don't know... I can't quite put a finger on it but if I have to say then... she acted like an innocent wife, you know, one of those ones that wait at home for her husband to come back from work."

Jugen contemplated a little before saying, "Isn't that like a good thing? What kind of man wouldn't want a woman like that? Just imagine it, big bro, you came home from tiresome hunting in the forest and you are greeted with a beautiful smile just as you open the door."

Lyon shook his head, before smiling, "You are an amateur at this Jugen, though you can read scribbles like it was nothing you are lacking in this department."

Then Lyon continued, "Let me put it this way so you could understand. I would use your example. Now imagine this, you are in the forest hunting like you always do. The sweat on your face and the meat in front of you are the fruit of your labor."

"But instead of going home, you face the woman beside you, equally tired but she still wiped yours with a towel she has brought."

Jugen's eyes slowly opened wide as the sudden realization was like a hammer pounding his fragile knowledge. But not just him, the surrounding who overheard their conversation was dumbstruck.

"Your thinking was not wrong, but to say that 'every man would like a wife like that' shows that you are lacking. Women have various personalities, you want to make her your wife NOT because you want to change her into something else, but because you accept all of her."

Lyon took a deep breath before saying in a mild manner. "I may very well be a perverted man to the core, but I do know about love. If I have a wife, I hope they won't change drastically because of me, so that every time I met her it would be just like the first time where I fall in love with her."

With that, Lyon casually walked back to where the girls were at, leaving his surrounding dumbstruck including Jugen. Even the women nearby were having their heart skipped a beat.

However, unbeknownst to Lyon, a particular figure was watching him from the shadow before leaving its position. Upon closer look, there was something on the ground. It was a book that looked like it was ripped in half but one could still make up the title for it. It was 'The Perfect Wife Guide."