Just a Guy and a Gate to the Multiverse - Chapter 38 (Patreon)

Chapter 38 - A Real Disney Princess

— Jafar POV —

Let us see how long you can hide from me, little thief. You may believe yourself beyond my reach for now, but I will find you, and when I do, I will take back what is rightfully mine.

“With all due respect, Your Rottenness,” came the grating voice of Iago, the loudmouthed red parrot currently running inside the wheel that powered Jafar’s latest contraption, “couldn’t we just wait for a real storm?”

Jafar did not dignify his companion’s insolence with an answer.

Instead, the Grand Vizier stepped toward the elaborate device concealed within his secret laboratory beneath the palace. It was a magnificent construction of interlocking metal rings, alchemical mechanisms, and ancient enchantments, all arranged around a swirling mass of enchanted sand.

Thanks to Iago’s increasingly exhausted efforts, the Sands of Time had begun to stir within the center of the machine.

“Save your breath, Iago, and run faster,” Jafar commanded, not even bothering to look at the bird as he approached the device.

With deliberate care, he raised the jeweled ring he had so easily liberated from the Sultan. The enormous diamond set into it glittered beneath the strange light of the laboratory. Acquiring it had required little more than a few whispered words, a hypnotic gaze trough his Staff, and the Sultan’s usual abundance of stupidity.

Jafar placed the ring into the heart of the device.

The diamond contained more than enough power for what he required.

Somewhere in Agrabah, or perhaps beyond it, an insolent wretch possessed the magical lamp that should have belonged to him. Years of research, preparation, manipulation, and patience had been wasted because some unknown interloper had reached the Cave of Wonders shortly before him and stolen the prize he had spent most of his life pursuing.

The mere thought caused Jafar’s fingers to tighten around his staff.

How dearly that thief would pay once Jafar finally had his hands on him.

“Yes, O mighty evil one!” Iago cried from inside the wheel.

The promise of finally obtaining the lamp was apparently enough to renew the parrot’s enthusiasm. Once Jafar possessed its power, neither of them would have to endure the idiotic Sultan any longer, and Iago would presumably never again be subjected to the stale crackers he complained about so incessantly.

The parrot began running faster.

The machine immediately responded.

Arcs of electricity flashed across the metal rings, surging from one section of the device to another before converging upon the Sultan’s diamond. The gemstone blazed with brilliant light as the Sands of Time began to churn with increasing violence.

A miniature storm formed within the machine.

Jafar stepped closer, his robes stirring in the unnatural wind as he raised his staff and began the incantation.

“Part before me, Sands of Time. Cast aside the veil of secrecy and reveal the one who entered the Cave of Wonders before me. Show me the thief who dared to take my lamp.”

The sands obeyed.

Naturally.

The raging storm twisted inward before slowly parting, forming a shimmering window into the past. An image emerged within the swirling grains, indistinct at first but rapidly growing clearer.

Jafar leaned forward.

A young man appeared.

He was fair-skinned and golden-haired, certainly no one Jafar recognized from Agrabah. The vision showed him approaching the Cave of Wonders and passing through its enormous entrance.

Jafar watched every movement with predatory concentration.

The image shifted.

Deep within the Cave, the stranger reached the chamber containing the lamp. He approached its resting place, took the ancient object into his possession, and then departed without laying so much as a finger upon the mountains of treasure surrounding him.

Interesting.

The fool had actually obeyed the Cave’s warning.

More importantly, the vision showed him leaving alive.

That meant he had not been consumed when the Cave vanished beneath the desert.

A slow, vicious smile spread across Jafar’s face as he memorized every feature of the young man’s foreign face.

“At last, you reveal yourself,” Jafar murmured, his satisfaction growing with every passing moment. “After all the trouble you have caused me, I was beginning to wonder whether you still existed.”

His smile widened.

“You have led me on quite the chase, little thief, but your luck has finally run out.”

He raised one hand toward the vision.

“Now show me where I may find him.”

The Sands of Time shifted once again.

The Cave disappeared, replaced by the familiar streets of Agrabah.

Jafar’s eyes narrowed. There he was.

The same golden-haired young man was strolling casually through the bazaar, wandering among merchants and citizens without the slightest apparent concern in the world.

The sheer audacity of it was almost impressive. Almost.

This insignificant foreigner had stolen the most powerful magical artifact Jafar had ever sought, ruined years of painstaking preparation, and then proceeded to wander through Jafar’s own city as though he had done nothing more offensive than purchase a loaf of bread.

The wretch had no idea whose plans he had disrupted.

He had stolen from the Grand Vizier of Agrabah, the most powerful man in the kingdom save for one increasingly unnecessary Sultan.

More importantly, he had stolen from Agrabah’s future ruler.

Jafar’s expression darkened. Such insolence demanded correction.

“That’s him?!” Iago squawked from the wheel, staring at the image in disbelief. “That’s the clown we’ve been looking for?”

His outrage caused him to lose his rhythm.

The wheel immediately carried him upward.

Iago barely had time to squawk before he was dragged around with it and hurled violently across the laboratory, crashing into the stone wall with an undignified thud.

Jafar spared him only the briefest glance.

His attention remained fixed upon the stranger.

With a satisfied motion of his hand, Jafar dismissed the vision. The swirling image collapsed back into ordinary sand as the magical storm gradually weakened.

Jafar straightened to his full height, resting both hands upon his serpent staff as the beginnings of a new plan took shape within his mind.

There was no need to rush. The thief was already in Agrabah, comfortably within Jafar’s reach.

How convenient. A faint smile curled across the Grand Vizier’s lips.

“I believe our mysterious guest has wandered long enough without receiving the proper hospitality,” Jafar said, his voice rich with calculated amusement. “Perhaps it is time for the palace guards to extend him a personal invitation.”

From where he had collapsed against the wall, Iago groaned and rubbed his aching head.

“Well, he shouldn’t be too hard to find...”

— Matt POV —

For a Disney Setting, the Bazaar of Agrabah reminded me pretty much of what you would expect from a stereotypical bazaar somewhere in modern-day Turkey. Then again, I didn’t have much to compare it to, since most of the Holidays I went on while growing up at the Orphanage were fairly local.

The first real holiday I took with the money I had earned myself during my apprenticeship as a Chef was a trip to Turkey, so that was pretty much my only point of comparison.

And there had been a Bazaar almost exactly like this one.

Sure, instead of Wooden Carts and Stands, most of the stalls there had been made from plastic or metal, and the goods had obviously been far more modern, including tons of cheap knockoffs of Brand Clothes.

But everything else felt surprisingly similar. It was loud, crowded, and filled with friendly merchants constantly calling out to me and promising a good price. Especially if I looked at their goods for even a little too long, because then I suddenly had a brand-new best friend.

“You have a very good eye, my friend,” the owner of the Stand I had stopped at said with a wide smile while I examined a curved blade displaying masterful craftsmanship and artistry.

It was almost a piece of art rather than merely a weapon.

“The finest Blacksmith in Agrabah crafted this Scimitar! You won’t find a better blade anywhere!”

I didn’t really need another blade for fighting. Nothing he could possibly pull out could compare to my sword Islingr, a weapon forged from a meteor with the help of Magic.

“How much do you want for it?”

Still, I had to admit that it would look pretty nice as a decorative piece. Especially since this wasn’t some cheap replica, but an actual Scimitar from Agrabah.

An Original always looked better.

“For you, my good friend? You know I will give you a very good price! Three hundred Gold Pieces,” the Merchant replied in a friendly tone.

That was steep compared to the other Blades I had seen around the market. It was at least three times the price of most of them.

Then again, their craftsmanship couldn’t compare to this one at all. The blades selling for a hundred Gold or less barely had any decoration and were mostly simple, practical weapons.

Besides, I certainly didn’t lack money.

Now that I knew what the local Gold Coins looked like, I could transmute as many as I needed at any time, either from my existing Gold reserves or directly out of thin air using my recharging Philosopher Stone.

But this was a Bazaar!

Bargaining was practically part of the experience.

After having some fun negotiating with the Weapons Merchant, I managed to push the price down to two hundred Gold Pieces. I probably could have gotten it even lower, but I had only been bargaining for the fun of it anyway.

After throwing my new decorative Weapon into my Pocket Space, I continued farther through the Market until a wonderful smell suddenly caught my attention.

I stopped in front of a Grill built from Stone, where a merchant was tending to several juicy-looking Kebabs roasting on wooden skewers.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten anything yet.

“They look tasty! How much?”

“One Gold Piece for two, four Gold for ten!”

Handing over a Gold Piece that I seemingly summoned from nowhere, I nodded toward the food.

“I’ll take two!”

With my two Kebabs in hand, I bit into the first one and enjoyed the taste of freshly grilled meat spreading across my tongue.

I really had become lazy when it came to Cooking.

For the most part, I relied on the Food Synthesizers I had acquired from the Institute in the Fallout Universe. While they could provide me with tasty and perfectly nutritious Food Paste, it simply couldn’t compare to the real thing.

Maybe I should get back into proper cooking?

It had been a long time since I had put any real effort into preparing my own meals.

And before Cooking became my job, I had genuinely loved doing it.

While I continued enjoying my Kebab, a sudden commotion drew my attention.

A crowd had gathered around a large, furious Merchant who was gripping the arm of a young woman while raising a blade toward her hand.

She was a young Arabian woman of average height, but her beauty was anything but average.

Oh boy, and what a beauty she was.

Perfect almond-shaped brown eyes, high cheekbones, full red lips, and an elegant aquiline nose framed a face that immediately caught my attention.

Now that was what I called a Disney Princess.

Princess Jasmine truly was an Arabian beauty.

How was nobody else noticing that beauty?

Honestly, with this being an old Arabian Society, that Merchant could probably make her pay in some other way without facing many consequences. But this was still a Children’s Movie, after all.

Taking a good look around, I spotted Aladdin with his monkey Abu, already preparing to intervene and help her.

This was the beginning of the Plot of the original Aladdin Movie, and it was also the reason I had been wandering around the Bazaar of Agrabah since early Morning.

I hadn’t been entirely sure what I planned to do once I found them, but I had at least wanted to see everything happen in person.

Still, sorry, Aladdin. After seeing her for myself, there was no way I was going to let such a beauty pass me by.

Throwing my remaining Kebab into my Pocket Space, I pointed a Finger wearing a Ring toward Aladdin. The moment I channeled some energy into it, he suddenly froze and looked around in confusion.

This was one of the items enchanted back in the Eragon World that still gave me access to some of its Magic even without a World Attunement.

If I visited that World now, I could simply slot its Power System into my Skill and gain permanent access to it. Unfortunately, the Skill was currently on cooldown, and I didn’t have time to visit that World again in the foreseeable future.

The Spell worked into the Ring was actually pretty simple. It interfered slightly with the target’s brain chemistry and made whoever I pointed at forget whatever they had been thinking about at that exact moment.

If they were about to perform an action, they would momentarily forget what they had intended to do.

That was pretty much the entire effect. It was useful for creating very short distractions, but it wasn’t anything long-term. As soon as the target noticed whatever had originally prompted their action, the memory would usually return.

Still, that brief moment was more than enough for me.

I stepped forward, and with the Authority of a Leader behind me, my Voice cut through the crowd of onlookers. At the same time, I kept my Ring ready in case I needed to disrupt Aladdin’s thoughts again.

“And since when does a Street Merchant enforce the Law himself?”

Halting his movement, the Merchant turned toward me and eyed me warily.

“How is this any of your Business? Who are you?”

Meanwhile, Jasmine looked toward me with hopeful, doe-like eyes.

At the same time, Aladdin, who had already recovered from the Ring’s effect, stared at me in shock.

Sorry, bro. I was faster.

“I’m just a passerby,” I replied before tossing a Gold Coin toward the Merchant.

He swiftly caught it, finally releasing Jasmine’s Hand.

“Here, that should cover the Apple. Now leave the Lady alone and give me two more.”

Those Apples looked almost unnaturally perfect. They were round, bright red, and completely free of blemishes, almost as if they were plastic models rather than actual fruit.

But I knew better. Those were real Apples.

I wonder what would happen if I cultivated a tree from one of them. Would its Apples remain this perfect even in other Worlds?

The moment the Merchant released her, Jasmine immediately hurried over to my side, putting some distance between herself and the man while looking at me with a bright expression.

“Fine,” the Merchant growled as he finally put his weapon away.

He threw one last glare toward Jasmine before tossing two Apples in my direction.

“Just make sure she doesn’t cause any more trouble.”

I easily caught both Apples before leading Jasmine away from the Stand. Giving her a reassuring smile, I held one of them out toward her.

“Would you like one?”

She blinked at me for a moment before a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, and she accepted the Apple.

“Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome.”

Biting into my own Apple, I had to admit that it truly was perfect. Not only did it look flawless, but it tasted just as good as it looked.

I really needed to collect some of the different Crops growing in this World. Even if I had no idea whether they would retain these qualities when grown somewhere else, it was still worth trying.

As we walked toward a less crowded part of the Bazaar, I ignored the small glare Aladdin was throwing in my direction before turning my attention back toward Jasmine.

“So, what brings a Princess like you out here into the wild streets of Agrabah, surrounded by commoners like me?”

“Commoner? You’re a Commoner and not someone descended from the Heavens?”

Excuse me, what?

The Heavens?

Were we suddenly in a Cultivation Novel without anyone telling me?

Jasmine then seemed to realize something as her eyes widened.

“Wait, how do you know I’m a Princess?”

“It’s pretty obvious. First, there’s the way you move and conduct yourself. It’s completely different from the other People here in the Market. Then there’s your well-groomed beauty, which you’re trying to hide beneath your Hood, or simply the fact that you’re hiding beneath one in the first place. And lastly, what kind of person wouldn’t know they have to pay for things?” I chuckled as I recalled the interaction she had just had with the Merchant. “But why would you think I’m from the Heavens? Where did you get that idea?”

“You think I’m beautiful?”

That’s the part that stood out?

Well, who was I to complain? Strike while the iron was hot.

“Of course. You’re a very beautiful Woman, and not only because of your looks. You also have a very kind Soul.”

“How do you know that?” Jasmine whispered, her eyes never leaving mine.

“Didn’t I just witness it? You gave that little Boy the Apple because he was hungry.”

A faint pink dusted her cheeks at my reply.

That was honestly easier than I thought. Had nobody ever complimented her for who she was?

Oh, right. She had a parade of stuck-up Princes pursuing her for her looks and the Power that came with marrying her.

Of course a sincere compliment like that would affect her.

“Now, back to the Topic. Why did you think I was descended from the Heavens?”

Could she somehow sense the Magic and Special Powers surrounding me? Was that some kind of Ability the Main Cast of a Disney World naturally possessed?

“W-well, you’re so white… and your hair looks like gold… I thought…”

Oh, right.

That worked too.

“No, I’m simply a traveler from far away. Very far away. Where I come from, most People have similarly colored skin because the Sun doesn’t shine as strongly as it does here. And my hair is called blond. While I do take good care of mine…”

Or rather, the Ritual I had performed to improve my Body beyond its limits had also perfected my physical appearance.

“…this hair color isn’t uncommon among my People. It’s called blond. And here I tought you could sense my Magic.”

“Magic?” Jasmine asked with wonder.

“Yes, Magic!”

I summoned a few Gold Coins from my Pocket Space and, using a bit of transmutation through the trusted sleeves I wore beneath my cloak, transformed them into a small figurine of Jasmine right in front of her eyes.

As for why I wasn’t bothering to hide my Abilities, this was Disney.

Magic was simply part of the World.

It was much better than having to constantly pretend while I was here.

“Whoa, it’s so beautiful,” Jasmine gushed as she examined the small image of herself.

“It’s for you.”

I handed her the figurine before something else caught my attention.

“Now, I think it’s about time you told me why a Princess like you decided to leave the Palace all by herself.”

“Do I really have to?”

“I believe so. Your entourage has arrived,” I replied while pointing toward the horde of Guards heading straight for us.

“How did they find me?”

[ End of the Chapter ]