And I'm back, with Chapter 30.
For old and new readers alike, this is going to be where we last stopped at.
Now this Chapter might seem a bit...out of place?
I also have no doubt that this might be the point some people might think "Man, F this fic, it's no longer about what the summary promised at all!"
And indeed, it might appear to be just that.
But Papa Seer has his plans.
It just takes time to get there and make everything look connected, reveal their place and importance to the long, arduous path that is grasping the Heavens.
With that said, this Chapter is very relaxed and with no fighting going on.
But just as a bit of a heads-up, there will be a big fight going on in a couple Chapters' worth.
Hope you enjoy the read, and let me know your thoughts about it so far.
I kinda need reviews, tbh. Not to boost my own ego, but to understand how much of what I wanted to transmit to the readers got across and which part need more clarification, what needs to be fleshed out more, you know?
Since this fic is kinda subtle regarding, well, everything.
Kay bye.
XXX
The time had come.
Months ago when Fuzen questioned what the next step towards his goal would be, he had a revelation as he fell asleep on his balcony, a revelation that made everything clear in but a heartbeat.
Ever since Fuzen had laid out his plans and worked towards making the next step towards his goal possible.
The many hours of studying topics related to flora and fauna both in and outside of the Dungeon, the hours spend learning the basics of smithing from Tsubaki, the various other crafts he had invested time in...Alone, they made little sense to the people around him. However, once put together, they would makes sense as a puzzle with all it's pieces put together would.
But, that was something for another time.
Just like living, everything needed to be done one step at a time, annoying as it was.
So he checked his suit once again, looking for any imperfections with his appearance. He found none, and thus gave himself a small nod.
Then he reached out and knocked at the door.
XXX
"Are you all ready?" The Captain asked with one of his usual smiles as he put down the sheet of paper he held in his hand. One by one, those who would accompany him have knocked and entered his office, waiting until all those whose presence was needed were present. For the event which they would attend shortly, the Pallum chose a fine suit of royal purple and gold, an improvement over his usual attire but still bearing similarities.
The wide Dwarf inside the office was the first to answer. Unlike his usual battle armour, he wore a simple yet elegant navy suit, the clothes hugging his frame tightly but not uncomfortably. "As ready as ever, aye."
"Still, to think this is what he was planning…" The High-Elf shook her head, arms crossed around her chest. "Consider me surprised." As for her clothes, she chose a simply yet elegant white elven dress for the occasion which covered most of her body except her arms, on which she instead wore long white gloves.
"It's all fine, ain't it?" The only Deity responded with a smirk. "It's more fun this way~" The Patron Deity herself was dressed in a strapless one-piece dress the colour of dark wine-red, just like the clothes she forced a certain someone to wear.
"Be that as it may be...are we just going to forget what happened just a week ago?" Riveria inquired with a small frown, barely visible yet still present. "This pace of his...is it not uncommon?"
A moment of silence followed, all three who had been present remembering the scene from that morning. Then, Finn spoke as he interlocked his fingers on the desk before him. "It is his path, Riveria."
"A bloody one. One where he feels nothing for his actions." The High-Elf replied.
"...Think about our profession, Riveria. If you do, you will understand it is not that different."
"Indeed…" Gareth agreed as he gave his beard a long, slow stroke.
"He's just a child, Finn. A child who beheaded a man in front of a crowd of people without the slightest hesitation."
"Without hesitation, you say?" Finn asked with a chuckle, intrigued as to how his Familia's Vice-Captain failed to notice that little hint back then. "I am surprised, Riveria. I thought you of all people would notice it as well."
"Hmm?"
"Hehe. You can take the Riveria out of the Mama, but not the Mama out of Riveria. ~" Loki said through chuckles, fingers pointed at the Elf.
"Who are you calling Mama?"
"Hmhm...Anyway, I simply ask you to trust me on this, Riveria. There are high chances Fuzen is not that hard to understand as I initially believed." The Pallum stated on a more serious note yet still with the same sly smirk plastered to his face as always.
"Hm? Is this still about that thing you mentioned way before, Finn?" The Dwarf inquired as he came to the realization of what Finn's words meant. "The thing about you taking him under your wing?"
"It's not that surprising, is it?" Finn shrugged, getting up from his seat and walking up to the window on the left side of his office. "I never said I gave up on that ambition of mine. Fuzen will become a pillar of this Familia. Of our Familia. Not like I have much work to do: after all, he already began to fulfil that role by himself. All that is needed is a bit of...guidance. Especially regarding his people skills..." He stated.
"Is that what your intuition is telling you, Finn?" His Goddess asked him with open eyes, her jester persona gone as if never present.
The Braver responded with a silent nod, his back still turned to his Deity. "Yes. Those last thirteen years...It's been peaceful, despite what happened back then with Evilus. But...we can't be certain that will remain so for much longer." Then he turned to look at his comrades and Goddess, people he had known for half his life. "That menace is still out there. We need to be the next. We need to be victorious. We need to be the last." He said slowly as he looked between the three, each time getting a nod in response, as well. "And for that, we need Fuzen."
"...But, to place that much burden on a child. On him and Ais…The burden of facing-"
"That will not happen." Finn cut the High-Elf off, a smile taking form on his lips. "It is why we are here, after all. Or am I wrong?"
"...No. Of course not."
"Aye. 'Twould rain pigs before I let that happen."
The three Loki Executives shared a nod as Loki watched them from the side. Then, a knock at the door.
"Captain, it is Fuzen."
"Come in."
Not waiting any longer Fuzen opened the door and stepped inside the room.
Though they were aware of what Loki chose for him to wear to the event Fuzen himself was hosting, it was nonetheless a surprise for the three grown-ups to see the boy dressed in a dark wine-red six-buttoned suit and wearing shining black, plain-toe monk strap shoes.
His long hair was also neatly held in a loose ponytail, his face for once not covered by his fringes. "Captain, Alf-sama, Landrock-sama, Loki-sama. I once again extend my gratitude to you for taking time off your busy schedules to attend this event I am hosting. Truly, I am honoured." The boy extended his gratitude with a bow of his head, yet before he could even think about his next words, Loki jumped at him with extended arms, hugging him and holding him closely to her body.
"I knew it! I knew this suit would be the best! What a cutie you are, Fuzen!"
The boy's expression hardly changed. "I am not cute. I am deadly."
"Sure you are! Heavens, why couldn't you be a girl…? Damn you, Fortuna, you evil witch! I'll get you when I come back to Heaven!"
"...I need an adult." The boy whispered with a sigh.
"I am an adult, Fuzen~." Loki replied with a grin.
"...I also wished to inform you all that the carriages have arrived. We can depart if my sirs and ladies are ready." Fuzen added, his way of talking even more formal as he was the host of this event.
"Hmhm. Of course." Finn replied as he walked forward, as did the other two. Then Fuzen turned to his Goddess, who was wearing a matching dress to his and extended his arm for her to lean on. "My lady."
Her shock stunned her for a single moment, a couple words whispered along."Oh my...If we could only re-create this moment when you are 7 years older…"
"If that is your wish, I shall try and see it to completion." He replied, as always taking her words at face value and not even trying to read any further than it.
Nonetheless, Loki accepted his offer to accompany her all the way to the place where the event would be held, grabbing his arm and then setting off, Fuzen matching his speed to hers.
It would be a long night, indeed.
XXX
"Hahahaha, this feels weird and somehow disgusting, sticking to my skin like this! Hahaha!" The laughter echoed throughout the hallway as Seiji made his way downstairs, having just finished changing into the western attire known as a suit.
His Patron God let out a faint chuckle as he waited downstairs for his second and likewise last Familia member. He also wore a high quality suit, but unlike Seiji's navy blue one, Miach's suit was black with a white shirt underneath. His tie was also simply red, in contrast to Seiji's dotted, black and white one.
"Well, it's not like I don't understand what you mean, Seiji-kun." The God replied, and Seiji was about to reply with one more laugh, but then he spotted his Captain waiting besides Miach and he remained frozen as he descended down the stairs.
...Holy Heavens, Holy Heavens, Holy Heavens…
In truth, he had already seen the dress before after the tailor Fuzen hired to take care of their attire visited their shops with the custom-made clothes he prepared after taking their measurements, but seeing Naaza wearing that champagne coloured dress tightly embracing her form, her left leg mostly exposed as the frilled skirt fell on her right one, her hair pulled back in a cute bun which accentuated her Chienthrope ears...It simply took his breath away.
So much so, in fact, he forgot to look where he was stepping which resulted in him falling down the last six steps.
"Seiji-kun, are you alright?!" Miach was upon him in but a heartbeat, his inner Mom coming out at the sight of one of his precious children getting hurt.
The boy in question opened his eyes after a short moment and gazed towards the likewise worried Naaza.
Then a smile crept on his face. "...I am now. Hahahaha!" He replied as he pulled himself back to his feet, checking himself quickly to see if the suit had been dirtied during the fall. Luckily, he already cleaned the shop thoroughly before closing so that had not been the case.
"...You need to be more careful, Seiji." Voiced Naaza.
"Sorry, sorry, hahaha! You are always beautiful, Captain, but today I got to see an elegant kind of beautiful side of you, so I was just taken aback! Hahahaha!" True to himself Seiji held nothing back and his earnestness managed to get a rare blush out of Naaza, the girl quickly turning around to hide it. Her tail did little to hide her true feelings, however. "Damn, I really need to hurry up and make us rich. Then I could afford clothes like these for Captain and Boss, and then we could all go out like this every once in a while, right? Hahahaha!"
A hand gently reached out to pat his head, Miach smiling at him. "All in due time. For now, let us be on our way. We don't want to be late, now do we?"
"Hahaha, yeah! Can't wait to see what that stone-faced shorty managed to bring to life!"
Closing their pharmacy one hour earlier than usual, the two members which made up the entirety Miach Familia along with their Patron Deity set out, their destination the newest building in Orario.
XXX
Was it really this simple all this time…? The brown haired girl questioned herself as she looked at the piece of paper in her hand.
Of course, she also knew this growth was because she rarely had the money or chance to update her Status, something made even more difficult since she needed to avoid her Captain at all costs.
Thus, she had observed him from afar, memorizing his daily as well as weekly routine before finally having a set schedule in mind regarding his movements. Knowing he would be away for the reminder of the day she had made her way towards her Familia's Home, a place she rarely visited, and for good reasons.
Using her newly-developed senses and light footwork, the girl had little trouble sneaking through the hallways of the Soma Familia Home, making her unseen way to the private quarters of her Patron Deity.
From there, everything was far simpler.
She simply gave the God a pouch containing her monthly payment to the Familia and then another one which was needed to update her Status. In a manner that was similar to an automaton, her God broke off from his brewing for a moment to update her Status, copying the progress on a piece of paper which he handed her before returning to his brewing.
No words had been uttered by him and thus the girl simply left after uttering a half-hearted thanks.
No reason to think about that anymore. Instead…
She brought up the piece of paper as she made her way out of the Home and looked at it for a long moment.
Liliruca Arde
LV 1
STR G 208 → 212
VIT F 349 → 357
DEX G → F 294 → 301
AGI D 533 → 539
MAG E 417 → 420
Magic: Cinder Ella
Skill: Artel Assist
It was getting harder to improve.
This time around she only had an improvement of 28 points across all Stats. It was great, of course, but she had slain two members of her Familia since the last Update a month prior. Yet compared to the first update after the first Soma Adventurer she had killed with her own hands the progress this time around was only around half of that.
She knew the reason for this.
Compared to the first time, killing the Level 1 members of Soma Familia was no longer a real hard challenge for her. Combined with her use of underhand tricks and poisons the Excelia she gained became less and less with each repetition of her hunt.
But even so, this is...incredible. Lili thought to herself as she looked over the Status update.
Before setting her mind to hunt down the Adventurers who misused her in the past most of her Stats had been at H rank. Now they had all improved, her Agility even jumping three whole ranks.
This was what taking the lives of eight Adventurers amounted to.
It had made her stronger.
Sharper.
Better.
At this rate not even a Level Up was out of the equation anymore. The one feat she never believed possible for a mere Pallum Supporter like her was now becoming a possibility.
And still, what was lost for that…?
This hunger for vengeance, this initiative she had taken, it had not been started by her.
No, this was something another started for her.
The person in whose face she threw dirt, and the person she had betrayed like so many others before. He was responsible for her taking those actions, he was at the back of her mind when she was in great peril, lending her the extra something she needed to push forward no matter the hardship.
Though she had kept her distance his feats were not unknown to her.
In fact, Lili had been passing through the central plaza surrounding the Babel when the transmission from back then sprang to life.
The declaration of war had come as a shock, one from which she needed a good couple of minutes to shake out of.
Then the next day came, the day of the battle itself.
Two emotions had swirled inside of her as she watched that battle unfold, as did all of Orario. Two emotions so far removed from each other, yet still so closely associated.
Absolute awe and absolute fear.
A boy, not even older than her, standing strong against a whole kingdom and bringing thunder and lightning on it as he walked forward, neither their walls nor Magic strong enough to keep him away.
A human of unequalled grit and resolve, who stood his ground against anything and everything like the tallest of unmovable mountains. That is the person who extended a hand to her, and that is the person she chose to betray out of her own fear and cowardice.
Lili had no doubts that her actions that day would count as her greatest regret of her life
But there was nothing she could do to change the past.
So instead, she now tried to grasp for forgiveness by casting her old weak self aside and embracing a path of uncertain peril.
It was a dangerous path she chose.
If it ever came to light that she was the one behind the recent murders targeting only Soma Familia Adventurers her Captain would no doubt bring the whole Familia upon her.
Maybe he would offer those addicts the Soma wine as a reward for whoever managed to bring him her head. If it ever came to that Lili doubted her chances at survival.
And that is why she needed to tread carefully towards her goal: target Level 1 Soma Adventurers, corner and weaken them then go in for the kill. Slowly but surely increasing her own Status until Level 2.
Then she could go in for the main target: her Captain.
Once his head was rolling at her feet the rest of the Familia would be easy to take care of, one by one as she had done so far.
Then she could dissolve the Familia that made her life a living hell, the Familia that forced her to betray the one ray of light which had shed of her life. And then she could go forth and say the words she wanted to utter.
I am sorry. I was weak. Forgive me.
She didn't know if her apology would be of any help.
Fuzen had been stubborn in his silence on the day she betrayed him.
Alas, he did not choose her as a victim for his sword. Following that day he had simply walked away. Initially she believed he would return to bring his punishment down upon her, but...that didn't happen.
Today is the opening ceremony...right? Lili thought to herself as she approached one of the candles along the hallway, using it's flame to burn her Status update. I could use my Magic to sneak inside…
Then she shook her head before the thought could crystallize in her mind. "...No, it's not time yet. Not yet..."
First she needed to take care of the stain that was her Familia. Only then could she allow herself to step in front of him again.
So she left her Familia Home and glued herself to the shadows of the city, making for her small room she had rented.
She still had to plan her actions for the following week, while also accounting for her Captain finding out about her sudden progress and what she could do in case he would start suspecting her as the one responsible for the deaths of his lackeys.
There would be no sleeping tonight, either…
XXX
The time had come, and the grand opening was being held.
From Deities of high prestige to mortals of high status, all who replied to the invitations in time had been allowed to come on this day to the grand opening.
To both his surprise and that of his Familia members, even an official from Altena had come through formal request put in by the Queen herself, the very same girl Fuzen forced into beheading her Treasurer with a rusty knife.
Indeed, all sorts of important individuals had arrived. Gods above all, eccentric as they were.
So then...
Why isn't she here...? The boy asked himself as he scanned the room for both silver and amethyst, but found none.
His Captain was present.
Dressed in a fine suit of royal purple and gold, an improvement over his usual attire, the Pallum chatted with a couple of other Captain in the far side of the room.
His Vice-Captain was also present.
The High-Elf had chosen a simply yet elegant white elven dress for the occasion which covered most of her body except her arms on which she wore long white gloves. Having found a painting which seemed to pull her in, the High Elf failed to notice the distant yet present crowd of people, all of whom were admiring her from a distance.
Fuzen swore to himself that if those degenerate Gods didn't stop salivating at Riveria soon countless pillars of light would rise to the skies by the time midnight came.
Gareth was present, as well.
Rare as it was for all three Top Executives of the Loki Familia to do this, they had all decided to be present for the grand opening, leaving the matters of the Familia in the capable hands of their juniors, Raul, Aki and Bete among them.
As for Loki herself, she was glued to Fuzen, her strapless one-piece dress matching Fuzen's six-buttons suit in it's dark wine-red colours. Unknown to Fuzen himself she was proud and allowed no chance to show-off to escape her.
However, while Fuzen appreciated his Familia for taking the time to attend his grand opening, his mind was preoccupied with one matter, and one matter alone.
...Where are you...?
Of course, he was aware that the question was only rhetorical.
Taking in consideration that which had happened a short while ago he could not blame the girl for not responding to the invitation he sent her way, despite the letter having been sent before the day of his duel when it all went downhill.
But even so he found himself questioning.
And it confused him as to why.
There was no longer any sort of acquaintanceship between him and the silver-haired girl. Not since the day of his duel.
So then, why do I want her to be here?
Fuzen asked himself as he looked around.
The building the event he held was located at was entirely his.
It was the newest building in Orario and just like Loki Familia's Twilight Manor, it was located within Orario's first District on the main street of said District.
Following his re-join of the Loki Familia Fuzen had gathered all the businessmen under him and told them of his plan.
Or better said, of the surface idea behind the plan.
It had been met with overwhelming positivity and when asked whatever they wished to contribute to it's founding, the council all agreed. It was also a stroke of luck for Fuzen as he was running low on money.
Though his victory over Al-Dale earned him over three billion Valis, most of that money he invested in the East District. Buying businesses and shops while also making sure to improve and renovate apartment complexes for his new subjects to live in. Add in the costs of creating new jobs, the costs of his grand plan which saw the District rid of it's vermin which he exterminated to the last and the costs of the new building as well and Fuzen was all but broke.
At the moment he made a little over half a million per month through his passive income as owner and Master of the various restaurants and other businesses in his District, and that sum was nothing to scoff at in itself, but he had required far more for his newest plan.
He was thankful so many had decided to back him up.
'La Muse'
That was the name of the art gallery Fuzen had entrusted the Goibniu Familia to construct for him. The art gallery whose construction had been completed just a week ago.
As for the building itself, it was built in the form of an octagon. As expected of any art gallery each of it's ground floor sections was a large room where paintings were on display, while the section linked to the entrance into the building was where the reception was located.
Passage through the different sections could be gained by simply walking through the cased openings and glass hallways connecting each of the octagon's sections.
The first floor was also used for exhibitions, but not as much as the ground floor. Here was also where the utility rooms, storage rooms and break room for the employee were located, as well as the director's office.
The centre of the building was spacious and in truth modelled to look like a Far Eastern garden, with a myriad of vegetation and small trees to be enjoyed as well as two ponds.
It wasn't simply a garden, however.
The centre was likewise a tea house.
One of the businesswoman under Fuzen had mentioned in the past her desire to expand her business, and her Young Master decided to implement her wish with the construction of the art gallery. Suffice to say, the woman herself was overjoyed at this idea and how it turned out.
"Oh my, this is beautiful." The red-haired Goddess glued to his arm said as they walked as she spotted a painting on display.
It was a painting of the Dungeon, the Water City and it's waterfalls to be precise. It looked real enough to make one believe they were actually before the waterfalls, feeling the dampness in the air and the freshness of the air, that is how vibrant the colours were.
It was also one of Fuzen's own paintings, which his director estimated at roughly eight hundred thousand Valis, titled 'Passage of Time'.
To those closer to him, his sudden interest might have seemed rather confusing. But to Fuzen himself, there was nothing to be confused about.
Just like the different subjects he was learning about each day before bed, just like his part-time apprenticeship under Tsubaki and just like his need to learn the trade of a mapper, this was but another requirement towards the next step of his goal. And so he found a famous painter in Orario and asked him to teach him everything there was to his trade.
That is all the building and his paintings were meant for.
"You never told me you were good at painting, Fuzen." His Goddess voiced as she continued to stare at the painting on display.
"I'm not. I learned recently. It's not harder than learning sword-fighting." He added with a shrug.
Obviously enough, it's not like the art gallery only had his works on display. Fuzen neither had the time to do it that extensively nor was this requirement that important. Out of all the requirements needed to reach the next step, this was probably the least important.
Out of the eight sections La Muse's ground floor used for exhibition, only one was used for his own works. The others seven sections had been used to exhibit the works of other painters and artists from both Orario and the outside who had signed contracts with him after being contacted by his art director.
For now paintings were everything that was available but soon enough they would also exhibit sculptures two Dwarven artists were working on.
Fuzen felt a presence approaching him from behind, but knew it was not a threat. "Hahaha, the shorty lying again!" Seiji exclaimed as he palm struck Fuzen's back. "Ain't no reason to lie now, right bro?"
"I'm not your 'bro', bro."
"Hahahaha! Truth be told, Loki-sama, this stone-faced shorty dabbled in these kind of things a long time ago." He added with a smirk as he noticed Fuzen glaring at him. "Was pretty good at it, as well." Seiji then pointed on the opposite wall at a painting depicting an eastern, coastal village.
That village was where Seiji was born and Fuzen grew up in, a village by the northern coast of the Far Eastern Sea: Yomogita.
The painting itself showed the everyday life of the village, the women going about their housework, the men with their ships out on the sea fishing, the sun reflecting on the water...Overall, it was an amazingly detailed painting titled 'Everyday life' by it's painter, Fuzen himself.
"Hahaha, I haven't been away long but I do miss it a bit, especially Hachiman-sama!" Seiji voiced as he looked over at the painting, a certain look of nostalgia in his eyes. "Thanks, bro!"
"...I have done nothing to warrant gratitude from you, though?" Fuzen replied before turning to look at the other two individuals approaching him and Loki. "Miach-sama. Erisuis-sama. I thank you for making time to attend this event of mine." Fuzen bowed his head slightly after shaking their hands.
"Of course. We would not have missed it for anything, Fuzen-kun." Miach replied with a nod before looking over at Loki, still glued to Fuzen's arm and at her crimson dress which matched Fuzen's own suit. "You look stunning today, Loki!"
The God failed to notice his Captain's stare on his back.
"Heyo, Miach! Everything going well for you?"
The tall God placed a hand on both his Children's shoulders, pulling them closer to him. "Of course."
"Hmhm, I see..."
Observing the two Gods going into talks he was not really interested in, Fuzen decided to slip away from Loki's grasp and with a head sign told Seiji to follow him as well. The two then walked up to the next section of the building, silence reigning between them for a few moments.
Fuzen was the first to speak, making sure they were out of ear's reach from anyone. "Don't bring up the past anymore. I don't appreciate it."
"It's not a big deal, is it?" His friend replied.
"It is for me."
"Bro, you're too ser-" He stopped mid-sentence, realizing he was just about to make a grave mistake.
Fuzen looked on ahead. "Go on."
"No...sorry, my mistake." Seiji apologized. "But...how will this all help you?" He asked afterwards, looking around at the building and art on display. "I mean, I know I'm dumb, but I just can't see how all this is connected."
His old friend did not reply immediately. He stopped in place, looking around at the paintings of the other artists who signed contracts with his art gallery. At the Gods and people spread around and chatting while enjoying the art on display. "...It is going to act as proof."
Seiji raised an eyebrow as he scanned his old friend's face for clues as to the exact meaning of his words. "...Proof? Of what?"
"Of the impossible that I will cut away with my sword." Fuzen replied as he turned on his heels and headed back to the section they had just left. "It is going to be held soon. Let us return. And do not bring up my past ever again, in front of no one." He added.
Seiji sighed. Though he wanted to, there was little he could do against it."...Sir, yes, sir."
"...Have you become stronger?" The question was surprising to say the least, especially since Seiji was not used to hear it from his mouth.
"...Hahaha! You bet your ass I did! Already have two Stats at G rank!" He laughed as he raised his thumb up. "I'll be right there besides you in a sec, don't worry!"
…
…
…
"You are literally five lifetimes too early to even think of that."
"...Bruh, you got sass! Hahaha! You know I'm two years older than you, don'tcha shorty?"
"...And you are five lifetimes worth of training weaker than me. In the end, it balances itself out." Fuzen shrugged while keeping his nonchalant expression strong.
"...Bruh!"
One by one everyone who was invited to the opening ceremony made their way into the section of the building where Fuzen's own works were located, to the right of the section where the reception was located.
It was time for the director's speech, after all.
Though Yamamoto and his business council worried that a suitable art director would be hard to find, Fuzen found the perfect person for the job on the very first day they began to hold interviews.
Many people came forward to apply for the position: well-known artists, professors of arts from schools of high prestige, collectors who wanted to increase their influence in the art world.
Many come forward equipped with knowledge and educations well-suited for the position as Fuzen's art director for La Muse.
But in the end, it was a person with no official qualifications which drew Fuzen's attention.
Standing at the side of his Goddess and his Familia Executives before the small scene the employees had prepared, Fuzen waited for the art director to appear. On the scene before them was a table with a single bowl on it containing a large number of straps of paper as well as two chairs positioned opposite of each other and lastly, a canvas near the chair facing the crowd of people.
...She's late. Fuzen thought to himself as he mentally kept track of the time she made him wait. It was already in the minutes. Sigh...That crazy Elf woman is no doubt harassing some other artist somewhere…
A couple more minutes passed, Fuzen reaching the point where he wanted to go and look for the woman himself.
However just then he heard the crowd around him starting to whisper to themselves as they turned to look to the side.
She had finally arrived.
"I apologize for the wait." The soft, gentle voice addressed the gathered crowd as her calm steps drew closer to the stage.
By now, most of the male guests began to talk or whisper in hushed tones as they kept their eyes glued to the Elven woman making her way up the stage.
She was a woman of otherworldly beauty.
With chocolate brown hair reaching past the middle of her back and forest green eyes of incredible brightness, his art director was certainly one of the most physically good-looking women Fuzen himself had ever seen.
She wore a spree dress with two straps over her shoulders and a thin cleavage which went from her chest down to above her bellybutton, the long dress cut from the waist down to reveal the sides of her legs.
Once on the stage she turned to look at the crowd as she pushed her rimless oval glasses up her nose, a soft smile on her lips. A smile which still made Fuzen shudder.
"Ahem. To all of you who responded to the invitations our art gallery extended, as well as to those who reached out to us for permission to attend our opening ceremony, I welcome you. I am Cellica Brightgrove and as per the decision of our esteemed owner…" She raised her hand to Fuzen, the boy giving a small nod in response. "...I am the first director of our art gallery, La Muse. My name will probably not ring any bells for I was just an art dealer and enthusiast until recently when our owner decided to search for someone suited for the position of art director, which I have applied for. As I am the one standing in front of you today, well, I suppose that needs little further explanation."
Cellica slowly turned her head, looking at the gathered mass of people before her. Then she spread her arms wide open. "Art is wonderful!" She shouted enthusiastically, taking some of the guests by surprise. "It is the purest manifestation of one's thoughts and beliefs made manifest! Art is what links the past and the present together! Art is beautiful!" She added even louder than before. "And to show you esteemed guests just how wonderful it is, our gallery's staff has decided on a game."
The Elf then moved closer to the table where the bowl full of tiny scraps of paper was placed. "Before you entered the gallery everyone was asked to pull one single paper from a bowl. Each scrap of paper has a number written on it. I will now draw one number from here and the guest with the same number will receive a portrait of themselves drawn in real-time by none other than…" She raised her hand, directing the audience's attention to Fuzen. "...our gallery's owner." She smirked.
Though he had little desire to be anywhere near the Elven woman Fuzen let out a sigh and turned to his Goddess. "It is time for me to take the stage. Please stop clinging to my arm, Loki-sama."
"Nooooo~" One dramatic, Loki-style break-up later Fuzen jumped up on the stage and made his way to the chair and canvas prepared in advance to him. Taking off his suit he gave a nod to Cellica.
"I will now draw a number from this bowl and the guests with the matching number may step forward and sit on the chair. However, if for any reasons you do not wish for a portrait please inform me and I will draw again. Then…" She reached into the bowl, mixing the scraps before choosing one. "...Number eighty-four."
A moment later a hand rose high in the air from the crowd. "That's me!" The honey haired woman replied merrily. It was the Goddess Demeter, Patron Deity of the largest Familia in Orario.
Despite her high count of Children, however, they were not a combat-oriented Familia but rather an agricultural Familia. It was them that provided a good part of Orario with food. With that said, though Demeter Familia possessed few members of a higher Level than Level 1, Demeter's influence reached far.
"Goddess Demeter. Would you like to receive a portrait of yourself drawn by the hands of our owner?" Cellica asked and the Goddess nodded as she made her way through the crowd up to the stage, taking a seat on the chair opposite of Fuzen and his canvas placed on an easel. She smiled warmly at the young artist, but he simply raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Then please stay still for roughly fifteen minutes while our owner finishes your portrait, Goddess Demeter."
"Fifteen minutes?" Someone from among the crowd asked in surprise.
"Indeed, my esteemed guest." Cellica nodded, turning to face the crowd once again. "Our owner has mastery over painting techniques not many are capable of. The painting will be finished by the time fifteen minutes have passed. Our owner will begin now: my esteemed guests may take a break or remain and watch the progress. If you do, however, please do remain as quiet as possible." Cellica informed as Fuzen pulled his sleeves up, checking his brushes and colours one more time.
They were good to go, and he already primed his canvas beforehand by applying a layer of gesso to it in order for the colours to stand out more and prevent the oil from sinking into it, leaving dull patches on the surface. "Would you like me to flesh out any part of the painting for you, my lady?" Fuzen asked as he took a seat and began to apply oil to the sides of the canvas with his painting knife.
"Oh. I have little knowledge on art. What would you suggest?" Demeter asked in return. Fuzen turned his eyes to her, staring at her honeyed coloured hair, her golden eyes, the beige long dress she was wearing, her voluptuous chest…
She is beautiful.
…
…
…
What the hell did my mind go blank just now?
"...You are mind-boggling beautiful." True to himself he held nothing back, earning himself a faint blush from the Goddess of Harvest. "I would position you in the very middle of the painting, blurring out the masses behind you as well as the background as a whole. After all, even if I were to be detailed on the surroundings I doubt anyone who would lay eyes on the painting would focus on anything but you."
Though he had little idea why the crowd behind Demeter began to laugh. He simply shrugged and continued his process. Behind him he could feel the gaze of his art director, not so much focused on him as on the painting he was drawing. As always, it made him feel goosebumps all over.
With the edges of the painting done he grabbed a brush and began to focus on Demeter. He had one long look at her posture, her smile, the waves of her hair, the shadows on her dress, then started to form her on the canvas.
To the people still remaining in the section of the art gallery, it looked like he was just slapping his brush against the canvas. To Cellica standing behind him, all she could see were masterful strokes of his brush, able to create different shades of the colour he was using by adjusting the force he was using as he moved it.
'The upper layers of paint must be thinner than the lower layers.'
His art teacher he sought out taught him. Diluting his paint with the turpentine he had on hand Fuzen adjusted the thinness before proceeding.
'It is important to only touch the painting very lightly when adding additional layers using the wet-on-wet technique.'
And that is what he did.
As much as he hated it, Fuzen's greatest strength with the sword was not his talent or his power or anything even remotely similar. In truth, his greatest mastery lay in his ability to control every aspect of himself.
The amount of power he put into his legs.
The amount of strength he put into his arms.
The amount of Ki he reallocated to different parts of his body.
As someone who was very average in terms of his Ki pool size, Fuzen had been required to learn how to use his Ki sparingly. Thus, through years upon years of training, he could control the exact amount of power and Ki he was required to put behind any attack in order to cut something.
Not too little.
Not too much.
Always just the exact amount.
Suffice to say, his mastery overcontrol was probably the only aspect of himself that was greater than even his Mistress's, and that is why with a single waving motion of his brush he managed to paint one lock of hair with both highlight as well as shadows, his power output correct down to the minute details, making the colour lighter and darker in the same stroke as was required.
'Too much pressure on your brush can either push the new colour into the existing one and create a muddy colour or lift the paint instead of laying it down.' His art teacher told him, but only once. He too noticed Fuzen's awe-inspiring control and never spoke of control-related matters again.
A couple of minutes had passed. Seven, if he were to be exact. Most of Demeter was done, but he left her face for last. It was too beautiful to be done quickly.
Fuzen looked over his canvas at the crowd behind the Goddess: most have decided to remain and observe the process. Less people would have made it easier for him, but he already decided on making them look blurry, so in the end it mattered little.
Cleaning his brush on the towel he then dipped it into the black oil and began with the males, as most of them wore black suits and thus made it easier for him. As he continued drawing he could hear the panting of his art director behind him.
He was too scared too look back, however, and so he decided to simply not look back.
Once the males in the crowd were finished he cleaned his brush again, this time dipping it into white oil: the colour a large number of females decided to dress into. As the dresses were different sizes and styles he required slightly more time, but not enough to make him go over the promised fifteen minutes.
He still had four minutes left, and so he continued with the dresses of different colours that black and white, like his own Goddess's crimson one. Though the colourful dresses were by far the lowest in number, they required the longest time as he was required to switch oils and clean his brush for every single one.
But he still had two minutes left by the time he was done with the crowd of people.
All that remained was Demeter's face. He had a quick look at her, one that once again was a second longer than required, then he moved on to draw her eyes.
...Her eyelashes are really long…
The boy thought to himself as he had another look at her face. In truth just looking once at her would have been enough: his memory did not betray him. Even so, he found himself gazing towards the woman every now and then.
Next he moved on to her lips, mixing his colours to match her coral pink matte lipstick. Plump as they were, her lips had required a bit more work as he initially believed, requiring both accurate lighting as well as contrast to bright worth their true plumpness.
Thirty seconds to go. Took longer than expected…
He gazed one last time at Demeter, then back at the painting. Nodding to himself once he wrote his name in the corner of the painting then put down his brush and palette. "It is done." He informed both Demeter and the crowd, getting up from his seat then moving the easel around to show his work which took just a little over fourteen minutes.
"Oh my…" The Goddess exclaimed as she brought a hand to cover her mouth. Had she consumed just a little bit more alcohol Demeter had no doubt she would have confused the portrait for a mirror: it was as if the portrait was staring back at her, as if she was looking at herself. "It's amazing. Incredible, even..."
An expected reaction, as Fuzen learned was the standard one so far.
He didn't understand why people thought it so incredible. He simply doodled with the brush, putting what he saw before his eyes onto a canvas. He didn't complain, though. This was the next requirement towards the next step of his goal, and he would gladly take it. "You have my gratitude, my lady."
He bowed his head at her and applause erupted from the crowd as well as from Demeter herself. The painting was of excellent quality and some among the crowd even shouted they wanted to be next, as well. Alas, that was the only one he would paint for today. "The painting will take a couple of days before it dries and is ready to be transported. My art director will contact you when you can come by and take it back with you. Is that acceptable, my lady?"
"Of course, dear. Thank you for this amazing experience." Demeter said as she extended her hand at him. Fuzen returned the handshake and the Goddess walked off the stage and back to the Children she brought with her.
Clearing his throat Fuzen turned to address the crowd. "I extend my gratitude to all who remained to watch my performance. Though I will not paint anything else this day, the event is still ongoing so please enjoy the art we have on display as well as the beverages we have prepared-" Before he could finish his speech he felt her presence behind his back, his muscles already tensing up.
"Before that, I also have another announcement to make." Cellica voiced as she clapped her hands once, moving to stand side-by-side with Fuzen. The Elven woman was tall. So tall, in fact that Fuzen could not think of any other woman he knew as tall as her. At one meter and eighty one centimetres, she was just the tiniest bit shorter than Bete himself. "As the construction of La Muse has come to an end, I also wished to inform you all present here that the Adventurer Kenshi, our owner Fuzen Katsumi will cease his adventuring as of now and focus his time to the expansive of the art world. That is all." She added with a sweet, eyes-closed smile.
It was not only the crowd which was confused at her statement. Fuzen himself needed a moment to process her words before turning his head to look at her. "...the hell you going on about?" He asked perplexed.
Then Cellica opened her eyes and slowly turned to stare down at him. "Should I repeat myself, esteemed owner?"
"Woman. I am not stopping my endeavours for this gallery." He stated bluntly enough as to now allow for any misunderstandings.
Cellica in return began to tap a finger on her lips, her eyes slowly looking down. "...It would be hard to engage in adventuring with broken legs, wouldn't it?"
He felt a tingling on his back, his hair standing on ends. He didn't understand why but he felt in danger. As someone whose senses were enhanced even beyond those of a blessed person's, Fuzen was confused as far as Cellica was concerned.
He was certain she was not blessed with a Falna as he could not feel the refined Ki which differentiated normal mortals from blessed ones, but sometimes her...danger level would spike up to heights he could only think of as inexplicable.
So he reached for his sword and began to draw it.
Clink!
He only managed to half-draw it before he found the sword back in it's scabbard, Cellica having pushed it back with a palm strike to the pommel. "You don't want violence." Whatever she was stating or ordering, Fuzen could not tell.
As she felt his grip on the sword handle's loosening, Cellica reached out for his face, her hands gently touching both his cheeks. "Why can you not understand, Katsumi?"
"…?"
"The art world is in decline, Katsumi." Cellica whispered as she locked eyes with him, no longer interested in the crowd to their side observing the exchange. "For decades now, thirty years to be precise, the art world has been stagnant. No improvement has been performed. The only real focus has been on Romanticism, for as long as hundreds of years. Heroes depicted embarking on grand, epic adventurers. But you!" She shouted as she tightened the grip on his face, lifting Fuzen up until his feet were hanging off the floor. "You have a rare talent! Realism, the style which depicts things as they are and Naturalism, the style which also depicts things as they are but focuses on determinism, on the inability of people to resist their circumstances! Though you said you are new as far as art is concerned, you have a gift to paint the world around you in minute details through these styles!"
Fuzen simply stared back at the woman, his face by now a sort of caricature through the sheer force Cellica was cupping his face with. His eyes were simply focused on the crazy Elf's ever increasing maddening smile.
"You can change the art world once again! Bring a breath of fresh air to a stagnant world! You can do it! I know you can! And you don't need adventuring for that! You don't need to think about anything else! You don't need to concern yourself with anything else! I'll take care of everything for you so you can just focus on painting and nothing else! You don't need anything else! So let's do it! Let's revolutionize the art world together, Katsumi!"
His own face now barely half a breath away from the Elven woman's Fuzen took a deep breath, collecting himself as he allowed the words to sink in. "...Ok."
"Fufu...Good boy." Cellica whispered as she allowed his feet to touch the ground once again.
Fuzen rubbed his cheeks for a moment, his face feeling numb from the grip it had just experienced. "...Lightning Drive." The he bolted off.
She's amazing as an art director but this woman is completely bonkers. I don't wanna be anywhere near her anymore-
Then he felt a yank from behind and his butt hit the floor. Bringing his head back he was met with the woman's forest green eyes staring down at him.
Looking down on him.
How she managed to do it, Fuzen had no idea. But she caught him by the collar as he sped past her. "...Seems like…" She started as she began to make her way off the stage, yanking the boy after her. "...your legs really do get in the way of your paintings, don't they? I can take care of that, though~"
I'm...in danger…?
Just as perplexed as the crowd still gathered before the stage, Fuzen was dragged away by the crazy Elf woman he soon learned to place at the top of his list of 'dangerous individuals I need to stay away from'.
XXX
I look nice.
Obviously, he didn't think the thought out loud least he would hear him. Instead, he had learned to think in images and sounds, associating those things with words and feelings in order to keep a low profile.
It hadn't been hard either: he was a genius, after all. No doubt his other half did the same thing, as well.
The world's greatest mental gymnastics exercise, he liked to call it. Being one and the same while at the same time keeping your thoughts to yourself. Truly, only he could ever perform a feat like this.
This art gallery was to his liking: grand, spacious and displaying his excellence to the masses.
What he didn't like about it was the goal behind it's creation, as well as what it meant for his future plans.
Recklessness.
Was this perhaps the one downside of being one of the few great ones?
He couldn't say.
But the feeling of non-existence he got to experience back in Altena was not a pleasant memory. He hated it, in fact. A stupid death caused by a stupid desire born of revenge and justice.
Yet this art gallery, as well as all the other requirements he was starting to achieve all led to a path which would be even more dangerous than what he did with Altena.
A path of more than certain death.
And that wasn't a thought he was fond of.
Not in the least.
He felt his stare on his back and looked over his shoulder at him. Half a section of the gallery separated them, but it was little obstacle to their communication.
What are you staring at, lizard? He asked him through their link, nonchalant as always.
...Nothing, my Master. It's just that you look amazing and dominant as you walk! As expected of Master! He replied half-joking, half-serious.
...Hmpf. He replied before turning around and walking to a group of guests, introducing himself and performing all the pleasantries expected of a host.
Yeah...Raiju nodded as he tilted his head, staring at Fuzen's back as his draconic eyes turned to focused slits. "...I really do look nice in a suit, don't I…?"
XXX
It had been a success.
The opening ceremony the day prior had went as expected and he was now a fraction of a step closer to his goal. Granted, his estimated time of roughly one year was still required until he could actually embark on his crusade, but everything so far proved to go according to plan.
He was...pleased.
But, there was one single aspect regarding recent events which he was not pleased with.
And that was the girl's face popping up before his eyes.
He was now training back at the Twilight Manor, in his usual spot. However, he found his sword practice to not go as planned. Every time he tried to swing his sword, her face would pop up before his eyes, the same determined look in her eyes as the time she jumped in front of his opponent, shielding the man despite the risks such an action brought to her own life.
Amid Teasanare.
Fuzen found himself loathing her more and more by the second, the hate increasing each time her damned face appeared before him.
He swung his sword downwards, trying to perform a simple and basic swing. Then midway her face would appear before him like the time during his duel, her eyes gazing into the very depths of his soul.
His redirected the sword to the side at the last moment, before it could cut through the image of the girl.
To anyone looking from a distance it would have appeared as if he was a rookie, barely able to swing his sword down in a single, fluid line.
He had been trying for hours now to train, to no avail. Throwing his sword to the side Fuzen allowed himself to fall down to the ground, a long sigh escaping his lips.
Then he looked back up, once again being met with an amethyst-eyed stare.
He felt bare before her, as if there was nothing he could cover himself with to avoid the girl looking down at him. Through him.
At him.
He felt his conviction shake ever so slightly, and he hated it.
Why was it that he was feeling 'unsure' now all of a sudden?
He had walked the path of carnage for years now and he was only eleven years old.
Carnage was all he knew.
All he wanted to know.
All he needed.
So then, why…? The questioned popped into his mind as he hatefully glared at the fiction of the girl he imagined before him.
He felt...He didn't knew exactly.
Distraught?
Embarrassed?
Ashamed?
He didn't knew what it was, but he was not used to feeling like that.
Fuzen didn't appreciate the girl making him feel like that.
This can't go on like this. Time is of the essence. The flame is fading, damn it…
He looked to the side at the setting sun: night would fall in but a couple hours. He had tried to train to no avail for the better part of a quarter a day.
It couldn't go on like this.
With the knowledge of his past contract with her, he knew the girl's schedule like the back of his palm.
Standing up to his feet Fuzen grabbed his sword and headed back inside. He grabbed a pouch of Valis from his room and woke Raiju up with a kick, then left the Manor.
If there was one thing he was good at, then it was confronting the obstacles in his path and breaking through them.
XXX
She had closed the pharmacy half an hour ago, her colleagues gone for just as long.
However, she usually liked to remain a while longer within the pharmacy in order to get everything ready for the next day, be it refilling the shop's items, performing basic cleaning or looking through the appointments to know what to expect of the next day.
Amid was very thorough in her work, after all. Her Familia knew this and thus they no longer tried to stop her and accompany the pharmacy's staff back to their Home.
That's about it, I guess? The girl asked herself as she gaze the pharmacy a long look. Everything was in order.
"Time to go home, then." She then grabbed her purse and shut down the lighting which worked by means of Magic Stones, finally making for the back entrance. Once she locked the door behind her she descended down the couple stairs and made for her Home.
"We need to talk."
"Kyaah!"
The voice besides her taking Amid by surprise, she grabbed her purse with both hands and swung it at the source of that which startled her.
XXX
"Kyaah!"
...Heavens that is cute… Fuzen thought to himself as looked at the startled girl while getting hit over the face with her purse. Obviously, it was neither heavy nor hard enough to damage him but the sudden hit in his moment of blank mind managed to turn his head to the side.
Then he turned his head to face the girl once again. "We need to talk."
"Heavens, don't startle me like that, Fuzen…" She replied as a long sigh escaped her.
"...No promises." He voiced in a whisper, having gotten a taste for the girl's startled reactions.
"What are you doing here, Fuzen?"
"I am in need of you. May I have a couple minutes of your time?"
"Is it...something important?"
"It is nothing which requires your immediate attention as a Doctor, but it is something which is important to me. Naturally, the decision to agree or not lies solely with you."
Amid locked eyes with him for a long moment. Though he was the same as usual, she could not help but once again think of him as he was in that moment as he cut off his opponent's head, his head turning to look at her as blood drenched his hair and clothes alike.
"...Ok."
"You have my gratitude for accepting. Then please…" He raised his right arm, holding a newly bought black coat in his hand, as well as a scarf. "Wear this."
"…?"
Though reluctant at first, Amid did know the boy to be vague but meaningful in his words and actions. As such she accepted the clothing and donned them.
A couple minutes later as they flew on Raiju in his middle form above the city and feeling the chill which came with the altitude, Amid understood why Fuzen had brought the clothes for her.
They sat on the dragon's left side as he flew in a stable line past the city and towards Meren, changing course to fly above the sea illuminated by the moon on the clear skies above them.
"Whoa...It's beautiful…" Amid whispered as she looked at the scenery before her: Orario's nightscape, the clear waters of the lake below them, the sparkling stars on the clear skies...She had never seen them like this, from this perspective.
Fuzen glared at her from the side, taking in the sight of her long silver hair flinging wildly in the wind as the moon behind made her appear as if she was a maiden kissed by the very celestial bodies mankind had admired for times immemorial. "...Yeah…"
They sat in silence for a good couple minutes, simply admiring the sight as Raiju flew ever higher into the air. Then, Amid spoke. "What...did you want to talk about?"
"...You."
"Me?"
"Yes." Fuzen nodded. "I do not...appreciate you."
His words confused her. "What...do you mean?"
He lowered his head in silence. "...Say."
"Hm?"
"What would you say our relationship is?" He asked after a moment of pondering, the conversation proving harder to execute than he initially believed.
"Our relationship…?" She repeated the words, unable to reply immediate.
It was a hard question, after all.
They were not comrades, for they belonged to different Familia. Neither were they co-workers for she was a Doctor and he, a swordsman. Acquaintances was not right with her, either: they had known each other for nigh one and a half year.
So then, what were they…?
"...Friends?"
He stared at her, slowly shaking his head. "I walk the path of power. Of solitude. I am not allowed the luxury of friends."
The words echoed in her mind. It was a sad statement to make, especially from one so young-…
He's grown. The sudden thought crossed her mind as she stared at the boy. Granted, she was not a very tall woman herself, something she was not especially happy about, but...Fuzen was sitting shoulder to shoulder with her.
She no longer needed to look down to meet his eyes as she did one and a half years ago, when they first met. Amid felt the need to look away all of a sudden. "A-Allies!"
"Allies?" He gave her reply a moment to sink in, then nodded. "Allies...I can allow that. So then, Teasanare-sama, tell me: as my ally, why do you get in my way?"
"H-Huh?"
"Ever since...my duel, every time I try to train, your face appears before my eyes, looking at me with the same look you had when you stepped in front of Aaryan Gupta and tried to save him from me. Why is that?" He asked, tilting his head at her, expectant of her reply.
A couple of moments of silence followed, moments in which he stared into her eyes. Amid felt the desire to look away: his eyes were not ones of a child. No child would have eyes that focused, that determined.
Despite the chilly wind caused by their altitude, Amid felt her face growing ever hotter. However, she gave no reply.
"...Back then, when you yelled at me, asking me if I didn't have enough, what did the look in your eyes mean? That look which made me lose focus for but a heartbeat, almost causing your death and mine. Were you...looking down on me, as well? Because you walk a path of healing, while I walk a path of death? Am I also only a disgusting, heartless murderer in your eyes, as well?" He narrowed his eyes at her.
Amid found herself replying before she could even think. "No!...No." She repeated as her head looked down.
"Then...what?"
"I...Didn't want you to…"
"...To what? To win, and take a fraction of a step closer to my goal?" He asked with the slightest increase in tone.
"...I didn't want you to add to the burden on your shoulders anymore. Because…" She turned her head to meet his eyes, then froze.
Fuzen was smiling at her.
And it was not a fake smile, by any means.
It was a truly genuine smile. "W-What?"
"...No, nothing...I just realized by your words just now...I had the wrong impression of you this whole time. Raiju, turn back." With his command the dragon made a slow U-turn and flew towards Orario once again. "Thank you for saying that. Everything is clear to me now."
"…? Oh...I see…?"
Silence reigning once again between them, Fuzen took a moment to reflect.
The fact that she saw through him made sense to him now, as did the fact that he was seeing her face whenever he swung a sword. It made sense.
She was a genuinely good person.
The one in a million.
The one in ten million.
He had no doubt she wore a mask, as well, but it wasn't one as hideous as countless others.
He cared for her because of this, as he did for others in the past.
A past long forgotten but rekindled by the girl's action of standing up to him, to his goal of grasping the Heavens.
A past desire that would prove to be the greatest obstacle towards his goal, one that would shake his very determination and render him unable to do what needed to be done.
...My loyalty lies to one person, and one person alone. And that person is not Hachiman-sama, or Loki-sama, or even my own Mistress. And… He stole a glance at the girl besides him, playing awkwardly with her thumbs as she looked to the side at the full moon. ...It is not you either, Amid.
He looked down at the Lolog Lake below them.
They were at least a couple hundred meters high in the air.
A fall would prove deadly to anyone under Level 4, at the very least.
He stole another glance at the girl besides him, still mesmerized by the moon to notice him staring at her.
He allowed himself to look at the poetic sight before him for a moment longer.
Then a smile found it's way on his lips and he extended his arm towards her.
XXX
A man needs priorities.
And hey, this was the very first time I showed Raiju's POV. Need to keep track of my milestones.
Btw, the idea of an art gallery might seem out of place and downright spontaneous.
But if you check the very last line of Chapter 25; "Next Step", you will see it is not spontaneous in the least.
This was planned for a long time now.
And yes, Fuzen managed to somehow escape Cellica between his POV and that of Raiju. Somehow as in, with plot armour. No one escapes that Elf woman if she so desires.
Anyway, that's about it.
I for one feel ecstatic that I was finally able to proceed with my fic past what I managed to post in the original version, and I feel highly motivated to write even more.
Especially since I want to reach the next big fight and finally be able to share it with ya all.
Just a couple more Chapters, my mates. Just a bit more…
