And back, with Chapter 51
Hello there, and Happy New Year to all of you!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, and that you all have something to look forward to in 2023.
I myself am doing pretty good, and am having a lot of fun writing at the moment.
Now, as to this Chapter…
You all remember how I mentioned in the end Author Note of Chapter 50 that moving forward, I will be time-skipping ahead while writing mini-Arcs along the way?
Well, this Chapter is the first part of one such mini-Arc, taking place three months later following Chapter 50.
Once this Arc which I estimate to be three parts long will come to an end, we will be skipping ahead once again, maybe one month, maybe two months and the next mini-Arc will take place.
With this method I hope to be covering important events while at the same time moving faster towards the "thing" Fuzen will be doing in about 1 year's time, the next major step towards his goal.
And boy, do I have some ideas for the current mini-Arc…
Hehehe…
So with all that covered, I give you "Actions & Consequences, Part 1".
Hope you have a good read.
Kay bye.
XXX
3 months later…
I wonder sometimes...why others cannot seem to comprehend…
Is it ignorance...or simply sheer stupidity?
Have I been too soft in my approach, not spreading the message as I should have been?
This city, does it truly not understand…?
Even now, after so much time, it still steps on my tail, getting on my nerves…
Does Orario still not understand...the danger that is Kenshi?
"...Very well, then."
XXX
"Here you go." She voiced and placed the vials he requested on the desk, the boy nodding and placing his own bag of Valis besides it. "Still, you already went through all the Antidotes you bought recently...Are you up to no good again, Fuzen?"
Under the gaze of the Dea Saint Fuzen could only look to the side as he grabbed the vials. "No comment."
It had been months since his confession to her, the time he laid everything on the table to someone for the first.
Obviously enough, he had avoided the Doctor for a while following that, not really feeling up to the task of looking into her eyes.
However over the last couple months they had started talking again. Surprisingly enough, he had decided to seek her out first, despite his conflicting feelings of doing so.
It was awkward at first.
For Fuzen, yes, but for the girl as well, knowing of his feelings but also the twisted way they manifested themselves. Yet even so, she had not pushed him away. On the contrary, she would have sought him out herself, Amid stated.
He believed her. She was just that kind of person.
"Just don't be too reckless, whatever you are doing, okay?"
"...No promises."
He replied, looking down to meet her eyes. A while back he was about on the same eye-level as her. Now he had grown a bit more, already a head taller than the much older girl. This only helped him appreciate her even more.
'...So adorable…'
"What about you? Do you need my services?"
While it wasn't to the same level as before, mostly because he also needed to look after Mikoto, Fuzen still helped Amid on a regular basis once again, going out to grab materials from the Dungeon every time she urgently needed some.
It wasn't a common occurrence, their Familia was well-off to begin with, but every now and then they would quickly run out of something and filing a Quest would take time. It was much easier to send someone who acted quickly in such cases, to make sure those in need got their proper treatment as quickly as possible.
Fuzen was that someone who acted quickly for her, just like he had done in the past.
"Not at the moment, Fuzen. If something comes up, I will make sure to contact you."
"Mhm. Also, when you go into the Dungeon." He raised a finger a pointed at her. "Contact me immediately. No more solo missions, Amid. You are not a fighter, less so a warrior."
It was shortly after they began talking again that he had to go search for her in the Dungeon. One day he came by to get some potions and noticed she was not at the pharmacy. Asking one of her colleagues he was told Amid had a day off.
Knowing her as well as he did, Fuzen immediately realized this meant she headed to the Dungeon to provide healing to any newbie in need she could find.
Suffice to say he wasted no time in heading after her, finding the silver-haired woman some two full hours later assisting a two-man party who had been injured in a fight. Amid was certainly an Adventurer: she had a Falna on her back which allowed her to become many times stronger than a regular Human.
However, while she could take care of a Goblin or a Kobold, she was anything but a fighter. Her Basic Abilities aside, important skills like a sense for battle, reaction time and the likes were almost non-existent within the girl. And that is what worried Fuzen.
"I will, I will…" She voiced while gesturing to the boy to calm down.
Fuzen's finger did indeed lower, however he was not done yet. "You help people. That is who you are. However, you cannot help others if you are dead. You are smart: you should have realized that yourself."
A moment of silence passed between the two, both simply staring at the other. Fuzen was the first to break the moment however as he turned on his heels and made for the door. "Well, I will be going now."
"...Ah. Stay safe."
"Mhm."
With his Antidotes replenished and having seen Amid for the day Fuzen walked out of the pharmacy satisfied. It was not a lie to say he was scared at the idea of the Doctor breaking contact with him. That was not a pleasant thought.
Luckily, that fear was put to rest.
'What else did I need to do…? Oh right.'
It had been around three days already and while he had kept an eye on her through his shared senses with Raiju, it was probably about time to check on his apprentice.
By now she had completed her basic training, Mikoto's endurance and mental strength already far above what they were at the start, despite only being able to subconsciously use Ki very rarely.
A show of her own ability to push through.
However, her grit still needed to be tested.
Arriving in the East District Fuzen made his way towards his mansion. However, that was not his destination.
Instead he stepped into the garden of a much smaller property, one which had been abandoned years before he became the Tsuwamono of the District. Walking around the small house he made his way to the back and descended down the stairs into the basement.
The light from the open hatch was the only source of illumination in the damp, ill-smelling room.
'Hmmm...I still feel her Ki signature so she ain't dead but…'
He walked closer to the middle of the basement, where a rather large hole was located.
Fuzen had tasked Mikoto with digging that hole of about two and a half meters depth. Next, he had her carry barrels of water down and filling it up. After that he bolted a metal pipe to the ground and above the water.
Then following that he told Mikoto to get in and grab the pipe with an under grip before cuffing her wrists to the pipe and telling her to keep herself above the water as her next training.
That had been three days ago.
And while she seemed to still be fighting the challenge at hand earlier when he used Raiju to spy on her progress, right now her hands were no longer gripping the pipe, the girl's arms only staying above water thanks to the cuffs.
'She passed out, it seems. Not that long ago, either. Hmmm…'
It was understandable. He too had almost died multiple times during a similar training regime.
However, he tried to make the exercise lighter for her: he neither poisoned her beforehand to weaken her body nor did he strap any extra weights on her, things his former Instructor had been all too eager to apply to both him and his former friends.
But that was the limit of bending the difficulty of the exercise he was willing to do for her, or better said, for the sake of her mental state.
"Mikoto, pull yourself up."
He voiced, but there was no response from the girl.
Fuzen took a step closer to the water and crouched, placing one hand inside the water. "I said…" and then he let out a continuous zap of electricity, not powerful enough to kill the unblessed girl but enough for her to wake up. "Pull yourself up."
Going by the bubbles rising to the surface and the frantic movements of her hands trying to find and grasp the pipe, he had succeeded in doing just that.
Once she gripped the pipe the girl pulled herself up, her eyes the biggest Fuzen yet seen on her. She looked around, probably still trying to adjust to the sudden light in the otherwise nigh pitch-black basement. Her face showed the extreme fatigue and lack of sleep she was experiencing, the otherwise rather attractive girl now looking like another person entirely thanks to how sunken her cheeks were.
After her gaze landed on him she remained unblinking, waiting for him to say it.
He understood her. He truly did. It was easy to lose track of time in such a situation, so he understood that she wanted him to give her hope. But he could not nod to her just yet. "...It's the third day." Fuzen had to consciously try to not utter the word 'only'.
As those words reached her ears Mikoto's face fell even more, the girl slowly shaking her head as her lip began to tremble. "I can't…"
"That is not true."
"I can't...I can't...I can't…"
"Yes. You can."
She shook her head even more vigorously. "I want to stop-! Blllearhhh!" However before she could finish her sentence a hand grabbed her head and pushed her back into the water, holding her there for a couple of seconds and she struggled to get out, struggled for air.
"...You knew what you were getting into." Fuzen told her blankly as he pulled her out. "You don't have the right to quit."
"I can't do it!" She finally snapped and yelled through ragged breaths. "This is too unreasonable! I am only Human, Master!"
"...Yes. We are indeed only that: Human. We can't change that. But, we aren't weak. No one is born weak: you can only choose to be weak. The only question now is whatever you want to choose to be weak or not."
"…"
"You can choose your answer to that question when you are done with the task at hand. Not sooner, not later." Having said what he wanted to say, Fuzen stood up and made for the stairs leading out of the basement.
"…! W-Wait! Master! Wait! I...I can't do this! Master!"
Ignoring her desperate shouts Fuzen walked out of the basement and closed the hatch, moving to the side of the entrance and leaning against the wall. He could still hear his apprentice crying inside.
It wasn't exactly pleasant to listen to, he got no joy from it. However, it was how things were supposed to be.
Martial artists suffered today so they wouldn't die tomorrow.
That is simply how the world they belonged to worked.
Crossing his arms Fuzen closed his eyes and focused on the girl and her Ki signature, blocking out everything except her presence. Then slowly he directed his own Ki at her after changing it's frequency to resemble Mikoto's as much as possible, continuing this very slow transfer of energy for a short while.
He would help her from the sidelines as much as he could without shattering her own gains. However, reaching deep inside of her and using that energy to keep herself going was Mikoto's responsibility.
That is why they were doing this training in the first place: to get her used to grasp onto that inner strength she did not know she possessed, in preparations for when he would awaken her Ki.
And by the looks of it, the training was processing smoothly.
Desperate, Mikoto only focused on the 'remaining time' of the training, all the while she forgot to focus on what was even more important: the three days she had already went above and beyond human limits, pulling herself up and staying alive despite her unblessed status, despite being nothing more than just a normal Human at the moment.
She was amazing, though of course Fuzen would not tell her that to her face.
'That's about all I can do. All else is up to you, Mikoto.'
Without wasting further time he walked away from the property. Her training was up to her: he had things to do, himself.
For the past two days he had been inside the Dungeon while training in his own specific way. During the last couple months he had became efficient enough to know the first seven Floors down to the smallest stone and crevice...at least, that is what he would have liked to say.
But evaluating your own skills based on simply your thoughts was stupid. He needed proof before taking his training to the next level.
And so he headed towards the Twilight Manor.
Once there Fuzen went straight for the bathroom to take a well-deserved bath. Two days in the Dungeon was not that bad, his conditioning was good enough for him to not sweat from normal running or fighting weaker opponents than him, but even so there was no avoiding the dust.
After the quick bath which felt amazing he headed straight to his room and grabbed his toolbox, then went over to the library. Luckily for him, it was empty. He could use the quiet.
Moving through the aisles he was already familiar with Fuzen grabbed a rather fat folder and went over to the biggest table in the library, setting all the drawing tools he needed to the side and the folder on the stool of the nearby window.
Pens, compass divider, ruler, drafting triangle, eraser, drawing board...One by one he took out every tool he needed, making sure to also place a sheet of paper for calculations to his right side.
"...Haaa...I hate this type of work…"
And so he started, knowing the task at hand would take at the very least a whole hour.
'The 7th Floor...taking in consideration its size, a scale ratio of...hmmm...1:2500 should be about right, I think?' Not quite sure however, Fuzen grabbed the pen and began writing down the numbers on the sheet of paper. 'Let's see...So one kilometre in a scale of 1:2500 in centimetres would be...divide this...multiply that...forty centimetres. Yeah, seems about right to me.'
While it wasn't small by any means, the Upper Floors paled in comparison to the size of the Deep Floors. That also meant that drawing a map was possible in smaller scale ratios.
A while back he had asked Rakta, one of the better mappers of Loki Familia, to show him what exactly her work was all about. The Hume Bunny proved to be a rather exceptional teacher and in far less time than he expected she had already taught him the basics.
And about two months back, he had successfully mapped the 1st Floor accurately for the first time. Fuzen would have loved to say it had been easy...but it wasn't.
He was smart, but he wasn't that smart. What he learned from Rakta would not suffice. And knowing this he had recently approached his Captain again with hopes that the Pallum could help him.
If Finn's smile at the time was any indication, the blonde was more than happy to help. He taught Fuzen all the tips and tricks about mnemonics he knew in far more details than he needed to, even adding examples and asking questions after going through each type of mnemonics he knew.
Sometimes he even got cheeky and pulled out random quizzes from hell knows where, all to test how much Fuzen actually understood of his lessons.
The boy was sure that his brain had turned to sludge and slowly dripped out from his ears after just the first five days, however he did his best to keep up with the smartest Adventurer in Orario.
And surprisingly enough, it had paid off.
Putting everything he learned from Finn to use, Fuzen was able to memorize everything of importance. With the knowledge gained from learning under both Rakta and Finn, he had managed to do what he set out to accomplish.
It wasn't the work of a professional mapper, he never set out to be anything like that. But it was accurate and good enough to be used for orientation. While Fuzen didn't make it a habit to be satisfied with anything short of excellent work, this would do.
'Only so much time I can spend on this. Drawing it from memory is a real pain, though…'
It was no secret that their Captain, Finn, had memorized the maps and layout of the entire mapped Dungeon. Fuzen himself could barely memorize the Floors he actively set out to map, and he required several runs of the entire layout to remember every room, hallway and crevice to be found.
To say his respect for the blonde Pallum was renewed would be an understatement.
Focused on his work, Fuzen didn't even realized when exactly one and a half hours had passed by. While he wasn't exactly finished, he still managed to draw more than half of the 7th Floor. Obviously, this would not be possible without the perks of the Falna and his own hand-eye coordination: a normal human would require many more hours for the same amount of progress.
Creak
Having suppressed his Ki sense Fuzen did not feel the presence approaching the library from afar, only the slight creaking noise of the opening door drawing his attention away from his work.
"...Oh." he voiced as he turned to look at the entrance, his Vice-Captain doing the same. "Alf-sama. Good…" He turned to look at the sky outside for half a second. "evening."
"Fuzen. Didn't expect to see you here." The High-Elf greeted him back with a faint smile, closing the door and making her way towards him.
Knowing she was approaching him made Fuzen feel uncomfortable, however he tried his best to swallow that feeling down and ignore it. While he had been busy recently and his interaction with her had been minimal, his life or death fight against the Were-Jaguar made it clear to him that Riveria was someone of importance to him, no matter how much he didn't want that to be true.
'Shallow and fake as it may be…'
Even so, being uncomfortable was a price he was willing to pay.
"What are you up to?" She asked walking to his side, looking at the half-finished project with a raised eyebrow.
He looked up at her. "Well...I'm trying to make a map of the 7th Floor…What do you think, Alf-sama?"
"It looks amazing." Her statement seemed to be honest. "Even better than your previous map of the 1st Floor."
"...Thanks."
"Are you drawing it from memory, like the last one?"
"Yes."
A hand touched his shoulder. "You've been working hard, haven't you? If only more of our members were like you…"
"Well...this is a side of duty, too."
"Mhm. You've been at it long?"
"I'd say...about an hour or so. Maybe longer."
"How about a cup of tea?" Riveria asked with a warm smile. "Breaks are important too, after all."
Had it been the Fuzen from a year ago, he would have already distracted her as soon as she touched his shoulder and made a run for it, faster than even the Level 6 could react to. But he wasn't the same as one year ago. "...I'd like that, I think. I'll go get the-"
He was already standing up, but Riveria stopped him from it. "I'll go. You stay here."
"But, given our respective standings-"
"I'll go, okay?"
Without waiting for a reply the High Elf left the room, leaving him waiting. Not wanting to waste time, Fuzen went back to his map and continued his work until Riveria came back some fifteen minutes later with a tray. "Fuzen, come over here."
She called him over to another table, which was probably smarter. Getting tea on his map by accident would be the last thing he needed. Riveria filled both cups with the tea she prepared and Fuzen grabbed his cup with gratitude, sweetening it with four cubes of sugar.
He recognized the tea from the smell alone: it was one which used some sort of leaves only found in Alf's Royal Forest, Riveria's birthplace.
"...Shouldn't you save this sort of expensive tea for special occasions, Alf-sama?"
"Don't worry about it." She replied before taking a sip of her own cup. "We haven't had a chance to talk like this in a while, have we?"
"...Well, yes. I've been rather busy." Besides Mikoto's training, he also had his own training to undergo. Add to that the matters of the East District and his studies under Finn and his free time was practically non-existent. Especially with both Alya and Ais in the picture, as well.
He wouldn't have it any other way, of course, pain in the ass as it was.
"You have been, yes. Rumours have been spreading. The East District has become safer. More prosperous."
"Not enough of either, though…" He muttered, taking one more sip.
"How is your apprentice? The young girl, Mikoto?"
"She is...finding out her own limits at the moment."
Riveria seemed to want to inquire more but held herself from doing so. "I see. In all honesty, Fuzen...I do not know what to think of this all."
"What do you mean?"
"Your martial school, an apprentice, an art gallery and even a whole District...Someone as young as you having so many responsibilities…"
"...What is wrong with it?"
"What about your own life? Don't you have anything you want to do, just for yourself?"
He took a moment to ponder on her words. "This is what I need to be doing. I see nothing wrong with it."
"What you need to be doing, yes. But is it what you want to be doing?"
"...Between need and want, is it not obvious which is more important?"
"You did not answer my question."
"I did, Alf-sama." He gazed into his tea for a moment before looking up, his eyes meeting hers. "Let me put it another way: if what I wanted to do would bring great misfortune to a large amount of people, would you still ask me that question? Would it not be better if I simply continued doing what I need to be doing, instead?"
Silence fell over the library as he sipped his tea, all the while Riveria went over his words. It was no secret to either herself or the other Executives that Fuzen was not...normal. However even with that said, he was a very functional member of the Familia and society as a whole.
There was not a lot of reason for her or the others to worry. Yet even so, in moments like these, when he spoke such chilling words, she couldn't help but worry about what he meant and what was going on in his head.
She wanted to help him, as did others. Even Amid, someone from another Familia. But there was no clear way for them to help him. And pushing him was hardly the smartest choice, either.
For now all she could do was listen to him and see how far he was willing to talk. "Is that what would happen?"
"I can't say for certain, that much is true."
Riveria understood. That was his way of saying 'the possibility is high it would happen', without actually saying it out loud. Always careful with his words, just like during the time when he first joined the Familia. Sometimes she wondered just who taught him to talk like that.
'...It's been almost two years, hasn't it?'
Looking at him now, he had changed since then. His expression, while still way too sharp for someone his age, had somehow mellowed out a bit. Those eyes that reminded her so much of a younger Ais were no longer as blank as before, a bit of warmth visible in them now. "...We are a Familia. Don't ever hesitate to come to us."
"...I shall keep that in mind." Somehow she got the impression he did not truly mean those words, and Fuzen picked up her thoughts. "Many are...unhappy with my decisions."
She knew what he was referring to. His fight with Altena and his decision to associate himself with the East District. Many within Loki Familia were unhappy with those decisions, since as a member himself he both directly and indirectly linked those events to the Familia as a whole.
Some would go as far as to say he way too arrogant and self-centred.
"...All actions have consequences, Fuzen. And while I cannot say all your decisions have had a positive impact on the Familia as a whole, they have hardly been damaging."
"I think Captain Finn would disagree with you, Alf-sama."
"We don't abandon our own."
"...You are the Vice-Captain. While your kindness is a trait I appreciate in you, I suggest Alf-sama be more radical." He raised his gaze. "We are almost a hundred members strong. Decisions should be made with that in mind."
"You suggest we should abandon those whose actions may be damaging to the Familia?"
"I'd be highly disappointed in you if you wouldn't at least consider it as an option."
Riveria let out a long sigh. It wasn't that she didn't understand where he was coming from. Taking Bete as an example, there were many instances where she thought that simply not having him be part of the Familia would be better for everyone involved.
But at the end of the day, even with his personality taken into consideration he was still an invaluable member who more than pulled his own weight and then some.
"I have a...request of sorts, Alf-sama."
She could hardly hide her surprise at the sound of that. "Oh? What is it?"
"It's about Forestlight-sama."
"Alicia? What about her?"
"Well...If you could talk to her in private to kindly...keep herself away from me more I would be very grateful to you."
It wasn't like she hadn't noticed her fellow kin always near Fuzen whenever she had an opportunity, but...Riveria thought this was a good opportunity to learn out more. "Can you explain in more detail, Fuzen?"
"...I saved her life a while back, when she got injured by the Were-Jaguar. But ever since she has been rather...how to put this...she often gets in my personal space. Every time we are not fighting as Adventurers in the Dungeon, she...well, she keeps pestering me. I understand that she is simply grateful to me for saving her life, but...it's suffocating. Honestly, I don't dislike her as a person, but I don't like being pampered like a little kid."
"...How so? What does she do?"
"Well...She keeps patting my head, prepares food for me, always asks me if she can help me with anything, stuff like that." Obviously, he couldn't tell Riveria that Alicia partly acted like this thanks to the Ki connection they now had, he couldn't tell her that his presence was now something soothing and comfortable to the Elf archer. But even with that in mind, her behaviour was starting to become too much. "I don't know if she didn't get enough attention as a kid and now wants to fill in that void by using me, but I don't plan on being anyone's substitute for anything. I'm not her brother, nor her family or friend. I can only put up with so much."
"...And you want me to talk to her, tell her to adjust her behaviour."
"...Yes. I could do it myself, but...I would be far more rude. She did teach me about archery a while ago, and I am indebted to her for that. Not to mention that while I am not a regular member of the Second Group, we are still...comrades. I would rather not...hurt her verbally. I believe that Alf-sama's words would have far more weight behind them than mine, anyway."
He was being considerate. Riveria knew that was simply him being himself, yet it surprised her. The old Fuzen would have hardly cared too much about anyone else's feelings, nor would he had stayed quiet too long if something was to his dislike.
A sign of his growth, and a reason for a smile to take form on her lips. "I see. I'll have a private talk with her the next time I have a chance, okay?"
Fuzen bowed his head ever so slightly in response. "I appreciate it, Alf-sama."
"No need. I am the Vice-Captain, you know? I'm just glad you found it within yourself to talk to me about it."
"Mhm…"
Noticing that their cups were now empty Riveria grabbed the magically heated container and poured herself another cup, Fuzen wishing for another one as well. In that moment of silence she remembered something and decided to ask, seeing how the mood was good. "You haven't ran away from me." Even so, it was less of a question and more of a fact she simply stated.
"...Yes."
"Why is that?" She asked, however Fuzen simply shook his head slowly. "You can't tell me?"
"Not...yet. In the future. But not right now."
"I see. I won't ask about it, then." She was happy enough just knowing the one member who avoided her like the plague whenever he could no longer wished to do so. The reason as to the why the change of heart could wait.
"...Ais has been visiting the East District often lately." She decided to move on with the conversation, dropping the next subject unannounced.
To her surprise Fuzen stopped his cup mid-way to his lips, staring at her for a second before proceeding to take a sip. "...That is correct."
'...Goddamn airhead, flapping her gums...Urgh...'
"You are familiar with that part of town, are you not? Do you have any ideas what might have gained her attention there? She's been going out quite a lot recently..."
'So she hasn't told anyone the specifics, then? At least one thing she did right.'
"...She has been visiting me."
Riveria nodded...then the realization hit her. Two youths, male and female. Sneaking out to meet away from the Familia. Close in age, both rather attractive…
Placing her elbow on the table Riveria used her hand to hide her face and the now pale complexion of her face.
'Was it him? No, Fuzen isn't someone to manipulate others like that. Was it Ais, then? She's an airhead, she could have given him the wrong...vibes without actually wanting to. So nothing happened, then? But they are both at that age where they get curious, where they explore...Heavens, please no…'
Mustering the courage after a long sigh, Riveria continued. "F-Fuzen...You and Ais...By any chance, you haven't been-" She raised her gaze to look at the boy, however upon seeing the absolute disgust he was showing on his face, her words died in her mouth.
Absolute disgust. No other words could be used to describe his expression, the same one a person would make if they were to simultaneously taste both the most bitter and most sour flavour at the same time.
"HelltothefuckNO!"
Funnily enough, it was probably the most expressive side of Fuzen she had ever seen.
"W-What was that?"
"You've obviously been reading too many goddamn romance novels. I didn't knew you were a pervert, Alf, thinking about something like that."
What happened next, Riveria would not be able to explain. However something about his comment managed to make her blood boil in but an instant, both of her hands slamming on the table as she rose to her feet.
"I am not a pervert!"
Surprisingly enough, Fuzen slammed the table as well. "Having to defend yourself against a child's accusations? I'm not so sure now, anymore."
"Take that comment back!"
"Pervert Elf!"
They started at each other, the tension thick enough to be cut with a knife. However, Riveria had made one fatal mistake.
Be it poker or a staring contest, any such activity which relied on one's facial expression or the act of looking in the eyes of another could not be won against Fuzen. After all, any reason contributing to the loss of one such activity, be it shyness, awkwardness or the inability to resist laughing were unknown to him.
The most such concepts could do was to fly over his head.
"...Tsk…" The Elf clicked her tongue before sighing and sitting back in her chair, Fuzen staring her down for a second longer before doing the same. They remained in silence for a couple of moment, neither looking at the other.
A chuckle, however, broke that awkward silence.
"Are you...chuckling?" The Elf asked, shocked at the thought of the name Fuzen and the word chuckle ever being used in the same sentence.
"...I guess I am, yes."
"Why?"
"...I was just thinking: 'So this is what a fight would be like, huh…?' and it was funny for some reason...No matter." He took another sip of his tea. "But no. Whatever your mind influenced by the romance novels you are reading was thinking of, it did not happen. All we did was play some games from time to time, but mostly I just taught her how to better control her Magic."
"You've been...training together?"
"...That is what I just said, yes."
With how shaky their relationship has been, hearing that they were actually doing anything together was a big surprise to Riveria, but a welcomed surprise nonetheless.
She of course did not need to know Alya was at the centre of it all, but it wasn't a lie that 'together with Alya', Fuzen had been playing games and helping Ais grasp her Magic better.
He wasn't telling the whole truth, but he wasn't lying, either... It was good enough for him.
"So, how is she faring?"
"...Not well." He couldn't lie, Ais's swordsmanship was by no means anything to scoff at. However, when it came to her magical gifts..."Her Magic itself is very powerful and potent, so most people looking at her in action fail to notice her shortcomings."
"...Output." Riveria voiced bluntly.
In response, Fuzen nodded. "Yes. But that is only half the problem. Now that I have a firm grasp on how Magic works myself, I'd say her lack of control is far more troubling."
Riveria's eyebrow shot upwards at his words. "I myself don't think I ever seen Ais having trouble controlling her Wind...Would you mind explaining your point?"
"I see. Because of your vast knowledge of Magic, you failed to notice the small mistakes, as well."
By now Riveria was far more intrigued than she had been in a while at the opportunity to talk about the complex ways of Magic to another soul. "Go on…"
"Her Magic is simple at it's core, however she uses it as if it were complex." He clapped his hands together then slowly pulled them apart, sparks of electricity flying between his palms. "Allow me to show you an example of what I mean…"
Suffice to say the next forty minutes they had simply gone back and forth on ideas and theories on Magic, Riveria using her vast amount of knowledge on conventional Magic gathered over many years while Fuzen, with his advantage of being a Ki user, brought forth unconventional suggestions and even went as far as to show examples, at least to the limit of what he could do within the library.
Riveria herself was pleasantly surprised to have the opportunity to speak of such matters with someone else than the Elves who made up the Fairy Force created by Loki, however little did she know that Fuzen enjoyed their talk, as well. He didn't show it, his ability to show his inner self through expressions had hardly improved, but he did enjoy it.
The talks, yes, but even more so the company.
'So this is what it would feel like, huh…? It's a good feeling…'
However, while pondering on those thoughts he managed to pick up on the approaching footsteps which came from the hallway outside the library.
The force behind the steps, the walking rhythm and even the slight skip to each step, he was all too familiar to it all.
"Oh no…"
"Hm? What's wrong, Fuzen?"
Riveria did not seem to notice the approaching person, too focused on the conversation they were having. Yet when the door opened and a head poked inside, she understood.
"Ah! There you are!" Tiona shouted as her eyes landed on the boy, a big smile taking shape on her lips. Without wasting time she pushed the door open and skipped inside, not bothering to close the door behind her.
She also wasted no time in getting behind Fuzen and putting her arms around his neck, her chin resting on his left shoulder. "I heard you were back from the others and waited for you outside! Did you forget we have training, Fuu~?"
"...I specifically told you we won't train on the days I return from the Dungeon." He replied, his eye having already started to twitch.
The Amazon took a moment to ponder. "Oh right. You did say that."
"If that is all-"
"I'm hungry!" She exclaimed chirpily, cutting Fuzen off mid-sentence.
He turned his head to look her in the eyes, their faces close enough for him to feel her breath on his neck. "...Then go eat something."
"Nah, make me something yummy!" Her smile turned into a smug one, lifting up her right index finger and poking his cheek with it. "You promised after all, didn't you?"
Unfortunately, she was not wrong.
Following the day where he accepted to use Sakda's [Bulwark], Fuzen set out to find the best way to train his new-found power. He could of course simply throw himself at the Dungeon as he had done in the past, but...that was too risky.
As far as his own Ki abilities were concerned, he knew how much Ki they all burned through, and he also knew how much he could push himself with his current Ki pool. However, such knowledge was missing on [Bulwark].
It was highly probable that he would simply run empty on Ki by using the ability too much and then he would simply become a free meal for the Dungeon.
Until he had a good grasp of how the Reflection worked and how much he could rely on it in actual battle, that was not an option. And so he did the only thing he could think of: he went to someone who could help him train and improve [Bulwark].
That someone was Tiona.
Strangely enough, she had been his first choice. Fuzen didn't even really ponder on it: her face was the one that popped in his mind when he decided to ask someone for help.
And she had agreed without hesitation, as well. Naturally, this meant that he had been punched and kicked so many times over the last three months he was sick and tired of it. However, the results were undeniable.
His proficiency with [Bulwark] had become high enough that he was now confident in using it in real fights, knowing he could rely on it and also having a good grasp on how much Ki it burned through.
It would be a while yet before he could confidently say he mastered the Reflection, or maybe he would never truly master it, but for now thanks to Tiona, he could at least make use of it.
And all she wanted in return was food.
"...Fine. What do you want?"
"That beef thing you made last week! I want that again!"
He had obviously done multiple beef dishes, and so Fuzen had to ponder for a long while what exactly she meant. "You mean Beef Wellington?"
With her request getting more and more pushy by the day, Fuzen had been forced to buy a cooking book roughly two months ago to keep up with her demands. It was a pain in the ass, for sure, but he got to learn new recipes which he could also make for Alya, so it wasn't really something he complained about.
"Yeah, that! Make that again!"
"It's expensive. And not to mention, you eat too much meat. You need more variety in your diet."
"I wanna!"
"...I probably need to go and buy the beef fillet and the mushrooms, not to mention the cooking time. You'd probably be better off eating out or something."
"...Say, Fuzen. Are you someone who…" She leaned her head forward, over his shoulder, enough to look up at his eyes. "...doesn't keep their word…?"
'...Fricking twerp thinks she has me all figured out, huh? Haa, why did I bother approaching her in the first place…?'
"Fine, fine…" He nodded then grabbed her face, pushing her back. "And get your damn mug outta my face."
"Yay! Let's go shopping, then!"
"No. I'm going shopping. Alone. Singular."
"Nah, I'm coming with you!"
"I'm not cooking squat, then."
"Nope, you gotta keep your word, 'lil Fuzen! So you'll do it!"
"You are insufferably obnoxious, you know that, right?"
"Hahaha!"
"Don't just laugh, you damn-...Haaa...Fine." He stood up and looked over to Riveria, who had watched the whole conversation with far more amusement than she should have. "I will have to end our conversation now, Alf-sama."
"No problem." She smiled as she grabbed her cup and lifted it up just as Tiona jerked Fuzen's arm and pulled him towards the door. "Have fun."
"...Why the hell would I have-?"
Thud
…
…
…
"Hahaha, no need for such a sour face, is there?"
Ignoring her laughing, Fuzen walked on as the ingredients were now bought. "If you ask me to cook for you, at least have the decency to stay the hell out of my shopping."
"Hey, I was just asking."
"If you are that interested in the different types of meat and their textures, ask me about them in private. Not in front of the butcher...for twenty fricking minutes straight."
"Well, I'm not that interested in that topic."
"...Then why the hell did you ask me about it?"
"I just like it when you explain stuff. You're so focused and boring!"
"...Haaa…"
Pushing the embarrassment at the butcher's shop to the back of his mind, Fuzen led the way to the market on the main street. While they had the likes of salt, pepper and oil back at the Twilight Manor he still needed to procure fresh mushrooms besides the beef fillet he already bought.
"Over there." He pointed at a vendor which sold mushrooms and the two headed over. Taking a moment to check the ingredients out, Fuzen grabbed a common white mushroom and a portobello in each hand. "Which one do you want?"
With a hum Tiona once again wrapped her arms around his neck, looking over his shoulder at the two mushrooms. "Well...What's the difference?"
For reasons unknown to him, he did not mind the closeness as much as in the past.
"They're the same type of mushroom. It's only a matter of age: the portobello is the aged, mature version."
"Then the white one's gotta be the better choice, right?"
"Not necessarily." He shook his head. "The portobello had more time to grow. Because of that it has less moisture. They are not as watery and have a more pronounced mushroom flavour."
"What would you choose, then?"
"Well...I never used portobello before, so I'd like to try them out. Find out if the difference is really there."
"Let's go for that, then!"
"Alright."
With the decision made he bought a whole bag of mushrooms and they moved on.
"That's a bit much, isn't it?"
"Obviously. The amount of meat I bought, too. I'm making some for your sister, as well."
"Ohh, being considerate, huh?"
"...Mhm. Just a second." Having spotted the vendor he needed Fuzen walked over and bought a bag of carrots, as well.
"Carrots? What for?"
"I told you that you need a more balanced diet, have I not? I'm making Carrot Puree, as a side dish."
"Ohh, that sounds great!"
"...Yeah."
"You do know Tione's gonna ask you to teach her how to make all of this too, right? Since she'll want to make it for the Captain, too!"
"...Because she loves him." He voiced, turning his head ever so slightly to the side to look at the girl walking besides him.
She met his gaze and simply nodded with a smile. "You bet! I'd ask the same, but I don't think anything I could pull off would be to your liking, anyway."
"Right…Because you have weird tastes." Fuzen nodded, turning his eyes to look up ahead.
"That felt like an insult…"
He didn't respond to her words and whole seconds passed by before he spoke again. "I am...-"
Tiona did not seem to take notice of this however, being too focused on sniffing the air. Once she locked on to the scent a grin appeared on her face and she took off. "Come on, this way!"
"What?"
"Quick, quick!"
Though unsure as to the reason for her sudden spike in excitement Fuzen followed Tiona, the girl taking a right further up the street, then following that alley until she stopped in front of a certain building.
"...A pastry?" Fuzen asked as he caught up to her, walking slower so that he would not drop the groceries.
"Yep! You make the food, I buy the desserts! Sound good?"
"I mean, if you want to go the extra mile…"
"Sure do! So, what do you want?!"
"Eclairs." The response had been lightning-fast.
Tiona looked over at him. "Again? Don't you want to try-?"
"Eclairs."
"Damn, you really like them, don't you? Fine by me!"
As the girl headed inside to buy the desserts, Fuzen stared at her back through the window of the shop.
As of late it seemed that the time he would have otherwise spend on his own turned into time he spend with Tiona, and that time was only growing.
He was young, but not dumb. Tiona was an Amazon: the reasons why she herself wanted to spend time with him could only be so many. Few enough in number to count on only one hand.
However he was too young for stuff like that, and neither did it have any importance to his goal and duty. Quite on the contrary, in fact.
By all accounts, he should have seen to it that this waste of time would come to an end. Be direct about it.
Yes.
He should have, indeed.
"Ok, I bought a big box!" The girl exclaimed as she came out of the shop. "Let's go back!"
"...Yeah. Let's."
…
…
…
'I should be paying closer attention.' He told himself, yet still could not do it.
He of course kept his back straight and kept his eyes on whoever was talking at the moment, but his mind could not focus on the meeting at all.
In truth, he wasn't really thinking about anything. Only a fleeting thought flew around in his mind.
'Those Eclairs yesterday sure were good…'
It was stupid, really.
Those Eclairs were the same as from any shop anywhere in Orario. And he had eaten them before, many times in fact. He had also tried the ones from that very same shop Tiona bought them in the past.
There were the same as always. If any new ingredient were to be used, his tongue would have told him so.
But they were not special, in any way.
There was absolutely no logical reason for him to still think about them, especially one day later.
It was then that one of the side walls slid open and in walked a couple of his housemaids, all with beverages. "Excuse us, would anyone care for a refill?"
All of his business owners took them up on the offer, using the intrusion as a well-deserved break from the countless reports regarding the East District and their businesses. Fuzen too appreciated the moment of respite, he had been hardly paying attention.
"Young Master, would you like some more tea?"
"Ah, yes. Thanks, Haruka."
The woman smiled and took a seat besides him, filling his cup with tea. When she finished refilling he grabbed the cup, bringing it closer to his lips.
"Young Master!"
However he was interrupted before he could take a sip, his eyes looking up at the doors leading to the garden, opposite of his seat at the far centre of the room. Both doors slid open forcefully, the man dressed in all dark-brown clothes and wearing a cloth mask puffing heavily, no doubt having ran all the way to Fuzen. "Haa...Haaa...Haaa...Finch of the Genyutai, reporting!" He took a quick knee, bowing his head.
"What is it?"
"Young Master, fifteen minutes ago a group of Adventurers of unidentified association have entered the East District! Using accusations of unpaid debts they proceeded to force multiple residents to follow them! Four people have been forcefully taken out of their homes, Young Master!"
Old man Yamamoto was the first to understand the magnitude of this transgression. He tried to move his head and look at the warrior to whom he bend the knee to, but he found no strength to do that.
Instead, just like the business owners and housemaids all around him he fell flat on his chest over the small table in front of him. A force was pressing down on his body, his very bones under threat of breaking.
Breathing was impossible, a cold chill running down his spine.
Death loomed over him, breathing down his very neck.
All around the room the paper walls shook back and forth violently, as did the doors which Finch slid open.
They shook and shook ever more violently until they were ripped out of their frame and fell down to the floor.
"...Who...was...it?"
Finch, having been the farthest away had been spared the most, yet he was still pushed into the ground by the same force, the man flat on his stomach.
Even so the man found enough strength to lift up his head. "U-Unknown, Young Master. Captain Kato and Pigeon followed the group and will report back once they find out where they are taking the residents. Preliminary assumption lead us to believe they are associates of...Ishtar Familia."
kkkkrkrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkkrrrrrrrkkkkkkkkkrrrrrrkkkkkkk…..
The disturbing sound reached everyone's ears, none able to determine what could produce such a sound.
Yamamoto was the first to figure that one out, for he lifted his eyes as much as he could and saw it.
He saw his Young Master's inhuman expression and his teeth grinding, the action behind that disturbing sound.
Crack!
The cup in his Fuzen's hand shattered into pieces, out of nowhere.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Just like every other cup, pot and plate inside the room a single moment later.
Fuzen understood how much he was hurting the wrong people and tried his best to get his ever-expanding Ki under control. Given the magnitude of his rampaging emotions, that proved to be no easy task.
But he managed to control himself enough, no longer crushing the normal people in the room with his Ki.
One by one they all pushed themselves up again, their clothes soaked with sweat from the near-death experience they had just been forced to experience.
It was then that the men and women in the room alike noticed it. They noticed how Fuzen's hazel eyes, which had been on the greener side just until a minute ago turned into a vibrant shade of piercing gold.
"A...fucking whore?"
XXX
And with that we end the first part, the little dip of the toe into the shitstorm that is to come next.
To be honest I was having a good time writing this Chapter, but overall I was mostly just "Meh" while doing it.
I was thinking this is just a necessary step-stone into future events.
However, the night before I finished this CH I had a "EUREKA!" moment while dozing off listening to music, and I now have a much better idea regarding the events of part 2 and part 3 of this mini-Arc.
And holy shit, am I excited as hell to write it and share it with everyone here as soon as possible!
The stuff I came up with, is it going to hit hard.
Like, knee to the balls hard.
Of course, I could just be hyping myself too much and the upcoming events might be a let-down to all of you…
But when have I ever pulled my punches?
I think you will agree with me when I answer: Never.
And that is what you can continue to expect from me.
Will a certain someone make a big mistake? Will people die? More importantly, will important people die? And will the power hierarchy in Orario change? What about the reputation of a certain blank-faced swordsman?
Guess you will find all that out as we dive into the Pleasure District of Orario in Part 2.
I hope you had a good read, and see you all next time.
Kay bye.