WIEDERGEBURT Act II: Chapter 21

 Preparations to march on Hovebrann, the former Dwoerg capital, which had been occupied by the Sekbeist, was underway. However, we were not a part of those preparations.

Kari and I spent most of our time in our bedroom. The time not spent getting lost in each other’s embrace was spent being fitted for war.

The Dwoerg really were amazing craftsmen, not only capable of building items of incomparable beauty, but also forging armor and weapons of incredible strength. Not only had they made Kari and I a set of armor, but they had reforged Kari’s weapons and made me something entirely new.

We were putting on our new armor right now, in preparation of today’s march. Fitted over my dark gray shirt was a breastplate. It was strapped across my body with brown leather and only protected my chest and solar plexus, leaving my stomach exposed. Strapped to either side of my shoulders were a pair of pauldrons. This shoulder armor had the same silvery sheen as the breastplate. Likewise, the greaves attached to my brown boots had a similar appearance. Etched into the silvery substance were a series of Runes. They looked decorative at first glance, but I was told by the craftsmen that they would offer added protection. Remembering how several attacks from the Sekbeists had been thrown back when they struck the Dwoergs back during the battle, I was excited to see how well they worked. Thrown over the entire ensemble was a cloak the same dark gray as my pants and shirt.

“There!” Kari grunted as she tightened the straps on my back, securing the breastplate.

“Thanks, Kari.” I turned around and grinned at the woman who was still just in her undergarments, which consisted of a thong and breast bindings. “Now it’s my turn to get you fitted.”

The first thing we put on was her blouse. It was a brown and white leather dress that stopped halfway up the thighs, featuring no sleeves and a high neckline. Kari slipped on her leather sleeves after that. Then I began fitting her armor, attaching breastplate and shoulder pauldrons, which were fitted together with elbow caps and gauntlets.

“This mythril stuff sure is something,” Kari said as I bade her to sit down on the bed. “That Dweorg craftsmen said it’s studier than steel, but it feels even lighter than leather.”

“It’s certainly impressive.” I grabbed one of her socks. “Left leg please.” Kari lifted her left leg, baring her foot to me. She wiggled her toes and grinned. I normally would have taken the invitation and sucked on her toes, but instead I began sliding the sock up her foot as I continued. “I remember seeing the craftsmen who made my armor slam a war ax into it as hard as he could. The armor didn’t even crack or dent at all.”

Kari sighed as I slid her boot over her now toe-clad foot and leg, and then proceeded to do the same to her other leg. “The Dweorgs really are amazing craftsmen. Even my weapon seems a thousand times stronger than it was before they reforged it.”

“And they made me a weapon as well.” After both boots were on her feet, I grabbed the suspenders attached to the socks and hooked them to a garter around her hips, hidden by the blouse. “I’m pretty satisfied with the weapon too. How does this feel?”

“Good,” Kari said as she stood up and moved her legs. The garters didn’t move much and kept her socks from falling down. “Thanks, Eryk.”

“You’re welcome.”

With Kari and I both outfitted, I walked over to where my weapon was leaning against the wall. It was a large ruler that was a little taller than me, about 30 centimeters wide, and had a massive guard that looked nothing more than like a slab of gleaming metal. The handle, likewise, was just a large cylinder with a spiked pommel. However, this was no ordinary weapon. Not only was the guard covered in Runes, the ruler had 11 segments running along the blade, which gave it the aesthetic of a segmented dragon’s tail.

I wrapped my fingers around the Dragon Tail Ruler’s hilt and lifted it. Despite looking like it weighed several hundred kilos, it actually only weighed about the same as a standard broadsword, or maybe a claymore. That was because it was made from mythril.

Hefting the blade over my shoulder, I turned to look at Kari as she gripped her newly reforged ranseur. Having seen her weapon millions of times, I could see the differences, both in the design and the general aesthetic. For starters, the tri-tip had been removed. Now one end featured two blades that appeared like horns. The back, meanwhile, featured a jagged blade that looked almost like the tail of a dragon. It was a little taller than I was, but from the way she twirled the weapon around with one hand, it didn’t appear much heavier than it had originally been.

“You ready?” I asked.

“Of course.” Kari smiled at me.

We stepped out of our room together and met up with Erica and Tungsten. Like us, their weapons and armor had been reforged. The gleaming armor had a polished shine that it hadn’t previously possessed. However, unlike mine and Kari’s armor, which had originally been made of leather, theirs looked about the same. Their weapons, likewise, weren’t much different from before save the Runes etched along the surface.

It was hard to tell steel from mythril. The difference wasn’t in their appearance but in their strength. Mythril was the strongest known metal in existence, supposedly. I’d seen a mythril sword cut through steel armor as though it was made of parchment.

“You two look sharp,” Erica said, a gleam in her eyes as she looked us up and down. I could see the approval reflected on her face. “You two looked like a pair of well-equipped explorers before. Now you look like experienced warriors.”

“Well, we are still part of the Explorers Guild,” Kari said.

“That’s right.” Erica placed her free hand against her mouth and giggled. “You two have been working with us for so long, I nearly forgot you weren’t a member of our guilds.”

“That’s enough joking around,” Tungsten grunted. “Let’s go. Hreidmar is expecting us.”

While Tungsten turned around and began walking, the three of us shared a quick smile before catching up. We made our way to the entrance. There, we found the entire community of Dweorgs standing around in the entrance hall, literally packed together so tightly the four of us had trouble squeezing through to the front.

Hreidmar stood near the gate. His armor was the same gleaming gold as last time. It had seemed ceremonial to me at first, but I knew better now. Armor made by a Dweorg was beautiful enough to be ceremonial, certainly, but it was always made with battle in mind.

“This world is doomed,” Hreidmar announced to his people. “Ever since the Sekbeist invaded our world and ran our resources dry, it has been slowly dyin’. It’s only a matter of time now before it becomes inhospitable.”

His words caused his fellow Dweorg to mumble. I could sense the unease in their words, even if I couldn’t necessarily hear exactly what they were saying.

“However!” Thundered Hreidmar, silencing everyone. “Just because this world is doomed doesn’t mean we have te be doomed with it. If this world cannot let us live in it any longer, then it means we just need te find a new world. Fortunately, four humans have come te us. They have agreed te help us travel to Miðgarðr, homeworld of the humans. There we will set down once again. There our people will thrive once more!”

He slammed his battle axe against the hard stone floor, the loud bang! echoing out to sound even in the deepest parts of the entrance hall.

“I’ll not force those who do not wish te come te follow me,” Hreidmar continued. “Those who do not wish te journey with me te Miðgarðr may remain here, but I hope all of ye will follow me. I’ve no desire te let my people die an inglorious death.” He paused, slammed the butt of his battle ax against the ground again, and shouted, “Will ye follow me?!”

His words were a tad crude, but they were inspiring nonetheless. A wellspring of emotions surged from the Dweorgs surrounding me. I could see it in their eyes, feel it in the shaking of their limbs, and hear it in their excited breathing. None of them planned on remaining behind, and they all made their intentions known with a single, resounding word.

“AYE!!”

“Then let us march!” Hriedmar shouted in response as he raised his battle axe above his head. “Today! We will head to Hovebrann, deal a punishing blow to those damn Sekbeists, and then find a new home!”

As the Dweorgs cheered, the gates that kept this city sealed from the outside world slowly opened with a creaking of gears. When this happened, everyone began to march outside. Today was the day the Dweorgs began to move, and it was also the first day to mark our last days in this world.

We were finally heading home.

***

There were a lot of shops that dealt with supplies needed for camping and survival outdoors. Some stores specialized in sleeping bags, while others sold tents and packs to carry stuff in. Since people often specialized in making only one or two items at most, it meant that to buy everything we needed, it was necessary to travel through a lot of stores.

“I was thinking we should use a tent for this excursion,” Kari was saying as the four us—myself, Kari, Fay, and Lin—stood in a shop that sold tents. “It’s supposed to be a ten or twelve day journey, and we will be traveling alongside a lot of strangers, so having a tent for privacy is a must.”

“I agree,” Fay added. “Not only are we going to be traveling alongside strangers, but quite a few of them will be men. It will be more comfortable to have a tent that we can use to change clothes in.”

“Is changing clothes in front of other people that big of a deal?” asked Lin, who despite now wearing clothes still didn’t seem to understand their importance.

“Would you appreciate it if a man other than Eryk ogled you with impure intentions?” asked Kari.

Lin tilted her head as she pondered that question, and then glanced in my direction, her golden eyes shining with a mysterious light. She turned back to Kari and shook her head. “No, this princess would not appreciate another man staring at her like that.”

“And that is why we need a tent to change in,” Kari said as she crossed her arms.

“Oh! This princess gets it now!”

I left the girls to their conversation as I looked at the tents this shop offered. Most of them were on the small side. I mean, I was sure they could fit two or three people inside normally, maybe even four if we all squeezed together, but they couldn’t accomodate for a Lamia. Most of the tents used a circular shape, which was easier to maintain, but there were also a few shaped like triangles and rectangles.

When we had accepted Catalyna’s offer to join her on this expedition, I never imagined we’d be shopping for supplies again. Granted, I would have needed a new sleeping bag anyway since I lost mine during our last expedition. I suppose it just didn’t occur to me that we’d need a tent for privacy. I guess that was my bad for not thinking of such things.

“What do you think, Eryk?” asked Fay.

I turned to the girls. “Excuse me?”

“What kind of tent should we get?” Fay asked again, crossing her arms and frowning at me. “Are you even paying attention to our conversation?”

“I was, but I got lost in thought,” I admitted, rubbing the back of my head.

“I guess even Eryk has some male moments,” Kari said with a giggle.

“What is that supposed to mean?” I frowned at her.

Placing her hands behind her back as she leaned over, Kari offered me a silly grin. “Nothing.”

“Anyway.” I sighed as I began tugging on the bangs of my green hair. “I’m not sure the type of tent matters so long as it’s large enough to accomodate all four of us. That means it has to be big enough for three humans and a Lamia.”

At this, everyone looked at Lin, or more specifically, her snake-like lower half. Lin, in turn, looked at her snake tail as well. After staring at her own tail, which thumped against the floor, she turned to us, crossed her arms, and huffed.

“It is not this princess’ fault if they do not have a tent large enough to accommodate her,” she exclaimed.

Her words caused the three of us to laugh.

We eventually hailed down the shop clerk, who I guessed was the daughter of the owner, and asked her which among these would adequately fit three humans and a Lamia. The young girl, a teenager of maybe 14 or 15 years, frowned as she looked at Lin for several long seconds, biting her thumb before her eyes lit up.

“I think I have just the thing,” she said.

The tent she showed us was certainly large, but it also seemed a tad impractical. It was a four square meter tent with a six person capacity, shaped like a pentagon instead of a circle, square, or triangle, and it used a combination of rope and segmented steel pipes that could be taken apart into multiple pieces to make it more compact. Made from the hide of a C-rank Water Serpent, the tent was a light blue in color and waterproof, which would be good if it rained, but…

“It looks a little heavy,” I said.

“It’s perfect,” Kari, Fay, and Lin exclaimed.

“You three aren’t the ones who are going to be carrying it,” I told them in a voice so dry the Endless Desert would have been proud. However, when all they did was look at me with those sparkling eyes, I sighed and turned to the amused young girl. “How much is this tent?”

“It’s 13,600 valis, sir,” she said with a smile.

I didn’t have any issue with the price. She could have told me it was 56,000 and I still would have bought it. To be perfectly honest, I had too much money and no idea what to do with it right now. All of my alchemy ingredients were given to me for free courtesy of the Alchemist Association, I didn’t have to pay monthly rent on my house (though I did have to pay the Eieran Family a monthly fee because they owned the land my house was built on), and it didn’t cost more than about 600 valis to maintain my daily living expenses.

As an aside, about 400 of those valis went toward satisfying Lin’s stomach.

After I gave her the valis necessary, the girl smiled and called her father, a slender man who didn’t look like much. A stiff breeze could have probably knocked him over. Even so, his clothes were well-maintained. He must have been a well-off craftsmen.

She gestured toward us, and then toward the tent. “These customers would like one of your pentagon tents.”

“That so? I’m guessing they already paid.” When she confirmed that we had, he turned toward us, spent a second looking at Lin, and then blinked when he saw Kari. “Princess Kari.” He bowed at the waist. “I had not realized you were here. My apologies for not being more attentive.”

“Ack! Wait. That’s Princess Kari?!” the girl exclaimed in shock before hurriedly bowing as well.

“Oh, no. Please. There’s really no need to stand on ceremony with me.” Kari quickly tried to settle the pair down, but she needed to maintain her princess’ dignified bearing now that she’d been outed. “I am merely here as a customer. You see, the four of us are in need of a tent, and I have heard good things about the ones sold at this shop. Just treat us as you would any other customer.”

“I understand.” The man and his daughter straightened from their bow. “Please wait here a moment while I grab your tent.”

It took longer than I would have expected to get the tent, but when I saw how the man came out from the backroom, struggling to carry the two oblong bags the tent had been packed into, I realized it probably weighed upwards of 54 kilograms. I took the bags from him before he could hurt himself. Yup. It weighed about the same as my Dragon’s Tail Ruler. As I relieved the man of his burden, he thanked me, and then bowed to Kari again as he saw us out.

“Everyone really treats you so differently,” I said with a sigh. “Even though you never go out your way to announce yourself, they still begin walking on eggshells the moment they realize who you are.”

“I know.” Kari closed her eyes as a bitter smile crossed her face. “I have grown used to it, but I can’t say I enjoy being treated like I am special just because of who my mother is.”

“The troubles of living in the shadow of someone much larger than yourself does sound difficult,” Fay mumbled. “I am sorry for not being around to help you when we were younger.”

“Don’t you start on that please.” Kari bopped Fay on the head. “We’re friends now. That’s what matters.”

Fay’s eyes softened. “Yes.”

“This princess doesn’t really understand why you dislike being treated like you’re special, Big Sister.” As the Lamia admitted this, she scratched the back of her head. “Is it not natural for those whose status is lower than you to treat you as someone whose existence is peerless?”

“Maybe, but I would rather people treat me like a normal girl,” Kari admitted.

“Hmph.”

Our shopping continued for several more hours. By the time the Sun had begun to set, we had bought a large roll-up fuuton, which should theoretically be big enough for the four of us. I didn’t know what they were thinking, but I wasn’t in charge of the shopping. My role in all this was carrying the supplies we bought. We also bought a bag that was large enough to fit the tent inside, and it had extra straps at the bottom to hold the futon. Naturally, this was all stuff I would be carrying when we journeyed into the Demon Beast Mountain Range alongside Catalyna and the others.

With our shopping done, all four of us headed toward the Imperial Royal Palace, where we were staying at the behest of Kari and Empress Hilda.

It took almost two hours just to reach the front gate. Because of Lin’s extra size and weight, we couldn’t take a carriage. Kari had spent the majority of her time teasing Lin about it. I could tell she really enjoyed treating Lin like her younger sister.

Someone was waiting for us when we arrived at the front door. The old man with a handlebar mustache, a widows peak with refined, swept back gray hair, bowed before us and opened the door.

“It is good to see that the four of you have returned safely,” he said.

“Oh, Garret!” Kari greeted. “Does Mother wish to see us?”

“That is indeed the case,” Garret said as the four of us entered. He closed the door behind us. “She has requested that all of you freshen up for dinner.”

“Dinner, huh?” Lin licked her lips. “This princess wonders what we shall be eating today.”

“Something filling, I hope,” Kari said. “All that shopping has made me hungry.”

“You two are such gluttons,” Fay sighed.

The group of girls were led off by a maid dressed in black and white, while Garret led me to another bathing room. I took a quick bath rather than a long one. Then I got dressed in the black pants and white silk shirt provided to me. When I emerged, Garret was waiting.

“I shall lead you to the dining room, Master Eryk.”

“Thanks.”

I still couldn’t get used to being called “Master Eryk”, but it wasn’t as if I was completely inexperienced. A few members of Brave Vesparia called me that.

We walked up a set of stairs, which meant we were being led to the private dining room as opposed to the public one used to entertain guests. As we did, Garret spoke to me.

“I must thank you, Master Eryk.”

“Really? For what?”

“For being there and supporting Lady Kari, for treating her like a normal girl, for loving her unconditionally and without regard for her status.” Garret offered me a smile, something he didn’t do often. “Lady Kari has been alone for a long time. No one has ever treated her as you do. Please continue to be there for her.”

“That isn’t something you need to ask of me,” I said. “But since you have, don’t worry. There’s nothing in this world that would make me leave her.”

“I am relieved to hear that.”

Garret opened the door leading into the private dining hall, and I walked inside to discover that Kari, Fay, and Lin were already sitting there. They sure bathed fast. I was expecting them to take longer than me, but I admittedly enjoyed long baths more than Kari did. The three of them were, like myself, dressed in something different. Kari wore a light pink gown, Fay’s was dark red like her hair, and Lin’s was purple and showed a lot more skin.

With them were the rest of Kari’s family. Rainer, Valence, and Dante were seated next to their sons, Mikkel, Geirolf, and Earland. All of them were dressed in the same refined yet simple clothing that I wore now. Of course, Empress Hilda was sitting at the head of the table. She wore a simple gown of pure white with gold at the hem. Her bust, smaller than her daughters, was emphasized by the simple clothing.

“I’m glad you are here.” Empress Hilda smiled at me as I took a seat next to Lin at the end opposite of the empress. “Now we can all eat.”

Dinner that evening was braised beef. It was served in a bowl-shaped plate and mixed into it were chopped vegetables like carrots, onions, and broccoli. The meat was delicious. I had to pause when I felt the beef melt in my mouth and release a load of flavor. It took everything I had not to try and scarf the food down after that first bite. I resisted, but sadly, Lin had no such compunctions. I almost flinched at the way she devoured her food.

“Your next expedition into the Demon Beast Mountain Range is tomorrow, correct?” asked Empress Hilda as a means of making dinner table conversation.

“That’s right,” I said. “This time, we’re going with Catalyna and several others. Oh. I suppose you already know that.”

Empress Hilda wore a strange smile. “Indeed I do. And? Who else is going with you aside from Catalyna?”

“We’re not sure.” Kari shrugged and gave an exhilarated smile, her eyes shining like beacons in the night. “We have absolutely no idea who else is going, but I think that’s part of what will make this trip fun. The excitement of not knowing is thrilling.”

“And here she goes into her own world again,” Fay teased.

Kari either hadn’t heard her or was ignoring her as she dove into an explanation about the ruins she was hoping to find. Empress Hilda listened to her daughter with a somewhat bemused smile, like she couldn’t quite figure the girl out. She would nod at certain points, make exclamations at others. I felt like she was humoring Kari. However, it was clear from how attentive her eyes were that she heard every word.

“You say that like you aren’t also excited,” I said to Fay, blowing gently on a slice of beef before sticking it in my mouth.

“That… I mean, yes, I am excited, but it’s not like I am that excited,” Fay muttered, her ears turning red. She also stuffed a slice of beef into her mouth, but the action was more forceful than before, perhaps to cover up her embarrassment.

“You sure about that?” I teased. “Don’t you find the idea of all four of us traveling together on another adventure nice? We’ll explore new areas, meet new people, test our skills, and spend our nights together in the same tent.” Fay’s cheeks were now red along with her ears. Smiling, I pushed her just a little further. “You three even decided to buy a single futon for us to share. Surely you're excited by the prospect of us sharing it together.”

By this point, Fay’s face looked like it had caught fire. I was sure it would be possible to cook on it, though I didn’t dare say such a thing out loud.

The girl opened her mouth to retort, but before she could get a word in edgewise, the sound of someone slamming their fork into a plate echoed around the room. All conversations ceased as everyone looked at Geirolf. The youngest of Empress Hilda’s sons was standing up, his arms shaking with emotion, and his face an angry shade of red.

He was glaring at me. His eyes were like daggers.

“I’m finished with my meal,” he announced before storming out of the room. We all watched him go, and then flinched when the door slammed shut.

“I wonder what that was all about,” Dante muttered.

Mikkel was the one who answered him. “Jealousy is a very ugly thing.”

“Hmm…”

***

“Sorry, Eryk.” Kari smiled at me as she stood in front of her bedroom door. “But I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You’re kicking me out?”

“Just for now,” she reassured.

“We’re having girl talk,” Lin added from over Kari’s shoulder.

Fay, who I couldn’t see, spoke from somewhere inside. “Boys aren’t allowed.”

“There you have,” Kari agreed.

“All right. Fine. I know when I’m not wanted.” I raised my hands in surrender, causing Kari to giggle. “I’ll see you girls later.”

Since I had been kicked out of Kari’s bedroom, I wandered down the hall, wondering where I should go. I technically had my own room here, but I hadn’t used it in a while. For the past three days since we’d been staying here, the four of us had been sleeping in Kari’s room. She said it was so we could get used to sleeping with each other, but I was sure it was an excuse to goof off. All we’d done was talk all night, get into pillow fights, and then pass out on top of one another.

This also wasn’t the first or even second time I’d been kicked out so they could have a “girl talk”.

As I was wandering down the hall, the sound of grunts and shouts of exertion caught my attention, causing me to pause before I turned in the direction they were coming from. I went over to a window and looked down. This window overlooked a courtyard, which was currently occupied by a single person.

Geirolf Astralia.

He wore the gauntlets I’d seen him using during our trip into the Demon Beast Mountain Range. Each fist was coated in a light green layer of wind, which was launched forward every time he threw a punch. His punches had some extra kick to them. When he threw one, he twisted his torso and put his entire weight into each fist. This increased his attack power, but it also helped channel his Spiritual Power into his Spiritual Technique, which looked like a flowing wind style technique that relied on creating a ceaseless flow of attacks.

“He’s pretty good,” I muttered to myself.

“He is at that,” a voice said to my left.

I turned around as someone walked up to the window I was looking through. “Mikkel.”

Smiling at me with that mild manner of his, Mikkel glanced at the figure below, who was covered in sweat and breathing hard but refused to stop training.

“Try not to let Geirolf’s actions upset you too much please,” Mikkel said. “He’s been jealous of you ever since you came into the picture.”

“Jealous, huh?” I muttered. “Because of Fay?”

“She’s just the latest of many reasons he’s jealous of you,” Mikkel answered with a chuckle. He sighed, then, and ran a hand through his hair. “As the youngest of us brothers, Geirolf has always been compared to us. ‘Why can’t you be strong like Earland?’ or ‘How come you don’t have Mikkel’s intelligence?’ are things I’ve often heard our fathers tell him. I know our parents are just pushing him to be the best person he can, but they put a lot of pressure on him. It doesn’t help that he lacks the natural talent Earland and I have.”

“That sounds an awful like like bragging,” I said.

“Does it? I don’t mean it to.” Mikkel paused for a moment. “I do not have great strength like Earland does, but I was gifted with a high intellect. I can make plans, figure out logistics, and use our comparative strengths to come with strategies that cover each others’ weaknesses. Earland, on the other hand, was born with incredible strength. Geirolf was not born with natural abilities like we were. Every day he has to struggle and work twice as hard to get the same results we do.”

I glanced down at the courtyard below, where Geirolf was now on his hands and knees, his back and shoulders heaving as sweat dripped down his chest. He looked ready to vomit out his left lung.

“So… to sum it up, Geirolf was already struggling to keep up with you two, and then I come onto the picture, and suddenly there’s this no-name guy who not only won the Spiritualist Grand Tournament, but is also courting the girl he has a crush on,” I said. “That about right?”

“More or less,” Geirolf admitted.

“Hmm…”

I parted ways with Mikkel a little while later and traveled toward Kari’s room, thinking about our conversation. It seemed Geirolf had it harder than I thought. Perhaps that was also why he felt the need to pick on his sister. The stress from dealing with the pressure to match up to his older brothers caused him to lash out at the one person weaker than him… except that was no longer the case. Kari was stronger than he was now. Easily. By a long shot.

“Maybe I can give him a hand,” I said to myself, though I wasn’t sure he’d accept my help. I was a rival, after all.

It looked like the girls were done with their “girl talk”. When I knocked on the door, the one who answered was Lin.

“Darling, you’re just in time,” she said, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the room.

I didn’t know what I was in time for, but when I entered the room and received several pillows to my face, I realized they’d been planning this. As the two pillows fell to the ground, I got a good look at the smiling faces of Kari and Fay. I picked up the pillows and smiled.

“You are are going to get it,” I said, raising my hands above my head and tossing the pillows at them. Well, that was what should have happened. When it didn’t happen, I looked up and saw a tail trapping my limbs. “What?!”

“Now, you two!” Lin shouted.

That seemed to be the que for Fay and Kari, who raced forward and bodily tackled me to the floor. A scuffle quickly ensued. I had no idea what the scuffle was about—not until Kari lifted up my shirt and Fay began tickling me.

“What are you—no! Wait! Stop that right now!”

My demands were not met. Fay continued to mercilessly tickle my sides, and I soon became breathless and unable to fight back. All I could do was continue laughing until Fay began running out of juice herself. Once she began slowing down, I knew that was my chance.

“Counterattack—wait! Not the tails again!”

Unfortunately, I had forgotten about Lin, who wrapped her tails around me legs and kept me from launching a counter at the pair. I tripped and fell on the floor. Now on my stomach, Kari jumped on top of me and began her own attack. While I tried to buck her off, she was tenacious and clung to my back, not relenting. Even when she did, Fay or Lin would launch their own attacks to keep me pinned.

My torturous night lasted for a long time before all three girls were exhausted. We lay in a bundle of limbs on the floor. I must have fallen asleep at some point. I opened my eyes again to discover that Lin and Kari were sleeping on the floor with me, surrounded by pillows. However, one of us was missing. A glance at the window revealed Fay, who was staring outside at the twin moons.

“Can’t sleep?” I asked, extricating myself from Kari and Lin. It was harder than it looked, but I had experience with being wrapped up in a Lamia’s tail. I just replaced myself with Kari.

I watched for a moment as Kari wrapped her arms around Lin and pulled the girl closer, while Lin’s tails curled around Kari’s waist and legs. The blonde frowned for a moment. She settled back down, however, and soon fell asleep.

Fay smiled at me as I walked up to her, but it wasn’t what I’d call joyful. I sensed worry in her smile.

“Not really.” She turned back to the twin moons floating on the horizon. “Every time I think about going back into the Demon Beast Mountain Range, I remember what happened to you and feel this unease deep in my stomach. Even though I’ve been training so hard, I’m worried that I won’t be strong enough to help you when the time comes.”

Nodding, I wrapped my arms around her from behind. Fay released a startled squawk, but it was soft and didn’t wake the two sleeping on the floor. Pulling her to me, I enclosed my arms around her waist until my front was pressing against her back, and then I placed my head on her shoulder.

“You really don’t have much confidence in yourself,” I said.

“It’s… not that I don’t have confidence in myself. It’s just… I can’t help but worry about whether I’ll be able to do anything.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?” I asked. Fay said nothing. “I’m not saying it’s wrong to worry, but you should also realize your own strength. You’ve always been strong, Fay. During the Spiritualist Grand Tournament, you went up against opponents with more experience than you and won. Also, you are much stronger and more experienced now than you were back then. If you went up against those same people, even Catalyna Kriger, you wouldn’t lose to them.”

“Do you really think so?” asked Fay.

“I know so.”

Fay didn’t speak for a second. “You have a lot of confidence in me, don’t you?”

“It’s important to have confidence in the people you love.” My response caused Fay’s cheeks to flush.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“That isn’t something you should thank me for.” Smiling, I placed a kiss on her neck. Fay’s breathing hitched as I kept my lips pressed against her skin. Then I moved, kissing her a little higher each time, until I reached her ear.

“E-Eryk,” Fay mumbled as I kissed her ear, then her cheek. Reaching out with a hand, I turned her head until she was facing me. I stared into her dark brown eyes, half-narrowed with a seductive quality that drew me in.

“I am never giving you to anyone,” I said as a possessive feeling came over me.

“Huh?”

Fay looked confused, but the expression soon left when I leaned in and kissed her. Her startled gasp was muffled by my mouth. I kept my hand on her cheek, and after the initial shock wore off, Fay began kissing me back. She opened her mouth and I slipped my tongue inside.

As the kiss continued, Fay turned around in my arms and pressed her chest into me. She wasn’t wearing a bra or bindings, which meant I could feel her nipples through the fabric of our shirts, just barely. An electric sensation shot through my body at the tender elasticity of her chest. Her arms went around my waist and tightened, further emphasizing this feeling.

When I finally pulled back for air, Fay gasped as if she’d been left breathless. I wasn’t much better. I reached up and placed a hand against her cheek. Fay leaned into it, closing her eyes as she placed her own hand against mine.

“Let’s go to bed,” I whispered.

“Okay,” Fay whispered back.

Leading Fay by the hand, I went back over to the pile of pillows where Kari and Lin lay, completely oblivious to our conversation as they slept on.