Roberia tugged, yanked, pulled and struggled with all her might, at the pillar sword stuck in mid-air. But, all her strength couldn't even so much as make the huge weapon budge, not even a bit.
K : (... Maybe now's a good time to dissuade her from attacking me any further.) "Please, stop attacking me any further."
The look on Katachi's eyes had indicated that he had grown weary at these battles he had faced against the hunter of Rugnud.
R : "I can't stop! I must! I must defeat you, and bring glory for my family and country!!"
K : "That's absurd! Surely there is some other way of bringing said glory to your-"
R : "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!"
The roar was accompanied with a silence of the forest.
R : "... I have to beat you."
K : "... Why?"
The lack of cultural knowledge coupled with the opponent's disapproval for combat made Roberia relax herself unconsciously - Something she wouldn't have done, had Katachi attacked her in the previous skirmishes.
R : "Now that I have started fighting you, I must defeat you. It has to happen. To be defeated does not mean the end if I still live."
Roberia leaned against the pommel of the now immobile sword a bit, to rest up and catch her breath.
R : "... Seeing how you're a strange Findeli with an Ohdean descent, I suppose it's natural you don't know of our traditions."
K : "... What kind of tradition requires you to kill others like that?"
R : "It's not necessary to kill your opponents. I simply have to defeat you, to show that I have improved."
K : "Improved from what?"
R : "Improve from before, from when I have lost to you."
K : (That's easy, isn't it? Just beat someone that is stronger than me, someone that has defeated me before.) "Then... Go beat someone else that has defeated me!"
R : (What is he thinking!? That obviously wouldn't work!) "It doesn't work like that! It's the growth factor from defeating you that is important! The point is to work around your tricks and defeat you, not rely on someone else's convenient strength! I have to be strong, not manipulative!"
K : (She's troublesome... Isn't it sort of bad that she's out like this, with her life on the line like that? Won't her family worry for her safety? It would be better if she returned home, and worked as a farmer instead of joining the military force in Rugnud, or something.) "... Then... Why not just give up being a warrior?"
*Cozy's Notes : Hey dickhead, you're walking on really thin ice right now. But hey, I can't tell him that, can I? There's no Deus Ex Machina in this story.*
R : "... Is that supposed to be an insult?"
K : "... No, I-"
R : "You want me, to give up on being a warrior?"
K : "Well, uh, no, uh... Yeah."
R : (... What a way to say it in my face. I thought he would have been more tactful at least, but I hate people like him, who don't think about others, the most.) "... Keep that neck clean, Kotsuba Katachi. It may not be necessary to kill, but I will definitely decapitate you for that."
With a swift, brief warning, Roberia picked up her light bag and hurried off.
K : (... Decapitate? Was it... Was it something I said?)
*Cozy's Notes : Damn it, Katachi's age is too young to understand the concept of pride.*
*** ***
"Halt! State your business!"
Roberia had cut through the forest toward the neighboring town Fereport, because it was the shortest route to a large town with much commerce. Now that she had arrived at the town's entrance, the sentries held her back.
R : (Tight security... Is there a big event or an important official present?) "I came to purchase goods."
"Search her thoro- !"
A predacious, intimidating stare from Roberia made the sentry reconsider his standard procedural checks.
"... Pardon my unruliness. Never mind that! Let her pass!"
*** ***
Katachi was still searching high and low for medicinal herbs, and by a stroke of fate, encountered a small, little hut out in nowhere.
K : (... A hut... Maybe I can find someone that knows where I can get some Mestiel?)
The hut is of a small, rather shabby structure. The log walls with stones attached seemed to be in a sub-par standard. There is no door, and the windows are simply holes in the wall. The roof of the hut is covered with stones and hay, which reflects on the oversights of the carpenter.
As he walked into it, a boy older than Katachi tending to an adult woman laying on the gaudy, slipshod bed turned around at the sudden appearance of the stranger.
The two guys blankly exchanged glances with each other.
"... Who are you?"
K : (Oh my. This was someone's house after all. I invaded their privacy...) "I am sorry for plainly walking in like that. My name is Katachi."
"I don't really mind that you walked in. But, could you do me a favor, and help look for some water, or herbs for me?"
K : (! He mentioned herbs? Then, surely he's knowledgeable in herbs too. I suppose I should help him.) "Okay, what do you need?"
R : "I can't stop! I must! I must defeat you, and bring glory for my family and country!!"
K : "That's absurd! Surely there is some other way of bringing said glory to your-"
R : "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!"
The roar was accompanied with a silence of the forest.
R : "... I have to beat you."
K : "... Why?"
The lack of cultural knowledge coupled with the opponent's disapproval for combat made Roberia relax herself unconsciously - Something she wouldn't have done, had Katachi attacked her in the previous skirmishes.
R : "Now that I have started fighting you, I must defeat you. It has to happen. To be defeated does not mean the end if I still live."
Roberia leaned against the pommel of the now immobile sword a bit, to rest up and catch her breath.
R : "... Seeing how you're a strange Findeli with an Ohdean descent, I suppose it's natural you don't know of our traditions."
K : "... What kind of tradition requires you to kill others like that?"
R : "It's not necessary to kill your opponents. I simply have to defeat you, to show that I have improved."
K : "Improved from what?"
R : "Improve from before, from when I have lost to you."
K : (That's easy, isn't it? Just beat someone that is stronger than me, someone that has defeated me before.) "Then... Go beat someone else that has defeated me!"
R : (What is he thinking!? That obviously wouldn't work!) "It doesn't work like that! It's the growth factor from defeating you that is important! The point is to work around your tricks and defeat you, not rely on someone else's convenient strength! I have to be strong, not manipulative!"
K : (She's troublesome... Isn't it sort of bad that she's out like this, with her life on the line like that? Won't her family worry for her safety? It would be better if she returned home, and worked as a farmer instead of joining the military force in Rugnud, or something.) "... Then... Why not just give up being a warrior?"
*Cozy's Notes : Hey dickhead, you're walking on really thin ice right now. But hey, I can't tell him that, can I? There's no Deus Ex Machina in this story.*
R : "... Is that supposed to be an insult?"
K : "... No, I-"
R : "You want me, to give up on being a warrior?"
K : "Well, uh, no, uh... Yeah."
R : (... What a way to say it in my face. I thought he would have been more tactful at least, but I hate people like him, who don't think about others, the most.) "... Keep that neck clean, Kotsuba Katachi. It may not be necessary to kill, but I will definitely decapitate you for that."
With a swift, brief warning, Roberia picked up her light bag and hurried off.
K : (... Decapitate? Was it... Was it something I said?)
*Cozy's Notes : Damn it, Katachi's age is too young to understand the concept of pride.*
*** ***
"Halt! State your business!"
Roberia had cut through the forest toward the neighboring town Fereport, because it was the shortest route to a large town with much commerce. Now that she had arrived at the town's entrance, the sentries held her back.
R : (Tight security... Is there a big event or an important official present?) "I came to purchase goods."
"Search her thoro- !"
A predacious, intimidating stare from Roberia made the sentry reconsider his standard procedural checks.
"... Pardon my unruliness. Never mind that! Let her pass!"
*** ***
Katachi was still searching high and low for medicinal herbs, and by a stroke of fate, encountered a small, little hut out in nowhere.
K : (... A hut... Maybe I can find someone that knows where I can get some Mestiel?)
The hut is of a small, rather shabby structure. The log walls with stones attached seemed to be in a sub-par standard. There is no door, and the windows are simply holes in the wall. The roof of the hut is covered with stones and hay, which reflects on the oversights of the carpenter.
As he walked into it, a boy older than Katachi tending to an adult woman laying on the gaudy, slipshod bed turned around at the sudden appearance of the stranger.
The two guys blankly exchanged glances with each other.
"... Who are you?"
K : (Oh my. This was someone's house after all. I invaded their privacy...) "I am sorry for plainly walking in like that. My name is Katachi."
"I don't really mind that you walked in. But, could you do me a favor, and help look for some water, or herbs for me?"
K : (! He mentioned herbs? Then, surely he's knowledgeable in herbs too. I suppose I should help him.) "Okay, what do you need?"
*Cozy's Notes : The world doesn't work like that, you gullible buffoon. Ah, whatever. He'd come to understand that eventually.*
"Well, my sister's suffering from a rather harsh fever, so something like water to cool her would be good. Also, maybe something that can soothe her throat, like Intundia would be good too."
K : (!!! Intundia!? That's a high-grade herb! How am I supposed to find a high-grade herb around here, unless they grow it? Did they grow any?) "... Have you seen any Intundia about? Or, better yet, have you planted any Intundia of your own?"
"No... Not really, but I heard from some adults that Intundia can soothe a person's throat, stomach and intestines."
K : (... *sigh* He learnt it from hearsay... It makes sense, since I can't possibly find something as valuable as wild Intundia about this region anyway. I'll still have to help him though, because he knows this area more than I do - Maybe I can find Mestiel around here, and his advice, however tiny, will definitely hasten the search.) "Well, we can't use Intundia, that's for sure. But I'll see what I can do."
"Please do."
K : (Okay, soothing a person's throat, and a cooling effect... Molwed nectar and Pixle tea should do nicely.) "Wait here. I'll be back soon."
*** ***
"Well, my sister's suffering from a rather harsh fever, so something like water to cool her would be good. Also, maybe something that can soothe her throat, like Intundia would be good too."
K : (!!! Intundia!? That's a high-grade herb! How am I supposed to find a high-grade herb around here, unless they grow it? Did they grow any?) "... Have you seen any Intundia about? Or, better yet, have you planted any Intundia of your own?"
"No... Not really, but I heard from some adults that Intundia can soothe a person's throat, stomach and intestines."
K : (... *sigh* He learnt it from hearsay... It makes sense, since I can't possibly find something as valuable as wild Intundia about this region anyway. I'll still have to help him though, because he knows this area more than I do - Maybe I can find Mestiel around here, and his advice, however tiny, will definitely hasten the search.) "Well, we can't use Intundia, that's for sure. But I'll see what I can do."
"Please do."
K : (Okay, soothing a person's throat, and a cooling effect... Molwed nectar and Pixle tea should do nicely.) "Wait here. I'll be back soon."
*** ***
Roberia had a deadly, frightening look on her face, as she withdrew the pouch of Regal coins from her satchel.
R : (This pouch... These 16 Regal Coins I had with me... It represents both my nobility, and status. I'll keep one for a desperate fool to escort me back, and the remaining 10 for killing that cocky swine.)
The atmosphere of the armory turned ominous when Roberia punted the door open. A merciless walk toward the blacksmith, hinting at her anxiety and lack of tolerance against those who stood in her way made the two other customers give way to her stride.
Roberia pinched one coin between the coarse pouch and her fingers, and emptied the contents onto the table. The noisy clinking of the coins on the wooden countertop suggested a haste the shopkeeper should pace himself with that wouldn't have his ears bleed from her ranting.
R : "Get me your most powerful weapon. Magical, heavy or thorned, I don't care how crazy, obscure or weird it is. Just get me your most powerful weapon."
The shopkeeper could only nod timidly and oblige to her requests.
*** ***
Katachi nipped a bit of salt, and sprinkled it gently over the roots and stem of the Molwed.
It seemed to screech just a little, but the defense mechanism died fairly quickly.
K : (That should be enough salt... I think?)
Reaching for an empty vial, Katachi placed it beneath the spongy portion, and gently squeezed the Molwed flower. The lucrative juices seeped from its pores and gradually filled up the vial at the bottom.
K : (... That should be enough.)
He capped the glass vial and secured the cork well.
K : (I sure am glad wild Molweds have this much nectar. Most people don't deal with this stuff, but it's actually quite easy to work around the screeches, if you can exhaust the Molwed of its water content.)
Heading back to the hut, Katachi grabbed whatever he needed.
First, he opened a vial containing a crushed, pink herb, and left it out onto the windowsill- Or rather, the hole in the wall's rim. A mild, bitter odor gradually filled the room.
Next, he took out another vial of Pixle leaves, and placed a few in a ceramic pot of simmering over a small fire. While the tea was being heated, Katachi opened the vial of Molwed nectar, and sniffed at it a bit.
Then, Katachi slowly shifted the lady's posture to an upright position, before having her down the vial of Molwed nectar. The slippery fluid ran down her throat, and with a cleared throat, the irritation that acted up in her throat could finally be relieved. The lady coughed violently twice, before laying back on the uncomfortable hay pillow.
After that, he poured the tea into a cup carefully, preventing the Pixle leaves from leaving the pot. The lady, now awake, rested upright by herself, and slowly drank the tea.
A soothing, lukewarm burst of heat dispersed from her gullet through her whole body, and the lady finally relaxed. The itch on her throat was removed, her body feels lighter, and her face slept with a peaceful smile.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
K : "You don't need to mention it, but if you want to thank me, I'd like to know something."
"Sure! Anything!"
K : (Let's hope this boy really knows what Mestiel is...) "Have you seen any Mestiel about? I'm in need of some to carry with me."
"Mestiel? I... I don't know what Mestiel is..."
K : (... What a pity. I thought he'd know, seeing how he's older than me and all...) "It's fine. Thank you for your honesty."
Katachi exited the hut, with a small crack in his heart.
K : (What a big shame. I thought I'd have a shot at that herb- Herb?! Wait, my Jaanthro! I forgot to take it back!)
Katachi hurried to the windowsill and corked the vial of powdered, pink herb before placing it into his bag.
*** ***
R : (... I've betted everything on this. I won't hold back this time. With this... I will have his head, or I will go back a shamed princess who can't even beat an Ohdean beggar. There is nothing but my pride to lose now.)
K : (Mestiel, Mestiel... Gotta look for some Mestiel. I'm low on it, so I have to find some fast. I'd also need a mortar and pestle, which, if I can find before reaching Mielfeud, I can just use the one at home.)
The two gradually approach an encounter neither can afford to back away from.
*** ***
*Cozy's Notes : Ohohohoho. I feel so bad. It ended off without much hot-blood. Some comedy going on between Town Guard A and Roberia, but she trumps him like he's the carpet she wipes her feet on every night she returns to sleep for 2 hours.
This feels like a filler chapter, if anything. Still, it connects the story well, since the next chapter will be the final battle. Why a final battle, you ask?
Because after this fight the two of them have, comes the choice Katachi has to make.
The choice he makes then will affect which route he will take.
I AM SO EXCITED BUT I STILL ACT SO CALM HYUK-HYUK-HYUK-HYUK
BLUB-BLUB LOL #ONEPUNCHMAN #REFERENCE
Geh. my head.*
*TW's Notes : Chill, Cozy. Chill. Sheesh.*
*Cozy's Notes : In any case, the next chapter after this chapter... will end the Chapter names.
Chapter 32 is the last chapter. For the story routes that converge.
From then on, it's Messish 1, Herald 527/81, or Endus Reignum (insert number here). Depends on which route you're reading (or planning to read, of course). If I ever plan on making this into a proper visual novel... Well, I'll put my own Bad Ends into the story then.
Until then... I'mma enjoy this a lot. I hope you readers do, too!
Just a little breakdown for people that don't read the side-notes :
Messiah is the good route. Generally romantic comedy, and with a fair bit of twist. The route I pride myself the least in.
Herald is the bad route. Psychological, a bit of horror if you can imagine the scenes yourself, but also my second proudest. Because it's philosophical. It's how I view the world.
Endus Reignum is the true route. It's the route I love the most. But I'd only start writing this after Messiah and Herald - I fear that I may need the experience from writing the other two routes to perfect the final ending.
That's all, guys! :D Thank you all for your patience thus far!
Signing out,
Cozy *
*TW's Notes : So it's come to this. I will be honest here, I have no fucking idea what Cozy has in mind for the fucking true route. I mean, sure, he shares a lot about his ideas for Messiah and Herald, and it's surprisingly deep and fucking awesome enough to earn my praise for their respective genres. But I just can't get him to crack and spoil for me the plot in Endus Reignum. I'm his fucking editor, he should at least confide in me or something. Maybe it's his own delusional fantasy come true and he doesn't want to 'pollute' it with any stray ideas, maybe it's a rip-off of some already-existent plot like the main hero or heroine dies early on in the series and it's about vengeance and revenge, or some hot-blooded shit and blah. Shit, that kind-of reminded me about that one series he told me to watch - Gurren Lagaan, is it? Fuck Cozy and his fucking antics to get me to watch anime. I don't think he'd do that, though. He says he hates shounen anime, whatever that is, and the typical plots that are used to increase a person's adrenaline level - Or, he could be a big fucking liar and actually pull that shit kinda stunt, even on my ass. Still... He's definitely put a lot of effort into the good and bad routes though, so I expect nothing short of a great piece from him in regard to the third, true route. Even I look forward to it myself - You should.
Signing off,
Tiat Wee*
Katachi nipped a bit of salt, and sprinkled it gently over the roots and stem of the Molwed.
It seemed to screech just a little, but the defense mechanism died fairly quickly.
K : (That should be enough salt... I think?)
Reaching for an empty vial, Katachi placed it beneath the spongy portion, and gently squeezed the Molwed flower. The lucrative juices seeped from its pores and gradually filled up the vial at the bottom.
K : (... That should be enough.)
He capped the glass vial and secured the cork well.
K : (I sure am glad wild Molweds have this much nectar. Most people don't deal with this stuff, but it's actually quite easy to work around the screeches, if you can exhaust the Molwed of its water content.)
Heading back to the hut, Katachi grabbed whatever he needed.
First, he opened a vial containing a crushed, pink herb, and left it out onto the windowsill- Or rather, the hole in the wall's rim. A mild, bitter odor gradually filled the room.
Next, he took out another vial of Pixle leaves, and placed a few in a ceramic pot of simmering over a small fire. While the tea was being heated, Katachi opened the vial of Molwed nectar, and sniffed at it a bit.
Then, Katachi slowly shifted the lady's posture to an upright position, before having her down the vial of Molwed nectar. The slippery fluid ran down her throat, and with a cleared throat, the irritation that acted up in her throat could finally be relieved. The lady coughed violently twice, before laying back on the uncomfortable hay pillow.
After that, he poured the tea into a cup carefully, preventing the Pixle leaves from leaving the pot. The lady, now awake, rested upright by herself, and slowly drank the tea.
A soothing, lukewarm burst of heat dispersed from her gullet through her whole body, and the lady finally relaxed. The itch on her throat was removed, her body feels lighter, and her face slept with a peaceful smile.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
K : "You don't need to mention it, but if you want to thank me, I'd like to know something."
"Sure! Anything!"
K : (Let's hope this boy really knows what Mestiel is...) "Have you seen any Mestiel about? I'm in need of some to carry with me."
"Mestiel? I... I don't know what Mestiel is..."
K : (... What a pity. I thought he'd know, seeing how he's older than me and all...) "It's fine. Thank you for your honesty."
Katachi exited the hut, with a small crack in his heart.
K : (What a big shame. I thought I'd have a shot at that herb- Herb?! Wait, my Jaanthro! I forgot to take it back!)
Katachi hurried to the windowsill and corked the vial of powdered, pink herb before placing it into his bag.
*** ***
R : (... I've betted everything on this. I won't hold back this time. With this... I will have his head, or I will go back a shamed princess who can't even beat an Ohdean beggar. There is nothing but my pride to lose now.)
K : (Mestiel, Mestiel... Gotta look for some Mestiel. I'm low on it, so I have to find some fast. I'd also need a mortar and pestle, which, if I can find before reaching Mielfeud, I can just use the one at home.)
The two gradually approach an encounter neither can afford to back away from.
*** ***
*Cozy's Notes : Ohohohoho. I feel so bad. It ended off without much hot-blood. Some comedy going on between Town Guard A and Roberia, but she trumps him like he's the carpet she wipes her feet on every night she returns to sleep for 2 hours.
This feels like a filler chapter, if anything. Still, it connects the story well, since the next chapter will be the final battle. Why a final battle, you ask?
Because after this fight the two of them have, comes the choice Katachi has to make.
The choice he makes then will affect which route he will take.
I AM SO EXCITED BUT I STILL ACT SO CALM HYUK-HYUK-HYUK-HYUK
BLUB-BLUB LOL #ONEPUNCHMAN #REFERENCE
Geh. my head.*
*TW's Notes : Chill, Cozy. Chill. Sheesh.*
*Cozy's Notes : In any case, the next chapter after this chapter... will end the Chapter names.
Chapter 32 is the last chapter. For the story routes that converge.
From then on, it's Messish 1, Herald 527/81, or Endus Reignum (insert number here). Depends on which route you're reading (or planning to read, of course). If I ever plan on making this into a proper visual novel... Well, I'll put my own Bad Ends into the story then.
Until then... I'mma enjoy this a lot. I hope you readers do, too!
Just a little breakdown for people that don't read the side-notes :
Messiah is the good route. Generally romantic comedy, and with a fair bit of twist. The route I pride myself the least in.
Herald is the bad route. Psychological, a bit of horror if you can imagine the scenes yourself, but also my second proudest. Because it's philosophical. It's how I view the world.
Endus Reignum is the true route. It's the route I love the most. But I'd only start writing this after Messiah and Herald - I fear that I may need the experience from writing the other two routes to perfect the final ending.
That's all, guys! :D Thank you all for your patience thus far!
Signing out,
Cozy *
*TW's Notes : So it's come to this. I will be honest here, I have no fucking idea what Cozy has in mind for the fucking true route. I mean, sure, he shares a lot about his ideas for Messiah and Herald, and it's surprisingly deep and fucking awesome enough to earn my praise for their respective genres. But I just can't get him to crack and spoil for me the plot in Endus Reignum. I'm his fucking editor, he should at least confide in me or something. Maybe it's his own delusional fantasy come true and he doesn't want to 'pollute' it with any stray ideas, maybe it's a rip-off of some already-existent plot like the main hero or heroine dies early on in the series and it's about vengeance and revenge, or some hot-blooded shit and blah. Shit, that kind-of reminded me about that one series he told me to watch - Gurren Lagaan, is it? Fuck Cozy and his fucking antics to get me to watch anime. I don't think he'd do that, though. He says he hates shounen anime, whatever that is, and the typical plots that are used to increase a person's adrenaline level - Or, he could be a big fucking liar and actually pull that shit kinda stunt, even on my ass. Still... He's definitely put a lot of effort into the good and bad routes though, so I expect nothing short of a great piece from him in regard to the third, true route. Even I look forward to it myself - You should.
Signing off,
Tiat Wee*
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