Night fell rapidly as the two refilled their water pouches from the river stream. Their tired faces changed into ones of relief as they sat on the soft grass next to the river.
R : "Haah... This is nice. Fresh, open wilderness, and earth that doesn't smell of soot or grime."
K : "Soot or grime?"
R : "Well, yes. Rugnud has a lot of mines, remember? There's bound to be deposits of sand and coal, and sweaty areas for miners to rest. It's hard to find a nice spot there where the air is so clear, and invigorating."
K : "... It's cold at night, though."
R : "Well, there's that, but it beats having to smell some random person's sweat or vomit throughout the stay. I would rather take a little cool over that stench." (... That's also why I often hunt in Findel regions, but I don't think it's smart for him to know that.)
K : "... To each his own, I guess."
R : (I'm sticky. I should take a bath.) "Well, I'm all sticky, so I'm going to take a bath."
K : "... Go ahead, then."
R : (Rejecting my invitation?) "What, you don't want to join me in a bath?"
*Cozy's Notes : Yes, Katachi, join Roberia in the bathing. Slip your foot on a smooth pebble and die, and let the story end right here. XD This is ACTUALLY a choice if I ever make this into a visual novel, you know. XD That is literally the saddest bad end possible - Slipping on a pebble to the bottom of the stream while trying to get away from Roberia, and inhaling too much water into the lungs. One of the most pitiable ways to die, if I may. XD*
K : (... She's making this hard on me. It may be dark now, but that doesn't mean I can't see her. The moon's pretty bright. Still, I better make some sort of excuse...) "... Well, I'll be watching over our stuff while you enjoy your bath. I wouldn't want some traveler or animal take our stuff away, especially since we don't have any replacements left."
R : (! Right, there's the issue of our stuff getting snagged away by some groundswine or raccoon...) "If you say so. I'll leave our stuff to you."
*Cozy's Notes : Wow, you would trust a stranger you JUST married that deep, huh, Roberia... Well, I am not surprised. You would expect honesty since you offered honesty. Rugnud culture.*
K : "... Just try not to take too long."
Roberia took some of her clothes, and headed off to the river to wash up.
*** ***
R : "Ahh, so refreshing~"
K : (I hear nothing, I hear nothing, I hear nothing...)
While Roberia enjoys the cooling, clean bath, Katachi is trying his darndest not to look at her, not to hear the splashing sounds, and not to fantasize about anything strange.
R : (This river water is so soothing... Ahh.) "This is the best, Katachi! I'll take my time here a little bit longer!"
Nothing echoed back.
R : (No response? I'll take it that he heard me then.)
*Cozy's Notes : Heh. Silence means consent. Even in the past, consensual rules worked like that - qui tacet consentire videtur. "He who is silent is taken to agree". And that, surprisingly, is one of the only things left from history that is passed down to our current era without much corruption in its general structure.*
R : (... I hope it's fine for me to urinate in this river?)
*Cozy's Notes : On that note, children, DO NOT relieve yourselves in river upstreams. Everyone after you, along the riverside, downstream, is going to suffer. They're gonna scoop water and go like "What the- Why is there a piece of faeces in my water?" or something like "Why does this water taste so... Weird?" PLEASE, don't.*
*** ***
Roberia twisted and squeezed her hair dry, and walked towards Katachi.
K : "You're done, then?"
R : "Yes. I bathed and relieved myself. It's your turn."
K : (Relieved herself? But, I don't recall hearing her coming out of the water to relieve herself?)
*Cozy's Notes : Yes, people are SENSITIVE about this. 'Am I going to wake up the next morning with a piece of turd or extra 'salt' in my stew?' This is a serious matter. Don't do it like how Roberia did. Please follow a more righteous and morally appropriate example.*
Katachi walked over to a spot between a tree and the river, and dug a small hole next to the tree with his dagger. He dug and dug, until the hole was large enough to contain his bowels.
He relieved himself above the small hole, and then buried his bowels underneath the sand he had piled up.
When his business had been done, he picked up his ragged towel from the ground and headed for the river.
K : (The water's cold...)
He dipped into the river slowly and scrubbed himself clean with a small brush.
*** ***
Roberia sat beside the campfire, and gazed at its dancing flame. The night coolness had started to become harsh as Katachi spread the groundsheet and blanket out onto the floor.
K : "... It's ready."
R : "Ah. Right, thank you."
Roberia walked towards the groundsheet and unfastened the belts and straps around her shoes. She crawled and snuggled against the blanket, and had reached a comfortable position quick.
Katachi picked a few more firewood, and kindled the fire a bit.
K : "It won't last throughout the whole night, but we didn't exactly have time to gather more wood, so this would have to do."
R : "It's not a problem, is it? You can always use that rune thing of yours to keep us warm."
Katachi replied back with a stupefied face.
K : "... That's not a sound idea, Roberia. Kaba runes are too hot. The blanket might burn."
R : "Oh. It's that strong?"
*Cozy's Notes : YOU DON'T SAY. OF COURSE IT IS, IT BURNT WOOD. IT BURNT. WOOD. ROBERIA. GOD-DAMN. I KNOW YOU'RE THE DEUTERAGONIST AND A TITULAR CHARACTER, BUT REALLY, DOE. WHY YOU DO THIS*
K : "Yeah."
Katachi slipped into the groundsheet, and faced his back against her.
R : (Back-to-back again, huh... Findeli people don't really show much passion, do they...)
*Cozy's Notes : That's a cultural issue. In Rugnud, marriage is considered a great love pact formed between the couple, and those married usually express love and affection passionately. In their case however, for one, Katachi is young and doesn't know how to please a girl, for another, he's not even sure if he likes her. Yet.*
K : (... My arm still hurts...)
R : "... Katachi."
K : "... Yes?"
R : "Promise me you won't do something stupid like that again."
K : "... Like what?"
R : "Throwing your life away like that. The intention is appreciated, but I was... I was really scared, you know. I was afraid that you would have just died from battling Yvolki."
She leaned her back against his own.
R : "Don't endanger your life like that for me. Ever again. I can fend for myself."
K : (She's angry...) "... Okay."
The response cheered her up a little bit, and her hissing tone became gentler.
R : "Good."
Roberia turned around, and tried to wrap her arm around Katachi-
K : "!! Ahh!"
R : "!? What's wrong?"
K : "... My... My wound..."
R : "!!" (Oh yeah, his left arm was bleeding quite profusely earlier! I can't believe I forgot about that!) "Sorry about that. I... I forgot for a moment."
She retracted her hand and turned around in shame.
R : (... He must think badly of me now...)
K : (It's freezing, even with this blanket on...)
Roberia curled up into a foetal shape and rummaged through her thoughts a bit.
R : (I... I wouldn't be seen as insensitive, would I? I touched his wound, even though it was so clear that he was obviously injured. He even slept on his right arm, so his wound wouldn't be agitated. He wouldn't start to hate me for this, would he?... He probably does. I imposed on him pretty badly, to have him marry me despite his reluctance, to have him put up with me. And now, this... He's probably angry at me...)
K : (She argued that the cold wouldn't be a big problem, but she's not accustomed to this, is she? She probably just wanted to feel warmer, seeing how she kept shoving her back onto me. It is pretty cold, so I guess I can understand her desire to keep warm.)
*Cozy's Notes : Two differing thoughts at the same time is actually quite confusing and hard to write. I mean, most stories have a single, clear focus, like a centralized focus on a certain character's feelings, before the story shifts in angle to the other character's thoughts. Having two separate thoughts on the same issue, at the same time is like having my brain's left and right side each take on a personality, and have them think and debate with each other at the same time. I'm just glad I did a (self-proclaimed) good job on it.*
Katachi shifted his body backwards, and their backs touched, and glued to each other ever so gently.
R : "!!" (This is his back! He... He doesn't hate me?)
K : (There. She shouldn't have to worry that much about the cold anymore.)
Katachi straightened his relatively smaller back as much as he could, to increase the exposure between their backs. Roberia followed suit, and their feet, legs, butt and back tethered to each other with an unseen force.
K : "Good night, Roberia."
R : (... Good night, Katachi...)
As the boy lulled himself to slumber, the girl wept a bit, and snuggled against the small, minuscule boy.
*** ***
The two packed their things, and continued on their journey.
A long day of nothing occurred to them, which was a blessing greater than any other they could have asked for - A time focused solely on moving forward towards Eliasbury.
*Cozy's Notes : D'oh. I am NOT going to write about every second they spend in their existence.*
*** ***
And finally, the two arrived at the stone-walled town Eliasbury, just as the sun's last rays reached the horizon.
R : "We made it!"
K : "Made it..."
The two looked at each other, with a satisfied and relieved grin.
K : "Heh. We actually made it. I was worried that the path would have gotten dark."
R : "Yeah. We won't have any problems if it were to rain."
K : "True, that too would be a huge problem. There aren't any mountains or hills around, so finding a cave to shelter in is hard. What worries me the most is when it rains while we are walking. Fereport from here is a straight route with vast open plains and no means of shelter."
R : "Let us hope the weather is with us then. For now, shelter is important."
K : "Yes it is. Where should we spend the night, Roberia?"
R : "... How about that inn over there? 'A good night's sleep at an affordable cost! We serve all kinds of customers!' That sounds pretty friendly."
K : "... Okay."
They walked towards the inn with a simple wooden sign that says 'Inn'.
*Cozy's Notes : Huh. Pretty generic. I like that.*
*** ***
A distinct, neighing sound reached her ears.
R : (Horses?!) "!! They have horses!"
Roberia excitedly ran towards the stable of the inn with her hand outstretched, gently caressing their ears. Meanwhile, Katachi hoisted their bags into the inn to register for a room.
D : "Curses! Where did it go? I know I have it somewhere around here!"
K : (? A familiar voice?)
Katachi slowly walked up towards the counter, and from the clerk's desk emerged a figure he had despised.
K : "... Dante."
A spiteful grin formed on his face immediately upon seeing Katachi once again.
D : "... Well, look who it is. The heretic scum who got me expelled."
K : "I am here to book a room."
Dante smirked, and pretentiously looked into his notebook, fingering the rows with his left hand and 'searching' the logs, as if looking for something.
D : "Oh, I'm sorry, we're all out of rooms. Come back never! Hahahahahah!"
K : "..." (A ring?)
Katachi squeezed the bag in his arms slightly.
K : (That log looks pretty empty though.) "... You have nothing on your logs."
D : "!! ..." (Guh! He noticed... Shit. You won't best me!) "... This is the checkout log. This being empty means that all of our rooms are taken up already. Our other, more worthy customers are still using their rooms."
K : "... So be it, then. I'll-"
The door behind Katachi opened, and Roberia walked towards the counter.
D : (! It's a cute one!) *keeps left hand beneath desk* "Hey there, miss, you from around town? Because I would have noticed you sooner, with how cute you are."
Roberia's face changed into one of disgust. Almost instantly.
R : "... That is one of the most disgusting ways to flirt with me. We're leaving."
*Cozy's Notes : OHOHOHOHOHO, GET BURNED, SON*
K : "Where should we stay for the night, then?"
D : (That orphan and cutie?! They're together!?)
S : "HOLD IT! PLEASE, WAIT!!"
Out from a side room, a lean lady wearing a brown dress and apron came forth and smacked Dante in the back of his head.
D : "Ow!"
S : "I am sorry! I am deeply, deeply sorry for my husband's misconduct!- ?... !!!" *eyes widen*
K : (That's the girl from when I sneaked out, Sherayal, isn't it?) "Husband?"
R : (!! That glare... She recognizes me?)
*Cozy's Notes : Refer to Chapter 8, when he tried sneaking out of the library and caught these two trying to fuck-I mean, have sex- That's not it either, I meant penetrate- Uhm...connect heart-to-heart via genitalia... They're doing something related to pushing the penis pOnOs into the vagina vagOOO. WHOOPS DIRTY TERMS. Better strike them out - They don't do much since they are somewhat readable, but I can still try to be non-vulgar.*
S : "... Aren't you... Aren't you Matal-!!"
R : (Oh no! She's going to blow my cover!!)
Roberia jumped on her and covered her mouth with her hand, and pushed Sherayal against the wall.
R : "... Can we... Can we have a little chat over there?"
S : *gasp* "Cer-... Certainly! Anything for you, sweetie!"
The two girls headed off into a guest room to chat, leaving the two boys outside.
*** ***
R : "That was too close for comfort."
S : "You're the Princess of Rugnud, aren't you?"
R : "Yes, I am, but keep it down! My hu- I mean, my partner there doesn't know that I am the princess."
S : (Did she almost say 'husband'?) "He... He doesn't?"
R : "No. And I want him to stay this way. Don't mention my name or my status as a princess before him, I beg of you."
S : (Maybe she will pay me a good amount for this?) "... Oh, I don't know... This mouth of mine is pretty loose..."
R : (Figures. They always want a few extra coins.)
Roberia reached into her pocket, and pulled out a small pouch with a bit of gold within.
R : "... As much as I would have liked paying you a bigger sum, I am now out on a journey, so I can't access my castle's funds immediately. I would have paid two full gold bars, but this is what little I have on me now."
S : "!! Gold!! Real, shiny, quality Rugnud gold!" (Two gold bars? That's wonderful! I don't have to work that desperately anymore!)
R : "Listen - You keep your mouth shut about me being a Princess, and I'll reward you with an appropriate amount of gold. But there's a bonus for you, if you want."
S : "!!! A bonus! I'll take it! What do you need me to do?"
R ; (She's pretty avaricious...) "Make sure that nobody in this town questions my identity. Not even a single peep or clue that I am Matalpalhallafaelladrapahamo Roberia. Katachi must not find out for as long as possible. If you do, I'll bestow upon you a gift greater than all the gold in the world, when you send us off."
S : "Greater, than all the gold in the world?" (I won't have to suffer and work harder to pay for that stupid Dante's gambling habits again!) "What could possibly be that good, to be greater than all that gold?"
R : (She bit the bait.) "This."
Roberia withdrew a beautiful feather - Yvolki's feather - from her chest pocket. Sherayal's eyes met the feather, and entered a trance immediately.
S : "... This..."
R : "-is Yvolki's feather. It's worth more than all the gold in this world." (I'm not too certain on this feather's real value, but hopefully this is convincing enough...)
*Cozy's Notes : The feather is actually worth a LOT. A WHOLE lot more than what Roberia thinks it actually is. Roberia's really ignorant of the feather's price - In another sense, everyone else overvalues the feather way too much. It is enough to have men starting wars and massacring each other to gain possession of it because it has a hypnotic ability to make the owner's dreams surface. I'll leave the talk about this for another day. Well, its importance in the Messiah route isn't too significant, at least. (#EyeGlintHint)*
S : (... If I get that feather, I would never have to work again in my life. I can leave Dante for the slums, find myself a man who really loves me for who I am, settle down, and have children... And when we are done, all that wealth can be passed on to our descendants to come...)
Sherayal collapsed with a huge and greedy grin on her face, drowning in her imagination.
R : "... I'll take that as a 'I got the message'."
S : "Yes, yes, I hear you! I'll do my best to ensure that nobody in this town calls you the Princess of Rugnud. I promise!"
*** ***
Their deal had not been secretive.
A tall, lean man outside the guest room, comparable to a bundle of sticks tied together into a human shape, overheard everything.
"... The Princess of Rugnud, in Eliasbury? This is great news!"
He ran out from the shrubbery and tree, and headed back to his office as quickly as his skinny legs could carry him.
"I got a tip that she would be visiting, but to think it was actually true... This is wonderful, wonderful news! The truth must be known!"
He reached the door and tried to turn the doorknob, but his excitement caused him to charge into the door before he had even pulled the door open.
"Oof! Ah! Ow... I need to make this a two-way someday..."
The man took a step back while pulling the door, and then a step forward into his office. Inside were a lot of bamboo slabs with articles written on them. On his desk was a small wooden sign that said "Mandred".
Mandred picked up a knife, and began carving his next story immediately.
*** ***
D : "..." (I can't believe this heretic found a beautiful partner like her. What does he have that I don't?)
K : "..." (Those two are taking a while...)
D : (I hate him so much right now. When did he get all these nice things? He's become so different I won't be able to call him scum at this rate...) "... Why are you even here in the first place, you unwanted heretic?"
K : "... I'm traveling. Traveling with her- Or, rather, well, she's the one traveling with me."
D : "... Lying is not good for you, scum. I thought Segus was against lying unless you had to."
K : (He probably meant 'One ought to tattle only lies of white when need be.' He's right on that, but I am not lying.) "I am not lying, and I see no need for me to lie to you anyway."
D : "... Yeah, keep telling yourself that, liar."
Katachi stared at him, and sighed.
K : "... I had imagined you to be more matured than this, now that you are wed to that lady Sherayal."
D : "Shut up! What do you know? It's not like you've married! You don't know how I feel!"
K : "... You might be right on the part where I don't know how you feel. Everyone does have a different marriage."
D : "That's right! So keep your mouth to yourself!" (Hah! He admitted it!)
Katachi checked his pouch for the amount of gold he needs for the stay.
D : (... Wait. He's keeping silent?... 'might be right on the part'?) "... Wait a minute... You..."
Katachi heard the cue word he wanted to hear. He nipped his thumb and index finger through his ragged shirt, and pulled out a white-gem ring attached onto a chain necklace.
D : "... That's... That's the ring you- !!!!!"
Dante's eyes widened so much, it almost appeared as though they would pop out.
D : "... You... You actually managed to marry that girl?... "
Katachi kept the necklace back into his shirt and remained silent.
D : "I don't believe it. You..."
The two girls exited the guest room, back into the lounge.
D : "You... You did that with the red-haired girl already?!"
A silence befell the room
K : "Wha- No! We haven't reached that point! Don't group us as you did for your relationship with Sherayal! We're not that vulgar!!"
S : "!! You... YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?!"
K : "!! Uhh, uhm... Yes. I did, senior Sherayal. I... I know what happened between you two, sad as it may be."
Sherayal's face turned red with shame.
S : "You... Recognize me... Ahh... AHH... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"
The girl with the brown dress and apron vanished into the next room immediately.
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