Messiah 12 : Visitor

A small rumbling, churning sound was heard.

Ro : (We didn't get to eat breakfast... Those two and their quarreling, and the mob chasing us has worn me down a bit...) "... I'm hungry again."

K : "Bear with it, Roberia. We're almost at Fereport. This is the last leg."

Ro : "You keep saying that, but your stomach growled too, didn't it?"

K : "..."

Katachi was no different. He felt the juices in his stomach churn and gurgle, and he stared at the dirt path they walked upon.

K : (... I didn't get to eat breakfast at the inn. Well, Sherayal and Dante were quarreling pretty fiercely over how Dante ate our dinner, but this isn't the first time I've skipped a meal, so how am I so hungry?...

... I don't remember feeling hungry this quickly when I ate Mother Rin's cooking...)

*Cozy's Notes : Heheh. He's missing home already. I think I would miss home quite a bit too if I went to National Service.*

The two continued their long, grueling trudge on the dirt path.

*** ***

Meanwhile, back in Mielfeud...

"... Mother Rinnesfeld..."

Ri : "Yes?"

Mother Rinnesfeld was removing the skin on a small orange with a golden word inscribed onto it.

*Cozy's Notes : Heheh. My bad. I forgot to include the part where he gives the orange to Mother Rin, but hey, it's just gifting, Nothing much happened besides that. It's not that important, even though it's the little details that count.*

"... Is this... Is this true?"

A fluttery, quivering and soft voice that did not fit his composed stature escaped his throat. A big, brawny figure held up a piece of papyrus, with the headlines 'Rugnud Princess In Affair'.

Ri : "Ah, the one about the shortage of Intundia? I heard it was because of the lack of Bloodswarm locusts around the region this time of y-"

"No, Mother Rinnesfeld, this. 'Rugnud Princess In Affair - A civilian was reported to have sighted the soon-to-be Empress of Rugnud, Matalpalhallafaelladrapahamo Roberia, with a boy of presumably Ohdean descent.' There's a typo of Katachi's surname, strangely enough, it being Kozuba instead of Kotsuba... However, I would like to ascerta-"

Ri : "Ah, that? Yes. It is true."

"R- Really?! That boy... That boy, Katachi married the Empress of Rugnud?!"

Ri : "Yes. They forged an oath with Segus right here, at this church."

"... This... This is incredible... I... I see..."

A small, slight grin bore onto the big hulking man's face. His eyebrows loosened, and he appeared more relaxed that he did moments before.

"... That boy has grown so much, since the last time I saw him..."

Ri : "Yes, yes he has."

*Cozy's Notes : I'm loving Mother Rinnesfeld more and more by the minute, yo. That sort of nonchalant way of answering people... Melody to my ears.*

He turned his head slowly, to gaze at the bench Katachi often sat in quietly.

"... I still remember his face, from when he looked at me while I was on the pillory."

The big, brawny guy began reminiscing a lovely memory.

"... He astounded me."

Ri : "He did, did he?"

"... Yeah. He fed me bread, and even tried to wiped my face and hands covered in rotten tomatoes and spit. To think, that my daughters whom were older than him, could only tug at my pants and cry helplessly at me suffering for their mischief... It makes me ashamed to have raised my daughters so."

The man's eyelids lowered, and focused onto a specific area above the bench, where Katachi would usually be, silently reading the books from the library.

"Hahah, I even remembered his struggle, of raising that long butty high above his head, and trying to guide the end of the loaf into my mouth. He's such a nice kid."

*Cozy's Notes : Gah, writing this makes my heart go throbbing with a strong urge to draw, even though I suck at drawing. Makes me want to draw a 3-year-old Katachi, raising a baguette high up above his head with his arms, trying to feed this guy. Also the 3-year-old Katachi jumping up and trying to wipe the man's hands, and never reaching his face XD Hahahh. That's so CUUTE ♥~ ...

... I've gone insane. Mother of God. Mary. She had a little lamb, of God. Dat Jesus. I'm mad yo.*

Ri : *munching* "Mm-hmm."

The man walked towards the bench, and patted the dusty spot Katachi used to sit on before sitting down himself.

Ri : *gulp* "I'm just glad he found someone to be with, be it rich or poor."

"... Yeah. As have I."

He grasped the locket on his neck, and held it tightly in deep prayer.

"... Cecilia..."

*Cozy's Notes : 'Cecilia' is the name of his wife. Where it is unimportant in Messiah, it plays a big part in another route! You don't have to jot it down or anything though, so relax.*

*** ***

"You know, the news said "Kozuba Katachi", but the notice at our school said Kotsuba. I think it's actually him."

"Seriously?! This isn't fake, is it?"

"I'm not joking! I really think that the cheating champion guy is in cahoots with the Empress of Rugnud. It says so on the news."

"Whoa... That is crazy. I thought he was already powerful enough, but to have him marry someone as important as the ruler of a country..."

Their chatter echoed through the garderobe, but was lost quickly between the murmurs of the other students outside.

*Cozy's Notes : Google garderobe. Just in case it's down, garderobes are Medieval-aged water closets. Those little shacks with a small square window or the moon symbol on the door, etc etc.*

"Hey, who knows? Maybe that Word of Power on him has an ability to control another person's mind. It's just like what he did on Mister Rekter."

*Cozy's Notes : This is very true of rumors. Where an event can be interpreted as something good and welcoming to a family, it is often ostracized in the eyes of the media. News in the current age, news in the past... It's only difference is the content and advancement of language, culture or technology within the rumors.*

"Hahah, you don't mean he forced the Empress to fall in love with him? That's disgusting and down-right unethical! It's unheard of!"

"Who knows, the Words of Power are pretty atrocious themselves. From what I've read about them, it once made all the people in a village faceless! How ridiculous is that?"

"Ohh! I remember that one! It was on the news too!"

"Don't we all? It's no surprise that he would use his strength to force her to his bidding."

"That may be, that may be! Hahahahahah!!"

Their conversation had been eavesdropped by a girl with blonde, braided hair.

B : "... He... He what?"

*Cozy's Notes : IT'S BAEL, OH NO, THE WORST OUTCOME

I don't know how you guys pronounce Bael. Bah-El, Bail, Bale, Bile, Bell, Ball, Boll, Bull, Bill, whatever. I don't care. Stick to the way you think her name is pronounced. I stick with Bail. Her name is pronounced Bail in my dictionary.*

Something in her heart plummeted to the very bottom, and her entire body felt heavy and sluggish.

*** ***

After a tiring journey, they finally reached the town of Fereport.

Normally, one would travel from Mielfeud to Fereport directly when properly equipped for the trip. However, the journey from Mielfeud to Fereport directly is a long, and arduous journey, that takes three whole days and a half on foot.

When not properly equipped for it, one could die from thirst simply by taking a wrong route - The route from Mielfeud to Fereport directly has no rivers or streams around to replenish one's water supply from. Therefore, many travelers without the coin to take a carriage would prefer a route to Eliasbury first - Both to rest their weary feet and resupply, and to meet a more diverse market about.

*** ***

Ro : "Finally... We're finally here..."

K : "... Yeah...*

A hoarse gasp was emptied from Katachi's lungs, and he inhaled deeply, the refreshing air energizing his body whole.

K : "... Haa..." (With the bag off my shoulder, this feels much better. I feel alive..."

Roberia placed her belongings down as well, and sat on a bench. With her body in a relaxed position, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath through her nose, and slowly exhaled the air from her mouth.

Ro : "... Ahh, the relief."

*Cozy's Notes : Being warriors in a world of magic would usually mean a great disadvantage against foes that can use magic, since magic can be ranged, mental, elemental, and most of all, unpredictable. To compensate that, pure warriors of this world have trained themselves to become strong, resilient, agile and tough enough to rush magi down.

Roberia is a bona fide pure warrior - Interestingly enough, she is the only one in her entire heritage to be a pure warrior, and one of Rugnud's finest at that. Breathing exercises, nerve stimulation, breath control, heartbeat regulation, willpower to ignore physical pain, many little feats have been used by these warriors of old, to overcome the many tricks the magi imploy. The spellsword warriors use magic themselves, to complement both styles together.*

K : "Roberia!"

Katachi called out to the red-haired girl, and she opened her eyes once more.

Ro : "Yes?"

K : "I'm going to go to a fountain to refill these pouches!"

Ro : "Okay! Go ahead!"

The black-haired boy picked up his bag, and withdrew two empty water pouches from his bag, His grip unsteady, he accidentally dropped a pouch, before bending down to pick it up.

Ro : "..." (Dropping a water pouch like that so clumsily...)

Something uneasy stirred in Roberia as she stared at Katachi disappearing behind a corner.

Ro : (I lost to a magus that can't even hold on to what's in his hands firmly. Those Words of Power he has on him... Are they really that powerful, to have me lose to a boy like him? One with no confidence, assertiveness, no distinctive traits?)

Roberia pinched between her fingers the ring strung upon her neck, its glistening, white gem showing a innocuous purity. She held it up to her eyes, and observed the gem carefully.

Ro : (... I've already decided that I would marry him. It may be out of impulse, it may be that I am not famous amongst Mielfeud people, but...)

She twisted the ring a little, to reveal her name engraved at the bottom.

Ro : (... Have I been too rash, I wonder? I mean, we may be wed, but we haven't actually done anything that would befit a couple. We haven't held hands, we haven't hugged, or kissed, or anything. At this point, it's just a marriage for the sake of a marriage. Did I really agree on this just because I wanted to defy Father's orders? ...)

Her face slowly twisted in accordance to the unrest within her heart.

Ro : "... Perhaps... This is the feeling of regret?"

She stood up, and walked forward.

It was time to confront Katachi.

*** ***

K : "Uh... Ah!" (I can use the fountain rim here to put the cap.)

Katachi placed the cap of the water pouch onto the rim, and dipped the pouch into the fountain. The little bubbles escaping the pouch, followed by a gradual expansion in its size, was something that he enjoyed watching.

He picked up the pouch, and depressed the pouch a bit. It caved in slightly, before reforming to its original shape.

*Cozy's Notes : ... Am I writing the right story? This... This can't be Katachi, can it? That's so... Weird, like he's stupid or something. Daniel clone 4041, maybe, since he is SUPPOSED to become gradually more stupid and simple, but Katachi?*

He liked that. Katachi enjoyed the whole process. Dipping the pouch into the water caused a change from its empty state to its full state. Squeezing the pouch gently induced a change to the pouch's shape too.

He felt like his actions made a difference, no matter how insignificant. He felt, within a small, meaningless object, his existence.

*Cozy's Notes : ... Okay. I'm writing the right story. It's fine.*

He reached for the cap on the fountain rim, when a shadow formed behind him.

*** ***

K : "?"

Katachi turned around to face a girl with blond hair tied into four braids, wearing a simple cloak.

K : "!? Bael?!"

His eyes widened and rocked back slightly, taken aback by her presence.

B : "KATACHI!!!"

Bael strutted forward quickly, and embraced him in her arms, squeezing him hard.

K : "Wait, wait! Bael, I- Aaah!" (Her nails are sharp!! Ow!)
B : "I've missed you so... Did you miss me?"

With him in her arms, she took a good look at Katachi.

B : "Ah- Your clothes! What happened to you? And here? Why is it so tattered, like it's been tugged at?"

Bael held the holed sleeve in her right hand, over Katachi's left sleeve which had cushioned the impact between his body and the sandy path from before.

*Cozy's Notes : Refer to Messiah 9, where Katachi skidded across the sandy path.*

K : "I, I can explain..."

B : "Take off your shirt! Take it off right now!"

K : "Hah?! N- N- Now?!"

Bael fished out from behind her back a compact sewing kit.

B : "Now! I'll mend it right here!"

*** ***

K : "... It smells funny."

B : "I can't help it! I've worked with dead animals and plants for so long, the decaying stench just lingers!... Just bear with it, Katachi."

Bael twiddled the cloth about her palm to reach a comfortable position, and continued sewing small pieces of fabric onto the shirt. The patches were not of the same, dull color of the fabric, but rather, polka-dot square pieces of linen.

K : "..."

B : "... Aren't you going to complain about the patches being of a different color than the shirt itself? It's not a welcoming sight to see such a bright red square with white dots sewn like this on such worn-out clothes, you know."

K : "... I don't really mind. I'm just grateful that it's being patched. So...Thank you."

Bael gasped in a small breath of air. After a long, dull period of 2 months, she had finally met Katachi once again.

B : "... Hahaha... You haven't changed."

His voice, his small and weak body next to her, had been something she awaited for the whole of two months. Others could berate, defame and scold him all they wanted. The rumors about him have been pretty nasty, but the Katachi she envisioned wasn't someone as evil as the others would think.

She knows, deep in her heart, that Katachi is kind.

Though she teased him on his name, Katachi asserted his stand clearly, but didn't go further. He tries his best not to hurt the feelings of others, and he takes the things he does with care, unlike most of the others Bael had met. She sees that he still takes delicate care and maintenance of that dagger on his sash. The bag beside him looked a bit stretched, as if it had been overstuffed at one point, but the small grime marks at the base of the bag, suggested that Katachi hoisted his bag with his arm, instead of dangling its full weight onto the sling the bag provided.

He has this careful, delicate air about him, as if he understood the transience and importance of everything around him.

*Cozy's Notes : Which is also a behaviour induced by his past. And, well, it's something I can easily relate to - Katachi's whole meticulous personality was based off my own behaviour over the daily things I interacted with. Pushing the fridge door ever so slightly to shut it tight, reinstalling the hook at the shower door, many of his mannerisms is like bread and butter to me. It almost scares me, how sometimes I see my younger self in the story in Katachi's stead.*

He was definitely different from most, whom would walk and kick the pebbles in their way out of sheer fun, whom would take wide steps on the ground in a prideful swagger, and be headstrong over everything they believed in. He would walk with his head slightly lowered, staring at the ground, as if every step he took was deeply thanked for, as if walking was a privilege graced upon him.

K : "... Bael?"

Even his speech, where he patiently waits for the party to finish their piece before asking for a permission to voice up, was lovely to Bael. She had become partial to Katachi, even without realizing it.

B : "Yes, Baka?"

K : "... Bael. Please. Don't use that phrase ever again."

His face contorted into one of frustration and misery.

K : "... I know what it means now. It means 'idiot' in Ohdean, and it's hurtful. So... Please, Bael. Please don't use it anymore."

B : (!! He's really upset...) "... Very well. I won't use it, now that I know its meaning."

K : "... Thank you."

*Cozy's Notes : This is something adults would get better, but in case I have non-adult readers : When Bael didn't know what it meant, she could use it liberally, without any concern. She just needed to assume that the word 'baka'/'馬鹿' wasn't harmful or negative. But now that the meaning is known, she can't carelessly use the word anymore, not unless she means it. Like how the small child yearns to play with a toy from the store, but they gradually stop as they grow up since it had become beneath them with time.*

B : "Right. You were saying?"

K : "... How did you get here from the Sage Raufid Magus Academy? Did you travel all the way just to find me?"

B : "Ah, don't worry. I had a couple of these tokens that allowed me to use the teleport circle at school."

Bael withdrew from her chest pocket four wooden tags with 瞬移 carved on both sides - Except for one of them, which was carved only on one side.

K : "! Those are really costly, aren't they? Did you use them to come and buy ingredients and herbs?"

B : "No, I came here for you, Katachi."

K : "Wha- Me?! You shouldn't do something like that if it's not important! Those tokens-"

B : "IT IS IMPORTANT!!!"
K : "!!"

Bael's sudden proclamation shocked Katachi.

B : (It's awkward, but... Now's the time to ask...) "... Katachi. Are you... Really in an affair?..."

K : (An affair? What- Do they already know about Roberia and I? How... Exactly how many people have already known about her unpaid debt to the bar at Eliasbury?) "Wh- Wha- An- An affair?! An... An.... An affair..."

Katachi's shifty eyes only served to frustrate Bael even further.

B : "... Katachi... If the rumors are lies, then prove it to me!"

K : "Ru- Rumors?" (!! What- What's she doing?!)

Bael's impatience has coerced her body to lean forward, closer and closer to Katachi, until their faces were right up before each other's.

B : "... Katachi..."

With a dry whisper, Bael closed her eyes, and cocked her head forward-

K : (!! The infidelity! I- I have to stop her! I'm married already!)

-to have her entire mouth covered by something. Appalled by the unexpected turn of events, Bael's eyes opened wide, and her head retracted a bit, to see Katachi's hand at where her face once was.

B : (... That's the confirmation, isn't it?) "Why, Katachi?"

Her eyes began reddening, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

B : "Why did you reject my kiss, Katachi? Are you... Are you..." (I can't believe he actually rejected me. Doesn't that mean that he is indeed having an affair with that princess from Rugnud?)

*** ***

Roberia saw the two sitting on the fountain rim, close to each other. As the blond girl's face eked closer and closer, something in Roberia's heart panged.

She had been an outsider. The boy whom she had set eyes on, was actually seeing someone else.

What pained her was not that they married. It was not that he had someone else. What pained her, was that Katachi might have been carrying a torch for that blond girl all this time. That fit the pieces well. He avoided contact with her where possible, like when they talked about making him a sire and bearing his children. He tried to shun away interactions with her, by sleeping separately. He had not been weak, but simply cautious of his own body, preserving it as well as he could for that blond. So many things that have happened between them fit the puzzle well, like a butter churn and a plunger going hand-in-hand.

The guilt gnawed at her heart, but she walked forward. She had no reason to back down. Though it may have been wrong to take away the boy with a forced coercion, she did it with honor; Not with her status as Matalpalhallafaelladrapahamo Roberia, but as a girl, Roberia. She had won his hand in marriage.

Had he truly loved that blond, he would have shrugged off her assaults on the humiliation he brought upon her. If he were truly in love with her, he would have never agreed to the marriage. With that blind intuition on her mind, Roberia walked forward, clinging upon the last ray of hope she still believed in.

R : (... I don't know what will become of this. But I will walk forward and confront this, regardless of the outcome.)

She felt her muscles tense up. She wasn't sure what to trust or believe anymore. Everything that she had seen up to now, that which had once seemed so solid and unchanging, was now foggy and distorted. Everything she knew about the boy began to fall apart.

And then...

The boy, with a huge frown on his face, blocked the blond's lips with his right hand.

R : "!" (He rejected it...)

B : "Why, Katachi?"

And the blond girl, disappointed by his action, began crying softly.

R : "!!"

It had dawned on Roberia then.

There she was, staring from a distance, at her own husband being up close and personal with another woman, and all she had was disbelief and mistrust in her mind. She could only think of how long the boy had deceived her. She could think only of how the boy intended to break the 'truth' to her, after forming a man and wife relationship with her. She could think nothing else but of how everything he had done thus far, his soft, kind and serious demeanor, his actions were all fake.

For the whole duration she stared at them... She imagined only of malice for the boy. Not once did she believe that the boy was faithful to her.

A different feeling panged at her. Where it had been a menacing, constrictive clutch of guilt, it was now a slight, lingering sore feeling. A sore, depressed feeling formed on her lungs and heart. It made her ashamed to call herself his wife. A wife ought to support her sire, to be by his side, to serve him well. She had realized, in that small act, how much the boy cared for her.

B : "Why did you reject my kiss, Katachi?"

And with newfound confidence, she stepped forth, to support her husband once more.

*** ***

R : "Katachi?"

Roberia's voice rang through their heads, and they turned to face her.

B : (!! That voice...)

Bael turned to see the red-haired girl, with hands straightened and behind her back, looking at the two sitting on the fountain rim.

K : "Roberia! Uhm, this... This..."

R : "That's unfair of you, Katachi. You didn't introduce me to your friend there."

K : "Ahh- Ahh! Right! Uhm, Bael? This, this is..."

B : "I know."
K : "?!"

Her eyes seethed with a rage that made Katachi flinch.

B : "This tramp's name is Roberia, isn't it?"

R : (I really don't like how aggressive she sounded. What if I get exposed?) "Yes, yes it is. I don't know your name, though."

K : (Tramp?) "! Right! Right. Roberia, this is Bael, my senior at the Sage Raufid Magus Aca-"

B : "So, this is your way of seducing Katachi away, isn't it? Hands behind your back, with that fake, innocuous look and all."

R : "Fake and innocuous... At least I refrain from kissing someone whom does not share mutual feelings with me."

They snapped at each other right away, with scowling expressions.

K : "... You two look like dogs fighting over the last bone..."

B : (So this is the Empress of Rugnud... I thought better of you, Katachi! Why did you choose the Empress of Rugnud as your lover?! Are you really that materialistic?!) "Katachi, THIS, is the quality of women you fell for? I can't believe you..."

R : "Quality of women? Don't you even speak of quality before me. I for one am not a cheap, debauched hag who fraternizes with another's husband."

K : "Roberia, that's mean. Bael's not that ugly to be called a hag."
B : "... !?"

Bael's fierce expression quickly changed from anger to shock as she, once more, hears the unexpected.

B : "... Husband!?... Katachi... You-"

When she had turned over to look, Katachi was holding the ring dangled on his neck, in his hand.

B : "!!!"
K : "... Sorry, Bael. I didn't tell you, but this... This is the reason why I... Why I... Why I cannot accept your feelings."

Bael clenched her fist hard.

So hard, that blood flowed from her palm, and painted a magic circle callused onto her palm.

B : (They pulled out all the stops...) "... You vixen."

K : "She's not a vixen, Bael-"

B : "DON'T YOU DARE DEFEND HER!!"

Her voice blared towards Katachi's direction, and the onlookers briefly took a glance before returning to their activities.

B : (I hate these rich, orguillous princesses who flaunt their wealth and power about the most.) "You people think you can do anything, just because you lot are powerful, huh?"

A menacing aura emanated from Bael, as she outstretched her arm, and a small, metallic ball of quicksilver formed on it.

B : "... And he did drink, for only sinners feared death."

K : "!?" (Quicksilver... The time Segus drank quicksilver as a trial from Kafki!!)

The silver ball of liquid extended, and formed a thin, serpentine tentacle. With a great strength, it lashed out at Roberia, with great speed.

K : "And he did drink!!"

Swiftly, Katachi held his arms widespread and his mouth open. The bolt of quicksilver changed its course, and flew into Katachi's mouth directly. Continuing on the redirection, Katachi slurped up the quicksilver, to prevent any from being used by her.

K : "!!!" (... I didn't know that quicksilver tasted like this... A taste befitting its smell... A strange, prickly, slippery and metallic taste...)
B : "Tch! Baka!!"

Angered at her failed attack, Bael held out the wooden token with 瞬移 carved on one side.

B : "He won't be there to protect you forever, Roberia! You'll rue the day you took Katachi from me!!!"

She raised the tablet high up above her head. And with a flash, she vanished.