Mother Rinnesfeld tended to the slowly brewing stew, and stirred the pot gently.
Ri : (I could use some Derianco in here. It should bring out a slightly salty, and mildly sweet aftertaste.)
She reached for the small glass bottle of Derianco and sprinkled it onto the viscous broth leniently. Reaching for her ladle, she slowly stirred it, and let the flavor seep into the stew. After a good while, she used a small tasting spoon to scoop a little up, and brought it to her lips.
And then, came the frantic footsteps.
Ro : "Rinnesfeld! Rinnesfeld!! Something's wrong with Katachi!"
Ri : (Something's wrong? Is he ill?) "What's wrong with him?"
Ro : "I don't know! I woke up, and his eyes were just wide-open, staring at the ceiling! He has this weird frown on his face, and his eyes are bloodshot, and he's just murmuring and chanting something like he's been hypnotized!"
Ri : "Did you sleep with him last night? It's probably you, then."
Ro : "? Yes, I did- Wait, are you saying that I made him like THAT?!"
Ri : (So she did. Oh, Katachi dear, it must have been hard on you.) "I would go with a definite 'yes'. He can't sleep easily when he knows there's people around him."
Ro : "He... He does?"
Ri : "Yes. Even when I sleep with him sometimes to share a blanket on a cold night, he would stay wide awake for the whole night. He doesn't fall asleep that easily when there's people around him."
Ro : "... How amusing. He can't sleep when there's people around him, huh." (Then, what of the times I slept next to him? Had he been feigning sleep all that time?...)
*** ***
K : "... Red... Red everywhere..."
*** ***
Ri : (But, if they shared the same bed...) "... Try to recall. Was there anything unusual when you woke up?"
Ro : "Uhm... I... I don't know. When I woke up, I was still on his right, and he's still on my left."
Ri : (Did he... Did they do 'it' already?) "Is there anywhere messy on your body, or clothes?"
Ro : "Not really... My hair's a bit messier, I guess?"
Ri : "Your hair?..."
*** ***
K : "The whips... The sting..."
*** ***
Ro : "... Yeah, other than that, my body's fine. My nose is a little itchy, but everything else seems perfectly normal."
Ri : "Normal, you say? Do you feel any pain or discomfort, anywhere?"
Ro : (Why would she ask that? Is Katachi actually virile, perhaps?) "... No. The only things disturbed are my nose and hair."
Ri : (So they didn't do it...) "I see. Well, it's probably nothing, then."
*** ***
Katachi couldn't sleep. He just couldn't afford to. Having someone by his side was one thing, but the night with Roberia beside him was especially brutal - Especially because his bed is uncomfortable to begin with.
Roberia has tossed and turned her head so much last night, her long, red hair had whipped Katachi's face for at least 15 times. When he had reached a daze and neared slumber, the prickly sensation from her hair itched and shocked him back awake, forcing him to open his eyes wide and to stare at the ceiling once again.
This had happened before when Mother Rinnesfeld slept with him. Her hair may have been brown and curly, and thus cushioned the strength of the hair flung against him, but it was a bushy, ticklish sensation highly similar to the bed Katachi is sleeping on.
K : (... I can't sleep. I can't sleep at all. The sky outside is so bright, but for the first time in my life I actually want to sleep now, while she's gone. Just... Calm down, deep breaths...)
The bed's discomfort only served to make the procedure that much more difficult. Because the sheets were old, the straw between the fabric had been broken and stuck outwards fuzzily, like hair on skin. Combined with the bed's sponginess, anyone sleeping on it would have their entire body depressed against the worn-out sheet, and these straw protrusions would then perforate their skin in sensitive spots.
It was a bed only Katachi, who has slept on it for more than 8 years, could sleep on without complaints. It was also a bed nobody else could ever hope to rest upon, without twisting around repeatedly in discomfort.
Roberia didn't find it prickly because she has indeed slept out in the open, with only the soft earth and grass beneath her before. But it's still itchy and ticklish to her, so she tossed and turned a lot that night. Even if her body had been accustomed to the sting from sleeping on rugged, edgy surfaces like plain rock, experiences like that can't completely eliminate the itch of a bug crawling on her skin.
K : (I just want to sleep. It's a bit too bright now, but I... I just want to sleep...)
His tired eyes opened ever so slightly, and he rubbed his thick eyebags. The children playing outside the church, the chirping birds, the gossip of the townsfolk... They were nostalgic.
K : (... It's not as quiet as it was in the night, but I can nap a bit... I think.)
*** ***
Ro : (I can understand if it were last night, but what of the times before?...) "Wait, this can't be nothing! He has a sleeping problem with people around him?"
Ri : "Yes, yes he does."
Ro : (So he feigned sleep?... Did he grope me in my sleep? I dare not imagine...) "... This is unacceptable."
Ri : "Why would that be?"
Ro : "If he is to have a sleeping problem, I must help him overcome this flaw immediately. To my knowledge, this disorder inflicts a huge damage on our relationship. As his wife, I am to offer him a subservient, supportive role."
*Cozy's Notes : Yeah, good luck with that when you're the reason he couldn't sleep. It's like you're breathing oxygen and you say you should stop breathing oxygen to save the Earth but you keep breathing.*
Ri : (Ah, yes. It's their culture to offer their honesty as a form of love.) "I suppose, but there's no need to rush. After all, Magdalona wasn't built in a day."
*Cozy's Notes : 'Rome wasn't built in a day.' reference.*
Ro : "... I suppose..." (... He did tend to me and treat my wounds then, so I guess I could do the same for him. I would have to ask him later, on his sleeping problem.) "Is there anything I can do for him?"
Ri : "... Hmm... Well, you two didn't do it yesterday, but you could help me unravel his bag, and we can sort out his inventory for him."
Ro : "! Of course! Let us make haste."
*** ***
Opening the new, well-sewn bag Katachi carried with him, the two took everything within out. There were a few sets of clean, fresh and unworn clothes, a pair of shoes with a buckle and strap over each, a ragged towel, his wooden dagger, some triple braid rope, his groundsheet and blanket, a small pouch of gold, a pebble with a rune on it, a map with a few tears on the sides, glass bottles of spices and herbs, to name a few.
Ri : "... Hmm... He's low on Mestiel."
Ro : "Mestiel? The herb that suppresses bleeding?"
Ri : "Yes. He seems to have used them a bit. Oh dear, what did he do to use so much, I wonder?"
Ro : (... He used that to heal me... Then, it is only appropriate that I help restock his supply.) "Where can I get some Mestiel?"
Ri : "Mestiel, hm... As for fresh Mestiel, there's a field to the northwest of here that has a few herbs growing. If you have some coin with you, maybe you could try heading to the East of Mielfeud and purchase some from the apothecary - The Mestiel there would be ground and prepared for usage already, but I would suggest you carry some fresh Mestiel back here and see if we can salvage some Durgwyrms from them."
Ro : "... Okay. I'll go look for some in the field."
Roberia stood up, and walked out of the church.
*** ***
K : (... The bed is sinking?...)
Katachi opened his eyes slowly, to see Mother Rinnesfeld seated beside him on the bed. The smell in the air had a fine tint, a herbal aroma. It roused him from his grogginess.
K : "... Mother Rin?"
Ri : "Ah, you're awake, Katachi? I'm sorry, did I wake you?"
K : "It's fine."
The two whom have relied upon each other silently enjoyed the peace about them.
Ri : "... I see you've picked up magic. It's a relief. That should give you more opportunities to work, compared to most of the adults. I was worried that you'd be frail and skinny, but it looks like you've grown up strong, after all."
K : "Yes. I have."
Ri : "How was your time at the Sage Raufid Magus Academy so far?"
Katachi didn't want to let Rinnesfeld worry about him, but at the same time he was not obligated to lie to her.
K : "... I got expelled for using magic on a teacher."
Ri : "! Expelled?..."
K : "... Sorry. I... It was just that, well..."
Ri : "... Was it to help somebody?"
K : (... It wasn't to begin with, but seeing how Rekter carelessly manipulated the chandelier, and almost killed the students, it's sort-of justified, I suppose.) "Yeah. I helped the students."
Ri : "Good. That is good... So, have you any plans from here on?"
K : "... I want to travel the world. I want to write and mark down every bit of detail I see, and... And practice magic on my journey."
Ri : "You're not going to stay here with me then, Katachi? I was quite looking forward to you taking over this church."
K : (... Sorry, Mother Rin, but... The Words of Power are too cruel. They are too dangerous and powerful. I have to collect them all, and ensure that nobody gets hurt by this power ever again.) "... I'm not."
Ri : "... I understand. It must be nice to be young, having such an ambitious dream, and pursuing it actively."
Mother Rinnesfeld embraced Katachi, and snuggled him in her rather finely developed bosoms.
Ri : "Sorry for disturbing your sleep. I heard from that girl Roberia that you haven't had a good rest. I'll just leave you to yourself for now."
K : "... Thank you, Mother Rin."
Ri : "I'll be back before sunset to make dinner. I need to go over to the Assembly Hall for a bit. Sleep tight, my dear Katachi."
K : "... Bye, Mother Rin..."
Katachi closed his eyes, to little help against the strong sunlight outside, and the fragrance in the air serenaded him to sleep quickly.
*** ***
K : (... Something... Heavy?)
Ro : "Are you awake yet, Katachi?"
Opening his eyes, Katachi locked eyes with Roberia, who, to his horror, is now straddled onto his body.
K : "Gaah!!!"
Ro : "!!"
In reflex, Katachi reached for his dagger with his right hand, and his left hand shielded his face. However, he had taken off his equipment, and left them at his bag, so he is completely defenseless.
K : "! Oh, it's... It's just you."
Ro : " 'It's just you'?! What kind of response is that to your wife?!"
K : "Ah, I uh... Sorry. Good, uh..."
Katachi turned his head outside to guess the sun's position. However, clouds have rolled in while he had slept, and now the weather was an overcast.
K : "... Morning?"
Ro : "It's 10 after 1 in the afternoon. I was beginning to think that you'd never wake up."
K : "Sorry for having you worry."
Ro : (His hand's still on... Is he really that perverse?) "... Still, aren't you a bit aggressive? To be doing this right when you wake up."
K : "Do... Do what?"
Ro : "Am I supposed to pretend that your hand is inexistent?"
Looking at his right hand once more, Katachi understood what she meant.
K : "Ah. Sorry."
He quickly removed his right hand, which had been searching for the wooden dagger earlier, from her left thigh.
K : "... Uhm... I-"
Ro : "I! I got you some fresh Mestiel."
K : "You did?"
Ro : "Yes. It took a while before I found them, but I finally did."
K : "That's... That's wonderful. Thank you, Roberia."
Ro : "Don't thank me for something like that. I know you brewed most of your Mestiel for a healing salve to treat my wound back then. Consider this as my compensation to you, for the trouble I've caused."
K : (She knew...) "Uh, of course."
Ro : "... Katachi."
K : "Y- Yes?"
Ro : "I don't know what to do."
K : (? Don't know what to do? Do what?) "What do you not know what to do?"
Ro : "... You have a sleeping problem, do you not? You can't sleep when people are around, and that includes me..."
K : "... Did Mother Rin tell you?"
Ro : "Yes."
K : "... That would be true. I do have a problem sleeping."
R : "!!!"
Without warning, Roberia raised her arm, and plunged her whole body weight into a punch, bouncing upwards on the bed slightly. Katachi's head barely managed to dodge it, scraping his cheek and ear. It was a strong punch; One loud enough, to hear the wood at the bottom creak, sounding the fact of its old age.
Ro : "You and your lecherous eyes, prying upon my body! When we haven't even married yet!!!"
K : (What is she saying?!) "Waagh! Stop! Stop! I can't move! I'm between your legs!"
Ro : "Silence! Before last night, we've already had three nights together!! Just how many times do you plan on humiliating me before you're satisfied?!"
K : (What- Three nights?!) "Three nights!? I... I thought we had two..."
Ro : "DECEIVER!!!"
With all her strength, Roberia slammed her forehead forward, colliding it into Katachi's face hard.
K : (Ow!)
Ro : "... I had thought that you could be trusted, when you were sleeping under the groundsheet. I regret making that belief, you lecherous louse! May Ilpoh cast his judgement and curse upon you!"
In a panic and bind, Katachi simply blurted all his questions out without restraint.
K : "Wait, wait, what?! I'm pretty certain that I've only shared a bed with you twice! What's this about a third time?! When was it?! What do you mean, when I was under the groundsheet?! And we bathed naked together, didn't we?! You were the one who insisted that showing our bodies to each other isn't something to be embarrassed about in the first place! I wasn't even fond of that idea!!"
Ro : (Even if he doesn't know who I am, to have gone this far...) "... I hate this..."
Her sclera turned bloodshot, and the arteries reddened heavily.
K : "... ?" (She's crying now?)
Ro : "Why is fate doing this to me? What have I done to deserve such mockery?... I can't believe, that you, of all people, are to disgrace me so..."
K : "..."
Ro : "Are you enjoying this, you virile swine? Are you that sick and twisted a person to enjoy this in secret? Does it delight you that I am punished so?..."
K : "No! It doesn't..."
Ro : "So prove it, then! Prove, that you did not grope me in my sleep!"
Katachi stared blankly at Roberia.
K : (How am I supposed to prove something like this?) "..."
Ro : "... Well? I'm waiting."
*Cozy's Notes : I agree. This is hard to prove.*
K : (了解! Understand solution to dilemma!)
(Put her hand into your armpit willingly, and have her look at your face.)
A dry whisper, in that all-too-eerie voice, beckoned his body to its will.
Before either could react properly, Katachi reached for her hand by pure instinct, following the set of instructions without hesitation, and placed it against his own armpit.
*Cozy's Notes : ( O ‿ O)
... Well, that's certainly gone in an interesting direction.*
Ro : "!? What are you-"
K : "This... Is my proof."
Ro : "!!!"
Before Roberia, Katachi's face started reddening rapidly, and his eyes averted away, to his left.
K : "... Please don't wiggle your fingers, it.... It's sensitive enough..."
Ro : "How is this supposed to prove anything, moron?!"
K : "... My... My face..."
Ro : "Your face?! What has that- !..." (! He's blushing?)
Katachi's face had turned really quickly from a slightly pale complexion to a vibrant red, the capillaries on his cheeks flaring up with his sensitive spots intruded.
Ro : (... His face is as red as a ripe cherry tomato, his movements are jerky and restrained, and he seems to be really shy... Then, that means, had he actually groped me, his face would redden, just like that?...)
Katachi's hands trembled as it held Roberia's hand in his own armpit. Slowly, they trembled so much, that his right hand actually moved her hand, which chained the feedback to his armpit, which made him shake even more.
*Cozy's Notes : What a vicious cycle. JUST RELAX YOUR ARM, YOU IDIOT. XD*
Finally, his hand jerked and shook so much, it pushed Roberia's hand into his body, and Roberia instinctively applied pressure from her fingertips to stop her hand from being controlled by the jerking hand. Naturally, the fingertips were pressed against Katachi, and stimulated the ticklish sensation to a climax.
Ro : "Stop squeezing and tugging my hand!"
K : "Haahhhh!! E- e- enough! I can't-...!"
Katachi tried desperately to take out Roberia's hand from his armpit, but his arm clamped against her hand so hard, it was practically immobile. He sandwiched the hand against himself, wedging it further in, and tried to pull her hand out at the same time.
*Cozy's Notes : ... Sigh. This guy, ladies and gentlemen. This guy.*
*** ***
The air between them after that became awkward, as Roberia sat atop him.
Ro : (That was awkward. He jammed my hand into his armpit...) "..."
K : (Why- Why did I do that? I am so embarrassed I feel like digging my own grave right now, if only she'd get up and let me...) "..."
Ro : "... You're not a very aggressive person, are you?"
K : "Stop teasing me!..."
Ro : (I have to put up with such nonsense and cowardice when we marry... ? Cowardice?...) "... Still, we're getting married, aren't we?"
K : "... Since you insisted."
Ro : (... Cowardice... No. Cowardice probably isn't the word to explain his behavior.) "I wonder if you enjoyed my company?"
K : (That was enjoyable to her? Then again, it's better than being beat senselessly and bleeding and staining the sheets.) "... I can't say for sure. It's hard to keep up with what's going on, but I think I've devoted myself enough to this, to give you a proper answer." (What would have happened if I didn't have the Word of Power to tell me what to do?...)
Ro : (If it were cowardice, he would try to distance himself from me physically, out of guilt, or defense. But he simply shakes off my advances and attempts to bond with him, without wanting to hurt my feelings by isolating himself. It's almost as if he's... Shy, or just... Unprepared?...)
K : (... Speaking of which, if she really is to wed me, would she stay in this church and help out Mother Rinnesfeld? Or would she choose to travel with me, across the land, in my search for the Words of Power?... Ahh, I wish I thought about things like these beforehand...)
Ro : (... In any case, for trying not to hurt my feelings, I applaud him for his kindness.) "You're kind, Katachi."
Roberia bent down and cuddled herself against Katachi, wrapping her arms around his stomach and back.
K : "? Uhm... Okay?"
Ro : (... So very, very kind... A sort of kindness I would never see from the people of Rugnud, who hold pride in such high regard.) "... Mmmmm..."
K : "... If you don't mind, Roberia, uh... I think I've slept enough."
Ro : "! Right, sorry about that."
Roberia got up, and finally released Katachi from her dominant position. As Katachi got up, he sat down on the bed, and patted a side of the bed, inviting Roberia to join him.
K : "... You know, Roberia, I... I feel guilty."
Ro : "? Guilty?"
K : "Yes. You should have just defeated me then and there, and continued with your journey. Had I not retaliated, and simply let the attack come to me..."
Ro : "Don't say that. Although it is true in that I would be able to travel further on without fear of others mocking my weakness, I would never get strong if I didn't have a strong partner to spar with, a tough opponent to defeat."
K : (Travelling? So she has her own destinations to get to?) "... I am sorry-"
Ro : "Besides, you have a Word of Power with you. That is, in itself, good, since you seem pretty capable of using it... I think. What do I know? I don't know exactly how powerful you are, but you're strong enough, I think. I've heard many praises of the Words of Power and experienced its ability to give you power in a pinch, so surely it must be powerful."
K : "... It's... Not 'a' Word of Power..."
Ro : "? What do you mean?"
Katachi slowly stood up, and walked towards the thick paper book. Opening the pages up, he revealed 3 other Words of Power.
K : "... Four."
Ro : "! Ah, so you have four Words of Power. That's good, isn't it?"
K : (... No surprise or shock? She seems pretty calm over the fact that I have multiple Words of Power together...)
*Cozy's Notes : Roberia's a warrior, not a magus, not a Scholar. She wouldn't need to remember the details or the rules the Words of Power abide by, etc. She'd think that all she needs to know is that it works and it's powerful.*
Ro : "In any case, marrying you isn't a bad option. You're a kind person, you're powerful, and you're... Special. I can feel it. I look forward to Mother Rinnesfeld's good news."
K : (... Let's hope this doesn't end in some sort of tragedy- ?) "You know Mother Rin's full name?"
Ro : "!? I, uh, well, you see, I tried to wake you this morning, see, and she told me to call her Rinnesfeld instead, since, see, she likes my accent and the way I pronounce her name, you see."
K : "?... Ah. Okay." (She likes the way Roberia pronounces her name?... I didn't know she liked that. Roberia sounds pretty normal, actually. Maybe she likes her voice?)
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