The moon hung low outside the open balcony, casting silver light across the silk sheets tangled at the foot of the bed. A quiet breeze stirred the curtains, bringing with it the scent of wet stone and cold wind—reminders of the journey Arnold had only just survived.
His chest rose and fell steadily beneath the weight of Rafaela, her slender frame draped over him like a blanket of warmth he never knew he missed. Her breath ghosted against his neck, slow and steady, her skin flush with his. They hadn't said much. They didn't need to. When he stepped into her room, she was there, still donning the helmet. Now, she lay atop him, asleep, still joined to him—like she was afraid he'd disappear if she let go.
The two of them were laying on a fur carpet, one bedsheet covering their sweaty bodies.
Arnold stared at the ceiling. Sleep teased the corners of his vision, but his mind refused to follow. He couldn't stay here any longer.
Then came the creak of wood.
It wasn't the door.
Arnold's eyes flicked to the side, muscles tightening instinctively when he realized this intruder didn't have a presence.
Another creak. Then a click.
The balcony doors were wide open.
A bony hand gripped the edge of the railing.
Out of the night fog stepped a skeleton in a dark, tattered cloak, its empty sockets glowing faintly with amber fire. The faint jingle of coins accompanied each of its movements, pouches hanging from its belt like grim trophies.
"Pardon the intrusion," the skeleton said with a mockery of politeness, bowing stiffly.
Arnold stood up while carrying Rafaela with one arm. His lower half slid out of her and gobs of white liquid fell out. Not addressing the mess, he went over to the bed and gently put her down.
After putting on a gown, he stepped outside onto the balcony.
Once there, he stretched and leaned against the railing.
"You're not just here to give your greetings, are you?"
"It is so. But I am not going to stay any longer. It has been a pleasure being around all of you but I must depart to sell my goods to the needy, kekeke." With no other chair in sight, he decided to just summon one out of thin air before sitting down.
"So? What do you want?"
"You've met with Ladiath, I presume?"
"…."
"Those other three you left in the inn are wondering where you are. Granted, it has only been half an hour in your world and a whole 12 hours of nightly passion for you here, hohoho."
"I'm starting to get really pissed that there are people out here that stalk me but deny it constantly."
First Ladiath, now this bastard. Anyone would feel uncomfortable with this.
"Ohoho, nonono I am not denying that I have been watching you. You are a valued customer. I am only nearby when there is a danger you cannot handle on your own or when I am a little curious about you. Back to the matter at hand, I only wanted to warn you about Ladiath—he is not your ally. You are just working for him. I know you don't like it when people order you around, so what will you do now?"
"First, tell me what you mean by that."
"I'm not entirely sure about his origins but I am certain of one thing—he is Promethius' successors' enemy as well as the gods'. Since you have a relationship with both successors, this will naturally involve you even if you don't want it. Just keep that in mind when you do his dirty work. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Sever the relationship once it's done or find a trump card you're sure will work on him. The Gods can handle the aftermath."
"…I'll keep your warning in mind. But I have no choice but to follow his orders so what I plan to do doesn't matter at all."
"Then you understand what kind of being he is?"
"Something beyond my comprehension. It's almost as if... he's like the Star Beast—a cosmic horror nothing but Song and Light can challenge."
"The fact that he was able to become one of the Between Realms' rulers should paint a picture of how troublesome he is."
Arnold didn't reply. What could you even say to such a thing? The Between Realms were never quite explored. It was an untouched region that the developers left up to the players and was only mentioned here and there. Whatever you find out there is your own mess to deal with.
Thousands of wikis appeared about the area shortly after it was first discovered at least. The top players got bored of everything else so they chose to pursue that land of nightmares.
"Let's put that conversation aside. That mysterious admirer of yours finally woke up and asked where you were."
"1B?"
"Mm. She was quite panicked when she saw your corpse right next to her."
"Don't… call it that."
"Haha, very well. You should go see her, ask her why she was looking for you."
"How is she?"
She risked her life to try and protect him, no matter how futile her attempt was.
'I'll take her to a hospital in the empire before heading back to my city.'
"Fighting a pureblood Valkyrie—one who was powerful enough to be crowned High Valkyrie of all titles—while being a human, is suicide. That is all I can say. Though she's in and out of consciousness all the time, she is still alive and can move her body to drink and eat."
"Guinevere is very kind, isn't she."
"Indeed. She sensed no evil in that woman's heart but the same can't be said for you, hohoho." The merchant stood up, his chair vanishing at the same time, "I must get going now. You do not need anything, I presume?"
"Not right now. But you already knew that."
"A good merchant knows when his clients are in need of the finest products money—or karma—can buy." He snapped his bony fingers then the next moment a portal appeared in front of him.
Without glancing back, he stepped through the portal.
"…I forgot to ask him how to make those scrolls."
◊◊
Location - Whitage City, City Lord's Palace
The chirping of birds filled the dimly lit room, its curtains slightly open to allow light inside.
A young woman with white hair and bushy eyelashes of the same color slowly opened her eyes. This was the master bedroom of the palace.
Looking next to her, she noticed a familiar face, a blonde-haired beauty with a body she envied. Large breasts, long milky legs, and wide seductive hips… Not to mention a face as beautiful as a painting. She was the epitome of beauty and sex appeal.
"Gehehe~ Stop licking me there, Papa~ That's so dirtyyy~" drool leaked down her mouth and she had a lewd smile on her face while sleep-talking.
The white-haired beauty rose from the silk sheets, rubbing her eyes gently and stretching her upper body, pushing out her firm but supple breasts.
A knock came from the door right as she was about to get out of bed.
"Come in." at her permission a young woman, with pink hair wearing full-plate armor, came inside.
"Caerwyn, there is no need to walk around in full-plate armor when the city is so heavily guarded by Lord Vetis' knights." Said Duchess Siana von Luthwroth or more like "Siana of the Deep Snow", the fearsome Ice Magician who can use nearly all ranks of magic in the Ice Spell category.
"My Lady, you expressed your desire to head out into the countryside, did you not? I overheard your conversation with Miss Lunaria yesterday."
"Yes. I wish to hear everyone's troubles. By doing so I can report back to Lady Victoria and Roseria—which will actually be helpful to the city instead of waiting for my position to be fully assigned. I am Lord Arnold's plenipotentiary but as I am not currently in office, this is the most I can do."
"Then you will head out today?"
"I didn't say exactly when but we'll see how the day goes."
"I see, then I will spar with the other girls in the meantime. I can't have them lose their edge even in this heavily-guarded city. Ah, I don't know if you've heard but Lady Celeste is inquiring about you."
"Really? That woman has been in this city for quite a while but never once extended greetings to me."
Siana is actually the first person a foreign noble should meet but she instead chose to meet Lunaria who was just the city lord's advisor. Lunaria would be below Siana in authority but Arnold seems to rely more on her to sort out business connections with other nations and nobles, which doesn't cause conflict with what Siana is tasked to do once she takes up office.
"I'll go meet her for lunch. She can wait." Siana walked up to the closet and began undressing.
"My, I didn't expect our kind queen to act like this. You've always been considerate of others." Caerwyn joked.
"Not this time, when the other party is my rival!" Siana shot back with a harrumph, "If she's impatient then she can come meet me." After putting on some casual clothes, she left the room with Caerwyn in tow, carrying a dress of hers that she'll wear today.
"I'm going to go have breakfast so give this to the maids." She handed the dress to Caerwyn.
"Roger~ Is it okay to leave Lady Ceru in her room? The last time you weren't there to wake her up, she cried out for her Mama. Hehehe~" Caerwyn nudged Siana's arm with her elbow.
Siana blushed, "S-She's already a big girl and should grow out of her clinginess. This is just me helping her."
She acts like Siana and Arnold's child. This misunderstanding embarrasses Siana who is still a pure virgin by heart who hasn't seen a penis in decades, much less touch one. People will think she did the deed with him and had his child.
Guehehehe~
Siana's mind wandered as she waltzed into the dining room.
"Good morning, Duchess Luthwroth!" The servants cheerfully greeted her.
Most of them were part of her private army before coming to this world while the rest were appointed by Lunaria. Of course, even if they're wearing maid uniforms, they could still protect Siana if she's in danger. In fact, being her servants and not just knights in the barracks at the bottom of the palace, puts them closer to her. They can respond to threats quicker this way.
Siana was about to pick up her fork to begin eating her breakfast, but the door to the dining room opened once again. It wasn't a gentle push but one so forceful that the door hit against the table next to it.
The first thing Siana noticed was the tall red knight whose head almost reached the top of the doorframe.
"Good morning, Siana." A young woman greeted her familiarly. Glancing away from the intimidating knight, Siana looked down.
Walking up to her were two women—one with long pink hair let down over her shoulders, wearing a suit vest and formal pants and the other was a young lady with long golden braids, wearing a fancy red and black dress.
"Allow me to introduce her, Lady Siana." Lunaria stood by Siana's side, "She is the Great Noble Vance and Sword Master's only child, Lady Celeste von Penston. She is engaged to be married as a first wife of Lord Arnold—pending last name."
"Huu, good work, demon." Celeste waved a dismissal hand for Lunaria to shut up before walking over to a chair near Siana and sitting down, "Oh? There is not a plate for me? I am quite famished. I was so busy with my investigations that I have not eaten since yesterday morning."
Siana signaled for one of the girls to fetch Celeste a plate. Normally, there would be a variety of foods on the table three times a day. But since Siana was the only noble in the palace, there was no need for the chefs to go out of their way to prepare such a feast.
"I apologize. I did not expect you to visit the palace this morning. Caerwyn mentioned that you wanted to see me, Lady Celeste. I thought of sending you a tea invitation for this afternoon." She obviously had no intention of doing so.
"I see. I will forgive this oversight and not complain about it to my husband." Celeste said with a smug glint in her eyes. Though her smile was still as pure as a flower.
A vein almost appeared on Siana's temple hearing her.
"I will be honest, Siana. I do not like you sleeping in our bed."
"Lady Celeste, I was given permission to do so when Sir Arnold told me to look over the palace. But as you are not his official wife and the engagement has not been acknowledged by him, the palace is still under my sole supervision."
"In our faith, a fiancée must keep the bed warm for her fiancé even if the engagement is only still a contract." Celeste placed a delicate hand over her chest as if she were explaining a simple, obvious truth to a child, "It's believed that when he comes back home and smells her pheromones on the sheets, it acts as a love potion, making him consider the engagement."
Siana's lips curled into a tight smile. "As far as I am aware, Lady Celeste, it is also customary that a lady should not overstep her bounds before the marriage is solidified. It would be a shame if certain individuals viewed such behavior as desperate."
Celeste chuckled. Just then her plate and beverage arrived. She took a sip from the goblet first before continuing:
"Desperation? No, dear Siana, it is called certainty. Unlike you, I do not linger in places where I am not truly wanted. Al is aware of my love for him and has never shown any opposition to our engagement."
The atmosphere was merry but the spark between the two was blatantly obvious to everyone in the room.
Siana suddenly smirked as she leaned back in her chair.
"…What's that smile for?" Celeste narrowed her eyes.
"Fufu…"
"Answer me!"
"Have you ever been on a date with your supposed fiancé, Miss Celeste, hmm~?"
"T-That's… W-What does that matter? We know everything there is to know about each other. And we're getting married anyway." She said with a harrumph.
"A date isn't just supposed to be that, you know~? It's not about ticking boxes in a list. So, what if you have known him since childhood? He'll be eating the food I'll make for him, which cancels that out immediately~ So what if the two of you are going to be engaged~? The two of us wil be sharing out first kiss after dinner~"
Celeste was starting to get red in the face.
Thinking about it for a minute, there are steps to a relationship:
1. Getting to know each other over dinner (only if the two of you haven't known each other for that long)
2. Holding hands, intimate hugs
3. First kiss once both are comfortable
4. Showing your body to your partner
5. Having sex
Celeste skipped the first three steps and was doing step 4 for how many years now, only to be rejected every time and told "you're like a sister to me" by the man she was smitten over.
For the first time in a while, Celeste's composed expression broke. Tears were forcing to come out but she shut her eyes tight and drank her beverage "calmly"
Siana chuckled with her hand in front of her mouth, clearly aware that she won the exchange.
She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder, noticing it was Lunaria: "A familiar signature just appeared at the top of the palace."
Eyes wide, Siana hurriedly stood up and dashed out of the room.
"Where is she going? To pee?" Celeste stared in confusion.
**
"—The city looks less like a dump now." Dressed in a simple long-sleeved white shirt and black pants, was a handsome young man with silver hair.
Upon arriving back in his city, Arnold leaned on the railing of the top balcony and stared into the horizon.
Whitage City, his own domain and the foundation of his Kingdom. As he looked over to a certain mountaintop, he began to feel bitterness creep inside him.
"This… This is your city…?" for some reason, Ruria looked at the city blankly.
"Yeah."
"W-Wait so, you're… your name is…"
"It's Arnold. But I am known as Nova when adventuring." He said casually as he enjoyed the morning wind.
"…." Silently, she suddenly took a step back, pupils trembling.
"Uhm, what's wrong?" Kairi looked between the two in confusion.
"I-I have to go!" without warning, Ruria suddenly jumped off the edge of the palace and turned into a cloud of black smoke. Soon she was nowhere in sight.
"That wasn't the reaction I was expecting when you told her your real name, Lord Arnold…"
Arnold merely shrugged, "I'll let her go for now. She needs to get me her family artifacts anyway. No need to babysit her."
"I-I see…"
"I sense many strong warriors in this city." Breuk said with folded arms and a calm gaze resting on the city below. "Truly within my expectations as you are the ruler."
Such a bold compliment. Arnold might blush.
"If it is okay with you, I would like to get started on my first lesson right away. Where might I find your master? If there is any work that I must do before I am allowed to meet my master, please say so." Breuk's eyes conveyed his fiery spirit so words weren't even necessary.
"Sebastian is nearby. I can feel his signature at my old residence in the heart of the city." he could sense several magicians coming from that place for some reason. Is the center that he discussed with Lunaria up and running already?
Even though Sebas' level was only in the mid-70s, his energy signature was way stronger than even Breuk's and on par with Sceptim.
"The two of you can have a room each for tonight." Arnold stepped back from the railing and placed his hands in his pockets.
"Thank you!" Kairi beamed. "Uhm, since Lord Arnold has a palace, there are already servants to attend to you around here so it seems like there's nothing for me to do…"
"Why not go spar with the girls in the backyard?" he pointed to the bottom of the palace where there was a small crowd standing in a circle. "Go introduce yourselves."
"Yes, we will! Uhm, someone's approaching." Kairi looked back.
"Hm?" as if on cue and hearing heels hurriedly approach, he glanced back as well. There, approaching like a storm about to hit him, came a maiden with long white hair and porcelain skin.
Tears rolled down her eyes and made a trail across the sky but not tears of sadness.
She wasted no time jumping into his arms. He caught her, feeling her tears stain his new shirt.
Her fingers gripped the back of his shirt tightly.
Her forehead pressed against his chest.
He could feel her shaking.
And then—softly, through a broken stream of sniffles:
"W-W… Wel… Wel… come b-back…"
He rested his chin gently against the top of her head.
"…Yeah," he whispered. "I'm back."