524 The Answer
The talk was over.
Afterwards, we had dinner and went to sleep.
Sheer exhaustion pervaded meâit was as if Iâd survived a long, arduous battle.
âI donât have much of an appetite.â
âWell, Iâm hungry.â
Fiona was her usual old self. Usual attitude, usual words, usual moodâŠ
Just because she had become my lover, itâd be troublesome if she suddenly acted like a spoiled cat. Right now, it was safe to say that I didnât have the confidence to deal with such a thing.
Hence why, I was glad Fiona behaved like usual.
âŠAlthough, she cried just now.
âBefore that, Iâd like to take a shower.â
âOkay, Iâll prepare dinner.â
âThanks. What about Sariel?â
âShe was asleep. She can just shower tomorrow.â
As a side note, Sariel went to sleep in an extra room in the dormitory. Since spare sheets and blankets were always available, she was free to use another bed.
âBack in the village, did Kurono help Sariel take a bath?â
ââŠThatâs right.â
âI see.â
Despite being the one asking, Fiona was unenthusiastic.
âŠDid it bother her?
The man she loved saw the naked body of another woman every day.
If I was in her shoes, itâd be impossible for me to not care. Also, her curt reply was kind of scary.
âThen, what about her diet?â
âIf sheâs still awake, Iâll feed her.â
I couldnât just propose for all of us to eat together. On the surface, Fiona might agree, but there was no way sheâd take kindly to it.
âAbout Sarielâs missing limbs⊠Did you give her any potions?â
âNo, I didnât give her anything because I canât find anything useful.â
âI have a fairly potent healing potion. If you give it to her, while it wonât regenerate her missing limbs, I think that itâll help her better in the long run.â
ââŠIs it really alright?â
âYes, with the only downside being that it tastes so gross, youâre better off dead than drinking it.â
âT-then, letâs notâŠâ
âI see.â
Even if slowly, Sarielâs wounds should be healing. For the time being, I had managed to convince others to let her stay.
Well, the rest was up to the Sparda army, but letâs not think about that today.
âAlright.â
After asking all those questions, Fiona rushed to the shower.
Since the shower had been left vacant for a while, it mustâve been filthy⊠Still, Fiona should be able to do something about it with water magic.
âHaaâŠâ
Left alone, I sighed deeply.
How lame.
Is this really alright?
Despite my dilemma, it wasnât like there was anything I could do.
âThen, how about some soup?â
I decided to stop fussing about it and focus on cooking. Perhaps, as an escapism.
While we didnât have any food left, we still had the supplies that Lily and the others prepared for our return to Spada.
Letâs make it simple and just use that for today.
For the first time in a while, I stood in the kitchen of the dormitory. Blankly, I started a fire in the hearth.
Thus, I cooked in autopilot mode, forgetting the passage of time.
I added the finely-diced ingredients into the pot, before grilling the thickly-sliced bacon. Even though they were leftover ingredients, they were much better than the ones I had in the cultivation village.
Surely, Reki and Ursula would rejoice at the sight of the bacon and white bread alone. When I remembered the smiles of the two of themâwhich remained in my heartâI felt a bit warmer.
ââBack.â
âYouâre just in time.â
Nice timing, Fiona had just finished showering. Instead of her usual witchy garb, sheâd changed into casual loungewear. Seeing that familiar, light blue cape on her reminded me of my daily life in Spada.
âLetâs eat. Iâll be sure to clean the rest and bring some to Sariel. After this, please have some rest.â
âOkay, thanks.â
Our casual exchange made the past happenings difficult to believe. Seeing how nonchalant Fiona was, I began to feel self-conscious.
âŠAm I the only one overthinking?
âAlso, did Fiona really become my girlfriend?
I honestly didnât feel like such was the case.
âWhatâs the matter, Kurono? Are you dozing off?â
âNo, never mindâŠâ
I prevented myself from overthinking once again and sat down at the table.
âŠYeah, for now letâs just finish eating and head to bed.
Iâll just leave future planning and all the specifics that came with it to my tomorrow self.
***
(Fionaâs POV)
I knocked on the old wooden door.
âCome in.â
After hearing the soft, faint reply, I opened the door.
Thus, I saw a room with the same layout and size as my own. However, since itâd seldom been used, it only consisted of a desk, a chair, a closet, and a bed.
The new owner of the previously vacant room was the 7th ApostleâSarielâwho was currently lying on the bed.
âI brought you food.â
âThank you.â
A mechanical response came from the blank-faced owner.
I didnât know what went through her mind.
âŠNo, is she even thinking at all?
âKurono made this soup. Please eat it while itâs still warm.â
Then, I placed the bowl filled with piping hot soup on the floor, right in the middle of the room. It was almost as if I was feeding a dog.
ââŠâ
Sariel stared alternately between the soup and me. She didnât budge.
âWhatâs wrong? Hurry up and eat.â
ââŠDo you hate me?â
âWho cares, Iâm telling you to hurry up and eat.â
I casually tugged her long, lustrous silver hair and dragged her out of the bed.
Whether it was because she was limbless, or because she was petite and slender, I was able to drag her to the floor.
With a thud, Sariel fell flat on the floor, but she didnât make a single noise.
Well, considering that sheâd undergone the same remodeling surgery as Kurono, a fall of that height wouldnât be a problem.
âCâmon, it isnât like you need a spoon.â
âActually, I didnât bring it from the beginning.
I only brought her soupâand one extra thing.
âThis is a healing potion. Do savor it.â
I knew that Kurono was reluctant about letting Sariel drink it. But since we both wanted the best for her, it didnât matter.
Above all, this woman was undeserving of the soup he made.
I popped the potion vial open, before letting the deep blue, slimy liquid dribble into her soup.
ââŠNn.â
With her remaining left arm, Sariel crawled clumsily on the floor. After dragging herself for a few meters, she finally reached the plate of soup containing the disgusting potion.
âThank you for the meal.â
After muttering in a ridiculously polite manner, Sariel lightly brought her face towards the soup and started lapping it like a dog.
âŠFor the strongest warrior of the Sinclair Republic to be reduced into this state.
Is this the end of the one of the twelve holy humans closest to Godâthe 7th Apostle, Sariel?
âYou look so pathetic, Sariel.â
As she leaned against the soup plate, I stepped on her head. I mercilessly pressed the sole of my favorite bootsâdirty after traversing the Galahad Mountainsâagainst her shining silver hair.
Someone of her capability should be able to easily evade and counter it, yet Sariel endured the humiliating gesture without any resistance.
Her beautiful, pure white face sank into the nasty, gooey blue liquid that was a mixture of soup and potion.
âI wonât show you any mercy, for I detest you.â
I wasnât the type to mince my words. I just said whatever that went through my mind.
Therefore, Iâd just be honest with her. Besides, I didnât think Iâd be able to hide it.
âI want to kill you right now.â
âYet I canât. I canât kill her.
After all, that was the absolute prerequisite that I had to stomach in order to win Kurono.
âYes, Lily canât stand it, but I can.
âŠBecause Iâd been preparing myself for it for a long time.
It wasnât until after the Last Rose Subjugation in the Asbel Mountains that I became convinced of our differences. I asked her about the dream Kurono had.
Her answer was, âHe dreamed of his hometown.â
I asked her to elaborate. Apparently, Kurono might have a lover in his hometown.
However, Lily abruptly ended the conversation in the middle. She wouldnât listenâshe wouldnât even entertain the possibility of Kurono loving someone else. Or, to put it simply, that he might not be a virgin.
Such was Lilyâs biggest fearâthat Kurono had bedded another woman.
Is it because sheâs a fairy?
Akin to the ideals of the Crusaders, Lilyâs strict when it came to chastity. Perhaps, âvirtuousâ was the correct term.
A respected concept of chastity that women of the world should embrace.
âŠNevertheless, Lily, itâs a bit cruel to impose that ideal on a man?
Iâd decided to only give my virginity to the one I love. However, I couldnât possibly ask the same of Kurono? After all, heâd spend 17 long years in a peaceful, different world called Japan that we didnât have a clue about. Therefore, it wouldnât be surprising if he had past flings. Besides, he was already at the age where he could get married and have children.
âI still didnât know.
I still didnât know if Kurono truly had a lover back in his hometown. If not, would that make Sariel his first?
Iâd be lying if I said it didnât bother me. But I no longer cared. Iâd resolved myself to move past that.
From the beginning, Iâd given up on being Kuronoâs âfirst.â Lily, on the other hand, was vying for it. Such was the difference between the two of us.
Therefore, from the moment I saw Kurono holding Sariel in Alsace Fortress, I was convinced that I had won.
I had something to confessâ
âThe realization struck me in an instant.
Kurono couldnât kill Sariel.
Thus, I decided to take advantage of it. The relationship between him and Sarielâor to be precise, with that girl from his hometown. Shirasaki Yuriko. When I heard about their relationship, I soon understood that the relationship between the two was complicated.
âŠHowever, it wasnât like he wholeheartedly loved her, either. Kurono didnât seem to be interested in marrying Sariel, but that alone was enough.
By holding Sariel hostage, Kurono couldnât turn down my confession. At the same time, she also inadvertently became my weapon to eliminate Lilyâmy strongest love rival.
Due to her integrity, Lily would never forgive Sariel for making love with Kurono.
She was so disappointed, so much that she conceded easily. Akin to a fragile maiden, she desolately cried and ran away.
Thankfully, yes, thankfully, he didnât refuseâŠ
Kurono, youâre way too serious.
Under normal circumstances, any man would reject a woman who approached him so unscrupulously. Heck, I wouldnât even blame them for resorting to violence.
Yet, Kurono didnât. No matter how inconvenient it was, he listened to my every word.
How he must sufferâ!
Iâm sorry for making you suffer, KuronoâŠ
However, foolish joy outweighed my remorse.
ââAlright, Fiona. Letâs get closer. No, if youâre alright with me, why donât we go out? From now on, as a lover, and not a friend.â
The moment I heard those words, I became the happiest girl in the world.
My wish had come true.
I couldnât wish for anything more.
Hence why, I could endure it, I was even willing to permit Sarielâs existence.
ââHey, itâs spilling. Please drink it properly.â
When I suddenly came to, Sarielâs face was still immersed in the soup. The discolored soup had been soiled by the white vixen and the dusty floor.
âPhew⊠HaaâŠâ
Sarielâs breath was slightly hurried.
Geez, itâs just a plate of soup.
It wasnât like she was drowning.
âDonât worry, this wonât happen again.â
I was different from the lowly female students at the magic academy whoâdespite being of noble birthâwere ugly, vulgar, insidious, and were prone to bullying.
Right now, I was just losing my cool for a bit.
âŠAlthough, even if I had prepared myself, when Crono did confess to itâ
âSuffice to say, if Lily wasnât there, Iâd probably resorted to killing.
That was how shocked and disturbed I was.
âAs long as you donât betray Kurono, Iâll guarantee your safety.â
But of course, Iâd also welcome it if she secretly colluded with the Crusaders, because Iâd then have an excuse to get rid of her.
At the same time, itâd be risky for me to do something so unnecessary here. If, by any chance, Kurono found out that I tried to set Sariel up, this relationship will end.
Itâd be equally as risky to continue with this kind of bullying. No matter how soft he was, I didnât think heâd tolerate such a rotten woman.
My job here was done. If the need arises, Iâd take care of Sariel. No, Iâd take the initiative. As if Iâd let Kurono bathe SarielâŠ
âPlease refrain from causing me any problem. Above all, itâd be helpful if you could hurry up and finish that bland soup, since Iâm in charge of cleaning.â
Thus, I silently waited as the 7th Apostle uncomfortably lapped the soup like a dog.
Afterwards, I cleaned the soup stain from the floor, put away the plate, wiped Sarielâs face, placed her on the bed⊠and then;
âItâs time for the finishing touches.
âAah, how nervous I am, since itâs my first nightââ
***
(Kuronoâs POV)
For now, letâs head to bed.
But when I finally went to bed, a sudden realization hit me.
I know it.
The source of my fatigue was all mental. Physically, I wasnât exhausted in the least.
Certainly, we were in a bit of a rush when we crossed the Galahad Mountains and returned from the fortress to Spada. It was a moderately steep, yet reasonable long distance. Still, since I started the trip prepared with enough equipment, my body wasnât overburdened.
Now that I thought about it, the only joyous reunion I had so far was with my horseâNightmare. The moment it saw me, it began to neigh and licked my face all over. It was totally different from Sarielâs Pegasus.
Speaking of which, had Sariel fallen asleep yet?
Come to think of it, she was present when Fiona confessed to me. I wondered what sheâd think of the bloody mess. Will she, who had Shirasakiâs memory, think of me as an indecisive, useless, guy?
After living in the cultivation village, she had regained a semblance of her humanity. Well, Iâd like to believe that was the case. Perhaps, that was why I started regarding her as a regular person. Even though it shouldnât have mattered what Sariel thought of meâŠ
Yeah, thatâs a bad idea.
âKurono, are you still awake?â
At Fionaâs voice, accompanied by the knocking of the door, my heart thumped.
âYes, I am. Whatâs the matter, Fiona?â
âMay I come in?â
âSure.â
I had no reason to refuse.
Maybe, she failed to get Sariel to eat the soup.
If such was the case, Iâd do it in her stead.
The priest, Kuroeâwhoâd been caring for Sariel for three monthsâshall teach her how to politely and generouslyâ
âthe foolish thought was swept away in an instant.
âOh, hey⊠Fiona, that outfit isâŠâ
The image of her opening the door with an interior lamp in hand loomed vaguely in the darkness.
Still, I could tell right away that she was wearing a scant, one-piece negligee. Considering Iâd seen her in pajamas quite a few times, it shouldnât come off as a surpriseâ
âbut this was just different.
I had never seen her in such an outfit before. It was apparent at a glance that the fabric was thinâno, itâs actually transparentâŠ
In fact, the same could be said about her outfit as a whole. It was see-through to the point that I wondered if there was even a meaning to wearing it in the first place.
At the same time, I could vividly make out her contour, and even her bare skin. I could also see her navel, and underneath it, was black⊠Due to my good night vision, I didnât fail to catch her rather risquĂ©, bikini-type, black pants.
âIs something the matter?â
Why did she say it as if it was something she usually wears?
âŠItâs too stimulating for a virgin!
Although, I was no longer a virgin. Even so, as a man who was unused to women, I tried my best to avert my gaze from her enticing appearance.
âN-no, not at all, butâŠâ
âIs that so? Does it not suit me after all?â
âI, I think, it looks good on you, yeahâŠâ
On top of stuttering, I wondered how credible my answer was when I directed it to a wall.
Still, I was being honest when I said that it suited her.
âSo, whatâs the matter, Fiona?â
âWell, I thought Iâd talk with Kurono for a bit more.â
âIs that so? Then, I also have something Iâd like to ask youâhuh!?â
Just when I thought Fiona was approaching the bed, she didnât stop. She drew closer.
For a moment, my blanket was removed, and chilly air rushed in. But the next moment, I felt the warmth and softness of human skin. Apparently, Fiona was hugging me from behind. The sensation of her hands crawling from my back akin to snakes made me shudder.
âHey, Fiona, wait a minute, this isââ
ââIsnât it alright? Weâre lovers.â
Is this some kind of sneak attack?
No, wait a minute. Certainly, sheâd confessed, but that was just a moment ago. Besides, I didnât have the mental preparation toâ
ââIâm sorry, Kurono.â
Her somewhat dejected apology stopped my train of thoughts.
âWhy are you apologizing?â
âMy confession was terrible, wasnât it?â
âIf you want her to stay alive, go out with me.
Such was the gist of Fionaâs confession. As for whether or not it was terrible, of course it was. In fact, rather than a confession, it could even be considered as a threatâa criminal act.
âNo, thatâs not true. Iâm sure Fiona has suffered all this time. Therefore, you mustâve been desperate.â
âYes, I was really terrified of being rejected by KuronoâŠâ
The fact that she even said such an outrageous thing proved that her feelings werenât half-hearted, regardless of how dense I was.
ââHence why I wanted you to accept me, even if it was a lie.â
ââIt wasnât a lie. If I truly didnât like it, I wouldâve rejected you, even if it means using force.â
Back when the confession took place, we were at the dormitoryâs lounge, and in a close proximity. If a battle had ensuedâI, a berserker, wouldâve had a better chance at victory than Fiona, a magician. In fact, I could even forcibly subdue her using brute force.
âT-thatâs, but, IâmâŠâ
âWhen I had to choose, I had to admit that I was troubled. But to be able to choose between Lily and Fiona in itself was probably the most luxurious choice in the world. And I ended up choosing the best woman.â
Fionaâs arms tightened around my body.
Howâd she receive my words?
She might be surprised, or plain decided that it was a lieâno, she might not even care.
Being honest about what I felt was honestly scary, but I couldnât stop.
âWhat I did with Sariel was unforgivable. Not even Lily was willing to forgive me. But Fiona, youâand only you said that youâd forgive me.â
âŠEven though I knew it was just a white lie.
âThank you for forgiving me.â
Surely, that was all that I wanted.
The fake days I spent with Sariel, whom I couldnât kill. In the end, I couldnât find the answer myself.
How should I treat Sariel? What is it that I want to do?
âŠAbove all, how should I redeem myself after failing to kill Sariel?
The answer was infinitely simpleâ
âI just wanted someone to forgive me.
âI love you, Fiona.â
Suddenly, she released me.
But soon, she returned. Now, she was hugging me from the front.
Fiona came over me while I was lying on my back. Half of my blanket had fallen off the bed. It felt somewhat chilly.
âHmmââ
âA third kiss. No, I didnât know how many times it had been. Fiona rained kisses on me, over and over again.
My heart raced as her indescribably soft lips pressed fiercely against mine. But rather than feeling as if my consciousness was swept away, I felt overtaken by my instincts.
âAnd I knew that sensation all too well.
I seeâŠ
When I gave up on everything and kissed Sariel on my own volition, it was also like this.
As if unsatisfied with those mere sensations alone, my lips began to part at a certain slimy and small foreign thing.
Then, Fionaâs tongue slid between my parted lips. In the small crevice that was my mouth, our tongues began to overlap with each other.
ââNn, ugh, wait, Fiona!â
Only by pushing her shoulders did I manage to stop her advance.
âW-whyâŠâ
Fionaâs face was dyed in a faint vermillion color as if she was feverish. Even without her saying a word, her excitement was conveyed loud and clear.
âNo more⊠Thatâs enough for tonight. Please stopâŠâ
âWhy? Do you find me unattractive?â
âUntil I speak to Lily, I canât hold you.â
What significance would talking to Lily have? At the very least, I didnât think Iâd be able to explain in my own words why itâd be important.
Nevertheless, I had a convictionâa conviction that I couldnât afford to be swept away by this.
âIâm sorry, Fiona. Iâm just being selfishâŠâ
ââŠItâs alright.â
Fiona affirmed after a while.
âBut I canât wait for too long.â
âYes, next time, Iâll be the one to invite you.â
Seeing Fiona in such a lewd state, I didnât think Iâd have it in me to refuse. Somehow, despite the fact that such an attractive girl wanted me, I was able to stop the act⊠I felt proud of my rationality.
âHoo⊠Is that so? If such is the case, then I might be able to wait for a little bit longer.â
Fiona let out a luscious sigh before drawing away from meâat the loss of her comforting weight, I felt somewhat regretfulâŠ
Fiona slipped out of the bed and took the lamp that was by my bedside. Apparently, she was going back to her own room.
âUhm, Kurono.â
But she couldnât leaveâ
âI had caught her wrist, holding her back.
ââŠSorry, but can you spend the night with me?â
âThatâs terrible, Kurono. You might as well kill me.â
As she spoke, she seemed terribly embarrassed.
âIâm begging you, let me care for you.â
âThis much should be fine.
âFine, then. After allââ
âAfter all, sheâs my lover.