Chapter 94
Operation: Flirt while baking sweet treats.
Results: Lukewarm.
My brain summarised the recent events as I locked the door behind us. The cupcakes came out well, and there were no further fumbles on my end. But then again, it's difficult to put your foot in your mouth when said mouth remains firmly shut.
I was so lost in my thoughts and so cautious about slipping up again that I failed to initiate any meaningful conversation. And unfortunately, Meztili had not shown me any further openings to indicate whether there was anything in particular she wanted to discuss.
“All done?”
She asked as I double-checked the locks.
“Yep.”
We stood facing one another for a moment, both turned to start walking simultaneously, then stopped to let the other take the lead.
I heard a low groan come from somewhere nearby, but again, Anubis had remained silent.
Tiara watched us from the window with eyes that screamed ‘traitor’, but there was no sign of anybody else nearby.
“Is something wrong?”
Meztili asked.
“I swear I just heard… No, it doesn't matter. Let's go?”
She nodded, then went to hold my arm. Unfortunately, I didn't notice and stepped ahead, unknowingly dodging her bold attempt to initiate physical contact.
Another muffled snicker came from an unseen place, and I turned to see Meztili squatting down and covering her face.
“Tilly? Is your stomach hurting? Was it the food?”
I knelt down and placed my hand on her shoulder.
“Ah…”
She made a tiny noise.
“Tilly?”
“Aaaahhh!”
She suddenly leapt up with her arms in the air, nearly knocking me over as she yelled into the sky and smacked her cheeks.
“C'mon!”
She grabbed me by the wrist and started running towards town. I obediently went along with her sudden outburst, but did not fail to take note of the strange way her shadow warped and stretched behind us.
We received many strange looks from the soldiers around campus, but none moved to intercept us after seeing my face.
And so we ran all the way into the relatively quiet streets of Borderton. There were still some workers fixing the damage, and patrolling guards to make the remaining residents feel a little safer. But compared to how it was before Soleo’s attack, it may as well have been a ghost town.
We stopped, and Meztili caught her breath while still clutching my arm.
Seeing an opportunity to relieve the awkward tension, I tickled her palm with my finger.
“! S-sorry.”
She let go of me and sheepishly glanced up.
“This is really awkward, isn't it? Sorry about that.”
I paused for a brief moment, then burst into laughter.
“Wh-what? Why are you laughing?”
“Hahaha, yeah, this is not going as I planned.”
I calmed myself and leaned in, smiling.
“But that's fine. I think we're both getting too caught up in our own heads here, so let's just relax, yeah? Oh, and stop apologising. You haven't done anything wrong.”
She flinched as I flicked her forehead.
“We’ll take it easy today. How about I introduce you to my favourite shopkeeper first?”
I put my most reassuring smile on and awaited a response.
“Mhmm!”
She nodded back and walked by my side, no different than how we would in class.
I made no effort to touch her or hit her up with any one-liners. I just walked and talked about life.
“To be honest, Tilly, I really know next to nothing about your homeland, Bastet-Amun, was it? What can you tell me about the place?”
“It’s hot. All the time. That’s the main reason I was so eager to move here.”
“Because the bandages were too stifling?”
“Yeah, they would cling to my sweat, and I’d get all itchy.”
She laughed, then subtly checked herself, probably to make sure she wasn’t visibly sweating. I pretended not to notice.
“What else?”
“What else do you want to know? It’s hard to describe home, seeing as it's all normal to me.”
“Hmm… What kind of animals are there?”
She giggled.
“You really love animals, don’t you? Tiara, Soot, Vek, even that creepy fish—”
“Kipper, he’s not creepy!”
I rightfully corrected her.
“But yeah, I’ve always been drawn to animals… except geese. Those little assholes are unbearable. You know, I helped out at a zoo once. There was this whole flock of geese there, and every time I fed them, they would come honking and biting at my thighs. I had to beat them off me with their food bucket!”
Meztili’s expression softened as she listened to me rant about geese and the other animals that struck a chord with me back when I worked that job in my younger years.
“But anyway, geese, bats, wombats… They’re all pretty common. Come on, I want to hear about something more exotic.”
“Well, I can’t say I’ve heard of a ‘wombat’ before, but ok. Have you heard of the legion scarab?”
I shook my head.
“It's a magical beetle the size of an ox, and can split into miniature versions of itself. In terms you might understand, the magic it uses covers the element of light, and the school of alteration.”
“Sounds useful. For my monster method, I mean.”
“It certainly would be. Unfortunately, they live underground, and when they come up during the night, they tend to avoid people.”
“Oh, you got my hopes up for no reason.”
I feigned offence.
“The exciting breeds of my land don’t tend to be easy to find.”
“Unfortunately, that tends to be true in every land… We’re here.”
I stopped outside the pet shop I so often frequented.
“...Why is it you prefer animals to people?”
Meztili hit me with a curveball as she looked up at the store sign, which had been totally scorched, leaving it illegible.
“If I had to put it into words…”
I gave the question some serious thought before answering.
“They're pure. Simple. Honest. I don't need to think about hidden intentions, social transactions, or differing sensibilities. They will let their thoughts and feelings be known to anyone, so long as you learn to pay attention to them.”
“...I see. Shall we go in?”
Meztili only continued to smile as she acknowledged my opinion.
What was that about? Did that give her some kind of insight into my mind?
“Rex, they have ferrets!”
“What!?”
Whatever I had been thinking about before was immediately lost as I rushed past Meztili and crouched by the pen that had been set up in the centre of the store.
Sure enough, a gaggle of long, sleek critters were rolling around as they played with an assortment of toys.
“Oh god… It’s ”
My favourite storekeeper came out from the back room upon hearing the doorbell ring.
“Oh, you have a friend. For once. Will be buying anything today?”
He politely addressed Meztili. We were such good friends that there was no need for small pleasantries between us anymore.
“I'm just looking for now, thank you.”
He nodded and stared at me with his arms folded. Seeing that he was eager to speak to me, I approached the counter.
“Can I get—”
“Seven silver, as always.”
He cut me off and pulled out a small bag of animal feed.
“Can I also—”
“No.”
“But—”
“If you're not buying, you're not taking them for a ‘quick walk’. You were gone for five hours last time.”
I nodded sagely. My good friend was a sensible businessman with a firm but fair approach to customer satisfaction.
“Thank you for your work.”
I paid him, and he grunted in response.
“Hm? Rex?”
Another man stepped out, his eyes heavily bloodshot and darkened by heavy bags. Linus Lang clearly had not been sleeping well, if at all.
“Hey, what're you doing here?”
I raised my hand to greet him.
“This here is my—what would I call you? Brother-in-law?”
He gestured to the shop owner.
“You're the brother of brother’s wife. That makes us acquaintances at best.”
The shopkeeper responded curtly.
“Haha… alright, Tom.”
Linus responded awkwardly.
I finally learned the name of my good friend Tom.
“Hold on…”
The way Tom had just described his relationship with Linus reminded me of something.
“...I'm sorry for your loss.”
I pulled out the amulet I had been holding onto and held it out to Tom.
He looked down and visibly flinched, but his hand only loomed over mine. It was as though the amulet were an enticing treasure, but one that he could not bring himself to take.
Stolen story; please report.
In one swift motion, I turned his hand over and dropped it in.
Tom would not look me in the eye, nor would he make a noise. He was fixated on his closed hand and silently turned to leave the room.
“Best to leave him be, I think.”
Linus patted me on the shoulder.
“I'll man the counter, you go keep the lady company.”
I nodded and turned, only to find that Meztili was already watching me quietly. She was holding a feather toy over the ferrets, but judging by the way they were impatiently leaping up at her hand, she had not been moving for some time.
“You probably deal with that a lot, huh?”
I commented as I returned to her side. She continued to watch me closely without a word.
“What? Is something wrong?”
“No, it's nothing.”
She turned back.
“Why does this one look different to the others, do you think?”
She pointed out one ferret in particular, which had an ever-shifting pattern of black and gold fur.
“She's been infused by magic. It happens in nature sometimes, no different than people born with abnormalities due to environmental factors. It's typically a benign thing, but in extreme cases, they can suffer drawbacks enjoy special privileges.”
“So it's just like our Gifts then, right?”
“No. This is a natural occurrence. Gifts are not.”
I said it firmly, perhaps more so than I should have, given her beliefs. But this was how I truly felt on the subject. Gifts were anchors tied to our feet by the gods for their own needs.
“Does that change things? Whether our gods are the ones behind something, I mean.”
She showed interest in my response but didn't seem offended or put off by me.
“In my opinion, yes. Your Gift, for example, if placed intentionally, would mean someone wanted you to suffer for no reason. When it comes to nature, there is no intent or malice. Things just , and there’s a beauty in that uncaring neutrality.”
I shifted uncomfortably. This felt like an atheist debating with a catholic while they're meant to be enjoying a movie.
“But we do not know the intent of the gods. We can only interpret their signs. My Gift may be a burden, but it has also made me strong. From that perspective, they were not malicious, but considerate.”
“...That is a comforting thought.”
I looked away.
There was no reason to try to disrupt her faith if it gave her peace. Besides, even with my knowledge, I could not entirely refute her opinion. It was true that I did not know exactly the gods pulled our souls into the Soul Stream.
Though no matter the reason, no justification they presented to me would turn me to their side.
“You are not fond of religion, are you?”
I felt Meztili sidle up closer to my side.
“I am not religious myself, but I do not have a problem with the concept. It is a belief system that is as beneficial or dangerous as people choose to make it. Just like any other divisive topic, really.”
I shrugged.
“Yet you still respect the customs of Nekrotica. Or were you just being polite?”
“I don't need to like your god to see value in respecting the dead. Your fingernail is coming off, by the way.”
“Huh? Aah!”
She realised too late that the unique ferret had chewed through the tip of her nail.
“Aaahh… she broke it…”
Meztili sighed, and the heavy topic had been temporarily forgotten.
“She did that because you ignored her. That means she likes you.”
I reached down and tickled the ferret's chin.
“I'm not sure I can interpret this attack as affection.”
Meztili grumbled.
“Of course you can. If she didn't care about you, she wouldn't be angry that you stopped playing with her. You should consider buying her.”
“...You think so? I've never owned a pet before. Except grandfather.”
“Wha—”
“Yeah, I think it will be good for you.”
I interrupted the skull that suddenly flew through the window and frightened the daylight out of poor Linus.
“Hmm… Wouldn't she dislike the smell of death?”
“I've never noticed such a smell on you.”
“Thank you. I put a lot of effort into masking it. But aren't animal noses more sensitive to such things? I do not want to stress her…”
“They do have a keen sense of smell, even more so than dogs. But given that she isn't bothered now, I doubt it will be a problem.”
Meztili regarded the ferret with a tender warmth.
“Shopkeep, I would like to make a purchase.”
She slapped her grandfather’s skull away and helped Linus up from the floor.
***
We left the shop with Meztili’s new friend, along with bedding, a carrier, food, and more toys than a lone ferret could ever possibly need.
As a gentleman, I carried everything, saving the ferret itself, which slept soundly in the carrier held by Meztili.
“Rex, am I holding it correctly? I'm not rocking it too much?”
She was adorably nervous about every action she took now that she carried a tiny, innocent life with her.
“You're doing fine. The rhythm is probably relaxing if anything.”
“O-okay… where should we go next?”
“You know the park just around the corner? Why don't we find a quiet spot and chat?”
She nodded emphatically, and we walked together. She still drifted behind me every so often when she stopped to check on her pet, though.
Her earlier questions got me thinking. I usually avoided sensitive subjects like differing views on religion, but she seemed interested in hearing my perspective. She may have enjoyed the chance to engage in such talks.
“Hey, Tilly.”
“Mm?”
“Back home, is everyone a follower of Nekrotica?”
“No. We are the largest church, but there are others as well. Although, they differ from the ones here. Many people worship spirits instead of the gods.”
“Interesting. Do these spirits give blessings, too?”
“It's a little different for them. These spirits usually perform favours, such as enriching the fields and driving off pests. The faith shown to them empowers them to perform these favours with greater efficiency.”
“A society that operates on faith, huh?”
It was an intriguing scenario to imagine. If faith alone were enough to drive higher beings into benefiting the community, then praying would become akin to an occupation.
“I would like to see it one day.”
I spoke aloud without realising it.
“Truly? Perhaps we can visit together one day? I could show you the Amentet Throne.”
“Sure… Whatever that is.”
“It's the palace, where I reside.”
I came to a sudden stop, causing her to look back quizzically.
“I thought you lived in a chapel or something.”
“Yes, our church headquarters is attached to the royal palace. Did you not know this?”
“Kekeke, I bet he thought we were just a bunch of poor losers living off charity.”
Anubis appeared again from behind a building, but quickly ducked away again when Meztili spun to glare at him.
“I figured your church was influential in Bastet-Amun, but I didn’t know it was so intertwined with the ruling class.”
Meztili gave a proud smirk.
“You’re still wrong. The clergy the ruling class. Bastet-Amun is a theocracy.”
“Wait, wait, wait. Does that mean the head priest—Anubis—is the monarch? Doesn’t that basically make you a princess?”
“That would be funny, wouldn’t it?”
She laughed.
“But no. Or at least, not exactly. The high priest holds much influence, but they are second to the Pharaoh. It is thanks to our Pharaoh that our alliance with the empire remains strong to this day.”
If I recalled correctly, Bastet-Amun and the Black Crown Empire had been allied for more than two centuries. In other words, the two nations had been allied for the majority of the empire’s existence.
“That implies not everybody is on board with the alliance.”
I commented.
A shadow flickered over Meztili’s face.
“Yes… My uncle has long been a vocal dissenter on that subject. He believes our nation is the greatest under heaven, and that all others should be little more than a tributary. I fear what will happen when these recent events are relayed to him.”
We arrived at the park and took a seat on the bench overlooking a duck pond.
“I do not believe the Pharaoh will allow anything drastic, but tensions will be high. I hope we can resolve this conflict before a breaking point is reached.”
“Bah! Let them rebel!”
Anubis was no longer being subtle. He flew right into Meztili’s lap and looked up at us.
“If that piss-baby successor of mine tries something, our Pharaoh will have the perfect excuse to smite him from existence.”
“Is the Pharaoh stronger than the high priest?”
I asked.
“Hmph! He’s certainly stronger than the one! I, however, was unmatched in my prime. Meztili’s greatness is all the result of my flawless genetic blessing!”
Meztili frowned and slammed his jaw shut.
“It won’t go that far. At worst, the alliance may be annulled.”
Leaning back, I considered what I knew of history and spoke my mind.
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”
Meztili and Anubis both shifted their focus to me expectantly. And so I explained myself.
“The Black Crown Empire is indisputably the largest, most influential nation in the known world. The Emperor himself is renowned as history’s greatest spellcaster, and we have a military capable of subduing any other.”
“I could have taken them…”
Anubis grumbled, though he looked away when I mentioned the Emperor.
“Shut up, grandfather. Go on, Rex. What do you think will happen?”
“When one power grows too large, that size becomes its own undoing. No matter how powerful the Emperor may be, he cannot be everywhere at once, which is likely why he is not overseeing this conflict. Right now, there is a war on the southern and western borders, a threat to the north, and our island colonies to the east make for isolated targets for any opportunists. If this war drags on, and a larger commitment is needed to push into Soleo, it will leave us vulnerable elsewhere. You can be assured that those who have been silent observers until now will jump at that chance to bite at the empire’s heels.”
The one part I didn’t mention was the internal conflict between the noble and the royal factions. I felt that information wasn’t mine to share with others.
The history I used as a reference for my prediction was not that of Arden, but of Earth. While magic and supernatural elements altered many things, it did not change the fact that smaller beasts would work together to tear apart a greater foe.
“Would anyone be so foolish, though? The risk of annihilation would be too great.”
Meztili argued.
“All it takes is one. One person to take the risk. Soleo has done exactly that, and others will start thinking along the lines of ‘they’ll be too busy with them to worry about me’ or ‘if we all work together, we have nothing to worry about’. Even if all those threats are defeated, the Empire will still be weakened, and new threats will rise to make sure we never properly recover. Internal conflicts will fester, and stability will crumble. Trust me, no matter how invincible the nation, it can all come tumbling down like dominoes if the conditions are right.”
“Ho? Are you saying the Empire could really fall because of this little tiff with Leonidas?”
Anubis wriggled free of Meztili’s grip and rolled onto me.
“Not directly. But as a consequence, you could say Soleo’s betrayal is the first domino to fall.”
“And? What will you do about it? I doubt many others are looking so far into the future as you seem to be.”
Meztili took Anubis back, though she was no longer restraining him.
“You’re going to do something drastic again, aren’t you?”
She furrowed her brows.
“Like when you set yourself aflame to beat Axel. Or in Farrowgate, when you went off on your own to fight the ogre and confront Esmee. And when you let that unholy possess you to fight the elves.”
I couldn’t read the complex emotion on Meztili’s face. Was it concern, disapproval, admiration, or a combination of them all?
“I can’t deny that I have a plan. But it would be better for everyone if I didn’t speak of it.”
“Kekeke… How exciting.”
The lights in Anubis’ eye sockets shone brightly.
“...Heh. Is this kind of thing fun for you?”
I shook my head and addressed Meztili.
“What do you mean?”
“Religion, politics, war… I’m having a hard time coming up with topics to bring up on a first date. I feel like I’m making a mess of your experience.”
Meztili laughed and shifted her focus to the ferret.
“I may not be experienced, but I don’t think these things to go any particular way. So long as we’re both enjoying ourselves, what’s the problem?”
She hesitated awkwardly.
“Uh… you enjoying yourself?”
I nodded.
“It’s been different, but in a good way. It feels kinda cathartic to put my thoughts into words like this.”
I nearly made the most amateur mistake imaginable by adding “With someone other than Lily”, but that disaster was narrowly avoided.
“Good. I enjoy these kinds of conversations too. Most people aren’t capable of rational disagreement. They would rather yell insults and ignore everything outside of their bubble. I like that you and I don’t view the world the same way, but can still be friends and speak openly.”
She reached into the carrier and softly stroked the ferret while I quietly observed.
Meztili was more mature than I gave her credit for. She was far more open-minded as well…
“Tilly.”
She looked up, slightly surprised by my serious expression.
“How would this world adapt if the gods left us?”
Both Meztili and Anubis shared a look.
“I… Can’t imagine it.”
She finally responded.
“No Gifts. No divinity. No guidance from above. The world would descend into chaos.”
Anubis added.
“...I see.”
Their response was understandable for those so deeply faithful to their deity.
“You might be right, but I think people are strong enough to thrive despite that chaos. I think they can come out the other side better for it.”
She turned to face me, sensing the importance behind my words.
“I disagree. Without the gods to watch over us, there is nothing to prevent the masses from succumbing to their base desires. We would lose our moral compass and fall into an age of unending darkness.”
“Assuming that were true, would you still choose not to live in that world if the alternative was an eternity in purgatory?”
“Without the gods, this life would be no different than purgatory anyway.”
“...What about you, Anubis?”
I looked away from Meztili.
“You should understand better than most what really is. Imagine you were soulbound to the bottom of the ocean, left to drift down there forever. No length of time will ever be enough to erode your soul. You will remain there without hope of return until the end of time and beyond.”
His jaw opened to respond, but it promptly shut without a sound, and the lights of his eyes vanished. Slowly, they returned, and he spoke with a tone befitting a former high priest.
“I would sacrifice everything I have worked for to avoid that fate.”
“Grandfather?”
Meztili looked shocked.
“Silence, child. You have no grasp on how the mind is affected by longevity. The elves survive it by clinging to their ancestors and choosing a peaceful death when that is no longer enough. Vampires are reduced to mindless husks and are slain by their own kin before they can degrade further. Even my condition was never meant to be eternal… There is no mind that can withstand endless erosion.”
He and I stared at one another. I could feel his unliving eyes peering deep into my own, searching for a hint of understanding.
But I gave him nothing, just as no explanation was given to me upon my death.
“You have seen something terrible, something beyond what we can imagine..”
His voice was barely a whisper, and it held no query. He knew with certainty that his statement was true.
But I would not confirm it regardless. This was something I wanted the two of them to consider together seriously. They may agree with me, or they could offer me a new perspective. Either way, I was satisfied just with having the seed sewn in their minds.
“Let’s leave that aside for a future conversation. Here, I made this for you.”
I relaxed and pulled out the chimera sculpture. Meztili was still confused by both my words and Anubis’ reaction, but her eyes slowly drifted down to my hand.
“A chimera?”
She hesitantly took it and looked it over.
“You made this? It’s beautiful.”
Her face lit up, but Anubis remained silent as he continued to stare at me. I had the feeling that Meztili had already convinced herself that my question was just a thought experiment.
And that was fine. She wasn’t ready to know the truth of the world, but with this in her mind, she had taken the first step.
While she admired my present, I looked back at her shadow, which continued to flicker strangely.
I would address the tagalong directly later. For the time being, I was content to ignore them and focus on the woman in front of me.
We engaged in more light-hearted conversation until the sun began to set, and it was time for us to return home. The dorm was still suspiciously empty, and as we walked upstairs, we both became painfully aware of how awkward this part was.
Do I see her off at her bedroom door, even though we’re probably going to end up eating dinner together with the others in an hour? Do I invite her to my room instead? No, that seemed inappropriate given there had not been much romantic or sexual energy between us so far.
I really had no idea. How is the ‘drop the girl at home’ part supposed to go when you live together?
Luckily, my partner in crime made the decision first.
“U-um… Want to come in?”
She held the door to her bedroom open.
Despite the bold implications, I figured she wouldn’t be suggesting such intimacy with her grandfather around. Not to mention the other stalker of ours.
I looked at her shadow again.
“J-just so you can help me set things up for Sissy.”
Apparently, she had landed on the name Sissy for the ferret.
“Sure, happy to help.”
I nodded and stepped inside, comfortable in the knowledge that this was no more than two friends hanging out.
“Not you.”
She slammed the door behind us, locking Anubis out.
…Still, she must have known about the lurker in her shadow, so I was still safe.
“Rex, please turn around for a moment.”
“Hm? Alright…”
I did as instructed. There was a sudden flash of light that illuminated the room, followed by multiple voices talking over each other.
“Wait! You can’t do this, let us watch!”
That voice belonged to Axel.
“Noooo! Rex, you’re making a mistake!”
That one was Lily.
“I’ve got you, bro! I’ll keep them from ruining your entry into the adult world.”
And finally, Rose’s voice.
The door opened, then slammed once again.
“Okay, it should be safe now…”
Meztili permitted me to turn back around. I pretended not to have heard a thing. I also pretended not to notice the big glowing security sigil that had been placed on the door.
Meztili’s face was flushed, and she was unable to make direct eye contact with me. Her heavy breathing continued as she stepped forward until she was close enough for me to feel the warmth radiating from her.
My expression remained neutral, but the anticipation of what appeared to be coming threatened to compromise my rationale at any moment.
What happened next may forever alter the household's dynamics. But I found it extremely difficult to care about the consequences when faced with the beauty before me.
She opened her mouth and said the words that forced me into action.
