Chapter 6:
Running Thoughts Across the Night Sky
WHILE INSTINCTIVELY REJECTING any memory of what happened last night, I got to work.
That said, I didn’t exactly have a fixed position or a specific job to do at the moment. I was a free man, not unemployed, got it? I was self-employed, actually.
Granted, it was practically guaranteed that I’d be used like a workhorse to build pioneer villages all over the country soon enough, so it wasn’t a bad idea to enjoy this little slice of freedom while it lasted.
“And so,” I began, “I was thinking of doing a little bit of resource gathering.”
Aqual’s icy blue eyes stabbed into me. Her silent stare was cold enough to send chills down my spine, and sharp enough to ask, “And why exactly are you bothering me with this?”
“You see, Serafeeta told me to take you with me,” I explained.
“No way.”
“She also said you might get depressed staying holed up in the castle all the time.”
“I didn’t ask for your help.”
“I just figured it’d be a nice change of pace…”
“That’s quite all right.”
With one swift stroke of her metaphorical sword, Aqual cut down each of my invitations. She didn’t even blink. She wasn’t going to give me the time of day.
“Personally,” I sighed, “I’d prefer it if one of Sylphy’s older sisters didn’t just hate me.”
“…But I do.”
Her words cut deep.
“Not satisfied with just Sylphy, you’ve sunk your venomous fangs into Mother, Doriada, and now you’re trying to do the same to Ifriita as well. You have no integrity, and I hate you.”
Her voice trembled slightly, but not from anger. This was restraint.
“And what is Mother even thinking?” she continued, her tone tightening. “Forgetting about Father so quickly and running into your arms after he gave up everything to protect us…” Aqual turned away after spitting out her words.
She paused then, voice softening. “I…overstepped. It is not as though I’m ungrateful. If it weren’t for you, we would still be frozen in the castle, or worse, the filth from the Holy Kingdom would’ve undone their magic and had their way with us. Perhaps Sylphy would be dead, and more of our people would still be suffering under the Holy Kingdom’s rule.”
She paused again.
“I get to live together with Mother, my older sisters, and Sylphy because of what you did. And we don’t have to worry about starving, freezing in the harsh cold, or living in fear of the Holy Kingdom. I get it. I do, but…”
Aqual looked down and went quiet. After hearing what she had to say, I felt a mix of “I see,” and “I figured.”
It was complicated.
From Aqual’s perspective, I was an interloper who’d unraveled the bonds her family had with her father, the former King Ixil. If I only had a relationship with Sylphy, maybe she could’ve accepted that, but now Doriada, Ifriita, and—worst of all—Serafeeta had affection for me.
It wasn’t like I went out of my way to romance anyone, and I suspected that my skills—specifically my achievements—were giving me the bizarre affection boost that ultimately led to this, but there was nothing I could do about it.
“Okay,” I said finally, nodding once. “I get it.”
“…Do you? Then that is that. Please leave me be. I intend to live quietly, tucked away in some forgotten corner of the castle so as not to get in the way of anyone.”
“Actually,” I said, “your hatred of me is one thing, but this is another. I get why you feel the way you do, but that doesn’t mean you’re not coming with me to go gather resources.”
“But why?”
She gave me a look that practically yelled, “What is this idiot talking about?”
Still, I wasn’t gonna back down. Now that I knew my “affection points” with her were in the negative, I finally had something to work with. Besides, maybe it was my imagination, but she was speaking much more candidly with me now.
✦ ✦ ✦
“You’re probably gonna have to work and live alongside people you don’t like sooner or later,” I told her. “You can’t just duck out every time that happens, so think of this as practice. Luckily for you, since I have an intimate relationship with Sylphy, you don’t have to worry about me approaching you with bad intentions.”
“That is not the problem.”
“I’d say it’s pretty important for royalty to learn how to make use of folks they hate if it means getting something out of them. Just come at this like you’re using me. And since Serafeeta told me to take you with me, you might as well give up.”
“Urgh!”
Aqual glared at me as soon as I said Serafeeta’s name. That must’ve touched a nerve. Oh, when she made that expression, she looked exactly like Sylphy.
Well, long story short, I strong-armed her into coming with me. And since my affinity points with her were already in the negative, I didn’t have to worry about them dropping any lower—that meant I could do just about anything.
“Now, now, let’s get ready to head out,” I said. “Oh, and for what it’s worth, I’ll handle everything on my end to make sure you’re comfortable even if you don’t lift a finger.”
I had everything—clothes, underwear, and anything else a person might need in their day-to-day life—all stored in my inventory. If push came to shove, I could get anything ready on the spot. If she demanded “a room suitable for royalty” while standing in the middle of the badlands, I was confident I could make it happen.
“What a forceful and savage way to escort a lady,” she said coolly.
“Well, I was raised as a commoner. Elegance isn’t exactly in my skill set,” I replied with a shrug, prompting Aqual to let out a defeated sigh.
For now, though, I was glad to have broken through the first barrier, so to speak.