[Quest] Lostbelt Raising Project

[Cain12]

2. Eh, he ought to feel a little bad at least.

[zikari8]

I apologize everyone, but there was something important about this time's choice that I forgot to mention.

For this choice in particular, there will be no tiebreakers. Instead, if there is a tie between choices, that will also have cause another result and there will be no tiebreaker. That said, which choices the tie is in between will still matter; it's just that having them tie will cause another bonus result in addition.

Thank you for your understanding and I hope you choose wisely.

[SleepMode]

7. If she apologizes and never looks down on us again. I'm also willing to apologize for hurting her feeling.

[Ayr]

2.

While it may be possible she's going apologise first, I feel maybe at least trying to make the first step instead of just waiting for her to might help get things back on track. Tho that bridge may well have been burnt to ashes already, lol.

[Wizard]

3

I feel that is a nice medium. She definitely had that coming the way she was talking and needed to be set straight about things, but we should be willing to walk back a bit and start over. Getting too 'demandy' isn't super great for working together amicably. Then again, she seems a bit simple minded.

[Bird of Hermes]

7. If she apologizes and never looks down on us again. I'm also willing to apologize for hurting her feeling.

+1

[zikari8]

Year: 2018
Location: Royal Quarters, Pinyang City

“And that’s what we know so far.”

“I see…”

With a look of comprehension, Alisha Helstrom nods her head at the explanation Assassin was giving. The two of them are going over the info we had about the Lostbelt, in order to strategize for the future. Meanwhile, I’m sitting at the other side of the table, while watching the blonde woman with complicated emotions.

Two days have passed since Alisha arrived in the Lostbelt and the two of us got into a… well, I guess I can’t call it a fight; you need to be close to have a fight with someone. An argument? An altercation? All-out war? Well, anyways, it’s been two days since we shared our difference of opinions and a scar was formed in our relationship. In those two days, we haven’t said anything to each other at all that’s not related to work. We have not reconciled nor have any apologies been said. No matter how much time passes, she hasn’t shown any sign of wanting to apologize and I don’t intend to apologize first either, so we’ve been stuck in this awkward and bitter relationship.

I know. I know that we can’t be like this forever. Ignoring each other like this, exchanging nothing but the curtest of words, cannot lead to a fruitful relationship as colleagues. Eventually, one of us needs to take the higher road and begin building the bridge between us, the sooner the better. And yet, I keep putting it off…

“So, right now, our biggest threat is this Demon Army, right?” Alisha asks to confirm as she goes over the reports that we’ve given her.

“That’s right. The Imperial Army is holding them off right now. There have also been some recent motions to evacuate parts of Level 5 to keep the citizens safe.” Assassin calmly explains. These past few days, she’s been a big help, serving as my vocal liaison, since I don’t want to talk to Alisha myself. I’m really grateful to her for putting up with my unreasonable actions.

“Do we know any Servants that are part of the Demon Army? I’d like to have a good idea about the enemy capabilities.” Alisha continues to question. I guess it’s good that she’s taking this seriously, at least.

As an aside, Alisha’s Servant, Starkad, is also here listening, but he’s in spirit form. With his huge size, he takes up way too much space, so he’s been keeping in spirit form while inside for the most part. That, however, means the only person he can talk to is his Master, so I haven’t really heard his own opinions outside of the Alisha filter.

“I’m sorry. We don’t really have much information on that at the moment. Reports from below have mostly described the demons themselves. We’re not entirely sure who or what is leading them, but we highly suspect that there must be some Servant influence.” Assassin apologizes up front, before pulling out some more papers. “There have, however, been some recent reports spotting a dark-haired woman spotted among the demons. We aren’t sure at the moment whether she’s a Servant or just an advanced demon taking human form. That’ s all the info we have at the moment.”

“A dark-haired woman… given the region, that could be anyone. That really doesn’t help… well, regardless, they do seem like the major threat. I think we should focus on taking them out as soon as possible, before any unnecessary complications. Once we defeat the leader, the remaining demons should become much more manageable.” Alisha suggests.

“Well, about that…” Assassin begins to explain all the complications regarding the situation.

To recap, we can’t attack them directly since the foundations of the underground empire aren’t made for superhuman battles. A clash of Noble Phantasms could quite possible cause damage to the structure or even spur a collapse. Thus, right now, all we could do was sit and wait while the Emperor arranged the opportunity for us to fight.

While listening to the explanation, Alisha nods along seriously. Despite my hatred for her, I can’t deny she’s been more or less logical so far, so I’m sure she’ll understand why we can’t attack them immediately and move on to other matters. Yet—

“Hm, why don’t we use a boundary field to contain the damage?” She surprisingly suggests.

““Huh?”” Both Assassin and I cock our heads at the idea.

“You know, we could set up a boundary field over the battleground that would cut off the inside from outside. Some sort of spiritual dimension shift-type or even a simple physical barrier type would work. That way, any shock waves or stray attacks wouldn’t leave the boundary line and there won’t be any fear of damaging the outer world… huh, why are you guys looking dumbfounded? Isn’t this obvious?” Alisha says, confused at our confusion.

I, on the other hand, am merely smacking myself for not thinking of it first. Well, obviously, since I can’t use advanced magecraft, I’m not used to considering using magecraft to solve problems. Tch, as expected from an actual legitimate magus, I guess.

“Can you set up that kind of barrier?” Assassin asks directly.

“Eh? Ah… well not right now. Boundary Fields aren’t my specialty, but if I had time to properly research and prepare…” Alisha answers, a little taken aback by our response.

“How long would you need to prepare?”

“W-well… it’d have to be pretty big-scale so we’re looking at rituals and high-thaumaturgy. Then, I’d need knowledge of the environment beforehand and materials but… maybe a month? As an optimistic estimate, that is.” Alisha responds after some calculations.

That’s not bad. Right now, we don’t know how long it’ll take for the Emperor to prepare a battlefield for us; it could be months on end before the chance comes. Compared to that, a month of research, even two or three, seems much more reliable.

I really don’t like admitting that she’s being useful though.

“W-well, we can consider that as an option. We can submit it to the Emperor to see what ideas he has. He also has his own magi so they might be able to include some input on the idea. They may even already be working on a similar idea.” I finally speak up to give my thoughts on the idea.

“… hmph”

The moment I speak up, however, Alisha immediately clams up and looks away. Her animosity was palpable. Honestly, how childish can you be?

“Assassin, could you tell Bengshan that I never asked for his opinion?” She suddenly says to Assassin.

Oi, are you really doing this? What are you, a middle schooler?

“Tch. Assassin, could you tell Alisha to stop being a little bitch and that if she has something to say to me, she can do so to my face?” I decide to respond to her in kind.

“Uh, ahem, I know. Now that you know about the Lostbelt, do you have any other plans, Alisha?” Assassin asks gracefully while ignoring our little feud. As expected of an adult, she wasn’t willing to play along with our childish antics.

“Eh? Ah, well, I don’t really know. I want to defeat the enemy asap, so I’d like to focus on the barrier, but I’d also like to learn more about this Lostbelt… I don’t suppose you’re working on anything worthwhile are you, Bengshan?” She makes a mocking comment, directly for once.

“Well, I’ve been… preparing for the upcoming battle.” I answer a little timidly.

“Oho? And how exactly have you been preparing?” She presses.

“W-well, I… I’ve been trying to improve my magecraft…” I admit with embarrassment. I already know what her response will be.

“Huh, that’s what you’ve been wasting your time on? Do you really think some last-minute studying will increase your abilities to any decent level?” She frowns as she shakes her head.

“Shut up. I already know.” I growl in response.

“Well, it might be different if you had a certain genius and super beautiful magus to mentor you. Too bad there aren’t any of those around…” She smiles while sticking out her flat chest.

“Yeah, I definitely don’t see any of those.” I click my tongue at her arrogance. “Why don’t you mind your own business? We were talking about your plans, weren’t we?”

“Well then… what’s your opinion? What do you think I should be focusing on, Bengshan?” She surprisingly asks me.

I see in her eyes a weird earnest interest in my opinion, something I’m not sure how to interpret. Regardless… what do I think Alisha should be working on?

That’s difficult to answer. The preparations we make during this interim period are vital, so I can’t respond carelessly.

The one thing I should tell Alisha to do during this time is…

Choice!

You and your new Crypter partner are discussing strategies as you look ahead at the future of your joint venture. Despite your horrible relationship, Alisha asks you what you think she should do to prepare for the upcoming battles. What is your answer?

1. Focus entirely on completing the barrier as soon as possible
2. Do what she can to learn more about the Lostbelt.
3. Do what she can to gain information on enemy Servants
4. Improve her Servant’s and her own combat abilities
5. Train you in magecraft [This choice has been locked due to low affection value]

[Spartacus]

1.

[Wyvern]

Hmm, even if she doesn't do anything other than making the barrier, there is still the chance that it might take too long. I feel that since she's such a broken master and has a strong servant, she could go looking for information on other servants that may have appeared. Another thing is that she currently lacks a lot of details and nuances about the Lostbelt and its culture.

So for me its a toss up between 2 and 3.

[Bird of Hermes]

1

[SleepMode]

1

[Cain12]

3.

[34]

2.

[zikari8]

Year: 2018
Location: Royal Quarters, Pinyang City

“I think it’d be good if you focused on the barrier. That’d be really helpful.” I honestly give her my opinion.

Having that barrier under our belt would greatly increase the number of strategies we can make in the future. The sooner we have it, the more damage we can avoid to the empire.

“I see… is that so? Focus on the barrier, huh?” Alisha nods at my answer.

Surprisingly, she seems to be quite understanding of my thoughts. For a moment, I think that perhaps we’re finally on the same wavelength for once. But—

“Then that’s what I won’t do.” She suddenly declares.

“Ehh?”

A light gasp exits my mouth. Yet, I’m honestly not that surprised.

“Right, I’ve decided. I’m going to go look into the enemy Servants.” She states, seemingly out of nowhere.

A moment passes before I respond. Curling my fists under the table, I bottle up my immediate reaction and only speak after I’ve gotten hold of my emotions.

“… fine. Do whatever you want.” I mutter with resignation.

“Hmph, I will.” She huffs.

With the meeting apparently over, Alisha immediately gets up and walks back to her room with folded arms, leaving me to soak in my frustration on my own.

Dammit, what’s her problem? I know we don’t get along, but she’s just being openly hostile. I don’t really care if she wants to focus on learning the enemy Servant’s identities – that’s a viable tactic too – but she’s clearly only doing it to go against what I said. Does she despise me that much? Is she that unwilling to listen to my opinion?

I wasn’t sure exactly what I had expected when I agreed to have her come to the Lostbelt, but I’m sure a part of me had hoped we would soon become a decent team. Even though I already disliked her from the very beginning, I thought it would be possible for us to put our differences aside. But now, we aren’t even really communicating with each other at all. What do I have to do to get her to see things my way? Is the crack in our relationship unhealable?

The more I think about our rocky future ahead, the more my head heats and my heart sinks. At the rate things are going… will we never be able to work together?

“I’m back.”

“Ah…”

The sound of a door opening, and a familiar voice snaps me out of my conflicted thoughts. I turn to see Yingying returning after a trip out.



“Uh, welcome back.” I greet her with a gentle voice.

She immediately flashes a smile, almost out of reflex, but it quickly morphs into a look of concern.

“Hmm? What’s wrong, dear? You look upset.” She comments, looking carefully at my face.

“Eh?” I gasp lightly. “… you noticed?”

I’m honestly a little astonished. I didn’t mean to overtly hide it, but I didn’t mean to broadcast it either. No, I’m more surprised she could tell, despite what I thought was a calm exterior.

“Mm, you look like you’re thinking really hard about something.” She nods with worry. “Is everything okay?”

“… yeah, don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal.” I answer after a moment of thought.

Right, I don’t need to needlessly worry her too much about this. My feud with Alisha is between me and her; at the very least, I shouldn’t get Yingying involved.

“I’m just thinking about some stuff, but it’s not anything bad or worrying. C’mon, let’s grab a bite. I’m hungry.” I proclaim with an energetic tone to try to ease her worries.

“Ah, okay…” Yingying nods along before following me out of the house. It seems I successfully changed the topic.

And yet, her worried expression didn’t seem to change…

After that, the day passes by without much incident. In a flash, bedtime arrives, and we retire to bed. Like she has done for the past two days, Alisha ate in her room, so I didn’t have any time to see her or talk to her either. Perhaps that’s why the day seemed to go by so quickly without altercation.

As mentioned before, I’ve been sleeping on the floor since Alisha arrived, and once again I retire onto the nice hard surface, my now familiar companion. Honestly, after having slept on it for a few days, I’ve come to realize that it isn’t so bad. Sure, my body hurts when I wake up, and it takes a while to get comfortable and fall asleep, but overall, I can handle it. I’ve heard stories of soldiers capable of sleeping on command, since any rest they can get is something to be treasured, so perhaps I should take a page out of their book and learn to pass out on any type of surface.

Once I rest my head, I find myself getting weary and I doze off into a comfortable darkness…

“Dear… dear.”

“Huh?”

I’m suddenly awoken by a voice, followed by a gentle nudging. Still hazy, I slowly respond to the voice with confusion. How many hours have I been sleeping? I didn’t oversleep, did I? I turn to look at who’s waking me up and find a familiar answer.

“Y-yingying?” I address the person through blurred eyes, and she nods in affirmation. “What is it?”

For a moment, the thought that something bad happened while I was out crosses my mind. But instead, Yingying eagerly pumps her fists and flashes me a smile.

“Let’s go on a date!” she declares with determined vigor.

“…Huh?”

---

Year: 2018
Location: Pinyang City, Level 1

A date. It is a term that any person who hasn’t been living under a rock should understand. When two individuals have a meeting with romantic intentions, such an event can be considered a date. From that definition alone, it may seem like a rather broad, dry idea, but it is socially something to be treated with starry eyes and rosy cheeks. Under a comfortable atmosphere, the two individuals can take the chance to get to know each other and enjoy the other’s company, thereby strengthening their bond. Many dates can even involve or lead to intimate activities.

In my past, I would never have even imagined partaking in such a sweet, youthful activity, but oh how things have changed. For better or worse, Yingying asked me out and I have no reason to refuse. Even if we’re already married, I still cannot treat such matters lightly, especially as this is my first date ever. Yes, such an event should be treated with the utmost care and elation.

So why was I now, instead, on the verge of death?

“Hah…. Haah…. how is this… a date?” I question while desperately panting for air

“C’mon dear, you’re almost there. Just one more lap.” Yingying calls out from far ahead along the track.

“D-dammit…” I swear quietly and command my exhausted limbs to keep moving, against the roaring alarms in my brain.

The place that Yingying brought me to for our “first date” was a large barren area near the palace. Apparently, it’s used as a training grounds for the guards and Yingying got us permission to borrow it while it wasn’t being used. In essence, the contents of our romantic rendezvous was actually a marathon around the tracks. And with my couch potato body, I was already knocking on heaven’s door by the second lap.

“Gaaaah, finished!” I finally yell as I make the last lap and immediately fall to the ground.

“Yay! You did it!” Yingying cheers and claps happily at my success.

“Aaaaaaah, god. Haah… hah… are you… trying to kill me?” I complain between my ragged pants.

Everything in my body feels like it’s shutting down or bursting. My limbs felt like lead, my lungs were on fire, and my heart was about to explode. My entire body is drenched in so much sweat, I wouldn’t even be able to tell if I suddenly started crying. It’s an entirely different feeling from the other injuries I’ve suffered so far; this was a new pain. It’s like my body itself was trying to kill me.

God, how do people do this kind of thing every day? Or rather, what on earth compelled Yingying to make me do this? If she hadn’t been encouraging me the whole way through, I would’ve dropped out immediately; I can’t tell which result is better at this point.

“Good job, good job. You really hung in there.” Yingying praises me after giving me a few peaceful moments to rest.

“Uuuuhhhhh… you don’t have to compliment me…” I reply with my face still in the dirt. Looking up, I see Yingying smiling face and realize that she seems hardly fazed after that run. In stark contrast to me, she’s barely even sweated at all. I guess our levels are just that far apart.

“C’mon, let’s move you to the side. I’ve prepared some refreshments, so get a good rest.” She says before easily scooping me up and carrying me in her arms over to the side of the arena. I’d be impressed if my focus hadn’t been stolen by the overwhelming exhaustion. She’s smart, athletic, kind, and pretty… I have to wonder if there’s anything Yingying’s not good at.

We reach the end of the training grounds where a laid-out sheet and a bag of refreshments await. Taking away the grueling physical torture that predated it, the layout was rather reminiscent of a simple picnic, befitting an actual normal date.

“Here, have a drink.” She passes me some water with a gentle smile after resting me on the ground and taking a seat next to me.

“… thanks.” I respond with a simple nod, lacking the energy to do much else.

I gulp down the drink with vigor, like a man in a desert. The cool liquid brings immediate relief to my body and, before I now it, I’ve drained the whole thing. Just like that, I take a few more moments to catch my breath and recover my energy, before I turn to Yingying.

“So… why’d you bring me here? You have a reason, right?” I ask casually once I caught my breath. Beforehand, I didn’t question her since she seemed enthusiastic and I went along with it, but now I was curious what the purpose of this grueling exercise was.

“Eh? Ah, that’s…” Yingying answers quietly, scratching her cheek as if embarrassed. “… I thought it’d be a good change of pace.”

“Huh?” I tilt my head at her surprising answer.

“Well, y’see… you’ve seemed really upset about something lately, so I thought it might be good to take your mind of it for a little bit.” She explained with a tender expression, before furthering adding. “S-sorry if I got carried away. I didn’t mean to intrude on your affairs or anything.”

“N-no, there’s no need to apologize. It’s just… I see. So, you were worried about me after all.” I reflect on her motives.

I had been trying not to get her too worried about me, but it seems I’m bad at acting after all. I guess I can’t hide anything from her that obvious. Is this what you’d call a woman’s intuition? Either way, it seems I’ve caused her some concern recently.

“I should be the one apologizing. You went out of your way to cheer me up. Sorry for worrying you…” I try to apologize, but Yingying immediately shakes her head.

“No, no, it’s fine. Really. I was just acting on my own.” She states as she brushes aside my apology. “Besides, I know that you’d the same for me. So, it’s okay.”

After thinking about it for a second, I realize she’s not wrong. Certainly, if I saw Yingying upset, I’d also try to do whatever I can to cheer her up or alleviate her worries.

“W-well, if you say so…” I reluctantly accept her logic. It doesn’t feel right, but I can’t argue against it.

Looking out for each other unconditionally. Supporting each other when they’re feeling down. I wonder if that’s a part of what it means to be married…?

“But y’know…” I muse after a quiet moment. As what I’m about to say clicks in my head, my face automatically turns a little red. “Y-you don’t really need a big reason to call me out or anything. If you ever want to go somewhere, I’ll happily accompany you.”

“R-really?” Her face lights up immediately. It’s rare to see her so enthusiastic, so it makes me a little happy.

“W-when I have the free time, sure. Anything you want, you can count on me.” I boldly proclaim.

“Then, it’s a date. Promise?” She holds out her hand eagerly. After a brief pause, I firmly grasp it to seal the deal.

“… yeah, I promise.”

Shaking hands, we agree on our next outing. It’s not much, but I hope stuff like this will help me repay all the care Yingying’s given me.

Wise-up! Yingying's Status

Affection Up!
You are willing to go on more dates with Yingying.

“Ah, but, next time, maybe something not so physical exhausting. I don’t think I can handle another marathon.” I quickly add on, remembering the lasting pain in my chest.

“Hehe, are you not a fan of exercise, after all?” Yingying chuckled lightly at my miserable complaints.

“Well, I won’t say I hate it… I guess I’m just not used to it.” I explain, reflecting on my own lack of athletics in the past. Focused solely on learning magecraft, I really neglected other aspects as it was.

“If you work hard, I’m sure you’ll get used to it in no time.” She declares with cheer.

“Heh, I guess that is how it works…” I muse while cracking a soft smile.

For a moment, the conversation cuts off. As if enjoying the silence, the two of us merely sit for a bit, only hearing the sound of my still heavy breathing. In that moment, I think a bit about everything that’s been going on lately… and decide to talk about it a little.

“Say, Yingying. If I kept running every day, do you think I’d get stronger?” I suddenly ask while looking off at the empty training grounds.

“Hm? Well, naturally, I think you would. That’s what training is for, right?” She answers immediately.

“Yeah, I guess that’s obvious...” I mutter. At the same time, my tone becomes a bit somber.

“… do you want to get stronger?” Yingying questions with serious eyes, as if picking up on something. When she gets like that, I feel like I can’t hide anything from her.

“… to be honest, I’m not really sure.” I give a lack luster answer, but not without thought.

Yingying immediately looks confused at my answer, something I can’t blame her for. If you asked most people, they’d probably say that they’d prefer to be strong rather than weak. Only weirdos would say that. That’s just the natural answer and it’s not like I don’t get it.

Brushing my drenched hair, I try to think of a simple explanation.

“Well, I mean… it’s not like I never wish I had more power to do things. Even just the other day, I realized how bitter it is to feel useless… In that case, I do wish I had been stronger.” I begin to explain.

The humiliation I felt during the battle with Saber immediately comes to mind. Lacking power and ability, I was unable to do anything against her. Worse, I only got in the way of the others and nearly got them killed. In the end, I had no choice but to rely on my ability.

If… if I had been stronger, maybe things wouldn’t have come down to that. If my other skills were greater, perhaps I would never need to use my power…

“But, y’know… at the same time, I feel like getting stronger is like admitting defeat. If I became strong, it’d be the same as losing to them…”

That’s right. This isn’t just about my own thoughts. There are two people with whom I haven’t settled our differences yet.

The Hero of Justice, Demonic Lancer, Lin Chong.

The Veteran Master and Eminent Champion, Alisha Helstrom.

They are the two people who I can’t see eye-to-eye with, the ones I feel like I have to defeat.

Lancer said that the strong must lead the weak. Flaunting his might, he alone dictates what justice is and forces his opinion on others. Anyone who opposes him must be eliminated in the name of justice. So then, by his logic, only might makes right. The opinions of the weak have less value than those of the strong, because they cannot protect themselves.

Alisha likewise only believes in herself. Only trusting her own strength, she underestimates her opponents and allies alike. That’s why she’s ignoring my opinions and actively just doing whatever she wants. Because I’m weak and she’s strong, her say has more weight. For her, strength is the only value of worth and those without strength aren’t even seen in her eyes.

For both, strength is the ultimate value that determines one’s worth. The weak can do nothing but rely on the strong for freedom and protection, while the strong can dictate the future and justice. That kind of mindset… it doesn’t feel fair.

“Is it wrong to be weak? Do the opinions of weak people not matter? Should only the strong dictate the world? … I don’t know the answer, but I don’t want such things to be true. I don’t want to admit that they’re right.”

Against those two who seem to be looking down on the weak, I want to overcome their unjust philosophies. I want to defeat them, not physically but ideologically. So then… if I become stronger, thereby stop being weak, isn’t that like losing? Wouldn’t I be admitting that the weak aren’t as good as the strong? I don’t want that. I want to show that the opinions and ideas of the weak still have value. I want them to stop looking down on weak people entirely. So there’s no point in me becoming strong myself.

“Well, that’s why I’m a little conflicted about becoming strong… I guess it’s kind of stupid.” I finish my explanation with a sigh.

Now that I’ve said it out loud, I realize how dumb my own logic is and it’s kind of embarrassing. Putting my vague feelings above the ability to protect those I want is just dumb, no matter how I think about it. But still… doing otherwise just doesn’t feel right.

“Uh, well… what do you think?” I ask Yingying who’s been listening carefully the whole time. She takes a moment to consider the question before giving a nod.

“Hmmm… yeah, I don’t really get it.” She replies plainly. The question marks above her head were practically visible. “Sorry, I’m not of much help.”

“Ah. Well… I guess that’s to be expected.” I laugh a little at my own stupidity. “Sorry, that was a weird thing to talk about. Just forget it.”

Now that I think about it, maybe Yingying was the wrong person to talk to this about. She’s super smart, but she’s also spent her entire life following whatever values and guidelines the Empire has set out for her. My wishy-washy philosophy is probably the exact thing she’s never thought about in her entire life.

It’d probably be better to talk about something else less boring.

Let’s see… this is a rare opportunity, so what else can I talk to Yingying about?

Choice!

You have a rare opportunity to talk with Yingying in private. This may be a good chance to get to know her better, become closer, or get her opinion on something. What topic would you like to discuss with her?

1. Discuss your relationship with each other
2. Ask her what she thinks about Alisha
3. Engage in some casual small talk
4. See if there’s anything she wants to talk about
5. Write-In

[Spartacus]

2.
Maybe someone nice like Yinying can understand Gigantamax baby better.

[Bird of Hermes]

1.
We're getting in well with her and our internal monologue is saying positive stuff, let's air it out.

[Wizard_of_0z]

1. Communication is key! or is that memory....

[SleepMode]

1

[zikari8]

Year: 2018
Location: Imperial Training Grounds, Pinyang City

“Say, Yingying, ummm… there’s actually something I’ve been meaning to ask.”

After some thought, I decide to talk about something we haven’t really discussed since our first night together. It’s been more than a month since then, so I feel like it’s a good time to talk about this.

“Is there… anything about our relationship you aren’t happy about? Or anything you want?” I ask her semi-seriously.

“Eh? Why do you ask?” Yingying questions, seemingly taken aback by the unexpected topic.

“Well, it’s nothing big. It’s just… I want to make you as happy as possible.” I declare my simple intentions.

To be honest, I feel a little guilty about Yingying. For the sake of my alliance with the Emperor, she was forced to marry a loser like me. In a sense, I feel like I’ve just been using her to get what I want. Even above that, she’s already done so much for me. That’s why I want to repay her kindness, I want to take responsibility for this marriage.

“I said before that you could talk to me about anything, right? So, if there’s anything you want or aren’t pleased with, please feel free to tell me.” I implore her earnestly.

Honestly, even thinking about myself, I can find nothing but fault after fault regarding all the things I’ve done wrong in this relationship. Rather, I’d be more hard-pressed to find something I did well. Thus, I mentally brace myself for a barrage of complaints that I’m sure Yingying must’ve built up over the weeks. Instead, though –

“Hmm… I don’t really have anything I’m unhappy about.” She claims after a moment of shallow thought.

“Eh? A-are you sure? Surely, there’s something.” I gasp, unable to believe her response.

“Ah well… if it’s okay to say, I guess I’d prefer it if you got hurt less often. Seeing you get hurt and hospitalized was a little bit tough. I know your job’s dangerous, but I’d like it if you took more care for yourself…” She answers casually, though I could feel the emotion in her heart. I can’t even begin to imagine how she must have felt during those weeks I was in a coma.

“R-right. I’ll do what I can.” I give her the best promise I can, since even I can’t guarantee my safety in the future. “Is… is that all?”

“Mhm, that’s all.” Yingying confirms with a smile.

I’m a little shocked. I was completely expecting all sorts of my personal problems to be aired out. Was she just being nice? I suspect that, but her beaming smile seems to honest for that.

As if noticing my doubt, Yingying brightly adds on.

“I said so before, didn’t I? I’m honestly glad I married you.” She declares as if it were nothing. “Certainly, these past few weeks haven’t been anything at all like I imagined marriage would be, but they made really happy. Being with you makes me happy. Honestly.”

At that moment, my heart must’ve skipped several beats. Hearing such pure and emotional words, I felt my cheeks blush completely. I must’ve looked redder than a tomato.

I don’t think I ever expected to hear words like that in my entire life. They made me feel an elation I never could’ve imagined, as if something on my bucket list had been checked off.

“M-m-me too. I too… I’m also happy.” I find myself replying with flustered words, before solemnly reflecting. “Back then, on our first night, I said that I didn’t want to marry you. I wasn’t lying; I really hated the idea of marriage. But now… Now, I’m honestly happy to have you by my side. I’m glad that I married you.”

“I see… so we’re both happy. That’s good.” Yingying lightly nods in response as if denying her own doubts.

Seeing that, hearing her words, I realized just how much I cared about our relationship. I hadn’t given it much thought before, but now I understand just how much Yingying means to me. In that case, I’m glad that the two of us got the chance to talk about this. This was the right thing to talk about.

Wise-up! Yingying's Status

Affection Up!
You are now glad that you married Yingying.

“Oh, um, well… by the way, is there anything else you’d like me to do?” I additionally ask. “I know you’re happy with things as they are, but surely there’s something else you want. Anything’s fine; I’d be happy to do anything for you.”

As I said before, I still want to find ways to make Yingying happier.

“Eh, well, then… I don’t want to be selfish, since I’m already content, but if you insist on something… I guess I’d like it if we could do more ‘newly-wed’ stuff… J-just a wish though; you don’t have to take it seriously.” She answers in flustered fragments, seemingly embarrassed by her own answer.

“Um, like what for example?” I ask, unsure of what she means exactly. My interrogation, however, makes her quickly bury her face in her knees. Only after a few moments does she find the courage to speak through them.

“W-well, y’know. The typical stuff that you’d imagine newly-weds to usually do. Like… holding hands, or going on more dates, or umm…” She begins to explain, before suddenly getting flustered once again.

And then, quietly as if only to herself, she mutters her final desire.

“… sex.”

“Ah.”

Hearing that word alone makes my blood freeze. My entire begins to tense up, as if under attack.

“W-well, that’s a bit…” I immediately begin to respond, stumbling over my words. My hesitation was obvious, as Yingying looks over with concern.

“Is it not okay?” She asked.

“No, it’s um…” I try to find the words, but they elude me.

That’s right. If there was one problem with our relationship so far, that would have to be it. If this marriage were a test, then that would be the cause of my failure. The one thing I feel like people have been telling me to do since day one, yet I’ve willfully refused to even think about.

How could I even begin to excuse myself, to explain the feelings I have about the topic, when it’s something that’s haunted me for a decade?

For now, after some consideration, I decide to break it down as simply as I can.

“Listen. It’s not like I’m opposed to that kind of stuff. To be honest, there is a part of me that does want to ‘do it’ with you. But right now, it’s… difficult for me.”

Just thinking about it makes me nauseous. An inexplicable fear towards the future builds up within me whenever I do.

For ten long years, almost as far back as I can remember, I’ve avoided other people, women in particular. In a sense, you could say that I was afraid of them. I was afraid of what I would do to them. I was terrified of my own desires and weaknesses.

If in a heated moment, I allow my passions to overcome my logic, then… who knows what irreversible things I could do?

“But I want to change. I know I can’t be like this forever. I want to take hold of this second life… and I’d like to be able to spend it with you.” I proclaim with conviction.

That was what I have been fighting towards, what I’ve wanted since I was resurrected. To be a normal person, to have a normal life, and to be with other people. A life where I didn’t fear my own shadow… I don’t know how long it’ll take to get there, but that’s the future I’ve always held dear.

“Until then, will you wait for me?” I ask her, the woman known as my wife.

“Of course. No matter how long it takes.” She answers without hesitation.

“… thank you.”

With that, I felt something finally close within me. I think all I needed were to hear those words…

---

After that, Yingying and I continue chatting happily for a while. Forgetting about everything else, we wile away the time engaging in meaningless small talk. It was as if the world stood still as we solely enjoyed each other’s company. But no paradise lasts forever…

Suddenly, a loud voice interrupts our date.

“Big bro!”

In a roaring shout, it called out to me. The address alone made it obvious who the person yelling was. There, by the other edge of the training ground, was Baldy, one of the Red Scarf Pirates. He was sweating and panting as if he had just also run a marathon. The sight of his distressed face immediately set alarms off in my head.

“Hah… hah… I finally found you… nobody knew where you were…” He commented between heavy breaths as he slowly trudged towards us. In return, I immediately get up to confront him.

“Oi, what’s wrong? What happened?” I ask with mild panic. Anything related to his current attitude can’t be good.

Catching his breath, Baldy takes a moment to compose himself before declaring with gravitas.

“It’s an enemy attack! One of the Core Generators is under siege!!”

That alone makes it plainly clear what the problem is and my sense of urgency immediately kicks in. An enemy attack… that means there’s a battle going on right now! If that’s the case, I have to get over there immediately.

“Hold on, wait.” I quickly take reins of the situation. “What’s a Core Generator? I’ve never heard of it before.”

“They’re like giant magical furnaces that provide energy to the entire empire. There are ten of them spread across the Levels.” Yingying joins in to explain. Though her voice is calm, her face betrays the worry she must be feeling. “If… if even a single one is destroyed, it could be disastrous for the entire Empire.”

“The one under attack right now is one of the largest ones, just outside the capital. It’ll take about thirty minutes on horse to get there.” Baldy adds.

“…” I remain silent after the explanation and begin to think.

It’s hard to believe that whatever’s attacking this Core Generator thing is just a group of normal citizens, and there aren’t any demons on Level 1. That means it has to be an enemy Servant.

Tch. Was I careless? Because the frontline is on Level 5, I neglected the possibility that there would be an attack up here. Certainly, if the enemy were a Servant apart of the Demon Army, he could phase past the entire frontline in spirit form. And that’s not even mentioning the possibility that he was just on Level 1 the whole time and has been biding his time to attack.

But what’s the goal? Simply to destroy a core component of the empire? But why target the one closest to the capital? Or did they go for that because that’s where we were least wary?

Dammit, there’s no time to think. Time is of the essence. I need to make a decision now.

No, is there even anything I can do? The Emperor said to avoid Servant battles and to stay in the city. But I can’t just not do anything when the enemy is at our doorsteps!

“Wait… what about the others? Do they know?” I quickly question. Even if I make a decision, I can’t anything alone.

“Hah, well… we went to your quarters to find you, but neither you or Miss Assassin were there, so we split up to go look for you two. Oh, and we told the lady with yellow hair everything too…” Baldy explains.

“Wait, hold on. You told Alisha!?” I immediately jolted at the news. A bad feeling washes over me.

“Y-yes. Afterwards, she immediately ran out and headed towards the battle…” Baldy confirmed my fears.

“When was this? How long ago?” I pressed him hurriedly

“A-about twenty minutes ago.” He answers, a little confused.

Dammit, that means she’s practically already there. Knowing her, she’s most likely gone to take out the enemy on her own. So, there’s no time to hesitate at all. If I don’t make a decision now, it’ll be too late to act.

Given the current circumstances, the best move I can make is…

Choice!

Your date with Yingying has been interrupted with urgent news. An enemy has attacked one of the Lostbelt’s vital facilities. Alisha has most likely gone ahead to face the enemy, while you have previously been told to avoid Servant-level combat for the moment. What should you do?

1. Immediately go to support Alisha
2. Immediately go to stop Alisha
3. First, find the Emperor and seek his instructions
4. Do nothing. Reckless actions will only make things worse.

[Spartacus]

3. Regardless her failure in her own LB, Alisha is supposedly a strong Master with a strong Servant. I hope she can survive a turn or two without help, unless she got a PTSD and shaken by Ben's words or something. It would be great if the Emperor lent us his army, not to mention our Servants besides Saber is on the lower end of the spectrum.