Standing in front of the school building is Ollie.
Eris had gone to get her heart broken so he has some time to kill. He had summoned an owl to discreetly follow her, so he can find her later.
Walking towards the building, he pays no mind to the looks he receives, since he is walking like he owns the place, no one thinks he is out of place.
Now, where does he plan to go, he could find the beast girls or he could find Nanahoshi.
The decision is taken from his hands as he cuts a corner and comes before the LiniPur pair.
Not changing his route, he walks directly to the duo who were walking towards his direction.
"Yo!"
"Nya?" Linia answers reflexively while Pursena tilts her head still eating the meat held in her hand.
"If you come with me, I'll give you the most tasty meat you have ever had." Ollie says such things as Pursena eyes widens and she starts to drool a bit.
"Oi!…" Linia holds the collar of Pursena who was walking towards him already. "…Where do you think you are going nya?!"
"Meat…" She whines stretching her hands towards Ollie.
"And you, are you looking for a fight?! Why don't you hand everything you have, and I will let you join our crew nya." Linia threatens.
Hearing the nya at the end of the sentence makes Ollie's tail swing behind him and seeing that Linia walks closer to him and holds his shoulders sniffing him. "You don't smell like one of us nya… sniff sniffAnd you smell really nice nya." Her tail is now wagging behind her.
"Hey!" Pursena drags her back. "Stop trying to seduce my meat guy!" She growls at her as Linia hisses back. "What do you mean meat guy, he's obviously going to become my subordinate nya!" They keep going back and forth with each other, until they both turn towards Ollie.
"Hey! Which one of us do you choose (nya)?!"
Ollie who had walked to the side and resting his back to the wall eating baked cookies looks at the both of them.
"Hmm, let's see." Putting his hands to his chin, he pointedly looks at their breasts.
Seeing where he is looking at, Linia folds her arms under her breasts, emphasizing them more. "Well, I am obviously the better pick nya."
"Hey! If you give me the meat, I would even let you touch it!" Pursena not one to lose either, offers a deal, although she never clarified which person's.
Ollie nods. "Umu, umu. You both make very interesting bargains and I choose… Both of you!"
They almost trip at that. "Somehow you remind mew of the boss nya."
"That's true." Pursena says nodding.
"Anyway, let's go! I'll give you the tastiest meat you have ever had!" Ollie raises a hand to the ceiling as the two girls mimics his actions.
"Ohhhhhhh!"
""Ohhhhhhh (nya)!!""
***
""Delicious (nya)!!""
Linia and Pursena voice rings out in the kitchen of a restaurant where Ollie had paid to use.
Ollie who is wearing an apron smiles smugly at them.
"This was very delicious Ollie, as a reward you can feel up Linia's boobs." Pursena sells out her friend easily.
"Yes, yes. You can feel up Linia's— nya?! Pursena you bastard." Linia who had agreed before realizing what was said snaps at Pursena as they both start pinching each other's cheeks.
"Now, now. Calm down you two. I plan on feeling up both your boobs." Ollie says with a sweet smile.
"N-nya?"
"Eh?"
"That's terrible you guys. Are you just going to eat my prepared meal without giving me anything in return?"
The girls gulps.
"Ah, don't worry though, I won't be taking my reward today, so you can be at ease."
Their shoulders sags visibly in relief. Poor girls don't know that they have already sealed their fate.
"Anyway for now, I'll give you these if you let me fondle your breasts a bit." Ollie says shamelessly as he presents them with pudding.
They are both beast kin with good senses so they can immediately tell it's something amazing.
Pursena gulps and Linia drools.
Pursena walks towards Ollie with outstretched hands and eyes glued to the pudding, as she reaches for one on the tray.
"Ahnnnnn~"
She immediately jumps back, pudding forgotten, hands on her breasts with a red face all the while her tail wags behind her.
"Even though I have a sinful body, you need permission to touch it, pervert!." She points at him as he walks towards her, smiling. "Yes, I am. But so are you for moaning like that. Anyway I'll give you a 9/10, would definitely fondle again." Saying so he places a cup of pudding on her hand as she smiles receiving it, forgetting the molestation that just occurred.
Ollie turns towards Linia as he holds the other cup. "So, ready to get fondled nya?" He asks with a toothy grin.
She looks at Pursena who has the most blissful expression she has never seen on her face before, not wanting to be left out, she walks towards Ollie even as she looks to the side with a blush on her face.
"Uh, you're surprisingly adorable Linia." Saying so he draws her closer and does his magic on her breast.
"Nyahnnnnn~ why does your hands fweel so gwood nyaaah?"
Ollie fondles them some more before letting go.
"Linia your swishing tail is telling me you enjoyed that as much as I did."
She hisses in response, blush still present on her face as she snatches the pudding from his hand, he chuckles at that.
Sitting back down on the bench and table in the kitchen, Ollie smiles watching them happily enjoy the pudding.
"Oh right, both of you give me your hands, I can't forget to stamp you." They look at him with a head tilt and mouthful even as they both give him their hands.
"Yosh! We will be seeing more of each other in the future." He says smiling after stamping them both.
They pay no mind to what he says, content with the confectionery in front of them, as Ollie gives them more to eat.
The pitter patter of the rain accompanies their rendezvous.
◇◇◇
Walking towards the location transmitted by his owl, Ollie reaches there to find Eris who seats under the rain on a bench staring at the ground before her distractedly.
She must have seen the R18 animal sex scene of Rudeus and Sylphy. Oof! Probably also realized she's the same elf from her dream.
He would have prayed to god for forgiveness for the NTR that he orchestrated but since he hates Hitogami, he won't.
And besides, it's not like he orchestrated anything, this is literally a canon event, it's just that Eris was there to witness it.
Walking towards her with deliberate footsteps, he covers her with his umbrella-shaped force-field, as she looks up to him with dull eyes.
"Yo, Eris. Fancy meeting you here."
"Ollie…?" She looks around, then to the sky before settling on her hands. "It's raining…?"
He nods to her as he crouches to her sitting height. "Come on Eris, let's go back to the inn." He turns his back to her still crouching and beckons her to hop on, she does so without question as Ollie stands and starts walking with slow steps.
Eris tightens her arms around his neck. "Ollie?"
"Yes, Eris?"
"What do I do now…?"
Ollie's doesn't respond, knowing she still has more to say.
"My goal was to protect Rudeus and defeat Orsted, but Rudeus he…" She grips her hands and shakes her head.
"Rudeus didn't need me, I knew that. I know that during the fight with Orsted, if Rudeus had been alone, he might have been able to put a better fight, or even escape unscathed."
"Even though he was very young, he always had his head on his shoulder and very mature. Rudeus has always been strong."
"I was weak, I couldn't do anything. I was holding Rudeus back so I left him in search of strength so I could protect him better next time, so that I wouldn't hold him back anymore, so that I wouldn't see him in a situation where it looked like he would lose his life."
"But Rudeus… Rudeus had moved on..." She covers her eyes with his shoulders.
"When I found out I didn't have a home or any family left, Rudeus was the only one left by my side… I didn't want him to leave me behind… I wanted to get stronger so we could defeat Orsted together."
"Rudeus is really amazing you know… Even in this place they call him the strongest, they say he even defeated the fighting god… Maybe I'm not worthy of him. Rudeus was still a child when we traveled together. He is grown now…" Eris had started sobbing as she talks.
"I don't know what to do… I have… nothing left… anymore." Is the last thing she says before sleeping on Ollie back.
Ollie sighs amidst the pitter-patter of the rain.
He would have to raise back her spirits, he doesn't want a 'Depressed swordswoman arc'.
◇◇◇
Eris woke up feeling jaded and groggy, blanket still over her, she refuses to get up from bed.
Yesterday had been a disaster, she had gone to Rudeus room and after hearing the noises coming from it, she still went ahead and opened it (read: broke the lock). Rudeus and the girl were so occupied with each other that they didn't even realize someone opened the door, she had closed it back and walked away.
Why did she do that?
Why didn't she go in and snap at Rudeus?
Why didn't she confront him?
Why…
Why didn't she feel as angry as she thought she would?
Why did a part of her feel relieved?
She grips her bed sheets.
Seeing Rudeus doing that with someone else, she had thought something like that would make her lose her marbles, but it didn't.
And she knows the reason why but she's too ashamed to admit it.
The part of her that had been worried that she had betrayed Rudeus now seems distant.
Is it betrayal if Rudeus had gone and done something like that?
Or is she just relieved that Rudeus had gone and done something like that so she can now justify the guilt she had been feeling?
Then the girl, she was very beautiful. The same girl Eris saw in her dream. The white-haired elf. So was the dream telling her about the future? If Rudeus is going to marry that girl, it means he loves her right?
The truth is that Eris was more sad from the realization that Rudeus is now an adult who has moved on. The realization that she had been stuck in the past. The realization that she was now truly alone.
That scene had somehow puts things in perspective for her.
She sighs covering her face with the blanket.
What does she do now?
Does she still train?
Get stronger in order to defeat Orsted?
But… Does she have a reason to anymore?
For revenge?
For her pride?
Or just because?
Was all her training for naught?
What would remain of the individual called 'Eris' when you take away her sword and her goal?
She sits up on the bed and looks around the room for her sword, finding it beside the bed.
She picks it and unsheathes it, looking at her reflection through the blade but the sword does not display her reflection. Just a dull sheen.
"What do I do now?"
"How about you eat something first?" The voice jerks her into alert but she relaxes seeing it's Ollie opening the door to the room with a tray of food in hand.
Oh yeah, Ollie.
He had also been the one to carry her back to the inn last night, wasn't he?
He had seen her in such a miserable state and still stayed around?
He walks in and shuts the door behind him, then sets the tray before her. "You can decide what you want to do later, for now, eat."
"I don't want to." She says, sheathing back her sword.
Ollie sighs then walks to sit beside her and then—
"What are you doing Ollie?!" —picks her up and put her on his lap.
"Putting a brat in her place."
She sputters. "D-don't call me that! I-I'm not a brat!"
"You definitely are acting like one though. Ah although I would believe you if you actually prove me wrong by eating."
A weak concession.
"Grrr, fine!"
One which she accepts.
Eris has spent enough time with Ollie to know he won't let her go until she actually eats so she complies.
As she takes a bite. "This is…"
"It tastes the same as the first meal I made for you right?"
She nods, not trusting her voice not to stutter.
She doesn't hold back her tears as she eats. "It's delicious…"
Ollie brings her closer to himself. "I'm glad then."
◇◇◇
"Eris, are you sure you want to go back to the sanctuary? We only spent a day here you know." He says to Eris who is walking in front of him as they walk to the city's gate.
He hadn't even enjoyed his beast girls yet.
Well, he can just teleport here another time anyway.
After eating, Eris had cried herself to sleep again in his arms, it's the next day now and she had made the decision that they go back.
He wonders what happened, while she's still obviously troubled, it's to a lesser extent than before.
"Stop dilly-dallying about and walk closer Ollie." She says.
"What about my academy arc, Eris-sama?!"
She visibly shudders. "Ollie, don't call me that, it feels weird hearing you use honorifics…" She says then continues.
"…And, did you want to enroll, Ollie?" She asks in a small voice. Meanwhile Ollie noticing her vulnerability, walks closer to her and pats her head. "I mean sure, it does sound interesting but probably not now though, I'm still focusing on the sword."
Although he says that, he is literally one of the most proficient swordsman in the world.
"I see…" Eris says with a small smile.
"Ollie…?"
"Yes, Eris?"
"…I'm going to defeat Orsted..." She says as she stops walking and looks at him. "That will be my first goal, then… I'll think about what to do next after that. So for now, I'll try swinging my sword for myself."
"Is that so?… Well let's spar a lot on our way back then." He responds seeing the 'not really resolution but close' in her eyes.
"Unn…" She walks closer to him, holding his hand. "Thanks Ollie." She whispers.
"Don't mind, don't mind." He says cheerfully.
With that, they continue their walk towards the city's gate.
"Eris!" A voice calls out amidst the bubbling street.
They both turn to the voice as Eris grabs Ollie's hand a little tighter.
Oliver looks at the person a short distance from them.
Light brown hair and green eyes.
Well damn.
◇◇◇
Rudeus watches Eris holding hands and walking with a Cat boy, as a pit forms in his stomach.
"Er—" He tries to call out.
Right now, we are not a good match for each other.
I'm leaving on a journey.
He feels his heart grip.
"Rudy, are you okay?" To his right, Sylphie asks.
He looks at her who looks at him in worry—
Please don't leave me behind again.
I want to be with you forever.
I'll be by your side. I won't ever leave you.
Good morning Rudy.
—then he slaps his face with both hands.
"What are you doing Rudy?!" She panics, rubbing his face as he chuckles.
He holds her hands, locking their fingers together. "I'm fine, Sylphie… Can you let me handle something for a bit?"
She studies him for a bit, seeing his resolute gaze. "Unn. It's okay. You don't have to ask Rudy… Just don't go where I can't reach you okay?"
He brings her closer then hugs her. "I hear you. Thank you Sylphie. I'll be back." He says separating from her.
"Unn. I'll be waiting." She smiles and his heart flutters.
I'll be waiting.
Ah, is this what married men feel when their wives tell them that? Although he is only engaged but it still counts right?
Waving goodbye at her with a promise to meet later, he runs toward the direction.
What is he going to say?
Why is she here?
Who is the boy?
Why did she leave?
He doesn't know.
But he does know that this is an hurdle he has to clear.
For his sake.
And for Sylphie's as well.
"Eris!"
He watches as she turns slowly to face him.
That same red hair, those same red eyes.
"Rudeus." She says with something to her voice but Rudeus can't seem to place it.
***
Sitting in front of each other, separated by a table with beverage juice ontop, he takes in Eris appearance again.
She wears a black form fitting long sleeve and a dark leather jacket that has a white fur trim collar over it, the red scarf that had been on her neck earlier now lay on top of her brown three quarter pants.
She looks a lot more matured since he last saw her.
They had gone into a shop so they could talk after Eris had told the Cat boy who she called Ollie to wait around for her.
"Rud—"
"Wait Eris!" He cuts her off then exhales audibly. "There is a lot I want to say, I've thought of various scenarios of this moment and how it will play out but I was never able to think about what question to ask if I see you again, even now, I still don't know. So maybe I should just ask a bunch… But." He balls his fist. "Why did you leave me, Eris?" He settles on as he looks at her, she seemed to have a bitter look on her face.
Do you hate the memory so much to react like that?
"I was weak." She says with a small voice.
Eh?
"Eh?" It seems he voiced out his confusion.
"I was weak!" She yells. "I couldn't protect you Rudeus! I couldn't do anything as you were dying in front of me. You were strong. You are strong. We weren't a good match. I wanted to protect you, that's why I left so I could get stronger, so I wouldn't hold you back…" Her voice dies out. The edge of the table she had gripped when she yelled now has cracks on it.
Weak?
Eris had thought she was weak? And she left to get stronger?
Rudeus looks at her bewilderedly.
Is that what she meant when she said they weren't a good match?
Had his three years of depression been a misunderstanding?
But.
He grips his hand.
That's not fair.
"That's not fair!" He hits the table, the contents on it almost spilling over.
No, that's not what he wants to say.
"I was weak too, you know. After you left, I was left in disarray, I couldn't even function properly. I had thought there was no point to living anymore, at that time, I lied to myself that I still had things to live for, I still had to find Zenith. But the truth was, I was just looking for a place to die."
That's not what he wants to say.
"I would have nightmares, what did I do wrong? Is this karma? How do I fix it? Why didn't you talk to me? Why didn't you tell me you were leaving, why did you leave without saying anything. And now, you're saying you left for my sake? To get stronger to protect me? That's not fair, Eris."
That's not it.
"What's not fair is you Rudeus! I've been swinging my sword day by day without rest, I've even gotten a bit stronger, so I thought maybe you'd wait for me… Maybe I'd finally become someone worthy of standing by your side. You really are amazing Rudeus, even in this place, everyone knows you, it has always been like that isn't it? That's why I wanted to catch up to you, even for just a bit. I came here to meet you, you know?"
"Me?" He asks.
"Yes, I arrived two days ago, and came to your dorm to meet you, just before it started raining."
Eh, two days ago? But that is. His eyes widen. The broken lock.
"Yes you are right… I saw." She says looking to the side. "Rudeus, you are getting married, aren't you?"
"That's… yes." He says. "I reunited with my childhood friend, Sylphie, here in the academy. You could even say she's the one that brought me out of the slump I've been in for three years."
"Sylphie… I see, so that's how it is. Do you love her, Rudeus?"
I want to be with you forever.
"Yes, I love her." Rudeus says resolutely.
"I see." She says.
"You can't blame me for not waiting. You abandoned me Eris."
"I didn't! I wanted—"
"Yes, you did!" He yells. "We spent the night together and then you left. 'We are not a good match for each other. I'm leaving on a journey'. That was what your letter said and that is abandonment Eris!"
"Listen to me, Rudeus!" She yells, getting angry but Rudeus continues.
"And after three years, how do I see you? Holding hands with a boy."
"!!—Ollie is just…! He has been helping me get stronger."
"What should I have done Eris? Until two days ago, I had been severely depressed, I've thought about ending my life several times…" He looks at his hands then balls them. "Sylphie… Sylphie saved me. And I don't want to betray her trust. I won't."
"Rudeus…" She squeezes the red scarf on her lap. "I- I understand." She says as she stands up wanting to leave.
"Eris." He calls as she stops.
Irrespective of everything, there is still something he has to say.
"Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? All I've ever done was being a burden to you. If anything I should be the one saying thank you." She says not looking at him.
"Perhaps. But I understand now that the incident was something beyond both of our control, maybe things would have gone differently if we had communicated better but it's too late for that."
"Nonetheless we had grown together, eaten together, travelled together and done a lot of various things together. I believe our shared past is among the pivotal things that has shaped me to who I am today."
"It's because of that, that I can acknowledge my feelings, it's because of that, that I want to strive to be a better person, and although we are not the same kids we once was, I want you to know that I value the times we spent together and the growth we've both had."
"Maybe we would look back to this moment in the future with a smile on the face, thinking about it as a valuable experience. That's why, thank you for teaching me these valuable lessons, I would never forget them."
He stands to his feet and stops in front of her.
That's right. Thinking back on everything, all of his experiences with Eris, since they were kids till now, have all been valuable. He thinks that he has at least grown a little bit from the trash neet that he once was.
"That's why, I wish you happiness in life and whatever path you follow, from the bottom of my heart. I hope that we can at least still talk like friends if we come across each other in the future."
He says to her as she looks at him with watery eyes.
"Rudeus… Sorry." She says. "Sorry for all the trouble I caused you. Sorry for relying on you too much even though you were younger than I am. Sorry for always being a burden. The truth is even my coming here was for a selfish reason, and even a part of me is glad that you are moving on. Here I am getting angry when I am every much to blame. I'm terrible aren't I?"
"Unn. You're terrible." She hits his stomach at that with the famous Boreas punch.
"Oof!"
"You don't have to tell agree with me."
"Hahaha, you still pack quite the punch huh."
She looks to the side with a forlorn expression. "I'm sorry Rudeus. Maybe I could have done better."
"Yeah, we both could have. But it's too late for that…" He stretches a handshake to her.
"So, how about starting again?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" She voices her confusion.
"Let's start again, Eris. Nice to meet you. I'm Rudeus."
Her eyes widened at that. With a small smile on her face, she takes the outstretched hand.
"You really are amazing Rudeus." She sniffs. "I'm Eris, nice to meet you, Rudeus. And thank you!" She says smiling.
***
Rudeus opens the door to his dorm, sighing.
"Welcome back, Rudy." He perks up at the voice from the person standing before him and smiling.
His fiancée.
He looks at her for a bit.
"Rudy?"
"I'm back, Sylphie." He smiles as he goes to hug her which she reciprocates easily.
He doesn't know if he can forgive Eris, but at the very least, he wants to try.
If only because he wants to be a better man for this girl in front of him.
Hey old me, have I become a little bit decent?