As my eyes opened, the darkness gave way to the familiar checkered floor of the afterlife. The throne, the night stand next to it, the chair - it was all the same, yet this time different. Not the angel.
Her.
Eris. The goddess of fortune. Purple and white garments trimmed with yellow, her corset dress neat and regal, her hair tied into two grand ponytails held by two orange ball things, a coif on her head that sealed the nun look, on her shoulders two mantles resembling white feathers. But none of that mattered compared to her eyes. Hey violet eyes...
My heart pounded. A déjà vu surged through me, the soul's whisper: It's her.
She gazed at me, worried.
Then I saw it - the pink diamond at her neck, and just beneath it, the copper necklace I had given Chris. She flinched as she realized I noticed, her hands rising as if to shield it.
I smiled. My suspicions had a face now.
"So… Eris, right?"
Her lips trembled. She nodded, barely.
"All my intentions this week were aimed at finding you."
"H-how can you be so sure? We… we haven't met before."
I lowered my gaze to the necklace she clutched. "That amulet proves otherwise. I could recognize those eyes anywhere. You can't hide your soul from me."
Her fingers tightened on the copper, as if crushing it would erase my words. "No. No, this is different. Chris and I - we are not the same."
I chuckled, though it sounded weary. "I never said her name. And yet you fear it. You leaned on me that night, then ran away in tears. Later, Kazuma told me you cried again. That's not divinity, Eris. That's humanity."
Her eyes glistened. The goddess seemed small now, cornered, fragile.
"If you knew," she whispered, "why chase me like this? Why force the truth?"
Something inside me snapped. "Because I'm tired! Tired of half-truths and masks. You tried to tell me before, but you hesitated. Why? Do you fear that I'll follow you to the ends of the earth? What is it you fear?!"
Her lip trembled. Finally, her voice broke free.
"I… I am Chris. You are right. I've been hiding it. I didn't want you to know - not yet. I feared you would hate me for lying. That you'd see me as unworthy… untrustworthy."
She looked down, ashamed. "And there's more. My duties will always pull me away. I thought I could never be the partner you deserve. I was afraid… afraid you'd turn from me before I ever had the chance to be with you."
Her gaze rose, pleading. "Svetislav… can you still see me the same?"
I stepped closer, my voice gentler. "I never expected you to be perfect. I fell for you, not for your role. From the very start, I felt that pull, that heartbeat shared. I already forgave you. The question now is what you choose. Will you be with me, or not?"
Her shoulders sagged, the weight sliding from her at last. A shaky smile broke through her tears.
"You… really forgive me?"
"I do."
"Then I can do this. Even if I falter. Even if duty takes me away - I'll come back. Always."
Her tears caught the light, but her smile was radiant. "Svetislav… thank you. For choosing me despite everything. I don't deserve you… but I want to try. I want to stand by you."
I placed a hand on the throne's armrest, then offered her my other. She hesitated, then took it, and I pulled her gently into my arms.
"Then we're stuck together. A mad industrialist and the goddess of fortune. Quite the pair."
She laughed softly, hugging me back. For a moment, eternity belonged to us.
Then Aqua's voice tore through the air, shrill as ever: "Svetislav! I healed your body and cast resurrection! Get up already!"
"Just a moment, Aqua!" I called back, rolling my eyes.
I looked down at Eris. "My beloved…"
Her voice softened. "Yes... my love?" The last part was a bit forced. Like she was testing how it would feel.
"Since we couldn't say everything here… when I return to Axel, come to me."
"Where?"
"Where you know I would go."
Her fingers lingered on mine before letting go. "Then I'll be waiting, where it all began."Instantly I came to a conclusion as to where this is. "The adventurer's guild"
"Farewell, my dearest."
She nodded once and stepped back. I did the same, and with that, she opened the gate back to the living world. I began to float upwards, just like the first time.
The light consumed me as she whispered something with hope filled eyes.
All my worries, the storm that has been going inside me since Kazuma told be about her condition - It all seized to exist, now that everything is clear.
As I opened my eyes I saw Three faces, Darkness, Megumin and Aqua, looking at me, worried.
"Quite the break-" Suddenly Darkness hugged me. So much so she bent my exosuit and pushed out all air from my lungs. "What are you made out of, woman? Let me breathe." I would say breathlessly.
She didn't let go. "I thought you were gone," she whispered, her voice breaking into sobs.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Aqua, who normally doesn't cry when someone dies, holding back tears and trying to keep them hidden behind her sleeve.
Kazuma stood to the side, trying to play it all stoic, but after a closer look, his lips quivered.
I smile, knowing they truly care, and say: "I love you guys."
The words weren't dramatic, they weren't shouted; just spoken And they seemed to ripple though them all - Darkness's sobs softened, Aqua sniffled harder, and Megumin hugged me, trembling. Even Kazuma blinked hard, muttering, "Damn idiot."
After i confirmed that everything is alright, we finally moved back towards the inn. Aqua wasn't being prosecuted, and I was seen as a hero.
On our way back, Kazuma saw how peaceful i looked.
"You seem different. What happened? In the afterlife, I mean." He asked me.
I turned to him, a small dreamy smile tugging at my lips. "Wouldn't you like to know."
I cut the conversation short, after all, i couldn't hope to share what happened in there... That's between me and her, and it's sacred.
Megumin looked at me and decided to join in on the conversation. "You're awfully happy for someone who just died."
"Yeah," Darkness added, her eyes still a bit red from early. "Almost... peaceful. Like dying was some kind of vacation."
I looked over to the glowing lights of the city and smiled, the world seemed so beautiful... "It was eye-opening... Truly eye-opening."
They gave me a weird look, seeing that I'm avoiding the question, they are probably trying to figure out what is happening inside my head.
We continued on till we reached the inn, where we sat to eat dinner. It was indeed lovely.
"I am indeed dazed. How wonderful it feels."
But as I was eating and enjoying myself, I caught Kazuma staring at me, as the others talked and laughed, he laughed with them to play it off. He's suspecting. He knows I must have met Eris and helped her.
I quickly turned and looked at his eyes, he quickly tried to avoid my gaze, but i saw it - Envy.
My gaze turned more serious, but I'd rather not try to argue. I know where this has headed.
We all went to sleep that night, and in the morning, the wagon on which my friend rode came to pick them up. Before even going Aqua came to me.
"Svetislav! Since I'm, uh deserving, can I ride with you?"
"No, here's a pillow though." I said, pulling one out out of thin air and handing it to her.
She accepted it, though she looked a bit disappointed.
"Imma speed ahead, is there anything to be done at home?" I asked.
Aqua came with another request. "Can you turn on the hot water in the bath?"
"Sure, If that's all." I said looking forward, my left hand on the joystick control and the right on the gearbox lever. "See you at home." I said, driving in front of the horse and speeding out of there. Luckily there were no casualties - the people waved as I flew past them.
The ride was smoother, or was it me who perceived it as such. The dry mountains... They could become quite the thing. An oasis fortress... As i thought how it would look, i remembered one attraction back from my country: the fortress in Balchik, the one in which a queen lived in... I remember it vividly... Well not that much. The gardens were beautiful though, so many typed of plants a little river, then a bigger river... Yeah, one day i will build that. I miss my home...
I sped onward, showering in the nostalgia that those memories brought, the sea, the rivers, the mountains, the plains... It was all so wonderful. Truly, truly wonderful.
In just a few hours i reached Axel, I immediately went to warm up the bath, because I didn't want to deal with it later. After which I just went here and there, enjoying my time. Life is wonderful if you know how to look at it.
Night came and I decided to head out for dinner at the guild, might as well buy drinks.
The night air in Axel was cool. I decided to take a walk. The only lights there were those of the people's homes, the inns and all those more nightly active stuff. My friends haven't arrived from Arcanletia, probably camping out somewhere along the road - so it was just me.
The guild was its usual noisy self, but my eyes found her instantly. Chris sat at the table me and my friends sit at usually. When she met my gaze there was a shimmer of recognition.
I went to her, placing a hand on the table and saying with a slightly romantic tone. "Good evening, Chris." Then I slid beside her.
Before she could say anything, the adventurers around us erupted. Cheers, whistles and laughter filled the hall.
"They're back together!"
"About damn time."
Chris went red in the face.
I only grinned, keeping my composure even as she squirmed under the weight of their statements.
I look at them and then at her. "Wanna skip dinner here?" I asked casually, leaning towards her. "We could go for a ride somewhere else."
Her lips tugged upwards despite herself, and she nodded.
The cheers roared again, louder this time, filled with crude remarks about what would happen after.
"Go get her tiger!"
"Bet he's gonna bed her."
As i stood up opening the door for her I look at all of them, raising a hand. "I swear, y'all are just dirty-minded. Have a great night!"
That got another round of laughter, and with Chris blushing beside me, we walked out into the night.
Acat roared back into existence as I pulled her(the car) out onto the street, its copper exterior shining faintly in the moonlight. With a single thought, the door to the passenger seat swung open, welcoming her to come in.
Sliding into the driver's seat, I knew I won't be able to give her my fullest attention, so I clasped my hands together. Mana gathering and forming a ball, carrying with it a piece of me. I told it. "You are her eyes, transform the light that hits you and translate it into information for Acat to see." The eye became pitch black no light reflecting. "Actually... transform just enough for her to see the world."
In the meantime, Chris sat down and was watching me intently as I changed the Eye to fit.
I began to murmur to myself, explaining how it works. "My creations don't have eyes in the physical world, because they don't have a real body to translate what exists around them... This eye translates the outside world into information, making it visible to my creations..."
I held the eye before inserting it into Acat, merging the two pieces of me within her, to make her fuller, better. She pulsated as the two soul shards collided and merged. With a smile I order. "Take us to the mega farm."
My hands didn't touch anything, as Acat began to move on her own. I turn to Chris fully, leaning against the armrest slightly. "So now... With my undivided attention. Let's talk."
She nodded, before fiddling with her fingers, eyes low, her voice quiet. "I've thought a lot since yesterday..."
I kept quiet, giving her space to say what is on her mind.
"I still feel like... I can't be the partner you deserve." Her words trembled, though she forced them out. "There are things I can't change. My immortality... The duties I can't escape. And..." She bit her lip. "My body. I can't give it to you. Not the way a woman should. It's forbidden. I don't think I ever could."
Her voice cracked, shame and sorrow bleeding through.
I reached out, gently lifting her chin and moving her face to meet my eyes. With a grin I say. "Immortality? That, I can fix..."
Her brows furrowed confused, until she saw me raise my hand. Mana surged through me, a new enchantment etching itself into being. "Memory." I whispered, the name taking shape as the enchantment unfolded. "Not mending, not healing... but remembrance. Every cell in my body shall remember what it once was. No matter what time does, I'll return to my prime, as long as mana flows through me. Again and again. That makes me immortal, the same as you."
She covered her mouth with a trembling hand, her other clutching at the copper necklace.
"And about the body part..." I continued, letting a small smile soften the weight of the moment. "I can wait. You soul and mind are what matter to me. As i used to say - If you don't feel the soul, don't look at the body... Well I'm feeling the soul, but I won't look. Or at least..." My grin tugged wider. "...I'll try not to. Because, let's be honest, you are absolutely gorgeous."
She let out a breath that was half a laugh, half a sob. Her shoulders shook as she looked at me, equal parts relief, and disbelief painting her expression.
"You... You don't know what you're asking," she whispered. "To accept all of me, with all the restrictions, the distance, the burdens... It's unfair to you."
I reached over, taking her hand, firm and steady. "Unfair? No. Love isn't a bargain. It's a promise. And I promise you this, Chris - Eris - whatever name you choose to wear. I will wait. For the body, for the time, for everything. Because I already have what I want."
Her breath hitched. "What do you already have?"
"Your soul," I said simply. "Your heart. That's more than enough."
The silence stretched between us, filled only by the steady rhythm of Acat's steam engine. Then slowly, carefully, Chris leaned against me, her head resting on my shoulder.
"You are impossible," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "Impossible... and yet... I don't want to let go."
I simply enjoyed her confession...
Acat rode smoothly, avoiding trees, bumps and many other stuff with ease, who would have guessed that the car would drive itself better than I could.
Acat stopped at a cross road spinning ninety degrees to the right, before continuing to ride on. I felt prideful of my own creation, it wasn't just Eris who I'd want to caress right now. My love spreads to my creations as well... So i pat the seat with this simple thought. "Good girl."
Acat slowly decelerated to a stop before my plot of land. I rode her slightly on the soil, before getting out of the car. I went around the car as the door to the passenger seat swung open once more. I turned to Chris/Eris, reaching my hand out to help her.
She accepted it with a small smile, her fingers lingering in mine as she climbed down. For a moment, we just stood there beneath the stars, silence wrapping us gently.
I broke it with some simple, something grounding.
"I don't have many food options," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "Most of them are bland but you can choose one. We could make a soup for tonight - just a simple soup, a bit plain. Potatoes, carrots, maybe the innards of bread. Or... just boiled potatoes."
She gave out the faintest laugh. "...That's the most romantic offer I've ever heard."
I smirked. "Hey, don't know humble soup. It's been keeping civilizations alive for centuries."
We began walking towards the metal box - the two floored, capitalistic venture.
As we reached the iron door, I used Perfect Conversion to make the mechanism spin, allowing me to pull the door open. After letting her in first, and closing the door. I lead her up the stairs which were on our right as we entered.
"It's pretty dark in here." She said.
"It won't be." I said, pressing my hand on a magic circle, which was the activation switch for the farm's light system. It wasn't necessarily the lamps from my old world, but they were effective.
The corridor that awaited us lit up very slightly, a shadow cast by the lights above the farm. That corridor had no lights of it's own, instead relying on the light that comes through the very long window. The moment she looked upon my creation, she stopped in her tracks. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes widened. The contraptions below moving rhythmically on the rails, planting, growing with magic and harvesting. The lights I had carefully placed illuminated everything: the beams that supported the entire building, the shifting gears and ropes on the contraption, the glint of the droplets, coming from my unnecessary sprinkler system. The glass dome ceiling arched high, revealing the night sky, so that stars mingled with thee glow of industry below.
"It's..." She whispered. "It's beautiful."
I watched her as she pressed a hand against the glass, her reflection shimmering in the glow. Her eyes sparkled, not with divinity, but with human wonder.
I walked beside her and leaned against the railing. "If you think that's impressive, then you'll have many things to enjoy in the future."
She turned her head towards me, still wide-eyed.
"If you want, I could move here." I added, my voice firm but not pushing. "So we can see each other whenever we want."
Her expression softened, and she shook here head slowly, strands of silver hair brushing her cheeks.
"That would be unnecessary... I can see how happy you are with your friends. I couldn't hope to take that away from you."
I couldn't help but smile. Every time she opened her mouth, she gave me more reasons to love her.
"Such selflessness," I murmured. "I remember when you whispered to me that you liked a little bit of pampering..."
Her cheeks colored faintly, remembering.
"So... If you want anything from me you could just ask." I moved myself in front of her, placing my hands on the railing beside her, pinning her gently against the window.
Her back pressed lightly against the glass, the glow from behind her making her face face darker. Her breath quickened just slightly, though her eyes never wavered from mine.
"I couldn't express just how thankful I am to have you," I whispered.
Her lips parted, but no words came out.
I pulled away after a beat, letting the tension settle in like smoke. Turning, I walked to the next door before unlocking it. As I pushed it, it revealed the living space I made for myself. For emergencies, of course.
It was simple: One large room with a bed tucked into the corner, a stove with fireless heat, and a sink which is also functional, recycling the energy, there was a table with a big couch beside it, as well as a few chairs, though as of the time that i was making those, I didn't think I would have company, behind the couch there is a door, which leaded to the bathroom.
Functional, unadorned, yet alive with the faint sound of the machinery on the first floor.
I rolled up my sleeves and began setting ingredients on the counter. Potatoes, carrots, an entire loaf of bread. Nothing extravagant, but enough.
I lit the stove's mana supply and placed a pot filled with water. After that I began chopping, but before long, soft footsteps approached. Chris moved beside me, slipping her gloves off as well as her scarf and the short cape, before tossing them on a chair nearby.
"You don't have to-" I began.
"I want to," she interrupted gently, picking up a knife. "Cooking... it feels normal. And normal is nice."
With that we worked together, side by side out movements quiet, easy. Occasionally, our hands brushed as we reached for the same thing.
As we tossed in all the chopped up ingredients and the water began to boil. I leaned back against the counter, watching her stir.
"Eris..." My voice was low, thoughtful. "I realized something."
She looked up, curious.
"You and I... We are quite similar. In responsibilities and a bit in character." I folded my arms my eyes tracing her face. "You care for everyone. I also do that... but more to my machines. Because I haven't started to infiltrate the market yet."
Her hand stilled on the spoon, her attention fully on me.
"Your duty is not a curse, at least for me. It is a blessing in disguise, because if you were always here, most of my attention would go to you." I would look to the side and into her eyes. "This way, you get to do your duties and I get to work on my progression.. Because I'm planning to expand. Automate everything."
Chris set the spoon down slowly, turning to face me fully. Her eyes shimmered, but not with divinity - just raw, human emotion.
"...You make it sound so easy," she whispered.
"It is, when it's the truth."
The silence stretched, thick but not uncomfortable. Just... charged. Her fingers brushed the copper necklace. She clutched it like a talisman, then released it with a breath and reached for the spoon again.
The bubbling soup filled the air with its earthy aroma, carrots softening, potatoes breaking down. She stirred in quiet motions, thoughtful. I moved beside her, tearing chunks of bread and tossing them in to thicken the broth.
"Simple, but it works."
She gave a faint laugh, her voice fragile but warm. "Simple is all I ever wanted."
We let the soup cook down. After a few minutes, I ladled it into two bowls and set them on the small table. She sat first, folding her hands lightly on the wood as I placed her portion in front of her. I sat opposite, the steam fogging faintly between us.
We ate in silence at first, the warmth spreading from the bowl to out hands, to out stomachs, to the quiet space between us.
Finally she spoke. "I think soup is my favorite type of food."
I raised an eyebrow. "You've got a reason?"
She smiled faintly, looking down into her bowl. "Because no matter how plain it is, it's still made of many parts. Potatoes, carrots, bread - things that would be boring on their own. But together, they become something comforting. Something whole."
I watched her as she stirred her spoon through the broth.
"That's what you do, Svetislav," she said softly. "You take what's simple... and you make eit whole.
I leaned back, smiling at her words. "If that's how you see it, then I'll make soup forever."
Her laughter broke through, soft and genuine. It warmed me more than the meal itself.
When our bowls were empty, I stood to clear the table, but she reached out and touched my wrist. I paused, meeting her eyes.
"Leave it," she whispered.
So I did.
We sat in the quiet glow of the lamp above, the machinery outside humming like a lullaby. Chris leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the table. "You said earlier that my duties weren't a curse but a blessing. Do you... really believe that?"
"Of course." I leaned closer too, until the table between us felt like nothing. "Because your duties shape you. And who you are - that's who I love."
Her breath caught, her gaze softening. She hesitated, then whispered: "Then... I'll try. I'll try to believe it too."
I reached across the table, our hand intertwining.
After a bit we discovered that the soup had left us drowsy, and the soft hum of the machines outside only made out eyelids heavier. I glanced at Chris, watching her stifle a yawn she tried to hide with her hand.
"Don't fight it," I said with a small smile. "Come on. Lay with me."
Her eyes widened for just a seconds, before softening again. She nodded shyly a beautiful hue of pink coloring her cheeks; she followed me to the simple bed. I took my boots off, before laying down. She sat down and hesitated at the edge as she removed her own, then slipped in, curling lightly against my side.
I wrapped an arm around her, holding her close, and the world seemed to quiet itself even more.
"...This is strange," she whispeered after a moment, her voice muffled against my chest.
"How so?"
"It feels... safe."
I smiled and kissed the top of her head gently. "Then let it be. We could use more of that."
She gave a tiny laugh, barely audible. "You always know what to say..."
I smiled into the dark, creating artificial life, just to shut the lights off. "Goodnight, my dear."
"...Goodnight," she breathed, and within minutes, she was asleep.
---
When morning came, I was the first to wake. The sun peeked faintly through the window, painting her hair with strands of gold. She still slept, face peaceful, one hand resting on my chest.
I didn't move. Not yet. I wanted to keep her close just a little longer.
Eventually, though, her lashes fluttered, and she stirred awake.
"Morning," she murmured voice still heavy with sleep.
"Morning." I smiled down at her. "Hungry?"
She blinked then tilted her head. "A little."
"Then let's get up, I haven't eaten the steam buns from Arcanletia. Want one?"
Her lips cured into a soft smile. "Yes."
We sat down at the table and split the buns between us, eating slowly, savoring not just the food but the moment itself.
When the last bite was gone, her smile faded slightly.
"...It's time."
I knew what she meant, her duties are calling.
She touched the copper amulet, then reached for my hand one last time. "Before I go... I have something to ask of you."
I nodded once.
"I know you are close with Vanir," she said softly, "but please... don't go near him. If he reads your mind, I don't know what he would do with the information of me..."
Her tone carried real worry, and I didn't take it lightly. "Then I'll be careful. You have my word."
Her eyes lingered on mine, filled with something unspoked. Then she stood up, walking to the small bathroom.
The door closed behind her. A few seconds later, the room grew still. When i went to knock, no voice came. I opened the door and she was gone.