'Clank' was the sound of ice hitting the side of a what was a glass of whiskey, which was now empty. The drinker slumped against the couch, holding a cigarette to his mouth.
Then the 'clack' of a door closing was heard as someone entered the room; the door closed behind him. Joining the drinker was now an old friend, one who had been with him for quite a while, enough to be considered his brother from another mother.
"Haa, drinking and smoking still?" The man sighed, asking with exhaustion. He sat across from the other, crossing his arms with a frown.
"Please, every visit from you calls for a nice glass of whiskey. I've told you that over a hundred times now, Akihito," The former exclaimed with a tired smile, leaning forward and snuffing out his cigarette.
"Heheh, I hate that I know you only drink this bottle with me…," Akihito paused, looking up with a sense of melancholy, "If I remember correctly, the former general gifted you this one."
"Yup, I didn't want to drink this, but I thought I wouldn't feel as guilty if I shared it with you." He poured himself a glass, then placed an ice-cube in the glass in front of Akihito and poured him one.
"Oh, so you want me to share the guilt? That's not very Commander-like of you, Saito," Akihito jested, picking up the glass and gesturing to the other before taking a sip, "Tastes better every year."
"Pfft- Of course it does, the longer it lasts, the better it ages, and the less you drink of it, the more you crave and the better it tastes when you satiate your craving," Saito explained, swirling his glass and also taking a sip.
"Hah! spoken like a true connoisseur, heheh," Akihtio joked, tilting his head once and ever so slightly with a sly smile.
"Please, you know that I only drink this kind of stuff when you come visit," Saito gave a melancholic smile, his eyes filled with sorrow as he dropped the same smile, "And the fact that it's only around a certain time of year…"
"...I'm sorry, Saito. If I could, I'd be here as often as possible, but with the current state of government…" Akihito trailed off, his grip on his glass tightening.
"...It's fine, I know there's nothing you can do about it. I'm just glad that you've been staying out of trouble and danger," Saito took a drink of his whiskey, then almost slammed it down on the table when he put it down.
Saito thought for a second about all of the things that led the two of them to this moment. Before leaning back in his chair with a sigh, Akihito took that as a sign, and the two of them sat in a silence of mourning.
"...Five years it's been," Akihito's voice cut through the silence, like a knife piercing its target, "It still feels so wrong with both of them gone."
"I couldn't agree more. It feels…empty without them here. Their bantering always lit up the room; within this desolate world of ours, they were a source of light." Saito poured his feelings out, expressing himself in ways he usually wouldn't, almost sounding like a poet when he usually played the role of the leader.
When the two were together, it was like the world had regained a bit of its purpose, not the ongoing raging war outside. Just Akihito and Saito, a peaceful moment of mourning and reminiscing, one they usually wouldn't get on any other day.
The one day when all of the world agreed to shut itself up, pause on the meaningless fighting, and just take a break.
"Heh, that they did…Even after Yasuo died, Keiji tried his best to lighten up the mood. Though I think deep down he himself knew it still wasn't the same," Akihito sighed, taking a sip.
***
By the time that I had finished getting ready and left my room, it was late evening, and Sephtis still hadn't left his room. Perhaps he was still recovering from the embarrassment of all of my compliments. Thinking about that, I started chuckling and calling him cute in my head again.
'Hm, well, I just hope he doesn't get mad at me for using his kitchen,' I thought to myself in response to my stomach growling.
Realizing that I didn't have any ingredients, I decided to browse his pantry and cooler for some. I figured that if I was making food for the both of us, he wouldn't mind.
Stepping into the cooler after selecting vegetables and rice for a side dish, I was greeted by a cool breeze, making me shiver.
'This feeling…hm, the cooler must be enchanted with ice magic,' I clenched my fist open and closed, feeling the 'alive' mana mix with my 'dead' mana.
Propping the door open with a wedge of wood by the doorway of the cooler, I stepped farther into the cooler, which was the size of a walk-in closet. Grabbing a package of already cut thin chicken breast, I gently shut the door behind me, walking over to a cutting board that I had set up with the vegetables.
It took me quite a while to prep the vegetables, cut and season the meat, shred cheese, and then wash the rice, but I was able to get it all done myself without making too much of a mess.
I started the chicken first, since it was going to take the longest to cook, then I started to boil the stock for the rice and the water for the vegetables. As I had done multiple times as Saito, I timed everything right and had all of the dishes done just in time for everything to be plated.
Just as I started to put food on a plate for myself and one for Sephtis, the man in question peeked his head around the corner and peered over at what I was plating, his tail wagging like a dog's, though i suppose he wasn't far off from one.
"Hm? Oh, hello you! I hope you don't mind, but I used your kitchen and ingredients to make dinner for us!" I admitted, hoping that my plan would work and he wouldn't get mad and kick me out or something.
"That's alright, it smells absolutely delicious anyway!" Sephtis beamed, practically jumping out from the corner, his ears sticking straight up and tail wagging furiously.
"Heheh, could you please set the table then?" I asked with gentleness, lacing my voice and laughing a bit.
"O-Of course!" Sephtis then scurried to grab placemats and utensils to place on the table in the dining room.
Once the table was set, I brought the plates over, placing Sephtis' in front of him and mine at my seat. As I was sitting down, I noticed Sephtis twitching in his seat, perhaps from the smell and look of delicious food in front of him.
"You can dig in now if you'd like," I commented, a look of amusement spreading on my face.
I had never seen a man dig into his food as fast as the one in front of me had, though to be fair, most of the people in my lifetime were my classmates, family, and fellow members of the military. And we all know how rough the food in the military cafeteria provides is.
"So, how is it?" I asked, tilting my head with a smile as I started to take a bite from my own plate.
"I-It's delicious!" Sephtis exclaimed with stars in his eyes and food in his mouth, "Everything tastes absolutely delicious! And the rice is so cheesy, what is it?"
"It's risotto, made from rice, broth, white wine, butter, and parmesan cheese…if I remember correctly, it originates from the Peril Kingdom," I explained. I was quite passionate about this dish; after all, the first time I had it, I just couldn't get it out of my mouth.
That was on Earth, of course, but since the Peril Kingdom's architecture was similar enough to that of ancient Rome/Pompeii and ancient Persia, I figured that they'd have this dish as well.
A little lying won't hurt, especially if it's to stop someone from thinking I invented a dish…I wasn't one to steal the work of others.
"The peril kingdom…have you been there then? I mean, if you know of this dish, then surely you've been there once before, no?" He questioned, having finished his plate and looking at me eagerly for an answer.
'Crap, I forgot that trading the dishes of other countries wasn't very common in this world, especially between villages and large towns!'
"...Yes, I have. Though it was only for a short time and for a bit of training…I would have been there longer if the revolution hadn't gone into its final stages," I sighed, half-truth, half-lie.
'Final stages'...does that even make sense? Meh, whatever…I wonder how the general is doing…'
"Whoa… that's really cool!" Sephtis admired, his eyes now shining even more, "Were the people there strong? Did you have a hard time in your training?"
"Mmm, not particularly…I guess there was that one guy, but I still kicked his ass in the end," I pondered, remembering all that went down there, but then shivering when I remembered what happened with Arwan in the cave and Llyr on the beach.
'...damn…I'm a fucking slut…'
Thinking back on it now, none of my actions really made sense. I mean, I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for those terribly made plans of mine. But at the same time, I wouldn't be engaged to that fucker Llyr or be intertwined with damn Oryn Casilda.
'At least here I have a bit of freedom to act and do as I want, and fix all of my past mistakes.'
"C-Could you tell me what that 'one guy' was like?! I-I'm curious about how strong he was!" Sephtis leaned forward in his seat, a pleading look on his face.
"Hm…I suppose I could tell you…Well, for starters…"
***
"A-a-achooo!" A man sneezed, walking through a quiet corridor, which was in ruins from age.
The corridor was in the style of most temples in the Alkmene kingdom, with columns, floors, and mosaics. Limestone walls, and dome-like ceilings that repeated in patterns that separated between each column.
Though in reality, the only ruins from age in this particular corridor were the mosaics on the floors, hardly visible, the one on the walls was smashed a bit, and some of the columns started to crumble.
"Haaaa, maybe I should've just stayed in the palace and waited for Lev to come back…" He sighed, stopping in his tracks with a frown.
Looking down at the star mark in the shape of a ring on his ring finger reminded him of his entire reason he came to this damn ruined temple in the first place. To prove himself to his finance and subordinates, that he wasn't just some idiot foolish kind, and that he was worth a chance.
'This time, I will show Lev that I'm more than he thinks of me…and hopefully make it up to him for that incident…'
With a newfound courage, Llyr jogged across the corridor, pushing open the doors to the final chamber of the temple's labyrinth.
The temple's labyrinth had always been the host to a trial held by the king of the nation to prove that they were the rightful ruler. Only then would they have the right to rule the nation for however long they wished, and without the divine teacher and advisor.
This time, Llyr was determined to pass it. After all, he was born without a divine teacher and advisor by his side, the closest thing being the nommo Lancelot Viatrix. Though due to his position and duties, he was hardly ever there to offer his aid to Llyr.
Thus, causing Llyr to be surprised when he saw the nommo on the other side of the doors to the chamber. Llyr hesitated for a moment, suspicious as to why Lancelot would be on the other side, but then remembered the texts left behind by the kings before him.
xxx
Upon opening the doors to the chamber, I was stunned by the one who appeared before me. It looked like the divine teacher, but upon asking them questions, they did not answer me, just stood there, motionless, and an unchanging expression. When I faced them, they fought just like teacher would, but stronger, and their divine power was enhanced.
I ended up failing the trial like my predecessors before me; I just couldn't bring myself to kill the one who had spent my entire life as my mentor. When I returned to the palace, he was waiting for me like always, a smile full of pity on his face. Teacher told me that what I faced was an avatar of him created by mother, the kingdom's goddess, Cordelia.
xxx
'Seems to me like the Mother just creates avatars of whoever acts as the divine teacher, and I suppose that since I wasn't born with one, Minister Lancelot was the next best option.'
"I know you won't go easy on me, so I won't either. After all, I really need that trident behind you, otherwise there would be no other way for me to prove to Lev my worth as a king…and as a partner," Llyr declared, lifting his trident and preparing to strike.
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Good day, everyone! I have an announcement to make! I have decided to start a Patreon, after all, I'm not exactly making any money from this, so I was wanting to think of other benefits to get in addition to supporting the novel! The Patreon will include the following: exclusive artwork drawn by me, commissioned from my friends, or any other artists that have drawn me in, exclusive character design sneak peaks, sneak peaks for future chapters, notes on the story, blogging from me, and just my general thoughts about writing, as well as sneak peaks on future works of mine and rewrite of earlier chapters!
The Patreon should be set up by the next chapter I upload, but no promises! Considering I haven't been uploading chapters on my usual broken schedule, i have been quite busy!
I hope that you all take this into at least some consideration! I'll try to make it a cheap as possible, since money isn't my biggest concern, I just like that people are reading my work!