Chapter 45 - Elegance

Before long, they had left Amoria's apartment.As they walked down the street, heads turned to look at them."Ah, Amoria...?" Van murmured, his eyebrow lifting upwards."What is it, Van?" she asked innocently."Well... We're a bit close?" he noted, glancing at how she clung to his elbow."What kind of nonsense is that? Of course, we are... Isn't it natural for party members to be close?" she replied casually, her smile unwavering as she stayed close to his side."...Right... If you say so." He called, relaxing his body as they walked together; yet his body was still slightly tense.'It feels wrong,' He thought to himself, 'It's like, I'm cheating on Alicia, even though we were never really a couple... Why can't I just enjoy my time with Amoria?'Van and Amoria were weaving through the crowded marketplace on their way to the guild when they encountered a swaggering leaning against a cart piled high with fruit. His smirk widened as he noticed Amoria, his gaze openly appreciative in a way that made Van's eye twitch'... Right, Amoria's a beautiful woman. And If I tried slugging every bastard that threw her this look, I'd have to kill the entire city.' Van thought, inhaling deeply."Hey, pretty lady, why don't you drop the kid and come hang with me?" the hoodlum, a sly grin spreading across his face as he eyed Van dismissively."So, little boy, how about you wait here while I show mommy a good time..." the hoodlum sneered, stepping into Van and Amoria's personal space.Instead of anger or frustration, Van regarded him with calm curiosity.'Given her status as Magus's wife and a member of our party, I expected her to command more fear and respect. What's with this idiot...?' he mused, watching the man, unfazed. Amoria's grip on his elbow tightened slightly.'...Is she really upset by this?' Van wondered, sensing the subtle pressure in her hold. 'Well, guess I'll have to step in. I'd rather not waste the whole day on this clown.'Van shifted forward, ready to intervene. "She's not inter—"Before he could finish, Amoria's hand landed gently but firmly on his arm, halting him. Her expression was calm, her cool smile betraying none of the tension.'...?'"I appreciate the offer," she said smoothly, her voice polite yet devoid of warmth. "But no, thank you."The man leaned closer with a sneer, undeterred. "Aw, come on now... I even brought treats for the little boy. You know you want to."He turned to Van with a grin that dripped condescension. "Why don't you convince mommy to come with this nice older brother, huh? I'll give you all kinds of goodies. Just wanna have a deep conversation with her."Van stared at him, unimpressed.'Is he seriously trying to get Amoria to bang him behind the dumpster? Amoria, of all people? That's... bold, considering who Amoria is. She could squash him without even trying, given her rank.' His thoughts remained level, as if he was watching from afar, '... Rather than aiming for her, it's... like he's more focused on provoking me. But... I feel... nothing. I always imagined that if someone hit on Amoria before me, or acted like a sleazebag like that, I'd get angry and frustrated... But there's just...' He thought as he focused on his stomach, 'Nothing. Even if I imagine her actually agreeing to something this outrageous and walking away... There's just this feeling of...''... It is what it is.' He thought. 'Like it doesn't even matter.'His gaze didn't waver, calm and relaxed as the man's bravado grew louder."What's with that look, kid!? Can't you appreciate me looking out for ya, huh!?" the hoodlum bellowed, his voice booming across the street, drawing curious glances from the bystanders."Hey, isn't that Amoria Veil?""Someone's hitting on her again? How embarrassing...""Who's that kid with her?""A relative, maybe?"Murmurs rippled through the crowd, casting an air of disapproval toward the scene unfolding before them.Amoria's smile didn't waver as she cut in, "Really, we must be going. I have a job, after all..."Van still looked at him.Amoria, upon noticing Van's relaxed palm, placed her soft hand onto it as she whispered."Come on, Van... It's not worth it. He is not worth it." She said.'...? Does she think I'm getting angry over it?' Van's gaze flicked to Amoria. 'I don't know what you expect of me, Amoria. But I can't just... Act and feel like I'm your partner in the blink of an eye—'"It's not as if I choose which man I should go with based on the number of pieces of rotten meat between their teeth," She added with a mocking smile as she nudged Van to look at the man's mouth."Pfft..." Van chuckled in resignation, breaking the line of sight with the man as he spotted the meat pieces she had talked about.'That was pretty funny,' He thought."HEY, WHAT'S SO FUNNY, HUH!!?" He yelled, a single piece of meat falling off his teeth."Oh, nothing. You're such a big strong man, older brother, so I'm laughing out of fear..." He said, earning a light chuckle from Amoria.'Well, I guess it doesn't hurt to try a little just to get out of here, hm?' His thoughts lightened up."But..." He added as he wrapped his arm around Amoria's neck, "Me and my mommy here need to go to work. Will you kindly let us pass, being the strong man that you are?" Van said gently with a smile, nodding towards the sword on his belt, Amoria casually leaning into the embrace as she looked at him confidently."...Hmph. Whatever." The man grunted as he walked off. The other people around them sighed in relief, looking at Van."The way he handled that is so dignified... Who is that young man..?""Ahh, he looks so nice too..."'Wait, what?' Van thought as he heard the chatter, 'That can't be right. My passive should've made them all think I was plotting something rather than think I'm someone dignified...' He narrowed his eyebrows, yet feeling the pull from Amoria's grasp, he quickly brushed it aside.'Maybe it's because I'm close to her...?'Amoria smiled proudly at Van as they too continued on their path.As Van and Amoria walked off, the man, feeling he came out at a loss, began blurting loudly,"Whatever, man. She might be top-quality sloppy seconds of Magus Veil, but she's still sloppy seconds. She doesn't worth much anymore."Van could feel the threads that held him to reason beginning to snap and crack, millions at a time.He then chuckled, "Just some pathetic hero's leftovers! She might be why he killed himself, haha."Amoria's eyes widened, her face draining of color as she felt Van's muscles tensing in an instant.----------FLASHBACK----------------"Van... Listen carefully. As a token of my gratitude for teaching me the ways of Ace the Venturer, allow me to impart some wisdom to you. Since you are bound to return to this castle in your pursuit of Her Majesty's heart, and given that you are human, some demons will inevitably lash out at you because of your origin," Varlog cautioned. "And they WILL rile you up at some point.""When that time comes, what will you do?""Turn the other cheek?" Van suggested."Turn the... What does that mean, again?" Varlog asked, puzzled."It's a saying from my world. It means not to retaliate or let their mockery affect you," Van explained with a shrug."...No, that is merely the act of a coward," Varlog countered sharply."So, I should kill them on the spot?" Van ventured, half-joking."You truly are inept at social cues, aren't you?" Varlog chided. "Resorting to senseless violence is the mark of a weakling, and worse, a narcissistic, immature imbecile. If you feel compelled to respond...""Do it with sophistication. Not only It'll help score you points with Her Majesty, but your image around the mature demons will also improve.""Okay, I'm all ears.""Excellent. Here is what you should do..."------------------------"Van... Please... Please just ignore—" Amoria begged, but as she looked up at Van, she saw a relaxed smile on his face."Trust me on this one," Van said softly, meeting her eyes."R-Right..." she muttered, reluctantly letting go of his hand as he turned around.Van turned slowly, his demeanor calm. He fixed the hoodlum with a steady gaze.'It's going to be a little awkward. Despite what Varlog warned me of, none of the demons actually did any of that, so this is my first shot at doing something like this... Now, I'm a little nervous,'______Varlog: "First, decide on a narrative and believe it. Act as if you're the author, and a character in said narrative."______Van began to clap loudly, drawing the market's attention and the hoodlum's confusion."What's with you, kid? Got a stick up your ass?" He sneered with a chuckle.'Alright, what's really sticking out about this dude? Hm...' Van then inevitably recalled Amoria's comment about this person's teeth."No, no, I was just admiring the willpower of those pieces of meat between your teeth," Van pointed out, nodding at the man. Everyone in the market glanced towards him.Upon noticing everyone's attention on him, he immediately shut his mouth."I seriously had no idea food even had willpower until today, with how those pieces cling to your teeth," Van continued, shaking his head in mock admirationA few spectators chuckled softly, and Amoria's tense expression lightened.'Yeah, teeth. Teeth is good. Go for teeth.' Van assured himself.___________Varlog: "As the author, you have the ability to decide on which parts of the story to focus. The world is a piece of leather, and you have the quill to write in the details you deem important."___________The hoodlum's smirk faltered. "You got a big mouth for a little—"Van cut him off, turning to Amoria. "Hey, Amoria, how come you didn't fall for this guy? With the way those meat scraps are clinging to his teeth, you'd think their rot had its own gravitational pull."'Teeth, teeth, teeth, teeth.... Yeah, this is some good shit.' Van thought, trying to improvise on something else, but couldn't help but think about the teeth.The crowd burst into laughter. Amoria pressed a hand to her mouth, struggling to contain her giggles.'Wow, I thought I was getting dry, but they're really into this, huh?' Van thought as he looked around with his eyebrow shooting up."You shitty brat! I'm a former royal guard officer! For such disrespect, I could have you executed!" he bellowed, drawing a stunned gasp from the onlookers.'Relax, focuse on what matters...'Van shifted his stance, facing him directly. "Well, if you're considering executions, I'd suggest starting with those meat scraps between your teeth. Put them out of their misery first. Isn't it a former Royal Guard's duty to take care of his own?" Van taunted.'Teeth? Again? Come on, now I'm just embarrassing myself... Find something else to laugh at, you dunce.' Van berated himself."You bastard!" the hoodlum cried as he pulled out his sword, dashing toward Van.'Holy shit, he actually got angry,' Van thought. 'Really? Is teeth that sensitive a subject for you, dude?' He looked at him casually.The hoodlum covered his blade with Aura."Hey, hey... Using Aura just for a little joke!?""That's too much! That kid's in trouble! That Royal Guard's at least a C-Ranker! Someone help!" the onlookers called out in worry, some looking away as Van stood at the ready.'Alright... Yay? I'll just take him down quick, and we'll be out of here,' Van thought with a subtle shrug.Just then, a large circle of light appeared above the hoodlum, crushing him into the ground and leaving a crater that sent a loud boom echoing throughout the marketplace."As a true believer of the Goddess, I try not to meddle with lowly common thugs," Amoria called out as she stood behind Van, her palm raised against the thug as she began walking forward.Van turned around, surprised. "Amoria?"Her eyes were wide with rage as she looked at the thug as if he were no more than a heap of garbage. "But you just tried hurting someone I care about. I think it's time I reminded you of who I am," she stated coldly, increasing the pressure of her magic.Most people around started to feel weak as she increased her magical output.'I guess that works too. Though, a bit overkill...' Van thought, casually standing next to her. 'She was really... Angry on my behalf?' He thought as he looked at her, feeling an unexpected wave of warmth."I'M SORRY... I'M SORRY... PLEASE FORGIVE ME!" the hoodlum cried out as Amoria's eyes glowed with the divine light of the goddess. The sound of bones snapping and crackling could be heard from his body.Van sighed, gently placing his palm on her shoulder.She looked at Van's relaxed, nonchalant smile in the midst of her frenzy.Gradually, she released the magic she was using."...Wanna go?" he asked.Amoria's smile returned to her face. "Yeah. Marcy will scold me if I'm too late."The two turned around and walked away, Van instinctively reaching out his hand for her to grab without even noticing.Amoria looked at his palm and his nonchalant air around Van, smiling warmly as she reached out and held his hand.They walked hand in hand away from the agonized hoodlum, who would think twice about the women he'd hit on... and think twice about his teeth.The crowd's gaze followed them in disbelief, discovering a newfound respect and fear for Amoria and her prowess...And a pleasant impression of the boy who walked beside her.'Varlog... I hope you're not too disappointed with this,' Van mentally thanked in his mind.