You're Gloria Cottonfluff, right? (2)
Chapter 35: You're Gloria Cottonfluff, right? (2)
"Seems like we've come at the wrong time… indeed, it's a dinner hour. I lost a grasp of time for meals because of this glutton behind me…." Beelzebub sniffed the lip-smacking fragrance, then shook his head with a faint smile. "If you don't mind, we'll wait for you to finish your meal. Could I use that bench here?"
Gloria nodded. "Yes."
Beelzebub cast his business smile at her again, then extended his hand forward. "I'm Beelzebub. It's my pleasure to meet you, Gloria Cottonfluff."
Hearing that name, Gloria took another look at the man's face. Those eyes were already beyond mysterious, so she didn't pay them much attention, lest she would lose herself wondering about their existence again.
He hadn't looked at her like some players had done before — his eyes didn't tell her that she was just an NPC, someone that players could easily cast aside. He also didn't seem to come here to get the unique quests from her like many players had tried before, believing she was some kind of secret existence to give a class or something…
Perhaps, Beelzebub came here for common cooperation, but that didn't make sense either…
Nonetheless, now that she scrutinized his face, he was indeed the alchemist her tribe had heard about. His pale skin seemed to hate sunshine and reveled in the darkness confined in four rooms instead. His slender and lanky posture was well hidden beneath his long emerald robes.
However, his hair, long enough to scratch his nose and go across his face like a dark scar separating bottomless eyes of experience, entirely confirmed his identity.
"Gloria Cottonfluff, a discarded fox woman." Gloria grasped the man's hand tightly, her strength making Beelzebub inwardly fight for composure. "I'll finish my meal in no time."
After chuckling at the guest, the white-haired fox closed the door.
Beelzebub commented just as the door shut. "Take it slow…" He then waved his right hand a few times, his long sleeve sweeping alongside… "Seems like she noticed I couldn't handle her strength. My bones demand a medicine…."
His companion looked down at him and smiled widely while munching her snacks. "I want to eat together with her. Her dinner smells so tasty! You should have gotten saliva rolling down your tongue, too, Beelulu!"
It wasn't a wish to eat together with a lone woman but a simple hunger to taste more unique food.
Beelzebub was familiar with his teammate's personality and the nickname he had received from her. He no longer rolled his eyes at how odd it was and turned around to take a seat on the bench perched in front of Gloria's house.
The tall woman followed him with a gleeful smile.
Beelzebub commented on her words after taking a seat. "You need a whole capital's food rations to satiate your hunger, and that would only last three days at most. She must have made enough food only for herself, so sit down and chew on your snacks instead, Candice."
Candice pouted and moaned before dropping her heavy ass next to the bench. She couldn't sit on it because her form weighed more than ten adult elephants. Beelulu would have gotten angry if she broke someone else's stuff… even more if that person was someone he wanted on his team.
Thus, she munched with a pout on her face. "I can last satiated for four days if I try really hard! You know!"
"I know." Beelzebub laughed and replied before closing his eyes.
His imagination took him to his secret chamber in which he performed thousands of thousands of alchemy crafts… his imagination training then began. He never wasted any time!
Candice harrumphed before throwing more snacks into her wide mouth. "It's good that you know!"
-
At last, Gloria left her house and took a seat on her bench.
Beelzebub was next to her, his eyes closed. He hadn't opened them even while Gloria spoke to him, for he was too immersed in his imaginative training. Moreover, he was close to the climax, so it was quite important…
Candice didn't care about that and slammed her heavy fist on his head. "She's here, Beelulu!"
Beelzebub's eyes sprang open! He gritted his teeth to not let out any grunt and trained his furious eyes on his teammate before calming his heart.
He shaped his face to seem composed… but how could he look fine with a red bump on his face and scarlet cheeks?
Gloria didn't hold back her giggles. "What did you come here for? I'm all ears."
Beelzebub coughed before starting his business talk. "I've heard a lot about you. I will be as blunt as the titan next to me… I want you to be my tank. Not for a week, a month, but for a very long time until I achieve an achievement I have yet to accomplish… the achievement no alchemist had received in this world."
"Players make better tanks." Gloria instantly replied for she had thought about it during her dinner.
The player had come here to invite her to his party. He was aware of her occupation since it was known across the world, as her fox tribe was famous and her people had spoken about her. Gloria was also on a few quests with players to make money to eke out month by month, which made her more convinced of her words.
Players were and always will be better tanks.
That was because they could discard their lives to endure the brunt of the monsters until the very end… the same couldn't be said about NPC tanks, as they didn't have a second chance.
They couldn't respawn like players, so NPC tanks had it the worst. Consequently, everyone invited player tanks and bombarded them with lucrative quests…
Beelzebub saw through the meaning of her words. "I understand what you mean. Even though I don't want to, I've made many connections with residents and players. I also worked with them, ready to sacrifice my life with the least casualties. You don't have that option."
Gloria calmly nodded.
Beelzebub took a moment to collect his words. "But the sacrifice is always the last option for me. I never take upon a quest or challenge if I can't see the light of victory. This light is sometimes dim, sometimes as bright as sun… but that does not change your point, does it?"
"It does not." Gloria gravely replied, her red eyes trying to find a way into Beelzebub's dark hues.
"That's because we can't change the differences between us. It's not something we can decide on… but I can decide to work only with residents of this world, and that's what I will do in pursuit of my highest ambition. I am a solo player… and I can't trust players with such a precious achievement. On the other hand, you can think for yourself. Does this house have an answer to your troubles?"
Gloria's face contorted, and she promptly rose to her feet. "What can you possibly know about me?! You're just a human!"
"And you're a fox woman. No different than other fox women I had seen… yet you are here alone, shunned by your family and the rest of your kin."
"No different?! Do you have eyes?!" Gloria's voice heightened, and her shouts nearly drew blood from Beelzebub's ears.
Although her hands balled into two powerful weapons, David still faced her calmly. "You have been looking straight into my eyes all this time. You really ask me that?"
Curses somehow had wedged in Gloria's throat.
She stood mute.
Meanwhile, Beelzebub stood up and aligned his view with hers, deeply looking into her lost red eyes. "I've chosen you to be my tank. I have naturally done some research about you. Gloria of Cottonfluff Blood, the main and royal branch of the fox branch of demi-humans. The blood of the first regal fox flows in your veins — the founder of your family and the first leader of the foxes, the most charming fox woman known to this world. You inherited her white hair, red eyes, and magic aptitude. But you aren't a reincarnation of that woman. You're yourself, Gloria Cottonfluff. And I will show you that at the core, you are no different than the rest of the fox women. Then, you shall answer my question."
And as more curses clogged her throat, Gloria found herself unable to punch this man.
He turned around and walked toward her tribe's capital…
The discarded woman who didn't want to return home yet… followed the demonic alchemist's back.
At that time, Gloria didn't know what urged her to walk in his wake…
But it was a choice she later took pride in.