Flone’s Dowry – I

"You want us to go on an expedition?"

Flone nodded her head, smiling. "Mmhm!"

"Now?"

"Well, you've been spending a lot of time with your other girls, haven't you? I want to be spoiled a bit too, Jihu. And besides, you've been neglecting Seonhwa too much!"

I reached up and scratched the back of my head and looked over at Seonhwa.

She blushed and looked away. "...I-If you don't want to, that's fine..."

"No. It's just... Hm."

I was back on Earth. After the talk with Sorg Kuhne and setting up proper rooming for Vlad and Oana at the Carpe Diem HQ, I popped back to text Hannah on next steps and then stopped by my apartment to clear my head a bit.

And then was promptly met by Flone and Seonhwa.

Thankfully, it wasn't an ambush. Still, it was unexpected.

Flone crossed her arms and said, "No more work, Jihu! You've been doing too much anyway!"

"I think it's the opposite... but I guess I could take a break. I've been meaning to test out some new things anyway."

I'd been using my new powers a bit, but I still hadn't had a proper labbing period to run through everything. Earth didn't have a good place for me to do that either, at least not without butting heads with some people.

Also, Flone had a good point. I *had* been spending a bit of time with other girls more than them... Especially Seonhwa.

So.

"Alright." I smiled and said, "Let's go on an expedition date then. Though..." I frowned and said, "What did you have in mind, Flone? Since you asked, you have something planned, right?"

Flone smiled and then said, "Yep! It's time to go get my dowry!"

"...Dowry?"

xxx

Seonhwa shifted her gaze between Jihu and Flone, mixed emotions on her face.

They were in a carriage to the Federation.

After Flone's declaration, Jihu immediately wrapped up what he needed to do on Earth and then dragged them both back to Paradise before pulling a carriage out of nowhere and setting off.

Of course, Jihu declared that the trip was a date, and took the role of the driver himself, leaving Flone and Seonhwa to sit inside the carriage.

Well, Flone and 'Baek Haeju.'

Because of that, Seonhwa quietly thanked the fact that her disguise came with a veil because she was embarrassed at what she might be showing on her face right now.

Flone looked over to Seonhwa and let out an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Seonhwa. But it's going to take a bit more time."

Seonhwa sighed and let out a bitter smile. "I know. I know."

The words sounded a bit hollow coming from Flone. After all, that woman was the one who stole Jihu away from her.

...Well, Kim Hannah too, but it was obvious that Flone was the one that Jihu really favored the most.

Seonhwa was bitter about it still.

Jihu had tried to cut it off a few times, but in the end gave up and decided to try and start over with her.

Cruel. Probably the meanest thing he could have done. It would have been better if he cleanly cut it or chose only her. But instead he cruelly compromised and gave Seonhwa a bit of his heart. Only a portion when she had it all not too long ago.

Even so...

Seonhwa sighed again and smacked her cheeks a bit. "I just have to get used to it."

It was karma, after all. Jihu was being cruel, but Seonhwa had sinned against him too. While pretending everything was fine, she had gone behind his back, risked her life, and grew distant without realizing it. All while not thinking about how he might have been feeling.

Jihu wasn't hurting Seonhwa consciously with his actions, but it seemed like he was subconsciously holding it against her still.

So... she would be patient. Since the two of them had changed so much, she would take the time to slowly get to know him again. And for him to slowly get to know her too.

Flone pursed her lips and opened her mouth to say something. But before she could, Jihu called out.

"Hey, Seonhwa. You're a bit more knowledgeable about Paradise, so I'm asking to be sure. But am I right in thinking that people who are chasing after Beastman children are probably slavers?"

Seonhwa blinked and then let out a soft sigh. "Yes. And you're going to stop them, aren't you, Jihu."

The carriage came to a sudden stop. Not a screeching halt, but as if all the speed was wiped away.

After that, Jihu hopped off and said, "Yep." A casual and light-hearted response. But his eyes were cold, glittering with violet light. "Since we're here, we might as well take out the trash, right?"

Flone sighed and materialized a ghostly shield and sword before donning shimmering silver armor. Stepping off the carriage, she said, "Why are our dates always violent, Jihu?"

Seonhwa stepped off the carriage as well and pulled out her spear from her Dimensional Pocket. After that, she looked at Flone and said, "Does Jihu do this often?"

Flone swung her sword a few times to check the balance and then nodded. "If you mean jump into danger to protect people and right wrongs, yes."

"I see. So that part about him hasn't changed, huh?"

Jihu pulled out a glittering blue sword from thin air and said, "You two girls can gossip about me behind my back later. Right now, we should go help out those terrified kids."

"Okay, Jihu~!"

"Lead the way, Jihu."

xxx

Glittering golden threads lighting up the dark forest and connecting to a young girl with fuzzy orange fox ears and a fluffy tail. A girl wearing tattered rags and with scratches and bruises all along her skin. Another golden thread leading to the distance, connecting to an older fox girl who looked similar to the first.

Then, surrounding the older fox girl in the distance, black threads connecting to a group of forty plus people advancing through the forest.

Seeing that, I clicked my tongue and said, "No matter what world, humans perform the vilest deeds, huh?"

Was it because of my improved abilities? For some reason, I could see spectral figures swirling around the men in the distance. Like resentful spirits trying their best to curse the ones leading them to their doom.

...No. They weren't 'like' resentful spirits. They were.

Not tangible enough to persist in a form like Flone did, but instead the sentiments and despair of those who prayed out for salvation and weren't saved.

Seonhwa moved to my right side, raising her glittering jade spear and said, "Are you going to cut them down?"

"Like I said, I'm going to clean up the trash."

Right or wrong. Good or evil.

I didn't care about which side I was on. But I did have standards. A 'Rule' that I lived by.

It was different from Seol's. Similar, but different.

For him, his disposition was to treat others as they treated him. The Golden Rule.

But for me...

Malice with Malice, Goodwill with Goodwill...

And karma to rule it all.

And right now...

"These bastards need to get what's been coming to them."

...It was time for me to enact some karma.

Seonhwa wrinkled her nose and then let out a deep sigh. After that, she let out a faint smile and said, "You still have that habit of being too excessive when helping people, huh?"

I watched the people chasing after the young fox girl and then walked forward, holding my sword out to the side. "No such thing as being excessive when helping people, Seonhwa. Now, follow me and smack these bastards around a bit. Also, you take care of the kid, Flone."

Flone puffed her chest out and said, "Leave it to me, Jihu!"

"We go."

I kicked off the ground, closing the distance between me and the poachers.

Seonhwa moved alongside me, spear raised. As she did though, she said, "You realize that there's no absolute good or evil in this world, right? The reason why slave hunts began-"

"Doesn't matter to me!"

We broke through the forest to a clearing, passing by the fox child.

She stumbled, staring at us with wide eyes.

And she wasn't the only one.

The first of the poachers arrived at the other side of the clearing from us.

A group of archers, no doubt leading the charge as trackers.

Seeing me, and seeing Seonhwa beside me, the man leading the archers screamed. "WHY IS THE SACRED PRINCESS AND THE GODSLAYER HERE?!"

I came to a stop and idly adjusted my tie.

...Time to take out the trash.