15 - Nostalgia

"Shh... Just drink this," a maid whispered as she gently poured water into Amoria's mouth, her face pale with concern.

"Did... you call Lalyn...?" Amoria asked weakly after swallowing, addressing a fellow receptionist who had assisted her into a private room.

"Yes, I've contacted that woman through [Vibration]; she should be here any minute. In the meantime, you rest," the receptionist instructed firmly.

"Ha... If I rest now, I'll fall asleep... I have to stay awake and talk to her," Amoria muttered, pushing herself up into a sitting position.

"Why call over your other former adventuring companion for this?" Garry interjected, leaning against the doorframe, his expression pensive.

"I just... wanted all of us to be here," she replied weakly.

"What..!? Then, talk to me or Marcilla here! You and Miss Lalyn haven't spoken in years, right!?" Garry protested.

"It's... complicated... I just need to see her," Amoria responded simply.

"Just... What is so important about this Van Hellix that you're acting like this!? He just seemed like a suspicious jerk! Or criminal scum! He was very rude and impolite, too!" Garry grumbled angrily.

Amoria softly giggled, "Yeah... I suppose he does seem that way to you, doesn't he? This only confirms that the badge you brought me really belongs to him," she said, smiling weakly, a hint of nostalgia in her expression.

"What's that supposed to mean!? If he's really that much of a lowlife, then don't worry! I won't let him get close to you at all!" Garry exclaimed.

"I see..." Amoria began with a sigh, "...Riry, it's late. Go back before your wife starts asking questions. I'm safe here with Marcy and the other adventurers who are staying in the guild hall downstairs all night."

"It's Garry... And... you sure you're fine?" he asked, his voice laden with concern.

She nodded softly with a hum.

"Then... good night. And let me know if that creep ever comes near you," he muttered before exiting the room and closing the door behind him, leaving Amoria in the careful company of Marcilla and the guild's maid.

"Misa, you're also free to go; I'll take it from here. Handle the reception and orders until I return. It shouldn't be too long," Marcilla, the other receptionist, instructed the maid, who nodded and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

"Marcy..." Amoria called weakly, gently pinching her arm.

"...I know. I miss him too, you know?" the tanned, red-haired warrior murmured as she sat beside her on the bed.

"You did...?" Amoria asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Dumbass. You think you were the only one who cared about that guy?" Marcilla sighed as she lay down on Amoria's legs, stretching her limbs comfortably.

"I never thought that... It's just... Well, you know..." Amoria's voice trailed off, her gaze falling in shame.

Marcilla looked down, a pang of guilt striking her heart.

"...That Goddess really did him dirty, didn't she..." she muttered to herself, staring at the ceiling.

"I think he's the only guy who wouldn't go for Magus's throat, despite everything he went through..."

"...I did him... 'dirty'. Not the Goddess," Amoria replied with a weak smile.

"Idiot. And who collaborated? Who agreed to it? We all had a hand in this," Marcilla replied with firm conviction.

A silence hung between them as they recalled their adventures.

"Y'know... Sometimes, I think about that guy," Marcilla began, her gaze fixed on some distant point.

"About Van...?" Amoria asked, a note of curiosity in her voice.

"Yeah."

"Like what..?" Amoria probed further.

"...Not much. Just... thinking about him. There isn't much to think about, considering how... ordinary he seemed, compared to us." Marcilla's voice faded into the quiet of the room as she stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Van... was nowhere near ordinary," Amoria countered gently.

"Are you referring to his immortality, or something else?" Marcilla turned to look at Amoria, a questioning look in her eyes.

Amoria shook her head slowly. "No... You said it best... He didn't go after Magus'... or my throat, despite everything he endured. A man who values his bonds over his pride, over the chance at a normal life with a family and a loving wife... That alone makes him more extraordinary than his immortality or all our abilities combined," Amoria said, her voice warm with admiration as she smiled, recalling Van's steadfast loyalty to his best friend.

Marcilla turned on her side, her cheeks coloring as she thought about Van's unwavering support. "I mean... he could've just been... a homosexual, you know..." Her voice trailed off, a hint of embarrassment in her tone.

"Hehe... You and I both know that wasn't the case!" Amoria chuckled softly.

"Jeez... I know... Just... Damn it, it would've been a lot easier if he was... This headache he gives me thinking about him like that, how dare that stubborn, helmet-headed..." Marcilla muttered, her voice low and fading as she blushed deeper, caught in her own conflicted emotions.