Chapter 20 - Business, treats and threats

It was way beyond the midday, when Keyaruga woke up from his restless dream. Freia, Setsuna, Eve – all of his companions clung to him in some way or another, so it took a bit of effort not to wake them up.

It didn't work. I still see them. I still… dream of them.

The hero stood up, but a heavy burden on his soul never allowed him to straighten his stiff shoulders. His vengeance was almost complete. Even if Blade survived, she would have to live with her trauma from her encounter with the healer for the rest of her miserable days.

Josephine too carried deep scars within her, and after what happened in the night, her wounds would never heal. Takemikazuchi didn't save his daughter, he merely took away the tormented doll from the lad, thus prolonging her suffering.

So what now? My vengeance wasn't worth it?.. No… It was. Someone had to do something about that bitch, and I even got my divine armament, so I mustn't think about it too much.

My issues, though… Nobody can help me with that, so sparing myself will only make me weaker. Persevere, Keyaruga. You're a man, so keep it together and don't whine.

With that in mind, the man pulled his clothes from the wardrobe, dressed, and even gathered Blade's tattered clothes. He had a pretty nice idea of who would pay for these rags and scraps. Before that, though…

…

Eve Reese was the second to rise. She slept in a sitting pose, covering herself with a pair of shiny black wings. Not like she felt cold amidst the summer in her dark nightgown, but the first thing she wished to obtain was her outfit. Conveniently enough, it hanged on the nearest chair.

"Good morning, birdie. I washed your dress, it must be dry now." The man spoke monotonously, sitting behind a table in the far corner of the room.

"It's not… morning." The strained maiden replied, as she changed her clothes. From one side, there was nothing to be embarrassed of, since the healer was never distracted from his deeds. From another… "Do you always keep your guard up? It's hard, you know? Living like that." The maiden deadpanned, staring at the lad's back. She didn't actually fear this man. Remained cautious – certainly, but at the same time she saw traces of her deceased father in him. Sure, he did cheat on her mom a few times, just like Keyaruga indulged in sexual debaucheries with Freia and Setsuna, but at the same time, both of them never spared themselves from having to protect the ones close to them. Somehow… "I wouldn't want you to die too."

"Calm down, Eve, I'm immortal." He dryly replied to her comment. He didn't want her to fear for him, and yet the lad couldn't stop worrying about her. His various phobias were rooted in the same memories of past traumas as his nightmares. Even if he knew, that only the toughest could defeat his girls. "Are you hungry?"

"I think… A little bit, yes." The black-winged girl spoke, strolling toward the man. She noticed alchemical tools, a few pouches of different roots, plants, some fresh, some dried, some turned into fine powder in the glass mortar. "What're you doing, Keyaruga?"

"Pondering my orb." The man responded, half-jokingly, half-serious. The white sphere was placed on a towel on the far left corner of the table. But even so, he barely even looked at that direction.

"It doesn't look that way." The queen-to-be noted, taking one of two dozen phials from a small wooden box. The liquid of green and red piqued her curiosity with its peculiar nature. The color didn't mix, after all, no matter how much the girl shook the vessel. "What is it?"

"Our money. So please put it back from where you took it." Despite his own words, Keyaruga snatched the bottle from Eve's hands himself. Put it in back in its place. Everything must be in order, after all. "I'm almost finished. After that, well, a carriage will come and take us to a restaurant." He elaborated, briefly showing the maiden a sheet of deformed paper. The was an invitation in almost perfect Phasian, written by none other than Karman.

"I see… Hey, Keyaruga, you don't look so good. Would you, you know, like to speak about something? Like, what's happening between you and Freia? Why do you… growl in your sleep? Why…"

"That's enough." Keyaruga nagged, pouring his miraculous brew into the last vial. "This is something only me and Freia share." The hero stated, closing the box he bought, while the girls remained asleep. A perk of living in a trustworthy deity's house – you can always be sure nothing would happen to your treasures. And even that brief outing was stressful enough for the man.

"Ehm… Alright. Would you want to ask me anything?" Eve carefully wondered, making space for the man. Surprisingly enough, not only did he put the box in the bag, he also stuffed it with the same attire he came home in.

"Yes… It's not a question, though." The lad declared, turning his crimson eyes toward Eve's red pupils. Just like his… "Norn, the princess who leads this entire army, and Freia's sister, will come with us, regardless of whether she wants to or not, even if I have to butcher her entire army on my own and wipe her memories altogether." The healer admitted, still staring in Eve's eyes. There, he saw confusion, a little bit of fear, a little bit of stress, a little bit of anger. Clearly, the girl didn't accept this reality.

"W-why?" The queen-to-be asked, trying to take a step back, only to find herself unable to do so. The twisted grin on the man's face filled her with dread, as if the hero dropped his mask to reveal his true colors. She didn't know much about the second princess, but even the rumors she heard painted Norn as an uncaring devil of plagues and murders in a child's body.

"Because I made a promise, because I can't leave her in Margurth's hands. Because Freia asked me to let her live. Because she's the visionary of a brand new world, a tactical genius who we can't do without in our revolutionary campaigns. Because otherwise, her talent will be wasted on mass destruction and genocide. Because I saw the future, in which she razed Tenanulic and left you with only a few hundred cripples among the wasteland of Tridaim passes, because…"

Because I still love her? Did I ever love her? Did anyone love me? Freia only seeks redemption, Setsuna… Nayuta said she loved me, but she craves the strength I can give her, Kureha sees me as a paragon of justice, an idea rather than a man. And Norn? I was her spy… Maybe, she would use me, until I outlive my usefulness, and then…

The man got lost in his thoughts. So much so, that his own knees failed him and he almost crumbled on the ground right before Eve.

"…y… hey… Hey! Keyaruga!.." He remained deaf to the girl's exclamation. In a haze, the man hardly even reacted to reality, barely registered Eve's attempts to grab him, to keep him from falling. As if hundreds of scrawny arms dragged him into hell, poisoning his tattered mind.

Oh? I passed out for a moment? That's not good, how can I be strong, when I can't even hold myself together?

Eve… Wait, what's Eve doing? She's holding me? Why? What can she achieve by doing that? What?..

"I'm fine, Eve." The Hero of Healing said, wiping cold sweat from his forehead. It wasn't a common occurrence for the man to lose his grip on reality that easily, and neither would he allow it to become one. "Let go."

"No, you're not, moron! What's going on with you?" The kokuyoku scion asked somewhat harshly, refusing to break her embrace. She demanded at least some form of explanation. After all, why would anyone want to depend on someone, whose passions and suffering are beyond their comprehension?

"In the future I saw, you had to kill Norn for what she did, and I had to kill you. I hated it, so I'll make my own destiny, where you and Norn will live." Keyaruga announced, before patronizingly tapping Eve's shoulder.

You'd become a Me-ua even without me. But that slut Panakea killed your man. Man… strange, he killed your friends, and you gave him two children… No matter, Panakea wants me to become your champion. And so I will. I will make you the queen myself.

"Thanks…" The maiden quietly said, taking a step back from her guardian. "For your honesty, I mean." She added, puffing her cute cheeks. "You should get some rest, though."

"No, I'm fine. And don't thank me… You don't even know what you were robbed off." Keyaruga declared, rising in full height. Then, he turned toward his two other lovely companions. "Wake up, girls! We're going after our breakfast now!"

After that, I'll have to get back to the sphere. I'll finally become a proper hero.

…

Finally, after so many labors, both physical and emotional, Keyaruga could enjoy a moment of peace. Forget about the war, ignore the fact that his 'destined' reunion with Eve was orchestrated by the goddess, bury his trauma under a layer of comfort. At least for now, anyway.

Keyaruga, Eve, Setsuna and Freia sat around a single table. They had plenty of expensive food, drinks (both alcoholic and not). Starters and snacks, soups and stews. All of that was paid from Karman's wallet, of course.

"Allow us to thank you for your generosity." Keyaruga said to the seller, after at least a minute of his silence. All that time the beastman spoke with Freia about her preferred cosmetics, Setsuna indulged him with a conversation about battle arts, and how some equipment could compliment certain moves, while debilitating others, and even Eve managed to have a comprehensive talk about how the world is turning to shit, referencing political crisis in Confederation.

"You know, I prefer to think of it as investments, rather than gifts. I don't think you'll disagree that trust is the most valuable asset." Karman replied, seamlessly switching from speaking Tarenago with Eve to Phasian with Keyaruga. "Especially when I can enjoy the company of your beauties."

"Yeah, well, I don't really deserve these cuties." The lad commented, taking a brief look at each of his companions.

"Keyaruga, you're being too harsh on yourself." The sorceress, who sat to the right from the healer, said, caringly covering the man's hand with her own palm. For better or worse, she loved him dearly, which everyone around the table could tell. Except Keyaruga himself, to whom that seemed but a temporary passion from the princess, and even his own feelings he perceived as a desperate need for companionship.

"Uh-huh. You deserve Setsuna." The girl to the left of him even went so far as to jump on the hero's neck. In a peculiar way, the phlegmatic she-wolf was the beacon of positivity in the party. Not even her recent defeat changed that fact.

With those two Karman had literally no chance at all. Their infatuation with Keyaruga was still fresh, and even if it were otherwise, their loyalty wouldn't shatter that easily. Eve, though, wasn't among the man's lovers, that much was for certain. So what did the green-haired beastman do? Well, at first, there was a smile. Then, a wink. Did it work? In some way…

"Mi nanpa wor midunarund (I'm not seeking any relationships right now)." Eve indeed noticed the merchant's attempts to flirt, but she instantly cut it off.

"Haa… No luck for me here, I guess." Karman shrugged, taking a sip of his favorite wine. He knew too well, how easy it was to lose a partner by standing between him and his girl. The vendor already had such a lesson, that he wouldn't repeat with the red-haired 'alchemist'.

"Speaking of luck, is the client satisfied with my potion?" The hero asked slyly. He had little appetite outside of the bare minimum for refilling his body and mind with energy, and yet he was glad to see his companions enjoying the feast.

"You're a miracle-maker, pal, I'll give you that! I'd even kiss you for what you did for us!" The merchant sneered, enjoying a fine beef goulash. "It healed the girl in one sip! Although…"

"It hasn't healed her soul." Keyaruga admitted, recalling the vigilante's words. He saved the man both directly and indirectly. After all, it seemed like if nobody offered Nina a free remedy, he wouldn't listen to Keara, and Blade would've squashed him. Would that be beneficial to the healer's revenge?

Too much "would" for my liking.

"Basically… Eh, no matter, she'll get through it, eventually. The girl's dad went out for a hunt himself, though. Said he saw some chick going toe to toe with Blade, can you believe it? Damn, I hope she's still kicking." Karman noted, looking at Keyaruga indifferently shaking a cup of wine in his hands. Fortunately, at that point Setsuna and Freia got back to banqueting.

"Why wouldn't I believe? I… hired her." Although it took a little bit of lie, that brief explanation didn't fail to attract the beastman's ultimate interest. "She's a killer, just so you know."

"No… fucking way!" Karman swore, making sure his distressed is properly conveyed to everyone. Even if Blade's 'name' was deliberately omitted.

"And look, what she brought me." His astonishment got even greater, as the red-eyed lad grabbed an inconspicuous leather package from under the table and slowly levitated it right to the trader's hands.

"Farafinatia Ahurama! Is this-?" The magic trick didn't fail to impress the vendor, sure, but after he peeked inside… "Huh… This is what I think it is?" The merchant mused, evaluating the dirty tattered coat. The cuirass was in much better shape, but either way, he did recognize, who it belonged to. And right after that, the merchant unceremoniously tossed a heavy poach right in Keyaruga's hand. In would smash his face, if not for the hero's reaction, though.

"I'm buying this!" The vendor declared, hiding Blade's clothes under the table, before some nosy folk beside them could tell, over whose demise was the transaction.

"Sold." Keyaruga nodded, amused with how accurate his prediction turned out to be. The bag, filled with various jewels approximately equaling hundred of Jioral kadmi, Keyaruga hung onto his belt. Probably, Karman would get even more from the victim's father anyway. "Although, you shouldn't sell these before Buranikka's 'guests' get the hell out of here." The lad warned the merchant, before nodding to Freia, so that the sorceress prepares the real goods.

"Heh, I knew it! My intuition never fails me!" Karman exclaimed, pointing his finger onto the man. His right arm shook in a gesture of enthusiastic endorsement.

"Really now? And what does it tell you now?" Keyaruga wondered, resting his chin onto his joined fingers.

"That you, my friend, didn't just come here to brag on behalf of your mercenaries, or for a free meal. Ready to meet the market's demands, alchemist?"

"Heh-heh." The man chuckled, putting a box right between the dishes. Some were still untouched, some already empty, but what stimulated the monger's appetite was within the container. "Take a look."

And so he did. Karman pulled a peculiar monocle from his pocket, and proceeded to meticulously inspect each and every vessel among what Keyaruga presented to him.

"Thirty vials, huh? Restoration potions?" The beastman wondered, cautiously putting the last bottle of non-mixing double-colored liquid back in the box.

"Certainly. First comes the mundane effect – they mend your wounds. Then, this potion rejuvenates endurance. Dare I say, this is my masterpiece?" The red-haired man declared with pride.

"Did you also have to put your blood in it as well?" Karman asked, fighting with an urge to jump from the excitement.

"No, that was an exception." The Hero of Healing shrugged casually.

"Exception this, exception that. You helped good people, that's all that matters." The green-haired man declared before closing the wooden box. "Alright, this is good stuff."

"Won't you give it a taste, then?" Keyaruga sneered, feeling like he discovered another golden mine.

"I'm a merchant, brother. I can tell, whether you're pushing good ware or not!" With that said, Karman offered the lad another poach with even greater amount of precious minerals as before. Keyaruga opened it, accessed, and silently accepted the payment, letting the beastman take his purchase. "Say, why don't you sell these yourself?" The vendor pondered, tapping onto the precious box.

"What do you think I'm doing? Or are you implying I have to spend days upon days, trying to cajole the locals to purchase my wares?" Keyaruga scoffed, and glanced at Setsuna, then Freia, and later Eve. All of them finished their meals, and just sat silently, waiting the healer to finish the transaction. Getting them to sell potions seemed like a good idea… but Keyaruga would never go for it.

"True, getting folk to trust you takes a while." Karman spoke, impressed by the man's sense in business. Not many wonder-mongers could actually profit, unless they were actually talented crooks. "I wonder if you also know, how much time I have to resell your potions."

"Three days." Keyaruga eagerly replied. "Today, tomorrow, and…"

Then…

"My, oh my! Can I be your first customer?" A deep and mannered voice resonated throughout the premise. It was a well-dressed gentleman, and with his gentle tone he had introduced himself pretty well.

"Certainly, I'm always rea…" Karman was ready to trade with the customer right there, but seeing Freia, Setsuna, and Eve jumping from their chairs and getting ready to battle put a halt to his intent.

"Careful, Keyaruga!" The Hero of Magic snarled, snatching her staff right from the thin air.

"Grrrr!" Setsuna growled, summoning the icy crust on her forearms. After a swift jump she found herself standing atop of the table, cautiously avoiding stepping into the food. The huntress, no matter how swollen her belly was, prepared for battle. To protect those she loved.

"…" And even Eve summoned a small constellation of bright stars. The group prepared for battle, they attracted attention from all the guests, most of which wisely decided to leave the restaurant through the second exit, some of which didn't even pay.

"Have you come to finish your task, Organ?" The princess snarled, rapidly pumping her new staff with magic potency. Along with her two sisters-in-arms, the caster was ready for the second encounter with Hawkeye. "If so, we…"

"You will do nothing, Freia." This time, though, Keyaruga was there to stand against the Champion. "Setsuna, please get off the table. This one came for me, apparently." The Hero of Healing spoke smoothly, stepping next to Eve. With a single swipe, he extinguished her spell. "Don't. This will hurt some passerby much more than him." The man uttered, approaching the murderous archer.

"These girls are under my protection, good sir. Should you wish to raise your blade against them, you'll have to pass me first." The red-haired lad calmly declared, standing between Organ Trist and the table with his allies.

The tension kept rising, underneath Hawkeye's indifferent façade Keyaruga noted a cold-blooded focus and the ultimate will. The sword, the bow, two hidden blades in his sleeves, a tiny firearm in the right gauntlet, a set of throwing knives, a blowgun, and a pair of brass knuckles. Add some fighting capabilities strong enough to stand his ground against the very god of fencing, and the fact that most, if not all, of his comedically numerous weapons were heavily poisoned, and you get a recipe for a catastrophe.

Race: Human

Name: Organ

Class: Divine Archer

Level: 34 ☆

Mana: 67/108

Physical attack: 84

Physical defense: 91

Magic attack: 32

Magic defense: 53

Speed: 133

Abilities:

Fencing: 5th level

Spearmanship: 4th level

Archery: 7th level

Battle arts: 5th level

Throwing skills: 6th level

Healing magic: 1st circle

Skills:

Blood of Artemis: Artemis' descendant's exclusive skill. Improves ranged attacks capabilities

Amber eyes: Artemis' blessing. Greatly increases the user's speed, reaction, and visual comprehension.

Yes… That didn't look promising.