A Line That Mustn't Be Crossed

Number of times König Geistdunkelrustung has resurrected: 56

Due to their reputation, when Inessa and Lylia do go to get something to eat and enjoy each other’s company, they typically can’t go to the same pub/bar/tavern/restaurant too frequently. However, having acquired a taste for a certain bitter, flavorless ale intentionally laced with ‘safe’ doses of Gale Spider venom, Inessa had been insistent that they meet up at the Brewing Trouble again and again.

It wasn’t easy for Inessa to get a night off while traveling the kingdom with Prince Liamion, but since she could teleport to any settlement she had visited before, once they arrived, she could return without issue. But as they waited for the poorly prepared food that was about as good for someone’s health as the venom in the tavern’s infamous specialty, the brunette found herself wanting to return to her ‘guard’ duty.

Lylia didn’t usually look at her with such a harsh expression, at least not since she had warmed up to her and their friendship began in earnest. “Uh… Lia? D-Did I do something wrong?” She finally asked, squirming uncomfortably.

For once, the blonde didn’t care about all the gossip being whispered around them. The ignorant would always fabricate whatever delusions would validate their biases. Constantly getting angry at that was just a waste of energy. Especially when she had a more pressing, bad behavior to correct.

“I told you not to talk to him, Inessa,” Lylia said sharply, her tone even and unamused, yet brimming with disappointment.

Inessa flinched at the accusation, knowing exactly who she was talking about. While part of her wanted to play dumb and hope for the best, she didn’t want to lie to the blonde, and a bigger part of her knew this would happen eventually. “H-How did you know?”

“How could I not? You’ve been acting differently ever since he appeared. You didn’t come to me when you were struggling with something, and then got over it without telling me anything. And you’ve been happier than ever when you come back after killing him.” Lylia said, sighing and keeping her voice low. So long as neither of them said who ‘he’ was, there shouldn’t be any problems if someone were eavesdropping on them, but it was better to be safe. “And… I was there yesterday to confirm my suspicions.” She added, not ashamed of herself but not proud she had to go behind her friend’s back like that.

*****

Number of times König Geistdunkelrustung has resurrected: 55

Because she couldn’t be sure when in the day Geist would resurrect, Lylia had arrived at the ruins of the Demon Monarch’s castle early in the morning. Concealing her presence, she waited for hours until she saw a rift into a realm of suffocatingly absolute darkness appear and the armored demon form from it. However, just a glimpse into wherever it was he went after they killed him filled her with a sense of stillness and isolation unlike anything she felt before.

I don’t even want to think about what it would be like in there, and he’s in there for a day at a time? She wondered, trying to compose herself so neither the Demon Monarch, nor the Champion who should arrive shortly, would notice her. Or, does time pass normally in there? Faster? Slower? How is he still sane–?!

As her mind spiraled, trying to understand what she saw, her attention was stolen by the bright flash of light that announced Inessa’s arrival.

“Hey, Geisty~! It’s my turn again. Did ya miss me?” She greeted energetically, smiling from ear to ear as she ran over to and swung her sword at him.

Gesit was able to block the attack with his greatsword, but struggled as she overpowered and overwhelmed him. “Honestly, I’m not sure which is worse. Getting hacked to pieces by you, or crushed under Lylia’s soles.” He replied, his tone friendly despite quite literally fighting for his life. “How’s escorting the prince?”

Sighing heavily as she kept him off guard with a flurry of attacks, the brunette hung her head. “I know Liam isn’t like the other nobles who just wanted me to be a baby maker, but… he’s still just a kid! He tried to get Viscount Jerylton to give us the same room!” She said, her voice high in alarm and disbelief. “With only one bed! Can you believe it?!”

“Sounds like he’s trying to get you a bed in the local dungeon instead.” Geisty joked back, though his deep voice made it sound more threatening than playful. “Guess it’s a good thing age of consent laws are different here.”

Huh? What does he mean by that? Lylia asked, as she had to consciously go against what she knew to be acceptable to even consider the prince’s actions out of line. It’s almost as if… No, that can’t be.

Slipping through his defenses, Inessa landed a clean hit on him and knocked his weapon from his hand. “You have no idea how refreshing it is to hear someone else think a romantic relationship between Liam and me is weird. Though I don’t appreciate you thinking I should be the one getting arrested. Use: Photo Thrust.” Pouting and puffing out her cheeks, the brunette stabbed through him with the Legendary-ranked technique, pinning him to a wall.

“Go back to 13th-17th century Earth, and I’m sure they would agree with the people here.” He replied, half coughing from the sword impaling his chest.

It wasn’t his mention of the planet that she had heard Inessa talk about in the past that Lylia focused on, but his familiarity with its history. The ease and confidence with which he brought up knowledge of Earth wasn’t something someone like her, who heard it from Inessa, could do. His was first-hand, experienced knowledge. Lived and learned. H-He’s also… from… Earth?

“Then let one of them get with a 14-year-old boy! It’s just too gross for me.” Inessa said, crossing her arms and huffing. “Still, I’m glad you get it, Geisty. I know Lia tries to understand where I’m coming from, but…”

“It’s not her fault.” Defending the blonde that neither of them was aware of, Geist tried to pull Inessa’s sword from his chest, but couldn’t. “I’m sure she just wants you to be happy, in her own way.”

“Yeah, I know.” Grabbing her sword and pulling it out with ease, the brunette smirked at him mischievously. “You know, for as much as you complain about how much she stomps on you, you don’t really badmouth Lia that much. If anything, you always give her the benefit of the doubt. Was Lia your type when you were human? She is beautiful.”

Having a demon fancy me or look at me with… The idea of being the object of affection for a Corrupted crossing her mind, Lylia thought it would make her skin crawl. Yet, she had such a non-reaction to the thought that it stunned her for a moment. She has had visceral reactions from the lustful gazes of men, noble or commoner, who thought more with their lower bodies than allow the rumors about her to dampen their libidos. Yet, nothing now.

“I’ll admit she’s pretty, but that’s not it,” Geist explained, trying to dodge and parry more attacks from the brunette as she snickered, unconvinced. “Lylia’s hatred of me isn’t personal. I’m just another in a long line of Demon Monarchs who threaten the peace of her world. I can’t be mad at her for that. I understand, and even agree to a certain extent, that she believes she is in the right. So, other than her methods, what about her could I criticize?”

Inessa’s smile grew at his answer, more genuine and filled with appreciation and pride. But that lasted less than a second as the mischief returned to her eyes and a low, drawn-out hum resonated from her throat. “Hmmmm? Is that so? Are you sure you’re not going easy on her because you get to peek up her gown all the time?”

“I don’t–!?” Her accusatory comment caused him to freeze for a moment. The shadow essence comprising his body rippled out of all the gaps and joints of his armor like flames being fed oxygen-rich air as he tried to respond, only to be cut down by the devious Champion.

Snickering and pointing a finger, Inessa allowed him to reform. “If Lia knew you were looking up her gown, she’d lose it.”

Unable to leave in a way that wouldn’t expose her to the two, the Saintess in question could only watch what looked to be old friends spending time together. Of course, the activity was still one killing the other until he stopped reviving, but the air of genuine friendship and mutual respect was unfathomable to the blonde. The Champion and Demon Monarch, acting like they were best friends.

*****

She had waited for a while after Inessa had collected Geist’s Mana Crystal and left before returning to the capital herself, but couldn’t stop thinking about what she had witnessed.

“That was sneaky, Lia…” Inessa said, puffing out her cheeks.

“So is speaking with him behind my back.” The blonde countered, trying to no give in to the pang of guilt gnawing at her. “Why wouldn’t you come and talk to me? Why did you hide what you learned from me?” Her stern, strict tone softened slightly, though, as she could finally address her conflicting feelings. “Do you think you can trust him over me because he’s from your world?” She asked finally, her voice trembling.

Regardless of the brunette’s answer, she knew there was a gulf between her and Inessa that couldn’t be filled. It didn’t mean their friendship was any less genuine, and there was a similar rift between Inessa and Geist that could never be closed, that wasn’t between her and Inessa. But it still meant there was someone else who knew a side of Inessa that she didn’t. Someone who understood her in a way she couldn’t. Someone who could offer her the support she couldn’t.

“Oh, Lia… You know that’s not true. You’re my BFF here.” Inessa said, reaching across the dingy, dirty table and placing her hand over the blonde’s clasped fists. “I wanted to tell you about Ge–uh, him, but I couldn’t really find the right time. But that doesn’t change anything. In fact, learning who he really is made me think about why I’m the Champion and who I’m fighting for. And, hey, I’m still doing my duty, right?”

“This isn’t about duty or responsibility. This is about you talking to him before me.” Lylia said stubbornly. “You didn’t tell me Prince Liamion tried to sleep with you! You can’t go telling him something so juicy without telling me!”

Taken aback a bit by the unexpected point that the blonde decided to focus on, Inessa sighed and shrugged. “Because you’d support it.”

“Of course I would! He’s the second prince, for Lini’s sake.”

*****

With the air cleared between them, Inessa and Lylia spent the rest of the night eating, drinking, and gossiping. Though now that she knew that Lylia knew about her secret friendship with Geist, Inessa had plenty to tell the blonde about the Demon Monarch. For hours, Inessa spoke about all of the Demon Monarch’s most appealing qualities, though, as more and more alcohol entered her body, her praise of him became more and more circular.

Despite being the listener, Lylia drank in much more moderation than Inessa. By the end of the night, she was the one responsible for paying the bill and transporting the blacked-out drunk Champion back to the castle so she could rest.

“Ser’ously, Essa. Ya drank too much.” Slurring her speech a bit as she got fed up trying to carry her passed-out friend on her shoulder, Lylia resorted to using her Divine Artifact to shrink Inessa small enough to tuck the brunette into her cleavage so that she wouldn’t lose her. She didn’t make her as small as she typically shrinks Geist to, but it was still a fraction of Inessa’s normal height. “Even shrunk, you're tough enough, so I’ll try ta not squish ya. Jus’ don’t blame me if ya suffocate in dere~” She teased, continuing down the dark alleys and deserted back streets trying to find her way to the main road.

“Oi! Lookie ‘ere. You lost, Yer Impure Holiness?”

As she wandered around, half stumbling, trying to get her bearings, the blonde turned, hearing someone call out to her. “Hey! You know the Saintess can’t be the Pope. Now, didya need me fer somefing?” She asked, looking at a group of maybe ten people, so long as she didn’t count the hazy doubles or triples of some of them.

“Had a bit too much ov the Brew, didya?”

“Ain’tcha supposed to be the Saintess? How can ya be drinkin’ and a place like this?”

“Didya get nostalgic for some home cooking?”

Not so tipsy that she couldn’t recognize blatant antagonism, Lylia narrowed her eye and scoffed at the menagerie of unsavory folk. “If you have confessions ta make, visit the chursh.”

“Now, now, now. Don’t be like that. We’re just not used ta someone as… revered as yourself gracing us with your presence.” A man in the group said, stepping forward with an unsteady gait himself. “But we heard rumors that the Champion and Saintess were goin’ ta Brewing Trouble lately, and we jus’ hadta come see for ourselves.”

Seeing through the drunkard’s faux friendliness, Lylia was ready to end the conversation and leave before they did anything they’d live to regret. “Well, as you can shee, we were jus’ leaving. If that’s all–”

“Whoa, now. Since I have you here, your Saintliness, perhaps you would grant us poor, lost souls an answer that could resolve a conflict of faith we have been having.” The man said, cutting her off.

With a silent prayer to her Goddess for patience, Lylia sighed and slumped her shoulders. “Very well. As a vesshel for Her will, to forshake those wishing to be granted the light of her wisdom would be a disgrace. What, exactly, troubles you all?”

“Oh, well, it’s not just us. Plenty of folk have been wondering the same thing.” The man replied, a sarcastic grin plastered across his grimy face. “Would you and that Otherworlder Champion stop hoarding all da magic?”