No more lying

Had rice cakes always been so sweet? I knew I was cheating by adding syrup, but I didn't remember the snack melting in my mouth with such a storm of flavors—almost cloying in its excessiveness.

Seated on the same table were my two companions, the plates in front of them holding a more proper dinner, though it remained untouched for now.

Rasbora didn't blink while Betta gave her an overview of our little 'chat' in the desert. No details were omitted—not even the part where she was about to kill me. Once her tale was finished, it was my turn to speak up.

To provide context about Princess.

About everything that had happened since the moment I found her egg up to the day Betta discovered her.

Should I also mention Oscar?

The idea bittered my snack—it went from overwhelming my tongue with flavor to numbing it like licking a piece of ice.

Am I never going to see him again?

"Something the matter?" Rasbora asked.

"No, don't worry. It's just that remembering some of this stuff is a little rough."

"Ya don't need to tell me more than ya want to."

"I disagree," Betta chimed in. "Tell us everything. No more secrets."

Her glare strangled me, like she had me grabbed by the head again. Did I dare try to lie to her again? She'd caught me so many times…

But even if she wouldn't notice, did I want to default to lying again now that I had a chance to break the habit?

"This… will be a little hard to believe… but up until a few months ago, Oscar's ghost had been accompanying me."

ᗢ⫘⫘⫘⫘𖦹⫘⫘⫘⫘♡

I laid out everything, leaving nothing unsaid. No one spoke for a while after I was done. Betta's arms were crossed, her brow frowned—while Rasbora had her hands covering her mouth and was looking downward.

Finally, Betta grunted. "I won't hold this against you. I would've done the same. Brought back Jack's ghost from the afterlife if I could."

Rasbora nodded. "Y-ya were going through a lot back then. I'm sure the Divines would understand."

"Yeah, I guess…" Even now, I still wasn't certain what to think about the Divines. Was I losing my powers because of my blasphemies against them? Or was it a consequence of my weakening willpower? After all, the strength of one's magic was influenced by state of mind.

Whatever the reason, I had accepted I'd stop being a Paladin soon.

I just wanted to tie up the last few loose ends before that day came.

"Have you tried redoing the ritual?" Betta asked.

"Eh?"

Rasbora blinked twice. "Eh?"

"Summon Oscar again so you can have a proper farewell." She looked away and murmured. "I'd like to talk to him one last time too."

"B-Betta, don't ya think asking someone to sin with a forbidden ritual is a little… inappropriate?"

"He's already done it once, so it's whatever. Besides, I'm not the biggest fan of the Divines anyway." Of course she wouldn't be.

"Do ya even realize what ya're saying?"

Betta clicked her tongue. "… Alright, forget it. Let's not find a new reason to bicker now that we're finally becoming a proper team."

Rasbora's lips were trembling, holding back a word-filled dam that was just about to burst. "Fine. Ah don't want a fight either." She leaned back on her sofa and crossed her arms in a very un-Rasbora way.

I wasn't certain what to say next—how to approach the last topic. We were barely averting a conflict as it was.

For Rasbora it would be asking her to betray her beliefs. And for Betta… it could go even worse. I have no choice but to leave it for another time.

"Corydorin…" Rasbora began, her expression softening, almost melancholic. "Ya don't want to slay the Cursed… umm… Princess, right?"

"I-I… I don't know."

"He doesn't," Betta said.

"Ah see… that is… the Divines… well… ah don't know." She ruffled her hair while squeezing her eyes, then said loudly, almost shouting: "It shouldn't be right to kill her if she's not evil, ah think."

I tried replying, but all that came out were unintelligible sounds.

Betta sighed and, as she did, the pressure she usually carried shrunk. "Throughout our journey, I've been asking a lot of people about the Cursed Prince, since I've been the one choosing our travel path. Many claim to have seen it, call it a monster like no other, say it feasts on souls and could kill you with a glance and whatnot." She gritted her teeth. "But not a single one of those pansies knew of anyone who's died at the hands of that thing. As far as I'm aware, it hasn't killed a person ever since the accident with Oscar."

She looked at Rasbora, who nodded, then at me. "One chance. I'm giving your pet one chance to prove to me it… she isn't a threat. If she's kept her fish-apple diet these two years and hasn't hurt anyone—and if you can convince her to leave human territory and go live in the Cursed Lands—then I'll spare her."

Even Betta…

My eyes warmed up, and a sniffle forced itself out of me, along with a small 'thank you'. In response, Rasbora smiled, and Betta grumbled again.

ᗢ⫘⫘⫘⫘𖦹⫘⫘⫘⫘♡

It had gotten pretty late by the time I got to my assigned room. After I closed the door behind me, I leaned on it—and remained there.

I can't believe it.

Things are actually… working.

Rasbora and Betta want to save her.

Thinking about it struck such a silly smile on my face. I couldn't control it—it had a will of its own.

A part of me still wanted to protest, but it had gotten so weak over the last few hours the only things it could whisper at this point were small fears that this might all be a dream, and that I'd wake up tomorrow as miserable as every prior day.

But no. This was real.

Everything was looking up.

It might not be a smooth sail all the way, I do need to remember that.

Still, strength overflowed me—I was confident in my ability to handle any unexpected hardship. Nothing could possibly sink me lower than what I'd been through.

This wasn't the lie of a fearful me trying to bury down deeper worries.

Whatever happened from now on, I would face it head on.