I got everything I wanted, and I’m happy with it all

“The hero Saido has returned!”
“Make way for the hero Saido!”
“The hero of Shimatou is back!”

As Ann and I re-enter the half-wrecked town, our clothes covered in dirt and our shoes red with dragon’s blood, we’re welcomed back with a familiar chorus of cheers

“Man, I know you’re the big figurehead they look up to, but still no love for me, huh?”
“I pledged you my undying love not four hours ago, and already you wish for more? I had thought there was a limit to selfishness, but you have once again exceeded my every expectation.”
“So you get love from me and the whole island but I’m selfish for wanting a little more? How cruel of you.”

We both let out a quiet giggle as we slowly walk through the streets, arm in arm, hearing the ecstatic cheers of the townsfolk.

It’s not long before a familiar face emerges before us, and begins running to meet us.

“Shiidou! Lady Ann! You’ve returned safely! How went your quest?”
Ah… I should probably inform Shimu that a big swath of the coastline is unrecoverable.
“Well, we have some very good news and also some pretty bad news…”

***

“I see… so peace between humanity on land and the dragons of the sea has been preserved?”
“It has. Although we should probably look into dealing with the piracy problem, so this doesn’t happen again.”

Shimu sits back in his chair, a look of great relief on his face. Even though he still keeps his stoic expression in public, it’s been nice watching him get more and more comfortable showing his feelings to me and Ann since we got here.

“Thank the lords of light and dark. An all-out war with the wave dragons would spell unmitigated disaster for this island. You two saved tens- no, maybe hundreds of thousands of lives with your actions today. I’ll see to it that you receive the proper recognition for your great deeds.”
“While we certainly appreciate that, I’d also like to let you in on the… less good news too.”
“Ah- yes, you did mention something of the sort. What troubles you?”

Ann and I look to one another with slightly grim expressions. This time, it’s Ann to speak first.

“My lord Shimu, while the Wave Dragon’s assault has been permanently ceased, the damage already done is… severe.”
“Severe? You mean it’s gone even further than the destruction of the coastal towns?”
“It’s not just the human structures that are gone. The flooding got so bad that the coastline itself is now underwater. Effectively, a lot of that fertile land that was easy to build on, grow food with and fish from is… either completely inaccessible or practically unusable. The reconstruction efforts will have to be called off. There’s nothing left.”

A slight twitch and grimace tell me that these were the words Shimu was hoping not to hear. Considering the huge numbers of people rendered homeless by the tsunami, such news likely puts him as the lord of this part of the island in a rough spot.

“That… certainly is concerning. Thousands are without permanent housing, and both time and resources are scarce already. Not to mention manpower. It appears that as one problem is solved another always seems to rear its head.”

Ain’t that the truth. God, this poor bastard can never catch a break, can he.

“If I may, my lord, while I cannot bring back the land that has been ruined, I may be able to alleviate the manpower problem a tad.”

Oh, right, Ann can use magical construction. If we’re no longer needed in the medical tent, we could probably be pretty useful at setting up new homes. Doesn’t solve the flooding of the coastline, but it’ll at least take one problem off of Shimu’s back.

“Lady Ann, you have done more for this island than any man, woman or child could ever possibly ask for. To request your services yet again…”
“You are not requesting them, my lord. I am offering them. To lazily bask in glory and admiration while there is still work to do… that simply is not an idea I can entertain.”

Shimu opens his mouth to protest again, but seems to have little to say.

“I wouldn’t bother arguing with her, Shimu. When Ann gets stubborn about something, god himself could not change her mind.”
“Must you speak of me as if I am a pigheaded oaf?”
“But your pigheadedness is one of the things I love about you.”
“…then I suppose I will allow it this once.”

Shimu raises an eyebrow at us, and his somewhat sombre expression suddenly leaves in place of that same shit eating grin. Don’t say it, asshole.

“My, it would seem my indecisive cousin has finally made his move. The two of you have finally joined together?”

Huh. Much tamer than I had expected.

“Yes, we’re actually together now, but we’d prefer to keep that somewhat under wraps for now. The traditionalists on this island might make a fuss about a master and maid being romantically involved.”
“Ah, well, as is the way of the world. I hope that won’t prevent you from doing your duty to extend our family line.”

There it is. Rat bastard. You really do have a filthy mind, don’t you, prick?

“Worry not, lord Shimu, on that front we will not disappoint you.”
“Christ alive, Ann, it’s been less than a day.”
“Your woman sounds eager, Shiidou. You wouldn’t want to hold her back, would you?”

Shimu keeps up that shit-eating grin, and Ann looks at me with a cute but incredibly petty smirk. God dammit, she’s getting me back for all the teasing, isn’t she?

“Well, as much as I am enjoying watching my cousin squirm in his seat, it appears I have urgent plans to make with my handymen. And I also don’t want to keep you dirty adolescents waiting any longer.”
“Dirty? This is slander, a defamation of the highest offence, I’ll have you flayed in the streets.”
“Shiidou, you’re covered in mud.”
“Oh.”

Fuck, maybe I’m the one with a filthy mind.

***

Thank the lord above that this world inherited the Japanese tradition of open air onsens. It’s always a coin toss as to whether you’ll find something from early-modern Great Britain or feudal Japan, and the British didn’t even invent public baths until after the industrial revolution.

Normally the place would be closed by now, but Shimu convinced the old gent running the place to let me and Ann have the last baths of the day. Considering, y’know, the whole 'preventing all out war with terrifying sea creatures' thing, the man was more than happy to oblige.

Smacking myself for letting the thought of ‘should have let us use the unisex one’ into my head, I lay back in the warm water and think about everything that happened today.

It didn’t even occur to me to think about it until now, but there’s been less than a day since Shimu told us about the dragon. Convincing Shimu to let us go, travelling there, fighting the dragon and travelling back… all between sunrise and sundown? No wonder I’m so exhausted.

Not to mention the… developments between me and Ann.

God, I can feel myself going red just thinking about it. Am I a schoolgirl with her first crush or something? Of course not, I’m a man! An adult! Hell, if you add my ages here and back on Earth, I’m practically 30! And I’m dating a 15 year old…oh fuck, that does not make me look good, does it?

God fucking dammit, it’s barely been a few hours and I’ve already gotten to the overthinking stage. Am I Ann’s boyfriend, or just her emotional baggage? Dear god, I hope it’s the first.

Still, something’s bothering me. And I swear to Christ it’s not the age thing.

Being with Ann makes me happier than I’ve felt in my life, this one or the last. But there’s just… something that doesn’t sit right, and I don’t know what it is. I know it’s not my feelings for, and I doubt it’s her feelings for me… so why is something weighing on my mind?

I sit thinking on it for a while, but nothing comes to mind. Maybe I should just brush it off as anxiety getting the better of me.

Having spent quite the while in the springs, I eventually get up and leave, drying myself off and slipping into the yukata that the old man had kindly left for me. Stepping out of the changing room, I find Ann waiting for me. Judging by her wet hair, she likely only just got out too.

“Ah, Shiidou, you’re finished with your bath?”
“Yeah, I’m all done. You look great in that yukata, by the way.”
“My, flattery just before we leave for bed? My reply to Shimu’s prod was in jest, you know.”

“Oh? Your voice was certainly convincing.”
“Commitment to the joke, nothing more.”
“Colour me disappointed.”
“Colour me unsurprised.”

See, Ann and I still banter the same as we ever did, and we know of each other’s feelings now.

I got everything I wanted, and I’m happy with it all.

Aren’t I?