Chapter Text
"Are you busy with quests or grinding today?" Schezo asked Ragnus. It was early in the morning, and Ragnus had already had something light to eat for breakfast. He was planning on swapping to his armour and heading off to make the most of the long summer day, but Schezo's question made him pause. Schezo was dressed quite neatly today, with a blue buttoned up vest over his white shirt. Schezo certainly never dressed messily when deciding to spend the day at home, but this was a clear step-up from his usual attire.
"I was, but what do you want me for?" Ragnus asked in turn. "I don't mind putting some of my tasks to the side if a friend needs me."
"Today, I am going to meet with my family to go visit my mother's grave. It is hard to find a time where all my family is able to meet up, so I felt I should enquire and check if you would be free to come. I have been wanting to introduce you to them for a while now. I apologise for the last minute offer, but it has just come to mind." He asked, sentences sounding surprisingly formal compared to his polite yet not informal way of speaking.
Schezo's mother was...
"I-I'm sorry she's gone." Ragnus hastily said. It was said so casually, but he was sure Schezo had never brought it up before! Ragnus wouldn't forget something like that – Ragnus couldn't forget something like that. Not about something so serious. Not if it involved Schezo. "Of course I'll come."
"It's been a long while now. It...doesn't hurt as much as it used to." Schezo said slowly, as if carefully choosing his words.
"Give me a little bit to obtain an item to leave on her grave in respect. I shall not be long!" Ragnus responded, some of his vigor returning as he slowly regained his footing in the conversation. He was glad Schezo caught him when he did, right before he reached the front door. Any later, and Ragnus would have already departed.
"A gift? Ragnus, you do not have to–"
"But I should! And so I shall! I will not be long!" Ragnus cut Schezo off. If it was a family gathering, they couldn't be late! Now was not the time for conversation! No longer was Ragnus in casual mode! No, he was in quest mode! Without letting a single moment pass by, he was off.
He had passed the florist in the village a good few times. Flowers were near useless for a hero, so he had never bothered to come. Right now, they were everything. Ragnus absolutely had to give a good first impression to Schezo's family. On the chance he stayed with this Schezo, they'd be part of his life. They absolutely had to get off on the right foot. Ragnus took in the sights and smells of the florist's. Sweet scents filled the air, accompanied by more floral scents. Flowers of all shapes and sizes, in all the colours of the rainbow, covered almost every surface. Some were set in beautiful bouquets, held in vases filled with water. Some other flowers were in pots, well cared for.
The florist, an old man with hair greying, was watering one of the potted plants as Ragnus perused the selection. A bouquet full of pink and yellow flowers caught his eye. It reminded him of sunsets and sunrises. How gorgeous. He checked it for any blemishes.
"You're a new face. Recently moved to this village, eh?" A raspy voice that Ragnus assumed was the florist's asked. He turned to give the florist his proper attention.
"I've been living here for a good while now. I haven't needed to come here so far, is all."
"I've not seen you in the streets."
"I live further out. In the forest." Wording it like that, Schezo's house placement did strike Ragnus as quite odd. But being surrounded by so much nature, and the peacefulness that came with it? Ragnus wouldn't give that up for anything.
"Ah, you live with Schezo then? He's never mentioned a housemate to me."
"You know him?" On a first name basis too? With Schezo's reputation, that sounded unreasonable to Ragnus.
"He buys a lot of lavender seeds from me. We have our chats here and there whenever we see each other."
Ragnus supposed that made sense. The bouquet in his hands looked alright, but flowers were not his area of expertise. Nor was visiting graves. "I'm here to get some flowers to put on his mother's grave. I've never visited a grave before. Is this an alright boquet to use?"
The florist's face fell. "Schezo's never mentioned that to me. I hope he's doing alright..."
He gave the bouquet a good look over. "Are these her favourite colours? Or flowers?
"I never got the chance to see her before she died." It was something Ragnus regretted, despite being out of his control. If he and Schezo got together, he would've loved for both of Schezo's parents to be there to see.
"Well, I'd say they're pretty looking enough. I'm sure it'll be appreciated either way."
"Then I think I shall buy these. How much?"
"It's on the house."
"Absolutely not! I can't not pay you!" Not a single quest had been completed. Heroes only got free things before a big battle, in dungeon crawls, or as a quest reward. For no reason? Preposterous!
"With the amount of gold Schezo gives me when he buys my lavender seeds in bulk, we won't feel a thing. Consider this an act of kindness."
Act of kindness? Heroes do acts of kindness – in no way did they ever receive them. But, time was running short. He couldn't argue.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Ragnus conceded. What a sweet man. "Thank you."
As Ragnus began to exit the store, the florist turned his back as he tended to another plant. Just like Ragnus assumed. He took some gold out of his inventory as he snuck over to the counter. As gently as he could, he left it on the counter before sneakily scurrying out. It was the good and right thing to do. The bouquet went straight into Ragnus' inventory, where it was safe.
The trip back wasn't long, and Schezo was standing outside the house, waiting.
"Do you mind using your sword to carve out a magic circle in the ground?" Schezo asked as Ragnus got close. "I still haven't gone to get any more charcoal or chalk yet. It keeps slipping my mind."
"Guide me on what specifically to draw, and consider it done." Retrieving his Reactor Blade, Ragnus followed Schezo's words exactly. Schezo watched over him as he carefully drew it all out. Circles, runes, then a star in the center... Ragnus put the Reactor Blade back in his inventory as he stood back and looked at his handiwork. Everything was smooth and cleanly drawn, in his opinion. His art skills were getting better, clearly! Take that, past Schezo who believed he had the artistic skills of an infant!
"We can use this. Good job, Ragnus." Schezo said. The praise warmed his heart more than Ragnus was expecting, and fed his pride even more. Schezo stepped into the circle, and held out his free hand. More eagerly than he'd intended, Ragnus took Schezo's hand and stepped into the circle. It was only for a moment, but holding hands outside like this made Ragnus' heart pound in his chest. Holding hands, just like a couple would...
Schezo chanted a spell, and a warm light consumed Ragnus' vision. A slight vertigo washed over him for a moment. Then, it all faded, and he was met with the view of a cemetery. He took a moment to look around, and gain his bearings. They were in front of a grave, headstone weathered but clean, and a small amount of little rocks placed by it. There was a serene silence in the cemetery. Nobody else was there.
"Hm." To his dismay, Schezo stopped holding Ragnus' hand. "Is everyone else late? I was expecting them to already be here."
"Maybe we're early?"
"No, I'm certain this was the time we decided on. I think we should check the entrance."
Schezo knew the layout of this place, and Ragnus did not. He followed Schezo through the large cemetery. He wondered if all these graves were visited. Who were the people? What were they like before dying? The questions floated through Ragnus' mind as they passed them.
After a few minutes, they arrived at the entrance, silver gates surrounded by brick wall opened. Two girls, one white haired like Schezo and the other black haired, stood as if waiting, talking to each other. Raising his hand and waving, Schezo called out to them as he hurried on. Ragnus sped up too.
"Oh! Schezo!" The black haired one said happily.
"I was wondering where you were." Schezo replied. Two was a small number. Surely this wasn't everybody? "I brought Ragnus along with me."
Schezo stepped to the side, bringing Ragnus straight into view. The two looked at him with almost a sense of awe. Nothing new for a hero like Ragnus, but...what a first impression for Schezo's family. Ragnus gave them a little wave, and a smile to go with it. No need to put on a heroic demeanour to people that would get to know him as a person. "Hello."
"Ragnus, this is Sereis." Schezo gestured to the black haired girl. "And this is Mari. They're both my younger sisters."
"It's nice to meet you both."
"Schezo's told us lots about you." Mari said. "You've got to tell us all about the places you've been!"
"Me especially! You'll give me so much writing inspiration!" Sereis said.
"Yes, you two can talk about that for now." Schezo escorted Mari to the side. "I need to speak to Mari for a moment."
"Schezo told me you read my books with him."
"I do! Usually I rest my head on his lap and he reads them to me. He's a great performer." Ragnus couldn't help but eavesdrop on the other conversation. Schezo brought up his father – apparently he was ill with a summer's cold. Nothing serious, despite Schezo's concerns, but nothing he wanted to spread, so he had stayed home. And then, supposedly Sword was running late. Nothing too important or interesting. "Your most recent book has captivated me."
Sereis' blue eyes sparkled with joy. "Oh, really?!"
"I started out disliking Tania, but I had never considered that the life of a vampire would be lonely. She's just a victim of circumstance. I hope her and Sedric find a happy ending together." Ragnus had never thought about the lives of monsters in such detail before. He wondered if vampires in real life were like Tania.
"I think probably everyone dislikes her at the start. She shows herself to be quite the typical vampire there." Sereis said. Ragnus watched as Schezo walked further out onto the stone paved street, looking around. He returned his gaze and focus to Sereis.
"And if they get a happy ending..." Sereis gave Ragnus a sly smirk. "I won't spoil you on that."
"You also wanted writing inspiration?"
"I do! Have you got any cool or interesting tales for me?"
The Yog incident was what came to Ragnus' mind. Stressful and even terrifying at parts in the moment, it made for a fascinating story to tell. He kept his mouth shut as he thought of other options, however; Giant interdimensional monsters that threatened to tear apart the world at the seams like it had many before would sound unrealistic to normal people like Sereis. Or, it would downright terrify her. That wouldn't be good either.
"One time, in a far away land, I had to slay a chimera. Some scientist had made one from scratch, but it broke out from their control and went haywire." That story was from early on in his life as a hero. Before he had even battled Runelord! Amateurish and lacking experience on how to put his years of hero training into real use, the fight had been a struggle. Yet, despite all odds, Ragnus had come through on top. Just like any hero would – heroes could never fail, after all. That would go against the whole point of their existence.
"Hm, interesting. What'd it look like? And where in the world did this take place?" Sereis asked innocently. Gaiearth was thankfully not too different from this world. Making a plausible lie for that would be a trivial task. Then, the look of the beast was something Ragnus could easily recall.
"You could see these big stitches where different monster parts were put together. None of them matched in colour, and–"
Ragnus' explanation was quickly cut short. In what felt like a blink of the eye, Schezo had been caught in the arms of a woman who had charged at him with all her might. Having scooped him into a hug, she lifted Schezo from the ground and twirled in a circle with him. As she spun, her dark brown, curled hair that reached down to her shoulders flowed like a prideful flag raised high into the air. Then, they came to a stop, and she set Schezo down gently.
Ragnus wished he could do that with Schezo, now that the view had brought that idea to mind.
"That's Sword." Sereis said, watching her too as Schezo greeted her in proper. The large bag slung over Sword's shoulder was opened up by her, and she pulled out a navy jacket that seemed to be made from leather. She held it out to Schezo, who took it from her and examined it. "As you can probably tell, she's quite the energetic one. Talkative, too."
Her clothes were fit for any adventurer. A dark red tunic similar to the one Ragnus was wearing, differing in only colour, and brown trousers with many pockets to be filled with various items. On her back were two swords, sheathed.
Ragnus couldn't even get another thought or sentence out to Sereis before Schezo pointed in his direction. Sword turned, and spotted Ragnus. The moment she did, a big grin appeared on her face, and she waved before approaching.
Sword was so eager, and yet Ragnus felt like he had cold feet. His mind was still trying to work out the best way come across to Schezo's family. This was different from any other first meeting he'd had. Not in the chaos of battle or allies forged against a looming threat, but rather a calmer family gathering. He was completely out of his element. Conversations had never felt so hard before.
"She's been dying to meet you." Sereis said. "You can finish that recount later. Go on, say hi!"
She urged him forward, and before Ragnus knew it he was face to face with Sword. She was taller than him, and while not by any significant amount, Ragnus still had to tilt his head upwards slightly to meet her gaze. Her joyful brown eyes shone golden in the sun. She looked quite different to the other siblings, though her face reminded Ragnus a lot of Schezo's. The freckles on her face were speckled like flecks of mud, as if she'd just been rough housing someone in it.
"Heya, Ragnus! It's great to meet you." Sword said, thankfully starting off the conversation for the two.
"Nice to meet you too." Ragnus gave a smile in exchange. Where to take the conversation next... "You're quite tall."
"I am indeed! I'm the tallest of the lot, like any eldest sibling should be. Look," Sword turned back to Schezo, who had put that jacket on and was examining himself. "Hey, Schezo!"
He raised his head.
"Come show Ragnus how short you are!"
"Oh, do you really have to word it like that?" Schezo groaned, though nonetheless complying. The other sisters were easy to rally and the siblings arranged into a line in front of Ragnus; At one end was Sword, the tallest and standing proud. Then, Sereis, and then Schezo. Mari was at the other end of the line, a little under an inch shorter than Schezo. From tallest, to shortest.
"Our heights are almost in order! Schezo and Sereis are swapped around, though."
"And I'm only seventeen! Not an adult just yet..." Mari pointed out, giving Schezo an evil smile.
"I doubt you'll grow anymore. You better not. I shall not stand for being the shortest of the lot! You'll all torment me over it!"
"Don'tcha worry, Schezo! I'll get you stilts to make you feel better."
"Stilts?!"
Before Ragnus knew it, a smile had crept onto his face watching the silly argument unfold. It reminded him of the silly arguments everyone he knew in the other world had. Except, this was more intimate. No topics dear to anyone were probed unlike the other world, and despite the growl of frustration in Schezo's voice, it held no true anger. Even though they were used to one another, Ragnus had never seen Schezo act this freely, so himself. Clearly, Schezo was in his element. It was something Ragnus could watch forever.
"Now, instead of talking about using potions to make my body type akin to a piece of spaghetti, shall we go to do what we came here to do?" Schezo interjected in the conversation before one of his sisters could get another word in. That caused them to quieten.
"Yeah, we should go do that. Don't wanna keep Mother waiting any longer, do we? We can leave all this for after."
In unanimous agreement, everyone joined Schezo on the short journey to the grave he and Ragnus had teleported to earlier. Soon, they all stood around it. Ragnus would expect such a scene to be accompanied by overcast skies and drizzly rain; Instead, bright and sunny skies shone down on them all. Ragnus stood by one of the edges of the line they had formed, accompanied by Sword. To his dismay, Schezo had ended up on the opposite side. Mari crouched down. In her hand was...a pebble. Small and round, a nice dark colour too. She placed it in front of the headstone. Then Sereis took a pebble of her own from a pocket sewn into her dress, and put it by Mari's. Schezo brought out his own little stone. While jagged in some areas, his undeniably resembled a grey heart.
"I feel very lucky to have found this. There is no place else where this rock could have a better home." He rested it upright, by the other freshly placed ones. Its shape was on display for all to see. The sinking feeling in Ragnus' stomach only grew stronger as he watched as Sword placed her own. It seemed that those innocuous little stones he had noticed earlier weren't as innocuous as he thought.
It was his turn. And he was the odd one out. This definitely wouldn't help with first impressions. But, why were pebbles used? Ragnus hadn't heard of anything like that before. Would it be wrong, somehow, to put flowers on her grave?
There was only one way to see. Ragnus was no coward, even in the wake of possibly committing a social faux pas. Being high up on the recent tab in his inventory, the bouquet wasn't hard to find. With a deep breath, Ragnus took it out. Surrounded by a court of silence, he crouched.
The bouquet was rested on the side of the headstone. The front where all the pebbles were seemed like it should be reserved for family. Its vibrant hues added a splash of colour to the view. He made sure that it was unlikely to fall on its own by checking its angle before standing back up.
"I– I didn't know. About the pebble thing." Ragnus blurted, fiddling with his hands. The ground was suddenly a very appealing thing to look at.
"I was trying to tell you about it, but you cut me off and ran away to buy a gift anyways." Schezo sighed. "You really ought to stop and listen more."
"Ah."
"She did like those colours though." Mari noted.
"Mother always loved waking up early to see the sunrise. It's a great choice colour-wise, I'll give you that." The praise from Mari and Sereis was enough to begin to soothe the anxiety bubbling inside Ragnus.
"It was not a terrible choice to make then?"
"Nah! If she was here she'd get it." Sword dismissed his worries with a lax wave of her hand. "Our family's just different from most others in that way."
"Our mother grew up on a farm, as I've told you. With the cost of taking care of the animals and the like, her family wasn't left with the most money at the end of the day. She grew up learning how to make the most of the money she had," Schezo explained. "And a family tradition was to place stones by a grave instead of flowers. They're free and easy to get, stops the lives of flowers being cut short, and you can spend the money on the living instead."
That explained how the Schezo Ragnus knew first was so good at living from one odd job to the next. He must have learned from the best. The anxiety in him ebbed away. The ordeal went better than he was expecting. "Makes a lot of sense, when you put it that way."
The sight was even prettier now. The sun beamed down on the headstone, highlighting the evidence of love that could never wither away. The evidence of love that was hard and enduring.
"There used to be more here, but a few years back there was a really big storm that blew almost all of them away." Mari said. "It sucks, but at least it gave us space to put more down."
Ragnus wondered what it looked like before. It would've been nice to see, the love of a family accumulated with the passage of time.
"We usually update Mother on our lives now, but seeing Ragnus won't really have anything to say to her..." Schezo's voice trailed off, looking at the ground in thought. Then, he turned his gaze to Sword. "Would you mind entertaining Ragnus for a while, Sword? I'll be sure to return the favour afterwards."
Before Ragnus could even get a word of his own out, Sword's hand had already grabbed his. "Of course!"
"Come back in an hour or so, will you?"
"Noted! C'mon, Ragnus!" Sword urged with the glee of an excited child wanting to take their parent to see something cool. There was no other choice but to comply – either way, Ragnus was intrigued about what had Sword so excited.
Feeling less out of his element than he thought he'd be, Ragnus was whisked away from the comforting and familiar presence of Schezo and into the new company of Sword. Once they had left the cemetery, her pace slowed to a leisurely walk. Her hand never left his, however, and yet her upbeat and friendly presence left Ragnus feeling comfortable enough with the situation, now free from many eyes. It was as if he already knew her, a close friend he was simply catching up with.
"This is our hometown, so I know all the good places to go! We'll definitely be able to find enough stuff to burn time."
"Hmm...do you know the best place to get groceries from, then?"
Sword raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Groceries? That's the first thing you think of?"
"That's all I'm interested in getting."
"Really?"
Ragnus pondered for a little moment. Heroes were raised to live off of limited resources, items grabbed in dungeon depths and quickly used up in the heat of combat. Items dear to Ragnus were little, and it would be silly to perhaps add to that number for no reason. It wasn't as if he would have a home to display his favourite trinkets forever. Trinkets in a home raising a to-be hero would also prove to be nothing but distracting. The groceries instead were planned to be forged into a gift.
"Yes, really."
"Okay...well, I guess time burning is time burning no matter what form it takes!" Sword replied. With that, her pace picked up slightly as she led Ragnus his way there. With her guidance, they weaved between small groups of people here and there that filled the streets of the town. Soon enough, they found themselves in a shop, interior laid out like almost every other shop Ragnus had seen. Immediately, he got to work finding what he wanted.
He'd memorised the recipe for scones he'd found in one of the cookbooks Schezo owned – not that he needed to, with how the quest system had conveniently placed the list inside the details of a sidequest. They weren't hard to find, and Sword watched curiously as he did so.
"I want to bake scones. For Schezo," He answered the question she had yet to ask. "He's still quite insistent on doing things around the house. I've absolutely gone past being a guest at this point, but he gives me hospitality like I am one anyways. I want to give back to him. Show my appreciation."
"Ain't you sweet? He's quite fond of those. He'll be over the moon once you surprise him with them."
That was exactly what Ragnus wanted to hear. After paying for his items, Ragnus put them away safe in his inventory as Sword watched in awe. Her eyes glittered in fascination.
"I saw you use that inventory thing back at the cemetery, but...woah. Never in my life have I seen something like that! Howd'ya get it to work?"
Ragnus opened his mouth to speak, then paused. How did the inventory work, really?
"I...don't think I can tell you," He started, slowly. "It's been a part of me for so long, it'd be like telling someone how to breathe."
"Ah, it really isn't a magical item, then?" Once they were back outside, Sword took Ragnus' hand, leading him to someplace else within the town. "I was never sure if you were fibbing to Schezo or not. I bet he'd love to get his hands all over it if it was an item."
"What? A hero would never lie!" The words left Ragnus with a pungent bitter taste in his mouth. He scrambled to add more to his statement. "Unless the lie is necessary in the greater scheme of life and do-goodery! Of course!"
"Oooh, makes sense. From what I've heard from Schezo, you didn't grow up with magic at all, did you? You grew up with all those cool locomotives and contraption thingamajigs everywhere else has."
Contraption thingamajigs? Locomotives? What on earth were those, and what did they have to do with the conversation?! Ragnus had made sure to keep a list of every lie he added to the web. As far as he knew, those two items weren't part of his web. In no way could he work out what they meant in the moment without risking the web falling apart. Quickly thinking of a response, he hoped for the best.
"I did not, actually. My home growing up was very rural, and we didn't have access to those sorts of things." White lies were necessary right now.
"Really? With the way my father by blood talks about his travels in the wider world, I thought they'd be in every home and settlement. I guess ya learn something new every day."
"Father by blood?"
"My father's different from the others. I thought that'd be more obvious with, y'know," Sword gestured at her face. "My hair's dark brown and curly, my eyes are brown too, my skin's darker than the others' as well...took after him more than I did my mother, that's for sure. I have got her face and freckles, though. Got told I looked a lot like her when I was younger."
With the whirlwind of chaos and stress today had started as, Ragnus hadn't particularly put much thought into wondering why Sword looked so different at all. Making a good first impression was much more important. And, of course, it'd sound rude to ask out of the blue and heroes were never rude.
"Anyways, he used to live in a different country, one that makes a lot of things out of metals, before moving here to study magic in advanced education. My mother was talented at magic, and so she took the chance to study it too once she became an adult. They met, and fell in love. Then, they were surprised with me coming into their life!" Sword grinned. "Apparently the rush to get married before I arrived was more stressful than any exam they'd taken – and that says a lot. But, it all worked out in the end, and we settled down together in a home they'd managed to buy."
That was clearly not the end of the story, and so Ragnus let her continue. The others' father had to come in at some point.
"But, y'know. They rushed to get married without having enough time to really think if they wanted to get married or not, or have a long term relationship at all! They were together for a good few years, but they recognised that it weren't gonna last. Knowing that, they split up before it got sour. My father didn't set off to wander the world like he wanted until I was much older. That meant I got even more presents for birthdays, and the others did too once they came along. That's pretty neat, ain't it?"
"That's every child's dream, I'd believe." Sword's story ended up sweeter than the others of the same kind Ragnus had heard before. Couples, bound by rings and vows and duty, let their relationship sour and fester until its toxicity corroded things they both cared for. She was lucky hers ended so sweet.
Ragnus wondered how his parents were doing. They had been sweet, their love formed and solidified in the heat of battle back when they used to quest together as members in a party. He was raised and trained with the utmost care and affection, up until he was set off on his own grand journey on the dawn of his fourteenth birthday, like all Bishasis before him had done so. Were they still happy together, enjoying their rest after a job well done raising Ragnus?
"Sometimes, he'd come over and give us all these super sweet treats he made that came from his homeland. One of 'em were these balls made of this specific type of cheese. They were soaked in condensed milk, and they were super sweet! Don't remember the name, but I do wanna make 'em myself sometime..."
"Can't you ask him?"
"I mean, I guess I could, but..." Sword shrugged. "It's hard to send him a letter, with him always travelling. Gotta be randomly surprised by him coming to visit to talk to him. Doesn't happen much."
"Ah. I see." Travelling was fun – necessary, for him – but it certainly had its downsides.
"Yeah, it's– it's not the best," Sword started. She squeezed Ragnus' hand just a little tighter. "Even though he's from another place entirely, I only really know the culture here. He assimilated into this one to not stand out and seem weird. All I've got are the foods he used to make, and even then I don't know their names. There's so many varieties, and I haven't the foggiest on how to work out which ones he made. Makes me feel like I'm missing part of myself, y'know?"
Food, holidays, tradition, song. Customs, dress, faith. All the things that made up a culture. Sword's words sparked Ragnus' own thoughts on the topic.
Gaiearth's culture. What was it?
There was no lie in saying he grew up rural. In a small village, where other children didn't understand the talk of questing and battles, and so Ragnus kept to himself while he played and trained. From his earliest memories Ragnus had been read stories of great heroes by his parents, who promised that he would be just like them one day. Clad in shining armour, muscular, masculine and strong, glossy locks and a heart of gold. Finding the love of his life on his travels. Having her work as support on the sidelines in battle, or needing to be rescued from the nefarious clutches of evil like the poor damsel she'd be. Then, eventually a happily ever after where they'd marry, have a son and begin the process anew.
Those things were expected as a hero. That was hero culture; Then, what had Ragnus missed out on? Just how much did he really know about his homeland? With the way he travelled from one place to the next, the common people fearing his terrifying strength, it surely couldn't be a culture surrounding any sort of fighting or violence. Their reactions made Ragnus feel like a ghost. Maybe, with how little he really knew about his homeland, perhaps the description was apt. Disconnected from everything around himself, and alone.
"Yeah. I get it." Ragnus simply replied.
There was a reason that he didn't stay in Gaiearth for long after Satan gave him a way back after dealing with the Yogs. After experiencing a world full of sorcery, a world that did not fear him, and knowing he had a way back to it, Gaiearth didn't feel quite appealing to reside in any longer. That, and the fact that the Azorecrack revealed to him many worlds in crisis that needed saving. Ragnus had moved on, and never really looked back all that much until today. Not even the prospect of seeing his parents again could bring him back – though, what hero returns to the low levelled area of the starting village? It was not as if there was a high levelled dungeon nearby to encourage him to return.
"Where are you leading me, actually?" Ragnus asked, eager to lead the conversation somewhere else. The current topic he'd never dwelled on, and with the growing nauseating feeling in the pit of his stomach, he would rather not anymore.
"Oh, I should've asked – you do have that Reactor Blade on you, don't you?"
"I'm never without it."
"Great! Considering all ya wanted to do was get groceries, I figured we'd have enough time for you to show it to me! I'm just takin' ya to a sports court. They let you duel with magic and swords there. Nobody there'll freak out if you bring your sword out. It's a little while away from the cemetery, but we're almost there now."
Nobody had ever really taken an interest in the Reactor Blade before. At most, people noted on its large size and nothing more. It wasn't as if Ragnus had much to say about it, either. The origins of his set of armour and weapon had almost been lost to time at this point. Supposedly the first Bishasi was gifted the set from a goddess just as gold as the items themselves. But who knew if that was really true? It would explain their health and longetivity, though.
They soon arrived at their destination. Sword led Ragnus into the court, finding a free spot relatively quickly. Brick walls towered around them – in case of stray spells, Sword explained. It would be better for an ice storm to damage the walls than another building. The noise of others doing their own things, spells crackling, was easily tuned out.
Sword waited expectantly, wide eyed like a child about to see a magic trick. She rocked back and forth on her heels slightly as she did. Stepping back, Ragnus took the Reactor Blade out from his inventory. It shone white like pure justice as he held it in fighting stance, though not as bright as Sword's excited face.
"Woah, Schezo wasn't fibbing! That thing is huge compared to any sword I've seen. It's almost comical."
Ragnus gave a few flourishes, showing off how it glinted and sparkled under the light of the sun in battle. A captivated audience, even if only one person, filled him with a warm glee. Sword could admire his sword as much as she liked.
"It's my most prized possession! And its size is nothing I cannot handle!" The swiftness of its movements in his hands was something that caught many enemies off guard. With the high damage the big blade did, they weren't in a state of shock for long.
"Can I have a closer look at the blade itself?"
"You may do so!" Ragnus agreed. He rested the Reactor Blade in his hands and lowered it so it could be seen more easily. Sword peered at it, and the pure white metal reflected her curious face clearly.
"Such an interesting make...like a broadsword but not quite. Never seen a metal like this before too." Sword noted. "Is it enchanted or something?"
"Perhaps. Its true origin has been lost to time." Ragnus explained to Sword the past he knew. The metal being enchanted would make sense, with how the Reactor Blade had unique abilities.
"A gift from a goddess...interesting stuff, even if it might not be true."
"The Reactor Blade can also cut through darkness! It's a pure embodiment of light itself!" Ragnus proudly said. "I'm also able to burn my own life force to power it up further! I can show you–"
"What?! No, don't do that! I'll take your word for it!" Sword quickly butted in. "Burning your life force to show somethin' off is a bit too far, don'tcha think?!"
Having grown used to the negative effects of using the Reactor Blade that way, Ragnus didn't think so. If he had the time to rest and recuperate, the effects would eventually disappear. Only once had he burned through almost all he had, and he wasn't planning on doing it again. Not for something as simple as this, at least.
But Sword was not used to the way of a hero. She wouldn't understand, wouldn't be able to be swayed so easily. So, despite being more than capable, Ragnus relented.
"Yes, it was quite silly to say, wasn't it?" Having shown off all of the unique traits of the Reactor Blade, Ragnus returned it to his inventory. "You may also have a look at my armour, if you'd like."
"Nah, I was only really interested in the sword. However..." She removed her bag and tossed it to the side. Unsheathing one of her smaller, normal blades, she gave it to Ragnus and briefly explained how she always kept two on her when travelling in case of emergencies. "I wanna see what you can do. Up for a one on one?"
Ragnus lit up at the prospect, not unlike Kuu when someone mentioned a magic word (salmon). A friendly spar was something he'd been lacking for a very long time now. There was no training quite as thrilling. In no way was he turning this down.
"Of course!" The sword was much lighter than the weighty Reactor Blade. Making sure he didn't overdo the force in each attack would be a struggle, but one he was sure he'd adapt to fast. Heroes were quick on their feet, after all. Sword drew out the second blade, readying into a fighting position.
Ragnus let her take the first move. With enemies never fought before, it was always best to focus on dodging. Assess the moveset, then strike with as much force as possible at the best times to do so.
She struck swiftly, immediately aiming to disarm Ragnus. He deftly dodged out of the way of the attack and returned with one of his own. If he knew how she dealt with attacks, he could find a way to work around them.
It wasn't long until he found a rhythm he was comfortable with. All that he could hear was the clang of metal on metal, and the thumps of dexterous footwork. Sword was skilled, skilled enough Ragnus was kept on his toes. He hadn't felt such uncertainty during any combat in a good while; If this was a serious battle and not a sparring match, Ragnus would be seriously worried.
He lunged. Reacting almost immediately, Sword raised her blade to block the attack. The end of the blade rested on top of her hand for stability.
Just like how Schezo did it.
Not having the time to dwell on that realisation, Ragnus quickly changed his movement. He swiftly positioned his sword underneath Sword's. Lifting it upwards, he aimed to disarm her like he had Schezo sometimes. A grip too relaxed to lessen the impact would have the weapon come flying out of her hands.
She broke her guard the moment Ragnus attempted to execute his strategy. Stepping back, she reassumed a fighting stance.
Ragnus struck as soon as he could. Keep up the pressure, and she was bound to slip. Silver glinted and shone in the sun as their blades clashed.
Then, she grabbed near the end of his blade, and used her hilt to bash his wrist. The force wasn't too strong as to hurt, but it was enough to loosen his grip enough to allow her to...pull the blade out of his hands.
Ragnus was speechless.
Sword dropped his blade to the ground as she checked her hand. "No cuts, thank goodness. It's a risky maneuver, but not one anyone sees coming!"
What a way for a battle to end. She was right – he wouldn't have seen that coming ever. He wouldn't have expected the bash to work either. But, unlike usual...no sense of shame came over Ragnus at his loss.
Instead, he found himself laughing.
"That was great! You were a worthy opponent!" Exp points the spar gave him filled up his exp bar, suddenly visible on the right side of his vision. The white bar under his icon inched just a little closer to level 90. Level 89 had been reached a while ago, while in that cave system. Eventually, he'd reach the grand level 100 – then, it'd be an arduous grind for metal enemies in order to raise it up to the fabled level 255. Not many heroes got that far!
Sword laughed too. "Wanna go again?"
"I can't say no to that!"
The successions of matches that followed had their victories left up to a coin toss. Sword would win one, and in the next Ragnus would reign victorious. New tactics deployed by either side were quickly understood by the other, counters formed soon after. Heart pounding in his chest, Ragnus was beaming. All these skills he was picking up! New ways to use his Reactor Blade, the newfound ability to manipulate ki too. And, perhaps Schezo could later teach him combat magic. It seemed being trapped in this world had some very good consequences!
Eventually Sword quit, claiming to be tuckered out, and promptly laid flat on her back to gain her breath. Ragnus had no qualms in doing the same. The thrill had been fiery, giving him energy to go through match after match. Now, his legs were like jelly and the heart hammering away in his chest was out of exhaustion, not excitement. The simple dirt ground felt like the comfiest bed, as he watched the fluffy clouds drift by lazily with Sword.
"Was your name a prophecy, or something?" Ragnus asked when his breath was more level, wanting to make conversation and the oddity of her name begging for more context. "Your name's Sword. You're good with swords. It's a very specific coincidence."
"Nah, I chose it for myself." She explained. "When I found that I didn't wanna be a boy and wanted to be a girl instead, my first name didn't fit anymore. It was hard to choose a name so I just named myself after the weapon. I like 'em! They're cool. Neat weapons too! They make me happy, and I thought my name should be something that makes me happy too. It fit. Even if it is something people think is ridiculous."
"...You can...just do that?" Ragnus asked, slowly. Quietly. He turned his head to look at her, brows furrowed. With great evils and tedious quests taking up his time, Ragnus was well aware of the fact he likely didn't have the knowledge of some facets of the world like others did. But this was something he would have never expected to be a thing. If anything, Ragnus would believe it to be like Schezo's desire to be a cat: nothing but a novel fantasy.
"Well..." Sword paused. She looked up in thought. "Depends on how you'd define 'doing that.' "
"Go on?"
"There used to be magic go change a person's body, but it's lost to time. No shot that way for now. A lot of the world also...isn't the most keen on the idea either, to put it lightly." She grimaced as she said that last part. But soon enough, the smile that fit her face so well returned. "But, my family sees me as a girl, and they accept who I am. So no matter what happens, I'll be alright. I'll be happy. I'll always have the strength to keep going!"
Her optimism was contagious. As a hero, from young he had been taught how to soldier on, even if all hope was lost. For Sword, hope and optimism and the will to keep going seemed to come naturally. Ragnus could feel himself becoming tinged green with jealousy.
"Working out I was a girl was the best thing that ever happened to me, I think. Getting Schezo, Sereis and Mari as my siblings comes second. When I was a boy, I thought my life was pretty alright, but now? Looking back, I felt horrible," Sword continued. "Like I was just trapped in this kinda cage. Glad I'm outta it! Things are much better for me now!"
Ragnus opened his mouth to speak, but something deep inside made him pause. The topic was deeply interesting. But...the idea of probing the topic rubbed something in him the wrong way. It was like a pandora's box. One that felt like it would have...consequences if opened. One Ragnus wasn't sure he should touch. Wasn't sure he could.
"I only learned about your mother this morning. For some reason, Schezo told me that fact last minute, and offered to let me tag along last minute too." Ragnus said the first thing that came to mind. Pivot the conversation to something else, get his mind off...off that. "I fear it may have made me a bit all over the place and awkward earlier. Sorry if I was."
"He what?! Ugh, he always does that!" Sword exclaimed. She buried her face in her hands as she groaned. "You don't need to feel bad. He's just...like that, when it comes to her. He doesn't like talking about her when it comes to her being dead."
"Figured." Many times he had spoken of her fondly. Never had he alluded to such a thing; Even when recounting the events of visiting family on his birthday, the lack of a mention of his mother slipped by Ragnus easily. So casually spoken, and Ragnus' brain hindered by the effects of alcohol, and it was as if nothing was off. He couldn't blame him for acting such a way, of course. Patty had been hidden deep in the back of Ragnus' mind after losing her. So busy with quests, there was no time to grieve. It hurt to think about her. It hurt even worse when Ragnus began to grow feelings for Schezo, feeling that he was betraying her. It took a good while to reconcile that. "How was she like?"
"She was sweet. Smart too. Like, super smart. Knew all kinds of stuff about magic! She's the person who got Schezo hooked on the stuff. Her house rules were quite strict, but she was never cruel. And her food was so good. She..."
As Sword rambled on, the desire to have met her mother grew even stronger. She sounded like someone Ragnus would mesh well with. Perhaps, in another world, time or place, they could've even been party members. Ragnus could say that about many in the Wegey family now. They were all interesting people with such depth; Ragnus had no idea how he had never wondered about Schezo's family until he became stranded in this world.
"...and then, about eight years ago, she just...started getting sick." The happy tone in Sword's voice was dropped, melancholy replacing it. "Dunno with what. It was one of those really bad ones. Completely uncurable, and no way to protect yourself from it."
Ragnus had heard of things like that before. A quest to get an item or herb in an attempt to cure it usually followed. He never stayed around to see if it worked.
The fact he kept getting quests for it suggested that they didn't.
"Schezo had none of that though. He chose to study healing magic so he'd be able to make a spell to cure her. He spent so many late nights studying, and making new spells. Nobody could get him to stop."
"I take it didn't work." The memory of that one winter day suddenly came to mind. Schezo, briefly bringing up that one incident to explain why he was treating the fever manually. With what Sword was saying...
"They made her worse. Somehow." Sword's voice was quiet, timid. It didn't fit her. "By the time we linked it, she'd already gotten so bad. It just– None of it makes any sense. Anything damaged inside would get healed. How did the illness feed off it?"
Sicknesses were puzzling things. Evil puzzling things, like those spherical ball labyrinth toys made for children. And for poor Schezo to be at the center of such a thing...
"I'm sorry you all went through such a terrible thing."
"Time's healed my wounds, don't worry. Schezo though...he's not good with emotions. Or people. Emotions regarding people. He was there in the room with her when she...y'know. Things were so bad that he dropped out of school because of an accident in an exam that stopped him from passing first try. He's grieved, but I don't think he's all that over it yet."
Tears pricked at Ragnus' eyes at the thought of Schezo suffering so badly. Grief like that would be hard to bear for so long, no doubt. If he were in the same position, he'd have no idea how he would cope, if at all. And despite it all, Schezo had gone through life so happily and idyllically that Ragnus had no idea such a tragedy could have even happened. Ragnus wished to have the emotional resilience that Schezo had. He blinked his tears away.
"He's tough. I don't think I could deal with that."
Sword was silent. Mulling over the past, Ragnus would wager. He let her, and turned his gaze back to the sky above. The ground was a comfort. Strong and steady, something that would always be there for him to rest on. A companion, constant between all worlds.
"...I assume you're going to go on one of those heroic adventures once Schezo gets that Azorecrack pendant thingamajig of yours fixed?" Sword eventually asked.
"Hm? Well, of course I will. As a hero I must."
"I know you must do already, but can you keep yourself safe? For Schezo's sake. He– He doesn't connect to people all that much. I know he cares for you a whole bunch, probably more than you even know. I...don't want him to lose someone else. Not when it's unnecessary. "
Before Ragnus could even think of formulating an answer to such a complex question, he was interrupted by the iconic jingle of a main quest completed. In the corner of his vision, the "DIAMETRIC DARK MAGE" quest he had forgotten all about had completed. How odd. Was it keeping track of all Ragnus had learned thus far? He had discovered quite a lot, that's for sure. What was even odder was that it wasn't followed up by another main quest. Once again, the main quest to slay Schezo Wegey the Dark Mage was alone. Ragnus hoped it would one day slip away peacefully. Any day now.
"You have my word. I'll stay extra safe, just for him." Ragnus lied. Of course it had to be a lie – it was impossible to fulfil that request. Especially with the chance that he may never see this Schezo again.
What Sword had said made Ragnus pause in those thoughts. It would be cruel to hurt Schezo by leaving and never returning. Sometimes, people had to hurt for the greater good. But after learning of just how much it would hurt him to suddenly disappear... That did not sit right with Ragnus. Not at all. Perhaps, now, this was not a dilemma depending on the fate of the Azorecrack, but rather on the Schezos themselves.
Staying with this Schezo would ensure his happiness and contentment. The other Schezo, however, was his long time sparring buddy. Someone who Ragnus understood deeply, even if he didn't want that (when did Schezo's friends not know him more than he desired?).
But that Schezo also treated Ragnus' sudden appearances with disdain. Disturbing his peace and his preferred solitude. Spars usually finished in a few minutes, with Ragnus hastily healed so Schezo could return to his solo activities. All normal, understandable things, of course. That was simply how Schezo was – a loner who loved his peaceful and quiet routine, hating that said routine being disturbed. But after living with this Schezo? The chilly actions of the other would sting like a slap across the face. Worse, with how his heart started to ache like a dagger had been plunged into it at the thought.
But, to abandon the Schezo he fell in love with first? What a sick and twisted course of action would that be?
Though reluctant, Ragnus sat up off the ground. The lingering ache in his chest from his previous thoughts felt like a weight now.
"Do you think we should meet back with the others now?"
"Yeah, it's not like we're using this spot anymore. Might as well free it up for someone else to use." Sword rose up, dusting herself off. Picking up her swords off from the ground, she returned them to their rightful places. She also retrieved her bag, empty and sitting there as an eager spectator to their sparring session.
Sword had talked a lot about her past on the way here. Naturally, to get to know each other better, Ragnus should reveal his too. His past was not lacking in tales to tell either; Hero training given to him by his parents was varied and grand! Sparring and training sessions with his parents of legendary status, life skills on how to take care of himself out in the wilderness! Tales of heroes long past paving the path forward to the new lulling him to peaceful rest! The toughness needed for the job in all shapes and forms! All things used to craft him into the perfect hero he was today. With the memories popping up in his head, he had many stories to tell. Ragnus hoped he'd be able to finish them all before they got back.
Schezo had just finished wiping his tears as Sword and Ragnus returned from wherever they went to occupy themselves. Crying was a rarity, even for things like these. The knowledge that Mother would not be able to meet Ragnus directly, the knowledge that she would not know the man he had fallen in love with made his heart ache like it rarely ever did. Just like she had never seen him grow to become an adult, or move out, or...
He stopped his thoughts there, lest the waterworks began once more.
The previous awkwardness Schezo had noticed dominating Ragnus' every move was gone. Instead, he was his usual confident self, talking to Sword with a voice a tad too loud about a girl he used to know.
"Wow, they've hit it off quick." Mari mentioned.
"Eh, you know Sword. She can get anyone out of their shell." Sereis replied. Sword gave a big wave as she approached like she usually did, and Ragnus followed in her stead a moment after.
Schezo was glad to finish up talking to Mother about all that had happened between visits. With Ragnus' sudden arrival, there was lots to go over. However, unlike the usual process of other siblings chiming in with their sides of stories, Mari and Sereis were essentially seated for it all, like people watching a play. They even gasped at some more shocking things Schezo had omitted from any letters he had sent off (what if Ragnus came across half-written ones and read them?). Now that Sword had returned, Schezo would take it upon himself to entertain Ragnus while she got Mother up to date on her life.
Or, at least that's what he planned to do, if Sword hadn't grabbed his hand and began to take him somewhere else.
"Sword." He cut her off in the middle of her sentence about having him for herself. She looked at him, quizzical frown on her face. "This is not what we planned on, remember?"
"I know that. But," With her free hand she gestured to the other three. Mari and Sereis had already swarmed Ragnus, no doubt eager to talk to him and uncover more about him. While looking a little daunted, Ragnus didn't look lost in the small chaos. He would get along fine on his own. "They're fine talking to each other. I wanna make up for missing your birthday. If they can all get some Schezo solo time, why can't I?"
Gaze fixed on the trio, the smile that always appeared when Sword spoke fell. She leaned down a little, and whispered into Schezo's ear in a low, hushed tone. The specific low tone she reserved only for the most serious situations. "I also need to talk about something important. Privately."
That tone of voice never failed to put a chill down Schezo's spine. Rarely used, any time he heard it it had the impact of a sledgehammer.
"Very well, then. We may proceed." Schezo agreed. He went to say his goodbyes to the others, but they were already immersed in what seemed to be a riveting conversation. It was good to see Ragnus getting along so well with the others. If only Father was here to see Ragnus too.
He waited until they were out of the cemetery to turn his focus to Sword. They were absolutely out of eye and earshot that way. "I glean that this important topic involves Ragnus?"
Sword slowed down and stopped, and took a deep breath in, which could never mean a good thing. She placed her hands on Schezo's shoulders and twirled him around to face her. Now could he see her widened eyes and devastatingly shocked and bewildered face, her feelings no doubt hidden well from the others behind a happy smile.
"Ragnus is completely nuts! Ragnus' family is also completely nuts! Do you know about this?!"
"I've certainly been aware that Ragnus is...well, he's not normal. No doubt his parents were involved." His way of thinking, his ideals and way of acting must have all been instilled in him from young. Some for better, some for worse. Perhaps mostly for worse; Even if never said outright, Ragnus' rambles about his hero duty always painted the idea in Schezo's head that he never quite valued himself in the way he should. Heroes saved people. Protected people. Were not protected. Were not saved. Ragnus was much more than that, and it didn't seem that he was aware of that fact.
"He ended up telling me so much about his childhood and– Oh, where do I even begin?!"
Schezo gave Sword time to gather her thoughts as he found them both somewhere to sit down. He found an unoccupied bench by the fountain situated south of the cemetery. Like always, the fountain was filled with loose change, no doubt from wishing children.
Sword started her recount of all that Ragnus had told her. He had proudly recalled events from his past in which his parents made him treat most of his injuries and sicknesses, with instructions on how to do so and a pat on the back. Accidental smashed glasses cleaned up by a little Ragnus, cuts and pricked hands patched up on his own. Small campfires started on his lonesome, parents only lingering nearby to halt any potential fire spreading. Food cooked messily to a range of qualities in forms that would not constitute a regular meal. Guidance on how to stifle his tears whenever he wanted to cry, and how to quell the fear inside his heart whenever it arose, because heroes could not be weak if they were to fight for good and protect the innocent. What Schezo believed was the worst of the lot Sword was recounting was the battling. Training with more skilled people would be a good learning experience, if Ragnus wasn't ten at the time the spars began. The age made a great difference there. Especially with the addition of random battle initiations, to get him prepared for surprise attacks from enemies.
Schezo thought back to how Ragnus so frequently wore his armour on outings, "just in case". How he initially refused to drink on Schezo's birthday, in case he needed to do quests or similar the next day. His immediate refusal to have Schezo's home as a place to go to when he needed, in the belief he'd be intruding despite the clear invitation. Always putting others before him.
Schezo felt he understood Ragnus a lot better now.
"It's nuts, right?! I'm not somehow the one being ridiculous here, right?!" Sword pleaded.
"I-I have no words. But...yes, you could call it nuts." No wonder Ragnus was such a caricature of a storybook if that was his childhood. If you could even call it that, at least. "It is all beyond what I could ever imagine him experiencing."
"With the way Ragnus was talking about it all so normally, I was starting to think there was something up with me! When he told me everything, I said to him 'what the hell, that's terrible' and he refused to see it that way!"
"Well, if he's been raised that way, and been told that's how heroes are raised, I can see why he'd think such things." Schezo responded, voice calmer and more level. Having known Ragnus longer, and better than Sword, the information must have been more of a shock to her compared to him. Or, perhaps the way Ragnus acted had desensitised him. "It's all he knows."
"That's...really depressing."
Schezo would not be surprised if Ragnus' father was raised the same way. With a legacy being passed on, perhaps it was the same with methods on how to raise a child. It did not make the things that had gone on any better, but it would make more sense. The cycle of Bishasi heroes was not just that – it was more like an ouroboros, pain a necessary part of the thing.
"He does not deserve the life he's resigned himself to. I hope to change it." In no way was Schezo allowing Ragnus to live the way he had for any longer.
"That's gonna be quite the task."
"I have already put a plan into action." Schezo leaned to the side, and rested his head on Sword's shoulder. He had not seen her in a long time, and the position helped satiate the need for closeness he craved. Her hug from earlier, strong and providing a satisfactory pressure, had felt like a drop of water in the desert. "I've been treating him like a stray cat."
"How so?"
"I've been enticing him with good food." Food was the constant between all living things. If something was alive, it would certainly enjoy eating. Ragnus was no outlier, and had praised Schezo's foodmaking skills many times. He had slowly become a healthier weight too, having begun to eat more regularly instead of storing meals away until he "needed it" for "healing". While not being privy to Ragnus' bare body, he had certainly felt the results of Ragnus' healthy eating when being physically close with him. "That, and my unyielding kindness have begun to slowly whittle away at his mentality." The fact he had started to refer to more of his actions as the actions of a good friend and not a good hero was proof.
"Do ya think it's gonna be enough?"
That, Schezo wasn't sure of. It would take time, but with the Azorecrack in mind, would Schezo have that time? If he exhausted all options, Ragnus may leave with the broken item instead to try find someone else who could fix it. Never before had Schezo dealt with such a conundrum.
"It will have to be. I have to ease him into this. If I take things too fast, he may pull away from it all." Communicating well with humans was not his strong suit, and yet here Schezo was, trying his best to work out how Ragnus would feel and think, how to best interact with him, in order to help him. How funny. Sometimes Schezo wondered how he ended up where he was.
"I hope your plan works. Ragnus is as sweet as a cookie dipped in milk. I swear, it's always people like that that get the short end of the stick when they really shouldn't."
The conversation tapered off there. Sword and Schezo sat in comfortable silence. He enjoyed the soft sound of running water behind him, and the presence of his sister. They had sat here before, many times over many years. Sometimes with others, sometimes just the two of them. Joining Mother and Sereis on a trip to feed the birds that sometimes hung around to clean themselves in the fountain. To simply get out of the house away from Mari when they argued to cool down. Schezo felt tinged with nostalgia. A feeling so fleeting, one that made his chest pang yet one he chased after so desperately.
Mother was no longer here. The birds were a rarer sight, nobody to feed them. Both Schezo and Sword had gone on their own life paths, and Mari and Sereis were beginning to branch out in that aspect. And there was Ragnus, who burrowed his way into Schezo's life from out of the blue. To think, that loud, childish, irritating man Schezo had first brushed him off as had so much depth. Had even made Schezo feel things he had never felt before.
"...Do you think I will be good enough for him? As a romantic partner." Schezo quietly asked. "You're the most romantically experienced of us four."
"Really? I mean, Mari's had her fair share of partners, hasn't she?"
"You've lived with one of yours, though."
"I– I don't think I'd call my relationship with her romantic." Sword spat the mention of her ex out like the word itself was something bitter. Schezo couldn't blame her. After having Sword return home and learning of what had transpired, what the relationship had done to her, it took every ounce of his willpower not to leave a hex on her home in spite. Sometimes he still entertained the idea.
"I'm aware she was toxic. It is still more similar to what my situation with Ragnus would be than any little romances the others have had."
"Well... Look," She made Schezo raise his head off her shoulder to look him in the face. Her voice was stern, yet soft. "She sucked because she made me think she loved me, when she only loved her idea of what I should be. And she convinced me to cut my hair short again, because she said I looked prettier that way, and she convinced me to not wear dresses when we went out because she didn't want people to ruin our dates by looking at us funny. And you're not gonna do anything like that to him, right?"
"Of course not." All Schezo wanted was the best for Ragnus. For him to have an identity outside being a hero for others.
"Then I think you'll be fine. Nothing can go wrong with you loving him with all your heart. You've been living with him a long time now, there's nothing to worry about there. You've got nothing to worry about at all."
Her words were comforting, but... Schezo's gaze flicked away. There was more to romance than simply love. "But...I'm not like other people."
Schezo was content with his current relations, but that didn't mean he had never attempted to gain friends before. His younger years had him attempt to connect with his peers at class breaks, the way every other child did. A social faux pas must have occurred however, as they all shied away from including him in their games. After repeated failed attempts, Schezo found it simpler to spend his time reading books and observing the behaviours of those around him instead. Once in his early teen years, he had found that all his observations were for naught, as his peers became focused on finding their identity and forming cliques. His quiet observer self was instead seen as an odd loner, and so Schezo and everyone else had come to the silent agreement to not interact all that much. And Schezo didn't mind, because he had his family, and books, and plushies, and he did not fancy anyone and he did not seek to satiate any physical desires.
That lack of experience with socialising other people was certainly not helping with the situation he was in with Ragnus now. "What if I...do something wrong. And I don't realise and don't rectify it. I've already made Ragnus freak out because my tone made a question come off as aggressive."
Sword took her time to come up with a response. "...Every relationship has bumps. Miscommunication happens. He's a grown adult, and he's sweet, and he cares. You messing up your tone, or committing a social faux pas, isn't going to ruin what you have. He'll understand. Promise."
Her advice was sound. Years of firsthand experience of the opposite happening fought against it, trying to drown it out with worries. But, Schezo had gone to her for a reason. And Sword would never lie about something so serious. For her, he quelled the worries best he could.
"I think you should also strike with the iron hot. Don't bottle up your feelings for ages. Better to get the worries out the way by seeing what he thinks of a little romance between you two, don'tcha think?"
Schezo supposed she was correct on that regard too. But, what time, and how... It seemed that aspect would need more planning.
"You have helped me quell my worries, if only by a bit. I appreciate it." His worries regarding his repulsion to more intimate couple activities would have to be dealt with when the time came. Schezo could not even fathom trying it out for Ragnus' sake. This time, Schezo embraced Sword. He rested his head on her chest. The steady ka-thump of her heart was something he could listen to forever. "I love you. Thank you for being there for me."
"I love you too." She tilted her head down, and planted a warm kiss on the top of his head. "I'm always gonna be there for you. You can come to me for anything."
Oh, to be cherished. This moment would be a memory to fondly reminisce.
"How's that jacket been? Any good?" The belated birthday gift, painstakingly put together by Sword herself, fit him snugly. So snugly in fact, Schezo had quite quickly made the decision to cease wearing his more tattered summer coat immediately.
"Better late than never. It is as cosy as a blanket. I may never take it off."
"I was worried I'd gotten your measurements wrong at the start! I'm glad it actually fits."
Schezo made sure to be aware of the time as the conversation began to meander here and there. "And, if I may ask, what caused you to be unavailable for my birthday? You said it was a long story that would be better told in person."
"Oh, it was a whole domino set of incidents! It all started when I won this swordfighting tournament..."
Ragnus was running out of lies. Mari and Sereis, desperate to learn more about the mysterious man that their brother had been living with, had asked him almost every question under the sun. Eventually, once past all the heroic tales he could possibly tell, the mention of Patty had slipped and like sharks sensing blood in the water, they swarmed on it and were trying their best to pry into his romance life. One he...admittedly didn't have much to speak of.
"Well, one of them is...a bit colder than the other," Ragnus started, trying his best to omit any critical information from the two mystery love interests he was eventually practically made to bring up. "He's just as sweet as the other, though."
"Is he tall? Handsome?" Sereis pressed.
"Well–"
"Oi," Schezo called out as he approached. Oh, finally. It felt like he and Sword had been gone forever. Ragnus didn't know how much longer he could've taken under all the questioning and pressure. "Give him a rest, will you? Whatever you're talking to him about, he looks uncomfortable."
"O-Oh, it's fine! I'm used to it! Heroes have to deal with lots of questions all the time!" Especially with regards to romance, in Ragnus' experience. He supposed having a strong man save you from danger would make any girl smitten for said man; The girls in many settlements he had saved hounded him for as long as he stayed there. Flirting and asking if he was single while reducing the prices for him in shops and inns, the younger girls following him around, trying to catch his attention. In some cases, they would attempt to cuddle up to him if he found himself in a situation where he could not easily escape. It was irritating, and uncomfortable. But, it was how they were showing their gratitude, and heroes couldn't deny the gratitude of those they'd saved. If not for having to keep his feelings for both Schezos secret, it would be nothing to Ragnus. "Don't make them feel bad! They've done nothing wrong! I never told them to stop anyways!"
How did Schezo notice he was uncomfortable, anyways? Ragnus was sure he was hiding it perfectly like he always did.
"I would expect them to understand when they're going too far, regardless of your input." Schezo walked to Ragnus' side and took his hand. "Mari, Sereis. Please do remember that Ragnus isn't just a storybook hero. He may want to keep parts of his life private."
"Oh...were you actually uncomfortable? I...couldn't tell. I'm sorry." Mari apologised, awkwardly looking to the ground.
"I didn't mean to go that far. I apologise." Sereis followed in suit.
"I-It's fine, I should've said something." Ragnus hastily said.
"Perhaps that is a skill you should work on alongside your combat skills." Schezo suggested. It was a sound suggestion. If Schezo didn't interrupt when he did...Ragnus shuddered to think of what could've happened.
Schezo turned his head to address Sword. "Now, Sword, would you like to have some privacy with Mother?"
"Sure! You lot go find something to do now!" Sword happily dismissed as she sat down in front of the grave.
"Perhaps we should look around, and scout somewhere for all of us to eat once Sword's done. It's getting close to noon, I'd wager." Schezo said as the group began to walk off and give Sword space. He didn't let go of Ragnus' hand, and his heart fluttered.
"I am pretty hungry." Mari replied.
"What would you say is the best place to eat here?" Ragnus questioned.
"Ooh, there's a few! Do you want to have a look at them all?" Sereis asked him.
Variety was the spice of life, as people said. "Why not?"
They fell into comfortable conversation. Ragnus felt warm inside as they all conversed. What a loving family, full of wonderful people. He was happy Schezo had asked him, because this was much better than any grinding or quest could hope to be.
He hoped that they would be able to meet again in the future, at a more lighthearted time.