Life began to speed up again. Months became days. Days became minutes. And minutes became seconds. Work piled up at the castle, and I was needed there more often. Usually I would go straight back home to whatever it was that I did, but strangely enough, I went to see Kasumi instead.

After I left she told me that she wanted to do another drawing of me.

“I want to paint you in different colors,” she said in a sweet tone. I had no idea what that meant, but I obliged.

And now everytime I left, she didn’t say goodbye. She started with “The next time you come…” and followed up with a request. The implication was that I was expected to come again, so I did. At first I went wherever I felt like it, and the same thing kept happening. We often sat around to do nothing but make small talk, share our ideas on books and art. I wasn’t much of a conversationalist so I didn’t share much but she kept the questions coming. Sometimes she looked at me in an odd way, then began painting. Whether it was a painting of me or not, I wouldn’t know. She refused to tell me.

“I’ll show you when it’s done,” she winked.

I began to visit more often. When I did, I would bring a book or two to share with her, just to see how she would react. She was happy when I shared what I liked with her. Her furry ears would spring up, wiggling whether she was amused. What turned from meeting her every other week turned into a weekly visit.

She never asked me anything about the things I had done. For her it was always about looking forward, about the future.

“There’s no point in dwelling in the past,” she would tell me. “Nothing can change what has happened.”

“Do you have anything you wish you could change?”

“Oh, many things!” she replied in a somewhat somber tone. “Too many to count.”

We knew so little about each other, but strangely enough we found comfort in each other's company. Two strangers that cared very little for what the world was going through.

That remained the same for a year. We were somewhat close acquaintances, even though we saw each other often we never really spoke much or attempted to get close to each other. It was a strange, platonic relationship.

Until I heard that she was sick. I asked Melinda for a list of her symptoms. I personally went through a catalogue of diseases to see if anything matched, and upon finding out what she had I immediately went to the castle’s pharmacy to fetch the medicine for her. I showed up a few hours later, with the right medicine and personally poured the mixture.

“Is that you?” she asked, her eyes half-open.

“Rest,” I changed the towel on her forehead, soaking it with hot water and wringing it. “I brought medicine.”

She listened, falling back on the bed. Her clothes were baggy and loose, soaked with sweat. I put my hand on her forehead, checking her temperature.

“Why’re you here?” she asked.

“Shush,” I began to brew the medicine, bringing the water to a boil.

“Aren’t you busy?”

“Yes, trying to make you your medicine.”

“No, with actual work,” she was quite feverish.

“This is work,” I made her stay down, pulling the covers back on her as she squirmed.

“It’s fine…” she tried to get up again, and this time I forcibly pushed her back on the bed.

She was surprised, and I realized that I shouldn’t have done that. My head began to hurt as well. Pushing a woman down that like only reminded me of the terrible memories that waited beneath the surface of the water.

“I’m sorry,” I looked down. “Here, drink this.” I held up the medicine that had finished brewing, bringing it to her mouth. I didn’t want to look her in the eyes.

“Why’re you scared?” she asked.

I didn’t respond.

“Look at me,” she got up, and raised my face up.

Her freckles made her look younger. Her face was sort of thin, making me wonder if she ate properly. If it weren’t for the fact that I knew what kind of person she was, I would have pushed her away already.

“It’s alright,” she pulled my head close to her. I wasn’t worried about whatever she had being contagious. I almost never got sick, and not for long. “You can put your mind at ease here.”

It was warm, and soft. The warmth of another living being was unmistakable for anything else I had ever felt before. The absolute opposite of the cold winter nights I spent at forts and garrisons, waiting for the storm to pass.

“Do you have time?” I asked softly.

“I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon,” she smiled.

“I think… I’m ready to talk,” I took a seat again. “About everything.”

She looked surprised, then got up just a little bit. This time I didn’t try to stop her from getting up. “Of course.”

I told her a bit about how I began fighting. About how I met Nobunaga, and how I became part of a movement that was about something greater than myself. How it gave me purpose, and for a while I thought I was doing the right thing. I confessed everything, the crimes I committed and the people I met on the way here. Even about a particular samurai whose blade I could still remember like yesterday. I answered her questions, and I felt like a huge burden had been taken off my shoulders. As if by telling her of the things I had done, I had shared the weight with her.

She nodded, not saying much. Never once did she ask if I felt like I had done anything wrong, nor judge me for the choices that I had made. I kept going. Everything that had been bottling up for the past seven years came out within a day, and by the time I was done it was already dark outside.

But even through all of this there was one thing that I had failed to talk about. Everything that had transpired before meeting Nobunaga. I had left out my childhood, and what happened in that cave. I couldn’t say it, when I tried to gather the words they became stuck in my throat.

“You have something else to tell me, don’t you?” Kasumi asked. She sounded sad.

I didn’t want to meet her eyes. But softly, she gently raised my head up to the same level as hers. “It’s fine,” her voice was sweet and soothing. “I’ll be waiting. As long as it takes.”

She said she would wait. But in my head I knew that if I didn’t say it now, then I would never find the courage to speak of it again. I might never be able to even consider it again.

“No,” I clenched my hand. “I’ll tell you.”

And everything about me was exposed right there. From the earliest memories of my childhood to the death of my sister, to the murder of that nameless girl. I laid it all for her to see, unsure of what she might think of me. I was tired of running away, for all this time. So this time I tried to face the past head on instead of turning my back on it.

After all was said and one, Kasumi stared at me. She seemed to be lost for words, and I don’t blame her. Unable to find what she wanted to say, she reached out to me, for my hand. This time I didn’t feel the need to pull away, to keep my distance. I let her slip through the walls that I had kept up for so long.

She grabbed my hands. Her fingers were warm and slightly red. They were soft, smooth and untarnished, unlike most hands I had seen before. They were firm and strong as they held mine, and for the first time in many years I felt safe.

“It’s not your fault,” she whispered. “Your past doesn’t define you, not anymore. You’ve done what you’ve thought was right. It’s time to move on.”

I didn’t let go of her hand. When the tears rolled down my face, even when I became the most vulnerable I had felt in my life, she was right there with me.

“I know who you are now,” she played with my hand. “But you know nothing about me. Do you want to hear my story, now?”

“Of course.”

She coughed, as if something dramatic was about to happen. The smile on her face dwindled, and I began to listen very carefully.

“I was born in the Northern province of Visereal, where the weather was warmer and the winters were short. Seventy years ago, before Malvin Morgenstern became king, a male human and a female kitsune gave birth to two half-humans. My mother was a pure kitsune, and my father was a pure human. I inherited my mother’s fur and animal features, and from my father I received his freckles and white hair. My brother’s hair was black, like my mother’s. Ironically, he looked more like my mother than I did. Because of the nature of our family we lived far away from everyone else. It was a happy time. Things were so simple back then, it was just us.”

She paused. Stories that began this way never ended happily. I already knew that things would go down terribly.

“Then one day,” she continued. “My father returned from one of the nearby villages after trading. He had a small farm of his own, and often traded fruits that surrounded our house. The beast-man hunts had begun again. Under Malvin Morgenstern’s rule, the hunting of demi-humans and their enslavements had been allowed once more. My family began packing immediately, and we were to escape the kingdom as soon as dawn broke. But that night, a pack of hunters came for us.”

My heart began to sink.

“They came with torches in the dead of night. My father told us to run, but my mother refused to leave him. She told us that she would stay behind, and told us to leave her. But before we could escape through the window a blood curdling scream echoed through the house. And by then it was far too late to escape. There was a small opening in the floorboard that we used to keep family heirlooms. It was a small opening, but enough to fit either me or my brother. He refused to go in, and told me that it was his job to protect his sister. Unwillingly I crawled into the small hole as my brother covered the opening. There was a small crack in the board that I could look through. The size of a large grape, just enough for me to peek through. And it was there that I watched as my brother was cut down. His blood dripped through the floor, and onto my skin. I wanted to scream, but I knew that the moment I made a single sound, that I was dead. So I held it in. I watched as they harvested the fur off my brother, as more and more blood began to drip down the hole that I was in. I did nothing, because I could do nothing but watch. Watch as my entire life fell to pieces, and with the death of my childhood gave birth to a vengeful spirit. I hit to bite my lips until they started bleeding, so that I wouldn’t make a single squeak. By the time they were done the blood had filled the hole to my knees, and I was swimming in the blood of my family. You’re squeezing my hand too hard.”

I left my trance, and suddenly realized that I was hurting her slightly. I let go immediately, apologizing as she laughed.

“It’s fine.”

Listening to her had made me tremble. The facade that I had constructed as one of the strongest soldiers in Visereal seemed like a joke now.

“What happened after that?” I found the courage to ask.

“After that, I gathered what remained of my family and buried them behind the house. My father was mostly intact but my mother and brother… certain organs of beast-people are quite valuable. I had to bury the two together, because I couldn’t tell who was who. It was there that my quest for revenge began. I survived in the wild on my own, the forests were kind to me. I resided in the same forests where my old house was for many years, waiting. I began to develop my magic. Fox fires that sapped the life and warmth out of every living being, so that I could kill the hunters that had wronged me. Twelve years. I travelled to human towns disguised as an alchemist, and I worked in pharmacies, surrounded by the very race that took everything from me. All for the sake of revenge, I eventually found the same hunters. By now they had retired, and they had separated, each living their own lives. In the dead of night, I slipped in, and I murdered each of them in front of their families. As they had done to me.”

She didn’t sound remorseful. She said it the same way I had told mine, only she didn’t seem like she had regret what she had done.

“I’m just like you,” she squeezed my hand. “People like us don’t belong anywhere. We go where the world takes us, and we do what we think is right. People like us that have nothing to lose will look invulnerable to everyone around us. We can’t be seduced, we can’t be bribed, and we can’t be threatened. Nobody except for people like ourselves will understand…”

She was right. Ivan wouldn’t understand. Nobunaga wouldn’t either. They weren’t pushed onto this road like I had been. They hadn’t been forced to face the reality of the world, they had chosen to.

“So believe me when I say that I understand,” she hugged me. “And that you’re not alone in the world. You’ll always find people like us. People whose lives were turned upside down, people whose fate were cursed by the god themselves. Because that’s where we belong, among ourselves.”

“What happened after you killed them?” I wondered. I wasn’t sure whether I should have asked, but I needed to know.

“I left the town, and traveled for a few years. I never really thought about what life would be after I got what I wanted. It didn't make me happy. It didn’t bring back my family, it didn’t even bring me joy to do what I did. So I learned to let go.”

“Let go?”

“I let go of the past. I started new, as a new person. I tried to smile more. I did things to redeem the sins of my past. I found other beast-people, freeing those that had been enslaved, healing those that had been wounded, helping anyone that deserved it, really. And that’s how I ended up here. Eleven years ago, I was helping a group of human women escape. They had been imprisoned by their own kind, and I released them from their shackles. It was there that I met Melinda.”

So that was how they had met. That began to explain a lot of things.

“And now I’m here,” she seemed a little happier talking about this. “Somewhere I don’t belong, but at least a few people welcome me home.”

I understood that all too well.

“When I met you,” she began. “I found myself peeking into a cauldron brewing with anger and hate. So much of it mixed together that it muddled and clouded anything else that could have been found inside.”

“Is that why you approached me?”

“Like I said, people like us belong together,” she laid back down, letting go of my hand. “We can only be around people that are broken the same way we are. Or else they would never understand.”

“You’re saying that I belong with you?” I found the thought comforting.

“Yes. For now, at least. Who knows what the future will hold for the both of us.”

“Are you different from how you were, all those years ago?”

“Yes, most definitely. I’m much happier now, although sometimes I become sad, without reason. I dwell on my past, and I remind myself of the possibility that I don’t deserve to be happy. But I’m trying. Trying my best to forget, and to move on. Even after all these years.”

“Do you think I can become… happy?”

“Of course, Magnus,” she smiled a bright, vibrant smile as the curtains beside her began to shine with the morning glow. “People change.”

I didn’t let go of her hand. I raised my other hand, slowly putting it on top of hers.

“It’s time to move on,” she whispered. “Come with me.”

And so I did. A part of me forgave myself for the things I had done. Things that were out of my control. Yet another part of me longed for the war. The part of me that knew that I could have done more if I tried, and that my acceptance of the world was the same as be allowing all the terrible things that happened to happen. All the terrible things that would come to pass as well.

“You don’t have an obligation to make the world a better place,” she spoke, slowly dozing off into a slumber. “You should just choose.. . to be happy.”

Happiness was a choice. I wasn’t happy, but it wasn’t because of the world around me. Everything around me was moving towards a happier, more optimistic state. All except for me, because I chose to be trapped in the past. And that had to change.

She opened my eyes, and I acknowledged for the first time in my life that I needed to change. And so as she finally went to sleep, getting the proper rest that she needed, I made a vow. I follow this beautiful woman that had wanted to give me a chance. That tried to pull me out of the mud, even though I had sunk so low. And it was there that I considered the possibility that my life would be better if she were to be in it.

* * *

Weeks passed, and I changed. The first thing that Kasumi changed was the permanent scowl on my face. She told me that I needed to at least look approachable, because if I didn’t then everyone would avoid me. I tried my best to do as she asked, but I could only reach her standards while it was just the two of us. Whenever I tried to smile in front of anyone else, I couldn’t. I was just unable to do it.

“You look like a rock,” she scolded me. “I told you to relax your face.”

“I can’t,” I scratched my head. “I’ve already tried.”

“Well, why don’t you think of something that calms you down?”

“I can’t think of anything else other than you,” I sighed. “Why else do you think I can’t smile around anyone else around you?”

Her face turned red, and she turned around. I thought she was mad at me, so I apologized. She kept her face turned away from mine.

“Just… keep trying,” she pouted. “You’ll get it eventually.”

And it worked.

Sometime later at work, I managed to find something entertaining enough to at least break into a grin. Lucy, Delilah and Nobunaga stared at me in great confusion as I had a stupid half-grin on my face.

“Magnus… are you ok?” Nobunaga took off his reading glasses.

“Yeah, why?” I turned around in a daze.

“It’s… the first time… I think,” Delilah’s mouth was wide open.

“What?” I kept asking.

“You’re smiling,” Delilah gasped.

“Trying to,” I corrected her.

“What happened to you?” Lucy came running to me, grabbing my shoulders. Normally I would have shoved her aside, but this time I didn’t. I didn’t feel the need to push people away. I still didn’t like being touched, but I didn’t mind if people I knew did it. “Are you sick?” she screamed.

It was actually amusing to see the look of disbelief on their face as they all began shouting and laughing on what to do with this turn of events. It was… fun.

Right before I left Nobunaga handed me an envelope.

* * *

When I told Kasumi of it she couldn’t stop giggling. She held my hand, her hair smelling of lakewater and strawberries. A strange combination, but one that I had grown to like.

“Good job,” she congratulated me. Seeing her went from an occasional even to a daily habit. I wondered, just how I would have ended if I never followed her out of interest that day. But the thought of my days without her only seemed stale and boring, bringing us back to what I was about to do next.

“Do you have time next week?” I asked her.

“Depends,” she began painting. “What do you need me for.”

“Nobunaga’s throwing a party. A late celebration, but one dedicated to us, commemoration for our victory over the throne. It’ll be at night.”

“Interesting,” she put her finger to her lip. “Although I’m afraid I don’t have a proper dress.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” I immediately thought of something that I could arrange.

“Hm… in that case…” she smiled mischievously. “What’s the proper way of inviting a lady to such an event?”

I thought about it.

“Will you go with me?” I tried. She threw a paintbrush at me. I ducked, and when I looked up again she was pouting.

“Would you do me the honor of ?” I tried.

“That’s better,” she answered as I handed her the brush she threw.

“So?”

“Yes?”

“Your answer?”

“Of course!” she peeked over her painting.

The next day after I finished work, I didn’t go to Kasumi immediately. I went to Delilah, and asked her for a favor.

“What do you need?” She seemed strangely enthusiastic.

“I’m bringing Kasumi with me to the party next week,” I began.

Her eyes widened, and strangely enough she seemed happy and disappointed at the same time. “So that really is why you changed so suddenly.”

I sighed. “She doesn’t have a proper dress for the occasion. Do you think you could arrange something?”

She stared at me for a moment. “Do you even have proper clothing for the occasion?”

I had completely forgotten about that.

She laughed loudly. “That’s what I thought.”

“Sorry,” I scratched the back of my head. “Could you arrange something for the both of us?”

“Not a problem,” she grinned, resting her elbows on the table, staring at me with great interest. “Why don’t you come see me on the morning of the party. I’ll get you both ready for the night.”

And that was that. She didn’t ask me for anything, not after all the things I had done for her. Knowing her, she would probably do something extravagant for us.

The day of the party I took Kasumi along with me to the castle. Before we had a chance to walk inside I recognized Aurum standing right outside the entrance, next to a carriage with a driver whom I did not recognize. And from inside, I saw a head peek out of the window, Delilah holding a fancy hand fan over her face.

I approached, the horses twitching slightly as I did. I patted their heads, and they neighed a bit before settling down.

“Good morning. I wasn’t expecting you to do this personally,” I greeted her. She motioned for us to come into the carriage, and so we did.

“So… you’re the one,” Delilah commented as Kasumi climbed on.

Kasumi bowed slightly, showing no fear or nervousness. She was always confident, and that was no different now. However the stone cold frown on her face had returned. And between the two of them, there was a certain heat that warned me not to stand in between these two women.

The carriage began moving without instructions, and we moved from the lower districts to the upper districts, where the nobles and the wealthier lived.

All throughout, Delilah occasionally asked Kasumi questions. Kasumi answered without much thought, but her answers were short, leaving Delilah without much room for a conversation. We stopped in front of a clothing shop, one that I wasn’t familiar with. But everything inside looked bloody expensive, things that I would never even consider even purchasing.

“I have a friend,” Delilah winked. “Don’t worry about the money. It’s on the house today.”

The moment we entered, everything seemed to glow and with the illuminance of a rainbow. Everything was placed and organized in a specific color scheme, and before I got a chance to look for myself, Delilah had dragged me and Kasumi into separate corners.

“We’ll put different things on you, and we will decide what looks best,” Delilah motioned Aurum and Argentum to come over. I had no idea when Argentum had arrived, but she was here now.

Delilah clapped and assistants came out from the side, holding different articles of clothing. I was shoved into a changing room and given several things that I didn’t even recognize. Belts, undershirts, ties, bowties, there was just too much stuff to put on. But I did as Delilah recommended, and after I changed I went outside for her to see. Everytime I changed into something, she would look at me for five seconds, and then decide that I didn’t look good enough.

“Try this,” was the only phase I heard for an hour. Then finally I arrived at the only simple clothing that had been recommended to me so far. A sleek, dark blue vest paired with a plain white undershirt with buttons. The pants were dark blue as well, but I couldn't tell what the exact material was. When I came out, Delilah looked at me. She eyeballed me up and down for two minutes as I stood as still as I could. Then she skipped in front of me, giving me a thumbs up.

“I don’t know how you can only look good in dark colors,” she was finally satisfied. I walked over to take a seat next to her, but before I could even get close Delilah dragged me by the collar.

“Who said you’re done here? We have to fix your hair,” she giggled manically.

The rest of the day consisted of me having to sit down in a chair while two very experienced and serious looking women curled my hair and applied oils to it. They argued over what kind of hairstyle would look best on me before they began, and when they were done I had much less hair than I did before. It was sleek and shiny, pulled to the back and shaving parts of the side. I didn’t have much of an opinion as I didn’t ever do my hair.

“Now you look presentable,” Delilah smiled. Before I could get a word in she had already left the room, and I followed her. And what waited for me outside was possibly the greatest memory I had of Kasumi. Her hair had been stylized and straightened. I’m not aware of all the terms that are used in the fixing of hair, but it looked extremely formal and complex. She had been put in a traditional yukata style dress. The fabric was thinner, and not as wide, and there were much more designs and patterns that decorated the actual dress.

“These are popular nowadays,” the stylist explained. “She’ll be the envy of all the ladies tonight. Although she’ll have to hide her ears.”

That’s right, her kind weren’t welcome. Especially among the nobility, who looked down upon the beast-people. Her ears had been tucked away beneath her hair, but I wasn’t sure how long it would last.

Kasumi almost tripped over her dress as she said that. It was clear that although what we had on was to their liking, it was also uncomfortable.

“Ugh,” she complained as I went over to support her. “I’m not the biggest fan of this.”

“It’s just for one night,” I chuckled. “Bear with me.”

“Only for you,” she smirked.

“Ok you two,” Delilah patted me softly on the back of my head. “It’s my turn now. The carriage will take you anywhere you want, I’ll be seeing you two at the party.”

And so me and Kasumi found ourselves in the carriage within an hour before the party was due to begin.

“Where to?” she asked.

I thought about it for a bit. We wouldn’t have time to do anything before the party would begin. So I just asked the driver to go straight to the castle. Upon arriving, the workers recognized me, and several of the guards waved at my arrival.

“Looking fancy today, sir!” one of them shouted.

“Too formal for my taste,” I groaned.

“You look great sir!” he laughed.

“Drop the sir,” I raised my arm to scratch my neck. I didn’t want to touch my hair.

He let us through, and I took Kasumi to the castle’s gardens. They were the closest thing to the farms outside of town. And

Kasumi looked around, excited about the different types of flowers that resided in the gardens. It took a while, but they had managed to give it some attention. It wasn’t a priority. Knowing Nobunaga, aesthetics were the least of his concern. They always came last, but he did like it when things looked neat.

“So you get to come here everyday?” there were a few sparrows, flying about.

“If I choose to,” I shrugged.

“It’s nice… here,” a nice cold breeze blew past.

“It’s not bad.”

The two of us stayed there for a bit longer. The gardener saw us, but gave us our room.

“Say longer sentences,” she puffed up her cheeks. “You’re so hard to talk to.”

“But there’s nothing to say.”

“Then think about it!”

“But-”

“No buts,” she folded her arms. Even now she wouldn’t let go of my flaws. “I can’t imagine how awkward things would be if you were conversing with someone other than me.”

“It’s not all that bad.”

“Have you ever actually had a real conversation with someone other than me?”

“I have Nobunaga, De-”

“For reasons other than work.”

I paused. Nothing came to mind.

She laughed, and she extended a hand. I raised her up, and as the sound of the clock rang across the courtyard, so did the signaling of the party. I took her hand without any problem. A year ago I wouldn't have been able to do that.

The two of us walked hand and hand up the stairs, dressed in luxurious clothing and surrounded by wealthy strangers. People turned to us as we appeared, not entirely sure exactly who they were looking at. Beautiful women turned to smile at me, and handsome men kept their eyes on Kasumi. Perhaps the clothing that Delilah had chosen for us made us stand out too much.

At the entrance to the repaired ballroom were several guards that I recognized. Survivors of the war that didn’t have a family to return to. They bowed as I approached, and I took out the invitation that Nobunaga had given me.

“We didn’t think you would come, milord!” the guard took the letter. “And even if you didn’t have an invitation, we would still recognize you. It’s a party dedicated to your efforts during the war.”

“Yours too,” I stared at him. “You guys deserve some credit as well.”

He laughed heartily, and other guests turned to look at him. “You’re far too humble, milord. Excuse me, please enter.”

Kasumi and I walked, and we were greeted by fancy tables, wine glasses and over the top decorations. The chandeliers shined like diamonds and the lamps were of the best craftsmanship. My eyes immediately scoured the room for weapons and threats, even though it was a party. I shook myself out of my habits, looking for Ivan, Eileen, Lucy or-

“Magnus!” I heard Nobunaga call out at my side. I turned, and there he was, in a formal suit of his own. “You came!”

“Of course I did,” I shook his hand. “You invited me after all.”

“Still, hard to imagine you would want to participate in such an event.”

“True,” I thought about it. The way I was before I met Kasumi. He was right, I probably wouldn’t have showed up.

I looked around, and I saw Lucy in the far distance, enjoying the food while men tried to court her. She had always talked about how she wanted to be whisked away by a white mage, carried into the sunset like in a fairy tail. So why did she look so bored and uninterested in the situation she was in?

Eileen was alone at a corner, she had a masquerade mask on, covering a large portion of her face as she drank from a glass. Nobody approached her, and she looked the same as before - just a loner.

Ivan was nowhere to be seen, and I wondered if he would even show up at all.

“So, who have you brought to tonight’s event?” Nobunaga smiled at Kasumi. Then he looked at me. “I see…”

I smirked at Nobunaga. “She’s just a friend. Nobunaga, this is Kasumi. Kasumi, this is Nobunaga.”

“Is this how you address your king?” she stepped on my foot. I had completely forgotten.

Nobunaga laughed loudly. “Please, excuse Magnus. We’ve known each other for far too long, it would be strange for him to suddenly treat me so formally.”

Kasumi bowed. “It is a pleasure to be among the guests tonight.” She was playing nice.

As the party began and the pianist started playing, the night moved slowly. We must have stood out pretty well, for we were immediately crowded by several people.

“So, who’re you, and why’re you so close with his royal majesty?” One of them asked. He sipped on a tobacco pipe, keeping a stern face.

“Just a friend,” I shrugged. I didn’t really like all of these people around me. They were pretentious, and here for the sake of appearances.

I looked at Kasumi, and it seemed like she was having a rough time as well. Dozens of other ladies surrounded her, and I could tell that she was trying to force that smile on her face. Whatever it was they were talking about it, it must have been annoying or uninteresting. Before she blew a fuse, I could see the crowd separating, someone was walking down the red carpet.

Delilah was dressed in an extraordinary shiny and foreign dress. Bright red like a setting sun, she strolled down the carpet like she owned the place while both men and women gawked over her, whispering and staring. Knowing her, she must have known the face and name of every single person present at this ballroom. I was absolutely certain that even Nobunaga wasn’t as familiar with them as she was.

She waved and spoke to several people that had the nerve to approach her, but she passed by them without saying much. She was heading straight for me and Kasumi. The crowd of women that had gathered around Kasumi dispersed, and Delilah walked up to Kasumi. In a way, I was worried about what she would do next.

“You look beautiful tonight,” Delilah shared excitedly.

“Thank you,” Kasumi bowed. “It’s all thanks to you.”

“Don’t be. I wouldn’t be able to bring out the beauty in such a dress. You should be more confident,” Delilah sounded sincere. “Anyways, please have fun. Enjoy the food and drinks.”

And now she walked to me. The gathering of men around me separated, giving way for her grand entrance.

“Delilah,” I bowed slightly.

“I thought you're the one that told me to drop the formalities?” she giggled.

“It’s for the sake of appearances,” I sighed. “As per custom.”

“Why don’t we talk later, when there’s less people around?” she winked at me. She of course did this intentionally, and the people around us began muttering, gossipping about several things.

My ears could still pick up their assumptions about our relationship. It wasn’t funny how short-sighted these people were.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” I heard Nobunaga’s voice echo across the ballroom. Everyone suddenly lost interest in what they were doing and turned to our new king. He cleared his throat, taking a moment before continuing. “Tonight we celebrate our efforts in the revival of this kingdom. Two years ago, this kingdom was on the edge of collapsing. The lawless run amok, and the future of this once mighty kingdom looked grim. As you know, this event is not a celebration of my becoming of a king, but also a celebration to those that participated in the war, risking their lives for the future. A future without war, a future where we are not doomed to repeat the same mistakes.” People clapped, and Nobunaga paused for a moment. “But among these soldiers are several individuals with unique talents that made my dream a reality. Individuals that strived beyond what was expected of them to restore order. Delilah Silverclaw.”

From the crowds, she slowly walked up, looking as pretty as ever. And just as I suspected, nobody was surprised that she was called out. Everyone cheered and clapped without even thinking about it.

“Ivan!” Nobunaga called out. And from the shadows, Ivan stepped out. He had been groomed and shaved, forced into a suit just like I had been. He looked so uncomfortable I wanted to look away and laugh. He slowly walked over, trying not to tear his clothes as he did. He was just as tall as before, and his red hair stood out from everyone else. People cheered and applauded him for his efforts, after all even the nobles had heard of his great deeds.

“Eileen!” and she walked from her corner, taking her place next to Ivan.

“Lucy!” she stopped eating, and all that remained as well.

“And finally, a man I would trust with my life. Magnus, my brother, the Vanguard of Visereal,” he turned to look at me. At first the crowd looked around, wondering just where I was. Until I began to walk up. They all turned to me, unsure of how to respond. I was well aware that my reputation was far greater than anyone else’s, considering the contributions I had made. At the same time though, my reputation was unique. I was notorious for being different, for being abnormal. And because of that, the audience was more wary than impressed. They whispered, and they spoke of me. Reminding me of the man I used to be.

Obviously, Nobunaga was not happy about this. It looked like he wanted to say something, but I raised a hand and waved.

“It’s fine,” I mouthed to him.

And so the party went on, and it wasn’t before long that the crowds around me had disappeared, and it was just me and Kasumi once more. We left for the balcony, and unsurprisingly to me, Lucy, Ivan and Eileen were waiting. Then suddenly, Nobunaga peeked out from behind the door, sighing in relief as he exited onto the balcony. Nobunaga waved at us, but chose to go to a corner to take a moment for himself.

“Yo!” Ivan called out to me. “Haven’t seen you in a while.” He slapped me on the back.

“Indeed,” I smiled.

“You’re smiling?” he rubbed his eyes. “Someone get me some lemon!”

We had a good laugh as I introduced them to Kasumi. Kasumi got along with them far more than she did with the people inside. I wanted a break, so I went off to the side, joining Nobunaga in his moment of silence.

“How’s the party?” he asked.

“Could be better,” I tried to sound sincere.

“Don’t kid me, you hate it.”

“Well, if you put it that way.”

“Don’t worry, I hate it too,” and he burst out laughing while I gave him a grin.

“You know…” he began.

“Yeah?’

“This wasn’t what I expected.”

“What do you mean?”

“Is this going to be the rest of my life? I’m going to be attending pointless parties and sucking up to the nobility to preserve my claim on the throne? This is what I became king for?”

“Isn’t it?”

“I could do so much more. I could be so much more, with all this power I’ve received.”

“The war is over,” I whispered. This wasn’t how I expected Nobuaga to act, not after all this time. “This is what we fought for. Your exciting days of fighting for a greater cause is over, it’s time for us to find better prospects in life.”

“I suppose,” he left it there, but I was worried.

I managed to talk to everyone else that night, but nothing really clicked. I didn’t feel a strong desire to commute with and keep in touch with them. However one thing had been made clear to me. This wasn’t the kind of environment in which we belonged. Ivan liked to mingle with common soldiers and whores, Eileen liked to keep to herself and Lucy would rather stick herself in her lab, doing magical experimentation. Trying to please and suck up to the nobility just wasn’t something we wanted to do. But between all of us, I had been freed from my past, in a way that the others had been unable to do for themselves.

I had found something I valued more than myself. I had moved on, because the war was over. It had been a great honor fighting for Nobunaga’s cause, but that was now in the past. I was going to move on. Even if it meant leaving my friends in the past.

“That was fun,” Kasumi said as we were leaving.

“Was it?” I didn’t believe her.

“No. Not at all.”

I laughed. That’s right. I didn’t belong there, and neither did she. Where I belonged was right where I was. Next to her. And so I swung her around, making her face me. And before she could say anything else, I found the courage to kiss her. Her lips were warm and soft, like feathers. She didn’t seem to dislike it. She held me, hugging me from behind. We were two strangers before. And now, we were something more.