Chapter 96: Twenty-Five vol.2

In the background, the sound of showering rang. Elsa had immediately hopped into it, but Rose chose instead to sit down, seeing as she did not break a sweat. She would wait until tonight to clean herself. After all, all 24 hours to her were active time.

"So." Lilias spoke. "You two went on a date?"

Rose blinked her eyes as she tilted her head. "Hmm? Was that what it was?"

The two girls sat side by side upon the green couch of the living room. Save for the sound of showering, it was momentarily silent.

Rose understood what a date was. Well, at least she understood its definition. Though its meaning or significance was lost to her, she knew, pragmatically, that it was something done between lovers. An outing both individuals could enjoy.

'Date? Me and Elsa?' She thought. It hadn't once crossed her mind. Certainly, if someone was to ask her whether she loved the girl, she would say yes. Who wouldn't love a friend that had always been there for them? Yet, if someone were to ask her if she romantically loved Elsa, Rose didn't think she would be able to answer.

Though she knew what it was, she didn't understand the concept of romance.

Lilias glanced at her. "For someone able to match me in combat, you are far too unaware of emotions."

'What is she on about?' Rose tilted her head as she narrowed her eyes. "I don't want to hear that from you."

Lilias shrugged and turned back forward. She was dressed lightly. A short over shorts that exemplified her thighs. Rose thought it was strange whenever she saw the expressionless girl without her weapons.

"Before you two returned," The girl said, "A group of people calling themselves 'Vanguard' came in person to invite me to join their guild. More precisely, they came to invite me and you, yet only bumped into me."

"Oh?" Rose raised a brow.

As far as she understood it, a guild was a large collection of dungeoneers working together to enter, and clear, Alos's dungeon through sharing whatever amount of information they could each remember, and enjoying the rewards their adventures bring them as one. In some ways, it was essentially a large party. In others, the mana web had described it as a corporation of dungeoneers in which the largest of which could sway the market.

"How did they find out about us? And where we live?" Rose asked, however, brows furrowed.

Lilias smiled. "Registration and Assessment Tests are open and visible to anyone willing to take a look. And, our identification numbers with our pads can—with the right connections in high places—be easily traced to any payments we make. Which includes rent."

Rose frowned.

"That's. . ." She paused as she remembered the hologram that could tell she was new even before she entered the association's building. She remembered how simple the registration process had been.

'Yes. Naturally. This city is advanced enough that programs can decipher between people at a glance,' She thought, 'And. . .'

She stared at the pad attached to her left wrist and suddenly wished to take it off. Yet, she calmed herself. Though whatever she chose to do with it was, it itself was not collecting data on her. Intrinsically, she figured it was all linked to the legal citizen identification number in this city.

It made things convenient, but it also seemed like a trade-off. A piece of freedom lost.

"I don't like this city," She said, "But. . .they came for only us two? What about Elsa?"

Lilias shook her head. "She wasn't invited."

"I'm not leaving Elsa's side," Rose stated.

Lilias expressionlessly stared at her. "I thought as much. That girl is nice."

"And I never planned to join anyone either way." Rose nodded. ". . .are you going to join them?"

"No, if you've yet to realize, I'm someone who prefers the company of few people over many," Lilias replied, "And I didn't come to Alos to play pretend with guilds."

In her tone, she clearly looked down on such people.

"You never really explained it well," Rose replied, "Why did you come to Alos, then? I know you want to kill a dragon in the dungeon, but is that it? Is that all?"

There was a momentary silence as Lilias squinted her crimson eyes.

"And why I bothered to side with Walker in the slums and attack you before betraying him?" She asked.

Rose nodded. "That's a part of it. Frankly speaking, you're not someone I trust. Unlike with Elsa, I never feel calm around you. And if we didn't have the same goal of climbing the dungeon for the time being, and you didn't help us procure this apartment, I would want nothing to do with you."

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The corners of Lilias's lips rose.

"After all, I could stab you in the back, once more?"

Rose nodded.

"Though our second battle was purely due to my wish to see how far you could challenge me. . .I can't blame you," Lilias said, "I wouldn't trust myself, either."

Rose thought that was the least reassuring words she could hear. For a moment, she wondered if the dragonian was joking. Yet, Lilias continued with a smile the homunculus disliked. Her tail wrapped until it laid on her lap as she gingerly stroked it.

The dragonian opened her lips.

"In my home, in my country, your skill with the blade or your skill with magic is everything," She said, "In a city upon a mountain, control split between the Aunbren and Audrius clan, swordsmanship and true magic respectably, your strength entails status, your status entails respect, and your respect is kept in so far as you keep to tradition."

She paused.

"I have an older brother." Lilias smiled as she touched her chest, the spirit he once owned now hers. Rose thought she had never seen such a genuine smile on the girl's face before. "He's a bit of a show-off. And an airhead that enjoys doing whatever he so wishes. But he's a good brother. A reliable one that first pushed me to pick up the sword when everyone else said otherwise. After all, girls do not fight in my city."

She frowned.

"He disgraced father by falling for the daughter of the Audrius clan head. He disgraced the family name by wielding magic against that man in order to take her hand in marriage. And he disgraced our honor by losing; the Audrius head destroying the spirit in the swords currently in my possession," She said, "Then, as my father moved to kill him for all of this, I stood up for him, spoke back to and against my father, and challenged him, sword in hand."

She narrowed her eyes.

"When he was to strike me down, I casted magic to save myself. And he learned then that I wielded mana and that my brother had taught me both swordsmanship and magic. He learned then that the prince and princesses of the Aunbren clan were disgraces."

She stroked her tail. "For all that, I was banished from the city, cast out with nothing, to never return until I repair the heirloom my brother broke. If I do, if I succeed, I can return to my family and save him from the years of punishment he currently faces. He already lost his arms, scorched down to bone, never to wield a weapon again, but he could be thrown down into the abyss where Lanxin Melteiff's lair awaits."

She turned to Rose, her face emotionless. For that moment, Rose thought that, perhaps, this girl coped with her emotions in similar ways. Perhaps, they really were comparable. After all, neither of them revealed a lot to the world.

"It was said that the spirit of the crimson dragon, the thing the custom twin swords were designed and made to most effectively wield, was retrieved from the 75th floor of Alos's dungeon," Lilias ended, "I plan to do so once more and save that foolish brother of mine, with my own two hands. And with the spirit he once owned, protecting me in his place."

Crimson eyes. Golden irises. The two girls locked their gaze within the one-bedroom apartment. That space where three people now lived as a mismatched party of individuals with separate, but adjoining, goals.

Rose narrowed her eyes.

"I still don't trust you," She said.

"I figured as much."

"But. . ." The homunculus paused. "I can understand you."

Lilias smiled as her tail quivered.

"Thank you."

A voice resounded behind the two. "Oh oh, how nice."

Rose raised a brow as she turned her head. "When did you get out of the shower?"

Elsa smiled as she wiped her short hair with a towel.

"Oh, ya'know, just before she started down memory lane," She grinned, turning and giving Lilias a thumbs up, "I'm with Rose on this. You've got my support."

The dragonian blinked her eyes, tail wrapping around her waist. She nodded.

"Thank you," She said.