On the day of victory. One month earlier

  Vanessa

  Capture is no longer the goal. We aim to eliminate all seven. Learn. Train. Succeed. Good luck, ‘Gamer’ :)

  Tarion patt the dust from his dark trousers. An expressionless face hid rage so scolding, his eyes are bloodshot. Tarion pointed to a mage.

  “Can you make the same portals appear outside?”

  “Ah, I don’t know…”

  “You get your crystal. Here.” Tarion touched something in the air, and a prism-shaped crystal fell into his palm. With a small throw, the sparkling stone was caught by a giddy mage. “You have permission to enter with your cane. But I will be notified when you do so. Take the crystals at your discretion. Work it out.”

  The mage bowed with his hand to his heart. “Thank you, Grace. The teleports will also be up and running in due time.”

  Tarion nodded, turning to face the haughty Yuran, whose long ebony hair waved in the breeze, and kept my aged self beside him like a trained dog. She kept giving me apologetic gnces that I ignored.

  “Bring him down. We need to make a few corrections.”

  Yuran lifted his eyebrow at Tarion’s demand. “The designer is a perfectionist. Nothing needs –”

  “Perfect my ARSE!! WHAT IS THIS FOOL DOING!” My husband's sudden anger exploded into a storm. “Wasting time ticking on an obelisk, you tell NOBODY about…!” Tarion ruffled his head. “Fuck…! It was you, wasn't it!?!” Tarion screamed to the skies above. “Holding back the divorce. And now giving it to us… the constant fucking meddling!” Tarion tapped the air in a rush of rage and frustration.

  Could it be true…

  With crossed arms, I beamed angry stares at the confident Liuen. “How many more lies and misdirections have you id our way?” With all the poise I could summon, I stepped in between the faded man and my husband. “It's pin to see. Jealousy seeps into every sylble your surly tongue utters.”

  Yuran’s red eyes gred down at me. “Watch your mouth, woman. Before I rip it off you.”

  The true Yuran appears again. To think he would have been the one I wedded.

  “Hahahaha!” I ughed at his shrewd face. “Struck a nerve, haven’t I, heavenly demon? I see it in your disdainful face. Do you still think you could've done better than him?!”

  “I said.” Yuran's hand went to grab my neck.

  Before I could unsheathe my bde, pale hands held on Yuran's forearm. “Enough,” Tarion spoke softly.

  “You think touch me in this space-” Yuran tried to wiggle his hand free. It was fun to see the once cocky lien face demolished by a heavy punch.

  “Yuran!!” I held my older self back from the fight.

  “How can you touch me!!” Said Yuran under Tarion's scaly fist. “How!?!”

  A hammer fist fell from above, crushing the heavenly demon's head into the crater. “‘Like the Mindscape’, I heard you say.” Tarion punched again. Yuran's punch back at Tarion was met by notification.

  Attacks on the administrator are nonpermissible.

  “Heh, how’d you like that? My husband grabbed Yuran's neck. “ Body stage or Heaven stage. All the same to the administrator.”

  That went much worse than I could have hoped.

  A force unseen pulled apart the men like toys

  Tarion stood wary at the voice we felt within us. A voice that sound like a hug, I felt…love?

  “Designer…!” I prostrated myself, head almost to the floor, but my husband held me up.

  I had no clue that Yuran's animosity ran that deep. I… apologise for everything.

  Did a god just apologise to us? I remember singing hymns to his statue every Sunday.

  Tarion sighed beside me. “Jesus Christ on a bike…

  Saying another deity's name in vain, how brave you are. Haha!

  And just like that, the voice was gone.

  “Huh!?” Yuran shouted to the false sky as his woman cared for his injuries. “Teach him!? I would rather swallow horse manure than give that man my techniques!!”

  “And I don't want them,” Tarion said as he summoned a door back to the real world. “As it has been evident, I will do fine without your baggage,” The dark-skinned mage skipped into the door with extra mirth. “But… to save this world, I need to be better than fine. I will be the perfect soldier. So… I will need your help.” With his hand, Tarion gently escorted me out of the obelisk. Goosebumps spread on my arms as I watched a person too simir to me hug the seething, petunt man.

  “I will let you calm down in here till you learn when it's time to swallow the shit.”

  A click of a scaled finger closed the glowing door. Facing the ceiling, my Tarion closed his eyes in quiet prayer as he cast aside whatever anger wrought him inside.

  “Sorry, Vanessa. I have shown the worst of me.”

  I reached for his hand. “That was the worst?” Did I marry a holy knight? I hoped you punched Yuran harder.”

  “Haha! I will try harder next, my dy.” My Tarion bent down, and with his bear paws, he mushed my cheeks. “But I'm tempted to let you protect me next time.”

  A mage coughed. And my husband and I parted while snickering. A light from the mage's new crystal head illuminated the dark room.

  “Did you know that Yuran couldn’t attack?”

  “It didn’t matter. He touched her.”

  “Hahahaha. They don’t make men like you nowadays!” Hand to chest, the elder bowed. “In exchange for a great time, is there anywhere you’d like to go, Your Grace?” The mage's cane glowed.

  “If… everything in your life came crashing down the same day it was meant to be the happiest, what would you do, wise man of the tower?” asked Tarion.

  The mage scratched his curly bck beard. “Get absolutely shitfaced?”

  Tarion smiled. “Vanessa, I heard you could handle your drink.”

  ****

  Changed out of our dirty, blood-soaked clothes, we joined my Tarion’s soldiers. Drinking wine like we had infinitely rge stomachs, we danced the night away, never leaving each other's sides. His lips find mine again.

  “Vanessa…to have you in my arms again…”

  I pulled the blushing duke close by his shirt colr. “Take me.”

  He sobered in an instant. Like a thief in the night, he swept me from my feet, stealing me from the dancefloor. Before I could even process it, Tarion found a room. Carrying me with a single arm, lips and tongue locked as his fingers burned the candles. The hunger I miss glinted from his crimson eyes. He let me down carefully, watching my every motion. I held his finicky fingers away from his belt.

  I hope I can make you forget. Even if it's just for tonight.

  ****

  Chests heaving, we sweat out passion. Candlelights flicker, and I found his hand again, and he squeezed tightly. I still see it in his eyes. The bright fire that lit his soul had been extinguished from eyes that stared too the ceiling. I moved close to feel his sweaty warmth and asked what I thought was a stupid question.

  “What was your name?”

  Tarion to me. “My…name…?”

  “In the other world.”

  “Mmm…” Tarion turned back to the ceiling. “Edward… Hey, what’s up?” He turned to me as I held my ugh.

  “But – Hahaha – it sounds so normal!”

  “Bme my mother for misnaming me. She really wanted a kid so much that she had another. When my brother was born –”

  Underneath the cover, we talked about his life in the other world, letting the blessed night pass. A thousand words spoken and a dozen ughs chuckled, I held him close in my bosom. His breath tickled me. Pying with his raven-bck head on my chest, my Tarion snored, wincing and mumbling in his sleep.

  “It's going to be okay,” I whispered into his ear. In an instant, he y still in my arms.

  2 days after the invasion of maize.

  “A saint…” Kurt held his chin and thought. “This Jianlin is after her the entire time… Should I increase the number of guards?

  “Nah,” grunts a sore Loran, “Thinking we charge up to them. Eliminate the target as swiftly as possible.”

  “What is that all!?” Tarion said to his inner circle as the obelisk stood tall behind him. “I thought you would be more surprised...”

  “It does expin the weirdness you've been up to,” Charles spoke up. “But we are numb to it now.” Beatrice, Susan and my brother nodded in agreement.

  “Only a woman as great as the Duchess is worthy of being Your Grace’s wife,” Susan said with such reverence that I blushed.

  “You mean the only one who could handle him. God sent you a wife? Big fucking deal.” Joshua joked in the corner.

  “...” Tarion stomped pyfully.

  “Actually, I have something to say.” Uncharacteristically, Kurt spoke up. “You could have told us. Anytime. You would have had our full support.”“Exactly. What I needed was everyone's priority to be on the goal of annexing Vioden. But things have gotten out of hand. Stakes have increased. I alone cannot protect this world. I understand why you would feel disappointed that I left it until now to tell you. But I will not apologise.”

  “You don’t need to, Your Grace.” Kurt saluted. “We will follow you till the end.” Several more thuds to thick chests were heard. Tarion just smiled calmly.

  “Fuck it. Let me show you the real surprise!” Gesturing for them to follow him, the obelisk door opened with bright light.

  “Welcome to the training dungeon.”

  Tarion

  Present day: 2nd of the 11th month.

  A ball for the duke.

  “I must ask your grace!” A well-to-do merchant with only a tuft of brown hair squeezed through the growing audience. I swig down a good amount of alcohol. “Is it true that you aim increase wages for your farmers?”I pced down an empty cup, requesting more with a hand wave. “Are you questioning me?”

  “No, Your Grace! I dare not! I… We, the sellers, must work out how much loss we are expected to have.”

  “None.” I folded my legs, leaning in my chair. My right hand interlocked with my love; an empty hand grabbed a full cup. I felt her stare. She squeezed tightly on my fingers, and I gave back the ale I thirsted for.

  “I can assure you, prices will not increase. For now. Only the ndlord's share of the profits. And as the only ndlord, I decide how much I earn.” Nobles peeked at each other around my table. Do they find it perplexing that a noble such as I can have enough? “Don’t worry your fat faces. A little reordering here and there, and you will not feel any difference at all.” Even with its vast resources and gold, after a month of inspections, my men had surmised that 50% of all spending was wasted on the former duke's projects. And the pot of gold with some overflow for me.

  “You see, although our work here is just, we are new, untrustworthy owners. Wolfburns were brutal and cold, but the farmers expected and endured such and kept to themselves. Why? Because the Wolfburn ‘protected them’. Which you know is a falsehood.” The nobles agree with an assortment of huffs and grunts. So it's this nguage they understand.

  “So men,” I look upon the minor lords, heeding words like a prophet. “I can only ask that you keep your towns safe. Any word, any missing person and any scuffles, report it immediately to me and my people. To keep this Duchy’s bounty full and gold dripping, I will not let these beasts suck the lifeblood from our country again.”

  “Yes, Grace!” Merchants and lords stand at attention like soldiers. Encouraged by my words, the lords and merchants leave with a bow to discuss further. But with a zy finger, I pointed at the vocal merchant to stay.

  “Lord Colson.”

  Like a mouse under a cat's gaze, he was petrified. “H-h-h-how do you know my name?!”

  “Of course I would know you!” My wife told me your name fifteen minutes ago. A tether made from my wife's mana pulled out a chair for the merchant to sit. She pced the same drink I ordered for him to sip nervously.

  “Owner and manager of a Sol trading company, A specialist of road and sea trade. You are also known to travel along with caravans. Admirable. I have got too used to flying. Horse-drawn carriages would bore me to death.”

  “It's nothing admirable, Sire!” Colson said after a sip of ale for confidence. “Just part of the job.”

  “I like that… ‘Part of the Job.’” I looked over to my wife. “Yeah, he seems alright.” Hands still, locked like knotted branches, I kissed her fingers as I let go.

  “Jen”, I called out while sitting up in my carved chair. Jen popped up to my left. Still a bit pissed that I brought her best friend to a battlefield; her stay here and dates with Kurt improved our rapport. Jen is the only one in our circle who doesn't know about Vanessa. And Vanessa still wants it that way. I asked her why, and with a troubled face, she gnced away and said. “She's my only friend.”

  “Get them ready,” I whispered in the wind to Jen’s ear. Her standoffish attitude disappeared, and the grinning redhead ran to finish her job. As my wife was busy with business, I entertained myself with the party festivities from the acrobatics and exotic dances of the Arian dance troupe to the world-famous travelling musicians, the Maoe Orchestra, who cancelled all the previous shows to give me a birthday to remember.

  Occasionally, brave men and women would summon the courage to come up to me. After finding out that I could hold civil dialogue and could be funny at times, a crowd started forming around me. They asked about my battles; about Pirn, they asked how I defeated my sickness or if I was even unwell. I could answer these to some extent. But other questions…

  I knew of my status. But only I understood it abstractly. War was on my mind. Venessa was in my heart. They had my full attention. However, what the rumours of divorce had brought was a type of fame I couldn't care for. In the month since, I had been harassed daily with proposals by mail, messenger and even fathers themselves. Now the dies have come in person wearing the fluffiest, enticing clothes with bosoms dispyed like peacocks dancing for their mate. Pretty as they are to look at, all I was reminded of was the fun my love and I had in the closet as the servants cleaned our rooms. The slow rhythm as we kept as quiet as possible.

  A crazy girl held my arm.

  “SOPHIE!” A suffering father pulled his daughter off me. “I AM SORRY!! YOUR GRACE–”

  I held him before he knelt. “Not at my fucking birthday, man…” I turned to the girl who looked at me like I was an angel fallen. She looked no more than sixteen years old and could be younger with the absurdly childish way she dresses. In such a backwards world, I would not be too old for such an innocent girl.

  “I am sure your parents taught you manners,” I said.The young girl with chestnut pigtails shouted. “Will the duchess be your mistress?!”

  HUH?! I gnced around, and more people were wondering the same thing.

  I folded my arms. “Mistress? Who told you of such stories?”

  The girl points at her father, whose soul had evaporated. “I was told the church approved of your divorce! But you're still together every single day!” She pouted while trying to grasp my arm again. “They say you two are lovers of a generation. Unseparable! At first, I couldn’t handle it! Sent you so many letters, telling you it was a bad idea to let a simple prostitute's child stain the reputation of the Hero of Friednd, but you didn’t listen. You didn’t listen at all!”

  Hero of Friednd? I have heard that before…

  The girl tried to grab me again with wide, leering eyes, and I swat her away like a fly. “Hands off, girl. Mistress or not, it's none of your business.”

  Like a confused puppy, the mad girl twisted her head in confusion. “My business? Of course it is, honey. We are to be wed!”

  Like a gong rang in my mind. Memories flood in.

  Ah shit, its this bitch…

  Sophie Gan. The youngest daughter of the Gan ducal house, named after their nds, which were left of the capital. Her obsession with the prince was a plot point that allowed the prince to show how much his love was worth. While stalking him, she would call Kyros, the Hero of Friednd. Did I repce her sweet prince?

  I sighed deeply.

  I am tired.

  Must I act my role again? Pretend in this second vessel that this is my life. I could end months of annoyance with a single mana bullet to her head. Fewer people would be hurt by her antics.

  Why

  Why must I…

  Tarion…? Are you well?”

  She is why.

  I'm good. I just realised I have a stalker. Noisy girl, she is.

  You're lucky. Mine are noisy and tend to kidnap me.

  I ughed, noticing everyone staring at me.

  “Haha, sorry, this shit is too stupid.” I pointed to the exit. “Go home, little child, before I put your servant in a casket for having the gall to bring you near me.”

  “But my father –” “Go.” I gestured for her servant and guards to take her back. Causing a scene like the petunt child she was, she let her mouth cause more problems as she was pulled to the exit.

  “She is not worthy of you, Tarion! I will always be waiting for you!!”

  The door smmed close, and only silence from bemused watchers remained.

  “Any more crazy girls I need to kick out?” The room burst with ughter, and mirth returned. The girl wasn't finished. She will attack one day. Galen may not be money-rich, but their wealth is loyal connections that only seafaring nobles could acquire.

  I heard a whiny voice. The cause of it all.

  I found my awaited visitor chatting with my guest as if the party was his. Swishing his rge cup of wine that I longed to steal, various middle lords and ageing officers surround him like London pigeons on scraps of bread. Are they asking for more drops of holy water? Maybe they hope for a discount, knowing there are other options. I walked up, and gasps escaped from the stunned faces as I interrupted the group.

  “Happy Birthday, Your Grace.” Zeb still couldn’t hide his disdain as he gred at me from his small bow.

  “Happy Birthday!” The crowd repeated while stepping away hastily.

  “Stay.” And they do so.

  I stepped up to Zeb, cornering him to the throne room wall, casting a shadow on him. “Do you feel envy?”

  Zeb nearly spat out his wine. “Envy? Of course not!”“Ah, yes, your church teaches not to envy. Advising against needless want and earthly desires. In doing so, the connection to holy mana remains pure.”

  “Indeed, Your Grace.” Adapting a preacher’s tone, Zeb raised his arms wide. “Bathing in the consteltion's light is been a great privilege that cannot be compared to earthly desires.”

  “Is that the same spiel you gave to the dy of the night two days prior?” I caught a falling cup of wine and drank a bit of it before pcing it on a table. “You've gotten good at picking the dyes. Rough in bed, too. I can understand having fantasies, but sometimes it can be taken too far.” I said it loud enough for gossipers to hear.

  Zeb trembled under my gaze. “I-I-I-I don’t know what you're talking about?!”

  “Give me an excuse. Tell me why I shouldn’t empty your bowels onto the floor.”

  Wiping away sweat with his white cassock sleeves, the blonde cardinal nervously replied, “B-because it’s your birthday?”

  I smiled, ”What a wonderful gift it would be.” The priest turned a ghostly white. I rexed on the wall beside him. “Haha, look at your dumb face. I kid. Even the tyrant can hold himself back. But the meddling… It makes it hard to restrain myself, you understand?”

  The cardinal nodded with heavy guilt.

  Sending a tether to his ear, and I spoke quiet words. “The Saint was sent to me for a reason.” The priest spun towards me. “Yes. I know. Perhaps more than you.”

  “It can’t be! Only the pope and I received God's words!” Nobles wondered what the sputtering priest was shouting within my air bubble.

  “And you squandered it. Even as the curse’s presence on this nd increased, the church did nothing. Even when we sent letters to the pope. It was ignored. Only my marriage you have been fast with. Foolish.”

  “But the Duchess agreed – *cough*” Zeb started to turn purple as he ran out of air to speak his foolishness. But I gave back his life, and Zeb learnt to be silent.

  Music starts to py. A slow waltz.

  It's time.

  My heart beats heavily. I haven’t been this nervous in a while.

  I left the wall, but a scared man grabbed my sleeve. “Your Grace… Please forgive…”

  “Ask during your prayer this evening. They watch you and see you fail.” I shook him off, leaving the priest to crumble to the ground. I bent down, leaving his cup near.

  “Watch carefully, Zeb. It's time to put your faith into practice.”

  “Brother!” Joshua ran to me dressed in his suave, red doublet. “Getting nervous?”

  “Of course not.” I lied as I walked to the centre of the hall. “I’m stone…cold.”

  “Hehe, sure.” Joshua raised his voice with qi, pushing away dancers and chatters. “Make way! Make way!”

  Fuck… It's actually happening.

  A giddy Jen escorted her confused best friend to the centre. Our eyes met, and I swore cherry blossom leaves blew into my vision. Her smile empties the room. Her emerald eyes subdue me.

  I’m scared.

  Like my first time on a battlefield. Like my first date. It's just a dance. I could convince my mind of that, but my thundering heart knows the truth. This is a line crossed that I can’t retract. A responsibility I can't throw aside. It's a promise to build. To build a strong retionship. To build a family. To invest my whole self.

  In a world I don’t belong in and a life I stole. Can I be this happy?

  “Tarion? What's happening?” My dame woke me from my all-consuming thoughts. Seeing her face again makes this a simple decision. I extended a trembling hand, and her soft touch calmed me. “A dance, my fair dy.”

  Vanessa

  Pure ecstasy filled me to my pores. Twirling in the air like twin sycamore seeds, we held each other tight, sharing our warmth and joy. Our ughter almost took over the swelling music. In his arms, I never felt freer or more in control. He moved and carried me with finesse only possible with supreme strength. A novice danced like a ballerina in his arms. An air ptform under my heels, he spun me. Leaning back, he caught me staring with his beastly eyes filled with desire.

  “My second heart. I don’t know how I lived a day without you…”

  I thought my ribcage would burst apart at that moment. But I was left without words as this devilishly handsome man stole all of them from me. Slowly, we descended.

  “My north star. I am lost without your guidance and your wisdom.”

  Feet found the ground, but I was still in heaven.

  “I…” Tarion cleared his throat. A tear fell down like an ice crystal on his pale skin. Gasps escaped surprised mouths as they saw a duke kneel to a daughter of a whore.

  “My Sun. I want your smile to brighten all my days.” Tarion reached behind his back and brought a small box. I covered my mouth, feeling faint. Thankfully, Jen saved me before I could fall.

  The small box clicked open, and light escaped the box in a pulse of mana essence. On soft velvet, a gold ring with a very rge crystal set on top took my breath away.

  “Vanessa. Will you marry me?”

  “Yes!!” I spurted out without any thought. “Yes, Tarion…!” Tears gushed out from my eyes, spoiling an hour's work of makeup. “I will!”

  Handkerchief ready, Tarion wiped my tears, neglecting his own and giggled with his deep, warm voice. “What a crybaby.”

  “What about you –”

  The rude duke stole my words again with the greatest kiss I had ever had.