Love and War

"So? I guess this meant you have changed your opinion about me, Beatrice-San?" Julian asked as he entered the Library after opening the door to the kitchen.

"I see you know much of what is happening behind the scene." The doll-like spirit said impassively before shaking her head.

"But you would be correct, I suppose." She reluctantly admitted after a while.

Bringing out the thread of EC he had given her the first day of his arrival, she continued. "I had time to study your gift, and I have to admit that I did not make any headway on it. Besides that this should not have comes from Mana."

"This said, I think your proposal hold some interest in it, I suppose."

"Well, that's great. But I'm pretty busy these days. So I'm afraid I will not have much time to visit you if you agree to my offer. Here's it: for your teachings, some of your time and your support in some matters. I will give you knowledge, I don't claim to know everything, certainly not about this world. But I still know a whole lot about important people, both present and past and of future events. I'll also offer you a wish, as long as you tell me. I'll accomplish it when I become strong enough to do so. What do you think?" Julian clasped his hands together and said succintly with a small smile.

"..." Beatrice considered him silently, her big blue eyes unblinking.

"Yes, or no? If you're afraid that I'm lying, we can make a contract." Julian pressed on, not interrested in wasting his time on games with her.

"I need no such things as a contract, I was merely thinking. And your offer is acceptable, I suppose. Though the details of what my service and your's entail need to be established." She replied immediatly.

"That's par for the course." Julian nodded.

He then proceeded to do just that, clarifying that he wanted instructions in Yin magic and her eventual strength for some future events. And he would answer one question of her per session of teaching, but that she could change it if he didn't know. As for the wish, he shrugged. Telling her that he would need to know what she wanted before being able to realize it. Something Beatrice didn't seem very eager to do.

After that, they organized a schedule. More for Julian than the spirit, since she was literally available 24/7.

Then, he left. Deciding in the end he wasn't petty enough to say: 'pleasure doing business with you'.

—————

~ A couple days later.

"When will you tackle the issue with Rem?" Ram asked during ones of their recharging sessions. Roswaal may have been back, but she just wouldn't go back to him after getting closer with Julian with their heart to heart.

Considering the question for a bit, Julian answered. "When the time is right. And right now, it's not. I may have saved her, but we aren't that close. I don't want her to clam up and avoid me afterward. I know you are impatient, but I shouldn't need to tell you that this kind of things take caution."

Ram sighed in frustration, both at her powerlessness and at knowing he was right. "You shouldn't. Yet it still eat at me at night. So much has changed in recent time, and it's like I'm the only one who realize." She confided herself in Julian easily, after the first time. It wasn't a hard thing to do.

"It's not as much as things has changed that you know more about me than anyone else here in this mansion. And even then, there's much more I didn't tell you. Just as much you didn't tell me." Julian replied idly as he have her mana through her horn scar. Currently toying with an idea that he wasn't sure what to do with.

Ram stayed silent, a faint hotness to her cheeks due to the process. Before she sighed again. "Tomorow, I will tell you our story. I shouldn't, not without Rem's approval. But at this point, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm warning you though, it's not particularly special. Nor very flattering."

Julian smiled, he may already know their story. But he had knew that knowing through a story and being told by the individual in question was wholly different, and much more safisfying. "It don't matter if the story itself is not special. It's the fact that it's your own that makes it special to me."

Ram chuckled. "This would be flattering if I didn't already knew you would say that."

Julian tsked before smiling mischeviously at her. she wanted him to be original? Then she'd better be prepared.

"I don't appreciate you having this expression while we are in this position." Ram said with a neutral expression. As they were both sitting side to side on his bed, her turned toward him because they were talking and Julian toward her so he could properly recharge her and see her expression.

Grinning, he flicked her forehead very lightly. Sending her a larger than average wave of mana as he finished the treatment for the day.

"You were right to be worried."

Rubbing her forehead while glaring at him, her breath somewhat heavy. She scowled. "That's a low blow."

"So is playing with a man heart, you know?" Julian shrugged, a small smile on his face.

Humphing, Ram stood up and left the room. Leaving him with only some parting words. "As if, a man would displays his true nature fully. Not show what part is most conveniant."

Tapping his finger against his thight, Julian thought about her words.

His true nature.

What was it?

He knew, of course. He was a depressed self-loathing bag of issues trying to get better. Someone who had no purpose and low motivation.

There was no point to showing that.

Now, who he WAS was different.

He was a Nephalem, someone with no limits backed by one very powerful Goddess of Death. If he put his mind to it, what could he not get?

Nothing.

That Nephalem was a bit of a narccissist, an asshole so to say, who loved playing the wise guy and had a case of being both sinful and virtuous. He also liked mentoring and putting assholes in their places.

Now, that bag of self-aware depression and that Nephalem guy were not exactly different people. Both blurred together to form a whole. Even if, unfortunately, the former currently held more truth to him.

Needless to say, he wanted nothing to do with the first one. But life was of course not so easy. Yet, the fact remained that the day the first dude was fixed. Only the Nepahlem would remains.

So, if that was the case. Why should he shows his true self when he could show who he wanted to be, and who he would one day be?

Keeping that as his answer to Ram, Julian decided he had done enough introspection for the day.

Looking at the sky through his window and seeing it fades into orange shades, he stood up. As it was the time for Emilia story telling.

But just before that, he tried to accomplish one of the idea he had in mind for a time now.

Emptying all his reserve of EC and molding it into a circle form, he willed to make it hop sideway instead of ahead or backward. Knowing as it failed that it would, he tried to force his second gate, the one who used his massive mana reserve of this world to naturally resplenish his innate magic like PoD and EC to speed up it's production of EC.

Enduring the mounting pain in his head an heart such an action produced, he merely gritted his teeth and continued until he felt his second gate groan dangerously.

Not daring to go further with no EC, he stopped and opted to do it again later. This time with a hefty amount of his magic remaining in case something went wrong.

—————

The next day, as promised. Ram told him of their story. Borned twins, cursed beings in the oni society for possessing only one horn instead of the normal two. They were almost killed in the shed before she herself displayed her incredible magical prowess. Where she was worshipped by her people because of her strength and talent, Rem was scorned, for she had none compared to her. And that was what her people did in permanence, compare the two of them. Then, one day. The witch cult attacked, killing everyone she had ever known and losing her horn in an successful attempt to protect Rem. After that, Roswaal found them. And here she was.

To that, Julian stayed silent for a while, pondering. Before nodded slowly to himself and said with a heavy tone, his hands clasped before him. "I said it once. But I want to say it again. I'm sorry. I shattered your world. I may have saved Rem, but in the end. This is not something that should ensure you act differently toward me out of obligation more than gratitude. I could make it truly right, you know? In the future, I could create a world. A piece of heaven, put a bunch of other unfortunate less unfortunate people in there to populate it. Then you and your sister could live in peace for however long you want, with unrestrained access to it. You could come and go as you'd like..." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his head as he realized it the value of what he was offering.

Ram stared at him for a while, her eyes searching for the hidden reason behind his claim. But she found nothing but a vexing sincerity.

"So you would give up, on me and my sister, to make things right? If it was my wish?" She asked, her face unreadable.

Julian shrugged and smiled. "This isn't what I want. But I would, if it was yours."

Ram averted her eyes. "I see... I think– I think I need some fresh air." Abruptly, Ram stood up and left the room.

Seeing that, Julian smirked. It seemed his words finally went through her defence.

She had fell for his scheme without even realising it. There was a simple reason for that.

She couldn't.

It was simple, he deemed both outcomes desirable. He just desired one more than the other. As for the danger that she took the other one, it was bit of gambit. But one he thought almost impossible to happen.

He had spent days chipping at her defence, being considerate of her boundaries and playing the gentleman in such a intimate affair that the transfer of mana was. All the while mixing casual chatting good natured banter. Here and there, he would prod her with a more flirty comment or two. Or a well thought compliment when he felt appropriate.

Until now, she stood relatively strong. Not really engaging back or showing any kind of reaction to them.

Ram had a very good poker face, despite what one would thought. The mana transfer was just that stimulating. But now, he got her. Made her react and even leave the room in a hurry.

If he was less in control of himself, he would be cackling like a villain.

The day of their talk, she had said that she wouldn't let him win the war. So he went with it, and treated this like a game of war.

It was novel, and rather strange to treat the way to her heart like a battle. But in hindsight, love and war was very similar indeed, at least. That was the case for Ram. He doubted he would need to try so hard again in the future.

Of course, he was not let indiferent either by their time together. He liked talking with her, she was smart and cunning and could one hell of a foe in banter. Her intuition was sharp and she could see through him often, given that she knew that he wanted her.

There was fondness there, though love probably remained out of the question for him still. And even if it wasn't as such it would be too soon to say.

A burning fire of disdain in his chest, Julian began to weave complex pattern with his EC. Something ressembling a magic circle assembling and reassembling itself multiple times in short order floating before him and lighting the room with an orange light.