After much traveling by boat we arrived at a lovely mountain inn, Wolfram was ready to pass out as we were having refreshments. I admit I was tired too but I've come to far to fall asleep while Yuri gets the sword.
A young woman working there told us a story about the spring and that apparently a demonic object is resting at the middle of it causing the surrounding water to scold anyone that touches it.
I was beginning to worry about Yuri burning himself but then I remembered that only the demon king can get to the sword without being burned alive.
Leaving Wolfram at the inn Conrart, Yozak, Yuri and I travelled up to the spring under the mountain. Yozak was making remarks of dragging Yuri's body back after being burned alive. It was upsetting to hear and Conrart was getting angry with him for speaking so disrespectfully. We continued on our way and took yet another boat on the short journey.
"Not much further now" Conrart said as he was navigating us while Yozak was rowing the boat.
Suddenly Yozak got splashed with a bit of the deadly water causing him to draw his hand back in shock.
"Is it really that bad?" Yuri asked curiously.
"I'll say" Yozak remarked as he rubbed his hand on the other.
"Here let me look at that", I took his hand and examined it before pulling a cantine of water from the pocket of my dress, "this might sting a little".
"There's no need to throw away good water on my hand" Yozak said as he attempted to take his hand back.
"This hand is the hand that works hard in everything you do, if you don't take care of yourself you can't take care of others. Good water is used to help you do good things for good people" I exclaimed as I took his hand back.
After my statement Yozak didn't make another attempt to refuse, in fact he looked slightly stunned, I proceeded to pour water on his hand outside the boat. The other two just observed as I applied my basic skills of first aid, I stopped and blew some cool air on the reddened hand before giving it a gentle kiss.
I smiled at my handy work before looking up at Yozak, "there we go, ship shape and ready to work. Just please be careful next time".
Yozak looked at me with bewilderment causing me to smile more brightly when he replied, "yes ma'am".
"Look there!" Conrart cried as he pointed out something glowing in the water.
As we got closer the more we knew it was the sword we were looking for, it became clear that Yuri wouldn't get burnt if he wasn't wearing any clothes. I covered my eyes as Yuri jumped in then he complimented the warm temperature and dived deep into it, it was all quite mysterious and I thought it would go down in history.
Until...
"Aah!", Yuri screamed, "the stupid thing bit me!".
"Bit you?" Conrart repeated with confusion.
"Yes that thing bit my poor little finger!".
I shook my head sadly, "Yuri are you honestly giving up after how much trouble it took to get here?!".
"But it's face, it's face!", Yuri replied in a panic, "where's my lawyer? Why do I have to do this?!".
As Yuri panicked in the spring, I shook my head disappointingly towards his behaviour it was so embarrassing for a boy his age then I turned to Yozak with a sad smile.
"I'm sorry Yozak, my brother doesn't like to do things smoothly" I said as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Your brother?" He exclaimed surprised.
"That's right, that silly little kid you've been bad mouthing all the way here is my little brother".
I noticed the blue eyed man quickly turn his gaze from me to my idiot brother until he finally said, "I don't see a resemblances".
"I get my looks from my mother, I don't know about the eye colour though" I said puzzled as I thought about the origins of my appearance.
"Yuri, it's alright".
I turned around to find Conrart was calming Yuri down, "We'll find another way".
I smiled at Yuri in reassurance while Yozak groaned behind me with annoyance.
"By all means your majesty come on back, let the soldiers handle it" the strawberry blonde said irritably.
"What are you saying? that I'm irresponsible?" Yuri asked annoyed.
"I wouldn't dream of saying such a thing your majesty, please by all means come back and let's leave this awful place" Yozak replied in a condescending tone.
"What do you know? What the hell do you know?!" Yuri shouted angrily, "I'm just an ordinary high school boy who never believed in any of this demon and magic stuff and yet here I am being dragged into being your demon king!".
"Yuri" Conrart said sadly.
Yuri turned away annoyed, "do you have any idea how I feel right now?"
"How could I possibly understand?" Yozak replied, "all the soliders have to do is shut and obey the will of the demon king".
"Yozak that's enough!" Conrart exclaimed.
"Alright, that's enough" I said calmly, "we're all tired which makes us irritable, we just need to calm down and reconvene at the inn, alright?".
Everyone silently agreed with a nod which made me heave a sigh of relief with the silence no matter how stiffling.
*******
We arrived back at the inn and by that time, Yuri was relaxing in his room with Wolfram and I was drinking with Conrart and Yozak in the next room.
Yozak wouldn't stop complaining, every so often, about the waste of a trip we made and the time we wasted. I'd be on the floor passed out with every shot I could have taken from every complaint Yozak maked.
"Yozak stop it, you're ruining the evening!" I demanded irritably.
"Well the whole day was ruined by his majesty being too weak to get the sword we've been travelling for, what's more going to do?"
"Lose my respect for you as a grown man, now shut up!", I exclaimed angrily, "You're acting more of a child than my two brothers put together and I'm the middle child!".
Yozak grunted annoyed and took another two gulps of his drink as Conrart gave a small smirk and hid it by taking another drink also as he silently listened to the conversation.
I sigh, "I know Yuri will go back when he's adapted to the task".
"And while his majesty takes his time, the demon kingdom is becoming more under threat by the neighbouring countries. That sword was a way to warn the humans off, we needed that sword!" Yozak complained bitterly.
I took a sip of the wine and smiled, "this wine is lovely".
"Are you even listening to me?!".
"I'm listening, I just don't appreciate being spoken to so rudely and esspecially about my little brother, he's only a boy from another world. He's never been treated in such a way as you have from this inn and back" I replied with my eyes closed, "if you want respect Yozak you must give some in return, I assume you've heard of equal exchange?".
Yozak was about to retaliate but Conrart placed his glass down loud enough to attract our attention causing us to be silent, "Yozak that's enough, what Rina is trying to say is that you need to have more faith in his majesty".
I smile gently and drank a little more to Conrart being on my side in the, what I can assume is, an argument.
"Not to mention you were testing his majesty" Conrart continued sternly.
"I was not, I was preparing myself for what destruction having the kid as a ruler would do" Yozak replied as he leant back in his chair.
"Regardless it was testing him, if you go anymore out of line I'll have you relieved of your duties, am I understood?!" Conrart warned threateningly.
"Sorry Lord Weller, you're not a captain of an army anymore. If you want to boss me around you better return to duty AQAP" Yozak replied carefreely.
I sigh and down another glass of wine and slammed it on the table as the two men squabbled over politics.
Then Yuri was mentioned again.
"You aren't seriously running around babysitting the demon king for the rest of your life?" Yozak asked half joking.
Conrart smiled, "that's exactly what I'm going to do with his permission of course".
I pour another one, my head getting fuzzy as I felt my cheeks heat up, Julia warning me to be careful of how much I was drinking I raised the glass and smiled brightly, "thank you Conrart, you're so kind".
"You're joking. How can the Lion of Lutenberg be reduced to a toothless dog?" Yozak asked rhetorically.
Conrart looked uncomfortable with what he used to be called, Julia would tell me stories and it was clear that now Conrart was haunted by them and it's understandable.
"You're digging too far into the past, Yozak" he started as he looked at his drink.
I played with my hair since it was down and smiled dreamily, "what's wrong with a toothless dog? They may not have their bite, but they're better for it. The toothless dog can make a better life than living in blood and fear".
Conrart looked at me surprised, I grinned and took another gulp of my drink but Yozak was not convinced, "you've clearly had too much to drink".
I scowled at Yozak, "And you've clearly got you head so far up your-".
"Rina, please" Conrart pleaded as he tried to take my glass away.
I moved the glass away from him, "Alright I'll behave, just... don't take my drink".
Conrart returned to his comfortable position in his chair and worriedly looked at me. I smiled in return and the conversation continued to it's natural place.
"And I can't believe you gave that thing to the kid, I don't want to be around when Adelbert finds out" Yozak stated.
"By thing you mean... the blue pendant?" I enquired taking a sip of my drink.
"Yes, do you know who that used to belong to?" Yozak asked as if I was an idiot.
I felt even more heat rush to my face and gripped my glass so hard it shattered into pieces causing the guys to look at me in shock.
"Suzanna Julia von Wincott, I've heard the story Yozak. I'm not an idiot!" I replied as I slowly stood up.
"Rina, please",Conrart insisted sadly, "I think it's time to call it a night".
"God damn, you're a terrible drinking buddy Yozak", I continued snapping quietly as I snatched the bottle from the table, "I'm going for a walk, you two have had enough!".
I ran out the room and walked around outside the inn and danced around on the grassy plain merrily.
Maybe I have had too much to drink, Julia...
Oh Rina, what am I going to do with you...?
Hit me with a mallet would be a good start... but that can wait, I want to dance.
I spun around then drank what was left of the wine as I enjoyed my own company, laughing merrily. I might as well have been enjoying a party with a group of people.
I enjoyed my own company sometimes, my thoughts were my own and I accept my own unacceptable in peace without angry voices yelling about politics.
I did a cartwheel and twirled once with my arms stretched out.
Conrart's POV
Where could Rina be?
After Rina left, Yozak admittedly felt terrible for the way he spoke to her. I went out to search for her, worried she would be in trouble.
I saw the bottle of wine we drank from at the bottom of the hill and followed the path to a glade. The air around me felt lighter as my eyes lay upon Rina dancing by herself, she looked like there wasn't any trouble. I've never seen her so carefree, so blissful; it was refreshing.
The mear memory of the argument earlier was washing away as Rina twirled and danced gracefully.
Rina's POV
I hummed blissfully as I twirled one last time before I gave up and decided to fall backwards.
But when I thought I would hit the soft grass, I was caught just in the knick of time in someone's arms.
Conrart.
I looked at him surprised and I felt embarrassed and somehow a burden, he looked as cool and composed as ever. He smiled down at me like the day we first met, it was strange but it's always refreshing to see him.
I suddenly realised he must have been watching my silly little dance, I ended up staring at him for longer than expected and fluttered my eyelashes in a panic.
"I-I'm sorry...", quickly standing up as I covered my reddened face with my left hand over my mouth but fell back down in my dizzy state.
"It's quite alright Rina" Conrart replied as he sat me down along side him.
I cleared my throat and tried composing myself in the presence of Conrart, I was about to rub my head with my right hand. I was beginning to develope a headache but Conrart snatched my hand away from my head, I looked at him surprised.
"Your hand".
I looked down at it to see my hand was bleeding from the glass I shattered earlier, I smiled sheepishly then looked up at him, "oh what am I like, it must have been the glass ealier".
"Let me take a look at that for you" the brunette insisted, as he pulled out a handkerchief and began to gently dab the blood away.
I quietly watched him as he performed first aid and wrapped my hand up with the handkerchief.
"I think you should have this" Conrart suddenly said as handed me a canteen with what I can assume was water, "it's time you sober up a little".
I took the canteen and took a big swig of water and sighed, "thank you, I don't deserve your kindness though. I behaved terribly, I feel like a guest in someone's home and I stepped out of line... I don't know anything about Yozak and what he's been through and me talking like that to him makes me feel horrible".
"Would you have spoken to Yozak like you did tonight if he was talking about someone you didn't know?" Conrart asked curiously.
"Yes" I replied immediately, "no one deserves to be spoken to like Yozak spoke about and to my younger brother. Despite what that person may have done, that does not define who they are".
Conrart smiled a little then looked down, "do you believe people can change?".
I looked at him almost surprised and thought for a moment, he wondered if he could change. From what I know and the stories I was told, it was clear he wanted some sort of redemption that he didn't think he deserved. I smiled warmly which caused Conrart to look at me wide eyed.
"Yes, I believe they can but only if they are truly commited to be the best version of themselves".
I looked up at the starry sky and started to relax, "I don't like mentioning her since I know what happened and how painful it is for you, but she used to tell stories about you".
I noticed him still staring at me wide eyed from the corner of my eye, "she used to tell me how kind and caring you were towards your mother you still seem to have that kind and caring nature but you show it more often. You're more relaxed...".
"I see", he looked up at the stars.
I looked at him like I was a deer in a headlights.
Oh my God, I was running my mouth off...
"You really don't have to listen to me, I'm not even sober!" I said in a panicked tone, "ignore the rambles of a drunk person".
"I'm glad to hear it".
"Huh?".
The brunette looked back at me and smiled happily, "I'm glad you see me in such a light".
I blushed shyly and turned my head away, "It's what you've shown me all on your own. Don't put yourself down, you're very charming".
Conrart chuckled, "thank you".
We stayed silent for the rest of the night but as we headed back to our rooms I felt uneasy.
We arrived outside the boy's and my room and my heart stopped.
"Conrart, wait. Something's not right...".
We investigated the room to find Yuri wasn't there, we both looked at each other and didn't waste a second to head for the spring.
By then it was early hours in the morning and my head began to pound as we made it to the edge of the spring from hell, then I noticed someone coming back.
"Look", I pointed to it.
Yuri had come back and it was clear he managed to retrieve the sword that would reassure at least a little of the Demon Kingdom's safety.