As Liebe and Licht returned to their hotel room:
Licht said, "Well, the food was delicious."
Liebe said, "I would assume so."
Licht said, "What do you mean 'assume so'?"
Liebe said, "I have been there before."
Licht said, "What? How? How many times? Just the bill for the two of us was 2000 gold alone, and we just had four steaks."
Liebe said, "I have been there quite a few times for some of my monster part trades. Many prefer to treat me there as a sign of good faith and continued business."
Licht said, "How many times?"
Liebe said, "So far, around 5000 times."
Licht said, "Huhhhhh? That many? Yup, I'm never eating at the Vale Estate again. From now on, I'm eating there 5 times a day, and you are paying."
Liebe said, "Sure, I don't mind."
Licht said, "What do you mean 'I don't mind'? Just how rich are you?"
Liebe said, "As of right now, I own more than about well, 750 million."
Licht said, "What? How? Why? Where?"
Liebe said, "By working. Because I don't want our team worrying about finances. Around the world in various storage units."
Licht said, "Frick."
As the morning in class in the Empire, Helios rushed to class. Helios signed: Happy birthday.
Alysa signed: Thank you.
Helios signed: So how was it? Also, did anything happen?
Alysa signed: Well, I went to dinner with Dad, just the two of us.
Helios signed: Great, great. And as he thought, If she isn't mentioning me, it means she must have forgotten me. Great. The memory spell is working. I couldn't be happier.
Alysa signed: Well, something did happen.
Helios signed: Yeah? Was it the food? Was it good? Did you like it or hate it?
Alysa signed: It isn't the food. It's more like I met someone. I'm engaged, but last night I met the hero Liebe Faust.
Helios signed: Oh, great, great. He is the absolute worst, am I right? So arrogant. Formal. Thinking he owns the world. Sleeping around. That rich, arrogant brat. I totally get it. You hate him, honestly. You should. It's for the best. As Helios thinks, Well, if she can't forget me, might as well hate me, am I right? As long as the problem is solved, I don't really mind either way.
Alysa signed: He was different than I thought.
Helios, now happy, signed: Yeah, I know. The hero types always seem big online, making them look like saints, and they are just evil perverts who sleep around and kill, but the media doesn't show that. As Helios thinks, Come on, do it. Do it. Say how much you hate me. I even flirted last night. Say all my acting paid off. Say I was successful and now you hate me because you love your fiancé. Just say the golden words. I can't wait.
Alysa signed: He seemed warm. He was the one who saved my brother 2 years ago. But seeing now, I realize why my father respects him. Despite being older, sure he flirted a bit, but I can see why his first officer would. But usually it would be rude, but he never minded. And he was superior, but he was there as him. And he included me in the conversation despite my SAD. He even used sign language just to make me comfortable.
Helios, in tears, said, "Good for you." As he thought, Great going me. Why can't I be a bit less charming? I want to punch myself in the face. Well, time for plan B. I'll walk into the Bouduin Estate as Liebe and burn it to the ground. No need to kill. And after that, she will surely hate me.
Helios said, "You know, you can never trust these celebrities. Acting kind and all that. He probably just wanted to sleep with you and that's it. He isn't kind at all. He is a devil and a snake who wanted to sleep with you and your 5-year-old-looking, less than mediocre boobs and an ass as flat as the wall."
Alysa playfully punched him and signed: That isn't funny. I'm still growing.
Helios signed: Sure, sure, sure. You are growing just at the rate at which godkin and half-breeds become equal.
Alysa signed: And perhaps because of Mr. Liebe, it won't be long then.
Helios thought, Dang it, past charming me. I really hate you. Couldn't you just be arrogant and say stuff like 'grovel at my feet' or some BS? Why did you have to look humble? Don't you have anything better to do?
Alysa signed: If possible, if I met him again, I would like to talk to him for hours if possible.
Helios signed: What? You are an engaged woman, little dumbass.
Alysa signed: Perhaps I will talk to him at my engagement party.
Helios thought, OK, so here's the plan: future me, come covered in dirt and mud. Fuck a skunk beforehand. Make sure she can't get within a billion km of me. Also, start fucking her bitch of a sister. Wait, even better: do it in the disabled toilet so someone discovers us and she knows what I did, and she will hate me. I'm a freakin' genius. I just solved all my problems. Last time it was quick and I didn't really think. This time I just need to really sell it. And instead of introductions, I will just say, 'Hey, bitch,' wearing a skunk. The smell and working? Yup, I'm a genius.
Alysa, shaking him, signed: Helios, are you OK?
Helios signed: Yes. Why?
Alysa signed: Well, because you were grinning and laughing like an evil madman. You looked like you were planning to kill someone.
Helios signed: Oh that? You know nothing.
A month later, on January 13th, during lunch, Liebe knocked on the door to Lilith's office and said, "Captain, it's me. May I come in?"
Lilith said, "Sure, sure. Come in, come in."
Liebe entered and said, "Happy birthday, Captain."
Lilith said, "Oh that? That, yeah. Thank you."
Liebe said, "I brought a gift. It's a watch."
Lilith said, "Thank you for remembering." As she tried to hug him, Liebe dodged.
Liebe said, "No. I can't forget the past. But perhaps you are the only one in the world with whom I can share my memories of her. So here."
Lilith said, "Whiskey?"
Liebe said, "A Macallan 150."
Lilith said, "150? How did you afford this?"
Liebe said, "The same way you could have if you tried."
Lilith said, "Yeah, I know. How much did this cost, anyways?"
Liebe said, "For a 150-year-old, it cost 35,000 gold coins."
Lilith said, "That is—"
Liebe said, "Yeah, whatever." As he poured them both a glass.
Liebe said, "A toast. I just want to talk about her, and that's it."
Lilith said, "Alright. What do you want to talk about? The time I changed her diapers like yours? Or the time she peed on me? Or well—"
Liebe said, "Yup. None of that, please."
Lilith said, "Come on, you two looked so adorable as kids. Like siblings."
Liebe said, "Please don't, ever, and I mean ever, say that again about the person I slept with on multiple occasions—basically every night."
Lilith said, "Alright. But no matter what, I still love that child as my own, and my stance on that hasn't changed."
Liebe said, "Personally, I couldn't care less, as long as you didn't turn me into some kind of incest-loving freak."
Lilith said, "Yeah, kinda forgot incest was a thing."
Liebe said, "What else were you expecting?"
Lilith said, "So what do you plan to do now?"
Liebe said, "Prepare. In 15 months, Team Liebe will be fighting Azure and his personal forces."
Lilith said, "Oh, Azure? That weakling. If he will be keeping you busy for the next 15 months, then why don't I just go and kill him now? And then your schedule for the next 15 months will be free, and we can do mother-son hangouts."
As Lilith was walking towards the door, Lilith said, "This will be easy. If something so trivial was bugging you, why didn't you just say so? Let's end it."
Liebe said, "Stop."
Lilith said, "Why?"
Liebe said, "This is my fight. And stay the hell out of it."
Lilith said, "Alright then. I won't interfere in the personal affairs of Team Liebe. But if you—"
Liebe said, "No. We will handle this alone. I'm capable of doing this."
Lilith said, "Yeah. Now then, let's return to our conversation."
Liebe said, "I visited the Empire on December 26th. I met her again."
Lilith said, "Oh, great. So when can I expect my daughter-in-law to be back? When is she coming back? Also, I miss her cooking. Tell her to make those banana pies I miss so much. But again, her meat pies are better."
Liebe said, "Never. She is never coming back. I made the decision to keep her safe, and she is never coming back. She will stay happy and safe in a world where my bloodied hands can't reach her. I made that decision, and I intend to go through for life."
Lilith said, "But why is that?"
Liebe said, "Because that is the best for her."
Lilith said, "Alright then. But is that what you want?"
Liebe said, "Pardon?"
Lilith said, "All I'm saying is, perhaps the great Liebe who knows the best for everyone might possibly not know the best for himself. Just saying."
Liebe said, "My personal desires are irrelevant."