The walk to Sephtis' cabin was rather devoid of people, but that's what made it so nice despite the ruined buildings on the way.
Leaving the main part of the village, the buildings gradually became smaller, less well-maintained, and eventually disappeared, giving way to a path lined with shrubs and trees. I was worried that the guy giving off a grim reaper vibe would actually try to reap me.
For one, he wasn't talking, and two, he wasn't even looking back at me to check if I was still following. Though thinking back to how he was acting before, he was likely just extremely shy.
"Your place is pretty far out, huh? Well, speaking in terms of inside the main walls," I commented, trying to start some small talk.
"Hm? Oh, uh, yes, I suppose it is," Sephtis replied, not turning back, but his ears perking up in surprise, as if he expected me to have left by now.
'He's not regretting letting me stay the night, is he? Haaa, whatever he is thinking, let's just hope he doesn't do something unhelpful.'
Sighing, I decided to let the not-talking bit go until we reached his home. I'm sure he had his reasons for not talking much, and remembering the way the other villagers acted towards him when we passed him, I guessed he had a lot of insecurities, only adding to his shyness.
Just a few moments later, I could see light poking out from the trees. Turning the corner, I saw the most cottage core-looking house I could've even imagined a werewolf to live in.
It made me rethink my assumption about him having insecurities. The cabin was, honestly, very beautiful. Both in front of the porch, and in baskets hanging off the porch railing were various types of moon flowers paired with orchids, and forget-me-nots.
The light was coming from lanterns, each carefully placed so that they were hidden by flowers or vines on the walls and ceilings, or hanging from the rafters overlooking the flower baskets and on the beams.
For a second, I thought I had been transported into a Pinterest post, but I was soon brought back to my senses when Sephtis was going up the porch and had stopped to look back at me.
"Uh, sir, is everything alright?" He asked, but got nervous when I looked at him with a face full of surprise, "...Is-is my home not to your liking?"
"...Not to my liking?! Sephtis, this is the most beautiful cabin I have ever seen!" I announced, running up to Sephtis on the stairs and taking his hands, "In fact, it's so gorgeous that I almost want to try to convince you to sell it to me!"
"H-HUH?!" Sephtis exclaimed, his face turning strawberry pink from blush, "Wh-w-w-w-What?! Really?"
"Of course! Seeing the outside makes me know just how much you take care of your home. I'd even bet it's the best-looking home in the entire village!" I declared, squeezing his hands and making my smile even brighter.
"T-Thank you, it means a lot to hear that!" Sephtis replied, blushing so much that I thought I could see smoke coming out of his ears as he turned away to hide his expression.
"Please, I'm just being honest," I chuckled, finally releasing his hands and heading towards the door, "Now I'm even more excited to see the inside!"
For a moment, I forgot the manners that were engraved into me from my devil of a father. But seeing Sephtis' reaction to all of the compliments made me want to give him more.
Sephtis didn't say anything as he came to open the door, just kept his head down and eyes on the keys and lock, trying to keep his flushed face out of my sight. Unfortunately for him, his hair didn't exactly hide it at all.
I decided not to poke him anymore and instead just waited patiently as he opened the door to a very nice inside that fit the outside.
The inside had the same log-cabin look as the outside, lanterns strung from the ceiling, and no wall hiding the logs it was made of. The first floor had a living room with red and brown colors, reminiscent of fall, matching the big stone fireplace, coffee table, and big cushion in between them.
Then, peering into what I could see of the dining room, there was a small wooden table that sat four people. The chairs were cushioned with red cushions that matched the dark brown wood, and cabinets that lined the wall across the wall from me.
Slipping my shoes off and walking in further, there was a bay window with similar red and brown cushions that were in the living room, lit by lanterns that sat in small niches on the wall. An intricately carved chandelier hung above the table, lighting up the entire room.
Then, as Sephtis nervously followed behind me into the kitchen, another gasp of astonishment was released from my mouth.
The kitchen cabinets were made of this beautiful dark red-brown wood, and the counters of a sort of black-marble-like stone. It had every appliance you could think a medieval kitchen would have, along with an island that had a bar for seats attached.
One wall was dedicated to spices and cooking equipment, the next had cabinets, a knife case, and a large pantry with a window looking out to the backyard. The wall next to it had the stove, oven, and a place to put containers full of the ingredients of what you were going to make for a meal. The wall of the opposite side was under the staircase, where I assumed his cooler/freezer was, with a shelf attached that had cookbooks on it.
"Damn, Sephtis, your place is awesome!" I exclaimed, turning to him, smiling, "Thanks for letting me stay the night!"
"I'm just happy to be able to repay the one who helped save my life," Sephtis smiled back, but then his ears shot up like he had forgotten something, "Would you like to get a good look at upstairs?"
"Hm, of course! If you would be so kind as to give me an official tour," I joked, aware of how I pretty much just let myself in…I felt apologetic, of course, but decided to play dense.
"Of course, of course! Just follow me," He said excitedly, rushing out of the room and back into the living room. Following him, we went up a staircase by the fireplace and up onto the balcony-like corridor.
Two rooms were facing each other, at the end was a window and a bench built into the wall with shelves and drawers under it. The bench was decorated with knitted pillows and a knitted seat cover under a neatly folded blanket.
On both sides of the window, a small bookshelf sat, full of books. Above the bench and window was a hanging lantern, like the ones on either side of the hallway room doors.
"I must say, you have a good sense of decoration," I announced, chuckling back and looking at Sephtis, my smile still plastered on my face.
"Th-Thank you!" Sephtis stammered again, looking down with his face blushing, and tail wagging.
"...I am just being honest!"
'God damn, is this guy cute!... Jeez, get it together, Lev, you just ran away from your crazy newfound fiancée and almost gained some physical touch trauma, you can't just go crushing on another guy, even if he is your exact type!'
"R-Right!" Sephtis exclaimed, then nervously ran into the hall and turned towards me, "The room to my left is my room, and the room to my right is yours!... Please excuse me, but I am going to go change now!"
Sephtis hurriedly rushed into his room, slightly slamming and locking the door behind him. Chuckling and now in a good mood, I opened the door to my lodgings for the night, walking in and instantly being greeted by the nicest small room I have seen since entering this world.
'I am now really glad I helped those both; had I not, I probably would've missed out on this and meeting that cute guy!'
The room was still the whole wood cabin vibe, with a black and brown rug in the middle of the room. The bed was built into the wall, along with a bookshelf and a place for a window and curtains in the middle.
At the foot of the bed was a dresser, with the same red-brown wood as downstairs. Then, to the left of the room, was a dresser and a wardrobe. On the right, a desk with a window in front of it and a bookshelf above the window.
Lanterns were scattered around the room, two on both sides of the desk and bed, a chandelier above, and a lantern by the wardrobe and dresser. The bed's bedding was brown, dark green, and a dark yellow, reminding me of fall, but then again, the entire house made me think of fall.
"Puhhh! That cloak really can get stuffy!" I sighed, finally taking my cloak off and putting it on the coat rack by the room's door. Then, I plopped onto the bed, spreading my arms beside me as I lay down.
'Heh, I surprisingly feel at peace here. It makes me feel bad for what happened in the side story with Jocasta…'
Putting together what I remembered of that specific side story, I finally got up and took my trunk out of my spatial broach and got changed. I put on just a simple button-up and dress pants, and left my hair down, not wanting to get too dressed up since I was going to go to bed shortly.
'Mmm, meh, there's no need for me to use Eveleen's disguise, I doubt anyone here knows me or has heard of the news about Llyr and I.'
As I was about to head out the door and downstairs, a thought occurred to me. Do I really need to seduce Sephtis to get him to follow me? I mean, the last few times I unintentionally did, it only ended in disaster for my plans.
Especially since the last two times, it was like I was their prey for a high-stakes hunt. Like if they couldn't make me theirs, they'd lose their life…and not because they couldn't live without me…well, at least for Oryn.
Thinking about that, I was taken back to my time on earth. After I had lost two important people in my life, just left with one.
***
Sitting at a bar, it was pretty much empty other than the bartender and about eight others, compared to the 50 it could seat was Saito Anzhong and Akihito Hidaka, the last two members of a close group of four.
The large ice sphere clanked against the cup as Saito raised it to his lips; not a sound escaped as he just stared blankly at the bar's black marble counter and took a sip of his whiskey. Akihito sat silently next to him, not making a peep, even when breathing.
The other people in the bar were chatting amongst themselves, silently enough for only them to know what they were conversing about, but for trained ears like Saito's and Akihito's, it didn't matter.
Even though they had just come back from a funeral and weren't thinking about any sort of fighting, the war had long since ingrained their instincts to always be active, no matter the situation.
Being brought out of his silent, depressed state by the hushed conversations around him, Saito was finally ready to say what was on his mind, even if it upset his comrade.
"I…I don't know what to do now that both of them are gone," Saito started, pausing to hang his head and set down his drink, "I, I don't even know how to live with myself."
Saito's tone was quite somber as he set his elbows on the counter and put his hands on the back of his head, pressing on the sides of his head and squishing his neatly styled hair, now lined with gray streaks, even though he was only in his late 30s.
Akihito was silent, remembering how Yasuo had been shot in the head right in front of him, then how he heard of Keiji's passing while he was stuck in combat with an opposing soldier. Akihito's guilt grew worse, knowing that once again, he wasn't present to help.
Opening and closing his mouth, wanting to say something, but not having the right words, Akihito knew what burden he wanted to take on for Saito. As the last people, they had to rely on each other; Akihito knew what they meant to each other.
"If you can't live with yourself without them, then live for me," Akihito suggested, finally looking at Saito, but then realizing how odd what he said sounded, "...If that makes sense."
"Live…for you?" Saito repeated, thinking about it, then turning to look at him, "But how could I do that when you might leave me to?"
Saito looked at him with empty, emotionless eyes. Scared of seeing the last person he cares about die in front of his very eyes again.
"I won't. I'll leave the front lines and go work for the government as a strategy worker," Akihito declared, giving up his spot as Saito's right-hand and instead taking a new spot; his lifeline.
"...I…I suppose that would make you more safe…" Saito mumbled, looking away for a moment before looking back at him with determined eyes, "Alright, if you are willing to have that burden and stay as far away from battle as you can, then I'll accept that."
As Saito boldly declared, it turned into the night when Akihito left the army as a soldier, sparking his rise to being the greatest secretary of the army in history. And Saito Anzhong's rise to his ruinous position from Colonel to Major General, the very position that caused his death and gave birth to his coldness.