The slap resounded like a thunderclap within our home that we built into the mountain face near the village.
Alex stared at me with a stunned look as she held her cheek after I gave her that slap with all my power.
And yet, that look, as if she did not know why I hit her, made my fury rise even more.
"You fool! What the hell were you thinking!"
"...You hit me?"
"Hit you!? HIT YOU!? DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID-"
"I SAVED YOUR GODDAMNED LIFE!"
"BY THROWING AWAY YOURS!?"
Alex glared at me hatefully as tears gathered in her eyes, yet I could not care about it, just like I did not care about how tears streamed down my own face, making her eyes widen in shock.
"...Do you even realize how I felt when I saw you plummet to your death like that?"
"Steve. You know death means nothing to us-"
"THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU GET TO THROW AWAY YOUR LIFE LIKE THAT!"
She fell silent as I roared at her. But her next words made my heart freeze.
"...What about you? Did you think about how I felt when you pushed me out of the way and took that arrow for me back then?"
"Is that what this is about? Your delusions of justice and need to pay back your debts? Is that all I am to you? Someone you owe a debt to-"
I did not get to speak anymore as she punched me in the face with tears of her own flowing down her face.
Then, she pulled my face to hers and kissed me square on the lips, leaving me in a stunned silence as she glared at me with fury, despair, and love.
"You say I did not consider what you would feel with my death, but did you consider how I would feel when you were about to suggest i take that potion instead of you? Leaving you behind to die?"
"Did you think even once how much it would break me to see you go like that?"
"Then, it is fine as long as it is my heart that is broken?"
Alex shook her head and hugged me tightly as her body shook with sobs, and I felt my own tears continue falling.
"I don't want either of us to die in front of the other."
"....Promise me. Promise me that you will not do something this reckless ever again. If you go down, I go down with you. Promise me this."
She mumbled into my neck, making me hold her tight.
Without my volition, words slipped from my mouth.
"I guess this means you like me?"
Even with her sobs, Alex gave a choked laugh.
"I've liked you for a long time now, you idiot. Seriously, I couldn't even tell if my hints were flying over your head or if you were deliberately ignoring them."
I could not help but laugh despite the tears still flowing down my face.
Despite all the hurtful things we said to each other and the tempers flared by our shared worry and despair, for the first time in decades, I felt something good. A feeling that said that everything would be alright as long as I had her by my side.
Together, we will come out of this just fine.
That night, we officially became one, and our lives changed for the better.
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Mistral.
Within the back alleys of the Kingdom of Mistral, I walked towards a certain building that I got to know about after greasing a few palms here and there.
All around me, I saw the sights that I had already expected.
Sights of debauchery, with many women wearing revealing clothes and inviting people into their establishments to sell their services, which was not illegal in this Kingdom, according to what I managed to read on the local laws.
People who gave up on themselves and drowned their sorrows, either at the bottom of a bottle, or through an infusion of the powdered variety, and lying on the sides of the alleyways, living inside one delusion or another within their minds.
Men and Women carrying weapons and radiating a strange energy that I could not understand, patrolling the streets with arrogance that can only come from the knowledge that they owned this area.
Clubs, Inns, Casinos, and other establishments of excess that were definitely connected to the dark side of the city, given the way the staff of these places held themselves.
Occasionally, I even saw a few extortions being handled by what I guess to be loan sharks based on the few sentences I managed to overhear.
All in all, exactly what I expected to see when I arrived at the location given to me by the guy who promised to lead me to one of the Syndicates called 'The Spiders'.
Honestly, I could have gone to any of the Syndicates or even a small gang with Aura users to see if I could get Aura unlocked, or if I had Aura in the first place.
However, the problem is that by doing so, I would be stepping on too many toes.
The Syndicates would view this move as me not giving them any respect, while the gangs would see this as an attempt by that particular gang in question to try and take advantage of my resources and wipe out their competition.
That is why I chose to go to the biggest Syndicate in the Kingdom, so that even if I end up making enemies with this move, the Spiders would take care of it since they would rather not lose a well-paying client because of their politics.
Soon, I arrived at a rather classy-looking restaurant that looked exactly what a high-class place would look like if I ignored the fact that it was situated within what passes for slums in this world.
However, before i could even approach it, my senses screamed at me, making me sigh a little and catch the blade headed straight for my neck.
Given that I was wearing my Netherite Armor, which also included gloves, because I promised Alex I would do so, I was able to catch the blade by its edge, stopping it from moving a single centimeter thanks to my ridiculous strength.
With a quick flick of the wrist, I shattered the blade, making the girl who was holding the blade stare at me with shock, before delivering a light palm strike to her abdomen, making her fly like a kite and plant herself into the wall of the restaurant.
"Is this how the famed Spiders treat their prospective clients? I am disappointed."
"My~ I did not know that such an esteemed guest was going to meet me today. I am honored~"
I simply gave a stoic look at the woman who sashayed out of the building. Her blond hair let loose, and a beauty mark below her right eye.
'Age probably in the early thirties. Beauty mark under the eye, blond hair. Attractive body and facial structure. Spider tattoo on the left shoulder. This must be her.'
"You must be Miss. Malachite. Shall I take it that this is how you treat all your customers?"
I made sure not to sound arrogant, but I did not appear servile either, which she must have picked up since her smile stretched a little into a grin.
"Of course not! Let me apologize on behalf of my agent. James? Take her to the back and punish her appropriately for attacking a potential client."
I watched silently as the stoic man behind Malachite dragged the unconscious girl into the restaurant through the back door rather violently.
I knew that all of this was just a play on her part, a way to make her potential clients see her as fair and dangerous.
If my guess is right, the girl probably earned herself a sizable sum after helping Malachite assess my threat level this night.
This is why I hate dealing with this kind of person, even back on Earth, where people use all kinds of subtle ways to gauge each other.
Alex is lucky that she was not born in a rich and powerful family like mine back on Earth, and subsequently did not have to deal with this kind of politicking in her life, preserving her innocence and optimistic outlook on life.
Malachite smiled demurely and motioned inside.
"Please, come in."
I silently followed her into the restaurant and into a private room where she motioned her men to stay outside, which was just for show since my senses easily picked up on several hidden guards inside the secret spaces within the very walls of the room.
Cautious and paranoid. I could appreciate traits like that.
As soon as we sat down, a server, wearing rather revealing clothing with her spider tattoo placed just above her right breast, walked in with a few plates of food and drinks.
"A token of apology. Everything is on the house. If you don't find the food to your liking, you can ask for other services, including certain things that might prove to be quite enjoyable."
'Laying it on quite thick, huh?'
I ignored the way the server girl was deliberately bending forward, revealing her cleavage and giving me sultry looks, and kept staring at Malachite.
The woman was quite quick on the update as she giggled behind her fan and motioned the girl to go.
It was only when the girl was gone that I took out a Gold ingot and placed it straight in front of her.
"Let's cut to the chase. I am looking for information and a few services from your organization."
The way her eyebrows climbed at the golden bar showed that even for someone in her position, such wealth was not a common sight.
Good. This information alone, that the wealth I have with me is significant enough in this world, is worth the show that I put on until now.
Malachite took out a few tools from the case near her and started testing the Gold as I leaned back in my chair, my mind keeping track of all the moments I could sense within the restaurant.
Finally, after nearly fifteen minutes of testing, the woman sighed and gave me a complicated look.
"It seems I still ended up underestimating your status, Mr.?"
"Call me Herobrine."
I grinned at her wry smile, knowing that she caught on to the fact that it was a fake name.
"Very well, Mr. Herobrine. With such money, you can buy the best kind of property in this city within the high-class district. What kind of information and services could you be looking for that would require you to give me such wealth?"
I felt my grin stretch, becoming predatory as I spoke the words that showed my inner greed. A nature that always remained dormant except when I am left to my own devices.
"I want everything!"
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Author notes: Read 10 chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Tiranus2