CHAPTER 423: ARC 3, CHAPTER 39: MIDNIGHT MUSINGS

Horse hooves against dirt and brush was not the usual noisy clops the blonde was used to; more so when the horses had six legs and some features of a household cockroach.

Fortunately, she was seated on hay on the back of the cart, not having to face them and the setting Sun only aided in that endeavour.

After a long silence, "I mean, I didn’t realize when we got isekai-d, we’d be you know, actually real? We died in an accident and what if our brains got recovered and we were uploaded into a supercomputer that simulates life or something?

It makes less sense we just got transported into another world for real, come on, you gotta be on my side for that!"

Jotou glanced over to her travelling companion sitting opposite her and slanted her head to the side, "So let me get this straight; you couldn’t make sense of the things in this world and how you got here.

And instead of investigating further and keeping an open mind, you decided to make up your own conclusion and just kept going? Just in absolute denial of all the evidence around you?"

Ben groaned into his armoured palms.

"Yeah, maybe you can stop acting like a douche now."

"Dude, I’ve like... oh man... I gotta skip town for my reputation at this point. I mean, I gotta test out if they’re actual people first," he reasoned.

"So you’ve entered the bargaining stage?"

"I’m not grieving man," his eyes poked out from in between his fingers.

Jotou spotted the Adventurers Guild in the distance before dusk had turned to night. "I’ve been meaning to ask you, do you ever take off your armour? I’ve not seen in you in normal clothes once."

"Why, what’s wrong with the armour?" he took his face out of his hands.

"Nothing. Does it have an enchantment that prevents it from getting dirty and weatherproofing like mine?"

"All that and more." "Ting, ting." He knocked on his chest piece. "...Actually," his pride turned into a sheepish look fast.

"Go on."

"If I gotta be honest..." he hushed, trying to keep his voice away from the driver they were hitching a ride from. "So when I first got into this world, I was this ripped adventurer, right?

I eventually got the guild, the tavern and all that. The food was too good and... well. Turns out, you gotta keep the diet and keep hitting the gym if you wanna keep the physique..."

"Ah. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been slacking off exercise for a bit now. I just do about ten to twenty minutes a day of whatever I feel like on the day. You should try it, at least start somewhere."

"I’ll think about it."

’Code for, he won’t.’

_

"Just to clarify, you people condone killing goblins and taking their ears as loot?" the blonde’s eyes creased as a tray with her quest reward was slid forward on the counter.

The clerk with a deadpan face replied, "They’re an invasive species that pillage and steal from people. Thanks to the guild, we’ve pushed them back to a manageable number over decades."

Jotou sneered, "You make me sick," she swiped the coin pouch and walked away.

"Three whole days?"

The blonde’s footsteps halted in front of a certain crimson-haired wolf-girl. "Why, missed me?" she replied with a tilt of her chin.

"Why would you assume that?" there was the hint of a smile on Hotaru’s face, but she kept her arms folded and expression relaxed. "What were you up to?"

"A little bit of goblins, a little bit of a tavern brawl," she shrugged a shoulder.

"Sounds like an adventure."

"Boy was it!" Ben invited himself in between.

"What happened to your helmet?" Hotaru’s eyes darted to the deeply dented helmet under Ben’s arm. She raised both her brows, "I’ve heard about goblins, but I didn’t imagine them to be the strong sort."

"Separate incident, don’t worry about it," Ben’s face dropped like melting snow.

"Here, two platinum and five gold," Jotou counted out his share.

However, Ben put his hand up, "Nah man, you can keep it."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"If it isn’t the Inferno himself!" a voice hollered and approached the red-armoured figure.

Ben had no smile as his brows furrowed down. He slowly forced himself to face Clyde and Colwyn not too far behind him.

Clyde, who was coming in a swift stride, slowed down his pace till it was a hobble. The elf took a moment, then mimicked the sentiment.

...

...

"Uh, hey..." Ben scratched the back of his neck.

"What was that?" Clyde bent his pointy ear with a finger.

"I said hey," Ben repeated louder.

"Oh."

Hotaru squinted. Her ears flickered before she unscrunched her eyes and bobbled her head from side to side. "It feels like I’m missing something. Anyhow, do you want to come join us? Asobi’s up to something," she spoke to Jotou.

The blonde gave a pat on the back of Ben’s armour and joined the redhead in walking away. "What exactly is she doing...?"

Clyde and Ben stared everywhere except at each other while Colwyn had made her way to join the two. "What seems to be the matter? Was your quest unsuccessful?" the sister asked.

"No, no, it went off without a hitch," Ben tried to hide his face in his shoulder.

Colwyn blankly stared at the dented helmet.

...

"I uh," Ben glanced at Clyde. His face contorted. There a flurry of words behind his lips, yet none seemed to be what he wanted or should say. "Can I... Can I buy you guys a drink?" his face scrunched up like he had eaten ten lemons.

Clyde looked back to his sister.

"Tea please," Colwyn answered.

Meanwhile, "The Circus of Loons!"

"We don’t have a lot of those," Fumeko replied, staring at tomes.

"Hmm," Asobi poked her wand under her chin again.

"The fated maiden of lightning returns," Tiffany turned to greet the approaching two.

"Took you long enough," the brunette finally lifted her head up.

"Well, what did you find out?" Jotou retorted.

Fumeko grumbled. "Give me a day or two, I might’ve figured out some teleportation shenanigans happening at Casten Castle, but I need more."

"Jotou! What’re your thoughts on The Misfits of Magic?" Asobi popped out of invisibility in front of her in a puff of glitter.

"And who are they...?"

"Us silly!"

"You’re coming up with names again?"

"We need one!" Asobi insisted.

"If everyone’s so eager about this," Jotou held the bridge of her nose and sat down next to the brunette.

"Don’t lump us in with her," Fumeko’s eyes glazed over.

"A name should be important," Hotaru’s tail fluttered.

"Indeed, tis a moniker to instil trepidation into the hearts of foes and stir the ladle of hope into the soup of the forlorn," Tiffany proclaimed.

Fumeko looked over to Jotou, "Don’t lump me in with them."

"The Sirens of Kria!"

"None of us are from Kria," Fumeko’s eyes narrowed at the magician.

"Exactly!" Asobi nodded.

"What?" the brunette hissed.

"I’m from Kria Meko," Hotaru furrowed her brows.

"Not technically," Fumeko countered.

The redhead’s lips tightened, "Well, then, well Jotou’s still-"

"Nope," Jotou shut down.

"You’re still the Thundering Blade of Kria," Hotaru side-eyed.

"And you’re the Azure Firefly of Cravolta—your point?" Jotou eyed back.

"Why sirens?" Fumeko asked the elf.

"Renowned are sirens for their feminine allure, lulling prey with song and charm. Ferocity behind masks of enchanting beauty, none expect the peril till tis too late and a siren’s lethality has been exposed.

Considering our adventuring party’s collective feminine charm and alike deadliness, tis a fitting designation," Tiffany posed a few fingers over her eyepatch.

"Stella gets it!" Asobi jumped. "Plus, we first formed and became a party in Kria, the City of New Beginnings! It seemed right."

"All those in favour of Sirens of Kria," Hotaru put her hand up. Tiffany flicked her wrist into the vote while Asobi put an illusory gloved hand up that sparkled with the name plastered onto it.

"You don’t need my vote," Jotou took a tome to busy her hands.

Fumeko groaned.

_

"Cream liqueur—whiskey," Jotou ordered at the bar.

"And your freshest ale, please," Ben took a seat next to the blonde.

"Nice of you to join me."

"Uh, so I talked to the twins," Ben tented up his fingers on the bar.

"How’d it go?"

"It wasn’t much of a talk? I tried to come around to say sorry, but I didn’t exactly know how to bring it up or you know, breach the topic?"

"And?"

Ben exhaled and slumped onto the bar, "I couldn’t. I got them drinks, I told them about the quest, but not that you, won," he forced the word out. "That’s all I said and Colwyn said she wanted to go to bed, so, I left it at that."

Jotou’s drink was placed in front of her, "So, are you gonna try again tomorrow?"

"Probably," he gave room for the glass of ale set in front of him.

"Then that’s all there’s to it," Jotou took a sip and hummed in delight to herself. "As long as you’re gonna try again tomorrow, that’s all that’s important. Just keep trying, even if it takes a week."

"It might at this rate."

"It’s one night, calm down~"

"Uhm, excuse me, Ms Thundering Blade? May I get your autograph and some advice?" a young half-elven girl approached to Jotou’s side, shaking like she was going to explode any second.

She had a pen and what seemed to be a journal decorated with various dried flowers and leaves; she handed both to the blonde, which Jotou took with a smile.

"No need to be scared, I don’t bite unless asked," the blonde giggled and set the journal on the bar. "Seriously, you’re fine. What did you wanna ask? I can’t promise you good advice of course~"

She blushed in embarrassment and faced the floor, "Uh, well, how do you get better at magic? Yours, thunders across the skies till the whole world hears and I just, need to know," she fidgeted her fingers and managed to face her.

’Should I sign it with ’Thundering Blade’...? Eh, I’ll do both.’ Jotou signed it normally and added some flair with her title underneath with a few flicks of her wrist. "Hm... I don’t know if I’m the best person to ask that.

It’s sort of the effect of the spell I have and I feel like the whole world hearing’s a bit egregious," she chuckled and handed the journal back. "Bettering my spells came as I bettered myself.

I mentally visualize the spell and then feel it out. Failure’s gonna happen, so it’s best to take it on the chin and keep going. But you know what’s my favourite part of that spell?" she uttered with a smirk.

The girl took the journal and pen into her arms before nodding curiously, "The sound? The lightning?"

"Under the right circumstances, it makes thousands of flowers bloom~"

"I didn’t know you could do that. Thundering Blitzes? It makes sense they’d bloom."

"Mhm, my favourite flower in this world."

"Wow. Oh, thank you," she bowed her head a few times. "I’ll leave you to your drink, sorry," with her head ducked she scurried off.

"Man, she didn’t even notice me?" Ben lamented.

Jotou stuck her tongue out and sipped her liqueur.

"You’re way more charismatic than you used to be."

Jotou placed a hand on her neck and tipped her chin to the side, "What, I wasn’t as charming before~?" her accent had been put on.

"Not really."

"..." Jotou stared at the shelves of alcohol, dead-eyed.

"Most women have the power of charm, easily. So it’s no doubt that that’s helping you," he stated.

Jotou sighed.

"But you’re also just really good at using it. You’re way more arrogant; like you were wayyy back in high school days."

"Ha, ha," Jotou rolled her eyes.

Ben turned towards her, "My dude I’m serious, you’ve gotten way more confident. Everything you do, every way you move and look.

I know obviously the voice isn’t the same, but I can still hear Jotou—even every word sounds more sure man, take the damn compliment."

Jotou pondered for a moment, eyeing the drink in her glass. "You really think so? It’s cause I, have to be..."

Ben leaned his elbow against the bar, "What d’you mean?"

"Crispy... Ben. I’m terrified... I’m terrified of losing... Of when my ass is gonna be handed to me on a silver plate for how cocky I get...

I know I used to be like you said, real issues with my ego, but that’s when I was a nobody. I’ve made it to becoming someone, but now maintaining it is just... egh.

It’s so easy to get pushed off when you’re standing so high, and it keeps getting higher... I’m psyching myself out more and more of when it’s coming," she wiped her face with her hand. "Sorry."

Ben let her words linger for a few seconds, before he replied, "You’re fine."

"Not the response I needed."

"You’re not being someone you’re not, still the same Jotou I know," he downed his drink. "Still complaining about everything to his friends—you’re still not alone my guy. I’m sure if you lose, it won’t be that bad anyhow—you’re just overdramatic."

...

For however many emotions rattled her mind for the past few days and even weeks, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. Her bones felt steadier and a soft smile played across her lips, "Dumbass."

"The hell’s that for!?" Ben raised his arms.

Jotou laid an arm on Ben’s arm and murmured, "Thanks," she stuck her tongue out and winked.

Ben cleared his throat and gave a nod. Jotou took her hand away. "So, I’ve been meaning to ask; what’s it like—being a girl now?"

Jotou shrugged, "Still feel like me weirdly enough."

"I-agh, I know that, I just said it. Can you see more colours than you used to? Women can see more shades and tell the differences," Ben inquired.

The blonde winced an eye and tested it against the bottles on the shelves and the adventurers in the tavern, "I’m not sure...? I never really had trouble with colours."

"Oh, right, artist," Ben muttered. "But there’s gotta be differences, it can’t be all the same. Is it better or worse? What about like, you know," Ben said gesturing to his own chest.

Jotou’s head slowly turned with the sharpest of glares.

"I’m just asking man, you can say you don’t wanna answer," he shielded his face with his arms.

"You’re an adult, you can just call them breasts," Jotou turned back and sipped her drink. She then sighed, "Honestly, I do feel different in the physical sense. And in the beginning that’s all I could think about.

Don’t get me wrong," Jotou sank behind her glass more, trying to hide her face. "I felt what most guys would at the start. It’s hard not to feel like a pervert after that. But the thing is, that didn’t last long...

You come to the realization that it’s still you and I had to continue like this for, forever realistically," she drank a bit as she admitted. "Is it weirder to say I’m happier now? I don’t know if it’s because I’m a girl or because of everything that’s happened.

It’s really hard to tell; it helps that I’m what most people find pretty at a glance. Even then, I couldn’t say. If I was an extremely handsome guy would I feel the same?

Or is it that I’ve been a girl long enough that my opinion’s a little skewed? But I will say, it’s... nice to do ’girly’ things..." she pursed her lips. Her eyes darted to the side to glance at the red-armoured figure.

"I think you do you man, if it makes you happy what’s wrong with it? It’s not bothering anyone," Ben drank from his glass. "Ah shit, are you looking for my opinion, I mean-"

"It’s fine," Jotou dismissed with a chuckle. "I like dressing up and having hair this long. Makeup feels like I can decorate my face before putting myself out there; makes me feel more confident, even in a fight.

And you know, it’s nice that I can cry freer. I feel less weird about laughing or being bubbly in public. I can be cheery and playful with kids and not be judged for it by strangers on the street. I can just, be a lot more open in general and people don’t bat an eye.

It’s freeing; it’s nice," Jotou confessed with a soft smile. "In a sense, I’ve learned to love myself in two different bodies, so I can’t truly say one’s better or one’s worse; especially considering the circumstances I was in in our old world.

But all in all, if I was to ever be reincarnated again and had to choose..." Jotou raised a brow. "Well, if I get to keep my memories. I guess I wouldn’t feel the same if I was actually reborn without my past."

"It’s a good point, I guess it’s better to remember cause you got the life experience," Ben nodded along. "But I’m happy for you dude. It’s better than you were before."

"Plus, these are nice," Jotou patted her own chest.

"Dude, TMI."

Jotou’s face dropped. The barstool screeched back as she got up.

"Dude I’m kidding, I’m kidding," Ben laughed before he reached over and yanked her arm back to sit down.

Jotou sat back down with a roll of her eyes and a smile.

"Thanks for talking to me. I know you might hate me, or be mad at me, but thanks for opening up," Ben admitted in a quiet voice.

Jotou hummed, "Don’t worry. I trust ya." ’It’ll all be alright. Whatever these few days have been, I’m glad I found him.’

From a booth in the bar by the side, two crimson ears flickered. In between sips of her drink, the eavesdropper’s fangs glistened into a smile.