A Place to Stand
In the morning it was a quiet day for ruko having a good long sleep. And in that dream Ruko woke up gasping. The dream had no images, only pressure, a weight pressing from every side. Stone walls seemed to close in. A cold wind whispered threats that made no sense.
Shadows shifted just out of reach, teasing him with glimpses of something ancient and a mockery, something that had seen everything and forgotten nothing. His body reacted before his mind did, muscles tensing, breath coming in short bursts, as though preparing for a fight that didn't exist.
He sat up slowly, planting bare feet against the wooden floor. The sunlight spilled across the room through the high windows, warm but not enough to erase the lingering tension in his chest. "It's not here," he told himself. "And it's not real, but what was that."
The knock came abruptly, startling him.
"Good news!" Darkness announced, barging in before he could respond. "Kazuma has secured us a residence!"
Ruko blinked, rubbing his temple. "You sound way too proud about that. You're treating it like a conquest."
"It's a mansion," Darkness continued, practically beaming. "Just outside Axel." Ruko raised an eyebrow. "A mansion?" He had learned to temper expectations in this world. A mansion could mean anything from a crumbling shack with a fancy name to an actual palace.
Later that morning, the party stood before it. Calling it a mansion was generous. The building leaned slightly to one side. Ivy strangled the walls. Windows were either cracked, missing, or held together with a patchwork of boards. The front door groaned like it was filing a complaint. Dust drifted lazily from the eaves as if warning them of the mess inside.
Kazuma's face fell. "I paid money for this?" "You paid less money for this," Aqua corrected sharply. "It's technically accurate that we get this type of treatment." "Well it doesn't matter we have a place to stay so let's make a best of out it." Ruko encourage the group.
Cleaning began immediately, though everyone had a different interpretation of what "cleaning" meant. Dust clouds rose in thick, choking waves. Broken furniture had to be lifted, dragged, or tossed. Aqua complained nonstop, throwing her hands in the air at every speck of dirt she encountered.
Megumin examined scorch marks on the walls and furniture, immediately blaming herself despite Ruko silently noticing some were years old. Darkness volunteered for the tasks no one else wanted, humming gleefully as she wielded a hammer like it was a weapon of destruction.
Ruko worked quietly, steady and methodical, lifting debris and reinforcing beams where he could. Occasionally, when someone argued or panicked, he spoke. "Yelling doesn't make the wall straighter," he said calmly, bracing a sagging support beam. "Pressure does if you take too long."
He didn't raise his voice, didn't seem frustrated. The words landed. Aqua rolled her eyes but stopped screaming. Megumin muttered grudging agreement, while Darkness smiled faintly, clearly enjoying that someone finally recognized her efforts. By evening, the building was barely livable, but the structure held, and the dust had been knocked down enough to see floors again.
And then the bath incident happened.
Kazuma had claimed the tub first, announcing it as his own domain with the confidence of a general. Megumin arrived seconds later, irritation already written across her face. "You've been in there too long," she said sharply.
"I'm literally washing dirt out of my hair," Kazuma replied indignantly. "That's inefficient of you to say. I'll be faster," Megumin countered. Voices rose. Aqua shouted running commentary from the hallway. Darkness added her own masochistic tips no one asked for.
Timing being what it was, Ruko opened the door. The scene froze. Everyone turned at the same moment. Megumin yelped, Aqua screamed, Kazuma practically jumped out of his skin. Darkness leaned in closer, her usual mischievous grin replaced with curiosity.
Ruko paused for a second, adjusting his posture and shrugging lightly. "Timing is not the issue," he said, calm as always. "We'll pretend this didn't happen and Darkness ..stop staring." Megumin fainted on the spot. Aqua gasped, and Kazuma groaned. Darkness, of course, laughed.
The incident ended quickly, leaving behind only a mess of towels, scolding, and lingering embarrassment. Ruko didn't show panic. He didn't flinch. Everything had been seen before, everything had been handled before. Calm, collected, ready. That was his style now — quiet, deliberate, and unshakable, but still a little bit shame though.
A month passed.
The winter dungeon was scheduled, and Kazuma and his party had to leave. Ruko stayed behind. Aqua's healing magic had restored him physically but pushing his body further risked permanent fatigue or worse. So Ruko one and only solution... training.
He trained by doing Burpees, Push-ups, Sit-ups, Squats, Lunges, Planks.
He repeated each motion, counting silently, keeping strict form, controlling his breathing. No muscles grew. His body didn't visibly change. But he noticed other things: his balance improved. His breathing became steadier. Movements became precise, deliberate, and efficient.
Each repetition was a reminder: it wasn't just about strength. It was about control. Then it happened. A subtle pulse. A shift in the air around him. Yew started to pop up.
[Yew: "Power threshold reached: 1%. You unlock a new main skill 'Simulation Space'."]
"Simulation Space what kinda simple name is this." Space started around him shimmered, then unfolded. A white, empty field appeared. Time felt normal, pain registered but caused no harm. "Ohh ..so this is a Simulation Space well i dont know what to do here anyway."
[Yew: Host can train here to improve his capabilities."]
"Wow really well it would be a waste if didn't try this place out." He tested it cautiously. Every movement was accurate. Every reflex responsive. Every thought mirrored reality. Perfect for experimentation, perfect for mastery.
Exiting, he noticed something else activating.
The object he had pulled from Beldia's burn site — now humming, glowing faintly. A screen lit up. Phone Cyclopedia activated. "What a phone with cyclopedia on it is and why does it look like my phone Samsung Galaxy Ultra 2000 Ao6!"
He scanned the menus carefully:
Daily mission system. Check.
Status interface (restricted). Check.
Apps, media, utilities. Check.
Earbuds capable of summoning to listen music / monitoring sounds within 500 meters, privately. Check.
Invisible to everyone else. Check.
World travel system (locked). Check.
He paused at world travel but don't pay that no mind. He look at the penalty notice for missed daily missions. Motivational design, he muttered. Crude, but effective. Sitting on the mansion steps later, Ruko finally allowed himself a moment of thought.
Fatigue wasn't physical anymore. It was mental, emotional, something heavier. One night staring at the stars, he realized the weight of all the battles, the constant danger, the trust he had to earn, the people he had to protect.
"I'm here," he thought. "But for what?"
The answer didn't come. Only the quiet knowledge that someone, something, was always watching and waiting which is known as 'Sealer'. Ruko's posture remained relaxed, yet not alert. Every word he would speak from now on would be deliberate, calculated, right or wrong — but always with purpose.
He was learning that even when the world mocked him, even when allies acted strangely, he could guide situations with words as much as with action. And that, he decided, was how he would stand in Konosuba.