Festival Echoes and Quiet Fractures
The noise of the festival still echoed faintly through Axel, but for Ruko, it all felt distant—like a world he was watching from outside. After reading to Yew's breakdown earlier, Ruko spotted Kazuma moving through the crowd with Chris. He narrowed his eyes slightly and followed from a distance, hands in his pockets, hood low. "…A relic, huh?" Ruko muttered under his breath. He leaned against a stall post, watching them talk. Kazuma scratched his head. "So we're stealing it back, right? That 'Sacred Armor Aegis' thing?" Chris nodded, smiling. "Recovering it. Not stealing." Ruko smirked faintly. "Oi, oi… man really out here doing thief missions and didn't invite me." He watched a little longer—Kazuma teasing Chris, Chris lightly hitting him back—and something about it made Ruko stop. "…Yeah… I'll leave it at that." He turned away. The deeper he walked into the festival, the louder everything got. Laughter. Couples walking side by side. Families gathered around food stalls. Friends shouting, joking, living. Ruko shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "…Sigh... boring."He kept walking.
"…There's no fun in this god damn festival." Then he paused. "…Lover… huh." His mind drifted. Luna. He hadn't seen her properly since that night. "…She hasn't talked to me… not even once." He clicked his tongue. "…Whatever since I'm a fly anyway." Then— "…Family." He stopped again. His eyes softened slightly. "…I miss them…" For a brief second, something real surfaced. But then— "…I got Aqua, Megumin, Darkness…" "…and that idiot brother Kazuma." A small smirk. "…Yeah… guess that counts." He sighed. "…Friends…" His steps slowed. "…Do I even have friends?" Silence. "…All I do is fight… deal with problems… keep things from going crazy…" "…But do I actually… talk to them?" His gaze dropped. "…Do they even ask what I think?" Nothing. "…Nah…" "…Seems I don't got friends." That thought settled heavier than anything else. "…Maybe they're just… keeping me from going insane." Ruko let out a quiet breath. "…Then why am I even here?" "Oi, Ruko! Is that you, lad?" Ruko blinked. That voice—He turned. "…Old man?"
Standing there, waving casually, It was Varo—the traveling merchant who he had met when exit out of the ruins. Ruko's eyes widened slightly. "…You're still alive?" Varo laughed. "And you look worse than last time I saw you!" Ruko scoffed. "Been busy." Varo stepped beside him. "Walk with me." Ruko shrugged. "Sure." They moved through the festival slowly. Varo glanced sideways. "You've been causing quite the mess when I went on a traveling spree." Ruko clicked his tongue. "Haven't seen you in half a month and that's what you say to me?" Varo chuckled. "Am I wrong?" "…No." Ruko didn't even argue. He casually listed it all—fights, chaos, the lewd stuff, everything. Varo listened. Then burst out laughing. "Boy… you're living quite the youth." Ruko frowned. "Yeah easy for you to be laughing?" "Of course. Better than being boring." Ruko shook his head. "…Where you been anyway?" "You forget I was traveling. And taking it easy." Ruko nodded. "…Ok i guess you enjoy the nature." "Haha... you should do a little traveling yourself lad!" "...Ok? Let's go check something." "Hmm?" "The alchemist guild."
They reach the alchemist guild and remember the site they went together when doing quest. "You wanna go inside lad." "Inside... well maybe due I haven't been here for ages." The bell above the door rang as Ruko stepped inside, with Varo following behind him. The smell of potions and herbs filled the room. At the center, Althea was focused on her work—until she noticed him.
"—RUKO?!" She snapped her head up and immediately ran toward him. "Wait—" Too late. She tripped mid-run and crashed straight into him. "WHOA—!" THUD. Both of them fell to the ground, Ruko landing flat while Althea ended up on top of him. Varo looked down at them and chuckled. "Ah… youth." Ruko blinked. Something soft pressed against his face. Very soft. And start digging his face in, his hands gripping something instinctively. "Squeeze" Althea froze. "…Mn~" A small sound slippedThen her face turned bright red. "…Eh? Ruko." "…Yeah?" "…Why are your hands there?" Ruko blinked, then looked down. "…Uhh? Stability." "THAT'S NOT STABILITY!!" She quickly got up, fixing her clothes in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—!"
Ruko sat up slowly. "...You ran into me fiercely." "I'm impress." Give a thumbs-up. Varo chuckled. "Sure looked like it." After a moment, Althea stopped, she backed away quickly, took a breath, then suddenly changed tone— "Why haven't you been here for half a month?!" Varo stepped forward with a smile. "It's been a while, Althea." She blinked, then recognized him. "Varo? You're still traveling?" "Still alive somehow," he laughed. "Still causing chaoes, I see." She smiled briefly. "Y'know me as always." By greeting him properly—but her attention quickly shifted back to Ruko. Her expression changed. "Seriously… why haven't you been here for half a month?" She stepped closer. "Do you know how boring it's been? No experiments, no insane ideas, no stupid grin from you…" Ruko scratched his head lazily. "…I forgot." She paused. "…You forgot?" "Yeah." She sighed, looking away slightly. "…You're impossible. Y'know that." Then softer— "…Just make sure you come by sometimes." Althea crossed her arms, then suddenly paused. "…Wait." She looked at him carefully. "…What about the crystal?" Ruko blinked. "…What crystal?" Silence.
Varo and Althea both stared at him. "The one you made," she said slowly. "The Shadow Resonance crystal." Ruko's expression went blank. "…I don't remember." Varo frowned slightly. "You really forgot?" Ruko gave a dumb, blank look. "…Aaah?" Flash. Memory flicker. "...Oh." "...That thing." "...I don't remember what it does." Althea sighed, rubbing her forehead."…Just forget it." She shook her head. "…At least you're alive. That's enough." Ruko shrugged. "Yeah I kinda did worse." She looked at him again. "…And your situation… everything going on…" Ruko sighed casually. "Doesn't matter." She frowned slightly. "You don't care?" "Good or evil, right or wrong… that's all people's business. Not mine." Varo smiled lightly. "He really hasn't changed." Althea casually brushed her hair to the side—Just for a second. Ruko's eyes sharpened. "…Wait." She froze. "…What?" He stepped closer, looking directly at her ear. "…You're a prairie elf… but not fully." Her eyes widened. She quickly covered her ear. "…How did you know that?!"
Ruko tilted his head. "You look like one… but not completely." She hesitated… then slowly lowered her hand. "…You're right." She exhaled. "My father was a prairie elf… and my mother was a forest elf." Varo blinked in surprise. "…A hybrid?" Ruko's expression shifted slightly as he started thinking out loud. "If that's the case… then it makes sense." He crossed his arms. His "Forest elves—as a smaller builds, who lived in trees, while also skilled with spears…" "Prairie elves—a hunter type, they have stronger bodies, and they're body is sun-tanned skin…" He glanced at her. "So the child would have mixed traits… a balanced body, adaptable, and both combat styles…" He nodded slightly. "…Makes sense." Althea stared at him awkwardly. "…You figured all that out just from looking?" Ruko shrugged. "…Just guessing." She smiled faintly. "…You really are something else." Then her expression shifted into excitement. "But that's a story for another time." She grinned. "Let's get back to experimenting." Ruko grin slightly. "…Yeah." "…You're kinda like me." Varo look at them grinning while also laughing. "Haha.. both of you look like you'll do experiment to human has ginea pig."
They talked for a while after that. Ruko got pulled into experimenting again—mixing, adjusting, creating weird useless stuff just to pass time. Althea teased him constantly. He snapped back. They argued. Varo had to physically separate them at one point. "…You two youngsters are insane." As they were about to leave— "Wait!" Althea stepped forward. Before Ruko could react—She leaned in. And kissed him. Ruko froze. Varo blinked. "…Well then." Althea pulled back, smiling softly. "Don't forget me." The Ruko stared at her. "…You're weird but actually my type." She smirked. "Says you." He reached out— "Squeeze." She froze again. "…GET OUT!" They were immediately kicked out. Outside, Varo shook his head. "…I miss my youth." "Stay old," Ruko said flatly. "Or you'll drop dead." Varo laughed. Then—
Ruko froze. "…Luna." She was walking past. He stepped forward. "Oi—" She stopped. Looked at him. Smiled. But it wasn't the same smile. "…Just… give me a break for a while." Ruko blinked. "…What?" "I'm not in the mood."
Varo glanced between them. "…Who's this lovely lady?" "My girlfriend," Ruko said. Luna nodded politely. "Nice to meet you." Then she turned. "…I won't be seeing you for a while." She walked away. Still smiling. But distant. Ruko stood there. "…What the hell man…" Varo placed a hand on his shoulder. "…Lad, be careful." "…Huh?" "She's not acting normal." Ruko frowned. "It's probably just… you know…" "…We... kinda did it." Varo paused. "…You WHAT?" Ruko shrugged. "…Lost it." Varo stared. "…Boy… you really are growing up as man." Then his expression turned serious. "…But always watch yourself." "…Why?" "You don't know who might be trying to kill you. Or she might be." Ruko swallowed. "…Yeah…" As the sun dipped lower, Varo prepared to leave. Before going, he tossed something at Ruko. Ruko caught it. Looked. "…What the hell is this?!" "A backup." "For WHAT?!" "You give me an extra rare condom?" Varo grinned. "You'll figure it out." Then he left. Ruko stared at it in disgust. "…That old man is crazy."
Night fell. Ruko returned to the mansion. Quiet. He stretched. "…Let's just get some rest—" Voices. From Kazuma's room. Ruko paused. The door was slightly open. He glanced in. Darkness stood close to Kazuma. "…Thank you…" Ruko look at what is going. "Pause!" Then—She leaned in. And kissed him. Ruko froze. His face went blank. That exact expression—Pure disbelief. "…What the hell…" He slowly backed away. "…Yeah… I'm not dealing with that." He turned and walked off. Quietly. Outside, the festival lights flickered in the distance. Inside the mansion, everything kept moving. But Ruko—Just walked. Alone. And for the first time—That quiet feeling inside him didn't go away.