Chapter 369: Complements from Different Sides

"...Evelyn-sama, are you alright?" I ask Evelyn-sama, who sits hunched slightly in her chair. I close the tent flap so no prying eyes can peek inside.

"E-Eve... I-I'm fine, it's just my other body... I had a bit to drink in my other body, so I'm kinda drunk in this one... plus Esther's having her meal... haaa..." I approach Evelyn-sama, who is flushed and breathing heavily.

"..." I feel a twinge of anger toward Esther for always hurting Evelyn-sama, but I swallow the bitter feeling.

"You've gotten really strong, Eve." Evelyn-sama changes the subject immediately, complimenting me. The praise feels good and brings a small smile to my face, considering how hard I've been working.

"Yeah, I've improved a lot. It's great that you always notice. I've gotten better with the sword thanks to what I've been trying again..." I glance toward the sound of clashing blades.

"War is curious, isn't it, Evelyn-sama? Every battle so far has been quick, just because the strongest ones handled everything almost instantly."

"But now that the other side has powerful enemies too, we're letting our army wear down the enemy forces so the strongest ones can wait..."

"Where are you going with this?" she asks, confused.

"I'm talking about time. This war is predicted to last months. We'll have thousands of deaths, mostly because we have to be cautious—just as the enemy also has to be cautious..."

"Considering some people here could blow up an entire kingdom with one spell, not using that seems almost foolish—until you realize the enemy could defend against it... it's just shocking, you know? This is the first time we've had a battle on this scale and duration." I say to her, and she gives a little smile.

"Yeah... in that sense, it really is something... unique, and not very comfortable... I wish this would end soon. The more lives are lost in this, the more idiotic the war will seem in the end."

"After all, I don't even know why this war exists... demons and angels have been fighting for so long—putting an end to it would be great, but I wonder... why? What reason started this whole conflict?" Evelyn-sama says something I've never thought about.

"True..." I feel confused—I found nothing about this while I was reading, and worse, looting all the angel cities we passed through, not a single history book mentions the cause.

"Do you think we could find out about that?"

"..." Evelyn-sama makes a somewhat cute, thoughtful face.

"Actually, I think the angels know. If I'm not mistaken, the angels have a vault that only royalty can open, which means they keep the things that matter most in there. If we knew where it was and how to open it, we might be able to discover the reason for this whole war..."

'How does Evelyn-sama know that?' I don't ask, but I'm very interested too.

"Evelyn-sama, are you sure about that? You know, I'd be really pissed if we found out the reason for the war was something stupid. This war... it's changed you so much. I'd hate to find out that what caused it was something trivial." I say, watching Evelyn-sama's expression shift.

"Changed?"

"...Yes, a lot... and for the worse. You lost all that sweet innocence from the past. You used to be more cheerful, more hopeful about life. You don't have that hope anymore... that sparkle."

"Not that you're bad now, but you seem... strange when I compare you to the adventurer Evelyn who was so eager to get stronger."

"It makes me sad. I failed to protect you. I was too weak to stop you from being corrupted by Esther and the world..." When I say this, Evelyn-sama lets out a hollow laugh.

"Eve, there's so much more behind this—much more than just the war... unfortunately, I can't tell you about it, but I can assure you it wasn't you who failed to protect me... I just got unlucky—as always. Do you believe I was walking outside yesterday and a tree branch almost dropped a bird's egg on my head?"

"I'm someone truly hated by fate. I've always been, and apparently always will be, unlucky. The most I can do is keep more crazies like Esther out of my life. You, Eve, are kind of the only 'normal' girl in my life."

"Please always stay that way. Looking back now, you always showed some obsessive tendencies, but you've matured so much in recent years."

"And I'm grateful for that... you're one of the only points of normalcy I have around me. Please always stay that way..." I give Evelyn-sama a smile.

"I reek of blood, so I won't get too close to you, Evelyn-sama, but I'd like to give you a hug. You seem like you need one."

"..." Evelyn-sama's expression twists into disgust for a moment. I shudder, until I realize her gaze is fixed on nothing, and I understand that look came from one of her other bodies.

'What did she just see...'

"Sorry, Eve. I ran into a really... annoying person... you can continue what you were saying."

...

...

...

"Evelyn! What a surprise... what are you doing here?" I ask Evelyn, whom I found by "coincidence" and obviously decided to try talking to.

"Arial... what are you doing near my castle?" She speaks with a look of disgust aimed at me.

"I'm just living... the world outside your spiritual plane got kind of strange... besides, having a physical body is something I still haven't gotten used to..."

'She has such a cold look... does she really despise me that much for that?' It's kind of unfair, honestly. It's true I chose to side with Nerina on that island, but it's also true it was either that or Nerina would kill me. I really didn't have many options.

"Evelyn, couldn't you give me a second chance? Come on, you seem... heavy."

"Are you calling me fat?"

"Your sarcasm is contagious. You know that's not what I meant." I say, staring at this heavy mass of emotions. She's grown a lot since she kicked me out, from what I can see.

'This is almost grotesque... I suppose it's expected from a biological mess like her...' Dragon, Asura, and Nymph—that mix of races certainly wasn't good for her. So many accumulated emotions are amplifying.

Dragons are already beings with intense emotions of "Greed" and obsession with material things or love—in Evelyn's case. Asura is a race that amplifies emotions, obsessions, and specific feelings. And being a Nymph makes her store all of it.

It almost seems like a divine joke that she has three races forming a cycle that amplifies the accumulation of her bad emotions.

"I don't need you. I can handle my problems alone..."

"A war, a possessive wife, and emotions in disarray—three problems that are only going to escalate. Can you really handle them without my help? Come on, Evelyn! Take me back! We're friends, aren't we?" I want to go back. I want to be able to feed on her emotions again and... I hate to admit it, but I liked seeing Evelyn's life up close.

"No. I already said I don't want you near me. Do you want me to tell Esther everything you've done to me? You know she'd hunt you down to the ends of the earth to kill you if she knew you'd already put your dirty fingers on my body."

"...H-Hahaha, calm down, little fruit. Don't be so hard on me. You've matured so much... just don't go falling out of the tree and splattering on the ground. At this point, your baby's already been born, hasn't it?" When I say this, Evelyn gets irritated.

"Don't mention my daughter. Have you completely lost your mind, Arial? Or do you want to die that badly?"

'So it's a girl...' I smile at her. I bet she must be a very cute little girl. I bet when she comes of age, she'll be a beautiful lady.

"Come on, give me a chance to earn your forgiveness! I want to be part of your life again..."

"Are you that addicted to me, Arial? Can't you forget me? You sound like an annoying ex who can't realize the relationship is over. You know we never had anything beyond a nearly forced friendship, right?"

"You broke my trust. I don't give second chances to people who betray me. Honestly, it's just irritating knowing you're still around near my castle."

'It's true I was hanging around here hoping to see her... but it's really humiliating that I have to stoop to this...' Besides, this Evelyn here is just one of Evelyn's extra bodies—she's not even the "real" Evelyn. The "real" Evelyn must be even more emotionally dense than this one in front of me! She needs me!

"Can't you find some space in your heart for me? Think about it—you're a nymph. You don't know anything about nymphs. You're so young in that regard! It'd be good to have help from an older sister, wouldn't it?"

"Don't talk as if we're sisters." She rolls her eyes, trying to leave. I run over and grab her hand.

"Wait, Evelyn, I'm being serious. Do you think being a nymph is just this basic stuff you're doing now? Do you even know how to create new cores and store them with magic over time?? There's so much useful—"

"I can find another nymph if I need to." She moves her hand, forcing me to let go as she steps back.

"Huh?"

"Do you think you're special? I can find another nymph to teach me if I want. I don't need you. I don't need your help. I don't need your knowledge. I don't need anything from you. Can't you understand that?" I clench my hand tightly hearing that.

"Don't cry. It sounds pathetic." She starts walking away while I touch my cheeks and realize there are tears.

'Strange... am I crying?' I don't understand. I've never truly cried as far as I can remember. It's usually a choice, isn't it?

"..." I look at my hands, seeing the tears. But I won't give up. I still want this. I still want more of that taste. So I won't leave. Evelyn can't hate me forever. Eventually, Esther will slip up with her.

'Yes... knowing those two's lives, eventually Esther will slip up with Evelyn and leave her so sad that I'll get my chance... I just need to wait...'