Chapter 102 - Partners in Crime

Chapter 102: Chapter 102 - Partners in Crime

In the outskirts of the "Grand President’s Palace," Nobunaga was sitting at the edge of the lake, wearing a slightly distant expression as she dipped her feet into the cold water. Taking advantage of the natural slope of the shore, she was able to keep the rest of her body dry while enjoying the refreshing sensation. Due to the nature of the H?angenti family’s territory, the water remained naturally cold, providing a pleasant and invigorating sensation. A large magic circle had been carved into the white stone beneath the surface, preventing the water from becoming stagnant and keeping its quality consistently high. It was yet another one of those "simple" technologies that, while they might seem trivial to someone like Alear, could improve the lives of an incalculable number of people.

Knowing that problems such as food shortages, access to clean drinking water, and electricity could be solved relatively easily through magic, she could not help but feel a certain indignation when thinking about the state of the world. There were enough resources and knowledge to alleviate some of humanity’s greatest problems, yet those who ruled the world from the shadows seemed far more interested in preserving their own interests than using that power to benefit ordinary people....

Still, she quickly pushed those thoughts aside. She had not called Alear there to dwell on the problems of the world. She had used the connection between the two of them to ask her Master to meet her, making it clear that she needed to talk to him. She had even said that it was "important," although, upon further thought, that was somewhat selfish. After all, perhaps it was not actually important to him or anyone else. It was important to her, and at that moment, that seemed to be enough....

Alear landed almost silently beside Nobunaga and, without saying a word, sat down to her right, dipping his feet into the cold water alongside hers. Nobunaga showed no surprise at his sudden arrival. If it were not for the brief sidelong glance she gave him, Alear might even have thought she was deliberately ignoring his presence.

Then, as if she had decided to take the initiative before he could ask why she had called him there, Nobunaga flashed a teasing smile and spoke spontaneously:

"Oh~? You came faster than I expected. I have to admit, I thought you would stay busy finishing the preparations and only show up later... perhaps after spending some time with one of your lovers. They certainly have the ’assets’ you seem to appreciate so much... ufuuu..."

After finishing her teasing remark, Nobunaga stretched out her legs and moved her feet through the water, sending a few splashes a short distance away before crossing them again.

Agreeing with Nobunaga’s assessment, Alear casually added:

"Is that jealousy I hear? Don’t worry, I think you’re just as beautiful as they are. For example, those pants you’re wearing really accentuate your figure. I won’t deny that your choice of clothing makes it difficult not to notice just how well-endowed your backside is..."

"...What?" The words immediately made Nobunaga burst into laughter. She laughed for several seconds, even leaning forward as she tried to catch her breath. When she finally managed to compose herself, there was still an amused smile on her face. "So, what exactly did you have in mind when you complimented me like that? Are you trying to propose to me or something?"

"Oh, it wouldn’t be so bad having the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven as one of my wives..." Alear shrugged, casting a glance in her direction, a complex glimmer passing through his reddish pink-magenta eyes. "But what made you call me here?"

"I wouldn’t mind getting straight to the point, but I think preparation is just as important as the event itself. How about we have a drink first? You may be immune to the effects of alcohol, but I could use a little liquid courage before telling you why I called you here...."

This time, Alear smiled before answering:

"I would never have imagined that the Demon Queen would be the type who needed ’help’ before facing her enemies. But if that’s what you want, I don’t mind opening something special, just for the two of us..."

At that, Nobunaga surprisingly shook her head before calmly replying:

"I already have a specific type of sake in mind. If you can guess it, as you always do... well, I wouldn’t mind devoting myself to you for a little while..."

Although the words had come from her mouth with surprising ease, Alear immediately noticed that there was something different about them. Nobunaga was acting strangely, at least compared to her usual behavior. Still, he decided to play along.

"What would the Demon Queen demand as tribute for her...?"

Before he could finish, Nobunaga shook her head, interrupting him. She then adjusted her position on the lakeshore until she was sitting completely facing Alear.

"Enough with the theatrics, Master... I want a specific sake, produced in the year following the fall of the Ashikaga Shogunate. After so many years of war, the country was devastated, resources were scarce, and food shortages affected practically the entire territory. In an attempt to alleviate the hunger, many commoners began supplementing their diets with a drink made from sweet potatoes, known as Shōri-Imo-sake." She narrowed her eyes slightly, carefully observing his reaction. "But you know exactly what I’m talking about... don’t you?"

Alear’s slightly faded pink-magenta hair fell over his eyes, partially concealing his expression. A difficult-to-interpret smile slowly appeared on his lips before he finally commented in a low voice:

"So... you finally remembered."

The sake Nobunaga was referring to was not an ordinary drink. It was the "sake of the promise," a drink Nobunaga had shared during a private banquet with some of her closest vassals. At the time, it had represented a kind of gift amid one of the most turbulent periods of her life, carrying a meaning that went far beyond the drink itself. Years later, in Chaldea, Alear had managed to recreate it. It had not been easy; he had to overcome a series of difficulties before he could properly reproduce the drink and, in the end, give it to his Servant as a gift.....

For some reason, that sake had ended up becoming something extremely special to the two of them. Over time, it came to represent the very friendship they had built in Chaldea. Whenever Alear went to see her, he would end up bringing a bottle with him so the two of them could drink together, turning that simple ritual into a sort of private tradition between Master and Servant. He had already suspected that Nobunaga had begun recovering the memories of that time. Now, however, that suspicion was practically confirmed. If she had chosen that particular drink, then that was probably what she wanted to talk about when she called him there, saying that it was something "important"...

He could already imagine where that conversation was heading. And, strangely enough, that made his heart beat faster. An unsettling sensation formed in his stomach, mixing anticipation, anxiety, and an emotion he could not completely identify....

Nobunaga crossed her arms, keeping her gaze fixed on Alear. For a few moments, she tried to maintain her usual carefree demeanor, but the emotions in her blood-red eyes ended up betraying what was truly going on inside her. There was longing, affection, a pang of sadness, and something deeper that she still did not know exactly how to define. She could simply pretend that none of it mattered, make some joke, and continue teasing her Master as she always did. However, after recovering so many memories, she knew that this was not something she could treat as a simple joke. She took a deep breath and, in a surprisingly gentle manner, let a small smile escape her lips.

"Looks like you really didn’t learn anything back in Chaldea. Even after being reborn in this world, you’re still an incorrigible womanizer, Alear... I could even call you by your old name, but I think you prefer this new one, and I don’t want to make things awkward between us." She looked away for a moment, as though that made it easier to say what she truly wanted to say. Then, after a brief pause, a small smile appeared on her lips. "And speaking of making things awkward... try not to cry, okay? You’ll end up ruining the mood."

Alear remained silent for a second before letting out a low, genuine laugh and shaking his head slightly.

"I’m not going to cry just because my partner in crime finally remembered everything we went through together."

There was something different in his voice. His usual calmness was still there, but beneath it was an emotion Nobunaga recognized very well. Alear was also being affected by this reunion, perhaps just as much as she was. After so many years, after an entire lifetime that had vanished from their memories, the two of them were finally standing before something that belonged exclusively to that former life.

Then Alear slipped one of his hands inside his clothes and pulled out a small, carefully sealed clay jar. It did not look particularly luxurious, especially when compared to the riches and extravagant objects found throughout the mansion, but he held it with almost reverent care before placing it between them.

"Actually... I already prepared this."

Nobunaga looked at the container, narrowing her eyes.

"That is...?"

A flash of recognition crossed her eyes, followed by a nostalgic smile as she reached out to take the container. After carefully removing the small stopper, she brought the jar close to her face and inhaled deeply, taking in the fragrance of the sake. For a few moments, she remained silent, simply savoring that familiar aroma before letting out a long sigh. When she finally opened her eyes, she looked back at Alear. A mischievous smile appeared on her lips as she said:

"You really are still the same idiot as always, offering something like this to me. You know that by doing this, you’ve just entered into a pact with me, don’t you? A true pact with the devil. I said I would devote myself to you for a little while, didn’t I?"

Alear simply returned her smile, resisting the urge to reprimand her for that little theatrical performance. In the end, it had been the right decision. Shortly afterward, Nobunaga’s smile slowly disappeared, giving way to a much more serene expression. Without saying a word, she moved closer and rested her head against Alear’s shoulder, remaining beside him while holding the small container between her hands.

The two simply remained seated by the lake, slowly drinking the [Shōri-Imo Sake]. As always, Alear found its aftertaste unpleasant, especially when combined with the strong burning sensation the drink left as it went down his throat. In a way, however, that seemed appropriate for a sake associated with a Pyrrhic victory. Despite its unpleasant taste, the nearly seventy percent alcohol content meant that even a small amount was enough to considerably warm the body and make the mind increasingly heavy. Gradually, thoughts became more vague, the worries of the present lost their importance, and memories of the past began to occupy that space, blending with uncertain glimpses of the future.

That night, however, neither of them seemed particularly concerned about what would come afterward. Sitting side by side, sharing the same drink and the same silence, Alear and Nobunaga simply allowed themselves to remember the old days. They reminisced about the battles, the arguments, the countless nights in Chaldea, and all those little moments that had seemed insignificant at the time but had now acquired an entirely different value. For a few hours, there was no Master or Servant, no past or present. They were simply two old partners in crime drinking together once again, just as they had done so many times before....

________________________

(A/N: Damn, this was such a cinematic Chapter to write. I hope it left you guys with a smile on your faces. Alear finally got his partner in crime back, and to think that, at one point, I actually considered killing Nobunaga just to make the poor guy suffer a little... Good thing I changed my mind.

What if I told you that, for the price of a cup of coffee, you could be 35 Chapters ahead of the story? We’re starting Volume Two there! It focuses on the human world, no more politics! There’s much more action!

On Patreon, you can read Chapters that won’t be released here for quite some time — and that’s only part of what’s available. There are also more than 100 Chapters from exclusive stories, created specifically for those who want even more content.

One cup of coffee. Dozens of Chapters ahead. Over 100 exclusive Chapters.

If you’re enjoying the story, maybe it’s worth checking out the Patreon.

My Patreon: patreon.com/Adam_Kadmon

Thank you for your support — it makes all of this worthwhile.)