Ch.156156. Karma

“…”

“[…Why are you just standing there? Isn’t this a crisis?]”

Calivan said this to me as I stood frozen after receiving the box.

‘…It is a crisis, but…’

The first thought that came to mind was that something felt off.

A wedding in the Tribal Union is an enormous event that surpasses imagination, even compared to traditions of other nations.

There are many reasons for this, but fundamentally, the Tribal Union is a place that makes up for having the fewest members with tight-knit numbers.

In that sense.

If a member of the Chief’s clan were to marry, it would be such a major event that just thinking about the scale would give you a headache.

“…”

Which means.

Coming here with just a single box to propose marriage is something that absolutely shouldn’t happen under normal circumstances.

Such a modest—or rather, impulsive—proposal would never be tolerated under normal circumstances.

Especially from someone who values tradition so highly—it creates a sense of dissonance rather than crisis.

“…Marriage?”

So.

I carefully ask that question first.

Wondering if this person is truly serious.

“…Yes.”

But.

Riru’s voice, as she avoids my gaze, remains the same.

She’s clearly embarrassed, but beyond that, there’s a firm determination in her voice.

“…I know this is sudden.”

Riru spoke while covering her face with both hands.

“…But I felt like if not now, I wouldn’t get another chance.”

“What?”

“If I just left things as they are, I felt like you’d be taken from me.”

Such words mumbled from beneath the hands covering her face.

Her voice is uncharacteristically small and timid.

And without a doubt.

There’s even fear mixed in.

It contrasts so sharply with her usually confident attitude that it feels all the more genuine.

The fact that this person is truly putting herself out there for me.

“…”

But.

“[…Are you going to reject her?]”

I can’t help it, can I?

As with Elnore and Yuria, if it weren’t a life-threatening crisis, I would have rejected them all.

From my perspective, constantly walking a tightrope among demons, the risk is simply too great.

“…”

I clench my teeth.

So hard I can taste blood from my gums.

Despite all my talk about being garbage.

It always feels sinful to say these things to people who genuinely approach me.

“I’m sorry, Riru.”

Even though I just declared that I live surrounded by demons.

I can’t accept something like this so suddenly.

Reaching that goal comes only after clearing the main scenario and eliminating all threats.

Which means what I need to say here is already determined.

“…It’s too sudden for now.”

“…”

“I think… there’s still too much we need to learn about each other before we can reach that point.”

Painfully.

I continue speaking as calmly as possible while barely suppressing the feeling of my throat closing up.

“…”

No response came.

Of course, no one could immediately respond after hearing such words.

With her face covered, I can’t even see her expression.

“…I’m sorry, Riru. Right now, it seems difficult.”

I continue with a gloomy tone.

Riru doesn’t show any particular reaction. She just keeps her head down, staring at the floor.

“…When you say ‘right now’…”

In a low voice, those words flowed out.

“Does that mean your answer might be different later?”

“…”

It will be different.

I’m planning to keep you by my side from the beginning.

But I can’t say that right now.

I can only be vague about it.

“…I think it’s important that we get to know each other first.”

I say with a bitter smile.

It’s close to a stereotypical rejection line used for saving face, but the words themselves are undoubtedly sincere.

There’s still so much this person and I need to learn about each other. And we’ll continue to see each other.

“…Then. What do you mean by getting to know each other?”

“It means that even if marriage is difficult… we can still spend time together.”

Even if marriage is too much.

We can certainly start step by step.

Hearing my words, Riru spoke again.

“…Then.”

After hesitating for a while.

She finally opened her mouth with a nervous expression.

“Can we start as a romantic relationship?”

“…That much is certainly possible.”

I’m surrounded by women who would kill me if I didn’t marry them. A romantic relationship is tame in comparison.

It’s a level of relationship that I could somehow explain to others around me.

“Really?”

With those words.

Riru removed the hands that had been covering her face.

“…?”

But.

Her expression is a bit strange.

“…??”

Why.

I clearly rejected her proposal.

Yet why does she have an expression that says “I did it! Got you!”?

“…So a romantic relationship means we’re closer than friends? But not yet lovers.”

She even smiles while saying such things.

In my bewildered state, I reflexively nod in response.

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“Okay, then.”

Riru now openly smiles while patting my shoulder firmly.

Then she pulls me into a tight hug.

“…Riru?”

“In a romantic relationship, this much is perfectly acceptable.”

“…R-Riru?”

“Let’s meet often from now on. I’ll call you.”

As she says this, a slightly twisted, fierce smile appears on Riru’s face.

It’s the same as her usual self.

As if.

All her previous dejection and weakness after hearing my words was just an “act.”

“Since you’re the one who said ‘let’s take it step by step,’ you can’t back out now, right?”

“…”

“Well, that’s fine.”

Scratching her cheek as she spoke.

Her hearty laugh remains the same, but with a slight blush on her face.

She pushes my shoulder with her fist and says:

“I’m counting on you, my ‘boyfriend.'”

“…”

Huh?

What’s going on?

Why am I breaking into a cold sweat?

Did I just make some terrible mistake…?

“W-well then! Have a good evening!”

Seemingly embarrassed by her own words, Riru said that and quickly ran away.

Before long.

I was left standing alone under the evening sky filled with the sounds of insects.

“…”

What just happened?

“[A masterpiece, really. Is this karma? Or as you would say, the butterfly effect?]”

To me.

Calivan spoke in an incredulous voice.

“…What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“[No, it’s just hilarious watching someone get their nose cut off right in front of their eyes. She learned that directly from watching you. Seeing you get a taste of your own medicine is better than any comedy.]”

“What?”

What is this person saying?

Calivan continued with a chuckle.

“[By rejecting marriage, you’ve forced yourself into starting a ‘romantic relationship’ with her?]”

“…”

“[Originally, she wasn’t even paying much attention to you. She had no intention of approaching you first. But now you’ve given her the perfect excuse to approach you without any burden by calling it a ‘romantic relationship’?]”

“…”

“[You’re so used to people threatening to kill themselves if you don’t meet them that you never expected this kind of fox-like approach, did you? You have no immunity to this.]”

Huh?

“[Now that you’ve agreed to start a romantic relationship, you can’t back out when she wants to do something related to that. She has all the legitimacy on her side.]”

“…W-wait a minute.”

“[No matter how much the women around you freak out trying to get your attention, none of them could ‘call you’ proactively. But now one can?]”

Wait. That. I mean.

Does it really work like that?

“[She’s quite skilled, that girl.]”

“…”

“[You just got played, man.]”

“…”

“[The proposal was bait. She set a trap to take control from the beginning.]”

Hearing those words.

After being dazed for a while.

I finally realize one thing.

“…Huh?”

Unlike Elnore’s previous proposal or Yuria’s immediate charge that followed.

This time, no “demon-related alert” appeared.

Which means.

That person came to me from the beginning in a state where “it didn’t matter if she was rejected.”

As if.

She had predicted from the start that I would act this way if she approached me like that.

Come to think of it, it seemed strange that she would propose in such an unusual way for someone like her.

“…Huh…?”

Did I just get gaslighted in reverse?

●

Riru Garda rubbed her still-burning face with difficulty.

“[Wow, you really did it?]”

“…Shut up.”

She muttered grumpily at the amused voice coming from behind her.

Her heart was beating wildly. It didn’t feel real.

Just now, she had…

“…Hey. Listen.”

“[Yes, Riru.]”

“If that guy is now my… ‘boyfriend,’ then I, I…”

She mumbled while rubbing her face.

“…With that guy, um, you know… d-dates, or k-k-kisses and stuff, c-can I do those things?”

“[…]”

The Blue Demon desperately suppressed the laughter that was about to burst out.

Good heavens.

Is this something that should come from the mouth of a grown woman?

Despite her appearance and behavior, she’s incredibly pure when it comes to romance.

‘…I’m glad I gave her advice.’

Originally, proposing marriage would have been something Riru would never do considering her natural “pace.”

First love. First relationship. First confession. First romance.

All the time she would build with this man would be a series of events she had never experienced in her life.

But to skip all that and go straight to a proposal—it would be terribly unfair.

However.

That’s precisely why she did it.

“…You said I’d definitely be rejected here anyway. I asked why I should even do it.”

Riru muttered with a slightly excited voice and elevated breathing.

“…You’re really reliable in this field, huh.”

One thing she had learned while spending time with this being was that the “future” information occasionally dropped by this blue creature was almost always true.

Moreover, perhaps influenced by it, she sometimes had flashes of the “future” a few seconds ahead.

According to this being, it was a side effect occurring during “fusion.”

-The Gray, Violet, and Red all go through this process. The merging of fragment and vessel. But our communication is much smoother than theirs, so it’s easier to ‘coordinate.’

-Coordinate? What coordination?

-Oh, like when the master enjoys two flavors at once during bedtime?

-…

-Just kidding. You’ll understand later, Riru.

She remembered the Blue Demon chuckling as it said that.

-It means we can shine brightest when our master is in the most danger.

Such incomprehensible words also came along.

Anyway.

“[Yes, well. As I kept telling you, you had nothing to lose, right?]”

The Blue Demon floated around her, giggling.

“[Considering the master’s current situation, this proposal is like a bomb. There’s no way he would accept it.]”

However.

By targeting that point, she gained an opportunity to build a “natural relationship” that other vessels couldn’t even imagine.

And the “stage” to continue this advantage would come soon.

“[Hmm… considering the flow of the timeline, tomorrow is the Hero Selection, isn’t it?]”

The Blue Demon muttered while brushing back its hair.

“…Hero Selection? What’s that?”

“[It’s a thing. Quite an important event, actually.]”

At the very least.

All the turning points related to Darwood Campbell’s “crisis” begin here.

The Hero, the Gray Demon, the White Demon, the Red Demon—all entangled in a cauldron of chaos.

“Originally,” there would be no place for the Blue Demon itself or Riru in that mix.

But.

“[…’This iteration’ will be a bit different, master.]”

The Blue Demon murmured, slightly licking its lips.

“[Unlike last time, I won’t let the others covet you alone?]”

Without a doubt.

It was a statement with such a seductive resonance that even Riru, who was listening, felt a chill down her spine.

●