Jeff sat there in silence as he glanced at Rachel in her stunning blue dress. She was clearly careful as she ate her pasta dish so as not to get any on it. He, on the other hand, felt rather out of place now in his cotton-white shirt and brown pants. She seeing this put down her fork and smiled sweetly.
“ I am making you uncomfortable aren’t I? I did not mean...”
“ No, you look stunning. I guess I put my foot in my mouth last time being all dressed up as some noble officer and talking about my problems when you have already gone through so much.”
Her smile widened a little as she shook her head.
“ And I did not consider you having problems of your own. All things considered. You were right. What happened to me and the others, we survived. And some of us who have the strength to continue will be both stronger and wiser for it. And you were right about something else too, we are behind, not just me and the other charm victims, but all of us. And there is not a thing we can really do about it except keep on as if it doesn’t matter. Even though it does.”
Rachel then pauses to see what Jeff would say to that and what she did not expect was for him to take a big drink of wine.
“ What a right mess the two of us are. You know I regret not asking you to stay that day. We both needed a friend, and I guess we both still do. I hope we can still be friends, but our pity and problems are getting in the way of that. And honestly, I was never really that good with the socializing thing either. So what do you want to do?”
Jeff then noticed Rachael looking at him not with her curious and friendly look but one of longing and desire. It quickly became clear that the dinner was over as she stood and moved the straps of her dress off her shoulders. Letting it fall on the ground showing him as much as he saw when he first saw her.
“ Let’s do it.”
Jeff was left slackjawed as she started to move around the table. Before she reached him however he looked away ashamed.
“ No, this ain’t right.”
Hearing this causes her to pause and then look down at herself.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“You are not gay are you?”
This causes him to look at her again and she is far enough around the table to see he is definitely interested.
“ Is it me? Or is there someone else?”
In that moment Jeff knew what he needed to do as he stood and slowly embraced her in a hug. The surprise and blush on her face revealed her true resolve for the moment.
“ This is forced. You are forcing yourself to do this. You want to be my friend... no, I think you wanted us to become more before you were charmed, didn’t you?”
He did not need to see her face to know she was starting to tear up.
“ Why do you have to be so nice and caring? I know you want this too, so why?”
Jeff closed his eyes and thought about the nonexistent memory he had before they met. The lack of family and friends and lessons that are meant to guide him.
“ Because in this cruel world. Someone has to be the nice guy.”
This caused her to finally fully break down and start crying in his arms. Her complaining to him about everything she too has lost and what happened to her in detail when she was charmed. When she was done, he found her passed out and he sighed as he took her to the bed to lay her down before sleeping on the most comfortable chair in the room.
-----
Xilna handed the final report to the Duke. Behind her was her travel bag she would need in order to return home.
“ So it is as we thought. About nine out of every ten are useless or worse. What of the Cardmancer and Saintess you have been close to?”
Xilna shook her head.
“ They will stay friends but they will not become romantic. At least not right away. You should be getting a report soon about them. As for other details, the Cardmancer will be one of the spearheads of the champions. If he can keep his head on right and recruit the right people, well, I find he has some of the best odds amongst them to actually take some of the demon lands. The issue he is having however is finding a way to hold those lands. The guild is his main plan of support, but as you know as he does, the nobles and elitists are going to capitalize on his success. I feel his plan is to secure a stronghold location, like the Mage did, and become self-sufficient. This will not only fulfill the requirements of his debt in full and more, but also that of the guild. If he succeeds he will become a new power. One that is not only not afraid to challenge the status quo, but the means to change it.
The saintess, her traumas weigh her down. She is hoping for the Cardmancer to be one of her key pillars, and I am not sure he can be with everything else. However, she is just as important to the challenge to the status quo as he is. If she can solidify her resolve and fully walk the path she decides on...”
“ We have the making of a new goddess to be born. Already she is forming her order with two palidins and she even has the support of many of the other commoner classes. Between them, they have over half of the red dorm behind them. With more for the saintess from outside that dorm but more with the Cardmancer within it.”
“ And what of the heroes' classes?”
“ Well, as guessed as well they are going to separate into their own groups. After they train up they plan on joining together in two years after the six-month deadline to make a massive push into the demon lands. If the Cardmancer can secure his holding before then.”
“ Then they will be following his lead. An independent with only ties to grandmother.”
Xilna nods with a smile on her face.
“ It will be a position mother can use little of, but it will please her to know that she annoyed the short-lived nobels for a time. In fact, if this scheme succeeds then we might be able to start pushing back against the demons in earnest. Opening the lost riches of fallen kingdoms and empires for those who lead the march. She is taking a gamble here, but not one she can not afford to lose, but the payout will be massive.”