—Berry the Crustecar PoV—

I fidgeted on my six legs as I stared at the massive imposing house just up the hill. The clamor of the cramped city was audible behind me as my mandibles nibbled on my two hands, and my big claw clanked and clenched over and over. Many times had I considered just calling off this meeting, but I just couldn’t bear to lose the friends that I’d finally found.

Who was this Haell, and why could she just kick me out of the Harvesters!? Sure, I never officially joined, but I’d been here for more than a year now, whereas she was gone for most of that time! It was even partly her fault that I couldn’t join, because the rest wanted to make the decision with everyone present, and she was just gone.

I found myself fuming, so I forcefully stopped myself and just breathed. I was also terrified, and I didn’t want to be rude to this potentially violent woman I was about to meet. I’d heard so much about her from the others, an absolute monster who could take on monsters way above her in level and even a whole milestone beyond. Would I really be okay meeting such a terrifying existence!?

“Relax Berry,” Therick tried to soothe me. “She’s nice. Don’t worry. Well… kind of…” He looked off into the far distance, as if relieving a war-torn memory.

“You’re not being very convincing!” I whined, tapping the fingers of my three left hands against my big claw. “Listen, I really appreciate you guys, and you’ve been some of the only nice people I’ve met adventuring, you’re just the best. I want to stay with you. But if I’m really not welcome, then…” I tried to stop it, but the fear and dread that I felt leaked into my voice. My anxiety had only gotten worse the longer I waited to finally meet Haell, and I just wanted it to be over. But at the same time, I was so scared now that the moment had finally come.

A keening wail screeched up in my throat, and my whole body vibrated as I released the sound. My three friends were immediately patting my back, they understood that this was my way of crying and not just some weird noise that crustecars liked to make. It was certainly not a mating call, for that was the last thing I wanted to do right now!

“Oh Berry,” Therick sighed in sympathy as he rubbed the top of my carapace. “we want you with us too. Our… leader is just a bit… cautious you see. You’ve never met, after all, and she doesn’t know how amazing you are. But if you can earn her trust, then there is no greater friend to have at your back.”

“Yeah,” Angerly agreed. “We've sparred with her a couple of times since her return, and it felt like facing off against a warsymbol. She’ll be a great addition to our team.”

A warsymbol…? Were we getting a gold ranker, a level 40, as a party member? Were any of us even needed??

“Don’t worry so much Berry, and just be yourself!” Granuel said earnestly, tapping me on the carapace. “Haell is great. She’s always been nice to me. She’s the kindest person I know.” Therick and Angerly looked at him a bit askance upon those statements, but they did not refute his words, which I hoped meant that what Granuel said was true. I’d heard the young man sing her praises so many times over the years.

“I’m sorry. I know you like Haell, which makes me think she must be cool too. It’s just…” I could barely get the words out, before the cries shivered through my body once more. I remembered how my friends thought it was a mating call too at first, but they immediately believed me when I told them that it definitely wasn’t. That was all I wanted. To be believed when I shared how I felt, and not be lectured on how my body behaved.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Therick continued to pat my carapace. “We of all people know that Haell can be an asshole.”

“Agreed.” Angrily nodded sagely.

“I mean… it’s perfectly understandable why she wouldn’t want to see anyone–” Granuel began, but was cut off by a raised eyebrow from Angerly, and a gentle but firm glare from Therick.

“No, it’s okay. I get it.” I smiled with my mandibles, and they understood the gesture. I worked over the last of my cries, and then drummed loudly on my own carapace. “I’m going! I’M GOING! I’M GOING!”

I ran up this mountain of a hill, I knocked on the gigantic door, and then the frantic energy that forced all my limbs to move erratically died down as it actually began to open.

The door rumbled inwards, and the sight of a fully armored woman greeted me. Why was she dressed for war when we were just supposed to have a nice lunch together!?

~~~

—Haell PoV—

I saw from the window a crustecar woman with only two arms and a claw climbing up our hill. That was likely Berry, the friend and party-member-in-all-but-name that Therick and the rest had made while I was gone. I was supposed to meet her months ago, but I took a lot longer to adapt to my changes than I first thought, and having a terribly short temper would’ve made for a terrible first impression.

I walked in my full mythril armor towards the door. Luine had given the all-clear about Berry, and confirmed that she was trustworthy. My friend was definitely better at ascertaining this kind of stuff, but I was still holding off my judgment until I actually met the person. We could also just end up hating each other’s guts, and that was no way to build an adventuring party.

I heard a knock from the other side of the door, and then I pulled the massive things open with the lower handles. There I saw Berry, staring at me silently as I stared back. Her gaze was on my armor, I thought she might be confused and even incredulous, and her six feet tip-tapped on the ground rapidly. She had a nervous yet excited energy about her that I was already beginning to find endearing.

Then her gaze suddenly snapped back up to my face.

“H-hello!” She sounded both scared and resolute, like she was facing down a terrifying monster. “Please don’t kick me out! I don’t wanna lose my friends!”

Therick facepalmed behind her, Angerly laughed, and Granuel was quick to deny the very possibility.

I realized that I might have been a little bit of an asshole.

I took a shuddering breath as the self-loathing came. That was always the hardest sort of wrath to deal with because it just spiraled. But I took a firm hold of myself and faced Berry. I had been mean to her, without even realizing nor even meeting her. She didn’t deserve that.

“Ah. Shit. Hey… I won’t kick you out, okay? Even if we can’t trust each other.”

Maybe The Harvesters is more your home now than mine. I couldn’t bring myself to admit out loud.

“I… really!?” Her voice cracked, and mine almost did too in sympathy.

“Yes. I intend to go on a lot of solo missions anyway. And we can alternate in partying up with them, if you want.”

“Oh. Well, that’d be great!” The crustecar woman seemed to hesitate, before just blurting out. “Why can’t we just go together though? I’m useful, and I won’t be annoying, I promise!”

My lips quirked up, and I decided to at least give her more information to work with than she had. “I have secrets. Lots and lots of secrets.”

“Secrets…? What kind of secrets?”

“They wouldn’t be secrets if I just told you about them!” I laughed.

“Oh! Right! Sorry, sorry!” Her arms and claw gesticulated wildly, and it was kind of fun to watch.

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“No worries,” I started to lead her through the wide corridors and towards the dining room where Moonwash and my parents were waiting. They’d prepared a veritable feast for us to enjoy. “Why are you so afraid anyway? I won’t bite.” I thumbed towards Therick and the rest following behind us. “Did they say a lot of bad things about me?”

“Uh, um, no! Not at all!”

“Really…?” I tilted my head, slowly.

“W-well… I heard you were very strong.” Her mandibles clacked in what I thought might be hesitation. “...And very violent.”

“Ah! But I think I might’ve just misunderstood something!” She quickly amended. “You’ve been very nice to me already, and Granuel said you were very kind!”

“No. You aren’t wrong about what you thought of me.” I smiled wryly, though she couldn’t see it. “I am strong, and I love using my power. I even enjoy the violence itself. If we’re to be partying up, and maybe even become friends, then you need to know that. I like fights, and I am actively looking for more power, because that is what freedom is.”

“Oh.” Berry breathed in what I thought might be a gulp. Her constant motion paused, before resuming again upon her next words. “Uhm. Well. Should I be scared then?” She chuckled, trying to inject some humor

“Not at all, no. I love my friends, and I wouldn’t just kill anyone. There are plenty of monsters to go around and slaughter.” I stepped through the doorway, waved at my girlfriend and my parents, and then breathed in deeply the smell of food that awaited. “Anyway! We’re here! Feast your eyes upon this feast!”

“Wow! That’s a lot of food!” Berry walked forward, and took in the large dining hall, from the large table and the even larger one meant for a true giant, to all the paintings and decorations that set the mood of the place. Almost absentmindedly, she grabbed a seat, and tried to pull herself up on it.

“Ah! Berry!” I pointed at a different chair on the other side of the table. “You should sit over there instead.”

“Oh. Uh, okay!” She seemed confused but followed my instructions regardless. I pulled out the chair for her, and Berry immediately gushed at the sight.

“Is that a crustecar chair? It took me months to save up enough to have one made!” Her feet tapped the ground excitedly as she examined its make. She was a crustecar, her body was crab-shaped, and the chair was made specifically to accommodate her species. Common ones definitely wouldn’t be comfortable if it were even possible for her to sit on top of them.

“We had one just lying around,” I shrugged. It was true. Being rich was awesome. I also had a sizable fortune of my own at this point.

“Wow.” She climbed up the chair almost reverently. “Thank you.”

“Uh, you’re welcome?” I was honestly perplexed about how happy she was over this. I understood that it was probably more comfortable, but it was just a chair. Was a single chair really worth that much gratitude?

Weird. But it’s okay.

Once everyone was seated, including Moonwash and my parents who sat near me, I grabbed my food and began eating. After just staring for a while, Berry asked, “Um, can I eat?”

“Of course!” I swallowed a toasted rabbit reg. “That’s why we made it after all!”

“Oh! Well, cool. I was just wondering if we weren’t going to pray or anything…”

I tilted my head, then looked towards Therick and the rest. “You can if you want. Do you guys always pray before eating?”

I knew people did it normally. It was just never practiced in my house, or by any of my friends here. I had… mixed feelings about it to say the least, but at the end of the day that was their business and their freedom. I wouldn’t be pressured into participating, but I would only watch respectfully if Berry actually wanted to pray.

…I needed to revisit that thought at some point. The angels were real here, their will wasn’t just up to interpretation. I didn’t know how yet, but that definitely changed things. Maybe.

“Um, no,” Berry answered, “but a lot of the adventurers I know do.”

“I see. But I don’t think I’m even a registered adventurer at this point. I’m not quite sure what you think I have to do with them.”

“Wait, really? I totally thought you would be like, um, the adventurer. Like, the very prime example of one…” Her voice trailed off, sounding less and less sure of herself.

I laughed, and pointed at Angerly and the rest. “Is that what they’ve been telling you?”

“Well, yes… but that’s what you’re going to be doing with them, right?” She gestured at Granuel and the rest with a free hand.

“They’re certainly right about me being fucking awesome! And you’re right in that I will become a great adventurer! But I don’t know how much I really share in common with them. They do venture out to fight, but mainly just in the vicinity of towns and villages. They fashion themselves as sort-of priests, but they don’t actually know shit, not that I would care for their supposed wisdom either way. They don’t have that hunger, they allegedly live to serve, and while their actions do not match that, I will not debase myself by claiming to be anyone’s servant. We are not the same, even if I plan to share the name.”

Berry blinked a little, absentmindedly popping some fried shoots into her mouth. “Those are um, intense.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, I’m a bit intense. Does that bother you?”

She swallowed a mouthful of pasta, seeming to think it over for a moment. “No, not at all. I can see why they described you as um, an overwhelming sort of figure kind of?”

“No need for the uncertainty. I am overwhelming.”

I finally got a chuckle out of her. “Yes, I can already tell somehow that you’re very capable. But Granuel was right. You are very nice! You’ve been nothing but kind to me no matter how much I’ve messed up today and I already want to be in an adventurer party with you!”

I chuckled.

Berry realized what she had said and immediately tried to retract her words. “Ah, uh, I’m sorry if that was pretentious–”

“No, no. I’m beginning to feel the same way.” I smiled, and this time she could see it because I’d taken off my myhtril mask to eat. My teeth actually looked sharper than a human’s, but it should be within the margin of error and wouldn’t raise too many questions. I really didn’t wish to keep my expressions hidden, nor most parts of me. Maybe, I hoped, Berry would be one of the few people to know what I was.

“I am Haell Zharignan, by the way.” I gestured at myself, and the woman sitting beside me. “And that’s my girlfriend Moonwash. It seems we’re aware of each other, but we haven’t actually introduced ourselves.”

“Oh! That was rude of me! I’m Berry! It’s nice to meet you!”

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

“Likewise.”

We continued to eat and talk in silence like that for a while. I told her of my childhood here, and how awesome my parents were. She was amazed to learn just how intense my training regimen was. I wanted to elaborate on how much it’s evolved since I became an imp, and now a demon, but I didn’t really feel like talking about it while murking most of the details.

Moonwash talked about her own interests when Berry asked her about it. She spoke extensively about the recent things she’s crafting, from armor to rituals, and even the little things like random furniture and figurines that she never forgot to make no matter how exciting everything else could be. I dimly noted how Berry made amazed noises as I just got lost staring at Moonwash while she dove ever deeper into her explanations.

I was paying proper attention to what she was saying of course, hence why I had a sudden violent cough once she started talking about curse-related things. I trusted Moonwash not to reveal anything too sensitive, but... that was too close for comfort.

The both of us then got to learn about Berry in turn. We heard about how she fled from their home–the shores of the continent–for their only option for work was almost just to join the military and face the many enemies the empire had made. She spoke of the constant attacks by the cursetaceans, and she expressed distress and incredulity at how she could ever be compared to such monsters, no matter their outward similarities. She opened up about how she and her brother managed to flee from there with all of the money their family had saved, and finally arrived here in Latarus, far from the shores and with little war in sight. They tried to sell little trinkets at first, to make ends meet, but then they were sentenced to community service for ever daring to do so. Their time adventuring and hunting down monsters was terrible, and most of the people they worked with were either mean or indifferent, but they’d come to accept that it was the only path forward for them.

It was a dangerous path, however, and I could see that from how Berry had lost one of her arms. Her brother, Billy, had lost far more than that.

His life.

“I…” she began wailing, which I knew to be how crustecars cried. “I was left all alone. I had no one. I-I-I tried to kill myself, and I would’ve gone through with it had I not met Angerly and the rest. They were so nice, and so kind, to crustecar like me. I-I love them, and I’ll do anything to remain here…”

Oh… oh fuck me. And I tried to have her removed from the party… fuck.

FUCK!

I breathed out the self-loathing, and noticed that my expression had turned bleak in a way that the others noticed. I quickly calmed back down, thankful that Berry was not paying attention. I had managed to not release my aura at least, though some still seeped through the constant leakage of mana as I was already back to full.

Therick shot a glare at me, while he and the others immediately rushed to Berry’s side. I reached out, opened my mouth, then thought better of it. This was their moment, and I was not part of it.