“This is it,” Eric said in a perfectly emotionless voice as he started gathering his stuff, “This is it.”

“What is it?” Phisola asked.

“This is the line I can’t cross. This is it. I’m not going to eat other people.”

“You don’t have to eat the stew if you don’t want to. I’m not going to force-feed you or anything. I just wanted to cook you a tasty meal to commemorate your courage. I wanted to acknowledge and recognize that you’ve improved since we met.”

“So you decided to cook me an elf?” His voice was still devoid of any emotion.

“… most people I know would be glad …”

“I’m not a cannibal. And I don’t care about your excuses, the different races and other bullshit. I’m not a cannibal, and I’m certainly not going to live with cannibals. We’re different races too. Should I fear you’ll eat me too as soon as we’re low on food?”

“No Eric, we’re of the same race. Or clans are different, but we’re both cubus.”

“And I’m certainly done with your gaslighting. I’m fucking tired of walking on eggshells, of being a submissive bitch, of being lied to and manipulated, and now I’m supposed to be eating people because you wanted to cook me a nice meal? Are you fucking serious?”

“Ok, you don’t have to! You don’t have to eat elves if you don’t want to, more for me!”

“Yeah, more for you. That’s exactly the problem.”

“And who the fuck are you to force your morality on me?” Phisola raised her voice, “Yes, I like eating elves! They’re a rare delicacy! This is the second elf I’ve eaten in my life!”

“And the first one, was he a male?”

Phisola paused for a while before answering: “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I know you think I’m an idiot, but a diplomat’s main skill is judging people’s character. I know more about you than you think, things you never said but are obvious from your behavior. You said the elves are tasty in all kinds of ways.”

“And?”

“And do you think I need to be a genius to figure out what you meant?”

“No, I said that fully expecting you to get the message.”

“Yes. But what you failed to consider is that I’ll learn much more from it. Far more than what you’d want me to. For example, I learned that you took an elven adventurer as a prisoner, just like you took me. That you used and abused him, just like me. And when something didn’t work out, or maybe he gave you too much sass, you decided to kill him. I learned that, but still decided to stay by your side because you’re my only way out of here.”

Picking up his last belongings, Eric looked her in the eye: “But now I know that not only did you kill him, you ate him too. Am I wrong?”

Phisola maintained a stern face: “… so?”

“So I’m not going to put my faith in someone as monstrous as you. I did my best to look past your issues, to justify them, to find some understanding, especially since it really looked like you’re improving, like you’re doing your best to change. But this is it. How can I be with someone who doesn’t even understand why eating people is wrong? How can I be with someone who is ready to eat her companion? How can I be with someone who doesn’t understand the basics of humanity?”

“… you do realize you’re dead without me, right?”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Even if that’s a direct threat, I don’t care. Kill me if you want, then eat me too, I no longer care. I’m fucking done with all of this, and I don’t care if I live or die any longer.”

“Oh? Are you sure?”

She got straight up in his face, staring menacingly: “You know I can make it happen.”

“I know,” Eric stared back, “And I no longer care. Now get out of my way.”

“Are you absolutely sure?”

“Yes, I’m absolutely sure. I’m tired of dealing with a cannibalistic, maniacal abuser, and I can’t do it anymore.”

“And how will you get out of here without my portal?”

“I’ll find some adventurers and take my chances with them. I don’t care if they’ll kill me anymore. You did a great job breaking my spirit and the will to live. If I’m going to die, I might as well die with some dignity instead of like a crying, sniveling bitch. People-eating bitch at that.”

“I told you that you don’t have to eat people, you fucking idiot! I’m not going to force you into it.”

“If you didn’t bother to tell me something like this, then what else is there that I don’t know about you?”

“Why would I bother telling you something that is just common sense? We’re in a dungeon, where the food is scarce …”

“We never had issues with finding food, and you know that. Hell, I didn’t have issues finding food on my own.”

“My point is, these are special circumstances that we’re in.”

“Have you eaten people before, when you weren’t in this dungeon?”

“… the continent my people live in is a far cry from what you’re used to. There is no fertile land to farm or to feed cattle with.”

“So you decided that the best thing to do is to eat each other and turn people into cattle?”

“… look … you have no right to judge me, or my people …”

“Yet you did nothing but judge me and my people ever since we met!” He raised his voice as his emotions returned, “You just can’t help but call me stupid, a coward, you can’t help but judge my people for our softness! Imagine that, people who don’t feel like eating other people! What a bunch of idiots! What a bunch of weaklings!”

“Stop being so cocky and irritating!” She frowned deeply, “I’m warning you!”

“Oh, I will. I will stop. I will stop for good. I’ll stop because you’ll never see me again. Never again will you have to deal with my stupidity, my cowardice, my sass, or anything else! I’ll rid you of your misery and take my sorry ass out of your way so that you can enjoy your life in peace! So let me go! Let me take myself out of your hands! Why are you still standing in front of me? You’ve been complaining about me ever since we met, so what’s the problem now?”

“You just don’t know when to stop, do you?” She said with an edge in her voice.

“I already told you, I’m stopping for good. Just let me go, and you’ll get no more bullshit from me. You’re fed up with my bullshit, I’m fed up with yours, so let’s just part our ways and be done with it!”

“… all over a cultural misunderstanding?”

“We had nothing but misunderstandings ever since we met!”

“I thought we worked those out? You complimented me on how I changed my attitude towards you not so long ago!”

“Phisola,” he made a chopping gesture with his hand repeatedly, “I can’t live with someone who eats the people she fucks!”

“… that’s what this is about?”

“Yes!”

“That’s what got you upset?”

“I’ve already fucking told you, yes!”

“Are your people not into interracial relationships?”

Eric started shaking his head in disbelief: “That has nothing to do with this! You can’t eat someone who lived with you! Someone you shared your bed with!”

“So … as I understand … you’re now scared that I will eat you too eventually?”

“What guarantees do I have that you won’t? But it’s not just that, it goes much deeper than that! It’s about the principles, Phisola! How can you say you cared about someone when you think disrespecting their dead body like that is a perfectly normal thing to do?”

“Disrespecting? He literally became a part of me. How can that be disrespectful?”

Closing his eyes in disgust, Eric raised his hand in front of his face: “I’m … I’m … I’m fucking done. I’m so fucking done with this shit! Kill me now, or get out of my way.”

Phisola sized him up for a while before responding.

“You really want to go?”

“I don’t think I can make it any clearer.”

“… then go …” she said, stepping aside.

“I wish you all the best, Phisola, I really do. And I hope you’ll eventually go back to your family. But I just can’t stay here any longer.”

“You made that perfectly clear. Now get the fuck out of my lair before I kick your ass!”

“All right, all right … you don’t have to tell me twice.”

After Eric made several steps, Phisola spoke again: “Oh, just one more thing.”

“What?” He asked with an irritated voice as he turned around.

“Take this thing with you.”

She threw something at him, but he failed to catch it, so it hit him in the hand, causing him sharp pain. Looking at the hand, he saw a small stream of blood coming out of his middle finger.

Then he looked at the object on the ground and saw the familiar, well-crafted knife.

“Are you fucking stupid?” He raised his voice at her, “What if I didn’t stop it with my hand?”

“You were supposed to catch it, idiot, but I forgot how incompetent you are. Now grab that thing and get the fuck out of my lair before I change my mind!”