As she stood there, she felt a hand on her shoulder and a voice from behind her.

"Turn around, Julia." She heard Jack behind her, as she turned to face Jack who was now just behind her.

"Come here." Jack reached out to hug her, and Verruca hesitated for a moment, before giving into Jack. She let him hug her, as she embraced him.

Jack patted Verruca on her steel-plated back, issuing a dull clanking sound of bone on metal.

"Verruca don't lie to me."

"I'm sorry." Verruca apologized as well.

"All of this nonsense is my fault, Julia."

"I know," Verruca responded.

The two stood for a long-time hugging, before mutually separating.

"Come sit back down." Jack went back to his desk and took a seat.

Verruca did so as well and sat down.

"Julia. I may not be able to become your man, but I can still be your friend. Can we be friends?" Jack asked.

"Just friends?" Verruca asked, hesitantly.

"With the chance of becoming more... If you want, and only if you want. I don't want to seem greedy, but I do like you Verruca."

"Only like?"

"To be more than like, We have to be more than friends."

"Alright." Verruca nodded.

"I find you very attractive, Julia. Very attractive." Jack spoke bluntly, praising Julia.

Verruca turned her head, "I don't believe that."

"Why not?"

"You have Leslie. I'm not blind. I know what I look like, and Leslie is very pretty. I understand if you like her for her looks; it makes sense."

"Yes, but Leslie isn't a heroine like you are."

"I don't follow."

"You are gallant, strong, and a genuine heroine. You have to remember Julia, that I like women based on their features. I don't like features and like women for those features."

"I still don't follow."

"Let's use a very crude example, to make this easy. Some male undead will only like women with large breasts because they like large breasts. Large breasts are a feature, and they like these women for these features."

"...Okay..." Verruca found this to be slightly dirty.

"I like women because of their features. Leslie's flowing hair, personality, charm, and beauty are things that I like, but I like her. I don't like her because she has these things. I like her for her, and these are qualities that I like about her."

"I think I'm getting it."

"I like Emily. I like her webby hair and her naive point of view. I like her size too... I don't like her for being a loli or being naive, but I like her. These are qualities that I like about her."

"So... You don't have a type. You just like women."

"More or less, but I do have ladies I don't care for..."

"And you like me, and I just so happen to have qualities you like."

"Exactly."

"But... That's not normal, right? Men like pretty women... Like Ken... He was strange. Why did he like me? The guy clearly had something wrong with him."

"You're kidding me right... Please don't tell me you rejected Ken because you thought he was strange for liking you..." Jack tilted his head slightly looking at Verruca as if she was some strange entity.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"No... I didn't like his personality, but I still found him odd for that as well. Pretentious... That's what I felt about him." Verruca shrugged. Jack felt she didn't really care for his death on a personal level, but maybe guilt on a professional view.

"Well, that makes me feel better. Alright, let's reverse this. Why do you like me, and don't lie to me? You already lied to me once today."

"...Well... You used to be gentle, and you're smart... And... You're strong... And I don't know... Don't ask me weird questions." Verruca looked away.

"Let me ask you this then... I've come back, and I'm no longer gentle... Do you still like me?" Jack asked.

"Why are you making me say this stuff?"

"Because We need to get this out in the open."

"Yes, damn it... I still like you, even if you're not gentle... I even kind of like you being... aggressive." Verruca whispered her last words.

"So, you like me, and I just happen to have qualities you like. It's the same thing for me."

"So, no matter what I look like or do, you would still like me?" Verruca asked, turning her head to look at Jack again.

"Yes."

"...Is this a confession?" Verruca asked.

"It's simply the obvious."

"...Okay."

"Julia... From now on, if you ever need anything, no matter what it is, please call for me, or ask me. Don't do what you did in Zitergall. Call me. Let me be the fall guy. Now that the battle has gone this way, I've found that people no longer support you as they did before. The survivors of Zitergall pin the blame on you. I have to give the people a stratifying answer."

"What do you mean?" Verruca felt her heart was about to beat...

[This is what Doctor Hollowell meant!]

"As the God-King, I must punish you. So, during court that I will hold in one week. I will call you before the throne and issue my punishment."

"Why are you telling me now?"

"This is called a curiosity, also known as a heads up, also known as not blindsiding your friends. Just because I have to do this for the Kingdom, doesn't mean I have to blindside you with this."

"...So, what's the punishment?" Verruca didn't defend herself like Doctor Hollowell suggested and just take the punishment like a warrior.

"I will strip you of your title of Lord Commander. You will remain a Warmarshal."

"...But-But! You were going to take back command of the armies when you returned from your closed doors seclusion... This isn't a punishment...!" Verruca was breathless.

"I only told you, Lucius, Leslie, and Emily of my plans. The rest of the Kingdom does not know I intended to do this. They will know that you lost a title, and was dropped in rank back to what you were... No one will question my decision."

"Why?"

"Why what?" Jack asked as he didn't know what he was being asked.

"Why do that... Why aren't you actually punishing me?"

"Because this is my fault. I accept responsibility for what happened in Zitergall, but the people will not see it like that. I will make this go away, and you can still go to war in the future."

"You... You are protecting me, so I can still go to battle???"

"You told me you wanted war, did you not?"

"Yes. I want war."

"Then I have a lot of war coming up. I can't say this is all for you, but I want this to make you happy. This fits my plans and yours."

"...Thank you."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, thank you, Jack," Verruca said with her eyes gleaming.

"There is no need for thanks between us." Jack waved his hand.

Verruca felt a bit of warmth enter in her hurt heart, as she looked at the upright skeleton behind the desk. Perhaps... Just maybe... In the future, she would think more about bring with Jack.

"Julia, I've been working on some new plans. Take a look." Jack hummed up his display spell to show off his City of Bellum.

Verruca marveled and the plan, and the two talked it over. Jack even joked a few times, while Verruca chuckled at some of the funnier jokes.

"Julia, would you like to hear something that I haven't told anyone else? I will inform others later, of course, but you will know first. I want to know what you think."

"You would be willing to share this will me before Leslie and Emily? ...Why?"

"Because this concerns your area of expertise."

"Hmmmm?"

"Do you know that Stonedge has super soldiers?" Jack dropped a bombshell on Verruca.

"What? No, I didn't!"

"Yes. A researcher named Vincent created them for their government. The only problem, I don' know how super We are talking. Are we talking knight rank cultivators, Kings? No idea, and no point of reference."

"Verruca knitted her brows, "I know super soldiers refer to augmenting normal undead, or low-level cultivators in various ways to produce better warriors. Usually all physical ability increase, with very little in terms of actual magic."

Jack rubbed his jaw, then spoke, "I'm thinking of making my own. What do you think?"

"..." Verruca had never thought that Jack would consider this.

"What?"

"Don't you think this would create abominations?"

"...No...? Well, I mean if I make monsters, yeah, but I'm going to make super soldiers. I see no issue with that." Jack said waving his hand.

"But-But... I suggested this so long ago, and you dismissed it. You said that We were not going to create abominations!" Verruca said bewildered.

"Death changes a person, Julia, and with my favorite quote as of recent... The wheel of death spins again... We will not create abominations, but we will do as you have once suggested."

"Really?!"

"Yes." Jack nodded.

"I can't wait! New troops!" Verruca got giddily from the idea of a new military unit.

Jack leaned forward in his seat, and propped his elbows on his desk, bring his folded hands up to his face, only showing his flaming eyes, as he stared at Verruca.

Verruca saw this and calmed down, as she looked at this serious expression.

"Julia... The plans I have will be the ultimate warriors. I will clad them the best armor and give them weapons that will spread my wrath. They will be walking armies of one, and will strike fear in those that feel nothing, and will be the sword I will use to bring my rule to the lands and the shield to defend from those that think otherwise... They will be called the Militus Obitus. My hand upon the battlefields."