Wiping my hands, since unlike my spear they had been hit by Casper’s blood, I did my best to remain calm and collected as I stepped over to the Chronicler. She was waiting outside the room, with others such as Mapple and Tressi, and even a few faces I didn’t outright recognize… and she looked in a half-panic.

Glancing down at my hands, I was glad to see none of Casper’s blood remained anymore. Not just because I’d wiped them, either. Like all gods, the blood faded after a bit. I didn’t even smell it anymore.

“I can tell by your glare that this was not foreseen,” I said as I approached her and shifted my spear as to rest it against my shoulder. I had wanted to give it back to Renn, as to not walk out of the room with it in my hands… but realized she was neither in the right mind-space for that and that it was also a good way to let everyone know how serious this moment had been.

Them seeing me with a weapon in hand was a rarity. Especially when and after I had actually used it.

“No… I have no idea what is going on, except baseless whispers,” The Chronicler said as I glanced behind me.

Renn was still in the room… I could just barely make her out from here, since I had left the door open for airflow. No one else had seemingly dared to venture in to it, but I knew it wouldn’t be long until she walked out and joined me.

Casper’s body was already fading away. Like all gods, after death, they faded and disappeared from this world as their last bit of divine mana left them.

Once the body fully disappeared, which only takes a few minutes, she’d leave the room. And would hopefully not do so with a face full of tears.

Casper had not deserved such sympathy.

At all.

I’ll need to let her know that later.

“Well… as I said before, this was a personal matter. She had been an enemy of mine, from long ago. From before the Society, even. I’m sorry for allowing my personal affairs to come into your halls,” I said, and although I spoke a little callously… I meant every word I said.

The Chronicler glanced around her at the small group with her, and I tried not to notice the looks of utter disbelief. Because I knew their disbelief was not from my words, but rather my actions.

They likely believed me… but it was that very belief they doubted. Because I’d never before, bar monarchs, ever spoke in such a way or acted as I had now and here. Even my agreement, my contract, with Celine said so… When it came to monarchs I had authority, and could act on them as I wished.

But how did I explain to them that such things were related? Short of telling them that Casper had been a god…

“So uh…” Tressi’s large feathers fluttered as she glanced around, and I knew what she wanted to ask. They all likely wanted to ask the same, if not similar, questions.

“I’ve dealt with my issues. All is well now. I apologize again for letting them into your home and lives… I’ll endeavor to make sure it doesn’t happen again…” I promised, and as I heard Renn finally leave the room, walking slowly with a sniffle, I nodded at them. “I’m uh… thirsty. I’m going to go get a drink. I promise to sit and expand a little on this later, Chronicler, but for now please just be patient and give me time,” I said as I stepped away.

“Wha…?” The Chronicler didn’t seem to fully understand, but I didn’t wait to expand. I turned around and stepped over to Renn, before anyone could get gather their nerve and approach as well.

“You okay, Renn?” I asked gently.

“No… but you know that.”

I did. “I need to go… think for a moment. I’ve told everyone that all’s well, and that it had been a personal problem… Later today I’ll sit with the Chronicler at least and give her a short explanation, but for now I need to go and think,” I said.

“Without me?” she asked.

Yes. No.

I… “I don’t know…” I admitted after a moment of internal conflict.

That had been my initial plan. To do what I always did after such moments… to just walk and think alone. But…

Rennalee. My wife. She had just experienced all that, watched and listened and was a part of it all… just as much if not more than I had just been. And I had been about to just walk away and leave her be? What kind of man was I to do that?

Breathing in a little, and holding it for a second, I slowly nodded as I breathed it out and relaxed. “Right. Together. Sorry… I’m just…” I apologized to Renn, who I realized was likely severely as confused and unsettled as I was if not many more fold.

She deserved better. I should not spend time settling my own mind, but hers. She was more important.

Renn gave me a gentle smile and nodded up at me as her ears fluttered, and the sound of my mother’s bell rang in my ears. “Thank you, Vim,” she whispered.

With a deep sigh, I nodded and glanced behind us at the group watching us from a small distance away. A few of them, like Tressi and Mapple, had likely been able to hear everything we’ve said so far… but luckily Renn had the mental wherewithal to not have said anything too worrying here and now.

“Um… let them know, I guess… I’ll wait for you down the hall,” I said with a gentle gesture to them. They’ll likely be expecting Renn to say something to them, and would also calm down a little if she did.

“I am good at being your wife, I suppose,” Renn said happily as she stepped around me and headed for the group.

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I watched her go for a moment, and the way her tail happily twitched in the air as she did.

Right. That was what a partner would do, wasn’t it? My father would have called it public relations.

As Renn went to talk to the Chronicler and the rest, I stepped away. I didn’t even glance into the room again as I headed down the hallway, heading in the direction of the nearest stairwell.

My first idea was to just walk around here underneath… but I didn’t want to now. I genuinely felt like getting a drink. Maybe even actual alcohol for once. And now that Renn was to join me, maybe even some food. I’d enjoy watching her eat and drink her favorite berry drinks right now, I think.

Maybe the Walking Pig? It was about time for dinner, a little early but I could throw some extra coins around and get in early even if they weren’t outright ready for it. Plus that would give Renn and me some privacy too…

I waited, a long moment, for Renn to finish her conversation as I continued pondering where to take her for dinner. I of course decided on the Walking Pig, but for a moment I had considered finding somewhere else. Telmik actually had quite a few nice restaurants here. Like many holy cities, especially ones that saw gluttony as a sin, it had plenty of options to indulge in such a thing.

Such simple irony made me smile… which Renn noticed as she hurried over. “What are you smirking at?” she asked.

“Distractions,” I answered simply.

She tilted her head at me in a way that made her ears flutter adorably, and then she glanced back down the hallway… to the group still lingering where she and I had left them.

“They’re… very bothered, Vim. But it seems they’re not really sure why. None of them had seen what had happened, only seeing you carry Casper through the Cathedral. They’re more worried she was some human who found us out or something than anything else,” Renn said.

Right… and depending on who had seen me do so, they had likely not even noticed the glowing bindings or her divinity. “So you’ve calmed them down a bit for me?” I asked.

She slowly nodded, though a tad unsurely. “I think so. I think they now believe that this is just something I got involved with… Chronicler actually teased me about no longer using my tail as a fishing line,” she said.

“I’m sorry for making you lie about it,” I apologized.

Renn smiled at that and nodded. “You should be! But it’s okay. I uh… am not sure how else I’d explain this to them, at the moment, anyway.”

Right…?

“Used to be easy for me you know? I either outright told people the truth or just ignored everyone completely. Life was simpler back then,” I said as I glanced at the group again. They were still there, noisily talking to one another. It seemed they were about to head our way, since this direction led to the nearest stairwell.

Time for us to go then.

Before I could step away though, Renn reached out to me. She grabbed my shirt’s sleeve, a bit daintily.

“Are… you okay, Vim?” Renn then asked with a tug on my sleeve.

I shifted a little, since I was a tad stunned over her question. Not because it was out of place, but…

Smiling gently at her, I nodded as I reached over and patted her shoulder. “Yes. I am. I’m just… troubled, but I’m already calm now and collected,” I said.

Really. She knew what I was. Or at least, an idea of what I was. She should know that I was fine, as I always would be… yet here she was, worrying over me so seriously.

“You sure?”

I nodded. “Yes. I am.”

“Physically, yes… but what about everywhere else?” she asked.

Oh…? My smile grew as I nodded some more. “Yes. I was… admittedly very upset a little bit ago, but now I am fine. In fact, to a degree I think I’m feeling better than I have in a long time,” I said as I reached over to place my hand on her lower back, as to lead her down the hallway since the group was now heading our way.

“Why do I believe you…? Is it because you got to kill a god?” she asked as she allowed me to lead her away.

I chuckled at that. “Actually, yes! To a degree. That is something that makes me happy. But rather in this case, I now feel a bit more comfortable because I now know who exactly my enemies are and I even have an idea of why they’re my enemies,” I said.

“Hopefully you plan to let me know all that stuff here shortly…?”

I nodded. “Yes. Over dinner. How’s the Walking Pig sound?”

Renn’s ears fluttered as she perked up. “Oh? Yes. Though can I have a little bit before we eat? I uh… let me get the taste and smell of blood out of my mouth at least.”

Taste and…? Oh… right. In that small, badly air circulated room; she had likely gotten such a taste in the air from Casper’s blood as I stabbed her through. Even if that blood was now gone, faded away into nonexistence, the lingering aftertaste likely still remained.

“Right… well, we’ll walk around a bit then,” I said as I glanced down to her waist and found her hat. I grabbed it for her, but didn’t put it on her head for her. I knew, thanks to her ears, that she always preferred to do it herself. Though she did like it when on the occasion I did it for her.

She accepted the hat as I watched her tuck her ears into it and put it on. After she did she went ahead and reached around as to also hide her tail away, tucking it into her pants as we rounded a corner.

“It’s too bad we can’t take Fressi with us, I bet a tasty pig would make her like me,” Renn said.

Hm…? “She doesn’t like you?” I asked. Fressi’s mother, Tressi, had said something similar hadn’t she…?

Renn sighed as she shook her head. “She uh… doesn’t. I don’t think. Which is too bad she’s so adorable…”

“Well if anyone can change someone’s opinion, it’s you,” I said.

“Yes, but can I do it before you whisk me away somewhere…?” Renn wondered with a sigh.

“Well…” Had no one told her that they wanted to join us east?

Before I could mention so, she slowed and gave me a sad look.

“I’m sorry Vim… I hadn’t realized who she was… Renka, I mean…” Renn whispered as we walked through the dark hallway.

Ah.

“Renn, I’d never fault or blame you for such a thing. Ever. Even if she hadn’t been one of the greatest illusionists, nearly as good as my mother, I’d still not blame you. She’s… a being of power. One who breaks the natural order. Even I fall prey to their tricks and abilities, I just power through them thanks to my own blessings. Ones no one else has,” I said.

“Still…”

Patting her back gently, I nodded. “All’s well, Renn. Especially since this is really my fault for not telling you more about our enemies, and how to detect them and stuff…”

“It is!” she agreed, a bit loudly.

“Yes… I plan to correct that…” I said with a small groan.

“Hopefully soon… before it happens again, please,” Renn said, as if in warning. “I know I’ve agreed to give you time and stuff, Vim, but obviously the world isn’t going to wait with me,” she added.

I flinched as we neared the stairwell, and I nodded.

How true indeed…! I felt as if I was making progress, and even Renn had lately said so too… but there was now no denying that it was long past due. I had much to tell her, and do, and…

“Well…?” Renn asked as we began to climb the stairs.

“Yes, Renn. I agree… and know.”

“Good. I’ll look forward to it,” she said.

“Add it to the long list,” I mumbled.

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