The group of men and women started chatting again, and that was good. I liked to see the place livelier and not as silent as a grave. Was this the right choice? I thought so. Would they respect me more? I thought so again. Give them something to strive for, and everything should work out for the better. At least that was what my heart and mind told me.
The women quickly started gathering the dishes, trays, and cutlery once we were done eating, then took them back to the kitchen while Sarah, Jess, Aiko, and Ayumi took the kids to play outside.
I checked the names and saw Aiko was Kang’s wife, while Ayumi was Ang’s. Man, this was seriously not fun. I’d rather not deal with so many people at any given time. It couldn’t be helped since if we kept expanding, there would only be more of us.
An idea came to mind then and there. Once everything was sorted and we had our regular customers, I’d have Kang and Sandro take care of them while Mark and I went hunting.
Mark nodded as he got up and excused himself, then walked out, leaving Melina and me to ourselves.
“How late is it?” I asked and put my arm around Melina. The fabric was so soft, almost as soft as her skin.
“Five in the afternoon. We spent too much time eating, drinking, and talking.”
“Isn’t it a good time to get busy?”
“Oh? Is that what you call getting me naked?”
I grinned. “No, I meant preparing the bath. Getting you naked is—something much more satisfying and beautiful, if I may say so.”
“Oh? What’s so beautiful about a scarred body?”
“I’ve never seen one as beautiful as yours, yet so scarred and with a perfect tattoo.”
“So you like it?”
I nodded. “I want to inspect the tattoo some more, especially the lower part. And maybe the front as well if you’d let me.”
Melina let out a chuckle and hid her face inside the sleeve of her yukata. “You’re helping me this time, as you’ve got nothing better to do.”
“Of course I’ve got nothing better to do when it’s being with you.”
She let out a mighty laugh and then caught herself. “Come on, let’s get the fire going in the boiler room.”
We walked through the ryokan and came to the bathhouse, which was all too familiar. She led me one door further where I hadn’t been yet, and then down the stairs into the cellar. The walls were filled with lanterns that glowed brightly. In one corner was a big steel boiler and on the other a metric ton of chopped wood.
“Care to help, sir valiant knight?”
I picked up two armfuls of firewood, then stacked it next to the boiler. She handed me a lighter and something white that smelled like gas. I had no idea what it was, but I didn’t need that to start a fire. I stacked the wood inside and infused Enma into a ball, took the lighter, and lit it on fire.
The wood started burning as if doused in gasoline. I stacked several more pieces atop each other and closed the door of the boiler.
“Good?”
She nodded with a smirk on her face. “Sure is. You’re better than I thought you’d be, stranger. Or should I call you alien?”
“Shit, I thought you’d forget about that part.” I laughed.
“Yeah, about that.” She chuckled and started laughing as well, but then abruptly stopped. “You think someone could forget something like that?” The last was said through clenched teeth and a hiss.
“Wow now, mistress. No need to be so mad.”
“I’m not mad! But how the hell did you think I’d feel and what would go through my mind after you told me you’re from another world?”
“I didn’t know it would bother you so much,” I protested, annoyed by her mock-anger.
“You didn’t? What I don’t know is if you’re playing games on me or if you’re for real!”
“Oh, it’s true, trust me. Scar is from the same world as I am, but why don’t we go upstairs and get the vat ready? We’ll talk once we’re inside.”
“Bah, you keep playing on time!” she snapped and stormed up the stairs.
I let out a deep sigh and followed her. When I caught up with Melina, she was already adding water to the vat.
“Where are those herbs of yours?”
“Gone. I don’t have any since I didn’t go out to buy them. The amount we used could last for a month if I’d used them alone.”
“Speaking of being alone, were you really keeping this place in such condition by yourself?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been doing it myself. I usually had some girls help clean the other buildings once a month, though.”
“That’s quite the task.”
I sat down on the bench and waited for her to finish with the water. Once done, she shut off the valve and sat down next to me.
“You really don’t plan on saying anything until you’ve seen me naked, huh?”
“Maybe. It should be harder for you to run out naked than fully clothed after hearing what I’ve got to tell you.”
“Pfft! Whatever. I’m going upstairs to get what we’ll be wearing tonight. I told them not to bother us until the morning anyway—you know, in case something happens.”
I smirked knowingly. If our thoughts aligned even remotely, I was going to be one happy man.
“Yeah, who knows?”
I got up as she left and placed my palm against the vat, sending a wave of Enma inside, then pulled three crystals from the pouch, cracked them slightly, and placed them on three sides inside the vat. The energy would flow slowly through the cracks and fill the water, which would in turn store every drop of it.
I went back down to check on the boiler and added several smaller logs to the fire, then went back up and started undressing. Melina wasn’t back yet, so I stopped and waited in my boxers.
“What do you think of her? Honestly.”
“Does it matter?” Scar asked.
“Sure does, Scar. What do you think of her?”
I could feel him sigh, and after several long seconds, he finally spoke. “I like her. I like her directness and honesty. She doesn’t seem to be lying, and I can tell by the fluctuations in one’s Enma output. She doesn’t have any. At all.”
“Interesting. How does she measure up to my previous wife?”
“How? Well, I’m not quite sure if I can give you an answer there, Viktor. Lana was a Goddess, literally. She was incredibly powerful. It’s just a shame that she was attacked by multiple assholes stronger than her and killed.”
“Goddess, huh? Melina is one too in my opinion. Did you see her body? It’s to die for. And her snarky character, it’s so sweet sometimes.”
“Sure, Lana had her moments, but she had a way to calm down and stay levelheaded, while this chick doesn’t. She’s all hotheaded and zero chill, but speaking of chill, do you want to know more about Lana?”
“I don’t know. I’m afraid to remember. It could destroy what I have with Melina.”
“Then don’t. Focus on what you have, and if you’re adamant about revenge by the time you’re a God again, you can decide then.”
“You’re right. I’ll focus on what I have instead of on what I used to.”
“Heads up, here she is.”
The door slid open, and Melina walked in carrying two sets of clothes. I smiled inwardly when I noticed the short yukata on her pile. It was the same as the night we met. Shit! I couldn’t wait to get her to wear it.
“I see you’re ready.” She chuckled and stopped at the table, placing her heap on the left and mine on the right.
“Yeah, and eager to get started. My muscles are aching from the battle, and this wound still hasn’t healed fully,” I said, pointing at my shoulder.
She leaned in and kissed the spot where the bolt had struck me. “All better?”
“Sure thing, mistress, but what about this one?” I asked, motioning to where the bullet hit me in the chest.
She winked and spun around playfully, sliding the yukata down her shoulders. It hung there around her hips and
wrists.
“You were half-ready, huh?” Melina asked as she stood there, raising her eyebrows.
She wore a small black thong that was so thin it barely covered her front and even less of her behind. Her chest was wrapped up still in the same white bandage.
“I was born ready,” I whispered as I got up and turned her around slowly, then did my best to rip the bandage off as quickly as I could.
“Hey, no need to be so aggressive. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You sure? Once you hear my story, you just might.”
The bandage came off and she turned toward me as she held her arms crossed in front of her chest. She looked down and I followed her gaze, knelt in front of her, and pulled her panties down. Melina looked away, but I didn’t. Not this time. I still didn’t linger long and got to my feet before she got uncomfortable. Next were my boxers, but instead of staring me down, she climbed inside as I threw them next to the table.
“I think I won’t now that I got this far, don’t you think so too?” she asked, her voice weak. Who knew what was going through her mind right now, coming up with a hundred scenarios?
“I sure hope so. You have no idea how lucky I see myself that I met you.”
“Oh, you won’t think so in a couple of years, but I’ll let you live in a lie if it’s easier for you.”
Now, this was one of the things I hated her for. How the hell did she manage to get under my skin so easily, and with just a single sentence?
“You sure spouting such nonsense is actually of help?” I asked.
She shrugged. “You tell me, stranger. Now, why don’t you begin? I’m itching to hear your story.”
“Where the hell do I even begin?” I asked as I got in and leaned against the vat. She floated over to me and sat on my lap, her back toward me.
“Can you check on my scars? See if any of the others will disappear? They’re tingly again.”
“Yeah, sure,” I replied and traced my hands down her back. I pushed as much Enma into them as I could, helping with the de-scarring process. “So, do you want me to just start somewhere, or do you have any questions?”
“Anything. Tell me random stuff.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but I stopped and thought. Why not start with the worst as well and then make my way down to weaker stuff?
“I have a wife and a kid. Well, I used to.”
“I know, you already told me.”
She pushed off me and turned around, then straddled me and put her hands behind my neck.
“What’s with this view?”
Her breasts hovered only inches from my chest, and I couldn’t help but take a look.
“I don’t care. It’s not like you haven’t seen any of this before, right? No? Good. Now tell me something. How did she die? Do you still love her?”
I thought on the question for a moment and leaned further into the wooden wall as my hands moved to her sides. I pulled her in closer so that our bodies were rubbing against each other. No more fucking around. We were adults, so we should act like adults.
“I do. I’ll always love her after being married to her for centuries.”
Melina’s right eyebrow rose. “I don’t know if I should be jealous and hate her, or admire a woman who could keep your attention for such a long time.”
“You can do either of those, but it’s not like it matters. She’s dead. Killed by my brother and his cronies.”
I said it with such ease that it bothered me. No, it wasn’t… shit, I had no idea. I had woke up to rage beyond this world, and now I was sitting there in the tub with Melina, talking about my dead wife without a hint of anger. No, that wasn’t right either. Was she the one thing that kept me from getting out of control?
“How old were they?”
“The baby was just born. My wife died several years before I did, and then Scar and I died together.”
“Shit, that must have hurt. I share the sentiment, though, as Sandro hasn’t been a role model either.”
“Yeah, but you weren’t killed, were you?”
Melina snorted and shook her head lightly. “No, he didn’t kill me physically, but he almost did mentally. See, my previous man was someone to whom Sandro owed a lot of money. A crime boss, and a big one at that, but he’s gone now.”
“Gone?”
“Yeah, he died in a car explosion. Or so they said.”
I tried to find the right words, but there were no right words for something like this.
“I’m sorry you had to go through all that,” I whispered.
Our faces were mere inches apart when she put her arms around my neck and pulled me into a kiss that lasted for what felt like an eternity of bliss. She pulled back slightly, but only so far our eyes could meet.
“Forget it,” she whispered. “I am what I am thanks to those bastards. Now, tell me more about your wife. What was she like? What would you do if you found her again?”
That wasn’t a question I was ready to talk about, but since she was laying all her cards down, I could try to be as honest as possible.
“I don’t know, Melina. I’ve tried to push you from my heart and mind, but you’re like an indescribable itch. You’re ever present in my heart and mind since I saw you that night.”
“Sure feels good to be wanted.” She chuckled and pulled back, let me go, and plunged into the water. She stood up and threw her head back along with a wave of Enma-infused water.
“I don’t know what she was like, though. See, my soul was in limbo for a century before I was reborn on this world and into this body. Only through the effort from some of the Gods out there was I able to live again. A century after losing everything.”
She remained silent for a long moment before she sat down opposite me.
“I don’t know how to accept all of this,” she whispered. “I assume you’re being honest right now, so I’ll do the same. Alright?”
“Yeah, please do,” I replied calmly.
“See, I wasn’t looking for you, but you came nevertheless. As long as you can be a man and promise me you’ll never change. Promise that you’ll love me just like I do and promise to cherish and protect me. I’ll get over everything, even if you’re an alien or whatever. Just promise me that you won’t hurt me as they did, and I’ll give you all of me.”
“I can’t promise you something like that, Melina. All I know is that I don’t want to have a single day without you, but let’s be honest, could I promise not to die out there?”
“You’re such an asshole, you know that?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. But how about this? I promise to reciprocate your feelings, keep you safe to the best of my ability, and to take care of you as the one thing I cherish in my life. Is that enough for now?”
I flashed her a weak smile. What else could I do?
“I prefer your honesty over sweet words we both know wouldn’t be true, so yeah, I’ll accept that, Viktor.”
“What about you? I just basically declared my feelings for you.”
“I think I already gave you my promise after getting in here with you despite you telling me you weren’t from around here, but yeah, if you need to hear it, here you go. I promise to be a nagging lover, one who only wants you for myself, and I promise to give myself to you whenever you want, and only you. Is that enough?”
“For a start.” I chuckled. “I want to try to see where this leads us, Melina. I’m serious about you and me, but won’t it be sweeter if we just let it happen without worrying about anything?”
She smiled and pushed herself off the other side of the vat, then straddled me again and kissed me. It was a strong, ferocious kiss. She meant it. But so did I.
Chapter Eighteen
We lay in bed and stared through the window. It was already dark, and what little warmth there was during the day had already dissipated into the cold of the night. I was happy. I truly was. Even if just for the moment and I was to die again, at least I would have today and this evening with Melina.
I let out a sigh as Melina stirred and moved, throwing her legs around as if she were deliberately trying to get me out of bed. Not going to happen. The sheets were keeping me warm, and I was having a good time underneath.
I caught both legs and pulled her in closer.
“Hey.” She chuckled. “I’m trying to get you to leave, not to do it again.”
“Oh? You’re trying to kick me from my own bed?”
“Yours? Oh, wait, I did say something along those lines, didn’t I?”
“More than once.”
“Yeah, maybe that was a mistake. I like to have my space when I toss and turn.”
“You want me to leave?” I asked, now being all serious. I’d caught her off guard and she stuttered.
“N-no, wait. Why would you—?”
I caught her again and planted my lips against hers. “Just messing with you.”
“Ass.”
“Yeah, yeah. So what do you think?”
“About?”
“This?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we should have another round so I can give my final judgment?” she purred.
Melina’s arm snaked around my chest as her head leaned down on my shoulder, and she snuggled in closer. Warmth radiated off her skin and embraced me like a long-lost lover. All of this was out of this world. I was still unable to believe I’d found such a woman right after being reborn.
I froze and glared at the stars, thinking of Krajolik. The bastard’s voice rang out in my head. It was deep, strong laughter. Everything around me froze, including Melina, as he appeared in my mind.
“Took you long enough to figure it out, Viktor.”
“What the hell is this, Krajolik? Are you just messing with me?”
Beginner Quest: A LitRPG Cultivation Series (Towers & Rifts Book 1) Page 21