Chapter 26: The Party
A party was being held at the castle today to celebrate Jade’s continued reign as the Dragon King. It had already been postponed once because of Yadacain’s attacks.
Jade was naturally the star of the party, but another guest occupied most of the huge reception hall where the party was being held—Ruri’s long-awaited kraken. The kraken was far too big to fit in the hall, so only its leg was present, which was plenty. Because it had been immediately stored in pocket space after it was killed, it was still twitching around—a good sign that it was fresh.
“I finally got the octopus I always wanted!”
“Yeah, you should be grateful,” Ewan said. “I made sure to notify the men that you wanted the kraken.”
“But it’s not like you caught it, Ewan. Don’t act all smug.”
“I was fighting out there too, you know.”
At the time, Ewan was battling Yadacain’s ships and commanding the soldiers to capture the kraken, so he’d had his hands full. Ruri was grateful that he’d remembered amidst that huge commotion.
“Well, thank you. Okay, time to kick this takoyaki party off with some kraken!” Ruri shouted.
Just one of the kraken’s legs was more than enough to fill the bellies of everyone in attendance. The rest of its legs and body would be used to make takoyaki at the hot spring facility. The massive kraken that the soldiers had reaped from the last battle would stave off Ruri’s octopus woes for a good while.
It was surprisingly difficult to flip takoyaki. Even if a well-trained cook could handle it, it was still a challenging feat for a beginner. To help with the flipping, Ruri had brought in the slum children who handled the takoyaki equipment at the hot spring facilities. With their pristine clothes and tidy appearances, none of them looked like they came from the slums. They looked uncomfortable among the glitz and glamour of the castle, but it would be a good experience for them nonetheless.
The takoyaki was generally well received, and Ruri was very happy to see everyone enjoying their meal. She wanted to feed some to Jade as well, but the man of the hour was nowhere to be found. She searched the hall, only to find him standing alone on the terrace, holding a glass of wine and lost in thought.
“Jade-sama?”
“Oh, it’s you, Ruri.”
“What are you doing out here all alone? Shouldn’t you be with everyone else?”
“It should be fine. This party may be for me, but it’s pretty much an excuse for all of them to drink.”
The partygoers were indeed showering themselves in booze, and the actual reason for the party had fallen by the wayside. The only things they were interested in were what alcohol was available and what food was accompanying it.
Jade held out his hand to Ruri, and Ruri took it. Then he tugged and reeled her over. It was an action so completely natural that Ruri simply submitted herself to it.
“I’ve been thinking...” Jade started. “What would I do if I wound up like Master Quartz? Human beings are weak. And if you were to die, would I wander around like Master Quartz in search of you?”
Realizing that Jade’s gloominess came from his pondering, Ruri looked up at him and said, “We won’t know that until the time comes. I plan to live a long life, so if you start worrying now, you’ll surely go bald.”
“Bald...?” Jade repeated, snapping out of his gloom.
“I doubt that will affect your suave, handsome looks, but I prefer you with a full head of hair, so try your best not to lose any follicles, okay?”
“...I’ll make an effort, yes.”
“Still, the time will come when we’ll part ways. It’s inevitable. And being a human, I’m sure I’ll pass much sooner than you. But don’t worry! We’ll have plenty of kids, and they’ll have grandkids, so I won’t be leaving you all alone.” Ruri hugged Jade tightly. “Let’s make a whole bunch of memories, so we can part ways with a smile when the time does come!”
Ruri smiled, and it lit up Jade’s heart. His lips naturally returned a smile as he said, “Yes, you’re right. Let’s fill our hours with each other’s company.”
“Yes, let’s!”
Jade drew closer to Ruri and their lips met, almost as if they were exchanging vows.
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