Section 5: What it Means to Be Beside You

Oh man, how are these rice balls so yummy? (Munch, munch, munch)

I know what you mean! The Daikokuten's rice balls have been one of the most popular foods in the cafeteria ever since they joined us.

Oh, here, Andromeda, have some tea. You too, of course, Master.

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Mmm, yum! The slight bitterness of this tea pairs perfectly with the sweetness in the rice! I love it!

Stop that, my lovely doves! Settle down and wait your turn! There is more than enough rice here for all of you!

Now that the river's current is stable again, why don't you take a break and replenish your energy too, Columbus?

Nah, I'm okay. I haven't fought at all, so I'm not so tired that I gotta recharge.

I'm just gonna keep an eye on the ship. There's no telling what we might run into next, after all.

So you just worry about keeping yourselves ready to go.

I see... Well, let me give you one of these, anyway.

One of the best parts about rice balls is that you can eat them with one hand while working on something else.

Well, in that case, I see no reason to refuse. Thanks for the grub.

Mmm, that's good.

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Oh, we also had some hard-boiled eggs in our supply kit. Would you like one to go with the rice ball?

Thanks, don't mind if I do.

... ...

All right, Da Vinci, just take it easy.

It's not like Columbus is Columbus just because he stands eggs on their ends.

It's fine if he just eats one normally.

Still...that being said...

Why are you so...NORMAL this time!?

Be honest. You're totally plotting something, aren't you!?

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Is that true!?

Hey now, that's no fair. I've just been doing my job as best I can, haven't I?

I just thought he was a responsible older guy who didn't like to talk much!

Well, we have had a number of incidents with him before. A very large number...

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Ha haaa. Nooow, where's my money...

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Hah hah haaa!

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Right? I knew you'd understand, Master.

I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm on your side here.

I mean it when I say I want to get rid of this river and do something about this Singularity.

So please don't suspect me when I haven't given you any reason to.

Nnn... I guess you're right. I'm sorry.

I wasn't seriously suspecting you, but I just couldn't ignore the part of me that was any longer.

I agree that you seem more relaxed than usual, partly thanks to your new outfit...

...but it may also have to do with this latest mission taking place on your boat.

Exactly. Steering a ship's my one job here. 'Course I'm gonna take it seriously.

I think I mentioned this before, but on a ship, there's no point worrying 'bout whether something's real or not.

'Cause it doesn't affect your destination.

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Whup, here comes another river!

Those rice balls really hit the spot! There's no way I'm gonna lose this next battle!

Are those...dragons?

Hmm. I get the feeling this river's gonna get a little violent again.

Hehe... Hehehehe...

It's Kriemhild!

Er, I mean, Chocolate Kriemhild!

Not gonna lie, that's a yummy-sounding name. That said...

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Wow. Even with your laughing, you're still putting out the gloomiest aura I've ever seen!

Did something bad happen to you or something?

Something bad? Oh yes. Absolutely.

Though it's not anything specific as much as it is my very existence. I'm practically made of bad happenings.

My entire being is made up of dark, pitch-black elements so dreadful that everyone fears and despises me.

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I still don't know what it is I'm doing here...

...but my gloominess is inescapable, so don't worry about that.

You don't know what it is you're doing here?

Well, aren't you going down this chocolate river because there's someone you want to see?

... ...

...Yes, there is. There is indeed.

The man I despise more than anything... Hagen!

Even now, I can see his loathsome face! I'm going to kill him! I'm going to kill him if it's the last thing I do!

He's the only person I want to see again in all of existence!

(Dazedly tilting head)

(Speechless)

(Taking imperial pity on her by looking the other way)

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My back? What about my back?

If you think I have even the slightest desire to see a certain dragon slayer whose back is his weak point, you couldn't be more wrong!

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Um, I'm not really sure what you're talking about, but...is that guy in those placards this Hagen person?

Is this one of those love-hate things? I guess that counts for the river's purposes...

Placards? What are you talking about?

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My guess is, those things behind her back are a part of her Choco Servant body.

She's probably not even aware of them.

I see. So they sort of popped out regardless of what she claims.

Even those banners or placards or whatever you call them are chocolate, huh.

Guess it's like your own hair then. You don't really know what it looks like unless you pay close attention to it.

Since the Choco Servants are beings made from the desire to see someone independently bonding with chocolate...

...then the form they unconsciously take probably reflects their true feelings...

I'm getting confused. Can someone give me the TLDR version?

Good grief. Very well then, listen up, girl. First of all, you need to know that Kriemhild there is a Berserker...

I-I see. So basically, she's really, REALLY bad at expressing her true feelings.

Are you done with your huddle-up yet? I'm getting tired of waiting.

Oh, right! Thanks for waiting for us so politely while I caught up on the situation!

Well, I am still a queen, after all.

While I do excel at trickery and deception, as a celebrity, I of course maintain a certain level of composure as well.

Hm? Hold on... You have the same scent about you as I do.

I-I don't know about the celebrity part, but I'm royalty, too! I'm Andromeda, princess of Aethiopia!

No, it's not the scent of royalty. (Sniff, sniff...)

I knew it. You have the scent of a woman who's suffered untold headaches at the hands of a heroic man!

Let me guess! You're married to a hero, aren't you!?

Well, yeah, I am...b-but I never had any headaches 'cause of him.

...(Staaare)

But you DO have something you wish to say to him, don't you?

And yes, I know this question has nothing to do with who may or may not be waiting at the end of this river!

Well...yeah, I guess I might.

But I promise you, I was very happy spending my life with him.

I really was.

So, it's not like I want to take him to task for the problems we had.

I just want to add even more to the happiness we shared.

I guess it's more like...a late present.

...Yeah. In this case, that present...

...would be the Valentine's Day chocolate I never got a chance to give him before.

I think that's the reason why I want to make my way down this river. Ehehe.

...Tch.

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Hehehe. Hehehehe. I see. So...you were happy.

You can say that unabashedly, without a hint of shame.

It seems you and I are very different kinds of brides...

... ...

I challenge you to a duel!

Huh!? But why!?

You ticked me off!

Welp, doesn't get more straightforward than that.

Whoa there. I know we've gotta fight now that our respective rivers are clashing...

...but there's no point in fighting a one-on-one duel.

Right now, you ladies and your rivers are one and the same.

You need to overwhelm your opponent's river to win, or they'll just keep coming back to life. And what kind of duel is that?

If you win, I'll let you have all the various dragon materials I secured ahead of time.

As you can see, my river's trait is "dragon."

So if you can beat me, and dump all my dragon trophies into your river, your river will easily beat mine, and then our duel can stand in for a river battle without issue.

I...guess that's true, but...

So we need to entrust our fate to the girl? That does not fill me with confidence.

It may be faster to simply hunt the nearby dragons.

I don't know. If Kriemhild has that many dragon materials...

...there's a good chance she already finished off most of the dragons around here.

You're serious about this, aren't you?

Of course I am.

You and I may be different, but we're also similar. I don't know how I know that, but I do.

You and I both began our stories as brides of heroes.

We may not be able to change that about ourselves, but we're still trying to become something more.

I embraced my natural gloom for the sake of my revenge.

What is it you're trying to become, and why?

If you truly were as happy as you say, then why do you want anything more?

...I want to become more for his sake.

Hehe. Ahahaha... I knew it.

Ugh. You're so bright it makes me sick. Just looking at you ticks me off and gives me a headache.

So I'm going to crush you head-on, for the sake of my pride!

...I'm sorry, everyone.

I know I'm not the most dependable fighter. I don't blame you for being nervous about my chances.

But, I promise...I'll find a way to win. Trust me, okay?

U-uh, I don't think that's quite right!

This has NOTHING to do with that! Understand!? Not! One! Thing!!!

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...I want to talk with her more.

I also feel like she and I have a lot in common.

We both spent our lives next to amazing heroes. We both knew them better than anyone else.

So I want to ask her what it was like. How she felt about it.

Hmph. I doubt you will get a straight answer. As a queen gone berserk, she only says what she wants to say.

I know. So I'm going to interact with her in another way.

I'm going to face her head-on, with everything I've got.

I think I'll learn something about her that way...even if it's only through fighting!

Understood. Good luck, Andromeda!

Thanks. Here goes nothing!

...I suppose you could say that.

You know what I meeean!?

He's simply terrible with words! And not just because he uses so few of them!

I totally get it!

Of course, whether he speaks up or not, he's so dense he never seems to know what's going on, anyway! How does someone even reach adulthood like that, let alone become a hero!?

I know! Sometimes, you'll be racking your brains trying to figure out what he's talking about, and it all turns out to be something stupidly simple!

Exactly! Grr, just thinking about it is pissing me off all over again!

But I still want to see him again!

Yeah, I do toI mean, don't be ridiculous! I only want to see Hagen so I can take my revenge! If I never see my husband's face again, it'll still be too soon!

Um, I can't help but wonder something.

That Choco Servant there is made up of feelings from the Kriemhild who's already at Chaldea, right?

And I'm pretty sure that Kriemhild sees Siegfried on a fairly regular basis now.

They've even gone on missions together, if I'm not mistaken.

Speaking as though I've already seen her true colors...

...you're wondering why she's choosing to go down this chocolate river now of all times, yeah?

Especially since she can now see him at Chaldea basically whenever she wants?

None of that matters here. That Choco Servant's basically the embodiment of her longing.

If anything, it goes to show how long she must've gone without being able to see him.

Oh my, Balmung just slipped out of my grasp!

Hey, watch it! You just grazed my beard!

I said, it slipped out of my grasp. Now shut up before I turn you into diced turnip.

I'm warning you, if you keep talking about things I don't want to hear, I'll be so distracted that my hands are likely to slip again, with fatal consequences. Got that?

Well, basically, I'd guess that, even though she sees him all the time now, she's still consumed by the desire to see him again?

...Right. I think I understand what you mean.

At any rate! There are some things I get about him, but some things are still a complete mystery!

That's why I... For so long, I...!

...I know. Some things, you just don't get. It was the same with me.

But...

...that's also why I want to understand him. Even if it's just a little bit more!

... ...

Is it over?

It would seem so. Though whether the outcome is favorable for us is another question.

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(Huff... Huff...)

It's not enough. There's still so much I'd like to talk about... But, it seems this will have to do for now.

Yeah.

You and I may be very different kinds of brides, but I know now that we are also sort of comrades in arms.

Next time, you'll have to tell me all the big complaints you have with your husband.

Big complaints, huh... Hmm, I guess I could come up with some if I think hard enough?

See? Of course you can. Every bride of a hero has her own hardships to bear.

So...we'll have to continue this another time.

Yeah, we will.

But let me warn you about one thing. I'm sure you'll find it helpful.

Stop sacrificing yourself.

Don't give up on what you want just to make him happy. Heroes are so dense that they'll never get it unless you spell it out for them.

...Yeah.

I know what you mean, though I think it's probably in a different sense than you do.

I see. Well, as long as you know.

There, I threw all of Queenie's dragon parts into the river! Here it comes!

All right, I'll let you have this one. Go on and see the person you want to see.

And make sure you hit him with everything you want to say!

You even have my permission to do so physically if you want.

Um, I don't think my statements will be quite as...forceful as yours...

...but I'll do my best to make you proud!

And once I see the man I love again, I'll be happy enough for both of us!

Wait. For the record, as I've been saying, I have ZERO desire to see him again!

Hmm, you don't get many nice, straightforward tsundere like her these days. It definitely suits her, though.

You did it, Andromeda! Congratulations on your victory!

Hehe. I'm kind of tuckered out now.

Hope you don't mind if I take a break... (Zzz...)

I am amazed a princess of royal birth could fall asleep so openly on a ship's deck in this manner.

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Good grief...

We didn't use much of our boulder stockpile on this river battle...

...so we can make some good progress with what we've got even while she sleeps.

And speaking as a sailor, my naval instincts tell me we're getting close to the end.

Another day or two oughta do it. Let's keep this momentum going!