Continuing where we left off....
Ritsuka's view....
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For a minute I thought I had heard wrong, that I was still a little sleepy and because of that I wasn't paying much attention.
Unfortunately that wasn't the case. Jade's words floated through my mind for a good minute. The silence between us wasn't helping my shock at all!
"I hope you have a good explanation for why you're offering this contract, Ms. Jade." I honestly tried my best to hold back my irritation, but I think Aventurine noticed judging by the quick laugh he held back at the right time.
Jade:It's understandable that you're shocked by this, but I can assure you that there's a reason why I'm making this offer.
I didn't notice any sign of nervousness or change in tone coming from her, but I got the slight impression that she was enjoying herself.
Jade:The project that little Jalena chose interested some of our investors who were interested in this planet. Of course, there weren't many. However, when your intervention came to light, let's say that a chain reaction occurred that almost interrupted the project that Diamond is currently working on.
While Jade is talking, I notice that Jalena is a little nervous and is refusing to look me in the eye.
Jade:The news that one of the Equilibrium Agents is involved in this project has taken over the IPC for a while. Obviously, this brought the attention of many eyes to what is happening on Jarilo-VI. In addition to many people being surprised that a simple Assistant Director of Herta was nothing more than an Equilibrium Emenator, it further increased the small popularity that this planet has gained.
Jade's words are starting to make me a little worried that this plan of mine ended up working out even more than I expected.
Fou: Fo..... (Special translation: Finally. Some kind of recognition. I like peace and quiet, but I also like a touch of chaos sometimes.)
"What are you trying to get at?" I say this wanting her to get to the main point of the conversation right away.
Jade:In short. Due to your involvement, several people are interested in Jarilo-VI, but they are afraid of going against the plans of a possible "God" who is you in this case. That is why I am here, to provide a solution to this 'problem' that ended up occurring.
Even though Jade says this, I still have some questions that need answers.
"So why are you suggesting a marriage contract between me and Topaz? Couldn't it be a simple agreement or contract between us? That would be more efficient." I can't help but feel that there is much more behind this contract than it seems.
Jade:Yes, a contract between us would help this situation, but I'm not the one responsible for this project, Jalena is. The true function of the marriage contract between you two is to demonstrate the partnership between your mutual interests for the future of this planet and so that investors don't get scared of you, since they will know about the union between you two. In other words, this is an alliance contract disguised as a marriage.
My concern begins to disappear when I begin to understand Jade's words.
Aventurine:In other words, you and Topaz don't need to take this 'marriage' seriously. But in my humble opinion, it would be very interesting if you ended up taking it seriously.
I only paid attention to the beginning of Aventurine's words; I completely ignored the rest.
Jade:It is recommended that you two have a wedding ceremony and party to give more credibility to the contract, but that is just my suggestion. However, I would love to attend your party; I'm sure it could be very interesting."
I stay silent as I listen to what Jade said, but I keep imagining what Jalena would look like wearing a wedding dress.
💭 It's best to keep this thought to myself. I don't want this to be a catalyst for more problems for me in the future.
"Did Topaz give her consent to this contract? And what might happen if I refuse this contract?" These are the last questions I had for this situation.
Jade:Before Jalena called you for this meeting, I had presented this contact to her and she signed the contract. Now about if you refuse my offer. Well, nothing will happen to you specifically, but I can't say the same to people who won't care about the protection you put on this planet.
Jade's words leave me silent for a moment.
I knew that even if Jarilo-VI was under the protection of the Space Station it wouldn't be enough, I also can't forget that I'm a member of the Nameless now, so I can't stay on Belobog twenty-four hours a day.
💭Besides, with Jalena's help, Belobog's situation can improve even more.
"Okay. I accept this marriage contract of yours, Lady Jade." With a sigh, I confirm it to Jade who lets out a light laugh afterwards.
Jade:Good choice, Mister Agent. The contract is with little Jalena. You just have to sign it and she'll handle the rest. Well, I have to go. I have other matters to attend to. Have a good future engagement for you two! Hehe~
With those last words, Jade ends the call, leaving only Aventurine on the line.
Aventurine:Congratulations to the couple. I always knew you two would become an item sooner or later. Ah! My dear friend, I hope I'm your Best Man at the ceremony.
"What do you want to talk about, Aventurine? I doubt you're here just because you missed Ritsuka." Jalena's words make me stare at her with an incredulous expression.
Aventurine:Hehehe. Okay, okay. I promise I won't take up your precious time. After all, what I have to talk to you about is business. I'm currently in Pier Point. There's a big deal that could affect the entire Department. And I only need two people for this job. What do you two think?
Aventurine's words leave me confused and I see that Jalena is also confused.
💭A project? And you want my help? Isn't this the exclusive business of the IPC? So why is he talking about these matters with me?
"Hmm, and what did the mighty Aventurine promise to start collaborating with others? Even more so, including Ritsuka in the middle of this. We made a partnership agreement, but that doesn't include him participating in other businesses." Jalena said, standing with her arms and legs crossed with a serious expression.
For a brief moment my eyes are drawn to her beautiful thighs, but Aventurine's next words pull me out of my trance right after.
Aventurine:The land of dreams, Penacony.
Aventurine's words make me feel a great sensation of chills that paralyzed me for a moment.
"What?" Jalena and I had the same answer.
Aventurine lets out a light laugh of satisfaction. Normally I would counterattack his provocation, but I'm in too much shock to care.
Aventurine: That's right. Now that's the kind of reaction I was expecting from you two. I'm glad to see you didn't disappoint me.
I can feel Aventurine's ego rising just by listening to him.
💭The land of dreams....
At that moment a certain conversation I had with a certain entity pops into my mind.
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Flashback
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Yog-Sothoth:Try not to enter the dream world too often, Ritsuka. After all, you never know if there is something waiting for you there.
Said Yog-Sothoth leaving me confused and curious what she is talking about.
Ritsuka:What are you trying to say?
Yog-Sothoth: Let's say that one of the most important Outer Gods is very eager to meet you in person, since after all you and her have the same affinity.
Ritsuka:Say the Outer Gods that you're trying to say.
I say this without having patience with the suspense she is putting in place. Yog-Sothoth pouts at me, but she answers.
Yog-Sothoth: Hmpf! You don't know how to have fun. Anyway. If you want to know the Outer God I'm referring to is Azathoth. The Blind Idiot God.
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End of flashback..
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"Ritsuka? Ritsuka, are you okay?" Jalena's voice brings me back to reality.
"I'm sorry. I got distracted. Anyway. Why are you including me in this project of yours, Aventurine?" I say this quickly, returning to the main topic, not letting a certain apprehensive feeling take over me.
Aventurine: I have my personal reasons, but the main reason is your connection with the member of the Family, the famous singer, Robin. Taking this into account, it is possible that you should receive an invitation to participate in the event that is coming to Penacony.
"So your reason for including him is just because of his relationship with Robin?" Jalena doesn't seem to believe Aventurine's words, which I also feel the same way.
Aventurine: Like I said. I have my personal reasons for including him in this, but of course you can refuse if you don't want to participate.
"Good. Then I refuse to participate in this. I don't have a good experience with dreams anyway." I say this immediately taking my finger off the line on this project.
Aventurine: Really? Even if you receive an invitation from your dear friend and favorite singer, Robin? Knowing you, my dear friend, I highly doubt it.
"I'll contact you later about this." With these words, Jalena ends the call with Aventurine and I do the same.
Now that the meeting has ended, there is a silent atmosphere between Jalena and I. To my surprise, I am not the one who decided to break the ice.
"So. You ended up accepting the marriage contract..." Jalena said, sweating a little awkwardly and shy about what to say.
"Yes. I admit I didn't expect to be in this situation. Life really is full of surprises." A weak laugh to disguise my own shyness.
💭 Compared to the relationship offers I received from the other female Servants, a marriage contract is something that is not on the list.
As I am remembering my relationships with my servants, I end up remembering the moments I had with Jalena.
"So.... We are now engaged... Hehe... That was definitely not in the plans I had in mind." I can hear the nervousness coming from Jalena.
"Well. It could be worse. Mrs. Jade could have made a deal that would cause conflict between the two of us. What. Are you against that?" I decided to joke around a little with Jalena to ease the conversation between the two of us.
"What? No! I prefer this deal than one that would cause problems! I'm just... I'm perplexed about the conclusion this project of mine has led to." Jalena lets out a sigh, implying that she has something bothering her.
"So what will become of us from today on? I meant our relationship." I decided to be direct and honest in the words I'm saying.
If there's one thing I've learned the hard way about relationships, it's that it's much better to be direct and honest with your intentions towards your partner, this avoids misunderstandings and a huge wave of drama.
This was a lesson I learned from the Heroic Spirits who are married and have their wives present, examples of such individuals are: Sigurd, Siegfried and Sakamoto Ryoma.
This lesson works especially for Sigurd and Siegfried who both have wives who are absolutely weak when dealing with their husbands' honest feelings.
💭 Although me being honest and direct with my feelings ended up having very... unexpected results... BB, Melt, Morgan, Kukulkan and Melusine are perfect examples of this. Orion really was right. The love of a woman full of passion is very heavy.
"What do you mean? Our relationship....." Jalena remained silent, waiting for an answer from me, but I just remained silent, letting her think more about my words. "Oh..." Her face turned red as she understood what I was saying.
"Are you really considering this?!" Jalena looked at me in surprise and I just got a little shy.
"No. The marriage part is a little too fast for both of us. I meant if you want it well.... You know." My shyness ends up showing since I'm not the type of person who initiates the relationship often.
Fou: Fou, Kyu! (Special Translation: Spare me with that lame excuse of "marriage is too fast". I didn't see you rejecting the marriage declarations of Kyohime, Tamamo, Nero, Morgan and that cheap copycat Fairy of Medb!)
(A/N: Fou is referring to Nasu's favorite Waifu who is Knocknarea/Medb.)
💭For some reason I feel offended....
Jalena's mouth dropped open after hearing what I just said until after a few seconds she responds.
" I can't believe my first boyfriend is an Emenator of Equilibrium." Jalena said this hugging Numby like a comfort pillow and to hide her red face.
"So I'm your first?" I'm honestly surprised to hear that and Jalena looks at me being a little bothered.
"Of course it is! How could I be in a relationship with someone of the type of work I do? I wasn't even planning on getting into a relationship with anyone until you showed up." Jalena's confession makes sense considering her job.
"Unfortunately, the two of us won't have much opportunity to spend time together. My work at IPC takes up a lot of my time and you're part of Nameless, these two circumstances already hinder our relationship." Jalena said this and I could hear a tone of disappointment coming from her.
"But I'm willing to not let that stop me. After all, I enjoy spending time with you." Jalena's honest smile leaves me enchanted for a brief moment until I remember an important detail.
💭 I can't forget about Bronya, Seele and BB... Will Jalena accept this?
Here's the tricky part that I was dreading coming. This is something I'll have to work out with Bronya and Seele, but I'll deal with it when the time comes.
"I'm glad to hear that, Jalena. But... There's one important detail that you need to know." I say this feeling a little awkward about how to approach this conversation.
💭 I would never have imagined that I would have to reveal to someone that I have a harem of women, but here I am doing exactly that! I'm sure Dr. Roman is proud.
"That you have a line of girls wanting you? I know that." Jalena said it so calmly that it caught me completely off guard.
"What? How do you know?" I look at Jelana, surprised to see that she guessed what I was going to say.
"The Madam Guardian and your companion, BB, are not very subtle in hiding their feelings. The moment you arrived at the Bronya's office, I immediately saw a change in her expression. In addition to the quick glances that Hacker made at you the moment you introduced her to me. We can't forget the rumors of your relationship with the singer, Robin. Have you forgotten your womanizer title, Ritsuka?" Jalena smiles, seeing me getting nervous, seeing that her words are right.
"Okay! In my defense, I had no intention of having a harem of women in the past, but after a few years I ended up accepting that I have a certain charm with the opposite sex. That was kind of my fault for having listened to the advice of an old friend of mine." A nervous smile appears on my face at Jalena's gaze, who seems to be very curious.
💭I'll never stop remembering the day I decided to listen to Emiya's love advice!
"I can't say I'm not surprised to hear that. Besides, you're not the only person who has a list of lovers. One of those people is a coworker of mine named Sugilite." Jalena reveals this, leaving me surprised and curious.
💭Really? I doubt it surpasses Dr. Roman's list of wives and lovers.
"Does one of your coworkers have a harem?" Jalena looks at me with a neutral expression and she starts talking about Sugilite.
"I don't know much about Sugilite's personal life, but I know that he is a very 'extravagant' person to the point that he can have more than four lovers on his hands. It's not uncommon for a high-class person to have a relationship with more than one person, but on some planets, a person having more than one partner is unusual." I didn't expect to receive this kind of information about the social life of this galaxy.
💭Huh.... Who would have thought that Polygamy is common in this place... Who knows if my planet will have that one day.
(A/N: The year that the events of F/GO took place is in 2015 where polygamy was not very famous, unlike the times we are in now.)
At that moment we hear a whistle sounding in my room, we soon discover that it is Jalena's cell phone that is beeping.
"Duty calls. I wanted to stay and enjoy the festival with you, but unfortunately that won't be possible. I should probably join Aventurine's Penacony project to make sure he doesn't overdo it. Speaking of Penacony, why did you turn white as a ghost when Aventurine mentioned the place?" I stay silent for a few seconds after hearing Jalena's curious question.
"I just have a bad feeling that I shouldn't go to Penacony." I say this feeling a chill in my body just imagining myself being in Penacony.
💭If Yog-Sothoth's words are true then I definitely shouldn't set foot in Penacony under any circumstances!
"Don't tell me an Agent of HooH is scared of Penacony?" Jalena gives me a teasing smile seeing my reaction and I just let out a sigh.
"Believe whatever you want. The fact is, I have no intention of participating in whatever plan Aventurine has for me. Anyway. Don't I have to sign a contract before you leave?" I quickly change the subject, not wanting to give Jalena any more opportunities to tease me.
"Okay, I'll let you have this round. Here. Just sign your name next to mine." Jalena said this, making a digital contract appear in front of me and I signed my name. "There, now from today onwards we are engaged! Hehe... It's still embarrassing to say that out loud." Jalena said this with an embarrassed laugh.
"When I have free time I have to call you and since you're a Nameless I want to hear stories about your adventures, I just don't want to end up hearing you getting into trouble because of a girl." Jalena's words were like arrows hitting my chest.
💭Hey! I take offense to that! Although it's true in a way...
"Blame my damn luck that I got from an old friend of mine. He also can't stay in a quiet place for long without getting involved with some woman." I say this remembering a certain day of training in a singularity that Emiya ended up attracting a group of Amazons.
"It seems that you and this friend of yours share something in common. Any chance he might show up?" Jalena's question makes me think for a moment.
"I highly doubt he would be able to be with me." I give my answer to Jalena.
💭If I don't use my Saint Quartz, it's basically impossible for Emiya to be summoned otherwise.
"Well, I have to go now. Good luck on your journey, Ritsuka." Jalena said this walking towards the bedroom door, but she stopped before leaving.
"Ah! Before I forget." Jalena said and she walked quickly towards me and before I could do anything, I felt her lips on mine.
Seconds later, Jalena ran out of my room leaving me alone in my room in surprise.
Fou: Fou. Fo... (Special translation: It's another one on the list of victims.)
I sat on my bed and let out a sigh, my mind registering what just happened.
"Fou.... I think I should summon Koyanskaya to be my secretary again." I muttered this out loud planning to use my Saint Quartz to bring her here.
However, I immediately received a kick in my face from Fou, who was clearly irritated.
Fou:Fou! Fou! Fou! Fou!!! (Special translation: You fool! Summoning that freak of a Beast disguised as a rabbit is a terrible idea!!! I will not allow myself to share space with that fraud of a Beast!)
"Okay! Okay! Fou! No need to use your claws!" I say this holding Fou who is still irritated.
💭 Wow, I know that Fou and Koyanskaya don't get along, but I didn't imagine it would be like this. Anyway, Jalena is now my girlfriend and I have to tell Bronya and Seele about it.
"I hate my luck." I let out a sigh of exhaustion knowing that I will have a future headache with Bronya and Seele.
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Next chapter: A date in Las Vegas.
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