Riku can clearly see the system grinning at him.
A bitter calculus played out in Riku's mind. Pride, a luxury he could ill afford, whispered defiance. But the cost of indulging it was stark: the spectral might of Igris, the lethal grace of Black March, the tangible security of his inventory – all would vanish, reducing his arduous journey to naught. Every drop of sweat, every hard-won victory, would be erased.
Conversely, the path to preservation was paved with a different kind of sacrifice. To safeguard his hard-earned power, he would have to… impure her. Her big sister. The one he valued above almost all else. The weight of that potential transgression pressed down on him, a crushing burden.
"System, you want to see me panicked right?" Riku thought.
"System," Riku thought, his gaze hardening with a flicker of defiance, "You relish this, don't you? You want to see me break."
With a dismissive flick of his wrist, he tossed the mundane handgun aside. His immediate concern lay elsewhere. His people. Their safety eclipsed the System's cruel game. A surge of adrenaline propelled him towards the location of their new village. He knocked the door with choreographic movements.
The door swung inward, revealing the worried face of Couronne. Relief washed over her features as she launched herself at him, her embrace tight and trembling.
"Rikuuuuu! Where were you? Do you know how scared I was? What would have happened to our village if you hadn't come?" Couronne started scolding him.
Couronne was afraid that Riku would never return. She repeatedly prayed that nothing had happened to Riku.
"Don't worry, I am fine." Riku said.
Stepping inside, the atmosphere of the village struck him like a physical blow. A heavy pall of despair hung in the air. The villagers sat huddled together, their faces etched with worry. Even the laughter of children was absent, replaced by quiet sobs. But as his presence registered, a collective gasp rippled through the room. Eyes, dull with apprehension moments before, now flickered with a fragile hope.
They rose as one, not out of obligation or fear, but from a deep wellspring of respect that Riku had unknowingly cultivated. Their silent acknowledgment was a testament to the trust he had earned.
"Riku, are you alright?" an old man asked, his voice raspy with concern.
"Yes, I'm unharmed," Riku affirmed, his gaze sweeping over their anxious faces. "And I have good news. The conflict that threatened our old village… it didn't happen. Our home is safe."
A wave of relief washed over the villagers. There was no need for further questions. Riku's word was their anchor, their unwavering truth. If he said their village was safe, then it was so. A murmur of renewed energy filled the air as they began to stir, the prospect of returning home igniting a spark of hope.
The rest of the expedition members didn't thought that any battle could happen around their village, but Riku's words were enough for everyone to believed it.
The other expedition members, who had dismissed the possibility of danger near their haven, accepted Riku's pronouncement without question. His authority was absolute.
All of this… they had to endure all this fear because of my command, Riku thought, a pang of guilt tightening his chest.
He stood for a moment, lost in thought, the weight of his responsibility settling upon him. But beneath the guilt, a resolve began to solidify. The lives of his people were paramount. There was no sacrifice he wouldn't consider for their well-being.
His decision became crystal clear. He couldn't afford to lose Igris's unwavering loyalty, Black March's lethal precision, or the boundless utility of his inventory. To forfeit all three for the sake of his pride was unthinkable, a betrayal of the very people he sought to protect. He had gambled their safety on his strength, and he wouldn't let that gamble be in vain.
Furthermore, he understood the System's insidious nature. To refuse this quest would only invite more such impossible choices in the future, each designed to chip away at his resolve. By confronting this challenge head-on, he might just deter the System from such cruel manipulations. for which he bet the lives of that many people. Which is why, he chose to do the mission.
He approached Couronne, his expression unreadable. "Couronne," he murmured, his voice low, "I need to speak with you… alone."
Couronne, her brow furrowed with a mixture of concern and curiosity, nodded and followed him. They walked in silence until they reached a secluded corner of the temporary settlement, a space shielded from prying eyes. The other villagers, their spirits lifted by the news of their safe return, were now bustling with preparations. Riku had quietly assigned tasks, and for the first time since his return, they had a moment of relative privacy. them were completely free.
"So, what did you want to talk to m—" Couronne began, but her words were abruptly cut short.
Riku closed the distance between them and kissed her.
The unexpectedness of the gesture sent a jolt of surprise through Couronne. Her eyes widened for a fleeting instant before fluttering closed as she instinctively returned the kiss. A warmth spread through her, a sensation both familiar and thrilling. She had always yearned to be more than just his elder sister, to be a true support for the enigmatic young man burdened by so much responsibility. The one who never showed desire for anything, that riku, now showed that he wanted something, it's impossible for her not to give him that.
But beneath the surprise and the burgeoning affection, another feeling stirred within her. A secret longing, a love she had perhaps harbored in the quiet corners of her heart, now found an unexpected outlet. If this was her chance to bridge the gap between them, to become more than just family, she wouldn't hesitate.
"Couronne?" Riku murmured, a note of surprise in his voice as she deepened the kiss.
She responded by pushing him gently backward until he leaned against a rough-hewn wall. Her hands moved to his face, her touch both tender and possessive. A blush crept up her neck as she fumbled with a strip of cloth she had been carrying, quickly blindfolding him. The act was born of a sudden shyness, a desire to shield her own vulnerability even as she embraced this unexpected intimacy.
Riku tried to say something but Couronne didn't let him.
"Don't say anything, I know what you want. Even my cold hearted little brother can't hide his manly desires. Right?"
"Maybe."
"I have to admit that you've got guts to kiss your elder sister out of nowhere. Hey Riku, were you that thirsty?"
She started undressing him.
"You smell so much Riku, you should've bathed first before doing this. How about we bath together?"
"Can't we do that later?"
"Oh, so my little brother can't wait to lose his virginity? Alright, As your big sister, I suppose it's my responsibility to… educate you. Though, I must confess, I haven't exactly done this before myself."
With a final tug, she divested him of his remaining garments. Then, with a swiftness that belied her earlier shyness, she shed her own clothes, her gaze never leaving the covered eyes of her younger brother.