Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
-Story Start-
A thunderous impact echoed throughout the relatively empty Dining Hall.
Startling the dozen staff working on post-lunch clean up and maintenance.
Holding their brooms and dirty plates, they turned their eyes toward the source of the sound.
A cloud of dust and debris formed at the edge of the room, and a cold breeze swept through the otherwise warm hall.
A tense moment later, the dust cleared, revealing a figure standing beside a glaring man-sized hole in the wall, connecting the building to the freezing dark outside.
The warm, cozy atmosphere of the hall was sharply contrasted by the cold wind and the looming figure beside the gaping hole, and it didn't take much thought for the gossip-prone staff to identify the perpetrator.
A white-haired, shaded figure stood, his clear frown of annoyance matched by the wide-eyed shock and hushed whispers of the staff.
One brave staff member approached, his steps echoing in the silence as he cautiously moved toward the annoyed, contemplative, and uncouth vandalist.
Standing before the tall shaded figure, his voice trembled as he inquired, "I-Is there anything you need? Lord Gojo?" He couldn't help but wonder why such a powerful figure would cause such damage just to get their attention.
Of course, it couldn't be anyone but Satoru.
Satoru sighed, a mixture of irritation and resignation crossing his features as he reached for his pocket to take out a small leather wallet.
The staff member before Satoru, as well as his more astute colleagues who stood a "safe" distance away, gazed in pure puzzlement at the actions of the rumored "Anomaly".
Out of the wallet, two Asuran Silver Coins were swiftly withdrawn, as Satoru stated with the most deadpan of tones, "Open your hand."
The staff member blinked but nodded sheepishly at the man's request.
With a soft impact, the coins hit his hand.
The staff member looked at the coins, then at Satoru, confusion evident on his face.
Nonetheless, Satoru answered both his and his colleague's unspoken inquiries.
Pointing at the coins, he stated matter of factly, "One coin should cover the wall."
"The second one should cover the hush money." He nodded dumbly.
"Okay~?" Satoru smiled warmly, tilting his head innocently.
"Y-Yes, sir." The staff member nodded, sweat dotting his forehead.
Clapping his hands cheerfully, Satoru exclaimed, "That's settled~!"
Much to the exasperation of the other staff members, who designed the matter over with and decided to continue their duty.
...This will definitely be a topic of gossip, despite Satoru's hush money jig.
"Now, for what I came here for... Say, you got any snacks left?" Satoru inquired, a hint of mischief dancing in his eyes as the staff member pocketed the coins, planning to hand them over to Georg later.
Nodding, the staff member pointed a thumb at the kitchen, his confidence returning at Satoru's nonthreatening demeanor. "You should go ask the kitchen staff. I'm sure there are some desserts or fruits left over. They should be starting on dinner prep, so they can fix you up with something regardless."
At the hint of something sweet, Satoru marched towards the kitchen, thanking the staff member with a wave of his hand, "You know my language! I'll be sure to relay to Baldy your good service! Thanks!"
Swiftly, Satoru's figure disappeared into the kitchen, causing a slight uproar at his sudden unwarranted, albeit less impactful appearance there.
The staff member couldn't help but mumble in exasperation, "...You don't even know my name."
Truly unfortunate, he could've gotten promoted from Satoru's words... NOT!
--------------------------
The night greeted the magic city of Sharia, coldly, as it always had.
In the otherwise relatively empty halls of the Magic University.
Lectures were mostly over, thus, students were busy doing one of the following:
(1) Frolicking along the Campus as they awaited dinner.
(2) Going back to the Dorms/City.
(3) Continued Research privately or even extracurricular activities such as clubs.
Of course, there was the 4th option:
"It is incredibly frustrating... You must have managed to break a record regarding the amount of property damage one student can cause in a single day. In fact, on your first day of enrollment," Georg pinched his forehead in annoyance as his voice reverberated along the empty street leading to the Research Building.
"Aren't I just amazing~?" Satoru haughtily pointed at himself, as he held a sack of snacks in his hand.
Jinas offered patiently, "Instead of arguing, let's settle the matter of property damage. Lady Ariel informed us you offered to cover it. With that settled, besides a stern warning, there shouldn't be any need to hint at expulsion."
Lifting a finger, as his Six Eyes poked through his shades, "Half the damage. The Creepy Old Man takes care of the rest." He corrected nonchalantly.
""Creepy Old Man?"" Jinas and Georg repeated.
Rolling his eyes, Satoru corrected, "Rudeus."
Twirling his mustache, Georg commented, "An odd nickname for a young man even younger than you, Gojo, But I digress. I'll let bygone be bygones, half the damage is an Asuran Gold Coin."
Narrowing his eyes, Georg chastised, "Next time, if you want to let loose and duel. At the very least, do so in the Arena I've been constructing. It should be completed in a week, so be patient."
Flicking a gold coin at Georg, Satoru waved him off, "Yeah, yeah," he drawled, heading toward the Research Building.
Georg's distant voice echoed as he mentioned, "Gojo! Be sure to check the Dorm's mailbox! Letters intended for you are there."
Satoru hummed from afar, "Alright, thanks!" He waved goodbye.
--------------------------
Satoru's steps echoed through the staircase, each one a reminder of the confrontation awaiting him on the third floor of the research building.
He knew who and what awaited him there, nevertheless, it concerned him little.
Without pause, he slammed the door open.
Uncaring for any proper etiquette or otherwise.
Usually, such a sudden and forceful entrance would have prompted a shout from Nanahoshi, for scaring her and being impolite.
However, Satoru was greeted with silence.
Trepid and tense silence.
His eyes narrowed behind his shades as he focused on the familiar figure standing beside Nanahoshi, tension radiating from his posture.
Rudeus Greyrat stood resolutely, sweat trickling down his brow, while beside him, Nanahoshi Shizuka's frustration was palpable, her eyes darting nervously between the two men for the umpteenth time just this day.
Satoru's following action cut through the trepidation.
Standing at the door, he gently opened the bag of snacks.
Glaring at the contents, he mumbled in annoyance, "...He said there would be sweet snacks."
Regardless of his complaint, Satoru dove his hand into the bag, withdrawing a couple of Hazelnuts.
Taking a bite of them with a crunch, Satoru commented with a tilted head and a full mouth, "Shwo, did you come here for another behavioral correction or shomething? Becaushe I'm sure I didn't hit ya hard enough to cause brain damage or make you as dumb as Erish."
At that, Rudeus balled his hands to fists.
Nanahoshi wasn't having any of it, as she accused, "What took you so long to get back here? With what you're capable of, I didn't think getting snacks would be an issue." She mentioned with a hint of condescension.
Gulping, Satoru turned to Nanahoshi, and replied offended, "Oi! I was delayed by Georg! I'll have you know that he was praising me for breaking a record~!" He cheered dumbly.
"Somehow, I doubt that."
"It's true!"
Internally irritated at Satoru's blatant disrespect, Rudeus nevertheless kept his frustration veiled as he calmed himself with a huff, relaxing his tensed limbs.
Reminded of his purpose in coming here, he cut through the building banter and addressed Satoru, "Gojo-san, I have my answer. I know what you were trying to convey to me." Rudeus's voice was filled with raw determination.
Nanahoshi's and Satoru's heads turned to the eager Rudeus.
Satoru lifted an eyebrow, his gaze beyond the shades practically screaming, 'Well, let's hear it.'
Nodding, Rudeus declared, "I will be taking a couple of months-long extended leave from the Academy. I will be heading to the Holy Land Of Swords to speak with Eris. And tell her the truth." He emphasized.
An extremely heavy silence enveloped the research room, its weight fell on the shoulders of all.
Nanahoshi's eyes widened, and her mouth slacked at Rudeus's declaration, "Y-You're leaving?" She whispered.
Rudeus smiled sadly, "I didn't say I wasn't going to."
"You said you'll be reconciling with Gojo-san!" She repeated his prior words, her tone the epitome of bewildered.
This day, was officially the 2nd worst in Nanahoshi's life.
Only beaten by the day she arrived in this accursed world.
Satoru blinked, surprise mixing with suspicion, 'That was fast... Almost too fast...'
Slowly but surely, the puzzle pieces gravitated towards each other.
And thus...
The answer slowly revealed itself - The figure of Hitoga- NOT!
Satoru lowered his shades and gazed at his right fist in wonder.
As if it held the key to all the world's secrets and wonders.
'...I've got it.' He announced in his mind.
It was a moment later that he declared with a tone of pure wonder, "Suguru and Alistair were wrong all along... Mine is a Fist Of Miracles! I should beat people up more often... Pftt~"
Satoru's eccentric declaration was followed by equally unimpressed frowns from both Nanahoshi and Rudeus.
Nanahoshi hid her face in her hands, as she cried out, "This is no laughing matter... Gojo-san."
In a placating gesture, Rudeus reassuringly patted her shoulder, "I won't be leaving forever. It'll only be a couple of months and I'll be back."
She mumbled, her voice coming out conflicted, relieved on the one hand that he was still eager to help her out after Satoru's actions, yet saddened at his sudden departure, "D-Do you have to do this?"
Turning to Satoru who was gazing at his fist with an odd fascination, Rudeus's emerald gaze met Satoru's ocean blue, a silent challenge passing between them.
Nodding, Rudeus declared, "I have to do this." His eyes were unflinching in the face of the man who demolished him almost effortlessly.
'...Orsted's scarier.' Rudeus thought, comparing the incomprehensible one-sided fights of his life.
Taking out a couple more hazelnuts, Satoru munched on them as he pointed at Rudeus with a haughty look, his voice muffled due to his full mouth, "Nwow don't be getting awrogant on me, creepy old man! With age comesh wisdom, sho I'd have been dishappointed if it took ya longer than dish to figure out what ya should do." Satoru nodded to himself in satisfaction.
...
'I guess that's the closest I'll get to getting a compliment from this sadistic Ikemen bastard... Also, Tsundere much?' Rudeus sighed internally at Satoru's roundabout words.
Rudeus requested politely, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me a "Creepy Old Man". I've discarded that identity and life long ago."
Satoru gulped, his gaze turning from pleasantly surprised to disappointed in the blink of an eye, "Oh... So you didn't learn your lesson?"
Giving it a momentary thought as a chill went down Rudeus's spine, Satoru waved Rudeus off, "Well, I don't really care about your friends and family."
'I did what I could for Eris.' Satoru mentioned in his mind, as he decided that he was done with the Rudeus case. It'll be in his and his friend's hands from here.
More aptly put... Not Satoru's problem.
Catching onto Satoru's meaning once more, Rudeus shook his head, a reluctant yet resolute glint in his eye as he stated, "You misunderstand. I-I am planning on telling my family and close ones the truth about me... But it is also true that I've discarded that life, I am not that person anymore. Nor will I be him ever again." His voice trembled from self-loathing and rage.
Humming, Satoru replied, "Not bad... But request rejected! Creepy Old Man~!" He made an X with his arms, to emphasize his complete rejection of Rudeus's gentle plea.
...
Rudeus sighed in pure agony, "Bastard..."
Shaking his head and turning to the despairing Nanahoshi who was still fixated on his leaving for a couple of months, Rudeus offered, "Oh yeah! While I'm gone, isn't it a good opportunity to teach Gojo-san all about your research? Once I'm back he should be up to speed... Probably?"
Lifting her head from her hands, Nanahoshi silently mentioned, "...Optimistically, it'll take half a year as I'm working with a blank slate. I doubt his Jujutsu experience will help in that regard."
"It'll hardly take a month~" Satoru stated matter of factly, ignoring Nanahoshi's clear doubt.
On what basis did Satoru claim he could reach Nanahoshi's level of knowledge in regards to Summoning Magic and Magic Circles in an unrealistically short period of time?
The basis by which Satoru always operated on, of course!
Boundless Self Belief.
"Jujutsu?" Rudeus repeated.
Nanahoshi's mouth opened to explain, however, Satoru beat her to it, a faux apologetic and pitying tone in his voice, "I must humbly apologize~! But due to the secrecy of Jujutsu, I cannot, in good conscience, divulge its secrets to you!"
Rolling her eyes and thoroughly ignoring Satoru, Nanahoshi lowered her mask as she elaborated to Rudeus, "It's basically a secret society of people wielding supernatural powers back in Ja- HMGMHM?!"
She was cut off by Satoru's hand blocking her mouth, his eyes glittered with mischief, "Don't ruin my fun~ Shizuka-chan~!" He warned.
Huffing through her nose, Nanahoshi attempted to bite Satoru's hand, only to be met with the resonating sound of a crunch and the taste of Hazelnuts.
Unfortunately for the poor Japanese girl, her fellow Japanese was multiple steps ahead.
Seeing the interaction between the two fellow Japanese, Rudeus couldn't help but note, 'Considering they just met today... They're getting along pretty well.'
Nanahoshi looked much less emotionally dead than before, in fact, she was quite the opposite of her composed and strictly business self in the presence of Satoru.
'Though, he's the type of person to make anyone irrational.' Rudeus easily categorized the type of person Satoru was.
A tiny smile formed on Rudeus's face, 'I was worried about leaving her like this, but... I think she'll be fine.'
Closing his eyes, Rudeus shrugged, "You know what? I don't care about whatever that Jujutsu is. I don't want to know about Japan or any kind of convoluted truth about it. I'm not going back."
With a more positive tone, he addressed Nanahoshi, "Now, Nanahoshi-san. Anything I can help with to compensate? I'll be leaving for a while pretty soon."
Smartly, Rudeus decides to not ignorantly inquire and press the issue, discovering the groundbreaking reality about his former life.
...Not that it matters, as he mentioned.
Seeing Nanahoshi's contemplative and hesitant frown, Satoru complained, "Honestly, how greedy can you get? Can't you be happy that he's still willing to help you out?"
Turning to Rudeus, Satoru emphasized his exaggerated troubles, "It was real annoying too..."
He imitated Nanahoshi with a dramatic flair, "Now I can't do my experiments efficiently! Look what you did!"
Lifting a thumb at her, he kept eye contact with the confused and mildly interested figure of Rudeus, "Blah blah, whining and crying like that. Or if she was feeling elegant she'd sneakily throw a poorly veiled complaint at me, as if she hadn't just heard I grew up in a society comprised of haughty and weak old farts whose specialty is thinly veiled complaints and threat-"
This time, Nanahoshi blocked Satoru's mouth with her hand, her face red from either anger, embarrassment, or both.
"Eep!" Nanahoshi squeaked suddenly as she quickly retracted her hand from Satoru's mouth.
She glared bloody murder at his nonchalant expression, "Y-You licked my hand!" She rubbed her hand against his shirt to get rid of the Satoru Germs.
He shrugged, pointing at her in a teasing and lecturing tone, "Hypocrite. Besides, you lacked proper defenses, prepare better next time~! Blegh~!" He stuck his tongue out at her.
"A-Are you a child?!" She glared.
Without pause, Satoru replied evenly, "You're basically in your early twenties, and this guy goes without saying, so... Yeah~!" He eagerly agreed.
...
Nanahoshi's body shook, 'I-I'm losing my mind. This day has been the absolute worst...' She cried internally.
Taking a calming breath, she directed her gaze at the fascinated Rudeus, "What are you looking at?" She coldly uttered, attempting to mask her embarrassment upon noticing Rudeus's smug smirk.
"Oh, nothing..." Rudeus cheerily replied.
One particular man was not a big fan of Rudeus's smug grin.
He'd describe it... A tad creepy.
"SHIZUKA-CHANNNNNNNNNNNN! GET BACK! THE CREEPY OLD MAN HAS AWOKEN! HIS APPETITE FOR YOUNG FEMALE FLESH IS NOT TO BE TRIFLED WITH!" Suddenly, Satoru shot forward and stood protectively between Nanahoshi and Rudeus, his voice trembled with urgency and concern.
"...I'm leaving." Rudeus deadpanned and turned around, having had enough of the disrespect.
"Wait! There is something I need your help with!" Nanahoshi called out as she quickly bypassed the intricate Satoru defenses to reach out to Rudeus.
--------------------------
"Huh, so you had the 2nd strongest individual in the world as your bodyguard? No wonder you survived~!" Satoru mumbled in fascination as he watched Rudeus and Nanahoshi at work, as Rudeus explained his first meeting with Nanahoshi.
The Magic Circle Rudeus had powered failing upon contact with his mana, the sizzle and burnt part of the paper all too clear.
"This one's a dud as well..." Nanahoshi noted tiredly.
With a shiver, Rudeus comments, "It's not something I'd like to recall, since I died when we met. Only bringing me back to life at Nanahoshi's request."
Lifting an eyebrow, Satoru commented, convinced of his own version of the story, "The Dragon God sensed the creepy in you and decided to deliver justice?"
Rudeus deadpanned internally, 'Why is he surprised? Doesn't he know this thanks to Eris... He's probably doing it on purpose.'
He turned to Nanahoshi, "Can you set up a meeting with that guy? I'd like to offer my grandest of praises~!"
"Ah, I'd rather you don't?" Rudeus turned to Nanahoshi with a pleading expression.
'Orsted coming here is the last thing on my agenda...' He shivered at the traumatic figure.
Rolling her eyes as she lifted the burnt paper, Nanahoshi replied, directing a look at Satoru, "There's no need, knowing that man he'll come looking for you eventually."
Pointing at himself, Satoru grinned, "And why is that~?" He asked gleefully.
"I'm not too sure myself, I haven't figured him out with all the time we spent together. But what I am sure of is that he knows a lot, even things he shouldn't know. The most glaring flaw of his is his insatiable curiosity. Considering the oddity that you are, Gojo-san, he's certain to look for you eventually." She presented her argument.
'Hmm, that's exactly what Gal-sensei mentioned regarding the Dragon God... Eris is, after all, training to beat him.' Satoru noted.
Leaning back on his chair with his hands behind his ears, he replied, "Well~ I'll be looking forward to it~!"
Rudeus frowned, "There is nothing to look forward to by meeting that man, Gojo-san... Did you not hear me when I said he killed me without issue?"
Waving him off, Satoru replied, "I've heard three versions of how he killed you. Nothing impressive, I could do that too."
Rudeus simply glared weakly at Satoru at that likely factual statement.
Nanahoshi stepped towards the window, noting the night sky, as she sighed, "That'll be enough for today. Thank you, both of you."
A smug smirk, unfitting the situation formed on Satoru's face as he rose from his chair, bowing faux politely, "It was my pleasure."
Rudeus turned to him, snarking, "...You were only watching with those eyes of yours and commenting. You did nothing."
"Oho? I see someone's gotten comfortable enough with me to get snarky, is it? Creepy Old Man, know your place~!" He warned with a laugh.
Prompting Rudeus's glare, which he softened with a sigh, deciding to smartly surrender.
'He doesn't like me, clearly. There is some respect... My answer to his "Lesson" at least seemed to satisfy him.' Rudeus noted Satoru's demeanor and reactions regarding himself.
Sighing internally, Rudeus contemplated the impossible task that he had endeavored to complete, 'Hitogami-sama, how am I supposed to get on "Amiable Terms" with this asshole?'
Nanahoshi sighed as well, "Don't fight... Please?" She asked both of them, but it was primarily directed at Satoru.
Shrugging helplessly, Satoru walked leisurely to the door.
Sensing his lack of cooperation, Nanahoshi commented, "Quit being a child."
"Am not!" Satoru replied briskly.
Nanahoshi and Rudeus met eyes momentarily, their thoughts and emotional state aligned.
'Didn't he just agree that he was a child? ...I've had enough of this guy for today.' Was what echoed in their collective subconscious.
Shaking his head, Rudeus approached the door and stood beside Satoru, turning to Nanahoshi, "I'll visit during lunch as per usual, I'll tell you the day before I leave. I've got to prepare for the journey." He relayed.
With a reluctant agreement, Nanahoshi nodded and turned to Satoru, "You better prepare. When he's gone I'll be teaching you all I know. The lectures and lessons about Mana in general are useful, so be sure to go to them in the morning. But starting from lunch until the sun goes down... You'll be here, learning." She sternly commanded.
Satoru replied with a nod, a mix of humor and seriousness in his tone, "The schedule is a bit stingy and stuffy, like you... I'll agree to only a couple of hours a day instead of my entire day being constrained by your lesson. Don't worry~! I'm a quick learner~!"
Frowning, Nanahoshi questioned genuinely, "Can't you take this more seriously?"
Rolling his eyes, Satoru glared at her with impatience, "And you haven't been listening to me. Your issue is that you've been taking this TOO seriously. Let me spell it out for you clearly..."
Pointing at her, he asserted, "I've told you how important I am to Japan and Society there, right?"
She nodded.
He continued, "Someone like me, taking my time. While you, an unimportant high school girl are in a rush to get back to Japan. Trust me, society will do just fine with or without you."
Rudeus chimed in, "Gojo-san that's rude."
He thoroughly ignored the Greyrat.
Nanahoshi argued back, "All the more reason for YOU to rush. Instead of me, logically, you should be the one to be in a much greater hurry than me. You're simply being irresponsible, leaving your responsibilities on the shoulders of your equal."
He nodded, "That's right."
His sudden agreement left both Nanahoshi and Rudeus taken aback.
"Then why aren't you in a rush? If you agree?" She was bewildered once more, Satoru managing to make both her and Rudeus scratch their heads with his enigmatic behavior.
"I'm not lacking in self-awareness, Shizuka-chan. Do you remember how I called this situation when I met you earlier today?" He tilted his head, his tone serious.
Ignoring him calling her with such familiarity despite them not being that close, Nanahoshi thought about his words.
A moment later, it dawned upon her.
"A vacation?" She repeated with a tremble.
"A vacation...?" Rudeus was thoroughly confused as he stared at the looming figure of Satoru.
"That's right." Satoru nodded.
Then, it all came together for Nanahoshi.
Satoru's background, life story, and the reality of Jujutsu Society.
His importance.
His power.
His significance.
All those came together to form a simple, albeit obvious but all the more frustrating and bewildering conclusion:
"How... How can you be so selfish?" Nanahoshi growled.
Folding his arms in annoyance, Satoru replied sharply, "I am selfish, there's no denying that. But I am planning on returning and helping you out, so quit whining, complaining, and being a greedy pain in the ass." His tone carried a note of indifference.
...
She didn't understand, she just couldn't.
Yet, he also had a point.
She should be thankful she wasn't alone, albeit with a less-than-diligent partner in her endeavors of getting back home.
A tense silence overtook the room once more, and Nanahoshi sighed in pure agony, "Go, the both of you. I need to rest." She stated mechanically.
Rudeus nodded, "Rest well, Nanahoshi-san."
"Cya!" Satoru waved at her, as he opened the door with a creak.
Without further delay, Satoru and Rudeus left Nanahoshi in her contemplative lonesome.
The both of them strolled back to their rooms.
--------------------------
"...You've got to be kidding me," Rudeus mumbled out in clear dismay.
The source of the Greyrat's dismay was most evident.
Following his prompted leave of Nanahoshi, he headed to his room, walking side by side with Satoru in the direction of the men's dorms.
It was a rather pleasant and quiet stroll, with neither of them speaking to one another.
Much to Rudeus's relief, as he wasn't keen on replying to any of Satoru's biting comments or otherwise.
However, upon reaching the dorms, Rudeus couldn't help the sinking feeling of something going amiss.
Satoru hadn't split off from him even now when they strolled through the Dorm's halls.
They walked and walked and eventually...
They reached their rooms.
"Let's get along well~! Neighbor~!" Satoru's giddy smirk easily managed to despair Rudeus.
Who wasn't having any of it, "Yeah... Let's. Goodnight, Gojo-san."
"Sweet dreams~! Creepy Old Man~! Make sure they're adults in your dreams, okay~? Otherwise, I'll have to invade them to lecture you~!" He giggled at Rudeus as he opened his door.
"...That would be a nightmare." Rudeus drawled out mechanically as he closed the door and entered his suite.
Satoru snorted, as he shrugged and unlocked the door to his suite, entering it.
Slowly, the door closed behind him as he dropped Phantom Edge on the ground and went to sit on the edge of his bed.
Taking out a couple of letters from his pocket, he sighed.
Activating his internal filter of: "If they're trying to recruit me, ignore."
And sure enough, out of the five letters in his hands, four of them were recruitment attempts by those keenly aware that Satoru was heading to Sharia.
Ripping them apart, he glanced at the last letter, pleasantly surprised at the identity of the sender.
Alistair.
He read it:
"Satoru! It's been a while! I hope you've been well and managed to acclimate to the Academy properly... Or more fittingly put, that they have managed to acclimate to you by now."
Satoru snorted upon reading that part, "A little out of touch on the timing."
He continued reading the letter, "I've been doing fine right now, progress has been steady, but neither I nor Relna are reaching Sword King anytime soon. Speaking of Sword King, Eris is almost at that level, according to Master Gal and Ghislaine. You've missed a lot! She's even getting trained by a North Emperor! You've expressed interest in learning all Sword Styles, a shame you left so early."
Clicking his tongue, Satoru imagined Gal's gleeful grin, "Of course he had to arrive when I just left..."
Though, Satoru couldn't fault Gal for his actions.
It's funny, and Satoru would have certainly done the same in his place.
Then, the letter took a more somber and serious tone, "I hope Lady Ariel is not troubling you in terms of recruitment, but if she is I hope you cut her some slack. She is in a troubling and desperate state and among the disturbing nobles of Asura, she's the most tame and agreeable. I will warn you that she had contacted me in an attempt to get me to convince you to join her, I have made my stance and neutrality clear. If you wish to join her, that is up to your decision."
"I am aware you are intent on not getting involved in any political debacle. However, should you resolve yourself and decide to get involved in the struggles for the Throne in Asura... In my opinion, Lady Ariel is the most fitting candidate for Queen. It is the opposite stance of my House, however, so take note not to mention it to my older brother should you seek them out when you find yourself in Asura."
"I see..." Satoru mumbled nonchalantly.
His stance hadn't changed, and regardless of Alistair's alibi, he was not planning on getting involved in politics on his vacation.
Then, the note took a less heavy tone, "No offense, Satoru. But I sent most letters to Nina. Knowing you, I find it unlikely you're even reading this without her having told you to check your mail... On that note, I hope to hear from you soon, my friend, and I bid you a fine day."
Having read the letter, Satoru silently folded it and got up from his bed, approaching a desk in his suite.
Opening a drawer below it, he inserted the letter in its voluminous and empty space.
Cracking his neck, Satoru sat down and settled a piece of parchment on the desk, wielding the quill and ink with expertise, writing a response.
After a couple of minutes of writing about his adventures and the first day here, Satoru set the quill down and folded the written response, mumbling, "I'll have to hand this to the Adventurer's Guild later."
In this world, correspondence is primarily by letter, and varies in method of arrival depending on budget and location:
(1) Adventurer's Guild.
Benefits:
-Cheap and readily available thanks to international coverage and hundreds of Guilds in each Continent.
-Straightforward and easy to contact and use.
Downsides:
-Long delivery and send-out time.
-Letters may be lost on the road depending on the destination.
-Lacking in security.
(2) Postal Companies/Private Deliverymen.
Benefits:
-Quick and accurate delivery.
-Immediate sendout.
-Delivery straight to the intended party in contrast to letters sent between Adventurer Guilds.
Downsides:
-Expensive.
-In the case of private deliverymen, one must risk being scammed in the case of them lacking any reputation.
The letter Satoru had received from Alistair was delivered via a Private Deliveryman.
Otherwise, he would have been informed by the Receptionist in Sharia's Adventurer's Guild upon his first visit.
Thus, it was with a satisfied nod, that Satoru headed straight to bed, deciding to rest for the rest of the day.
Skipping dinner because he had overeaten Hazelnuts.
...Of course, he did.
--------------------------
It was in the dead of the night.
In an otherwise quiet darkness that enveloped the whole of Sharia and the Northern Central Continent, a sharp sound echoed from a particular room.
These sounds are exaggeratingly loud, and most certainly unpleasant to hear for those in the vicinity.
One individual, was unfortunately in the close vicinity as if the sounds were being made on purpose to infuriate him.
His body was covered in sheets, and sprawled on his bed, as he stirred awake thanks to the unpleasant noise.
This man was none other than Satoru.
A clear deadpan formed on his expression as his eyelids shot open, allowing the ethereal glimmer of the Six Eyes to be the light in the otherwise dimly lit suite.
Lifting his upper body slowly, he glared bloody murder through his door.
Those unpleasant sounds, were, in fact...
Moans.
Exaggerated Moans, Satoru noted.
'And here I thought my opinion of the Creepy Old Man couldn't get any lower...' He grumbled in unadulterated disgust and irritation as he got up.
His loud, looming steps on the floor echoed his displeasure as he reached his door and almost broke it with how strongly he opened it.
Standing before the door of his... Busy Neighbor, Rudeus Greyrat.
Satoru's arm extended forward, his hand bending in preparation to launch a Blue at the crude pair.
For but a moment.
For just an instant.
Gojo Satoru had heavily contemplated straight up killing Rudeus Greyrat and the dumb elf he was cheating with.
However, instead, he sighed.
Deciding on a more... Elegant and civilized approach, one that would make Suguru and Alistair proud.
...And wouldn't make Eris chase him to avenge the creepy bastard.
Taking a note from gruff dwarf Bjorn whom he had met earlier in his travels, Satoru shouted as he banged loudly on the door, "OI! YOU CHEATING SCOUNDREL! GET YOUR ELF GIRL TO SHUT HER TRAP BEFORE I HAVE TO GET BLOODY INVOLVED! THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE THAT GOOD, CREEPY OLD MAN!" He couldn't help but add insult to injury.
Satoru's sudden shout had put an immediate pause to the exaggerated moans, and beyond the door, Rudeus and Sylphiette couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
Rudeus in particular, felt like he would need to explain this misunderstanding to Satoru later.
If it even was a misunderstanding.
Nodding in satisfaction at the immediate silence, Satoru turned back to his room, closing the door loudly to send the message.
Now... It is time for the Elegant and Civilized Approach!
Meaning...
Satoru grabbed the ink and quill and added a sentence to his letter intended for Alistair, "Make sure to tell Eris that her vile lover, Rudeus Greyrat, has been cheating on her."
With that settled, he tumbled back onto his bed.
Satisfied with the return of the tranquil quiet and delayed delivery of justice.
...Though he took note to make sure to amplify his snarks at Rudeus on the next day.
To Be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
Greeting my lovely people!
I hope this chapter was enjoyable and up to snuff in quality and stuff.
I have to admit that this chapter was particularly difficult for me to write, but I managed to pull through lmao.
To rate my satisfaction with this chapter would be a rough 7/10.
Also, the second scenario Satoru hadn't told to Nanahoshi wasn't yet explained.
And that's intentional (I haven't forgotten).
It'll be elaborated on around the ending of this arc probably.
Gonna stick that one somewhere lmao.
I'll try to post another chapter this week, as I'm finally done with the mostly Rudeus/Nanahoshi/Gojo centric stuff.
The pacing should start accelerating now lmao and the interesting stuff should come.
I've got a few plans for this arc, which should leave around 15-20ish chapters for it in my opinion.
The rough skeleton of the next two arcs has already been planned, so I'm working on filling that up with the meat so to speak XD.
Anywho.
As always, I hope my portrayal of the characters ESPECIALLY GOJO was accurate or seemingly accurate lol.
Obviously, don't shy away from dropping me some cold hard criticism, it only serves to make this better for me and all of you :P
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you later!
Bye!