It felt surreal to be back; though he earned his badge that signified him as an official world-class adventurer, he couldn't wait to go back home after what felt like years away from his family.
'I'll need to write a letter to Celly, too…It's been so long,' he thought.
Before any such travels back to his hometown could be taken, there was one thing he wanted to do most of all:
"I wanna sleep!" He announced, suddenly.
Weird looks were given from the others from the random proclamation made from the young man, though Everett and Melisande couldn't help but laugh, even drawing a quiet chuckle from the quiet, demi-human woman.
"Ya didn't have enough beauty rest already?" Everett asked.
"For your information, I did not get to sleep much while I was in the After…Actually, I spent most waking moments fighting," Emilio explained.
"Then you really should rest–you've earned it," Melisande told him with a smile.
"C'mon, Scarlet showed me where your room was," Everett gestured, getting up from the table.
Of course, there was quite the fancy room given to him during his temporary stay at the Guild Foundation–all of this special treatment came from his triumph against the Dread; even if it wasn't a victory earned alone, nobody denied that he was pivotal to its defeat.
Shown to his room, it was neighboring ones occupied by his companions as well; they gave him some time to himself to rest. The room seemed as large as his home back in Milligarde; the floors were of fine, oak wood and the verdant walls decorated with scenic paintings. Most of all, his sights were set on the bed.
He didn't waste a moment plopping into the queen-sized bed that was as soft as an angelic cloud, allowing his body to sink into it.
"...Oh, yeah…this is heaven," he muttered in total relaxation, sprawling his arms and legs out as he relinquished himself to the soft bed.
"Enjoying yourself, I see?"
–The sudden voice made him lean up, though not pulling himself from the comfortable hold of the bed as he found a recognizable set of platinum pigtails along with a pale-skinned, small, but confident girl sitting on the chair off to the side of the bed.
"Hextrice? How did you–wait, you can just summon yourself whenever you want?!" He questioned.
The bratty spirit huffed, "I can, yes."
"Then–"
Interrupting him, Hextrice said exactly what he was about to ask, "If you're about to ask why none of your spirits came out on their own to help you before, it's because you never opened the gateway for us until recently."
"Oh, I see…My bad," Emilio said, relaxing on the bed again, "Hmm, how about I make it up to you?"
"And how would you do that, I wonder?" Hextrice raised an eyebrow, keeping her arms folded over her chest.
There was a theory that he had about the bratty spirit, who always seemed ticked off and easy to irritate, though so far she seemed to always come through when he needed her:
'Hextrice is totally a "tsundere"--I bet past that thorny exterior, there is a sweet girl there!' He theorized.
"You can lay with me, if you want," he offered.
"...Hm," Hextrice seemed suspicious.
To his surprise, the offer was accepted as the seemingly high-strung spirit hoisted herself onto the bed, hardly being just shy of five feet tall, laying on the bed, though entirely on the opposite side from Emilio.
"In fact, it is beneficial for me to stay close to you," Hextrice randomly said.
"Yeah?"
"You're so clueless that you need protection at all times, I suppose," Hextrice said with a small huff.
There weren't any odd intentions from Emilio, as hard as it may be to believe from the once lecherous, young man, though he more so just grew to appreciate companionship.
"I'm finally free from it, huh…" He quietly remarked as he laid there.
"What is it you're talking about, I wonder?" Hextrice responded, leaning against the bed frame.
"The Primordials…I don't feel their presence anymore…It's…relieving," he clarified.
Hextrice stared at him, "Yes, you're right. The Primordials' reach is suppressed in the realm of the living, that's true."
The way that the platinum-haired girl spoke was as if she possessed an expanded wisdom herself, though she hardly looked it compared to her physical age, there was no doubt that the spirit was beyond the years she looked.
"Say, Hextrice…How come you're Soulbound to me, anyway? How's that work?" He asked, "Obviously I know how Soulbound Spirits work, it's just…I don't see how you're anchored to me."
"A silly question, I believe," Hextrice momentarily closed her eyes, "I can't say for certain why I or any of the others were born bound to you, that much is beyond my own scope of knowledge."
"I see," he said.
As he slipped his hands beneath his hand, he let out a relaxed breath as he allowed himself to completely let down his guard for the first time in a while, not worrying about the whims of Primordials or being attacked.
"Well, I'm going to call it a night…I've got a long ride ahead of me tomorrow–I can't wait to see everyone again…" He tiredly said, pulling the blankets over himself.
Hextrice glanced at him, "Yes, yes, get your sleep then, I suppose."
As he sank into the alluring holds of slumber, he found himself not attacked by the terror of Primordials or seized by malicious concepts, only fading into a peaceful sleep that was much earned, and much needed. Though the body he had in the After and the one that was inanimate for that time in Arcadius would seem "separate", upon his return, all of the exhaustion and damage done to him in the After "updated" in his true body.
That meant that he was worn out completely, allowing him to sleep like a peaceful baby, burying his head into the cushioned pillow, hugging onto it as for the first time in ages, he slept perfectly.
Hextrice watched as he indulged in such tranquil sleep, forming a gentle smile across her usual indignant expression before patting the blonde-and-black head of hair of Emilio.
'You've earned it, Master. I am glad you made it back to Arcadius,' Hextrice thought.
–
His eyelids slowly parted with the weight of exhaustion having left his body and the warmth of a well rested body flowing through his limbs. It seemed he had gotten his worth of sleep, considering a glance towards the window showed a change from night to day, though it was somewhat hard to tell through the colossal veil of colorful, pink-leaf trees that surrounded the Guild Foundation Headquarters.
"Aaah…" He sat up, yawning.
It wasn't until a few moments as he adjusted after a lengthy, beauty rest that he realized the platinum-haired spirit wasn't in bed with him.
'Guess she returned to the Astral Realm. Makes sense–I don't know if spirits can stay manifested for that long at a time,' he thought.
Though he was definitely hungry for a good breakfast and excited to both see his companions again and head out back to Milligarde, there was one order of business he needed to pursue: taking a bath.
He was so tired the previous night after returning from his long journey that he had neglected to bathe himself, prompting him to fling his clothes from his body and fill the bath with toasty water before slipping in.
"Ahh…that's the stuff," he let out in total relaxation, sitting in the bathtub as his body soaked in the clean water.
There was no sense of urgency hanging above his head like a constant threat over his way of life; he took his time in what he wanted to do now, simply sinking away into the warmth of the bath as he allowed all of the ickiness–both tangible and not–to wash away.
He kept his adventurer insignia on even when in the bath, playing with it and running his fingers along its solid shape, taking in every groove of its ruby shine.
'I have so many stories to tell everyone…What an adventure this was. It wasn't easy nor did it come without losses, but…I made it. So many people I've met…Reno, that crazy clown, the Verma tribe, everyone in Larundog, the clumsy knight of Vasmoria, Jeanne…This life is amazing–I'd trade it for nothing,' he thought.
After a fulfilling time of both refreshment and relaxation in the bath, he brought himself up before getting dressed again. He carefully slid his vest over his shirt before tossing his warm, green cloak around his shoulders, tying the strings in front of his neck as he looked in the mirror.
"Alright–today is a new day," he said with a smile, attaching his scabbard to his belt, "I'll be home soon, Father, Mother, Irene."
There was still some oddity to seeing his mechanical arm in the mirror, though by running his fingers along it, he remembered the elf who made it for him and walked by his side in death.
The source of this c𝓸ntent is fr𝒆e(w)𝒆bnovel