Episode 7: Responsibility (75%)
Preview: During a solo mission, Lumen screws up and is forced to marry a crazy girl named Aris. The life of a wandering holy man won’t suit her, so he gets a more local job… fishing and growing flowers? How are you going to get out of this one?
Lumen arrives in Copper Town and cures a girl named Aris, restoring her to her true age of 14. However, his memory wipe fails, and Aris boldly says that she’s pregnant! After some well-deserved ass-kicking, Aris’s father Drake comes up with a solution…
Drake: Hmm… I suppose there is a silver lining to all this.
Somehow, I didn’t feel relieved at all.
Lumen: Wait, what do you mean…?
Drake: Boy, you’re getting a safe job close to home. The wedding will be in one week, so you’d better get on it.
Lumen: Wha?
Aris: Do your best for us!
Lumen: Oh, man…
The next day, I took a job on a fisherman’s boat.
Don: Hey, new guy! Help with the net!
Lumen: Right, right.
I helped pull on a rope to bring the net in. By the end of the day, I had several blisters on my hands.
Lumen: Holy power, heal these wounds. Restore!
Don: Such a pansy. You sure you can handle this? Just two nets and you need a cleric.
Lumen: I can handle it myself.
Don: Hey, wait… your’e a cleric?
Lumen: I’m a Holy Warrior.
Don: Son, why are you wasting your powers on a boat, then?
Lumen: Long story.
Don: Not interested. ‘long as you’re here, how ’bout treating the rest of the men?
Lumen: Sure.
We spent the night at sea.
The next couple of days, we worked a lot smoother. The men worked more efficiently when they were completely healthy. We had a huge haul on board when we arrived at port the third day.
Cap’n: This is our best haul yet. I guess we were lucky with the fish this time, but we partly owe you, kid. You earned this.
Lumen: 120 G?
Capn’: Aye, not bad for a half week’s work, eh? Don’t get used to it though. I don’t hand out bonuses like this often.
Lumen: I… see…
It didn’t pay as much as demon hunting, but at least it was a safe, steady job.
Lumen: I’m back.
Drake: So you are.
Aris: I missed you! You were gone way too long!
Drake: How much you get?
Lumen: 120 G.
Darke: 40 gold a day, huh? Not bad.
Aris: Not worth it! You need to stay with me every day!
Lumen: You have a warped sense about how the world works, don’t you?
Aris: But it isn’t safe! What if you get caught in a storm and your ship gets torn apart by a sea demon?
Lumen: I can take care of sea demons, but either way, both scenarios are incredibly rare…
Aris: You’re getting a better job!
Meryl: I might have an idea…
And so I helped out at Meryl’s flower shop.
Lumen: Well, this certainly is easier, safer, and closer…
Meryl: Isn’t it?
Lumen: How much does it pay?
Meryl: Depends on how much we sell.
Lumen: On average…
Meryl: Oh, about 30G a day. We earn more or less depending on the season.
Lumen: Oh, the type of flower, right?
Meryl: That’s right.
Lumen: I heard we can fetch a small fortune for a bouquet of Emberose.
Meryl: True, but those are only found in the Alexandrite Forest. No one’s willing to risk their life over flowers.
Lumen: Hmm… maybe I could…
Meryl: I know you’re a Holy Warrior, but I don’t want you getting any foolish ideas.
Lumen: But if I can just get a barrellful, we’d be set for life!
Meryl: Just so you know, if you leave Copper Town, my husband will hunt you down for as long as you live.
Lumen: *sigh*
Meryl: Besides, Emberose doesn’t live past a week outside of that forest.
On my fifth day here, we started making preparations for my wedding.
Lumen: *sob* This so can’t be happening…
Aris: Stop complaining! So, do you have a ring for me?
Lumen: N-no…
Aris: Why not? I have one for you. And I can’t wait to place it on… What is this?
Lumen: What?
Aris: THIS RING!
Lumen: Oh that… Forgot I had that…
Aris: Don’t tell me you have… a wife?
Lumen: Wha? N-no, I… (wait… maybe this is my chance!) Yes, I do…
Aris: Ah…
Drake: Nice try!
Lumen: Where did you…
Drake: If you really were married you would have used that excuse long ago! That ring must be a runic.
Lumen: Tch.
Aris: I think you need a little reminder about why we’re getting married.
Lumen: (That I knocked you up to save your life?)
Aris: [whisper] I want you…
Lumen: Oh boy…
Sex scene omitted from the notebook
I woke up early and sat up on the bed. Tomorrow was going to be the wedding.
Lumen: *sigh* What the hell am I going to do? I can’t afford to stay here much longer. But I also can’t leave… Dammit, if only…
Aris: ohh… Hey, what’re you up so early for?
Lumen: (I have to get married to this bipolar chick?)
Aris: Well, as long as you’re up…
Aris removed all her clothing.
Lumen: Again? (Yay?)
Aris then threw her clothes at me.
Lumen: Huh?
Aris: You can wash my clothes.
Lumen: Wha?
Aris: It’s because of you that my body feels like crap, so you can do it and like it!
Lumen: Oh.
I walked off, lamenting my bad luck when I noticed something.
Lumen: This is… Ah! Ha ha!
I immediately ran downstairs and encountered Drake, holding up my lucky discovery.
Lumen: Ha ha ha!! Freedom is mine!
Drake: You have exactly 20 seconds to explain to me why I shouldn’t kick your ass for holding up a pair of my daughter’s panties with that triumphant look on your face.
I directed his attention to…
Drake: Is that… a blood stain?
Lumen: That’s right! Aris is on her period, she can’t be pregnant!
Drake: I see. But then why…?
Lumen: I can only assume that as soon as her body grew to her true age, she had her first period, but since she was frozen at a prepubescent age, she was never told about it, and mistook it for pregnancy symptoms!
Drake: But she would only make that mistake if you slept with her.
Lumen: W-well…
Drake: I suppose it couldn’t be helped though. Sorry for putting you through this.
Lumen: So… the wedding’s off, right?
Drake: No reason to hold it so soon. However… you’re a hard-working guy and you didn’t try to escape… You’re welcome to…
Lumen: Thanks, but no thanks.
Drake: I see. Just one thing though…
*PUNCH!*
Lumen: Oww….
Drake: You still deflowered my only child.
Lumen: S-sorry…
Drake: Sorry doesn’t cut it. Since you can’t take responsibility for your actions, I will have to punish you.
Lumen: Wh-what do you have in mind?
Lumen: Emberose? No problem.
Meryl: Then please get us exactly 120, and seeds as well!
Lumen: A… hundred?
Meryl: And twenty.
Aris: You may not be my husband, but I’ll accept flowers from you all the same.
Lumen: Yeah, yeah.
All: Bye!
Lumen: Bye. (And good riddance!)
I ran off to the distance toward my next destination. The flowers could wait… I’ll have to go through that damned forest eventually, but for now I had to tie up some loose ends.