This Eroge Won't Make Me Fall!



Nights were getting more and more draining each day. Contrary to that though, Dawn just kept looking brighter and brighter.

"You're going out again?" She asked, kicking her feet on the bed while she wore just my shirt.

"Yup, I am meeting my cousins."

"Ah, the ones from the ducal house?" Dawn asked. "Are they planning to kill you?"

"Killing me won't be easy now. Did you know demons regenerate real easy?"

Dawn turned my when I said that. I pulled my shirt and showed her my back. "See, almost no scratch marks."

"I don't… scratch you that much…"

"Haha, wow, funny." Don't scratch me, hah. She was pretty much like a cat, she didn't scratch, she clawed. I shrugged and walked out the door. "Want me to bring something back?"

"Contraceptives, we're out."

"Right."

***

"Say, Eugy, what are you planning to do about the outer gods now?" Titania muttered. "We can't proactively bring them in and just wait, isn't it annoying?"

"It is, but you know, I've been thinking."

"Hm?"

"Aren't both I and Albert pretty much something from the 'outside' as well?"

Titania crossed her arms as we made our way to the Sachertorte faction again. Those guys were raking in cash with how many people were slowly growing fond of the multitude of stores around.

"Now that you mention it, it doesn't seem that far off. But it also doesn't sound right. You didn't physically come here, did you?"

"Exactly. I just have suspicions. Well, I don't think I am going to sit around and wait."

"Hm?"

"I had a thought recently, Titania." I pushed my arms out and continued striding forward. The cafe we were going to meet at was still a ways away. "Strength, not just to prove things to myself, but to protect."

"Protect what?"

"Myself, again. In a way it's not that different, but at the same time, it is slightly different."

"How so?" Titania seemed intrigued by my words, so I slowed down.

"Before, I only focused on my own strength. And that is still my goal, but there's no denying the fact that I can't do much on my own. Let's say I want to go fight in hell, and something happens here. Even if I can handle any threat, I can't be present everywhere all at once."

"Huh," she crossed her arms. "Didn't you also want strength to do whatever you wanted?"

"Right, but I also acknowledge I will have to face repercussions against it. Everyone has freedom, it just comes with repercussions. In that case, if the freedom that has repercussions truly freedom?"

"I think it is," Titania said. "There's repercussions for everything, that's the law of the universe. If you desire to be free then you should also be able to face those repercussions. But, where are you going with this?"

"Facing the repercussions." I repeated her words. "Let's say I can face them on my own, but my choices will also affect you, or Lethe, or pretty much everyone in this world, just like their actions affect me in some way. I used to not care about the others, but I do now."

"So you'll restrict your freedom?"

I crossed my fingers and stuck my tongue out.

"Exact opposite. I'll make everyone strong enough to face the repercussions that come with not just mine, but theirs and everyone else's choices."

Titania crossed her arms again.

"I wonder what you're planning to do."

"It's not that different than what you're guessing. Well, here we are."

We went cold as the cafe the meeting was set up at. I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Quite the odd customers filled the place, like two in hats and sunglasses and masks and full trench coats all of black, and a few couples as well.

I located a set of red and a pair of white hair at a table and walked over.

As they saw me approaching, one of the two white hairs stood up while the other… was adding ketchup to her coffee...

"Lord Eugene, you're here," Sophia greeted me first.

"Did I make you guys wait long?" I asked, my tone not reflecting a hint of question but command. Say yes and I would slap you.

"Not at all," Sophia said, patting the seat next to her. Once I sat down, the boy of the twins sat down as well.

The two twins looked up and were glaring at me, unfortunately, I couldn't tell at all what they looked like.

"Ah, um." Poor Sophia swept in the middle to ease out the conversation. "I guess, I'll introduce you again? Lord Eugene, these two are Lord Marcin and Lady Meryl Fonias. On top of being some of the top students of our grade, they are also counted amongst the twelve zodiacs. And of course, they're also from the ducal house of Fonias from our kingdom."

I wasn't going to bow or anything, so I simply nodded. When I did so, I heard a faint snicker from the weirdos I had seen before.

They were totally looking this way.

"And, um, Lord Marcin, Lady Meryl, this person is Lord Eugene Hall. He's the appointed Lord of Apollon, the current hub of culture of Schwarz. He is of Marquis Hall, but that title has to be pushed to the back since he's also a coronated lord, ah! And, he's also the Hero of the Atreus Empire."

Look at that, my status was actually much higher than that of the two kids. They were the one who should be bowing—

"It is an honor to meet you, lord of Apollon and the Hero of the Empire, Lord Eugene Hall."

"Pleasure."

The two actually did bow.

"It is crude, but please accept our greetings—"

I wasn't expecting this. I was about to ask them to stand up when a sound echoed from the back.

"Who did you call crude you bitches!?"

"How dare you two bully my brother!?"

The weirdos from the back swooped in as well.

"Eh? Vienna, Billy?"

The two didn't even hear what was going on as they wrapped their hands around my neck and pulled me back. I could have avoided this mess easily, but it looked fun for now.

"Leave my kid brother alone."

"Yeah, he's not yours to order around. You talk to us, Fonias."