Chapter 45
This is a fictional story by realTensai
"Oh, you are here."
Kris opened the door and welcomed them with a warm smile. His blue eyes jumped from Alvis to Dane to Sekki and then to their surroundings, yet his search was in vain.
"He didn't come with us."
"I see."
Kris lowered his gaze, unable to hide his disappointment. He had invited all the boys in their class, but Gilsymbato didn't even respond.
Alvis sighed.
He is way too good-hearted.
"We bought some snacks," Alvis said, holding up a bag of chips and sweets. "Let's have a good time."
Responding with a sincere smile, Kris let them in.
"Yo, Dane, Sekki, Alvis wassup!"
As soon as they entered, Tristan greeted them.
"Where is this bastard Gilsymbato?"
"Obviously not here. There was no way he would come."
"Told ya, Tris, give me my five unis now."
"Shit! Why did I even bet on something impossible?!"
"Because you are stupid."
They really bet on whether Gilsymbato comes or not.
Ness collected his money from Tristan, and Alvis could only chuckle seeing their interaction. In the last run, he didn't take part in this boys' night. It was on the same day Alvis had gotten the warning from the assassin. With his fear in control and his mind in constant paranoia, a boys' night was the last thing he wanted to attend.
However, this time, Alvis' mindset had changed. Even though the assassin had still sent him a warning today, Alvis wasn't the least concerned about them. He knew they wouldn't attack him, so worrying would be a waste of time. There was also something he wanted to achieve in this boys' gathering, which would be essential for his plan.
"Come on Alvis, quit standing there and sit down."
Thomas' words pulled Alvis out of his thoughts and he quickly settled on one bed.
"I think everyone is here now," Kris said, standing in the middle of the room.
"I can't see Wonder."
Alvis looked around and realized Sekki was right. Every guy in their class was there, Gilsymbato obviously not included, but Wonder was nowhere to be seen.
"Just leave this kid alone," Joel said, munching on chips. "He said he needs his sleep, else his body wouldn't be at maximum capacity, or some bullshit like that."
Yup, this is exactly what he would say.
Wonder was the same type as Gilsymbato, though a somewhat lighter version of him. One could at least communicate with Wonder.
"Everyone that wanted to come is here now," Kris continued. "Thank you all for accepting my invitation. Let's have a fun time!"
"YEAH!"
They all shouted, not caring about other hotel residents. With that, their boys' night began.
"Hey, who wants to get destroyed in War of Races?"
"Haha, we all know I will win. Stop talking shit and turn on the PX5."
"Sounds interesting. Count me in."
Dane, Thomas, and Lin seized the PX5, and other guys also entered their battle. Alvis' hands itched as he considered showing off his pro gamer skills.
I will show you the might of a retired shout-in!
"Yo, Alvis, there is something I need your advice on."
Alvis was just about to stand up and move to the PX5 when Karl reached out to him. He hadn't had much contact with Karl before, so he scratched his head, unable to figure out what he could want.
"What is it?"
Asking would be faster than pondering about it. Karl scratched his cheeks, smiling awkwardly, but with a deep breath in and out, his eyes were full of resolve.
"You see,… I need some love advice."
Alvis blinked several times, not sure if he had heard right. The gears in his mind spun, yet it took him a few more seconds to realize what had just happened. But before he could come to terms with it, someone interrupted his thoughts.
"Omg, Karl is in love!"
Joel's voice resounded throughout the entire room, making everyone, minus Dane and Thomas, who were playing an intense match of War of Races, turn their attention to Karl.
"Joel, you son of a bitch! Why are you eavesdropping?"
Karl grabbed the dog man at his collar, rage building up within him.
"Calm down, calm down," Joel said, holding his hands up. "If everyone knows, everyone can help you."
"We can't change it now, anyway," Alvis added to calm him down.
With a sigh, Karl let go of Joel. Alvis' eyes widened for a second, not having thought Karl would regain his cool this fast, but he wouldn't complain. And even if Joel's action was a dirty one, Alvis was somehow grateful for it.
This way, I don't have to deal with his love problems on my own.
"Karl, is he for real?"
Loid asked the question everyone in the room wanted to know.
"There is no point in hiding it," Karl said with a smile. "It's true."
"Wow, omg, who is it?"
"Wait, wait, let me guess. Is it Erema?"
"No, it's Stella."
"I knew it! I saw the way you were looking at her."
"What really."
Alvis was at a loss for words, and an unpleasant feeling crept up his spine. He hadn't cared enough for his classmates to know what was going on in their lives or for whom they might have feelings. He had kept his interactions with them at the bare minimum.
"Why are you asking me out of all the people for love advice?"
It was something Alvis couldn't explain. It wasn't as if they were friends or something, so why approach him?
However, Karl and all the other guys just looked at him as if he was stupid.
"Bro, you are dating Lia. Of course, I would ask you."
Alvis tilted his head before the dots in his mind connected. And as soon as they did, he burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha, how could I forget? My mistake, I understand now."
"Hey, is this guy joking? I guess I have to punch some sense into him!" Joel said, furious.
"Don't be salty just because he did something you couldn't even dream of."
"FUHAHAHA!"
"So, what is your plan, Karl?"
Alvis, now ready to help him, steered the conversation in the right direction. The other boys gathered in a circle as if they had a roundtable meeting.
"To be honest, I don't really have one. All I know is that I want to confess to her."
"Just invite her on a date to go to the festival together. I heard festivals and fireworks work best for confessions," Loid said.
He just gave me the perfect assist!
"I would advise against that," Alvis said, seizing this opportunity to spread the rumors. "Did you already forget what they said in the city? The Devil Cult will attack on that day."
This was the main reason he came to the boys' night. To warn them about the Devil Cult so that they might be wary.
"That's obviously just a prank, isn't it?"
"It would be a pretty bad one," Tristan said, his voice filled with hatred.
Catching on to this hint, Alvis continued.
"What? It sounds like you know something about this Devil Cult, Tristan."
His face turned grim, and he clenched his fist, his anger seeping out.
"Yeah, everyone who comes from the Demon Continent knows about them," he said, his eyes filled with emotion that couldn't be simply described as hatred. "They are the root of all evil."
"What more do you know?"
"They go around city to city spreading their insane beliefs and killing people who fight back. I was just lucky my family left the Demon Continent before it was too late for us. But not everyone was as lucky as us…"
Tristan stopped talking, regret consuming his mind. It took Alvis one glance to realize he wouldn't spit out more useful information. However, he also didn't want to reactivate his trauma, so he let him be. But just as he thought that Tristan gave him one last crucial piece.
"I know Nero and her family fled from a city overtaken by the Devil Cult. If someone knows about the horror of the Devil Cult, it's her."
Thank you, Tristan!
Adrenaline rushed through Alvis' body the moment he got this new piece of information. What he lacked the most was information about the Devil Cult. It was the missing puzzle piece necessary to fight against them. He never thought he would get a hint as to where to obtain this information on this boys' night.
Alvis suppressed the smile that was about to form on his face.
So all I gotta do is talk to Nero!
"Ehm," Kris said with a sincere smile. "Let's not talk about this Devil Cult any longer. We don't know if their threat is legit or not, but even if the police are already on standby. We will be safe."
"Yes, let's return to Karl's problem," Alvis said, attempting to raise the mood.
And it worked. The boys got all eager and excited, ready to help their boy out.
"Even if it's not the festival, there are still enough opportunities to tell her your feelings."
"Loid is right. I think you will have the best chances when we are at the Riagra Falls or when we are in the mana beast park."
"What makes you think that, Alvis?"
"We will make a boat tour when we are at the Riagra Falls. You can choose with whom you want to get on a boat. If you ask her to get on a boat with you and just you two, then you can confess to her with the most beautiful waterfalls as the scenery."
"As expected from you, Alvis. When it comes to girls, you are a pro," Ness said.
The other boys nodded, boosting Alvis' ego a bit too much.
"Wait, wait, wait. What if she rejects me? The rest of the boat tour would be traumatizing!"
I didn't consider that.
"About that," Victor said, speaking up for the first time tonight. "You don't have to worry."
Everyone held their breath, understanding what that meant. If Victor, the goblin who knew everything, said that, then it was a fact. So in other words…
"Wait, does Stella like me?!"
"If you want to know, pay."
A coldhearted businessman.
"You know damn well I can't afford your prices!"
Victor just shrugged his shoulders.
"Karl, you don't get the full picture. You should thank Victor. He just gave you the green light."
"Kris is right. Now everything depends on your courage," Alvis said, giving him the last words. However, there was something that bothered him. "Victor, why are you still wearing your sunglasses?"
They were behind closed doors having a party, yet Victor still wore his sunglasses. Alvis could understand that he wore them in the school as his image, but why also in his room? However, the most unsettling thing about it was that no one else seemed to find it odd.
"Don't worry about it."
This was Victor's answer. Nothing more, nothing less.
Guess I am the weird one.