Chương 31: Dream

Alex met Gryg and found that she was just as confused as he was about the sudden change of scenery.

"I invited you to my domain," the King said warmly, gesturing around them.

"It will not last long, only a couple of hours at best with my current strength. But I wanted you here because you are also part of his group. We will celebrate together as friends."

"F-Friends? Wait, who is this old man?!" Gryg asked in disbelief, her eyes widening as she took in the lively surroundings.

"He is the King," Alex replied calmly.

"Well, his soul. We are inside a special soul domain. This place manifests our souls alone. We appear in the shape of our living forms, which is why I am no longer a skeleton. At least for as long as I remain here."

"That is so strange. I have never heard of such magic," Gryg said, nodding as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Hey, old man, just what kind of magic is this?"

"It is something more than simple magic," the old king chuckled with a knowing smile.

"But that does not matter right now. Let us go feast!"

"Feast?!" Gryg gasped, her entire expression shifting instantly from confusion to excitement.

"Right, there is food in here! Yummy food, right? Yummy human food! I am so hungry right now! Wait, but is this not all an illusion?"

"It is an illusion, but it will feel completely real for as long as you are here," Alex explained. He was already familiar with how this entire domain worked and its incredible rules.

"We might not get an opportunity like this again. I say we enjoy what we can while it lasts." Gryg looked at Alex for a long moment. She found it bizarre how he spoke to her as a human now. His voice carried genuine emotion in this form instead of the usual cold, mechanical tone of a skeleton.

"Hmm… is that so? You seem kind of different now, are you not?" Alex raised an eyebrow as he looked back at her.

"Whatever do you mean by that?" Gryg grinned widely, revealing her sharp white teeth.

"Heheh. You act all tough and emotionless most of the time, but you look really happy right now. Did you win against that stubborn idiot and recruit him?" She placed her large, muscular arm around Alex's comparatively small shoulders. Her towering troll physique made the gesture both friendly and slightly overwhelming.

"Something like that," Alex sighed.

"We did fight. We almost killed each other, but at the last moment we stopped and talked instead."

"A talk, huh?" Gryg wondered aloud.

"Well, I bet I did most of the work anyway, right? My spell was devastating! Did it hurt, old king?"

"It did," the king admitted with a slight wince.

"Young lady Gryg, you are truly a formidable warrior and magician."

"Yeah, you were incredible. Thank you for helping," Alex added with a sincere nod.

"Without you, I would not have been able to corner him to that extent." Gryg fell silent after hearing the unexpected compliments. Alex noticed her face quickly turning a deeper shade of red. She looked far more embarrassed than he had ever seen her before.

"Unngh! Why do you have to say such strange things, you damn pile of bones?!" she groaned, lightly hitting the top of Alex's head with her fist.

"Ah, did I say something wrong?" Alex asked, scratching his head. He realized there was hardly any lingering pain in this soul form.

"Are you seriously acting oblivious now?!" she hissed, crossing her powerful arms over her chest.

"I am not going to mate with you!"

"???" Alex stared at her in complete confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"I will go ahead! Where is the food?!" she said angrily, marching past Alex and asking the King for directions. She rushed away while still blushing furiously. Visible steam rose from her long, pointy ears, which had turned as red as ripe tomatoes.

"What is wrong with her?" Alex asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Mating? Why would she say that out of nowhere?" The king smiled knowingly.

"My friend, I see you are the type of man who has dedicated his entire life, soul, and dreams to growing stronger and protecting what is precious to him. While I respect such men greatly, they can sometimes be quite inept when it comes to emotions and relationships." This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"I am?" Alex looked even more confused than before.

"She thought you were trying to court her," the king explained gently.

"I do not know much about troll culture, but that lady clearly cares about you. Be careful how much you praise a woman like her. She has gone through a lot in her life. That is why she acts so tough and strong on the surface. At the same time, she has probably suffered from a severe lack of affection. Even a small compliment can make her react like this."

"Oh," Alex said as understanding finally dawned on him.

"So I should stop thanking her and praising her? I thought that was how relationships grew."

"They do, but it is more than just that," the king laughed softly.

"You are not doing anything bad. She simply cannot handle it well yet. My wife was the same type of woman. She was raised to be a warrior from a young age. She was stern and silent at times, but with me and our son she eventually opened up and became more honest with her heart."

"Is she here?" Alex asked carefully.

"..."

"I guess not."

"I would rather not bring living memories of her and my son here. It would only torment me with my loss," the king said with a heavy sigh.

"But regardless of the past, this is the present. You, I, and Gryg are friends now. Friendship is something precious that deserves to be celebrated." Alex nodded slowly.

"I guess you are not wrong. I might as well try and see what this strange soul domain can do for me."

"Hahaha! Not everything has to be an experiment," the king laughed heartily.

"Come! Gryg is already waiting for us and eating everything in sight!" King Eustace guided Alex through the cheerful crowd of spectral citizens and brought him to a large central table overflowing with food. The king sat down to feast and toast with his people. Throughout the city, everyone received free food, and every stall along the streets offered as much as anyone could want.

"You look so skinny! You need some muscle on those bones, hahaha!" Gryg laughed loudly, mocking him as she placed a steaming bowl of piping hot stew in front of him. The stew was a rich red color, filled with large potatoes, purple carrots, and generous chunks of tender meat.

"Eat! The food here is amazing! I do not care if it is only an illusion!" Alex stared at the stew for several long seconds. He never thought he would have the chance to eat real food again. He carefully picked up the wooden spoon, took a spoonful, and tasted it. The meat was tender and juicy, bursting with rich, savory flavors. The stew was perfectly seasoned, and the potatoes and carrots were sweet and soft. It was the greatest meal he had ever experienced in either life.

"Oooh? I see you love it, do you not? That is the famous stew of my kingdom!" the king laughed proudly.

"Bring in the ale! This young man has just arrived! Roasted wild boar! Grilled great shark! Fried rice! Bring it all!" The people celebrated joyfully and soon delivered a gigantic feast. Alex finished the stew quickly and moved on to the other delicacies, eating to his heart's content while savoring every flavor he had long forgotten he loved so much.

"Wow, you eat a lot!" Gryg laughed heartily.

"That is the spirit! Heh."

"It is delicious," Alex muttered, still shocked by the entire experience. He paused and glanced at Gryg, who was currently devouring an entire roasted rock bird leg the size of a cow.

"I apologize for the misunderstanding earlier. I did not intend to offend you, Gryg. I was speaking without thinking. I will not do that again and cause more misunderstandings."

"Eh?" Gryg tilted her head, then remembered the earlier conversation.

"Ah…"

"So I will not do it again," Alex continued seriously.

"I hope you can forgive me. We are in this together, and I would not want you to start hating me. It would be very inconvenient." Gryg dropped the massive leg onto the table and glared at him angrily again. Her white eyebrows furrowed while her face blushed even deeper.

"W-What are you saying?! You will not praise me again?!"

"No, I will not," Alex said plainly.

"That is not what…! You are such an idiot!" she shouted angrily.

"What? Then what do you want?" Alex asked, still confused.

"I…" Gryg groaned, visibly fighting against her own stubborn pride. Then she suddenly grabbed his shoulders and glared directly into his eyes, their faces nearly touching.

"I like you the way you are. Do not change!"

"..." Alex's eyes widened for a moment, completely taken aback by her sudden and forceful declaration.

"Really? Am I not awkward? Weird? Strange?"

"Yeah, you are! But… that is the stupid skeleton that saved me, right?" She suddenly grinned again, showing her sharp white teeth.

"If it was not for you, I would not be here enjoying such a good meal in such a nice place!"

"But it is—""Even if it is only an illusion, I am enjoying it as if it is real! So why does it matter if it will end one day? I like enjoying the present. What about you?!"

"The present…" Alex nodded slowly, a gentle smile forming on his face for the first time in a long while. The unexpected expression shocked Gryg even more.

"I see. Thank you, Gryg. I am truly lucky to have you by my side."

"E-Eh?!" Gryg turned as red as a ripe tomato once more. Steam burst from her nose and ears instantly.

"Y-You idiot! What are you saying?! I am not going to marry you and have children with you!"

"Eh? I never said—" She quickly shoved a large piece of soft bread into his mouth to silence him.

"Shut up and just eat with me! Let us enjoy this time together. Okay?" Alex was still confused by her reactions, but he nodded and swallowed the bread.

"Okay." Gryg smiled again and, without fully realizing it, patted his head gently with her large hand.

"Huh? Why are you…?"

"Gah?!" Gryg gasped, unable to believe what she had just done.

"I-I was just… I…! Do not stare at me like that!!!" In a sudden fit of embarrassment and fury, she slapped his face lightly.

"Uh…" It barely hurt at all, but it left Alex speechless once more. He watched as Gryg whispered words he could not understand while nervously fidgeting with her long white hair.

"Troll women are truly the most unpredictable lifeforms I have ever come across," he noted mentally with a quiet sense of amusement.