After dinner, they took a bath.
Norm went first, and when Victor finished, they realized he had no change of clothes.
Nothing in Norm’s house would fit him.
His mom promised to stitch him something by morning. But right now, Victor had to wear the same pants and go shirtless.
Then they ran into another problem: the bed meant for Victor was too small, and they didn’t have an extra blanket.
Thankfully, they had a felt mat. It wasn’t ideal, but it was still better than sleeping on the floor.
Norm, of course, offered Victor his blanket, but it barely covered him.
In the end, Victor was forced to sleep on a mat, shirtless, with a blanket that was too small for him.
“I’m sorry for being poor.”
“It’s okay. Besides, letting me stay at your place is more than enough for me, and I even got to eat that delicious meal. I’m not so ungrateful that I’d ask for more. Also, Norm, please use your blanket. My body is much stronger than yours. You need it more than I do. If you get sick because of it, I’ll cry, like really loudly.”
It was a good threat, but Norm refused.
“No. I would be too guilty to even fall asleep. If I didn't sleep, then I'd definitely get sick.”
Victor sighed and scratched the back of his head.
“Fine. But since I’m not using the bed, can I sleep in your room?”
“Oh, yeah, sure.”
Entering Norm’s bedroom, Victor was shocked by what he saw.
“You… really like the color orange, huh?”
“Well, yeah. It is my favorite color.”
The wall, the floor, the table, the chair, and the wardrobe were completely orange. The bed, pillow, and blanket were the only things that were not orange; they were white. But that was because his dad told him that it was a bad idea to paint them with, well, paint.
“I’m starting to regret my decision.”
“Why?”
His bedroom definitely couldn’t compare to Victor’s room, but it was still much better than the spare room they never used.
“It’s just too much orange for my taste.”
“I guess not everyone could have good taste.”
It was disappointing that Victor didn’t like his color choice, but he guessed that no one was perfect, not even Victor.
Victor put the mat on the floor, and Norm immediately lay down on his bed. But five minutes later, Norm was no closer to falling asleep.
Giving up, Norm got up from his bed and lay down next to Victor.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing. It just feels wrong for me to sleep in a comfortable bed while you sleep like this.”
The mat wasn’t thick, and he could still feel the floor with his body. But he couldn’t possibly sleep in his bed, not when he now knew how uncomfortable Victor's sleeping situation was.
“I’m fine, Norm, really. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m used to sleeping in much worse conditions than this.”
“That’s not reassuring me, Vic.”
A few minutes passed with neither of them saying anything. Then Victor broke the silence with a quiet voice.
“Norm, are you planning to kill my parents?”
“Yes.”
Norm didn’t even consider hiding his plan from Victor. He trusted him. Besides, Norm couldn’t possibly hide something this important from him. Not to mention it concerned Victor more than anyone else.
“You figured out my parents turned into demons, huh?”
“Yeah.”
The room was dark, and Victor had his back to him, so Norm couldn’t see the expression on his face.
“Vic, how long have you known?”
“Not long. It was right after I got [Mental Immunity]. They probably put a mental block on us so we couldn't figure it out.”
The possibility didn’t even cross his mind. But when Norm thought about it, it made sense.
Victor was a genius. There was no way he wouldn’t figure it out on his own.
“Hey, can I ask a favor?”
Victor sat down, and Norm followed suit.
Norm was suspicious, and a bit worried.
He wouldn’t ask me to spare them or something ridiculous like that, right? Personal feelings aside, a demon had to die. No matter who they were.
“I’ll hear you out first.”
Victor bit his lip, looking away from Norm. But after a few seconds, he nodded.
“Could you... let me handle killing them myself? I want to beat both of them before I kill them. I know it’s selfish, but…”
Norm breathed a sigh of relief. He'd been really worried for a second there.
It could endanger a lot of people, but if it would make Victor feel better, Norm would take the chance.
“Okay, but under one condition.”
“What is it?”
It was hard to even say it, and Norm wished with every fiber of his being that he was wrong. But he had to ask. Victor was his friend; he couldn’t be ignorant about something like this.
“What did they do to you, Vic? This isn’t the first time you’ve been injured this badly, is it? A demon is created when someone reaches level 30 in a Yellow Class, and the only way to level up a Yellow Class is by causing suffering. Victor, I’m… sorry.”
“What do you have to be sorry for? There was nothing you could have done. You already tried your best; that’s more than enough for me.”
There weren’t any tears in Victor’s eyes. However, he looked really afraid, vulnerable.
“Sure, I'll tell you, but… will you hold my hands for me as I tell you everything?”
Victor’s whole body was shaking, and he looked down, avoiding Norm's eyes.
Even if Victor was more than twice Norm’s size, he felt small. He looked like a… child.
Norm held Victor’s hands, and the shaking gradually stopped.
After a second, Victor looked up and Norm finally saw the look in Victor's eyes.
What Norm saw in Victor's eyes finally made him truly understand what he'd known for a long time.
Trust.
Unwavering trust.
It didn’t feel like Victor believed Norm could do anything; it was more that Victor believed Norm would always be there for him.
I failed him. He always trusted me, but I failed him. How many times have you suffered without me realizing it?
Frustration, regret, anger, sadness—Norm pushed all of it aside. It wasn’t important. This was about Victor, not him.
When Victor told him everything, the urge to kill his parents was overwhelming. But Norm ignored it.
It was much more important to be by his friend’s side when he was crying.
Even after Victor finished crying, Norm wouldn’t go against his request, even if he didn't like it.
But it didn’t matter.
Victor’s feelings were more important than his own.
[Soulmate Level 43!]
Moving Norm into his bed and tucking him in with a blanket was one of the most nerve-wracking things Victor had ever done.
He didn’t want to wake Norm up, but thankfully, Norm was a heavy sleeper. He was also a heavy snorer, which really surprised him. Not only because Norm didn’t look like someone who snored, but also because Victor didn’t wake up a single time.
It was the best sleep Victor had ever had.
His bed, no, his old bed had several enhancements and Skills in it. Yet, he had never succeeded in sleeping peacefully.
Usually, he had to be really tired to be able to sleep, and it didn’t happen immediately, maybe thirty minutes to a few hours of just closing his eyes, hoping that sleep would take him.
Every time he slept, it usually lasted only one to two hours. While it took less time for him to get back to sleep, it still took quite a bit of time.
However, last night, without even realizing it, he had fallen asleep.
Not only that, but he didn’t wake up in the middle of the night like he was used to.
He felt safe.
Even though he was aware of how vulnerable he was, his mind didn’t care.
Norm was there, so he would be alright.
I know Norm is weak, but logic hardly matters when emotions are involved. I’ve got to be careful though. I can’t let my carelessness harm him.
The sun hadn’t come out yet, but he couldn’t fall asleep again.
[Better Rest] and [Durable Body] meant he only needed a few hours to be fully rested.
In the past, Victor had seen it as a blessing, but looking at Norm sleeping peacefully made him want to sleep for a bit longer.
He forgot how enjoyable sleep could be.
[Milk Saint Level 13!]
Ver woke up to a level up notification.
Did Norm do something?
Just as he was about to ask, he saw Norm talking to a shirtless man.
The stranger looked much bigger and taller than Norm was, and he was really handsome.
If someone said that this stranger was the most handsome person in the whole world, Ver would believe them.
I guess any make-up or plastic surgery couldn’t compare to a world where Skills and magic exist. But why is he naked and talking to Norm so casually in the morning? Is he Norm’s brother? But I never saw this guy. Maybe he just got back from somewhere? They didn’t look alike though.
(Norm, is this guy your big brother?)
“Ver! You’re awake!”
(Yeah, so who is he?)
“Oh, Victor? He’s not my brother, he’s my best friend.”
Best friend? But, how? This Victor guy looked so much older than Norm. Wait, this is a fantasy world, so maybe Victor isn’t a human, and they were both actually around the same age? That would explain his handsomeness.
(How old is Victor?)
“He’s just turned eighteen. Why did you ask?”
“Did you have to add the ‘just turned,’ Norm?”
Oh, it’s only a one-year difference. That supports my theory that Victor isn’t human.
(Is this ‘Victor’ a human?)
“Yes. He is fully human. Why did you ask?”
What?! How?! Is Norm just abnormal, or is it this Victor guy?
Ver floated closer to Norm’s face, and what he found was the face of someone around thirteen years old. Then he floated closer to Victor, and his face looked like someone who was eighteen.
Yeah, I think Norm is the weird one. I’m pretty sure the text told me Norm was a human when I woke up from my first slumber.
“Ver? What’s wrong? You’re creeping me out.”
(It’s nothing. You just looked so much younger than him that I thought you two were a different species.)
Norm’s mouth was wide open, and it stayed like that for a few seconds.
“Norm, buddy. Are you okay?”
Victor closed Norm’s mouth, and started shaking him around, but Norm didn’t react to it.
Is it something I said? I thought people liked it when someone else thought they were younger than their actual age, or maybe that only applied to women and men were the other way around? Humans are so confusing.
“Whatever. If I managed to grow facial hair, I would be the manliest person in the whole world.”
“Halflings can’t grow facial hair.”
“I’m mostly human, you jerk.”
Oh, that explained a lot.
(I didn’t know you were part halfling)
Norm stopped his futile effort to grapple Victor and looked at Ver, embarrassed.
“Yeah, sorry that it was only yesterday that I tried to get to know you better. I’ve been taking you for granted, Ver. I’m sorry.”
(Don’t worry about that. Half of the blame is also mine.)
An awkward silence filled the room. Ver didn’t know what to say; his social skills were basically nonexistent for obvious reasons. The only friends he'd had outside of his family were his online friends, so he'd never met a new friend like this.
“Soooo, is anyone going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Oh, sorry, Vic, I forgot you couldn’t hear Ver. It’s nothing, Ver just thought that I looked much younger than you.”
“Oh, the normal stuff then.”
“Normal stuff?! You!!”
Ver felt jealous when he watched Norm try to grapple Victor again.
He wasn’t jealous of their friendship—love was the last thing Ver lacked in his last life—he was jealous of how easy it was for them to touch each other. They weren’t exactly hugging—Norm had his arms around Victor’s neck—but it was close enough; the vibe was the same.
There were so many moments in Ver’s life when he wished he could hug his family, whether it was when they needed it or when he needed it.
But why is Victor naked? Maybe it’s normal for people to be naked first thing in the morning? I think Eris, my online friend once complained about how old people liked to go around with no shirt on. And by old people she meant her father and brothers. I don’t really get it, but that’s normal for me.
“Why did you want to be manly anyway? It’s not like you’ll get married or something.”
“Huh?! Victor, you—”
“Wait, wait. Did… you not know?”
“Know what?”
“How? You’ve been talking with your spirit, so I thought you already knew.”
“Just tell me, you jerk.”
Ver broke out of his musings when he heard something that interested him. He had already grilled Norm about what he knew about spirits and the contract, but Norm surprisingly knew next to nothing about any of it. All of Norm’s knowledge came from stories his mother told him, and most of it was just about how awesome spirits were. It was flattering, but it was ultimately useless.
“Someone who makes a contract with a spirit will have their sexual desire taken away. Have you really not noticed it?”
“I… don’t. But now that I think about it, since Ver made a contract with me, my thoughts never go in that direction.”
That’s… bad.
While Ver had never experienced it himself, he knew how important libido was for almost everyone. A lot of people might call it love, but Ver knew better.
There were all kinds of love, and libido was a necessary part of one of them. That love was romantic love.
Because of libido, someone could be a jerk and still be loved by many people.
Someone you didn’t know very well, who only showed you basic kindness, could suddenly become more important than your family and even friends that you’d known your whole life.
That concept was pretty bizarre to Ver, and while in the past he had wanted to have libido, that desire had completely disappeared once he learned more about the world.
It wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be, never feeling romantic love. Love has different forms, and romantic love was not its highest form.
That was what Ver believed, because there was no way his love for his family was lesser than that of someone who ignored when the person they loved was hurt. Sometimes, they even hurt the other person so the other would love them more.
I’m just trying to justify myself. What I did was terrible. That’s it.
(I’m sorry, Norm. I didn’t know your libido would be gone because of the contract)
“Huh? Oh, it’s fine. It wasn’t like I needed it or something. I don’t think there was anyone who I really wanted to marry anyway.”
Norm’s face was neutral, and he didn’t seem like he was lying, but that didn’t mean everything was alright.
(Even if you didn’t have someone in mind, you’d still want to have that kinda relationship, right?)
Ver was the last person to qualify to give someone a talk like this. He had never felt romantic love, so he would treat it as if it was platonic love.
If someone took away his desire to make friends when he didn’t have any, even though he’d technically lost nothing, it would feel terrible.
He didn’t want that.
Even if he was destined to never have a friend, he still didn’t want his desire to be taken away.
Because that was what made him, him.
Ver looked at Norm, who was thinking deeply, scratching his non-existent beard.
Good. Even if it made you hate me, you should think about what you’ve lost.
“Nah, I don’t think I mind it all that much. The only thing I really regret is not having my own kids. I think it would be a lot of fun taking care of a baby.”
Ver realized right then and there that he might be projecting.
Norm didn’t seem to be lying and he didn’t look bothered by it. His tone of voice and body language told Ver that Norm was relaxed. Like he really didn’t care what he just lost.
Baby, huh? I don’t think I could create that with my power right now, but I think it would be possible in the future.
(If it’s a kid you want, then I would do my best to give you one. Maybe when we reach level 90, we could create one. It would be far in the future, but I think we could do it.)
Norm smiled, and it was a genuine one too.
“I don’t think we need to reach level 90, Ver. I think level 60 would be more than enough if we focused on it.”
You can create a baby by reaching level 60? Wow, Skills are awesome.
Norm was nodding to himself, proud to finally be the one giving a lecture, even though he didn’t truly know if what he was saying was true.
“I could give you a baby if you want.”
“You’re a man. You can’t have a baby.”
Victor rolled his eyes, and gently pried Norm off of him.
Norm had been sitting on top of him the entire time, and Victor felt a little hurt being ignored.
“I could just marry someone, have a kid, get divorced, then give the baby to you. There, simple, right?”
Norm and Ver stared at Victor, speechless.
It definitely would work; Ver would give him that. But who in their right mind would even consider doing something that evil?
“I’m only joking, you ding dong! I could just go to a city and adopt a baby from an orphanage for you.”
Oh, well, why didn’t I think of that?
It was a simple solution to a simple problem.
It wasn’t like Ver didn’t know that you could adopt someone from an orphanage. The thought just didn’t cross his mind.
If his body could turn red from shame, he would definitely be as red as Norm was right now.