On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

One Hundred And Nine

“So, why are we at a jewellery store, bro?” Aiko asked.

“I would have thought that would have been obvious?” I replied. “Anyway, shall we go in?” I asked the girls. Shaeula had little interest, but Eri was looking at the very expensive-looking store with sparkling eyes.

Upon entering the store a smartly-dressed man came over, to ask us what we were looking for. I answered that we were looking for rings, and at that point Eri let out a gasp. Aiko shot us both a wry look. “Moving a bit quick here big bro. You aren’t doing what I think you are doing are you?”

Ignoring the girls I asked the man where the engagement rings were. His gaze flickered over the three girls with me, no doubt wondering which one I was buying the ring for, but the way Eri was bright red and smiling hugely probably gave it away.

“I see-see. He is moving quickly indeed.” Shaeula smirked as we followed the clerk.

“Are you sure that’s smart, big bro? I mean, I don’t think you’ll dump Eri, but… you’ve only been going out a week. Still, you have known her forever, so… ugh, it’s just one shock after another this week. I know I said you were my sister now Eri, but I didn’t think he’d make it true. But hang on a minute…” she paused. “If you are seriously getting Eri an engagement ring, does that mean you are proposing? If so you are doing a really bad job. You are supposed to get the ring by yourself… uhh, this is more like the big bro moonstone I love and despair over. Sorry he’s blowing your once-in-a-lifetime proposal Eri! Shaeula and I will beat him soundly later!”

The clerk looked rather bemused as we had lapsed back into Japanese. We’d been speaking English for most of the trip other than when we were in our room, out of habit since the people around us were, but now she was excited it came out naturally. Apologising to him I turned to Aiko and Eri. “Yeah, you could be right. But I wanted to make sure that whatever ring I got for you would be the one you really wanted. Is that so wrong?”

“So…” Eri muttered, barely able to meet my eyes. “You… you are proposing? I’m not misunderstanding?”

“Well, not here, sis is right and it isn’t exactly romantic. But yes, I will be. I promised your parents I’d take responsibility if something happened, didn’t I?”

“Oh…” Eri’s face fell, and Shaeula looked away, scratching at one cheek in an attempt to look uninterested. My sis was livid though, suddenly booting me in the shin. She yelped, hopping on one foot as tears sprang from her eyes.

“You moron, big bro moonstone. And just what are you made of? I think I’ve broke my toes!” she let out a shrill growl of annoyance. “You don’t even get why we are so pissed off with you, do you? I can see it in your dumb grey eyes!”

“I don’t need a ring. Let’s just go…” Eri said, deflated, and I was very confused. I thought she’d be delighted to get an engagement ring. Okay so I didn’t think I was screwing up the proposal, but even so…

“Have mercy on the poor fool-fool.” Shaeula asked them. “Expecting master to understand the hearts of females is asking for the sun not to shine-shine.”

Wait, it’s that, isn’t it…? I’m not as insensitive as they think. “Look, please don’t be mad Eri. I’m not getting it just to take responsibility, okay? I did promise Uncle and Auntie, but even so, even more so… didn’t we share everything last night? It’s only obvious we should take the next step, right?”

Eri paused, turning back to me. “I don’t want you pitying me, or feeling like you have to because you promised. If you do that… one day… there’ll just be regret.”

“No, it isn’t that at all.” I assured her. “I did say to Uncle Mori that getting married would be way too soon, but I guess… you are more mature than I thought, and we… did that, and I do love you, and we’ll be together forever, and…” I was rambling, desperate and suddenly Eri burst out laughing, her good humour restored. Coming over she took my hand in hers.

“Oh Akio. You can be such a fool sometimes. How can you be so romantic and cool one moment, and … such a boy the next?” Looking up at me with her dark eyes she asked me again. “Are you proposing to me?”

Okay, I can get it right this time. “Yes, I am. Because I love you. But right now we are just getting the ring, I’ll do it properly later, okay?”

“Dodged a bullet there bro, you were nearly a dead man.” My sister grumbled, still rubbing at her foot. Shaeula merely chuckled darkly.

Turning to the assistant Eri spoke in English. “Gosh, I’m so embarrassed you had to see that. But please, show us the rings.”

Relieved and able to understand us again, happy that the stormy atmosphere between us had dispersed, we were taken to a sealed glass security cabinet, full of very pretty (and expensive) rings. “I guess it has to be diamonds, right, as they are forever, just like us?”

“Yes!” Eri answered brightly, her earlier sadness forgotten. “But you don’t have to spend a lot, it really is the love you put into it that counts.”

“Wow, yuck. Their love vibes are poisoning me again. Come on Shaeula, let’s leave them to it and go look at some other jewellery. Maybe big bro will buy us some as compensation for having to live through this crap…”

As they browsed the store we looked at ring after ring. Eri was heating up, smiling more and more, and as I watched I felt the same warmth. In the end she picked out a platinum ring, with three larger diamonds symbolising the past, present and future, surrounded by a river of smaller coloured diamonds. She tried it on and it fit perfectly, looking amazing. She seemed to really like it, her eyes gleaming as she studied how it looked on her. Yeah, that’s the one. Still, looking at the price she blanched and went to put it back. I guess she can’t get out of the poverty mindset the Mori’s labour under. But those days are done. I want her to have the best of everything. “Wait, try that one on again.” I stopped her. She looked at me, unsure, and I gently patted her head.

“You liked that one, didn’t you? I think it looked great on you. Just try it again, put the price out of your mind, and tell me how you feel honestly. You always did like looking up at the night sky in the mountains didn’t you? The sparkling stones remind me a bit of those skies.”

“You remembered?” Eri asked, eyes moist, and I nodded.

“Of course. How could I not? So if you like it… no hesitation. This is not a day for regrets.”

The cashier was looking at me with a trace of respect and I grinned sheepishly. As Eri slipped the ring back on her delicate finger the cashier spoke. “Yes, that really suits you. Why don’t you let your boyfriend… sorry, your fiancé, buy it? After all, a woman should only have one chance in her life to receive such a ring.”

“fiancé?” she muttered dreamily. “Well…”

“Seriously, you know we can afford it. And I don’t want you looking at a different ring on your finger in the future, wishing you had this one. We are taking it.” With that I pulled out a bank card, but it wasn’t my new Midas Gold one, but my account from Japan. “I’ll buy it with money I’ve earned myself, not that I’ve gained here. I owe you that much.”

“A very discerning choice, sir.” The now ebullient cashier agreed.

“I love it.” Eri said, eyes wet. “I just wish I could wear it at school, but regulations say a plain band engagement or wedding ring only.”

Oh yeah, there was that. “In that case, how about that one too?” I pointed to a plain platinum band with some delicate patterned engraving. “I think it would look great on you, and you can wear it to school to show off. It’ll keep pesky flies away from my darling for sure.” I was blushing as I said such corny lines, but it was worth it as Eri melted, giggling.

“Are you jealous? I’ve only eyes for you, my Akio. But… if you are sure… I’d love it.”

“Damn right I’m sure. I love you twice as much as I did yesterday, so two rings is a snap for me!”

I paid, and my prior savings and extra earnings from all the jobs I had done in the last month vanished. As the jeweller placed the two rings in beautiful display boxes, I turned to find Shaeula and Aiko there with pendants and bracelets of their own.

“Sure I get it, I can take a hint.” And with that I paid using the Midas Gold card.

“Cheers big bro. I feel less annoyed now. especially when I imagine showing this off to those two back home.” She giggled maliciously. Shaeula was also likewise infatuated with the torc-style golden armlet, that she said reminded her of what nobles wore in the Seelie court. Taking the engagement rings from Eri, who pouted, I gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “Later. Like I said, I may have blundered and ruined the surprise, but at least you got the ring you wanted. I’ll try and do a proper proposal in a bit.”

With that I checked my watch. “Oh, look at the time. Shopping with girls takes a while. We need to get a move on.”

“Wow. Rude.” My sister complained. “You were making sure you got Eri the perfect ring to make up for your earlier moonstone-class hurtful blunder. No complaining!”

********

“Wow, this is damn awesome big bro! I can forgive your many, many indiscretions, just this once!” my sister cheered as she pulled the trigger on the assault rifle she was holding. Bullets sprayed out and peppered the target, most of them hitting it in vital areas. “Damn, I’m a natural at this!”

Beside her on the next range Shaeula was firing away as well, though her shots were far less accurate than my sisters’. Still, she was finding the experience fascinating. “Can you not-not make such weapons with what those dirt-grubbing canines dig up for us?” she asked, captivated by the noise and power of the rifle in her hands. “If we had these-these, our enemies would be but chaff in the breeze.”

“It isn’t that easy.” I replied, lining up my own shot. I squeezed the trigger and put a bullet right through the head of the target at long range. My second shot went through the heart of the target.

“Oh man, nice shot. You a pro?” the safety instructor asked me, impressed.

No, I just have cheat stats. “I wish.” I returned. “I’ve just got decent eyesight and steady hands.”

Eri was hesitant at first, but when Shaeula whispered something to her, she took up a pistol and was firing away. Her accuracy was actually pretty good, but her arms tired easily, so she was currently resting. Seeing my gaze she smiled back. “This is interesting Akio, if a little loud. Still, Aiko really likes it, I can see why you brought us here.”

“Well, if you are going to go to America, you have to shoot some guns right? After all, we don’t have them in Japan. I know it may not be your thing, but Aiko has been through a lot, right?”

“She sure has.” Eri nodded, a chuckle leaking from her lips. “Don’t worry though. Shaeula explained that I’d need to get used to weapons if… if I’m going to be a help to you.”

That Shaeula… “Well, technically she isn’t wrong. Anyway, why not try something larger while you are here? The instructors are pretty good. Take a leaf out of my sis’ book. She’s like the female version of Arnold Schwarzenegger right now.” she was whooping and hollering as she fired an anti-material rifle, watching it blow a hole in a car door and clean out of the other side. Yeah, this was worth the money.

“I’ll do that. And you?” she asked.

“Me? I have to make a call, so I’m stepping away for a minute. Have fun, okay?” I gestured to the instructor and he started talking to Eri about heavier guns. With that I left the noise of the range and dialled a number I had looked up earlier. “Hi, I’m interested in seeing if you have any availability for an Engagement package, around about seven? You do? Great. Can I request it then? There’ll be a party of four, obviously only two of us getting engaged though… yeah, that’s right… great. We’ll be there.”

With that task done, I returned to the range to let off some steam with an assortment of heavy weapons. My heart was racing though. Damn, ever since I finally realised how I felt about Eri, life has been a real rollercoaster of emotions. It’s no bad thing though… I know I said it was too early for thinking of marriage, but that was before last night… I’d be a fool not to grip on tight to a girl as wonderful as Eri… but to keep her, I’ll have to be strong enough that no evil can threaten us. Or rather, to make any evil that does… disappear. I looked at the gun in my hands, and then to the girls unloading onto the targets across the range. Firepower. Can I make it work…?