Isekai Alterealist: The Boy Shaped by Reality

15. Spearing Distance

Still it won't hurt him much just to keep his spear upfront while assuming a stance, with his Reality Bubble ready for action.

"So you're giving me an opportunity, Hero. I express my eternal gratitude for this grace from your magnanimous heart. Then so, for my reasons to meet you-"

"You can cut that out too, you don't have to be so formal. I'm not this 'Hero' you're talking about, even though the isekai tropes leads to that conclusion... And even if your prophecies says otherwise. I am just some kid with big dreams... But not this kind of delusional dream, or what I've come to accept was one... until today."

"A rather complex yet still understandable sentiment. But don't worry, this is just how I've always talked, even with my family... my older brother specifically. I wasn't meant to become the Timeless Bride at first, or the Prophet of our religion would be the more familiar term for you, although the former came after the latter. What I'm getting at is I might not have been born for this role unlike my older sister was, but I still had to be taught some manners so that I could be wedded off to some noble who secretly has the blood of the Five Tribes. That in addition to being forced to live inside caves for most of my life... I just didn't get many chances to flex out my tongue. So as stiff as I may sound, I hope you can tolerate me."

"I see... That's an interesting information? But whatever, do as you want, I have no right to judge how people talk... Anyway, just tell me what you want." Dian said as he was lost in thought for a second.

Come to think of it, Dian just realized that he is talking to a girl pretty smoothly without much hint of the usual stuttering impeding his speech. Similar to how he was with that minimarket cashier girl, he would usually feel so awkward and anxious that he starts tripping over his words, then stumble into the gaping hole of eternal cringe and shame. Somehow, this time it's different despite there being more reason for the opposite to be the case, as the girl is nothing if not an enigmatic stranger of a mystical background, like those oracles or shamans his mom sometimes takes him to. He has all the reason to be intimidated by her, yet he doesn't feel that way, at least not in a social interaction aspect.

The boy worked the gears inside his head overtime trying to figure out what the reason for that might be, a change that's too drastic considering he always has been terrible at conversing with women other than his mom. His quest to answer these questions is a vain one though, as he can't find a single one that comes close to satisfying him. In the end, the conclusion he arrives to is that the little girl just broke him down that badly, to the point that some of his fears were eclipsed by her terror. Compared to that, dealing with some gothic girl is not as worrisome, as his eyes are open to the truth now.

She might be able to transform into a giant raven, but she can't alter the very fabrics of reality itself. The ability to paint a scene of horror into any canvas. The way she talks might be similar in how stiff and ancient they sound, but this girl simply sounds more... pleasant to listen to.

"Ah, about that, I'm finally getting there. What you previously said was right though, I've been perceiving you based on the assumptions I made from my Forecasts and what Allmother Ophélie said about you, instead of the actual you. That was rude of me. Then now that I have fulfilled my first goal of apologizing to you, next I want to get to know you, as much as possible with the little time we have."

"You mean you just want to get to know me? For what? Also you would have gotten more time to do that if only you just went straight for it..."

"You're right, that was silly of me to let my mouth fly off the branch like that. But I just love talking to you that much. So why don't we begin anew on a new footing? My name is Marellene Oghrold, the Prophet and vice leader of the Descendants of Ophélie, leading under my brother the Liberealtor himself Darlean Oghrold. Zahndis would quote dozens of excerpts from the Book of Paths just for my lateness in asking this, but who are you, O otherworldly stranger?" The raven girl Marellene asked as she pointed towards him with her hand open, as if she's still inquiring someone of a grand status.