Single for Eternity

Time passed.

Laura's anger, though slow to die, eventually simmered down.

A long silence fell between them as the thick, putrid air of rotting monster carcasses settled. She finally exhaled, her voice heavy with lingering discontent.

"…Even if they were monsters, I can't help but feel pity for them."

Einar sighed, rolling his shoulders as he casually tossed another creature into a spatial pouch. "Why, though? Aren't you people taught from birth that these creatures are nothing but walking resources? You kill them, strip their corpses for parts, and profit from it. What did I do that was any different?"

Laura turned sharply, glaring at him. "Because you crossed a line. There's a difference between survival and slaughter for sport. You didn't just kill them—you massacred them, used their own kin's blood to lure them, and slaughtered even more. It was sadistic."

Einar chuckled, amused by her moral compass. "And yet the same people who'll condemn me for this are the ones buying monster cores, hide, and venom. Hypocritical, don't you think?"

Laura opened her mouth to retort—but nothing came.

He wasn't wrong. Society thrived off the exploitation of these creatures. The kingdom's economy was built upon the back of monster hunting. To kill them en masse was normal. Yet somehow…

Her stomach churned at his actions.

"…Still," she stubbornly muttered, "that doesn't make what you did right."

Einar tilted his head, curiosity flashing in his scarlet eyes. "Why?"

"Because not everything is purely evil," she shot back, her voice growing firm. "Some monsters are only aggressive because of circumstances. Just like how humans become corrupted under harsh conditions."

Einar raised an eyebrow. "So if a monster kills a child to feed its cubs, is it evil?"

"…N-No."

"And if I slaughtered that monster to save the child, am I evil?"

"No, but—"

"So if I kill thousands of monsters to protect myself, why am I suddenly the villain?"

Silence.

Laura felt her throat tighten. Her heart wanted to scream that what he did was wrong—but her brain struggled to form a solid argument.

"…Because you did it too excessively," she finally managed. "You didn't just protect yourself. You enjoyed it. You hunted them, knowing they'd come in droves for their young."

Einar smirked, his eyes gleaming with predatory amusement. "Ah, so it's the intent that makes me evil, not the act itself?"

"…Yes," she gritted out.

His grin widened, his voice dripping with mockery. "Ah, but isn't that the same with nobles?"

Laura froze. "…What?"

"You lot hate nobles for exploiting commoners, yes? You think we're all corrupt, sadistic, and power-hungry. That's a preconceived notion, no?"

Laura's mouth opened, but no words came out.

"And yet—if a noble actually does good, you lot still glare at them with distrust. No matter how genuine their efforts are, they'll still be painted as the villain simply because they belong to nobility."

Silence.

Einar chuckled, his grin now stretching ear to ear. "So, Laura. Are you not guilty of the same blind judgment you accuse me of?"

Her jaw clenched.

This bastard.

He just flipped her entire argument and pinned her against the wall using the very same logic she threw at him.

"…I hate you," she seethed, her fists clenched.

"Fair."

...

"…So what, do you want sympathy?" Laura spat after a moment. "Should I pity you now?"

Einar laughed. "Hell no. I don't need your pity."

"Then why argue like you have a point?"

"Because I don't like people hating me without reason," he answered plainly. "If someone's gonna hate me, I'd rather give them a damn good reason to."

His voice held no trace of remorse. Only cold, unapologetic sincerity.

"…You're disgusting."

Einar chuckled darkly. "And I haven't even shown you the worst of me."

...

Laura, still nauseated from their conversation, rummaged through her spatial ring and pulled out a set of clothes and some empty pouches.

"…Here. Change into these," she muttered, avoiding eye contact. "Looking at your filthy body is making me gag."

Einar gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. "Ouch. You wound me, my lady."

"Shut up and change."

He took the clothes, but instead of wearing them, he motioned to his filthy body. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Laura blinked. "…What?"

"Water."

"…Oh."

Muttering under her breath, she yanked out a waterskin and unceremoniously drenched him with cold water.

"AAARGH!—What the hell!?"

Laura smirked. "Oops. My hand slipped."

Gritting his teeth from the freezing sensation, Einar shot her a venomous glare. "You will pay for that."

"Bring it, bastard."

...

Once the childish banter subsided, Einar reluctantly changed into his fresh black attire, decorated with crimson embroidery around the edges.

Laura tossed him the spatial pouches. "Alright, muscle-brain. Start storing these corpses. We're gonna rake in profit."

"…I feel objectified," Einar muttered as he picked up the pouches.

"Good. Now move it."

The next three hours were spent gathering the monstrous remains, stuffing them into spatial pouches.

By the end of it, Laura was slumped to the ground—completely exhausted.

"…I'm never doing that again," she huffed.

Einar, still completely fine, casually wiped his hands. "You'll get used to it."

"…Screw you."

"Love you too."

...

As they settled, Laura finally found the courage to ask. "…Hey. Can I ask you something?"

Einar hummed. "Shoot."

"…Why did you hide your strength?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Einar's gaze darkened.

"…Ah," she stammered, flinching. "I-I mean, if you don't want to—"

"Nah. It's fine."

He took a deep breath, then motioned to the corpses around them. "I just… wanted to see if the people around me were worth trusting. That's all."

"…And?"

Einar looked up at the crimson sky.

"…I forgot my memories."

Silence.

Laura's heart skipped a beat. "…What?"

He smiled bitterly. "Yeah. I don't remember anything before a few months ago. Not my family, not my past—nothing. I just woke up one day, with this strength… and this hunger to kill. So, I hid it. Thought maybe if I acted normal, the pieces of my past would come back."

Laura's throat tightened. "…That's… horrible."

Einar laughed dryly. "Eh. It's not so bad. Honestly, it's kinda liberating."

"…Liberating?"

"Yeah." His grin returned, but it was far darker now. "I don't have to feel guilty about anything. No past means no regrets. No attachments. Just… freedom."

Laura's blood ran cold.

"…Is that why you slaughtered so many?"

"…Maybe."

"…And what if your memories return?"

Einar's grin widened.

"…Then I'll just become a monster who remembers."