Death's Disciple [Sys Apoc, OP Villain MC, LitRPG] Chapter 64: 1.64 Wingman It

Read chapter 64 of Death's Disciple [Sys Apoc, OP Villain MC, LitRPG] by TTReynolds on NovelPedia.

Chapter 64 As it turned out, I did not, in fact, have a date with Kaguya. Despite what might have actually been some light flirting during the dinner the night before, I was able to figure out rather quickly that it was just that. Simply flirting. When I arrived back at the museum antechamber to find Kaguya already waiting for me, I was ready to start fending off advances like a gladiator fighting off a lion. But such things didn’t really come my way. The two of us entered the museum and started our slow stroll from display to display. As we went, the young woman I was accompanying was happily chatting about the various pieces and her thoughts on them. “This one, I think, is mostly sad. It has a… depression to it. Like the artist wasn’t sure of their own work but pouring their feeling into it all the same,” she said in front of a small painting. I looked at the piece, seeing a swirl of muted colors in shades of blue, black, and purple, with mere specks of lighter color throughout. It really was rather sad. But the bits of color spoke to me otherwise. "The additional dots of yellow and pink, they are hope within the darkened void. Maybe friendships, or maybe family?” I said in response. “Those things that light the way in an otherwise unsavory world.” She looked at me, her face betraying no emotion at all, like I, too, was a painting to view and observe. She stayed like that for a few long moments before only nodding and moving on to the next display, as if our exchange hadn’t happened at all. This went on, each sculpture, painting, or historical artifact shown, she would give her thoughts, and I would respond with my own. Sometimes I agreed with her, sometimes I didn’t. On occasion, I had very little to say at all, and I let the quiet talk for me. Once we reached around the middle point between the displays, Kaguya finally turned the conversation to what I assumed was the real reason for this early morning get-together. “Do you enjoy working with Mr. Schilling?” she asked, almost innocently. I didn’t let anything show in my posture or on my face as I realized what this was all about. She wants information about Barry. Why, I didn’t know exactly. I could guess it was general interest, as a Legendary Hunter learning about another. Or maybe it was nefarious, her trying to learn some weakness she could exploit? Maybe Barry’s haremnojutsu was just that strong? I didn’t know. I just knew I had to be very conscious of what I told her from then on. “Yes, Barry is a truly good guy. I can say he’s saved my life a couple of times inside dungeons already. And everything he says in those press conferences is straightforward. He really does want peace, for Hunters to work together toward prosperity. To have humanity work alongside each other to fight these monsters,” I said. Kaguya tapped her lips thoughtfully. “So he’s the real deal? Not some carefully curated image, maybe by politicians?” “Oh, he’s an image,” I chuckled. “But it's just his natural good looks.” I looked over at her, but could see that my joke didn’t quite land. Her eyes had widened ever so slightly at my words, and she looked at me just a tad differently. I shrugged at her. Oh well, she can think what she wants. “I see, it's like that,” she muttered. There was no holding back the laugh I felt, and the suddenness of it startled even me. “What?” Kaguya demanded. I wiped a tear from my eye. “Nothing, it's nothing. Just know, Barry is everything he presents himself to be. I can assure you.” “Understood… so he’s not a clothed sheep of wolves?” “A what?” “A clothed sheep of a wolf,” she repeated again. “A wolf in sheep’s clothing?” “Yes, that.” She pursed her lips, obviously a bit displeased with her malaphor. “No, no, it was a good effort,” I assured her. This didn’t seem to quell her emotions as she clearly bit the inside of her cheek and tried to pretend to be fully engrossed by the historical document in front of her. The document was French, and even I couldn’t read the tin