The Innkeeper

Aoi and her cohorts all paused as their gaze was fixed on the mesmerizing visage of the white lotus. The petals were longer than a regular lotus', spreading farther apart, and looked more beautiful. But at the same time, the cost of that beauty was an almost palpable beauty.

Just looking at it alone was enough to determine that the Lotus was on the verge of falling apart, and only by being sealed in that orb was it surviving.

The peculiarities of the lotus went further than just that. Its texture, the thickness, or rather thinness, of each petal, the lithe stamen, were all different from what was usually seen. There was a very simple reason for that. Lex had specifically requested the Sovereign Turtle to create a new special of Lotus for him, one that was both exceptional, beautiful, yet incredibly frail. The turtle had delivered admirably, as this was too simple for him.

But, for once, the turtle had requested a payment from one - a single drop of dragon's blood. As Lex had appeared in front of the turtle as Leo, he could not tell how or why the turtle could tell he had dragon's blood on him, but he obliged. Of course, Lex was not capable of piercing the dragon's skin to extract blood. Instead, he used the blood he had collected from the pool where Fenrir had swum.

Later, he learnt that the drop of blood had been used to nurture Little Blue. Apparently, it was awakening as a Beast and progressing nicely on its path.

Regardless, this lotus was just one more item that Lex had prepared to ensure his success in this task.

Aoi Haruki was slightly confused by Lex's statement about her saving an emotion that could only be captured by poetry, but she could sense the general positive emotion he tried to convey which was enough for her. Before she could dwell on it, he handed her a species of a flower she had never seen before, catching her off guard.

With the extent of her knowledge, it was very difficult to encounter a plant she was totally unfamiliar with. 

Moreover, it was also extremely beautiful, which captivated her on a level that only plants could.

"Where did you get this lotus from? What is it called?" she asked, not lifting her eyes from the flower.

Sounding pleased by her genuine curiosity, Lex answered, "I was traveling through the wilderness when I experienced an earthquake. The quake destroyed some of the terrain, and that is where I discovered a small, hidden environment filled with such lotuses. But, exposed to fresh air, they were quickly dying. I was only able to save this one. I thought it would be a shame if such a plant died without ever being admired."

While Aoi looked at the plant, Lex had his gaze fixed on Aoi. Anyone watching him would think that Lex somewhat admired her, and was possibly even pursuing her. That is exactly what Lex wanted it to look like, but in truth, his target was never Aoi from the very beginning!

Right beside Aoi was a seemingly ordinary looking Elven girl. Of course, even an ordinary Elven girl was still earth-shatteringly beautiful by human standards.

She was looking at the lotus, like everyone else, but she seemed a little distracted.

"What kind of poem can be used to capture a Blood Rose?" she murmured, not really intending to receive an answer. But Lex, who had been specifically waiting for this moment, could not really let it slip by.

After all, from the start, everything he had done was to get this girl's attention. He didn't like acting like this, but they did say the best way to attract a girl's attention was to target her best friend.

As a forever-bachelor, Lex would never use such tactics to actually pursue someone, but in this instance, he felt it was okay. After all, he was not really harming anyone.

The Blood Rose was a peculiar and ominous flower that many actively avoided using, even if it could provide some meager medicinal benefits. This was because this rose only grew on battlefields, once the fighting had subsided. Moreover, it did not grow in the soil, but in corpses. It would stay hidden in the body until it reached a sufficient size, whereupon it burst from the skin, emerging from the victim's heart! What was peculiar was that the rose itself was actually white, but that could only ever be discovered if it was washed. Otherwise, it would take on the color of the blood of the corpse it grew from.

Without ever really looking at the elf who asked about the poem, Lex began to recite what he had prepared.

"A glance turned to a gaze between two eyes,

An acquaintance became a friend, but not a lover,

A destiny divided two souls forever.

A duty brought me to arms and to a far off battle,

A blow brought me to my knees without a morrow,

A life I could not give to you, but will death suffice, I wonder?

A rose from the heart, for the lover who could never become a lover."

His voice was low, unlike when he had talked to Aoi, and he recited the lines as if reading something that had been burned into his memory. It was only after he‌ recited the poem that he seemed to awake from his reverie, and turned to look at the elf who had asked the question.

It was supposed to be only a glance, but like the poem, he caught her eye, and the glance turned into a gaze shared by the two.

Lex gulped. He was only supposed to be acting - why did things get so intense?

"Please excuse my crass poetry, I am not very good," said Lex feeling genuine embarrassment. The poem had actually been written by himself, and while it seemed to regale a story of a dying soldier, its true purpose was to evoke a certain reaction from his target. His own awkwardness and embarrassment aside, it seemed to work.