I Reject Quests

Rewen's family also had broad smiles on their faces.

Rewen also had a small smile on his face. 'This was worth the wait.' He walked slowly until he was at a distance of a meter from her and looked straight at her.

Vinia raised her eyes and similarly looked straight at her. There was no awkwardness. This can be attributed to one particular thing - FP!

---

(You -> Vinia)

FP (you): 16

FP (Vinia): 27

---

For Vinia, Rewen could be considered a friend. Although he was far from being a partner in her eyes, he was someone she could get along with.

As for Rewen, he was puzzled as to why his FP was that low compared to her. 'I'm pretty sure I treat her as a friend of mine.'

[You surely 'treat' her as your friend but your emotions regarding her hadn't reached that level.]

'Is that so? I kinda feel bad. By the way, can you tell me how FP works? It's too unrealistic to conclude that emotions like attraction are quantifiable. But let's say that they are for a while. How should I measure it? For example, I understood that when FP becomes 25, he/she considers you as his/her friend but what about when FP becomes 50? And after that?'

[Figure that on your own.]

As Rewen was conversing in his mind, his eyes hadn't moved one bit. He continued to stare intensely at Vinia who started to feel awkward. She tried to make him notice by fidgeting her eyes but he kept staring at her.

Aside from the two, there was another person on the stage. He was an old man with a long beard wearing a black loose robe standing between the pair. He was a priest from the Church of Olterio located in the nearby town. Noticing the awkwardness, he coughed.

"Cough. You can look at her all day but marry her first." 

Chuckles sounded from across the hall. 

"This kid…" Mrs. Klofar shook her head and smiled helplessly.

"Haha!" The Baron laughed delightfully and slapped his knee. "Kaf, didn't you say that this little guy has no regard for beauties? My granddaughter was too much for him to handle."

Master Kaf wryly smiled. 

Rewen came back to his senses. Sensing everyone making fun of him, he wanted to correct them but then thought that it would be going too far. It's not as if being attracted to a beautiful woman is a bad thing.

"Uh, let's start." Rewen nodded to the priest standing near to him.

The priest grabbed both of his hands and placed them over Vinia's hands, then looked at him. "Which belief do you follow?" 

Rewen shook his head. "I don't follow anyone in particular."

Facepalms!

Almost everyone facepalmed!

Vinia, being the closest to him, felt second-hand embarrassment from him.

A God isn't just 'anyone'.

Mrs. Klofar covered her face. "I just want this to finish. When I get time, I'll lecture him about basic etiquettes and mannerism."

Veronica sympathized with her.

"Dah! Dah!" The little imp sitting on her lap joyfully clapped her small hands.

The Baron just laughed like usual.

Rewen's friends sitting at the back, at first, couldn't figure out why everyone had weird faces. After a few seconds, when they realized the matter, they were rolling on the ground.

As someone very religious and devoted, the priest surprisingly didn't show any signs of anger. He casually nodded, then turned to the bride. "Which belief do you follow?"

"Sir, it's Goddess Olterio." Vinia said without hesitation.

"Good." The priest himself was from the Church of Olterio so it made things easier. "Hold both of your hands tight. However, don't interlock your fingers."

Vinia cupped her hands as she felt Rewen's warm hands cupped over her hands. 

"In heaven and earth, only time is eternal."

"Man is the limit. But Man is also limitless."

"For here I stand, wasting just another day."

"Trying to understand thee."

"May thee watch over the land."

"May thee watch over the Man."

"May thee watch over the loyal pair."

…

..

"By your virtue, I pray to thee!"

"Long Live Eternal!"

"Long Live Eternal!"

"Long Live Eternal!"

The entire hall except for Rewen and Vinia chanted along with the priest 'Long Live Eternal' three times solemnly before falling silent.

"Now, please display an act of intimacy." The priest said, before getting off the stage.

Rewen squinted his eyes. 'Wait, I didn't ask for this.' He watched as Vinia took a step and came near him. He could feel her breath. Inwardly sighing, he grabbed her slim waist on the back with both of his hands and slowly brought his face close to her. "Hug or kiss?" He asked in an extremely low voice.

Vinia's eyebrows fluttered.

[+2 Favorability]

"Hug."

Rewen lightly nodded, then buried his face on her shoulders while she wrapped her hands around his neck.

Clap!

Clap!

Clap!

A flurry of claps sounded.

Mrs. Klofar's eyes went red. Some can sympathize with her but no one can feel her emotions. Due to an unfortunate incident, her husband, the pillar of her household, died. She had just turned twenty-two back then. With her six-year-old son, she didn't know what to do. 

Overwhelmed with sadness by the death of her husband, she felt the urge to commit suicide but she retreated every time because she was fearful. At that time, the only way she could find peace was by relying on her son. 

She found a purpose to live on.

For herself as well as for her son.

'Ardie… you can properly rest in peace. I'll handle everything.'

"Dear Sister, did I ever tell you that you look very ugly when you cry?" Josh's voice from beside her.

Mrs. Klofar hurriedly rubbed her eyes with her sleeves. "Who is crying?"

Veronica gently smiled.

"Dah! Dah! Dah!" The little imp giggled and clapped.

Behind them, Junar shouted. "Salica! Quickly take a picture! You are in the middle!"

The others also urged her.

"Yes, yes. I know." Salica opened her game interface. On the extreme top-left corner, there was the [Screen Virtualization] which functions simply as a normal high-definition 180-degree camera. She tapped on it.

The large rectangular game interface disappeared leaving behind only a green border.

Salica zoomed in by pinching the screen.

"Hmm… there we go!" She smiled and soon the game interface shortened itself to fit in two hands. Then, it materialized and fell into her hands. Holding the picture, she showed it to her friends.

"That's a good one," Evans commented briefly. He wasn't exactly close with Rewen and the group. At most, he could be counted as someone closer than acquaintances. But since he was friends with Denny, he was called on her cousin's birthday. 

"Good? That's freaking awesome! The photo just exudes love and affection the couple has for each other." Junar, being the 'voice' of the group, has to give a review.

"You have to send a copy of it to me." The usually quiet Denny too expressed her desire for the photo.

"Hm? Let me see, let me see! Wow! She looks so pretty!" The mascot character Zelic couldn't contain herself.

Seeing everyone commenting, Bianca also felt the need to comment. "The picture captures the chemistry between the two very well."