Nerisse was about to curse in anger when she was spoken to so coldly.
She had watched his entire exchange with that pet of his, how gently he spoke to her, how carefully he chose his words, and how beautifully he explained to her what she meant to him.
And now, he had suddenly switched completely, calling her dumb and being so commanding.
She was no stranger to being spoken to rudely before, but his words, which should have been nothing, surprisingly stung hard.
When Ryuk turned to her, his eyes had undergone the same change as his voice: cold and commanding.
"That's no way to speak to a woman," she forced out, though her voice came out lower than she had planned.
Ryuk simply stared until she eventually sighed.
"I guess I can make that happen," she said at last. Orıginal content can be found at novel★fire.net
Her palms opened, and a special runic paper appeared in her hands as she began writing down the invitation.
The writing didn't take Nerisse long, barely 30 seconds.
She was about to store it away when the invitation vanished, appearing before Ryuk.
He grabbed it and began reading, his expression rapidly contorting just a few seconds into the read.
A glint flashed in his eyes before he spoke.
"What's with the high and mighty tone?" he asked as her brows quivered.
"You made it sound like them coming back is some divine blessing from you, when it's supposed to be you acknowledging how you wronged them and pleading for their return."
His hand burst into white flames, burning the invitation to ashes.
"You have three chances to write something good, and you've wasted one. Rewrite," he ordered.
Her eyes hardened from having her buttons being pushed repeatedly, but his coldness didn't thaw.
In the end, she could only bring out another card and begin scribbling.
When she lifted her pen, Ryuk snatched it up and read it, but not even three seconds passed before it, too, turned to ashes.
"I write how I'm supposed to write. I'm the professional here, not your brutehead," she cursed.
"This is your last chance," Ryuk repeated, deaf to her words.
"Tch." She clicked her tongue.
The Frost Wyvern they rode on suddenly paused.
A deep voice rumbled out.
"Maybe I should do it, Wyvern Nerisse," the Frost Wyvern called.
Nerisse furrowed her brows as the creature shifted form, becoming a man who looked to be in his fifties.
He grabbed the invitation card and pen, then began writing.
Five minutes later, Ryuk took it and read.
This time, a glint crossed his eyes, and he turned to look at the Wyvern man and nodded.
"You speak quite well," he complimented, a flicker of surprise flickering in the man's eyes, when he noticed the underlying genuineness and amazement.
"Unfortunate you're tied down with an… incompetent like her," he murmured under his breath.
Nerisse's face turned red with anger.
"She's still learning," the old Wyvern replied with a slight chuckle before shifting back into his true form as they continued their flight.
But Nerisse wasn't done.
"How am I incompetent?" she demanded.
"The first letter dripped with pride. The second one was fake."
"It was like you had a gun to your head while being forced to write. One read, and even a blind person could tell it isn't genuine."
"Well of course I'm forced!" she protested, but the old Wyvern spoke up before things could blow over.
"If I may speak, Wyvern Nerisse…"
She tapped his back twice, granting permission.
"The reason you couldn't write a satisfactory invitation is because of one thing," he said.
"What is it?" she asked, frowning.
"Your inability to feel," he said simply.
"To write anything at all starts from a place of feeling."
"If you wish to plead with people and send an invitation, you must first feel their pain."
"They were a group who came from a faraway place, such as the lower realm."
"Naturally, they must have faced life-threatening situations, and their journey was definitely far from smooth."
"To survive, they must not only be powerful, but also believe. The belief that their suffering will be worth it in the end."
"And all of that just to be refused at the gate because among them was a single person the kingdom wouldn't allow." He said, and Nerisse cut him off.
"The kingdom's decision was fair!" She said firmly.
"They brought in the Accursed One."
"If they'd been allowed to stay, they might have turned bitter or even tried to rescue her, bringing nothing but woe upon themselves," She argued.
The old Wyvern nodded.
"Your words have reason, Wyvern Nerisse, and I am completely behind your view."
"But whether it was fair or not, if you find yourself in a position where you have to plead with them, you must first feel their suffering."
"From that feeling, you lay your pen to the note."
"If you don't, your result will either come out too authoritative, because of your personal standing, or too forced."
He did not say anything more after this, but it hit Nerisse.
She had never once considered the pain they went through to travel all the way from the lower realm to the upper realm.
Neither had she considered the pain they must have felt when they were refused entrance at the gate.
Even if the kingdom's decision was fair, that didn't erase the hardship they endured.
How could she plead with them if she never even thought of that at all?
"I understand," she muttered under her breath.
Her gaze drifted to Ryuk, who remained sitting, with his back turned to her, staring at the distant stars.
"And you said the second invitation was too forced."
"So… I'm guessing you don't want them to know you're the one behind their return?" she asked.
Ryuk simply shrugged, ignoring her.
"Acting behind the shadows, even if it appears good… doesn't that just make you hypocritical?"