He Who Fights With Monsters 7 (He Who Fights with Monsters, #7)

by Shirtaloon

“Good to see you, brother.” “Good to see you alive,” Humphrey said. “We should have known that if anyone was going to treat the laws of life and death as rough guidelines, it would be you.”

“Bad thing I did or good thing I did? You’ll have to narrow it down. I’m very heroic, but also kind of a disaster.”

“But you’re the good guy, Humphrey. The way she grew up, she needs that. And so do I. I’ve found that I tend to lose my way, left to my own devices. I need someone to keep me on the straight and narrow.”

“Jason, are you okay?” Jason also pushed himself off the railing, giving Humphrey another sad smile. “No, Humphrey. I’m not. But I will be, now that you’re here.”

“Our team could use a stealth guy. If you’re nice, we might let you back in.” “I probably won’t be nice.” “I’m guessing we’ll let you in anyway.

“I know sincerity isn’t really my thing, but I’m glad for you. Genuinely. At this point, I’ll take happiness where I can find it.”

Friends don’t count favours.”

A precious gift, imbued with the soul of its owner and reforged with a renewed sense of purpose. The aid of a grandmaster craftsman in the reforging process has produced a flawless result

“Gary,” Jason said reverently. “It’s like finding a part of myself I didn’t know was missing.” “You brought Farrah back to us,” Gary said. “That part I did know was missing.”

“That’s because your soul experienced things that your body didn’t,”

welcome to the resurrection club. I’m the president, but it’s a largely ceremonial position.”

There are two kinds of adventurers, Commander Moore. You are the first type: reliable, efficient and supremely capable. You advanced because of the way you conduct yourself. You are the kind of adventurer that everyone wants to work with. Asano is the other kind. Wild, erratic, improvisational. These are not the people you want to work with, but they are the ones who become legends. Usually by repeatedly surviving the kind of challenges that adventurers like you are smart enough to avoid.”

I, on the other hand, was raised to believe that those of us born to power have a duty to wield it responsibly. It should not fall on the head of my friend to protect the people under the rule of your royal family.”

“But as my mother likes to say, simple is not the same thing as easy. My goal is to be clear on where each of us stands, so we can all move forward constructively.”

“I told you I’m in and I rarely make an alliance specifically to murder all the people in it.”

“I apologise for the lack of decorum on the part of my team members,” he said. “They’re mostly thieves and hooligans.”

She has never experienced a team whose camaraderie was forged in fire, the ways ours were.”

“Asano’s aura may be a closed book to us, but you felt the others. You sensed the bond they have. The trust that comes from pulling each other back from the bloody edge. Not just them either.” “Farrah Hurin.”

she’s felt the loyalty they have. The willingness to go all the way to the wall for someone doesn’t fit her world of compromise and benefits, and it unnerves her.”

They flaunt it because they understand that Asano is not stable right now and are very protective of him. There is something inherently intimidating about absolute commitment. It’s part of what makes zealots such troubling enemies.”

To an adventurer, absolute commitment to your team is a strength. To a politician, that rigidity is a weakness.

“Because people from my world have learned what it is to be my enemy.” “This is not your world, Mr Asano.” “I know. But my enemies here will learn too.”

“How do you always do that?” “I’ve told you before, Rick: what I have can’t be taught.”

I imagine reckless choices would be the theme of your epitaph, if you'd ever stay dead.”

“I have to say, Mr Asano, you’re exactly what I expected.” Jason blinked in surprise. “I don’t think anyone has ever said that to me before.”

“Perhaps in the hope that all you’ve been through is finally enough. Perhaps because I like knowing that it never will be. You don’t have a hero complex, Jason. You are—”

“Jason is a fool. A mad idiot who makes one terrible choice after another. But sometimes we need the passion of young fools. They will make the choices that the sensible and wise will not. They challenge the impossible. That is why I was sent to Jason Asano.”

“Jason, mental recovery isn’t like physical recovery. You can’t just go out, take the damage and then come to me to fix you with a recovery spell. It takes time and work and honesty.”

“There’s no going back to the way you were. There’s only going forward.”

The people of this kingdom have given all of us so much. Now, in our time of greatest crisis, we will show them that their faith in us was not in vain.”

Throughout the history of this kingdom, we have always stood at the top. Now the time has come for us to stand at the front.”

“You’re doing something,” Jason assured him. “I am?” “Damn right you are.” “What am I doing?” “Looking good. You’re a big, sexy chocolate drop.” “Thanks, bro,” Taika said brightly. “That’s nice of you to say.”

“If it’s between letting people die and working with people who suck, that isn’t a choice.”