After the banquet end and the night had settled in, the castle one fill with noise now had grown quiet. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows on the stone walls, creating a warm yet somber atmosphere in the rooms where the group had been assigned to stay. The castle's modest accommodations were a far cry from what Rimuru and Rudeus had been used to in their respective worlds as it seem like each aspect are fill with difficult and discomfort.

Rimuru found himself lying on a soft, albeit small bed, the linens was rougher compared to the plush sheets of the grand inns he had once visited in the village before they got kick out.

It's no doubt that the Castle is really cold duo to the layer and layer of stone walls isolated the littlest heat there is from the outside or if there even any. But with that Rimuru could feel a warmth of another body lay beside trying press their body on to him as close as possible.

And turn out it was Rory, the ever one to make things lighter then it seem, was sprawled across the bed in a way that almost seemed to be to take up as much space as possible. Though Rimuru had no issue with it, of course-since he already used to the chaotic and often unpredictable nature of his companions-but it was an odd sensation non the less.

Glancing at Rimuru from the side, Rory couldn't help but let out a small, teasing giggle at Rimuru discomfort. "So, how's it feel, sharing a bed with me a demigod nonetheless. Bet you didn't expect this, huh?"

eaning back against the bed's headboar and let out a soft, tired sigh. Rimuru eyes were closed, but his voice was calm, almost resigned as he speak up. "[Raphael]-sensei did warn me about this," he said quietly as the the familiar, analytical voice of his Ultimate Skill echoing in his mind.

"Of sleepinh with me~" Rory ask in teasing manner

"No... of there no privacy when it come to a Castle" he said as he rub Forehead remembering how he dismiss [Raphael] words

"But of course, I didn't listen. Since I thought maybe it'd be a bit more like the places I've been to in the past..." He pause then countiue with a regreted voice "Well let just said that this is the last time I dismiss Raphael-senei wanning." After saying that, Rimuru can still hear that familiar Hmph in his head.

Sigh, although Rimuru tone was laced with a hint of self-deprecating humor, but it's clear that he wasn't really bothered.

And who wouldn't?

It had been a long day and as tired as he was, he couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation. Not only His skills were still not fully functioning and his soul was damaged, but the worse thing is he right now stuck in a foreign land, not knowing if this people, his family are safe or not cause the last time he saw the-it was a genocide.

Rory chuckled again, propping herself up on one elbow as she looked at him with an amused glint in her eyes. "I guess you and Rudeus thought you'd get something fancier, huh? But hey, it's fine if you didn't think you'd end up stuck in a castle like this, sharing a bed with a 'fierce warrior' like me." She smirked as she caress her hand along her body, clearly enjoying the discomfort she was causing him right now.

Opened one eye, Rimuru speak up with a calm voice, though there was a hint of dry amusement in it. "nah I don't mind just didn't expect this that all-but I'm not exactly complaining."

As Rory lay back down, her expression softened a little. "You know, I'm actually kinda glad we ended up here. It's simpler. And in the end, that might not be such a bad thing."

Rimuru nodded slowly, appreciating the sentiment, even if he wasn't entirely sold on the idea of living a simpler life in a castle like this. He adjusted himself a bit, trying to find a comfortable position in the tight bed. "Yeah, you're right. I'm just... not used to the whole thing. And I thought I'd be able to use magic to make things easier. But... well, I guess we're all trying our best to figure things out."

Hearing Rimuru words, Rory didn't reply immediately. Instead, she stared at the ceiling for a bit, her thoughts was clearly elsewhere for a moment. And eventually, she spoke again, her voice quieter this time. "It's weird... you and Rudeus, all disappointed about the castle. I get it, though. Me? I grew up in places like this. The world's always been... like this for me. And I've been through worse. So I make the most out of situation like this and enjoy as much as I can cause once I ascended to godhood... I won't be able to feel any of this ever again..."

Rimuru didn't say anything at first, but after a moment, he gave a soft, almost wistful chuckle. "Yeah. I guess we both had different thing to keep our mind full huh."
------------------

Meanwhile, far across the castle in the opposite wing, Rudeus was in a similarly awkward situation. He had been assigned a room much like Rimuru's, though the accommodations were a little more lavish. The bed was larger, yes, but the company was far from what he had hoped for.

As the morning come Rudeus lay stiff as a board, staring up at the wooden ceiling with an expression that could only be described as a mixture of despair and disbelief. His bed, though generously sized, was shared-unfortunately-with one of the noble's daughters who had been all too eager to secure his heroic presence.

She snored loudly beside him, her face pressed into the pillow while powdered makeup now smudged and accentuating her already unfortunate features.

That not to mention about her overly floral perfume clung to the air, mixing unpleasantly with the room's natural mustiness. And every once in a while, she shifted, letting out a faint giggle in her sleep, as if even in her dreams she still found our little Rudeus to be irresistible.

It all so clear that Rudeus was not enjoying the situation he was in right now.

"What did I do to deserve this!?" he thought, his inner monologue spiraling into frustration and desperation. "I saved a princess, for crying out loud! Isn't there some rule where heroes get treated like royalty? Why am I here, sharing a bed with this...! THIS!!"

Arefully inched closer to the edge of the bed, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and his unwanted companion. The mattress suddenly creaked under the movement, making Rudeus froze up and holding his breath as the noble woman stirred slightly but didn't wake.

"Please let this nightmare end soon," he whispered to himself, staring at the door like it might open and offer him salvation.

The noble's daughter suddenly mumbled something incoherent, rolling over and draping an arm over him. Rudeus stiffened, his face twisting in barely contained horror.

"Is this karma!??'' he wondered, mentally pleading with the universe for an explanation. "Is this the punishment for my past life, of being a bit too pervy sometimes?"

Then the door creaked open slightly, and a servant peeked in, likely to check on the occupants. Rudeus immediately caught their eye, his expression silently screaming for help. But The servant, however, simply gave him a polite nod but sadly they mistaken Rudeus please for help for something else and closed the door again, leaving him to his fate.

Rudeus let out a quiet groan, covering his face with his hands. "Why couldn't I have just shared with Rimuru and Rory? Even if Rory teased me to death, it'd be better than this."

As the noblewoman snored louder, he resigned himself to his situation, vowing to escape at the first opportunity in the morning. Until then, he silently cursed his luck and charm with the lady as he counting down the hours until he could rejoin his friends and leave this medieval nightmare experience behind to continue with their adventure.