episode_0194

Token of Trust

Aria followed the remaining fairies to the tailoring shop. She had asked me to stay at Kelly’s house and wait, imagining how she would change. It seemed Aria really wanted to show me her transformed appearance properly. So… for some reason, left alone with another woman, I drank the tea Kelly brought me, feeling greatly flustered.

“Aria let me be with another woman… This is something that wouldn’t happen even if the world split in two…” “Hohoho… It seems Aria-nim was quite tempted by what Zeke-nim just muttered. I’m truly envious… such a fervent love.”

“No… it’s a bit… more than a bit burdensome at times, and other people often misunderstand…? Wait, did Village Elder-nim hear me muttering too?!” “Yes. You spoke a little loudly, so everyone nearby probably heard it.”

When Village Elder-nim said she had heard my muttering about how it might be nice if Aria became even prettier, just like Aria had, I blushed, feeling immensely embarrassed. Ugh! I can’t believe that muttering was so loud… And why on earth did I even think that at the time?! As I twisted my body in great embarrassment, Kelly chuckled softly and spoke to me.

“Hehehe… I didn’t realize you were such a shy person. Anyway… since it’s just the two of us now… may I ask you something? It’s a bit difficult to ask in front of Aria-nim…” “Yes? What is it?” “Do you love Aria-nim, Zeke-nim?” “…”

That’s strange. Normally, I would say I’m asexual and don’t love Aria yet… but why did I hesitate just now at that question? Finding myself faltering to answer, contrary to my previous thoughts, I sensed something was off and felt flustered. Then, Kelly, seeing my silence, just smiled softly and said to me.

“Ah… I see… That seems to be an answer in itself. Anyway… as the representative of the fairies, I must properly express my gratitude to all of you. Although Akada had already suspected it… if you hadn’t given us a copy of the exploration records, Akada might not have realized there was a mastermind behind it all. Of course, it seems that’s why the cult punished Akada…”

“Um… Village Elder-nim, are you truly going to fight against the cult?” “Of course. As I have a personal grudge, I naturally wish to destroy the cult with my own hands… After I parted ways with Revo, Akada was always by my side, and I was always by Akada’s side. We relied on each other in this cursed, long life and led this village together, so we were precious to each other… Moreover, since the cult is a threat to the fairies, it is naturally my stance that we must fight against them. Of course, before that, there was a reason to gather strength, which is why we had been hiding from them.”

When Kelly answered with a voice full of determination, stating that she would fight the cult to avenge Akada and protect the fairies, I felt a slight sense of relief that there were still more people willing to stand against the cult. However, recalling how the fairies’ gazes had all differed when we arrived in Karizan just a moment ago, I sighed, worried about what lay ahead.

“…But meeting fairies who show both distrust and trust towards us simultaneously makes me worried about the people we’ll meet later… If those we met elsewhere, who hadn’t been brainwashed by the cult, also suffered because their locations were exposed to the cult due to us… then there will clearly be some who welcome us, like the fairies of Karizan, and others who are hostile towards us… I feel like I won’t be able to face the people we meet in the future.”

“I’m not sure if I should answer on behalf of Aria-nim like this… but there will be those who know that Zeke-nim didn’t do it intentionally. Moreover, since the situation isn’t certain yet, there will be people like me who think we should wait and see. Don’t think too hastily. As I said before, if we get confused, it will play right into their hands.”

“…This is maddening. The cult is moving far more meticulously than I imagined… and they’re exerting psychological pressure too, which makes it hard for my mind to settle… Haaah… Plus, I haven’t had proper rest for over a week lately, so I’m incredibly exhausted.”

“Oh dear… The pressure must have been incredibly strong. Then please, rest well today. Ah! I’ll bring some calming tea, so please wait.”

When I frankly admitted that I was mentally exhausted lately, Kelly looked at me with pity and said she would bring some calming tea. I’m going crazy… When will the cult attack us? What are they doing right now…? My mind hasn’t been calm since I learned about the cult. Every day, I worry about when we’ll be attacked and how the world will change. And aside from the cult, being dropped into a world five years in the future means so many things have changed that my head feels muddled. Up until now, I’d tried hard not to show this exhausted side of myself in front of Aria… but it seems I’m truly pushed to my limit mentally now. Haaah… As Kelly said, I definitely need to rest well today… otherwise, my head might actually explode…

“Village Elder-nim!!! Can you please open the door?!” “…? That voice is… Ah, yes… I will.”

The moment I was sighing and groaning at the desk, someone suddenly knocked on the door from outside, asking if it could be opened. Kelly, who was looking for tea, hastily opened the door. Kelly was startled to see someone outside the door, and I too was shocked to see the person slowly entering the house. Uh… huh? What on earth is that…?

“How is it?! You can’t tell who it is, can you? We’ve altered Saintess Aria’s clothes and applied makeup to Saintess Aria’s face!” “Uh… th-this… I don’t think this is right…!! The clothes Zeke-nim gave me are like this…”

When the fairies brought Aria inside and showed me her changed appearance, I was greatly astonished, and Aria grumbled as she looked at her altered clothes. Blue lines, which hadn’t been there before, now appeared on Aria’s clothes, and a ribbon was added where the brooch I had given her used to be. Furthermore, there were several blue ribbons in her hair, and Aria’s face looked clearer than before. The moment I was greatly flustered by Aria’s changed appearance, the fairies entered one by one and showed me several black outfits, saying:

“We also prepared other outfits, taking Saintess Aria’s clothes as reference!” “Clothes with gold patterns, clothes with different decorations! We prepared a total of seven different outfits! Even though they were made by fairies, they will transform to Saintess Aria’s exact size when you leave Karizan, so you can rest assured!” “And we applied makeup to make Saintess Aria’s beauty even more radiant!”

“Ugh… I clearly told them that Zeke-nim didn’t show much reaction to makeup… S-so… how do I look… Zeke-nim?”

As the fairies were introducing how they had adorned Aria, Aria herself shyly asked me how she looked, and I didn’t know how to answer. Honestly, it had bothered me that Aria had only worn one outfit all this time, so I thought it was a good thing… and the clothes looked beautiful… and finally…

“…The clothes… they suit you well…” “Just as I thought—?! Wait… wait a minute, Zeke-nim…? Did you just say the clothes suit me?!” “Uh… y-yes… The clothes really suit you—!!!” “Zeke-nim is touched by my changed appearance for the first time!! Squeal!!!”

The moment I was about to say that the clothes she was wearing really suited her, Aria, so moved by my compliment, rushed over, hugged me still sitting in the chair, and lifted me up. The fairies flinched in surprise at Aria’s immense strength, but Aria, overjoyed, ignored them and began rubbing my face against her cheek.

“Which outfit suits me?! This one I’m wearing right now?! Or perhaps another one?!” “Th-they… they all seem to suit you… But…” “…? But…? Is there an outfit you don’t like…?”

To Aria’s question about which outfit suited her, I replied that they all suited her well, but there was one thing that bothered me. Aria flinched in surprise, put me down, and looked anxious, asking if there was anything I didn’t like among the clothes. I then took a handkerchief from my pocket, wiped Aria’s face, and said:

“Still, I think your bare face is better than with makeup.” “…!! I like that better…!! Hehehe… I’m so happy that Zeke-nim prefers my bare face over my made-up one~!” “…?! Then, surely… our village’s makeup lost again…?!”

When I wiped Aria’s face and said I thought she looked better without makeup, Aria happily accepted it as me preferring her natural appearance, while the fairies looked defeated, as if their pride had been shattered. Then, Kelly, who had been observing the situation from the side, chuckled softly and began brewing tea. Aria, now more beautiful than before with the help of the fairies, looked at the clothes in her hands and asked the fairies:

“But can I really have all of them? Without paying any separate fee…” “It’s alright~! Ever since we met the Black Saintess, we’ve thought about trying to alter her clothes every day.” “But we didn’t know the results would be beyond our imagination! Moreover, since Saintess Aria said she only had one outfit, we’re happy that Saintess Aria can show Zeke-nim various looks.” “Although our makeup skills lost, it’s a relief that at least our village’s tailoring skills captured Zeke-nim’s heart.” “Oh, and… most importantly, Saintess Aria is very hostile towards the cult… We actually overheard it from outside, you see? So, we’re giving you these gifts because we admire Saintess Aria for saying she’d engage in a full-scale battle with them, so please don’t decline.” “Hmm… Thanks to you, Zeke-nim admired my changed appearance… So, I should express my gratitude first. Thank you.”

When the fairies explained that they were giving the clothes as a gift because they had been impressed by Aria’s fighting spirit against the cult, Aria recalled how I had admired her changed appearance thanks to them. She decided to accept the clothes and expressed her gratitude to the fairies. Meanwhile, Kelly and I were sitting at the desk, drinking tea, observing the scene.

“Haaah… I don’t know if it’s thanks to this tea, but my mind feels calmer. Thank you, Village Elder Kelly-nim.” “No. This is surely not thanks to the tea, but thanks to Aria-nim.” “Huh?” “The reason Zeke-nim has been able to endure without succumbing to the cult’s pressure until now… I believe it’s because Aria-nim was by Zeke-nim’s side. Just now, when Zeke-nim was feeling anxious, his expression immediately relaxed the moment Aria-nim appeared~.” “…”

When Kelly said that I had been able to endure until now because Aria was by my side, I couldn’t retort in any way. This was because Aria had indeed comforted and calmed me down at times. Was Aria calming me, just as I had comforted her…? Watching Aria express her gratitude to the fairies and chat about various things, I once again realized how much I had received from Aria all this time. Then, Kelly looked at Aria and asked me.

“Is that brooch… not made from a slime’s magic stone?” “Ah, yes. I gave it to her as a gift before. And the brooch attached to my current clothes was given by Aria as a token of thanks for that brooch.”

“I see… Then, Zeke-nim. Have you ever received such gifts from the people you’ve met so far?” “Yes. Many different things… I’ve received a lot. Many were given with the meaning of hoping for our paths to be filled with good things or looking forward to the day we would meet again.”

When Kelly asked if I had ever received items from people I met, I recalled the past and answered yes. There were truly many… My parents gave me the Snow Woman’s Tears, Tess-ssi gave me a book, and I received a fang from Pertian? From other people, dolls, Trahan, even jewels… I’ve received so much, haven’t I? As I remembered the past and the many things I had received from people, Kelly extended something onto the desk towards me and spoke.

“All of those things became connections, tokens of trust. I also believe it is fate that you have visited Karizan again. Akada would have felt the same. So, this is a gift from the village representative, on behalf of Akada.” “…? Isn’t this a piece of a wing…?”

When Kelly explained that the wing piece I had received was Akada’s, I realized something and fell into great shock. That meant it was Village Elder Kelly-nim’s precious treasure?! But she was giving it to us like this…?! As if Kelly had read my thoughts, she looked at me, astonished, and nodded, saying:

“It’s because I firmly believe that you will surely defeat the cult and save our fairies. When one lives long… one develops an intuition that some people will definitely be able to accomplish certain things. So please, accept it. As it contains the energy of life, that wing piece will surely be of great help to all of you. And it is also a token that the fairies will never betray you, so please accept it as a symbol of our trust. Oh, and of course, those clothes made by the fairies too.” “…Thank you… Thank you very much, Village Elder Kelly-nim…”

When Kelly asked me not to decline the wing piece, saying it was a token of their trust and a wish for our success, I clasped the piece with both hands and expressed my gratitude to Kelly. Having conversed with Kelly and feeling some of the anxiety in my heart dissipate, I then followed Kelly to the lodging with Aria. And the moment we arrived at the lodging and began to unpack, Aria suddenly locked the door, and then…

“Well… Zeke-nim. We’ve finally arrived at the lodging…” “Uh… with all the various things that happened, I’m ti—!!!”

Sitting on the bed and organizing my belongings, I noticed Aria smiling creepily with her head bowed, and I understood why she had locked the door. A feeling of dread made my whole body stiffen with immense fear, and Aria strode towards me, wiggling her fingers, and said:

“Hehehehe… Finally… finally, we’ve come to a place where we can rest at ease…!!! Hehehehe…!!” “A-Aria? Wait?! Hold on!!!!”

Ah… Aria had been waiting for this very moment, hadn’t she…!! Realizing belatedly that Aria had been holding herself back all this time, I was then enveloped in Aria’s arms…