episode_0068

“Then… I’ll just. I’ll just quickly go to Eaton Village for a moment!”

At the crossroads leading to the Hero’s house, Ariel paused, pointing towards the village with a smile full of apology.

“Because of Killua-nim?”

“That’s right. If I’m there, you won’t be able to hear Killua-nim’s honest feelings.”

At Ariel’s observation, I gave a bitter smile.

Killua-nim’s honest feelings…

“You know, don’t you? That Killua-nim has a strong liking for you…”

“Ah… Mm-hmm.”

I wasn’t a fool completely devoid of intuition.

The excessive physical contact she’d shown while treating me, her teasing that seemed to cross the line but didn’t quite, and all her actions that were closer and more proactive than usual.

All of it showed the personal affection and private fondness Killua harbored for me.

“If feelings are suppressed, they become poison. You have to pour everything out when you have the chance.”

Ariel gazed at the Hero’s house, faintly visible through the dense trees, as if certain that her returning with me would be of no help to Killua.

“And now, when emotions are at their peak… is the perfect time to pour everything out.”

“……”

Listening to Ariel’s undeniable words, I turned my head and looked towards the Hero’s house, where Killua would be, the house Ariel was gazing at.

Now, with Killua having coincidentally witnessed our intimacy, whether by choice or by chance, and being greatly shocked.

Tonight would be the perfect time to clearly define the relationship between me, Ariel, and Killua.

“Alright… Don’t worry, I’ll somehow resolve things with Killua-nim.”

It was clearly not going to be easy, and it would undoubtedly feel like immense psychological pressure.

But for the sake of me, Ariel, and Killua-nim, our relationship had to be clearly defined.

Sensing this was an ordeal I absolutely had to overcome, I swallowed nervously, my face serious.

“You can do it!”

Ariel gently hugged me from behind as I swallowed my solemn resolve with a serious face.

The warm, soft touch of her chest and the gentle embrace of her arms, lovingly holding me, made my serious expression crumble in an instant, replaced by a small smile.

———————————————————

After sending Ariel off to the village for a moment… I was left alone, and with noticeably heavy steps, I headed towards the Hero’s house.

As I drew closer to her house, the tension tightened, making me feel as if I couldn’t breathe.

Killua, who held strong affection and liking for me, had directly witnessed the intimacy between Ariel and me.

How should I face Killua, who was in such immense shock?

Should I start with an apology? Perhaps with a slight joke mixed in, saying I had defiled the White Mage-nim’s eyes with a vulgar affair?

Or should I brazenly pretend to know nothing and ask what she did today?

Or, even more brazenly, like a libertine, should I start bragging that I had enjoyed Ariel on our date today?

With dozens of thoughts and worries swirling in my mind, my thoughts almost half-stopped, I was merely idly touching the doorknob of the house.

“You’re back?”

“Ki… Killua-nim?!”

As I was still touching the doorknob of the Hero’s house, my thoughts unorganized, Killua’s voice came from behind me.

Contrary to my expectation that she, having returned from the lake earlier, would be inside the house, Killua also seemed to have just returned from outside, looking at me, standing foolishly by the door, with a pathetic gaze.

“Where’s Ariel?”

Killua looked around, searching for Ariel, who had gone out with me but hadn’t returned with me.

“Sh-she said she had something to retrieve from Eaton Village and went there for a bit.”

“Oh… really?”

Killua replied to Ariel’s absence with a casual remark.

“……”

“……”

And then, silence.

At the door, Killua and I couldn’t utter a word, maintaining only a subtly awkward silence.

“Th-that…”

“Quiet.”

Thinking I should first reveal the relationship between Ariel and me, I was about to break the awkward silence and open my mouth.

But at that moment, Killua, who was frowning and scratching her innocent nape, interrupted me as if she didn’t want to hear it.

“Will you follow me to the empty lot behind the house for a moment?”

And then, abruptly, she led me to a small empty lot behind the Hero’s house.

Despite tilting my head at her sudden suggestion, I followed her lead and walked to the small empty lot prepared behind the house.

Killua, walking ahead to the center of the empty lot, gently spread her hands out to her sides.

Then, the magic flowing from her body began to glow vividly under the subtle moonlight.

“Here… this is a map of the continent.”

The magic flowing from her body transformed into a small aura of light, weaving itself into the air and beginning to form the shape of a continental map.

I couldn’t help but be impressed by her ability to weave her magic into the air and form a perfect map that was almost identical to the maps I’d seen during my merchant days.

“And this is where we are now.”

Killua pointed to a location on the southernmost part of the continent.

“What are these bright dots?”

On the map of the continent she had created, there were three noticeably bright points of light.

“Those are where my pendant fragments are.”

“You’ve already pinpointed their locations!?”

I couldn’t help but be surprised that she had located all three scattered pendant fragments across the vast continent.

At her words that the three brightly shining dots were the locations of the pendant fragments, I looked at the continental map even more carefully.

The closest fragment to Eaton Village, where we currently were, in the southernmost part of the continent, was near the Rothan Mountains in the central part of the continent.

“It’s near the hot spring city of Belton. As you know, Belton is quite famous as a tourist destination.”

Belton City was a famous tourist city, renowned for its massive bathing facilities that utilized the hot spring water flowing from the Rothan Mountains.

During my time as a merchant, it was such an incredibly famous city that whenever I planned the itinerary for merchant caravans passing through the central continent, I prioritized routing them through Belton.

Just imagining soaking my entire body in the miraculous hot springs, said to heal not only the fatigue accumulated from long journeys but also wounds and even illnesses, brought a smile to my face.

“The second one… is in the eastern continent. You’ll know this place well.”

The next fragment was located deep within an isolated forest near the eastern coast of the continent.

However, as I gazed closely at its location, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity.

“It’s probably near your hometown where you lived.”

“Ah! So that’s it!”

At Killua’s single remark, I immediately realized the identity of the strangely familiar feeling.

As Killua said, the second fragment was located near the village where I used to live.

Come to think of it, would the Fox God’s shrine I rebuilt long ago still be there?

Since I started working as a merchant, there had been no reason to visit my hometown, as it didn’t produce any special goods or local products, so I hadn’t been back in a long time.

“And the last one is in the Northern Magic Tower.”

Finally, the third fragment was located in the Magic Tower in the northern continent, apparently secured by the Empress.

After confirming the locations of all pendant fragments, Killua then moved her fingertips, beginning to draw a path on the continental map spread out in the air.

“Starting from Eaton Village… we’ll stop by Belton to secure the second fragment, rest sufficiently while enjoying the hot springs or sightseeing… then we’ll visit your hometown. After securing the third fragment there, and enjoying some time greeting your family after a long time. Finally, we plan to invade the Magic Tower.”

“That sounds like quite a long journey.”

It was a journey that would nearly traverse the entire continent, starting from the southernmost tip, passing through the center, moving to the east, and finally ascending to the north.

“No. We’ll only struggle until Belton City. Once I recover the second fragment, my power will be somewhat restored. Teleportation will be easy then.”

“That’s true.”

While the first fragment left Killua, who got completely overexcited upon its retrieval, almost an empty shell from expending all her magic… the situation would be different with the second fragment.

Killua, the White Mage, was absolutely not someone who would make the same mistake twice, no matter how infuriating things became again.

“This is my travel itinerary. Not bad, right? We’ll visit famous tourist cities… and stop by your hometown. It’ll be a bit tough, but don’t you think it’ll be worth it?”

“I suppose so.”

Having finished explaining her travel itinerary to restore the pendant fragments, Killua waved her hand grandly, erasing the map that had been spread out in the air.

And then, as if deep in serious thought, she took a deep breath.

With a faint smile on her face, her lips awkwardly trembling slightly, she turned to me and asked,

“You’ll come with me, won’t you?”

“……”

At her question, an uncomfortably heavy silence enveloped the two of us.

In the deep silence, so quiet that we could hear each other’s breathing, the corners of her lips, forming a faint smile, began to tremble uneasily.

“You’ll… come with me, won’t you?”

Thinking I might not have heard her words because I was lost in thought, Killua asked for my answer once more.

“Th-that… Killu…”

“You’ll come with me, won’t you!?”

Just as I was about to carefully call her name, she abruptly raised her voice, cutting me off.

“Yes! Or no! One of the two! It’s an easy answer, isn’t it?! Why can’t you speak!?”

“No… it’s not that…”

“Answer me!!!”

As if she absolutely wouldn’t allow any answer other than the one she wanted, Killua raised her voice again, cutting me off.

She exhaled rapid breaths, her emotions too intense to hide any longer, and a pair of black eyes glared fiercely, menacingly at me.

Meeting those eyes, I took a deep breath.

‘Jazel needs faith in himself and courage.’

Ariel’s words to me echoed in my mind.

Now was the moment I needed faith in the decision I had made and the courage to reveal that truth.

“Killua-nim.”

“Don’t call my name!! Just answer…”

“I have decided to officially begin a relationship with Ariel starting today.”

My calm voice sharply cut through Killua’s harsh tone, which was trying to interrupt me again.

My calm voice interrupted the White Mage’s words.

Words that no one in this world, no matter how great, had ever been able to interrupt.

No, I had interrupted the White Mage’s words, words that no one had even dared to interrupt.

“Ah…”

As if she had clearly heard my calm voice cutting through her loud outbursts, Killua’s lips suddenly stopped, accompanied by a small gasp.

It seemed she had something she wanted to say, but couldn’t articulate it properly, as Killua merely gaped at me with a blank expression, her lips only quivering.

“Th-then… why… why?”

Killua laboriously moved her trembling lips, asking why I had decided to begin a relationship with Ariel.

“Ariel was a truly good person. She trusted and relied on me without condition or reason… and helped me grow.”

Upon hearing my answer, Killua’s facial expression twisted as if in disbelief.

“I… I trusted you too! I relied on you!! And I helped you grow!!!”

Her words were not a lie.

The White Mage Killua-nim had also trusted me without reason, helped me, who had no talent in magic, to grow, and supported my wavering will until I could manifest magic.

There was only one difference.

“Killua-nim… the White Mage-nim is too much for me.”

She was a powerful and great White Mage, so much so that rumors claimed she possessed power and knowledge nearly divine.

Although she had lost all her power, she displayed wisdom and knowledge akin to an absolute being, saving Eaton Village from crisis.

For her to be connected with me, a somewhat famous merchant who could do a bit of secretarial work? It was nothing more than an absurd fantasy from a novel.

And even if I were lucky enough to be connected with her by exploiting Killua’s current weakened emotional state…

–Little one. Beings living on this land must always abandon the desire for things beyond their station.

The words of the Fox God, which were fading into distant memory, began to echo in my mind.

Along with that, I recalled my pathetic self, signing the double contract that wiped out all the merchant caravans I’d dedicated my entire life to, driven by the presumptuous delusion that I could become emperor.

“Someone more suitable for the Mage-nim than me… surely exists.”

Upon hearing my answer, Killua’s eyes immediately began to waver unsteadily, as if she were about to burst into tears.

“Killua-nim?”

I was surprised by her incredibly intense emotional expression.

I hurriedly tried to calm her, as she seemed on the verge of tears, but…

“Pill… did you take the pill?”

Killua pointed to the leather pouch tied to my belt with trembling fingertips, as if clinging to a last hope.

Her last hope seemed to be that Ariel had played some trick to make me fall deeply for her.

“……”

At her words, I ostentatiously pulled out one of the pills she had made for me from the leather pouch.

And without a word, I tossed it into my mouth and slowly chewed and swallowed the pill.

The clear energy that spread from the crushed pill between my teeth once again cooled my mind and heart, settling them down.

I let out a long sigh, cooling my body, and exhaled the remaining chill from my mouth, then looked at Killua with calm, settled eyes and said,

“I like Killua-nim.”

At my words, a small smile struggled to appear on Killua’s tear-stained face.

But looking at that smile, I took another breath and calmly added my next words.

“But I love Ariel.”

It was the moment everything became clear.

It was the perfect answer, firmly establishing the relationship between her and me, and between Ariel and me, so clearly that it couldn’t be denied or misunderstood.

“……”

Upon hearing my answer, Killua walked trudgingly towards me, her face blank with shock, without a word.

And then, clutching my clothes tightly, she buried her face in my chest.

She let out a piercing wail!

Although I could have kindly patted Killua’s back…

To ensure our now firm relationship wouldn’t waver, I simply let my hands hang loose, waiting for her to fully express all her emotions.