episode_0086

After the incident caused by Winter’s proposal came to an end.

“Winter, then let’s subdue the demon lord together… .”

“Umm… I’ll think about it all night and tell you. My thoughts have become complicated.”

‘Oh, it looks like you’ll get over it in a little while.’

“… all right!! Then, Winter, if you have an empty room, could you please lend it to me? Well, it’s a bit cold outside~.”

“Of course. There are so many unnecessary rooms in this mansion, so let’s go into the empty one.”

“Whew, camping in the snow was a bit of a hassle. Thank you, Winter!!”

Winter announced that she would carefully consider the matter of recruiting the warrior party all night long.

To wait for her decision, the hero party stayed overnight at the mansion.

It was great news for the party, who were mentally exhausted from subjugating the Four Heavenly Kings and all that.

… Especially at Rinne, who was smiling suspiciously earlier.

“Hehe, hehehe… .”

“… Why are you smiling like that? It’s a little gross.”

“No… Hehe, just in case, I’ll put a security spell in each room… !!”

Rinne is smiling suspiciously.

It was a laugh that sounded like she was plotting some kind of evil plan, or if I had to be more specific, like a witch…

The companions didn’t pay much attention.

‘You’re smiling like that again…’ Well, it’s me, Rinne. At first glance, it’s probably not a big deal.’

“Now that we’re done, let’s hit the savior’s room thoroughly. … Not even a single ant can enter.”

“Of course, hey… !!”

That she has a good heart has already been proven by the fact that she did not lift a finger during Sihyeon’s hug incident in the Beast Union.

Because I was confident that she wouldn’t do anything bad if I left her alone.

In fact, Rinne dispelled even the last of the party’s anxiety by casting a triple security spell.

-Suuu… Crash.

“Hehehe… Now, no one can go in until you come out yourself.”

“Good work… Hmm. Then I should go to sleep right away. I’m exhausted in many ways.”

“It’s been a while since I slept in a warm room… It’s a bit hard to have to sleep on a sleeping bag because there’s no bed.”

“It’s several times better than camping in snowy Nordkirchen, Your Highness!! Good night!!”

The group disperses after confirming that Si-hyeon is safe.

Everyone seemed confident that nothing would happen, believing in Rinne’s magic.

The trust that befits colleagues who have dealt with as many as four of the Four Heavenly Kings together.

———But, as if betraying that trust.

Rinne entered her room and as soon as she was alone, she burst into laughter that she had been holding back for a while.

-If you really like me and even confess to me, maybe I’ll fall in love with you just for that?

“Hehehe, hehe, hehe… .”

What was swirling in Rinne’s mind was what Sihyeon had said with a playful smile earlier.

The other group members didn’t even pay attention to what boys often say, ‘I don’t look at your face~’ because they thought it was an obnoxious thing to say…

Like a girl who had only studied, she took those words very innocently and literally.

She likes him so much that she wants to marry him many times. So, if you confess, I’m sure they will accept it.

Thanks to this, Rinne, whose mind became a flower garden, quickly took action.

‘Everyone seems to like him, but… I am the most… !!!’

-Squeak squeak.

Linnaeus took out a quill and parchment from his pocket and wrote down something with a single stroke of his hand.

I was careful not to disturb even the slightest bit of the pretty handwriting he had praised before.

Her face was filled with a happy smile, as if she was gulping down a bowl of kimchi soup.

And after a while.

“Whoa. Spirit.”

-hug!!

“Put this in his room secretly. Because magic doesn’t reach the crack under the door. Just slide it in and it’s done.”

A bundle of parchment clumsily tied with a ribbon was held in the spirit’s hand.

It’s roughly suitable for exchanging letters between wizards, but…

In many ways, this is the worst letter to convey your feelings to someone you love.

The spirit sensed something ominous and made a disgusted sound.

-Ugh… I don’t want to do it.

“As a contractor, this is an order… !!”

-all right… Instead, don’t you cry later? Even if I hear you say we should be friends, I don’t know?

“… … friend? What do you mean by that?”

-You might find out soon. Anyway, I’ll be back!!

However, Linnaeus sent a letter out of necessity.

A letter to Sihyeon saying he would confess.

‘Hehehe… Oh, no. This is not the time!! We need to prepare for that now… !!!’

-I’m in a hurry.

* * * * * *

Meanwhile, I was a little tired so I decided to go to bed early.

I asked for understanding from my companions and went into the empty room first and laid out my sleeping bag, but…

Unfortunately, I had no choice but to get up again before my sleeping bag warmed up with body heat.

It was because of a bundle of parchment suddenly thrown through the gap in the door.

[Hello, benefactor? I’m sorry for sending you a letter suddenly. hmm… Should I talk about this before getting into the main topic? Your cooking today was very delicious. The best meat I’ve ever eaten in my life… .]

“… … Linne? No, why is it so long?”

When I opened it, the parchment was filled with Linnaeus’ handwriting.

Things like appreciating dinner today, and how much of a help the spirit I contracted was when fighting the Four Heavenly Kings. Parchment filled with all kinds of TMI.

… Doesn’t Linnaeus know about the good culture of three-line summaries?

Frowning at the messy letter, I read it as quickly as I could.

[There is something I really want to tell you today. So, can you come out for a moment at midnight? I’ll be waiting for you at the back of the mansion.]

‘Eh… ?’

It was only after reading the letter to the end that I figured out Rinne’s true purpose.

They told me to come out to the back of the mansion at midnight because I had something to tell them.

… … Can’t we just do it at home? Do I really have to do it outside in the snow and cold?

Open the door and right across from Rinne’s room is Rinne’s room. What on earth is he doing? I didn’t understand.

but,

“… Haha.”

‘Well, Rinne isn’t stupid. It must be because there is a reason. It could be something very important.’

Even though she’s a little weird, Rinne is a decent member of the hero’s party.

Thinking that she couldn’t do this for no reason, I immediately canceled my plan to go to bed early.

Then, take a moment to organize your inventory or browse store windows to enjoy window shopping.

Time passed by, and it was already midnight.

-Quick… Sneaky.

‘Whoa…’ Even if you wear cold-resistant accessories, you still get cold. ‘I called you this, but just pretend it’s not a big deal.’

The rest of the party must have already fallen asleep, the mansion so quiet.

I headed outside quietly, afraid that my companions would wake up.

It didn’t take long to reach the back of the mansion Linnaeus mentioned.

-Knock knock knock.

‘What, you were already waiting?’

As I was walking through the snow-covered garden, I immediately caught my eye in a unique wizard costume.

Even though it was night, Linnaeus was dressed in her prettiest clothes, not even pajamas.

He exhaled his white breath as if he was a little nervous, but the fact that he turned bright red as soon as he saw me was a bonus.

“… Wow, you’re here.”

“Hwaam… Linne? Why did you call me on a night like this?”

“Well, that’s it… excuse me… .”

But why? As soon as I stood in front of her, her eyes lost their way and began to wander.

… Really, what are you doing calling someone over on this cold night?

My expression suddenly became sullen.

‘I won’t say anything because I know his personality, but… There’s nothing I can do about it. I guess I’ll at least open up the conversation.’

“Well, that’s… .”

“But thanks to Rinne, I can see all that.”

“… … Huh?”

“Look, over there.”

However, I can’t say harsh words to my invaluable colleague.

I smiled softly and pointed at the moon.

A very vivid crescent moon was floating in the vast sky of Nordkirchen.

“The moon is so beautiful.”

-Smiling.

Then I said something insignificant.

Look, isn’t the moon over there so pretty? So, look at the moon and relax. Don’t call someone at night and make a fuss.

A word that roughly captures that meaning.

However, for some reason, Rinne’s face suddenly colored.

“… … … Kaaaaeaaang!!!!?”

-Pinch.

“Oh, I’m surprised. What’s wrong?”

“Uh, that. What does it mean to the wolf beasts… .”

“Yes?”

“Well, that’s… .”

Rinne hesitates for a while longer.

Her lips kept moving like a boiling pot lid.

As if you are thinking about it until the very end.

“… Rinne?”

“Whoa, whoa. Whoa… Yes. Because the moon is pretty too. I should cheer up too.”

But even for a moment. The purple pupil, which kept spinning, regained its senses again.

With a determined glow, as if he had decided to do something.

At the same time, Rinne, who had been holding back, held out something.

-suddenly.

“… Flowers?”

Rinne was holding a bunch of flowers in his hand facing forward.

A flower that radiates mysterious blue mana.

When I widened my eyes at something, Rinne’s smile filled me with confidence.

“Hehe, hehe. This is actually a very precious, magic ingredient… ? It’s called the flower of life… It’s a precious thing that I raised for two weeks.”

“… Hehe, really?”

“Yes… !! Just by keeping it next to you, the mana in your body becomes activated… !!”

‘Oh, I’m not interested.’

And Linnaeus gave a lengthy explanation of the flower along with magical theories.

… To be honest, it was an explanation that made me think, ‘What is that, you otaku?’, but whatever.

As I was just smiling and nodding, my animal ears started fluttering.

“So, there are wizards, right? A flower that bloomed with one’s own magic… Hehehe. I use it when I confess… !!”

“Hey, great… Huh?”

‘Wait, what did you just say?’

But on the contrary, my eyes became infinitely round.

At the end of the explanation I was listening to, a suspicious line passed by.

I looked at Rinne in surprise, as if asking for an explanation…

Soon, the flower in her hand was held out to me.

“Jo, Jo, I like you!!! Let’s go out with me!!!!!”

-suddenly.

“… … Huh?”

‘What, is this a joke again? Not fun… .’

With the suggestion of dating.

For a moment, I looked at him to see if he was joking again…

” Poetry, actually… I fell in love at first sight… After that… !!!”

‘… No, that’s not a joke!!!? That expression right now is so serious!!!!?’

No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t sense any sense of playfulness from Rinne, whose face was bright red.

Rather, I only felt sincere emotions.

So I started rolling my eyes here and there to figure out the situation.

Rinne is in front of me with a deep blush on her face and holding out a flower that she says she uses when confessing.

Before that, a letter asking to see each other alone at night.

finally… The question Rinne asked earlier, ‘What would you do if the person you truly love confessed to you?’

… My senses, trained through TRPGs, finally realized what was going on.

Rinne, you are now confessing to me that you want to date me.

Unlike Winter, he really likes me. sincerely.

———The moment I recognized that fact.

The mask called Concept that I have been following until now.

My heart broke with a shuddering sound.

To the point where I can never use it as well as before again.

“Hehehehehehe!!!!!!!?”

‘Wait, uh, huh!? Rinne to me!!? Why me… No, before that!! Where in the world is this kind of confession!!!?’

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Because of this, I couldn’t even control my facial expression and was so shocked.

No, I tied the letter roughly with string and threw it on the floor. Who thinks that is a confession letter?

Also, it’s not a romantic time, just call me out in the middle of the night and confess to me?

Let alone a ring or something like that, why are you holding out flowers like some kind of otaku?

Who could possibly predict that this was the build-up to a confession about dating?

I’ve never received a confession, but I could tell.

The confession Rinne made now is…

It’s truly the worst confession without any sense.

Because of this, the exact opposite of what happened in Winter came out of my mouth.

“Hehe, ba, I’ll accept it… .”

“———Who would confess so tastelessly, you idiot!!!!!”

“… Heee!!?”

-My heart is pounding.

‘Ah, my heart hurts… !!!’

… Contrary to my screams, my face was as bright red as Rinne’s. Although my temples were pounding like drums.

It was clear that this was just a surprise.

maybe.