“To start with, we used it to make it clear I was in a position above you, correct? But our relationship has moved beyond that now,” I said. This really had been a long time coming. I’d been hoping that Raphtalia would one day stop using “Mr.” on her own accord, but it felt like we’d reached the point I needed to point it out before anything changed. She always gave smart answers when I was playing dumb, like we were in some kind of comedy duo, and if I made a mistake, she was there to put me right. That was why she had my complete trust. And yet she continued to use “Mr.” in front of my name. That was my thinking behind asking her to stop . . . but Raphtalia’s face was starting to blush. Maybe it was embarrassing. It involved calling me by something new, after all.
She was clearly trying, her lips moving slightly . . . “Mr. Naofumi,” she eventually said, unable to overcome the mental block. She tilted her head. “Mr.—” she tried again and made the same mistake. It almost sounded like she thought “Mr.” was a fixed part of my name. “This is harder than I thought,” Raphtalia admitted. She concentrated harder, her face turning redder. I was amazed that embarrassment stopped her from doing this, after all this time. “I’ve been calling you Mr. Naofumi for so long I’m not sure I can stop.” Raphtalia was still embarrassed about it, and it was even starting to rub off on me. I was also aware my thinking was going in a strange direction.
“If we got married . . . would that make you ‘Raphtalia Iwatani’?” I asked.
“I hadn’t really thought about it,” Raphtalia stammered.
“Maybe ‘Raphtalia Heavenly Emperor Iwatani’?” I said.
“Please, don’t make fun of me!” Raphtalia replied. This felt more like our spot.
“I hope you can drop the ‘Mr.’ one day,” I told her.
“Yes. I’ll do my best . . . Mr. Naofumi, if that’s what you want,” Raphtalia said.
“It’s not about what I want. I want you to want to,” I said. My jokes helped her forget her embarrassment, and she started smiling. “Do you have Japanese surnames here in this world?” I asked her.
“I’ve heard some of them before. They can be used by those with the bloodline of the heroes,” Raphtalia replied. It sounded like there might be a “Suzuki” or a “Sato” running around out there.
“If I needed a name more suited to this world, maybe I could use the ‘Rock Valley’ that I went by in Zeltoble?” I said. That would keep Raphtalia’s name from standing out even if we got married. For some reason I recalled that S’yne’s surname was “Lokk,” which sounded a bit like “rock.” Maybe that was just a coincidence . . . “Ah, that reminds me.” I took Raphtalia’s hand and then placed an accessory onto her arm.
Shield Hero’s Charm (Raphtalia Exclusive)
Defense up (high), emergency healing, protect effect up, proof of trust, Heavenly Emperor power boost, enhanced illusion magic
Spirit seal, all status up (medium)
Quality: excellent
It was shaped like a rosary of beads that wrapped around her arm. I had used the balloon remnants to make a string and symbolize everything we’d been through together. I’d made the beads from hardened medicine, miraka ore from the Cal Mira islands, materials from the Spirit Tortoise and Phoenix, sakura stone of destiny, and even the leaves Holn had provided. For all of that, it looked like a simple rosary.
I’d also carved a flag into one of the beads. Raphtalia had loved those little flags that always came with the kid’s meal. Flags had a special meaning for Raphtalia, including the flag she saw when we started reviving Lurolona.
That was how I completed this accessory for Raphtalia; the name had come out a little more embarrassing than I might have liked.
“Oh my,” Raphtalia said.
“You wanted something practical,” I said. When I’d asked her what kind of accessory she wanted, she had asked for something practical. That was certainly what this was—even if it was a little embarrassing.
“That’s true, but I’m happy to get a present from you,” Raphtalia replied.
“I’m not sure a rosary is the best gift,” I said.
“Do you think so?” Raphtalia asked.
“Yeah,” I replied. A rosary probably wasn’t the best accessory to give a girl you liked. If anyone else got a rosary at a time like this—a moment they might be expecting something more romantic, like a ring—they’d probably get angry. “Do you like it?” I asked.
“Yes. I’ll treasure it forever,” she replied. She carefully wrapped the rosary around her arm and then gave a nod. She looked so happy looking at the rosary it made me happy too. There were even tears in her eyes. All the effort it took was worth it.
“Just don’t treasure it so much that you don’t even take it into battle,” I told her. Too many gamers hoarded the good stuff and ended up never using it. They’d have a chest packed with full heal items long after defeating the final boss. “Even if it breaks it, I don’t care as long as it saves you. I’ll repair it as many times as it takes. Keep it close to you at all times.”
“I understand. I’ll treasure it all the same,” she told me.
“Next time I’ll make something a little more fashionable,” I said. She wore her miko robes most of the time, so something like a Japanese hair comb would make sense. “A hairpin styled like a leaf might suit you,” I murmured.
“I’m sorry, but . . . after Raph-chan had that leaf on her head, I’d rather avoid the same look,” Raphtalia admitted.
“Oh, that was so cute,” I said, unable to help myself. “Ruft was copying her too.”
“I’m not going to wear anything based on what you just said,” Raphtalia replied, standing her ground.
“I know, I know,” I assured her.
“You’re ruining the mood,” she replied. I wondered why these moments never seemed to last between us—it was me, of course.
In that moment the clouds parted and moonlight shone down onto us. Illuminated with a pale glow, Raphtalia looked even more beautiful than usual. She had started out as a little kid, but now she was a beautiful woman. Her actual age was close to that of Keel and the others, so she was impressive.
“Come then, Mr. Naofumi. Let’s finish our patrol and then head over to these hot springs that Mamoru told us about. I’m sure everyone else had gone on ahead,” Raphtalia said.
“Okay,” I agreed. When we finally arrived close to the hot springs, Raph-chan was there waiting for us, looking up at the moon.
“Raph!” said Raph-chan.
“Hey, Raph-chan,” I said. “How was your patrol?”
“Raph,” replied Raph-chan. It sounded like there wasn’t much to report. Then Raph-chan noticed the rosary on Raphtalia and put her little paws to her mouth theatrically with another “Raph.”
“You don’t do that often,” I commented. “Are you trying to fool around like Keel?”
“Raph,” said Raph-chan, as though she had no idea what I was talking about. She patted her tummy a few times and looked back up at the moon. The setting really suited her: tanuki in moonlight. It was like a painting.
“The moon looks so beautiful it makes me want to throw a harvest festival,” I said. If we got all the Raph species to play their tummy drums together, it would be like something from a Japanese fairy tale. Once the world was at peace, we could call Glass and the others over to our world and have a big moon party.
“Is that something from your world?” Raphtalia asked.
“Yeah,” I replied.
“Raph!” said Raph-chan. She incanted some magic and started to glow like a firefly, illuminating the area around us. The effect created a really nice atmosphere. We started to walk again toward the hot springs, which the others were probably already enjoying.
“Looks like these springs have a nice view,” I commented. They were outdoor baths with a stepped layout. There were separate changing rooms for men and women, but that was about it.
“Hey, it’s bubba and Raphtalia!” Keel shouted as she spotted us.
“We were worried something happened,” Fohl said. Ren had already finished bathing and was cooling off, sitting on a rock nearby, while Eclair was bathing next to Melty. Keel and the others were racing around, playing tag or something. Mamoru had said he would probably come by with his party later. Everyone had their weapons close at hand, in case anything kicked off. The whole thing would probably have been a lot more relaxed if it wasn’t for our current situation.
“Come on, Mr. Naofumi. Let’s take a nice bath too,” Raphtalia said.
“Yeah, okay,” I replied. I liked our bath at home, but this was nice as well. There was going to be fighting here one day, but I could pray it wouldn’t start while we were bathing.
Luckily, it didn’t. We enjoyed some relaxing time all together and ended the day well rested.