Allen withstood the withering looks from the two beasts and observed Lydilia’s reaction. What appeared to be a last-ditch attempt at intimidation was actually part of his strategy, which would lead to the next move. All my ideas so far came to nothing...but if I show her my whole list, there has to be something that catches her attention! It’s a sneaky trick, but if I can get even a hint of what she’d like, I’d be lucky!
The open notebook was full of all kinds of naughty pleasures. He figured that if he could follow Lydilia’s eyes and find out which item they rested on, he could guess the most likely item to please her. However—
“I have no interest in such foolish gibberish. Put it away.” Lydilia scowled, pushing away the notebook.
“Hm, all right.” Allen had no choice but to put it aside at her curt reply. He flipped through the notebook, slightly puzzled. Her eyes didn’t rest on anything... Does that mean she’s equally indifferent to all of them? But something didn’t sit right with that theory. While he was mulling over this question, Lydilia downed her juice and threw a glance behind her.
“In any case...what are those fellows doing there?” she asked.
It was not yet evening, still a little too early for a bar to fill up. Yet, most of the tables were packed with people. The usual suspects were all gathered there—Magus and Groh, Miach and Eluka, plus Dorothea. They all wore serious expressions, putting their heads together in a clamorous discussion.
“Hmm...feasts don’t work, and neither does treasure or riches... If it was up to us, that and some grog would be better than anything, though,” Magus said.
“And we obviously can’t give her alcohol,” Groh said. “Man, imagine being a saint when you’re just a ten-year-old kid... When I was ten, I used to goof off when I was supposed to be looking after the family shop—my pops used to scold me all the time.”
“As for me, I loved playing with dolls around that age. My adoptive siblings used to keep me company,” Miach said.
“I was studying magic all the time, with bro. Plus, watching Mama and Papa work, I guess?” Eluka said.
“Ten years old...” Dorothea sighed. “It’s a long, long time ago for me. Back then, my Ma was the guardian deity of the forest I grew up in...”
Of course, Magus and Groh’s henchmen were with them, so the whole bar was bustling. Lydilia observed them for a little while, then tilted her head in confusion. “What in the world are they here for...?”
“Oh, them. Apparently, they’re also trying to think of a naughty pleasure to throw at you.”
“What? Resorting to borrowing the wisdom of others, are you? You’ve sunk low.”
“Don’t be stupid, I didn’t ask them to. I just told them what’s happening, and they said they want to lend me a hand.” Though Allen had been clear that he didn’t need their help, Eluka and the others were eager to stick their noses in. As for Magus and his group, they’d happened to run into the rest of them on their way back from a dungeon. The large group of adventurers looked intimidating at a glance, but they were all peacefully discussing how to make the saint happy. Since they’d heard the story that Lydilia was already being worshipped as a saint when she was only ten years old, they were all excitedly swapping nostalgic stories from their childhoods.
When Allen explained all this to Lydilia, she looked the other way as if she was bored, sipping her juice. “Humph... I’m surprised there are even more fellows who have too much time on their hands.”
Allen was puzzled by her aloof manner. Hm? I thought she would scorn them more, but looks like I was wrong... Far from mocking them, Lydilia was apparently trying to avoid looking at them directly. Allen had the feeling that the answer to winning over Lydilia lay somewhere hidden in this reaction. Hmm, is she actually shy with strangers? Or is she not used to people fussing over her? Which is it...? Allen pondered over it, holding his chin.
Meanwhile, Charlotte spoke up from the mirror, smiling at Lydilia. “It really is amazing you could use magic like that at such a young age. I’ve only just started practicing.”
“’Tis nothing to boast of,” Lydilia said bluntly, still sulky. “You’ve inherited my talent. With a little training, you should grow strong enough to win any quarrels with Allen.”
“B-But...I’ll never quarrel with Allen,” Charlotte said with a shy smile.
“Is that so?” Lydilia tilted her head, her innocent eyes widening in surprise. “But you and Allen were glaring at each other at such close quarters last night. I was sure you were having a fight—so what was it, then?”
“...”
“...”
Both Allen and Charlotte fell silent, averting their eyes uneasily. As Allen had feared, Lydilia had witnessed their attempted kiss.
Roo was intrigued. “Oh, what’s going on? Did you have a fight, Mommy and Allen? You better make up.”
“Not to worry, Young Roo. The two of them love each other deeply,” Gosetsu said.
“But why would they glare if they like each other? It’s weird.”
“Human life is complicated, you see.” Gosetsu seemed to have sensed something, and she spoke to Roo with a wise look on her face.
Speechless, Allen wished he could go hide in a hole. At least Lydilia hasn’t figured out what it was... I suppose as a saint, she’s distant from things that happen between ordinary people—hm? A thought struck him. Startled, he stared closely at Lydilia’s face. “Are you actually...?”
“Wh-What is it? Are you challenging me to a fight as well? I shall take you on.” She held up her fists in front of her, on guard and ready to fight.
Allen merely stared at her, speechless for a whole new reason.
♢
In a large open field on the outskirts of town, the air was taut with tension. Innumerable logs carved into crude human shapes were erected all over the field. A single demi-human stood still amidst them. She had long, cobalt green hair, tied in a loose ponytail at her waist, and feline ears of the same color sprouting from the top of her head. Her long tail had a kink in it. She was clad in a light outfit suited for a nimble warrior: clearly an adventurer, if there ever was one.
The demi-human—who looked just like Miach—brought her hands to her hips, slowly swayed into a fighting stance, then announced calmly, “Now...I will begin.” As soon as the words left her lips, she leaped high into the air. Letting out a short breath, she swung her arms.
THWACK THWACK THWACK THWACK!
Countless knives shot out from her hands, lodging deep into all the human-shaped logs’ hearts. The fighter landed lightly on the ground, with a casual phew. She looked around at the group watching her and held out her knife. “Here, it’s your turn,” she said, stone-faced. “Please try it. It’s fun.”
“Who’s gonna do that?!” the spectators shouted in chorus.