Part 47:
Lithisia’s Mouth Shoveling
AT LONG LAST, the party left the Light Nation and returned to the World Tree Castle to hold a strategic meeting. They needed to plan their next move.
They now had all seven orbs in their possession, and their long journey had come to an end. It was time for Lithisia to reclaim her homeland, Rostir, from the clutches of the evil Prime Minister Zeleburg.
“Wait, couldn’t Alan have just blasted Zeleburg away with his Wave Motion Shovel Blast? Why did we need to collect all of these orbs?” Alice quietly asked at one point, but her presence was so faint that nobody noticed her.
And so, the meeting ended uneventfully. Or at least, it was supposed to.
“Um, excuse me. Uncle Alan, I have a question.” Fio had just finished her elf dinner and still wore an apron. In contrast to the swelling enthusiasm of her aproned bosom, she seemed concerned. “While I cleaned the storage room earlier, I happened to bump into Princess Lithisia.”
“Did something happen?”
“Well, um, she seemed kind of strange.” Fio went silent in thought for a moment before lowering her eyes. “I-I’m sorry, she was so strange that I’m having trouble putting it into words.”
“I see…”
It was indeed true that Lithisia had been acting odd throughout the day. She was normally quite eccentric, but today had been on another level. She hadn’t said a word during the meeting; she had simply worn a sober expression the whole time. She would occasionally glance at Alan only to look away the second their eyes met.
Fio worriedly glanced at the storage room.
“All right, I’ll talk to her,” said Alan.
“Ah! Thank you so much,” Fio said as she bowed deeply, breasts swaying. Then her cheeks turned pink, though she knew what she had to say. “And um, if possible, I’d like you to… Well, I’d like you to shovel her. I think it’d make her happy.”
“Er…”
“I-I’m sorry if I’m overstepping my bounds!”
Before Alan could ask what “shovel” meant in this specific instance, Fio turned and fled while murmuring to herself, her cheeks glowing.
Alan thought to himself for a moment before whispering: “I don’t get it.”
At this point, Alan couldn’t wrap his head around any of the Shovel Princess’s desires. Even so, he knew for a fact that he couldn’t leave her as she was. He didn’t want to.
He gripped the shovel on his back. Alan had no idea what to do—however.
No matter what, I can still shovel.
✦ ✦ ✦
Inside the storage room on the third floor of the World Tree Castle, a host of shovels were lined in a row.
Alan normally used an adamantine shovel, but he had a ton of spares. Fio kept each of them on an individual stand, almost like they were on display at a museum.
No matter where Alan looked, Lithisia was nowhere to be found. Where could she be hiding?
While searching, Alan passed the shovel stands. One of them had signage that read, “Mythril Shovel.” The next read, “Orichalcum Shovel,” then, “Ruby Shovel,” and finally, the “Princess Shovel,” which sat next to the window—
“…”
Alan stopped and turned back to that last shovel to study it again.
The self-proclaimed Princess Shovel sat on a platform against the wall. In extremely feminine handwriting, the placard below it read, “A perfectly average shovel, but it would be immensely pleased if used.” On the “shovel’s” ample breasts hung a sign with a downward pointing arrow that read, “Shovel.”
There were also instructions:
USAGE AREA: Anywhere
USAGE TIME: Any time
USER: Sir Miner exclusively
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: New, unused.
But will do its best, so please use it.
“…”
Alan felt a headache begin to take shape. This, here in front of him, was what Fio had been unable to put it into words.
Lithisia sat on the platform in her Princess Dress (mini-skirt form), her plump thighs exposed, her cheeks blushing, and her eyes ever so slightly open.
“…”
She glanced at Alan, then immediately closed her eyes.
“I’m a shovel. A shovel…” Lithisia whispered to herself, her hands clasped together in prayer.
What the hell is up with this adorable little shovel? Alan thought to himself. “Lithisia.”
ZIIING!
Upon being called by her name, the Princess Shovel (self-proclaimed) trembled.
“…!!!”
But she still said nothing. She kept her eyes shut and her quivering hands clasped together. “I’m a shovel, I’m a shovel,” she whispered to herself over and over.
Alan only picked up this mantra thanks to his Shovel Ear. To all other observers, Lithisia would have looked just like a sleeping princess, but in fact, she was trying her hardest to become a real shovel.
I don’t get it. This was the second time today Alan had thought that to himself. But even if I don’t understand, I promised to do what I can. Shovel.
And so, Alan picked up the Princess Shovel in his arms in a classic princess carry.
“Ah…” For just a moment, Lithisia let out a sound, but she quickly shook her head and began to work her, uh, magic. She stretched out the fingers on both of her hands to form a triangle. A familiar shape—almost like a shovel head, in fact.
“…”
Was she asking Alan to use her to shovel something? With her hands? Should he? She evidently desired it.
Alan nearly shifted his position, but he paused upon seeing her hands up close. The thin white fingers of a young lady. They were so beautiful. Too beautiful, almost.
“Lithisia, stop this.”
“Huh…?”
“You’ll hurt your fingers and damage your nails. If you’re going to dig something up, use a regular shovel.”
“Ah, um, er.” Lithisia stared blankly at Alan. “I-I’m a shovel. Um, please feel free to use me as you w-wish.”
“Stop this nonsense. How could I possibly use such beautiful hands to dig things up?”
“Eee!”
Swish!
The Shovel Princess’s cheeks immediately pinked.
“Ah, uuurh, I-I’m sorry…” The Shovel Princess apologized with tears streaming down her cheeks. No, this was no Shovel Princess. This was just Lithisia. She was human. But why was she apologizing? “I-I’m so sorry, I’m a failure of a shovel…”
Lithisia’s profound sadness caused Alan nothing but confusion. I just don’t understand her. What is she thinking?
He concluded that he had to ask her directly. “Lithisia, could you please tell me what’s going on?”
“Ack!”
“If you don’t want to say, I can’t force you. But I like you most when you’re happily shoveling.”
“?!?!?!?!”
ZIIING!
“EEEEEEEEEEE!!!”
The second Alan said “I like you,” Lithisia’s heart rate multiplied significantly.
It was over. She had lost. Lithisia’s challenge ended in failure. She was no longer a shovel, but rather a simple young maiden in love—even though she had tried so hard to bury that part of herself.
“Eeeeeee! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”